by M. D. Grimm
Then he could only be amused by the shocked and confused look on Kodie’s face.
“That was how you cured me of my rage. Six years ago, after my mother died.”
Kodie’s jaw dropped and he gasped again. He touched his lips with his fingers. Jeth knew he’d feel the same since no god or demon, even one wearing his skin, could mimic the physical presence of a mortal.
“Jeth!”
Jeth laughed. “I told you.”
Then he stumbled backward because Kodie launched into his arms. Again. However, this time he could hold Kodie and did. He crushed Kodie to his chest and swung him around, Kodie’s feet clear off the ground.
“I thought... by the gods I thought....” Kodie stammered as he tried to crawl into Jeth’s skin, his face pressed against Jeth’s chest, his arms tight around Jeth’s neck.
“So did I.”
Jeth finally set Kodie on his feet and didn’t let go. Kodie looked him up and down, color back in his face and joy back in his eyes. That was a much better look than grief. Having Kodie still pressed against him, warm and alive, was rather distracting. It never had been before, so why now?
“You know,” Jeth said, gripping Kodie’s shoulders. “I wasn’t so afraid of dying with you here. I didn’t want to die alone, and being buried next to my mother....”
Kodie smiled and cupped Jeth’s cheek. It was a rare gesture of affection. “I was plenty scared. How was I going to get through my life without my boulder of a friend?”
Jeth rolled his eyes as warmth and happiness flooded through him.
“So,” Kodie said. “You think we should tell the commander about this?”
Jeth thought it over for a moment. “No need. We look more competent if he doesn’t know we fouled up, and I nearly took my seat in the underworld.”
“Fair point. Let’s clean up and get out of here.”
Chapter Six
Present day
Days past, one merging into the next. Jeth wouldn’t allow worry to distract him and most of the time he succeeded. It occupied his mind at night, keeping him awake. Thankfully, he never needed as much sleep as full-blooded humans did. A few hours here and there were enough to keep him alert. He worked out his frustration on the training field, quickly seasoning the new recruits. They wouldn’t be green for long. The unforgiving mountains only accepted the strong and adaptable.
Jeth had discarded his cloak and fought with his two-headed axe. No man could match him, not even five of them at once, and he didn’t hold back, either. It would be disrespectful to both parties to hold back.
Sometimes his mind would stray to Kodie and how they left things. He had a pit in his stomach over the entire misunderstanding. He’d since come to the conclusion Kodie misunderstood his intentions and, when his friend returned, Jeth would clearly explain what he wanted. Only now could he explain what he wanted. He wanted Kodie by his side for the rest of his life. He wanted Kodie in his bed for his entire life.
He was going to make that happen, no matter what it took.
“General.”
Jeth looked over at Meldan, an older soldier assisting him with the recruits as Kodie would have done. He pointed to their camp set on a cliff above the training area. Jeth looked up to see horses and riders approaching.
He grinned. Finally.
He carried his axe as he climbed, shirtless, black hair covering chest, back, and arms, to the camp above. He wore a simple kilt while the others wore breeches. It wasn’t only because he wasn’t as affected by the cold as the others, but the standard clothing rations were tailored to normal sized humans. Kodie had trouble finding fitting breeches, and he wasn’t too much taller than other men. For Jeth it was impossible. He might have better luck if he wasn’t stationed so far from civilization.
Jeth greeted the soldiers, mostly wounded, and swept his gaze over them, quickly realizing Kodie was missing. His stomach turned to ice, and he tightened his grip on the axe’s handle until his knuckles turned white. He looked again as the men and women dismounted. Kodie wasn’t on a litter, nor was he on another horse or even laying over the back of one, dead.
He was nowhere and neither was Thunder.
Jeth walked up to Aenard, the leader of the squadron originally holding the pass. Many of the soldiers that followed Kodie hadn’t returned, Jeth noticed, and he could only surmise they had stayed behind, trading places with the wounded. Had Kodie done the same? Was he angry enough to lengthen their separation?
“Report!”
Aenard looked pale and drawn. He took off his helmet, and dark brown hair stuck to his head, soaked with sweat. He took a deep breath.
“General, I...” He cleared his throat. “The commander has...perished.”
Jeth grabbed Aenard’s tunic collar and lifted him clear off his feet. Jeth’s eyes burned and a deep growl rumbled in his chest. Aenard dropped his helmet and didn’t struggle. He gripped Jeth’s arm, eyes wide with fear and a plea for mercy. All activity in the camp stopped.
“Please, General. I would not create such a tale. Let me explain. Let me—”
Jeth snarled. He dropped Aenard to the ground, and the soldier hurriedly gained his feet.
“Then explain, soldier.”
Gasping, Aenard launched into a clear, detailed report of what happened on the battlefield. Many of the soldiers that followed him to camp nodded and agreed with his words. The severely wounded were taken away by healers, and the rest stayed, gathered around Jeth and Aenard.
“The commander fought valiantly against the fendra. But the dagger was poisoned and he... there was nothing we could do for him. He ordered us to depart, to leave him. Nadya stayed behind to help the ones with minor wounds and to care for the commander.” His face grew whiter when Jeth growled. “I’m sorry, General. After this long I fear—”
“Stop.” Jeth couldn’t hear it. He wouldn’t. Kodie couldn’t be dead, not like this. He remembered his own experience with poison. In fact, after their mission years ago, the Shuns had relocated to Dathia and apparently traded secrets with the fendra. The poison may have been modified but it was, essentially, the same. Jeth’s giant blood had saved him from death. What would save Kodie?
Curse the gods!
For the first time since gaining rank, he was going to put friendship above duty.
“Meldan!”
Meldan rushed to his side.
“I leave you in charge. I’m going after the commander.” He was going to either find him alive or make sure his body was given a proper burial. They often had to leave their dead where they fell, frozen in the snow and ice. Not this time.
Some soldiers protested while others wanted to help him.
“Enough! Meldan is in charge, and you will follow his orders as if they were mine.”
His tone silenced the crowd. Without another word he stalked toward his tent and grabbed supplies. He would have to go on foot since no mountain horse was strong enough to carry him for long distances, and he was as sure of footing as they on the rocks and ice. Another reason he’d been stationed there. He was more useful here than he ever would be on flatlands.
Securing his coat and large bag of food and extra blankets, he left. Jogging through snow and hidden ice would be dangerous for anyone else. Quick reflexes helped him avoid twisting his ankles and plunging off the mountain. The weather was clearer than it had been for days, and he took advantage of it, pushing himself harder. He stamped through the snow, found balance on the ice, and climbed up and around rocks like the giants that called this place home. His mind focused on only one thing: find Kodie.
Day and night cycled and he never stopped, never rested. His muscles hummed and sang, staying warm and loose. He arrived at the Belshen post a full day ahead of most traveling parties. He stopped on the cliff overhanging the bloody snow and looked around. This was where Kodie had fallen. He wondered if his arrival was observed by his own people. He hoped so, since that would mean they were actively watching the pass.
“General?�
��
Jeth swung around. Nadya stared at him in surprise and relief.
“Kodie?”
“He’s alive but still very weak.”
A wave of dizziness overpowered him, and Jeth bent over and braced his hands on his knees. Days of no rest and, before that, days of minimal sleep filled with gnawing worry finally caught up with him. He sank to his knees in the snow.
“General!” Nadya rushed to his side and felt his forehead. “Are you sick?”
“No. Tired. How is he still alive?” Jeth grabbed her hand and stared into her eyes. “How is Kodie still alive?”
“He should be the one to tell you. Come.”
With more effort than he would admit, Jeth pushed to his feet and let Nadya lead him by the hand.
“Our scouts saw you some ways up the trail. They were going to hail you but you moved to fast. We need more supplies down here and, if possible, more soldiers. Though we slaughtered all the Dathian soldiers, more will come. We were lucky that no more fendras were sent during the original attack, but they might send more. Their own scouts have determined this as a good substitute for winning the official pass through the mountains. I doubt they will wait long before attacking again.”
Jeth listened silently as Nadya continued to talk. When he assured himself of Kodie’s recovering—praise the gods for that!—he would send another message to General Radik. The general was stationed at the foot of the Last Mountain Range, at the opening of the official pass on the Senica side, the base camp heavily armed and guarded. Jeth’s unit desperately needed reinforcements, if they were going to hold two passes.
Jeth staggered inside the small cave where a few other soldiers slept. Thunder, Kodie’s loyal, steady horse stood in the corner, head down, sleeping. Kodie himself sat against the cave wall, several layers of blankets piled on him. He was far too pale, and his eyes appeared sunken into his face. Several years seemed to have been carved out of him. Despite all that, he was still the most beautiful thing Jeth had ever seen.
Kodie listlessly turned his head to observe the new arrivals. He was slow to comprehend Jeth’s presence but when he did, his face lit up.
His voice was a croak when he said, “Jeth!”
Jeth fell to his knees beside Kodie and crushed him to his chest. He nuzzled Kodie’s head, taking deep breaths of his scent, feeling his soft hair against his cheek. It pleased him when Kodie burrowed against him, like he’d done all those years ago when their situations were reversed.
Everything and everyone else was forgotten as Jeth indulged them both. Kodie was too cold, and Jeth was determined to warm him. He pulled away only far enough to press chaste kisses to Kodie’s face. Kodie sighed and Jeth couldn’t resist pressing his mouth there, right on those beloved lips. Kodie kissed him back.
Jeth tangled one hand in Kodie’s hair, cupping the back of his head. His other arm wrapped securely around Kodie’s back, holding him in place. Kodie slipped his hands up and cupped Jeth’s face, thumbs stroking his bearded cheeks.
The kiss was gentle, reassuring, a reforging of their bond.
Jeth pulled away, despite his need for more. Kodie was in no condition to give anything else. Kodie slowly opened his eyes and simply stared.
“You’re really here,” he whispered.
“I’m here. Not going anywhere.”
Kodie took a deep, shuddering breath. “I’m sorry. I—”
“I love you, Kodie,” Jeth said in a low voice only for Kodie’s ears.
Tears shimmered in Kodie’s eyes. “I know, but—”
“I’m in love with you. I think I have been for a long time. I just, I don’t know, I never thought myself worthy of you. You’re already my friend, do I have the right to ask for more? But I can’t hold it in any longer. You nearly died and—”
With surprising speed, Kodie wrapped his arms around Jeth’s neck and kissed him with such abandon, Jeth expected the top of his head to come off. With lips and tongue and little moans, Kodie ravished Jeth’s mouth, and Jeth momentarily forgot their situation. He pressed closer, his hands slipping under Kodie’s tunic, feeling cool skin that quickly warmed under his touch.
Before Jeth could lose himself completely in sensation, Kodie pushed away and gasped for air, his body shaking with more illness than arousal. Jeth cursed their foolishness.
“Easy, Kodie. Let’s get you well, then we can have more.”
Kodie nodded, face shiny with sweat, his eyes tightly closed. Jeth grimaced and only then realized their cave was empty except for the two of them and Thunder. Nadya wasn’t stupid. Jeth took off his bag and sat next to Kodie, then pulled his friend into his lap. Kodie immediately curled against him, and Jeth wrapped Kodie’s original blankets around him, as well as the ones he’d brought. Beneath the blankets, Jeth rubbed Kodie’s arms and legs, trying to get him warm. Kodie tightly gripped Jeth’s coat and said nothing for a long moment.
Jeth kissed the top of his head. “How are you still alive? Should I give an extra sacrifice to the gods?”
Kodie smiled slightly. “You could, I suppose. I don’t know if it was their doing or not.” He lifted his face and met Jeth’s eyes. “We aren’t alone on this mountain. You know that, right?”
Jeth frowned. “Aye. Giants.”
“They don’t bother us because we aren’t near their villages or on their hunting trails. Well, one found me anyway.”
Jeth’s hands twitched.
Kodie cupped Jeth’s face again, his expression intense. “I was dying and he smelled it. He wasn’t a full giant. He...he had your eyes.”
Jeth gaped.
“Or, actually, you have his eyes. I thought it was you. I was delirious, and I thought he was you. I said your name, and he asked if I knew his son.”
Jeth shook his head, unable to comprehend Kodie’s words. Not possible. And yet....
“He’s still here, Jeth. He’s close by. He wants to see you.”
“How do you know?”
“He told me. He said he would stay for a few days. If you didn’t come, he would leave. If you came he wanted me to tell you to find him.”
Jeth stared at Kodie. “He saved you. How?”
“I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me. I’m only alive because of him.”
Kodie’s eyes drooped, and Jeth felt him flagging. He pressed Kodie’s head to his chest and stroked his hair.
“Sleep, my love. You’re safe now.”
“I know,” he whispered before dropping into sleep.
The complete trust twisted Jeth’s gut. Kodie had trusted him from the start. He had no reason to, and most would say it was risky to trust a giant’s spawn. Thank the gods Kodie had always known his own mind.
***
When Nadya came to check on them, Jeth left Kodie in her care and walked outside. His father. This had to be the gods’ doing. What was their reason for this strange reunion? Jeth looked at the sky, seeing the storm clouds in the distance. With a scowl he turned on his heel and climbed higher up the peak looming over the caves. He used his nose and his gut and went higher, entering deadlier terrain and harsher cold. No giant would want to be easily found by humans. He also suspected his father wanted to challenge his child, to see if Jeth was more giant than human. Jeth honestly didn’t know himself. On the battlefield and around most humans he felt utterly giant, a beast and predator. Yet with Kodie, and his mother when she was alive, he found he could be tender and gentle. Such things were foreign to giants. They were known to be as merciless as the mountains they called home.
The wind slapped his face, the snow sticking to his hair. He gritted his teeth and climbed a bit higher before looking around, hunting. The wind grew more violent, snatching at his cloak and hair, whipping them around his head. He cautiously stepped on flatter lands, boots sinking deeply into the powdered snow. He couldn’t hear much over the howling wind. Yet he sensed he wasn’t alone. He took a deep breath, the scent of another tickling his nose. The cold would have cut down a human in only a short moment. For
himself, it was annoying, not life-threatening.
“You have your mother’s eyes.”
Jeth jerked. Slowly turning, he got his first look at his father. Jethron. It shook him then, as it never had before, that he was named after his father. Kodie didn’t even know.
Towering over him, a few feet away, the creature that was his father was more giant than human—from the brutish shape of his face, the even hairier body barely covered with swatches of cloth, and the cold eyes. Onyx eyes he’d given his son.
“I have your eyes.”
“You have my color and her shape. You’re also smaller than I would have thought. She was a large woman.”
Jeth wasn’t that much shorter than his father, who, he hazard a guess, was around ten feet. The giant crouched, and Jeth knew his father wasn’t full giant, either. Mountain giants could reach about fifteen feet and ice giants were rumored to reach twenty.
“Why did you save him?” Jeth asked, knowing his father would understand who he meant.
Jethron considered him. He looked at the path Jeth climbed and nodded as if in approval. He turned back. “He thought I was you. I smelled him dying and grew curious. I’ve never smelled human death so close to my hunting trail. He said your name. I knew you to be mine. I spared him for your sake.”
“Why?”
Jethron cocked his head to one side. “You’re my child.”
“Where was your concern when I was a child, and my mother persecuted because of you?”
Jethron’s expression darkened. “I had no knowledge of you until you came to these mountains. Even us giants hear rumors of the goings-on of humans. Your name is unusual for humans. Did you know it is a custom of our kind to fashion our children’s names from our own? Your mother knew. Jeth. Jethron. It wasn’t hard to put the puzzle together. Your reputation did the rest. Now that I look at you, I am certain you are mine.”
