**See previous post for story description**

My legs burned as I struggled to keep up with the Giantkin.

Despite striking such an imposing figure, the large woman seemed to glide through the woods with ease, slipping through bush, and barely disturbing the ground with deft feet.

Even if I wanted to make conversation, it took everything for me to keep pace. Eplash said little as we travelled. Occasionally, she would hold up a hand to stop, and then cock her head, listening to the sounds of the forest.

Sometimes we would continue, sometimes we would wait, and sometimes she would begin moving again, but in a completely a different direction.

After a few hours, we arrived at her camp.

"You live here?" I asked, looking around the small clearing. There wasn't much save for a lean-to, some bags, and a firepit.

"No," the large woman scoffed. "I hunt here."

I noticed she mostly spoke in clipped short sentences, as if she wasn't used to speaking to another living being. On occasion she would speak with more eloquence.

"It will not be safe here for long," Eplash continued. "We maybe have one day before they find this clearing. Those cultists don't appear to be skilled trackers, but there are many."

My stomach growled. I still hadn't eaten that day. I looked down to the rabbit carcass was dangling off my belt.

"We can rest a few hours here. Have a meal. Recover." Eplash said as she moved to the firepit.

"Is it wise to have a fire?" I raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't they track the light? The smoke?"

"Smokeless fire." Eplash said. "I assume if your mother sent you she told you of my skills in the woods."

"She didn't tell me much except to find you, Vendrix, and Beam."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "And where is your mother?"

"Gone..."

The word hung heavy in the air. Eplash went silent, poking at the now burning fire with a stick. "You still need to skin that rabbit."

I pulled out my knife and began the gruesome work. While I did so, Eplash went to a nearby stream and filled our water-skins. Once I was done, Eplash took the rabbit and hung it on a stick over the fire.

"How did you find me?" I asked as we waited for the rabbit to cook.

"Heard the dragon circling last night," Eplash said. "Knew something was up. The forest felt wrong. Didn't know it was you. Just knew I should go out and look."

After a while she inspected the rabbit. "It's done. Eat."

"Aren't you going to have some?"

She looked at me amused. She held out both of her hands in a "look at the size of me gesture."

"That would only be a snack to me," she said. With that she moved over to her lean-to and brought back a large ball of some sort of reddish blackish mixture.

"Pemmican," she said when I lifted my eyebrows questioningly. "Meat, berries, and fat. Mixed."

I guess I involuntarily made a face at that. The Giantkin gave a raucous laugh. "Soft."

I shrugged and began to slice off hunks of rabbit meat. After not eating for so long, even the gamey meat tasted like the most wonderful thing in the world. Eplash munched on her ball.

"Your mother was a great friend to Giantkin," Eplash said after we had finished our respective meals. "She and your grandfather were the first ones to come trade after the Emberstone war."

From what I knew, the Emberstone war was a bloody conflict between Giantkin and humanity that had lasted for generations. Both Giantkin and Humans claimed to be descendants of the Great Giants that had once walked the land before the modern races came into being. It was thought that the veins of rare Emberstone that ran through the mountainous divide that mostly separated the two races were in fact the petrified corpses of those Great Giants who once ruled the world as demigods.

Emberstone itself had magical properties and was highly sought after by both kingdoms. It was extremely rare to find a deposit, and both species knew that whoever had access to the biggest supply would win the war.

In the ultimate irony, the war ended when vast deposits were discovered in Hisus, several hundred miles away. With ample supply now available to both kingdoms, and the original belligerents of the war long dead, neither kingdom felt it necessary to continue the fighting. An uneasy peace went on for a few dozen more years, and finally the human lands began to reach out. Apparently my mother and my Grandfather were some of the first to cross the border in as part of a diplomatic trade mission.

"She told me some stories," I said. "But she never went into great detail."

"We were the same age," Eplash said. She laughed caught in the memory. "But compared to me, she was tiny, like a doll. I dragged her around everywhere."

She then looked at me and then trailed off. "I'm sorry, perhaps I will save happy stories for a happier time."

I gave a sad smile, "It's ok, please go on."

Eplash continued, telling how she and my mother became fast friends and would often go hunting in the deep woods surrounding the Giantkin capital. I got the feeling there were many more stories, but they were too personal and I would never get to hear them.

"Then I came to visit her home in the Timbershot Mountains." she concluded. "I fell in love with the land, the lakes and the forests here. I now come every spring to hunt, and return to my home in the winter."

"When was the last time you saw my mother?" I asked.

"You had just been born. We kept in touch after, and then I heard that the Kingdom fell. Then nothing until now."

She went silent again.

Moments later Eplash got up and walked over to where I was sitting. Two large hands clamped down on both my shoulders.

"I should have been there for your mother," she said. "But I am now here for you, and I will be here for as long as you need me."

I was then swept up in the biggest bearhug imaginable.

"I can't breath," I wheezed.

I was only half-joking.

***

I sat on the small step to the carriage while my mother stood someways away with Valk and the Groomsmen.

"I shouldn't have to answer such questions," she said in a harsh voice. "Not right now."

"I'm sorry milady. It's completely my fault, it will not happen again," Valk said. Both he and the groomsman had their heads down in supplication.

"It BETTER not."

My mother turned and walked back to where I was sitting.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked.

"No honey, you only asked a question." she bent down and looked me in the eyes. "If you ever have a question, you should always ask OK?"

I nodded.

"Alright, let's get something to eat."

As promised, Valk had stopped the carriage near a bridge that crossed a small, slow flowing river. He was set up a blanket for us to sit on, while the groomsman watered and attended the the horses. Both were gave my mother a VERY wide berth.

We walked to the blanket and sat down. It was a fine early-summer's day. Birds chirped from a nearby copse of trees, and the only other noise was the sound of the river lazily bubbling by.

Valk approached with a sack and pulled forth some meat, cheese and bread which he lay on the blanket for us.

"Thank you," my mother said.

"We will eat with the carriage," Valk said.

My mother shook her head, "There's no need. We'll be on the road for a while, it's best that we get used to each other's company."

"Yes Ma'am." Valk said. He waved the groomsman over.

The fresh-faced boy meekly approached. He did his best to avoid eye contact with my mother. I didn't know how old he was, but he appeared to be much younger than both Valk and my mother. I still considered him a "grown-up" though.

We sat down and ate in silence. The food was a far cry from what we usually had in the castle. The bread was crusty and the cheese had a very sharp taste.

The meal finished, we got off the blanket and Valk began to shake off the errant crumbs. The groomsman returned to the carriage to get it ready for the journey onward.

"How much longer," my mother asked the Captain of the Guard.

"I can't say for sure ma'am. We've another 3 or 4 days to reach the edge of the Kingdom at least. Beyond that we will need to find a safe spot for you and your daughter."

"We have some distant family in Elkshire..." My mother began. She then looked to me. "Honey, go sit with the carriage and wait."

I nodded and walked towards the carriage, slowly kicking rocks as I went along. I was old enough to know that whatever my mother wished to talk about next, she didn't want me to hear it."

I sat down in the grass and watched the groomsman get things ready. After a short while he noticed that I was watching and gave me a friendly wave.

"Hello," he said.

"Hello," I said. I tried to think about what my father told me about meeting people. "What's your name?"

"Hortim," he gave me a big grin. "And you're Lady Samantha."

I nodded. I poked the ground, not knowing what else to say.

He looked at me thinking for a moment, "Did you want to pet the horses Lady Samantha?"

"OK!" I said jumping up.

I walked over to where he was standing. The two horses seemed like giants.

"I'm going to pick you up OK?" Hortim asked.

I nodded. He bent down and picked me up under the arms. "Now, be very gentile," he said holding me up close enough to brush the neck of the nearest horse with my hand.

"This is Regal," he said as I pat the soft fur. The horse looked over at me with giant brown eyes and large lovey lashes. "She's four year old."

"Like me!" I said.

"Yes, like you." He laughed. He then brought me over to the other horse. "And this is Majesty."

I reached out to pat Majesty, who whinnied and made a step back. "Majesty is a little shy," Hortim whispered. "But I have a solution for that. One moment."

He set me down and away from the horse. He went to a small bag that was hanging off one side of the carriage and took out a small carrot. He walked backed to where I was and placed the vegetable in my hand. Then picking me up, he said, "Let's try again. Keep holding the carrot out."

I did as he instructed. I saw Majesty's eyes go wide as we approached with the vegetable. Its lips curled forward, lighting touching the pointy end, before taking a small bite out of the carrot with its teeth.

"Now try," Hortim said.

Tentatively, I reached out with my free hand and brushed the wide cheek of the animal.

Regal whinnied.

"Oh, now Regal is getting jealous. We will have to get a carrot for her as well!" Hortim said.

I giggled.

We fed Majesty the rest of the carrot. Hortim then brought me over to the bag and withdrew another, which I then fed to Regal.

Hortim then set me down. "I have to finish getting the horses ready. But you can pet them again next time we stop OK?"

"OK!" I said.

I looked back to where my mother and Valk were still talking. My mother stood with her arms crossed, listening to Valk as he spoke.

I then looked back to Hortim. He stood with his back to me, facing the copse of trees, unmoving.

"Go back to your mother Lady Samantha," Hortim said.

"Why?" I asked.

I noticed that the birds had stopped chirping. Without moving his head, he reach down and drew a dagger from his belt. He slowly began to turn.

I gasped as I saw his face. He once friendly brown eyes were now solid black orbs. Something seemed to be writhing under his skin. He gritted his teeth, which now seemed pointy and elongated.

"Run!" he roared.

***

We set out at around sunset from Eplash's camp.

Now that I had found the Giantkin, I had wondered where to go next. My mother and I had been on the way to the Alphine Woods to find Eplash when the attack happened, so I knew where to look. All I knew about the other two companions were their names.

Vendrix, with its "-RIX" suffix meant that he was probably an elf, and one of the royal family at that.

A beam was a building material, and there was nobody but the dwarves, who were widely regarded as the best builders in the land, who would name their child something like that.

So one elf and one dwarf.... that narrowed it down to just several million people.

Eplash's help in this matter was... limited.

"So," I said as we were taking a short rest. "This Beam and Vendrix... do you know where they might be?"

"No," the big woman shook her head. "It's been many years since I've seen or talked to them. Vendrix will probably be easier to find."

"How so?"

"Last time I saw him, he was dead."

"What!"

"When someone is exiled from the Elven kingdoms," she explained. "They are considered to be dead. It's very rare to spot an elf outside their homeland, so he will stick out wherever he is."

"Exiled? What for?"

"You will have to ask him," Eplash shrugged. "He did not speak much about it."

"And what about Beam?" I questioned.

Eplash seemed to think for a moment. "We will just have to follow the explosions."

I was just about to ask the Giantkin what she meant by this when the deafening screech of "Saaaaaaasssaaaaaa" cried in the distance.

Eplash jumped to her feet. "This way! Run!"

Grabbing my things I sped off in the the direction that she pointed. The woods were dark, but I could see that Eplash had directed to me onto some sort of well worn, but narrow trail. I could hear her feet pounding the ground just behind me. Suddenly, I felt myself lifted into the air and thrown over a massive shoulder, carried like a lost little lamb on the back of a shepherd.

"This is faster." was all Eplash said when I tried to protest. Those protests were very weak - she was right after all. My running was nothing compared to her massive strides and overall athleticism.

"Saaaaassaaaaaa" the draconic voice echoed as it drew nearer. I could hear the *thump thump thump* of its wings now.

I could only watch the branches and the leaves fly by as Eplash bounded along the trail. I was glad that I hadn't eaten much in the last few hours, the experience did no favors to my stomach. The dragon began to circle overhead, seeking.

Suddenly we were on a downward slope, I could hear the sound of rushing water.

The next thing I knew, my view of the sky was blocked by the underside of a stone bridge. Eplash set me down and we did our best to keep away from the sides, a hard task given the amount of space that the Giantkin occupied.

"It is following you," Eplash frowned. "How long?"

"Four days," I said. Was that it? Was it just four days since my mother and I were first attacked by the cultists who had been hunting us for all those years?

"Saaaasssaaaaaa!" the dragon screeched. It was swooping along the area that we had just traversed. Its head swiveled back and forth.... hunting.

Eplash held a giant arm out and pushed me back against the arched wall of the structure. She huddled in herself, stepping back into the shadows that our cover provided. The beating of the wings came closer.

I heard the dragon swoop overhead.

Moments passed and we heard the *thump thump thump* fade into the distance.

I felt myself suddenly wanting oxygen. I hadn't take a breath in some time.

The pressure of the protective arm lessened. Eplash stepped away, she poked her head out of the shadows and looked into the sky.

"Gone," she said. "Strange."

I stepped beside her, my breathing slightly labored. How do you breath again? I felt like I had to take each breath manually.

"Why," I breathed. "Is it strange?"

"We are below dragons. They would never hunt a single person. Evil magic is at work. From now on, we will shelter at night."

I nodded.

We clambered up the side of the riverbank to the bridge, we had made it to a main road.

"Cultists.... dragons..." Elpash said. "Your mother didn't make it easy on me."

"I'm sorry."

"No, do not be sorry!" the big woman smiled. "I enjoy a challenge!"

I gave a slight laugh. It felt good. I felt a little bit of the tension that had built up over the past few days slip away.

"Good," Eplash said. "Laugh more. You're mother would want that."

I looked in the two directions that the road followed. "So, which way?"

Eplash hunched down and examined the road. She poked and prodded the ground for a few moments.

Standing up she pointed left.

"This way," she said and started walking. She cut her stride down for me to keep pace.

"I will have to show you bushcraft," Eplash said. "By the time your mother was your age, she could hunt with the best of the Giantkin."

"I would very much like that," I said.

"Good, we will start now. Do you know your constellations?"

"Yes," I said. "More or less."

"More or less?"

I pointed at a cluster of stars, "That's Ankor, the Titan. The star at the tip of his tail leads North." I said.

"Good," Eplash said. "What else?"

I pointed out the small handful of constellations that I knew. Eplash began to instruct me on the location of several more, and showed me ways to use them for navigation.

We continued walking into the night. Something occurred to me.

"Eplash," I said. "You poked the at road when you decided which direction we should take. Is there some sort of technique I should know?"

"Shit."

"What?"

"Horse shit. I looked for the freshest clump I could find. We are following horse shit."