May Ramsbottom, the Giant
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When we came into view of The Village and the hills beyond it, I did not hear a sound from behind me. Before then, we had been moving in silence under the supervision of the dwarf who carried my pack.
This morning was clear and cold. Snow that had fallen the night before had melted only enough to leave us with muddy puddles on our trails. As I stared out at The Village for perhaps the fiftieth time since coming there, I tried yet again to figure out just how many people made up “a village,” but despite all my studies in school it still seemed very hard to figure out exactly what one of them looked like.
“Have you considered becoming a scholar?” asked Esmarch with no preamble. It was early in the morning, almost noon by now; everyone else must have been still asleep below if the mountains were as noisy here above sea level as they had become below us.
I sighed, rather impatiently because I did not want to talk about something so trivial right then when my mind already weighed heavier than usual over these things, these mysteries we now found ourselves investigating together with both an alchemist and a dwarf.
We stood leaning against the parapets of the long house looking down into the village where once again houses, huts even, though more closely packed together now, rose in a tangle of roofs among little streets which had grown thicker around them too—all very reminiscent of other villages back home, though none as big or well populated.
But one thing this village did not resemble much: the town gates which stood wide open, or what passed for such at least, gaping widely with nothing between them save rubble from the stone walls.
At first glance, there might not seem any reason why anyone would bother closing such a great gate, but my companions’ stares quickly turned puzzled. It appeared that all our attention had gone immediately to those gates and the rest of The Village somehow went unnoticed until Esmarch finally spoke quietly, shaking his head as he glanced at me.
“Do you suppose a mountain goat could get through those holes in the wall? There are lots of goats running loose here, especially among the trees.” He chuckled softly as he said it, but it was short-lived because neither of us seemed to find anything humorous in the situation itself.
“The question is whether a person could climb through those gaps easily unless your mount is strong enough to pull him through—aye, or her for that matter. Have you ever heard of giants among elves, Raven?”
That I could answer readily, although I hadn’t thought of it myself, though maybe I should have! In my world there certainly were dwarfs with blond hair. Perhaps my companions were more familiar with the tales I’d often come across in books at the library.
I nodded slowly, keeping quiet while I pondered what he had said. Sometimes I simply couldn’t understand half of what he said, and yet he seldom made use of complicated words, or at least never when he addressed me directly.
Not surprising though, I told myself, thinking about my mother who had taught me reading and writing. It’s a good thing she started teaching me even before she married my father, otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to read very many of those stories of ancient times, not without help anyway.
After all, some of those stories were written in languages older than English, Greek, Latin, Spanish, and Portuguese even (as well as other more exotic ones), and besides, most of their characters looked different from ours, especially in the olden days when everything was being described in ways which people wrote way back then.
Yes, I’m sure the whole lot of them didn’t look anything like me either, not once they hit my teens. And it wasn’t only hair color and shape that changed.
Faces got bigger, noses grew shorter, eyes rounder, mouths wider … but you won’t believe how much less hair each of us has now compared to the illustrations in the illustrated copies of those stories about ancient gods and heroes, not to mention the fantastic beasts too! I can just imagine how they would’ve resembled me!
What do you mean, Raven? You haven’t even met them yet, nor will you anytime soon. Though you might learn to recognize their faces better if you stop looking so far off, staring at nothing all the time, I reminded myself, wanting him to make sense.
Well, he did when he smiled suddenly and said that if we knew of giants among the elves then surely the dwarves had their own. That probably referred to the human races, I supposed, because it would be strange to speak of “dwarf” people in the plural, or else the entire race.
Even stranger, considering that elves don’t count themselves as being human and never have, I thought to myself—which brought a grin upon my face. He and the others took notice of it at the same time, and though they were amused by my sudden expression (for I guess they were accustomed to seeing me constantly studying), I failed to realize how carefully my behavior was being watched.
Suddenly I remembered that our hosts—the mysterious woman and her small group—would return later today to join our discussion in earnest and that perhaps I shouldn’t keep everyone waiting any longer than necessary.
Besides, I wanted to share with them what I had learned last night after sleeping on it. However, I had also thought to ask for assistance this morning before setting out once again so that I might confirm my thoughts with someone who was smarter than I was.
I walked over and tapped lightly on his shoulder. We were standing under one of the large trees that surrounded the inner courtyard, with its grassy floor and neatly trimmed shrubs, which suggested that it was likely maintained in an organized fashion throughout the year.
“If your people travel northward,” I began, “then let me know the path they take; please tell me how long they would need to walk between two places they can reach by road. Just the distance alone would suffice.”
Esmarch laughed heartily. “By what means does the village come into contact with the northern lands, little child?” he asked with obvious amusement. His eyes sparkled playfully while he watched me squirm in my embarrassment. “You see, our village has been isolated in this area since the beginning of the First Age. That is the answer: isolation! That is the secret of our continued existence and survival!”
Now I understood why the dwarves lived in such numbers among these mountains, the real answer to the mystery behind all this strangeness. This world was so huge—much bigger than any fantasy world I might have experienced before—that it took many weeks to cross a single continent, something which would require several months in a game like Skyrim.
They simply didn’t get the chance to meet up with people, or see new things very often—if ever! Maybe that explained the fact that they weren’t all that friendly at first and sometimes seemed downright hostile at first.
After all, it must feel pretty lonely here among the endless, icy wilderness, with nothing much to talk about except snow, ice, and winter. And the place was cold enough already …
Then, quite unexpectedly, a wave of anger washed across my mind. So much for the calm peace of the forest, the serenity of the fairies, and the hospitality of these gentle people. I glanced around, wondering if the dwarves had seen anything to explain what happened next.
Esmarch returned my gaze and shrugged slightly before I turned away angrily. But a moment later he stood close beside me, wrapping his strong arm around my waist and pulling me closer. In the process he managed to look down into my shocked face without my noticing his presence until he spoke again, his voice muffled against my ear.
“Little girl, there’s no need to panic. It takes great magic for anyone, including your friends from afar, to enter this remote valley. No spell has been invoked to bar the road, none has taken effect on any of you. I am your friend; you may trust me with all your secrets,” he said softly so that none of the others nearby could hear.
Then he gently pulled back and stroked a strand of hair away from my cheek with his fingertip. The warmth of his hand against my skin sent goose bumps dancing along my arms.
“Thank you, Raven, but I believe your surprise came as the result of your concern for us, and I’m glad that I made that clear. Even now, it can be dangerous for a strange traveler to stray too far from established roads, especially in an unknown part of the world like this. Please rest assured. Whatever I saw, it cannot harm you.”
“Um …” I began uncertainly, not certain whether I should say anything more at the moment, but wanting to. I just wasn’t sure how to proceed. The air had gone suddenly chilly where it touched my neck and the tips of my ears.
Before I could think of the next word, Esmarch gave another hearty laugh that caused him to step away quickly, averting his eyes lest his newfound ability to control my emotions cause further trouble for either one of us.
The moment passed, however, and Esmarch walked on. For several moments the three women remained silent. Then Daryd stepped forward and bowed formally, still holding a deep, almost reverential tone.
“My lady, I apologize deeply for causing you to worry when you came to visit us in our home. Since we are fortunate enough to live so close to the Stone Gate, I assure you that a proper guide will accompany you on any journey you may wish to make into the western woods.
Any member of the council will do unless you prefer to have someone assigned specifically, but my advice is to allow some time for everyone to vote on whom they think most suitably qualified for the task. As for myself, I plan to stay in the village for a short while longer, once my duties permit, but I promise to provide whatever assistance you may need in finding this lake of yours.
Now, Lady Lyssandra, perhaps you and Esmargyrn could discuss the matter amongst yourselves? Daryd and I shall keep an eye on the proceedings here while you confer.”
He gestured toward the edge of the clearing, indicating that the two ladies should depart, leaving me standing awkwardly near the fire. He then turned back to his companions, grinning and rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
With a final glance over his shoulder at me, he shouted out to the crowd. “All right, lads! Time’s up! Let’s cast the votes! How about it? Anyone who’d like to volunteer for the honor of escorting their mistress into the west?”
I gasped audibly, and Esmarch grimaced apologetically before stepping toward the young man. “Daryd, wait! That wasn’t exactly a secret ballot …or a secret anything, actually!”
“It wasn’t supposed to be. I know what the outcome is likely to be already. Well, let me show you the way to the hall for now. You’ll find my friends already waiting there for you.”
At the mention of friends, I looked hopefully at Esmarch as Daryd moved off through the trees.
The End