anyone here.”
“What of the warrior with you?”
“He intends no harm as long as no harm is done to us.”
“Why would harm be done to you? I told you the Drust fear this place. So who would harm you?”
“I am unfamiliar with this forest, so I cannot say what might await us here.”
“Why did you not speak the truth to the warrior when he asked?”
“You heard us speaking?”
“I hear everything,” the old woman said with a cackling laugh.
Anin wondered who the woman was, though she had a feeling that the woman did not intend to tell her.
“Why not tell him the forest speaks to you?”
Anin eyes turned wide. “How do you know?”
The old woman ignored her question and demanded, “Why not tell him? Do you fear what he will think? What he will say?”
Did she fear how he would respond? She sat on a rock beside the old woman. “My mum warned me against speaking about it.”
“Bah, pay her no heed. She knows not what she speaks.”
“She is my mum. She cares about my well-being.”
“Then she should encourage you to discover yourself, not hide away.”
“I do not hide.”
The old woman laughed again. “You hide from yourself. You hide from how you feel for the warrior, you hide from how you have yet to understand and accept how you feel about him, and you hide how you rely on the warrior to protect you when you have the courage and skill to protect yourself. You hide from everything instead of embracing everything.”
Anin stood and snapped, “You know nothing.”
The old woman laughed. “The truth will find you whether you want it to or not.” Her laughed suddenly died. “Though, the truth is not something we always want to hear.”
A chill settled over Anin and she shivered, rubbing her arms.
“Careful with your foolish fears,” the old woman snapped with annoyance, “or they will lead you to foolish decisions.”
Annoyed, Anin demanded, “Who are you?”
“Who are you?” the old woman commanded like a stern Queen.
Anin obeyed like a dutiful servant. “I am Anin of the Girthrig Tribe and future wife to King Talon.”
“Are you now? Well, Anin of the Girthrig Tribe and future wife of King Talon, remember what I told you... foolish fears lead to foolish decisions or you will hide and keep secrets for your remaining years.”
Curious that the woman spoke as if she could see the future, she asked, “Are you a seer?”
“I am no such lowly creature,” she said offended.
It struck Anin then, her eyes turning wide as she stared at the old woman. Was it possible? With nervous breath, she said, “You are the Giantess.”
“Finally, you realize who I am, unlike that fool Talon.”
“I would think the King expected—”
“A giant woman,” she snapped. “And the fool thought he would subdue or slay me and forever be remembered in endless tales, proving his prowess. He learned well his mistake. I gave him more prowess with his sword than he needs.” She grinned pleased with herself.
Another shiver took hold of Anin. Did the Giantess know Paine thought to slay her if she did not let them pass through?
“Do not worry over your man. I will not harm him. I have no interest him. Death walks too closely to him.”
“Yet you have made yourself known to me. Why?”
“You will discover why when you allow yourself to be who you truly are.”
“Your words make no sense to me.”
“One day they will make perfect sense.” The old woman stood. “When you find your true courage it will help the executioner find his courage.”
“Paine has much courage.”
The old woman laughed. “We shall see. Your time here will bring you no concerns as long as you harm nothing here. There are plenty of berries to sustain you. Now go drink your fill from the stream. It is a distance to the next one.”
Anin turned to the stream, her mouth once again parched. She turned back around to extend her gratitude to the Giantess, but she was gone. She shook her head. It was all so
“What of the warrior with you?”
“He intends no harm as long as no harm is done to us.”
“Why would harm be done to you? I told you the Drust fear this place. So who would harm you?”
“I am unfamiliar with this forest, so I cannot say what might await us here.”
“Why did you not speak the truth to the warrior when he asked?”
“You heard us speaking?”
“I hear everything,” the old woman said with a cackling laugh.
Anin wondered who the woman was, though she had a feeling that the woman did not intend to tell her.
“Why not tell him the forest speaks to you?”
Anin eyes turned wide. “How do you know?”
The old woman ignored her question and demanded, “Why not tell him? Do you fear what he will think? What he will say?”
Did she fear how he would respond? She sat on a rock beside the old woman. “My mum warned me against speaking about it.”
“Bah, pay her no heed. She knows not what she speaks.”
“She is my mum. She cares about my well-being.”
“Then she should encourage you to discover yourself, not hide away.”
“I do not hide.”
The old woman laughed again. “You hide from yourself. You hide from how you feel for the warrior, you hide from how you have yet to understand and accept how you feel about him, and you hide how you rely on the warrior to protect you when you have the courage and skill to protect yourself. You hide from everything instead of embracing everything.”
Anin stood and snapped, “You know nothing.”
The old woman laughed. “The truth will find you whether you want it to or not.” Her laughed suddenly died. “Though, the truth is not something we always want to hear.”
A chill settled over Anin and she shivered, rubbing her arms.
“Careful with your foolish fears,” the old woman snapped with annoyance, “or they will lead you to foolish decisions.”
Annoyed, Anin demanded, “Who are you?”
“Who are you?” the old woman commanded like a stern Queen.
Anin obeyed like a dutiful servant. “I am Anin of the Girthrig Tribe and future wife to King Talon.”
“Are you now? Well, Anin of the Girthrig Tribe and future wife of King Talon, remember what I told you... foolish fears lead to foolish decisions or you will hide and keep secrets for your remaining years.”
Curious that the woman spoke as if she could see the future, she asked, “Are you a seer?”
“I am no such lowly creature,” she said offended.
It struck Anin then, her eyes turning wide as she stared at the old woman. Was it possible? With nervous breath, she said, “You are the Giantess.”
“Finally, you realize who I am, unlike that fool Talon.”
“I would think the King expected—”
“A giant woman,” she snapped. “And the fool thought he would subdue or slay me and forever be remembered in endless tales, proving his prowess. He learned well his mistake. I gave him more prowess with his sword than he needs.” She grinned pleased with herself.
Another shiver took hold of Anin. Did the Giantess know Paine thought to slay her if she did not let them pass through?
“Do not worry over your man. I will not harm him. I have no interest him. Death walks too closely to him.”
“Yet you have made yourself known to me. Why?”
“You will discover why when you allow yourself to be who you truly are.”
“Your words make no sense to me.”
“One day they will make perfect sense.” The old woman stood. “When you find your true courage it will help the executioner find his courage.”
“Paine has much courage.”
The old woman laughed. “We shall see. Your time here will bring you no concerns as long as you harm nothing here. There are plenty of berries to sustain you. Now go drink your fill from the stream. It is a distance to the next one.”
Anin turned to the stream, her mouth once again parched. She turned back around to extend her gratitude to the Giantess, but she was gone. She shook her head. It was all so
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