by Lily Thomas
After a few more moments of browsing, Kiyla turned back to regroup with them.
“Is there something you need?”
“Elizabeth is feeling a little worn out and would like to head back to the castle.” Sarah supplied helpfully.
“I’m sorry to hear that. I will escort you back to the castle then.” Kiyla swung her horse around ready to accompany them back.
“Oh. That is very generous of you, but I know my way back to the castle from here.” Elizabeth smiled sweetly.
Her heart fluttered in her chest, as she spoke, and she hoped her voice didn’t sound too strained. She considered Kiyla to be a friend, and she felt horrible for betraying her trust.
“Also,” Sarah said immediately after, “I wouldn't mind seeing more of this market. That is, if you wouldn't mind showing me around some more, Kiyla.”
Elizabeth refrained from rolling her eyes. She thought that might have been a little overkill. Never before had Sarah expressed interest in seeing how the fire giants lived.
Elizabeth kept a smile plastered to her face anyways.
Kiyla seemed torn for a second, and it made Elizabeth feel even more rotten. Here was a fire giant woman who didn't despise her presence at the castle. Yet she was going to attempt to sneak away.
“Promise you will go straight back to the castle, Elizabeth. No delaying for anything. If something were to happen to you, I am sure Stryme would have my head on a pike before the day was out.” Kiyla still looked uncertain about her decision.
“Don’t fear I’ll make it back easily enough.” Elizabeth waved behind her, as she headed back out of the market.
The fire giants she passed kept casting her curious glances, but she never once felt threatened. Maybe because the war had yet to really impact them. Elizabeth couldn't see it remaining that way though.
At some point, she knew everyone in the land would be drawn into this war. No one was going to escape the effects of this one. The tension had built up too much, and it wasn’t like a usual skirmish on the border. Sending back her brother’s dead body had been a sign that this war was going to last.
With her back straight, she guided her horse out of the market. As she left, she turned her horse towards the edge of town. After a few minutes of traveling, she was able to see the forest. She was almost there, and she couldn't help but feel giddy with excitement.
She may not want to leave Stryme, but she couldn’t help but wonder if this might work out.
A few glances were cast her way, but other than that none of the fire giants seemed concerned about her riding on her own. It might get to Stryme’s ears eventually, but it didn’t look like anyone was going to rush the news to him.
Elizabeth rounded the corner of a building and saw three fire giant soldiers standing just before her. They were decked out in full armor with swords strapped to their hips and their backs.
Panic slammed into her chest. Her breath kept getting stuck in her chest, even though she tried to remain calm.
She gulped nervously, but kept up the pace of her horse. She could get through this, if she remained calm and collected. She kept her eyes focused ahead of her. If she looked like she was meant to be here, they may not stop her.
Their conversation continued and they didn’t even look in her direction. She kept going, but she wanted to force the horse into a gallop. She didn’t want to fail before she had even made it to the tree line.
Another corner rounded, and she let out her breath in a rush. She took a look behind her to make sure they weren't following her. She could hear them talking to each other still, and there were no hooves coming after her, which meant they weren't following her.
She hoped her luck would keep running strong, until she arrived in Sardarn, she was going to be facing many hardships. She frowned, as a thought crossed her mind. She and Sarah hadn't stashed any food for this trip. Elizabeth had completely forgotten. Now how would she survive?
Her shoulders slumped, as she left the giant village and entered the forest. She better hope she made it to Sardarn, before she starved. Elizabeth had no idea if she was even going in the right direction. The forest was so confusing. On both sides, the mountains rose up to intimidate her with their immense height.
A shiver ran down her spine. This was a badly thought up plan she and Sarah had come up with.
Actually, Elizabeth thought to herself, this was all Sarah's plan. Why wasn't she out here facing the same perils?
She took a look behind her and decided she was far enough away that no one would see her. She pushed her horse into a gallop and clung on for dear life. The horse's hooves ate up the ground with its rapid pace.
Chapter 14
Stryme and his men had been traveling for the better part of the day.
Kiyla would still be showing Elizabeth around the market, and he yearned to join them. Instead, he was riding through the mountains with his men, because of Lele. He liked helping his people, but he would rather be with Elizabeth at the moment.
If Lele had deceived him, he would make sure it was clear he was done putting up with her antics. He had to go and check on the farmer though.
Keylz rode beside him, whenever the trail allowed the men to ride abreast.
“Where did you say this farmer lived?” Keylz asked, almost sounding like a child who just wanted to go home.
Sometimes Stryme forgot Keylz was a skilled warrior. He might be a man you wanted on your side in a fight, but he didn’t do well with long journeys. At least this one wasn’t as long as the last one they had taken to the border.
“Tired already?” Stryme looked at him, a black eyebrow lifting in surprise.
Keylz puffed his chest out and let out a bark of laughter. “Not yet. You look like you wish this trip was over though.”
“How I wish it was.”
“Thinking of a certain young human female?” Keylz leaned over in his saddle and teased in a low voice.
Stryme was thankful for the low tone. He didn’t want the other men overhearing. He still wasn’t positive about his feelings for Elizabeth, and he didn’t want it out there quite yet.
Before Keylz knew what was coming. Stryme pushed him, but Keylz caught himself, before he could fall from his horse and gave Stryme a dark look.
“What was that for?”
Stryme ignored him. Keylz was the kind of man you might want beside you in a battle, but he could grate on the nerves. Stryme had a short temper, when he was already agitated.
He heard laughter from beside him.
“Something amusing you?”
“You are definitely thinking of that little human.”
Stryme sent him a confused look. “What are you getting at? Your constant blabbering is getting on my nerves.”
“Just saying,” Keylz shrugged his shoulders, “you were definitely thinking of her. Our mighty king downed by one tiny human female. A human who bears nothing but big blue eyes and a willingness to spread her thighs.”
He continued, even though Stryme had resumed glowering at him. He knew Keylz was bored and just trying to get a rise out of him for entertainment. But he refused to be Keylz’s entertainment.
“You know, I approve of her. I’m glad you are spending time thinking of a female, even if she is a human. I thought you wouldn't find anybody you would want to spend your time with.” Keylz eyed him. “And your sword doesn't count as spending time with someone.”
Stryme just rolled his eyes and let Keylz ramble on about how pathetic Stryme's love life was. He had to wonder about his little female. Keylz might approve of her, but what if he decided to wed her?
Would his people be able to tolerate a human female as their queen? He shook the thought from his head. He wasn't about to ask them, because he would hate to see what their reactions might be. He was positive they would be confused why he had set his sights on a human female.
Another few hours passed and they finally crested a hill that overlooked the farm. Stryme split his warriors evenly around
the outer edge, while he and Keylz headed down to talk to the farmer about his mountain cat problem.
“Everything looks peaceful and undisturbed around here.” Keylz stated, as they made their way down the grassy hill.
Stryme had to agree with Keylz. This didn't look like a farm that was being ravaged by mountain cats. Surely, the land would look a bit disturbed or the birds wouldn’t be singing.
They stopped a short distance from the house to dismount. Slowly, they made their way towards the door of the house. Before they even reached the door, it popped open, and an old man came out to greet them.
“I never thought the day would come when the king would visit my home.” He turned back to call inside. “Come out here! The king has come.”
“Have you lost your mind?” A female's voice said from within. “Why would he bother coming all the way out here?”
Now there were two older giants staring at them from the doorway of the house. The elderly giant woman's jaw dropped, when she spotted Stryme.
“Good afternoon.” Stryme greeted them with a gentle smile.
“It must have been a long journey from the castle.” The woman said a little dumbly. “Please come in and rest yourselves. We have food, if you so desire.”
Stryme and Keylz accepted the invite to come in and eat. The journey had indeed been long and accepting the hospitality sounded like a fantastic idea to them both.
As they sat around the wooden table with the old man, his wife prepared food for them. Stryme relaxed in his seat, his legs stretched out in front of him.
“I never thought I would be serving the king at our table.” The older giant man said a little mystified.
“We heard of your trouble and headed out here right away.” Keylz’s eyes were glued to the food his wife set down before them.
“Problem?” The man looked to his wife. “What problem are you referring to? Is there something going on in this area?”
With his hand hovering above the piece of fruit he had been about to pick up, Stryme looked up at the farmer. “You mean you aren't having any trouble with mountain cats eating your livestock?” He looked over at Keylz, and then at the farmer.
His brow crinkled, as he raised his black eyebrows. “We haven't seen one in quite some time. I would say a few years now. None of my livestock have gone missing, that I know of.”
A growl came out of Stryme's throat. “Lele.” He murmured under his breath. She was beginning to become a serious pain in the ass.
“Lele.” Keylz echoed. “We should get back to the castle. Who knows what she has planned. She thinks Elizabeth is her competition, and she might think getting rid of Elizabeth will open up room for herself.”
“I’m sure she has something planned.” Stryme pushed himself out of his chair. “I apologize, but we have to get back to the castle right away. I’m relieved to hear everything is going well on your farm. Please feel free to ask for any assistance you may need.”
With that Keylz and Stryme left the house. They regrouped with the rest of the warriors. And then they made a hasty retreat back to the castle.
Stryme couldn't help but feel uneasy. Lele had a hard time letting a grudge go. He couldn’t imagine what she wouldn’t do to be with him.
Sometimes he felt bad for her, but compared to Elizabeth how could he want her? Lele was so spiteful of others. She only tried to further herself with no regard to others. While Elizabeth wanted to help her people in the war they would be facing.
He respected Elizabeth for that, but he still wasn’t ready to let her go.
He growled. Females. They were confusing to him.
As the trees whizzed by in a blur, he turned his attention to guiding his horse through the forest at a fast gallop. He was going to be pushing his men harshly, until they reached the castle.
He needed to get back to the castle to help Elizabeth from Lele's plot. Whatever the plot was.
Elizabeth plowed through the forest. Her horse didn't even need any guiding from her. The horse just kept going in the direction Elizabeth pointed him in, and she was glad for that. It meant she could cling on for dear life, while the horse galloped away underneath her.
With each step her heart became bleak. She was leaving Stryme behind and the happiness she had come to find there, but she was on her way to help her people. Finally, she would be able to accomplish what she had been sent out to do.
When she wasn't squeezing her eyes closed in terror because of the speed the horse was going, she was able to enjoy the views around her. The trees were so green and lush. The ground plants were so dense and some were in bloom with tiny bright colored flowers.
Thankfully, she hadn't seen any bears or ferocious mountain cats. Sarah and Elizabeth hadn't thought of planning around animals. If she ran into a mountain cat, she had no idea what she would be able to do other than pray for a miracle.
The whole time the horse galloped on, the only thought in her head was how poorly they had thought this out. She could turn around, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Her obligations weighed too heavily on her shoulders.
Here she was riding through the dangerous mountains of the fire giant territory and Sarah was still in the giant castle. It was ridiculous that she was the only one out here. Elizabeth felt so alone and the urge to turn back kept pressing on her. She knew Sarah was correct though. She was the one that needed to get back to one of the kingdoms. She knew Sarah would stall for as long as possible back at the fire giant castle.
At about mid day, she gave the horse a break. Sliding off it’s back she landed on her butt. Her legs were too shaky to stand on, and she could barely even feel her butt it was so numb.
She heaved a sigh. “I don't know if I can make it all the way to Sardarn by myself.” She muttered in a hushed tone to the horse.
A nose entered her vision and snorted in her face. Elizabeth looked up at the black horse, as it stared down at her with intelligent eyes.
“Making sure I am all right?” She patted his nose and smiled. “How very thoughtful of you.”
She sighed and took a look around her. They had made it farther than she could have hoped. She could only pray they were headed in the right direction. She had no way of knowing where she was or where she was going. This whole plan was based on faith, and now all she could do was see it through to the end.
The horse started grazing on the grass around them. At least, he was able to find food. Her stomach grumbled up at her, loudly and quite painfully.
Looking around she couldn't spot anything to eat. Grudgingly, she rose on her shaky feet. Elizabeth found some small red berries on a bush a few feet away and just stared at them in the palm of her hand.
Were they edible? Or would she die if she ate them? It seemed like a huge dilemma for her. Was she to eat them or not to eat them? She just stared at the berries resting on her palm.
A nose popped out of nowhere and went straight to her outstretched palm. His soft nose tickled her hand, as he ate the berries.
“If you ate them, they must not be poisonous. At least, I would hope you know what not to eat.” She reached up to scratch right above his ear, and the stallion lowered his head giving her better access.
“Like that, do you?” Pulling her hand away she turned back to the bush with the dainty red berries.
The horse wandered away, but kept her in sight, as she plucked the berries off the bush.
She popped them into her mouth, and sweetness swam over her eager taste buds. She hadn't expected them to be so delicious. She plucked a few more of them off of the bush and ate them quickly. They weren't filling, but they did help with the grumble in her stomach. Anything was better than nothing.
Elizabeth plopped down next to the bush and waited. She didn't want to push the horse too hard. Though he seemed fine with the pace they were going at. These giant horses seemed to have an enormous endurance level. Then again the horse was carrying her, and he was probably used to carrying a heavily armored giant. No wonder he wa
s having no problem with the pace she was keeping.
She waited patiently for him to finish grazing on the lush grass around them. Eventually, he plodded his way over to her and lowered his face to snort in hers.
Elizabeth waved a hand in front of her face and sputtered. “Amazing how vile your breath is!” She exclaimed.
She rubbed his soft velvety nose, as she rose from her sitting position and wondered how she was ever going to get back on the saddle.
Almost as though he had read her mind, the horse bent down onto his front knees and rested his huge body against the ground. His head swung around to watch her with his wide eyes.
Elizabeth smiled. He seemed to be well trained. Elizabeth swung up onto his back. Once she was on, he lifted up his front, then his back and off they went.
Hoping she had them headed in the correct direction, Elizabeth pushed him into another gallop. He kicked up wet clumps of dirt and grass, as they sped away.
When the castle finally came into view, Stryme calmed down a little. He was finally back to help Elizabeth and see what Lele had planned.
Though, he also feared Lele could have already done some evil deed to Elizabeth in his absence. It was almost evening, and he had been gone for most of the day. He might already be too late.
They made their way down the side of the mountain, to enter the gates of the castle. Stryme dismounted, as soon as they stepped into the castle courtyard.
Lele came flying out of the castle doors, down the steps, and then tried to throw herself into his arms.
He sidestepped letting her fly right by him. He turned to watch her stumble. Sadly, she caught herself before she could fall face first into the dirt. His muscled arms crossed in front of his chest, as he eyed her sternly.
A small huff came from between her pouting lips. “I didn't expect you would solve the farmer's problem so quickly, Stryme. You must have found the mountain cats easily.” She said sweetly.
He shook his head. “There were no mountain cats, but you knew that. What are you playing at Lele?” He watched her closely, searching for any slip to give away her motives.
