Troy Denning: The Giant Among Us

Brianna glanced down at her soiled and tattered frock, then answered, “I am, due in no small part to your quick response. My thanks for answering my summons.”

The earl’s eyes darted toward the lake, where the smoke from Cuthbert Castle still poured across the water.

“I’m only sorry we failed to arrive sooner,” Wendel replied. He shook his head sadly, then turned sideways and gestured to the youth behind him. “Your Majesty, I’d like to present Eamon Drake. This lad ran across half of Northern Hartsvale to fetch us.”

Eamon bowed, and Brianna smiled at him. “I’m sure we can find a place among the palace squires for you, if you’re interested.”

“Of course, Majesty,” the boy replied. He peered around Brianna into the passage’s dark mouth, a concerned look on his face. “But what happened to Tavis?”

Brianna glanced back at the secret door. “Tavis?”

“I’m right behind you,” the scout answered.

He emerged from the passage, sopped to the hip and hunched over his battered ribs. Behind him came two of Cuthbert’s soldiers, bearing Avner’s unconscious form. They had volunteered to carry the boy when they returned to check on their queen’s progress.

Tavis stopped behind Brianna and nodded to Eamon. “I see you made it through, Mister Drake. You did well.”

“Yes, he did.” As Wendel spoke, his eyes remained fixed on Avner. “But what of this boy? That’s young Avner, isn’t it?”

“He’ll be fine, but we need to lay him someplace safe,” Brianna said. “And I’d also like to find a good vantage point to see the castle.”

Wendel nodded. “There’s a watching post atop this hill.” The earl turned to lead the way down the ledge. “We can lay him in a tent and have a look. But I think you’ll be impressed. We’ve set up along every shore. When those filthy bastard giants-”

“I’d watch my tongue if I were you,” Tavis interrupted. “There’s a giant among us-”

Brianna whirled around, holding her finger to her lips. “I’m sure we can find a better time to explain that, my dear!”

Wendel stepped off the ledge and raised a questioning eyebrow. “My dear?”

Brianna slipped her hand through Tavis’s elbow. “Yes,” she said. “I’m going to need a strong husband at my side-especially if this business with the giants breaks into all-out war.”

Wendel accepted this news with a noncommittal grunt, then turned up the hill. “If it’s a war they want, I’d say they’re off to a bad start,” he said. “Like I was saying, when our enemies try to swim ashore, they’ll find themselves at the sharp end of a horse lance. They’ll let us place them in chains-or die.”

They crested the summit, and Brianna saw Lake Cuthbert spread out below, a great sapphire carpet stained by the mountain of smoking rubble that had once been Cuthbert Castle. Although there were dozens of hill giants clinging to the flotsam of their smashed rafts, none appeared to be swimming toward shore-probably because, as Wendel had claimed, the entire body of water was surrounded by mounted warriors from Wendel Manor and a dozen other fiefs.

“The longer they wait, the worse it’ll be for them. We’ll be bringing in catapults tomorrow,” reported Wendel. “But look, here comes the first of the filthy-er, our enemies-now!”

The earl pointed toward a small boat creeping across the lake. The lone rower was definitely too large to be human, but far too small to be hill giant. The figure stood and began waving his arm back and forth, and on his wrist Brianna saw the telltale sparkle of her ice diamond necklace.

“That’s no giant,” Tavis observed.

The queen shook her head. “No, it can be only Basil,” she growled. “And we’re not letting him ashore until he throws those ice diamonds into the lake.”