by Lily Thomas
She wasn’t normally so reliant on another, but she felt like she deserved to be fragile. It was good to let one’s emotions out instead of keeping them bottled up. She had done her best, but she needed to shed a few tears to keep herself steady.
"Shhh, Claira. You will be alright, now that I’m here." His deep voice tried to coax her out of her tears.
He sat there on the ground holding her close, as tears leaked from her eyes onto his large shoulder. She’d thought she was going to die all alone. She thought no one would ever find her body, and she would’ve been left to waste away out here.
"I regret this happened to you." He apologized to her.
"I thought I wouldn't survive." She choked out, as she leaned away from his chest and lifted her hands up to rub the wetness from her eyes and her cheeks. "But," she added, "it isn't your fault, and you shouldn't be sorry for anything. This was bound to happen at some point. Neither of us could’ve predicted when or how it would happen. At least, you found me." Claira smiled, as one of her hands came up to brush against his cheek. She loved the feel of her soft skin brushing up against the stubble on his face.
"It doesn't mean I won't kill whoever did this to you."
Claira was shocked by his declaration, and she completely believed him, when he said he would, for she could see the fire burning in his obsidian eyes.
"Do you know who it was?"
"I know the master mind behind the plan. Who actually carried it out? Well, I can promise I will find out who they were, and they will pay with their lives." Kaeldar swore.
“Please don’t. I don’t want there to be blood shed over me.”
“They took you to leave you to die, and you want me to spare their lives?”
“I would rather leave, then stay and have blood on my hands.”
“It won’t be on your hands.”
“The blood will be on my hands, if you do it to show others I belong here. It can’t be the way they accept me.”
Kaeldar glared down at her, but he relented. “Fine. They will not be killed, but they will be punished for what they did.”
She nodded. She agreed they needed to be punished, but death was something she would never be able to live with.
Kaeldar couldn't believe he’d found her. She was alright, but she was a bit traumatized from her experience, which was completely understandable.
He was thinking it would be time to take the reins from his father. It was time to take his place as king of the rock giants. Claira had done nothing to them except help their ill and wounded.
Until now he’d never wanted or needed to take power away from his father. His father had taken away things throughout Kaeldar’s life, but none of those things meant as much to him as Claira.
But over throwing his father would take time. He needed to see how many of his people would back him or he would just throw everything into chaos. They were fighting a war, and his people needed a strong head to the royal family.
Who would have been able to guess a human female would be the one thing in his life to spur him on to take kingship from his father. Never before had he wanted the responsibilities that came with being king. He had always planned to shirk those duties, until the last possible moment by being a soldier.
Now he felt confident he could do it, when he had Claira by his side. He had finally found the right female to spur him into doing his duties.
Yet the only way to take the kingship from his father would be either waiting until his father died or challenge his father to a battle. It would be a challenge with sharp swords, and Kaeldar wasn’t about to lie to himself, his father was still in his prime.
There was no love lost between them. If Kaeldar challenged his father, his father might just end his life and be rid of his troublesome heir.
For Claira’s safety, he couldn’t take her back to the castle. When he challenged his father, it would send him into a rage, and Kaeldar didn't want his father's eyes to land on Claira and think about harming her. If she was gone, his father wouldn't be able to get to Kaeldar.
He would have to act like he was breaking the ties with her, because he didn't want her to wait her whole life for him. He wanted her to be able to live, possibly start a family if she chose, because he couldn't promise he would come out of the challenge alive.
There was a high possibility his father would beat him in a challenge. He was older, but he was still in his prime and had plenty of experience with a sword. His father wasn't a man to be underestimated on the battlefield.
Once she was better and stopped sniveling she got up from the ground and brushed off her gown.
"Thank you, I’m better now." She said, as his anxious eyes followed her every movement. She had relieved her pent up emotions, and she was feeling a deal better.
He nodded, as he stood up. "You always surprise me with the strength you have inside you."
"Thank you." She said, pleased he felt that way about her. She tried to be strong, but it was getting harder. There seemed to be a lot of things being thrown at her, while she was with the rock giants.
"I think it might be best to return you to the human world. You will be safer among your own people, and you can be left at a different village, a village where you will have a new start. Perhaps you will have a better chance of them accepting your presence than the rock giants."
Claira shook her head. “I can’t believe what you’re saying.” She refused to believe what had come out of his mouth.
He took her shoulders and gave them a light squeeze. "I know you don't want to hear it, but it is the best way, if not the only way. If you come back with me to the castle, there will be other attempts on your life, and I can't let that happen, because one of them might end up succeeding."
She shook her head. Of course, she wanted to remain alive, but she also wasn't thrilled with the idea of having to go back to a human village. It would be a life where she would remain misunderstood and held at arm's length.
“I was almost killed in the last human village.”
“But I can’t keep you safe at the rock giant castle, Claira. You will have a better chance among your own people.” Claira opened her mouth, but Kaeldar didn’t let her argue with him. “It has already been decided, Claira.”
“By who? You?”
“Yes, and you can’t convince me otherwise, so don’t try. I've packed a bit," he explained, "not much, but it will be enough for me to get you to a human village."
He must love her, if he was letting her go for her safety. Dare she hope? Or had she given her heart to him only to have him break it?
Claira had a hard time making her feet move after him, since she didn't want to leave. Dragging out every moment was the only thing she was able to do.
She could fight with him about the decision, but she could tell he wasn’t about to give up. He might just end up tying her back up and dragging her to a human village.
She was going to miss him dearly, but there was time. He could always change his mind, before they arrived at a human village, especially, if his heart was breaking as much as hers currently was.
She knew he had told her not to try to talk him out of it, but she might just give it a try.
A few days passed and Kaeldar made good time, since he only allowed himself a few hours of sleep. He needed to get her to a human village, before his determination cracked. Letting her go from his arms and his protection was going to kill him, but it had to be done.
His heart breaking was nothing, compared to her life. The thought that they could run away with each other kept entering his mind, but he kept pushing it away.
What life would he be able to provide, if they lived alone in the mountains?
It wouldn't be something she would enjoy. She would have no one to heal, besides him, and the days would be long and difficult.
No, that wasn't a solution to their problem.
The only way they could be together would be if Kaeldar took his rightful place as the king of the rock g
iants.
He just had no idea how much time that might take for him to accomplish. Not only would he need to be king, he needed to make sure the majority of his people would support him in his decision to bring her back.
He had never been close to his people, since he had never wanted nor needed a bond with anyone, until Claira came along. He had always been a warrior first. The war on the humans was all he devoted his time to, and he had never given love a thought or a chance.
Chapter 21
The day she was to leave came to quickly. As they crested a hill, a human village came into view.
She had done her best to convince him, but when he threatened to gag her she had decided to shut her mouth. He wasn’t going to listen to a word she had to say on the subject.
The sun had yet to shine its bright rays on the tiny town, so there wouldn't be any need to worry about some poor villager stumbling upon them.
She couldn't do it. There was no way she would be able to walk away from Kaeldar and towards that town. Absolutely no way.
But in the end she hadn't needed to worry about walking.
Kaeldar turned her head around and planted a hard kiss on her lips. It was a kiss full of longing, sorrow, and goodbyes. Claira hoped it would last forever, but too quickly the kiss was broken.
Kaeldar's strong hands circled her waist, and he swung her down off the giant horse.
Desperately, Claira threw out a hand to grip his pants. "I love you."
The words were out, before she could think twice about it. She had uttered words she feared wouldn't be uttered back to her, and she was right.
Looking down at her Kaeldar said, "This is best. For both of us, Claira."
With that he was gone, the horse galloped back down the side of the hill, back to the rock giant castle.
Huge tears leaked down her face, as she watched him leave her. Stumbling a couple of steps down the hill she held out a hand, until he disappeared into the rising sun.
He had left her. He had abandoned her.
It was for the best. He had said so.
There was nothing she could do, unless she wanted to chase after Kaeldar on foot, which would be silly.
She would have no choice, but to go to the town and make some sort of life. She just had to keep a low profile and not act like a loner. Part of her last problem had been the fact she had lived far from the town and none of the villagers were allowed the chance to see who she was.
A human. Just like them.
Turning away from the sun she looked over at the town, as the first few rays gently glided up the sides of the village buildings.
With her head held high, Claira headed towards them. She was determined to make sure her experience here was different.
She had proclaimed her love and Kaeldar had turned his back to her. She would manage on her own. Claira wasn’t going to be the woman who broke down and made nothing of her life.
A few weeks passed, since he had seen Claira, and he wanted to check up on her, but couldn’t get a chance. He wasn’t even sure he could find the human village again.
Kaeldar was keeping his plan a secret from his parents, since he wanted it to be a surprise, when he challenged his father. Kaeldar knew there were many people who were tired of his father's iron rule and his sometimes cruel treatment of them. They wanted a more lenient king, and a king who knew how to lead a more successful battle against the humans.
Kaeldar was the man for the job. He had an open heart and kept his word when he made a promise. Already there was a slight improvement among the ranks he had taken command of.
Soon his father would see what was happening, but by then it would be too late. Not that seeing it any sooner would save his father. Kaeldar knew his father wasn't going to change the ways he did things, and Kaeldar was making sure others understood that.
Kaeldar looked out over his army from a hill. The meadow seemed peaceful, but just a few minutes away lay another army, and both were ready for war. Both knew of each other's presence, but Kaeldar wanted a moment of peace before chaos and death ensued.
Every time they invaded a human village, Kaeldar would scout ahead.
He told his men he didn't want any surprises, yet he really was scouting ahead to make sure a certain human with straw hair and sea green eyes wasn't about to be in the way of a bloody fight. He couldn't remember which village he had dropped her off at, and he wished he had taken better notice of where it was located.
Thankfully, he hadn't seen her, but that didn't mean she wasn't somewhere inside a building healing some poor soul.
With a sigh, he kicked his horse into a trot and made his way down the hill. It was time to make war, yet again, with the human soldiers. They would surround the humans and rain down a blanket of arrows. Then they would swarm the encampment the human army had set up in their village.
The men were ready, ready to fight and die, at his command, but he was hoping they would come out of this the victor. Hopefully, there would be minimal casualties.
Everything had gone fine during the battle against the humans, that is until Kaeldar had seen long flowing blonde hair.
It was a misstep, a painful misstep.
He was in a fight against a human opponent, when he had caught sight of the flowing hair. It distracted him, until he realized it was a human male, and not his Claira. It was just a human male with long blonde hair.
But it was all the distraction the human in front of him needed, with a leap a dagger was plunged deep into his leg.
His horse reared, kicking out it's front legs at the human, as it heard the rage and pain in Kaeldar's growl. One of the heavy hooves landed squarely across the humans head, cracking it, and the man crumpled to the ground.
His hand came down to grip his leg, as he gazed down at the offending dagger sticking up out of his thigh.
Pulling back on the reins he exited the fight. He would do his men no good, if he let himself bleed to death. It would be helpful, if he had his human healer by his side, but that was only wishful thinking.
Kaeldar would have to settle for the healer they had back at camp. After signaling to another commander in the fight, he left the battle and made his way back to the giant encampment.
Claira rested her head on a hand, as she watched the heaving breathing of a woman in bed.
Months had passed since Kaeldar had dropped her off at the village. Weirdly enough, things had gone better than any other human village. These people had been in need of a healer and gladly accepted her with open arms.
She lived within the village in her own cottage, and it was satisfying. Everything was working out for her.
Usually she was kept busy, like right now. She didn’t have enough time to think about him with the mysterious illness that was running rampant through the area.
Thankfully, the illness hadn't killed anyone. Instead, it just put whole households out of work for a good week, so Claira was helping them all on her own dime. She hoped every good deed would help her solidify her position among them.
So far, it worked in her favor.
Claira even had a suitor, Christopher. Though thankfully he was different than Robert, yet she still found something lacking about him.
Maybe because when she envisioned her future, it had included Kaeldar, not some human man from a village where she was actually being accepted.
Ever since Christopher proposed to her she’d been unable to stop thinking about Kaeldar. It had been months since she’d seen him, but she kept hoping he might someday come back for her.
Was it too much to hope? She didn’t know if she should give up and move on.
She had, after all, told him she loved him, and he’d said nothing in return. He had only galloped away. There was nothing to prove that he would come back for her. She should move on with her life, let herself have some happiness. Christopher wanted to share his life with her.
It had been a month, since Christopher had proposed and although she hadn't said yes or no the of
fer was still there. He had given her time and space. Men didn’t come any nicer than him.
The villagers knew she’d had a hard past. They’d been able to see the misery and loss in her eyes, when she’d first walked into the village.
When he had first proposed, she had the urge to yell yes, but then Kaeldar's face had floated through her mind. It just didn't seem fair to say yes, when she knew in her heart she was still pining over another man.
With a heavy sigh, she got up from where she’d been sitting. The woman she was healing would live just like all the others Claira had helped in recent days.
She would give an answer to Christopher who had waited patiently for a month. It was the least he deserved, she couldn’t just stop her life. A few months was a long time.
Kaeldar drew in a harsh breath. The morning air was cold with the rain from the night before. It was time for the challenge he’d declared yesterday.
His father had been shocked by the declaration, it hadn’t been expected, and his mother had begged him not to go through with it. His mother was afraid she would either lose a son or a husband, but it was too late.
Kaeldar wanted the challenge.
Looking out over the arena his eyes widened as he took in the massive group of giants who’d come to see the challenge. He hoped they were there for support, but he knew it was also free entertainment.
Testing the balance of his sword Kaeldar slowly made his way forward. His father was standing on the other side, with his mother still begging him just to forfeit the kingship, but his father was too proud.
Kaeldar would have to take it by force.
He stopped in the middle of the field and waited for his father. He was in no rush. He could feel the adrenaline pump through his body for he had no idea who would win.
No one cheered, no one in the crowd seemed to make a sound. They were just as curious who would win, the young man who had war experience or the king in his prime with war experience.
