by Lily Thomas
Claira just sat there, racking her brain for what else they could do.
Kaeldar had enough though. He yanked her up before him. “We need to keep going. There is still the possibility the humans in the village will come for us, especially with his disappearance.”
“Don’t make me leave his body out here in the open.” Claira pleaded, as Kaeldar dragged her back to the horses. She may have been able to delay Robert, but Kaeldar was too strong for her to slow down his momentum.
Without even a word, he swung her up onto the horse, and then swung himself up after her.
“I won’t forgive you for this.” Claira muttered.
If he heard, he didn’t care, for he turned the horses back in the direction of their camp and headed off at a fast clip.
Claira rode in silence. She was unable to shake the scenes from her head. The images of Robert’s death were bound to haunt her for the rest of her life.
She found herself divided on Kaeldar’s actions. She didn’t want him to get the wrong impression, she was grateful for his assistance, but with his strength, Kaeldar could have easily subdued Robert without the need for death.
When they arrived back at the camp, night had already fallen, and Kaeldar decided they would spend the night and leave in the early morning hours of the next day.
After tying up the horses, Claira followed Kaeldar into the tent.
Even though she felt some distaste towards him, she needed to check his wound. There was no need for another life to be lost this day. Claira stepped up to his side, put her hands on him, and tried to move his clothing out of the way to get a clear view.
Kaeldar caught her hands by the wrists. “No.” Setting her away from him he pointed to her feet and asked, “Is there anything I can do for your feet? An herb to help them heal quicker perhaps?”
There were slight growls on the ends of his words, which made her stomach flip in weird ways, even when she was frustrated with him.
He surprised her with his knowledge of the human language. It made her wonder if other rock giants knew how to speak their language. She would never have guessed, and she was sure she was one of the few humans to actually know the giants could speak their tongue.
“I would never have guessed giants could speak our language so well.”
“Most giants can speak at least some of your language. We find it better to know what our enemy is talking about. Your people have not been kind to ours, and we have learned not to trust anything the humans say.”
Claira nodded, understanding where he was coming from. Even she had been the victim of her people’s mistrust and hatred of the unknown.
“Sit.” He commanded of her.
“Why?”
“Please, sit.” He said more politely, as he motioned to her.
Claira sat down, if a bit hesitantly, while he bent down next to her and again asked her, “What can I get for your feet?”
“There is no need to be concerned. You have a worse injury than I do. Look, they are healing on their own already.” Claira lifted a small foot into the air to show him. She wasn’t used to someone wanting to care for her. It made her feel small, and it made her feel uncertain.
“I can still see the pain in your eyes, when you walk.” He eyed her, daring her to say otherwise.
“Fine. There are some little yellow flowers with large oval leaves you can pick for me.”
He was right that they weren’t healed completely, but they weren’t unbearable either. But if he was just going to pester her than she was going to give him a task to occupy his mind.
Kaeldar grumped, as he rummaged through the forest for those little yellow flowers. He was finding it hard to understand Claira’s mood. Shouldn’t she be appreciative towards him for saving her from the human male?
The death Kaeldar had given the male had been too kind, and yet she was treating him like some sort of monster. And now all he was doing was helping her again by finding a way to ease her pain.
He saw the irritation shining in her eyes, as she told him about the flowers. She wanted to get rid of him. Had his little human been alone so long that she had a hard time accepting help? It made him want to smash the villagers’ heads together.
Lashing out Kaeldar pounded a tree with his fist. Pain radiated through his arm, but he ignored it. He was a warrior with quite the temper on him.
Kaeldar sucked in a few calming breaths. He knew he’d reopened his wound, since something wet trickled down his side, but he didn’t want to show his weakness. He was a warrior, and he would stick through the discomfort.
Maybe they would both die together out here in the forest, with only their mutual stubbornness to blame.
It took a while for Kaeldar to get back, but when he did, he held up his find with a triumphant smile. Claira couldn’t help but grin back at him.
Although a ruthless warrior, he did have a kind streak running through him. He was capable of killing, but clearly he was also capable of being sympathetic and caring.
She didn’t know whether to hold Robert’s death against him. It was Robert who had sought them out. Robert could’ve left well enough alone and stayed in the village. It had been an adrenaline filled moment, and Kaeldar had saved her from a fate she didn’t even want to imagine.
She couldn’t keep thinking about it. If she did, she might just turn herself into a confused mass of emotional knots, to hate the rock giant or to forgive him?
So she turned her attention back to Kaeldar. She’d let time tell what to think about him.
He mashed the herbs, as she instructed, and then gently took one foot at a time to rub the pulp into the soles of her feet. It felt so good to have him working on her tender soles. The mash of herbs started to work its magic on the burns, after only a few minutes.
It amazed her how gentle her fierce rock giant could be, as he kept massaging her feet with his strong thumbs.
Kaeldar couldn’t believe how tiny her feet were in his hands. They just emphasized the size difference between humans and giants.
Never would he have guessed he would someday be in a forest with a human female massaging her feet. Never would he have thought he would be massaging any female’s feet. This wasn’t something a warrior did, but he found it strangely relaxing.
A sense of protectiveness came over him, as he kept thinking about the human male on top of Claira. Blood lust had rushed through him, when he found the two of them. He may have been too eager to kill the human male, but Kaeldar wasn’t about to budge from his position. The male deserved no mercy, for what he was attempting.
She was Kaeldar’s.
But she wasn't his. She was just some human he had need of for her healing. There was still the chance his wound could take a turn for the worse, and she clearly knew her herbs.
His sense of protectiveness must’ve come from his need to stay alive and get back to his people. Without her, he could end up in another fever. Kaeldar couldn’t afford to die, he still had a war to fight. They would drive the humans from their lands, once and for all.
When he took her back to his people he would do his utmost to make sure no harm came to her, but he wouldn’t be able to make any promises. His people firmly believed in the war.
He set her foot back down.
“Stay inside and off your feet, while I find us something to eat. I want us both to be well rested, before tomorrow.” He explained to her, as he got up to leave the tent.
Claira heard him take off with one of the horses, and again she berated herself for letting him go out to hunt. He had better not reopen his wound, or she was going to have some stern words with him about taking a rest.
He might be a warrior, but he wasn’t invincible. Though she was delighted by the rate of his recovery. She hadn’t seen him cringe in pain for a while, and she dearly hoped that meant he was on the road to recovery.
When she heard him return, she waited patiently for him to come to check in on her. When he had told her to stay seated, he had sounded
completely serious. She might be the healer, but he was the warrior, and he didn’t take instructions, he gave them.
The tent flap lifted, and he poked his head inside.
“I will prop the tent flap open. I figured you would like to see out, while I prepared the catch.”
“Am I to remain seated?” Claira folded her arms in front of her.
“Of course. You took care of me, let me take care of you now.”
Claira unfolded her arms, as he turned. “And your wound is doing fine?”
“Everything is well.” He called back to her.
As he propped open the tent flap, she scooted on her butt, until she had a straight view out to the campfire.
He walked away, and she was able to appreciate the sharp angles of his face in the light of the flames. He was tall, and, yes, he was also handsome. He wasn’t a human man, but did it really matter? He was still a man.
Though he looked like a nightmare when he’d killed Robert, and the expression in his eyes sent shivers down her spine, she enjoyed his solid presence.
She watched on, as he prepped the bird he’d caught for their dinner.
A smile formed on her lips, as she watched him tend to the cooking bird. Never before had another taken care of her. For once, she was sitting back and getting provided for. It felt wonderful to hand over the reins, now that he wasn’t pestering her like a mother hen.
Once the bird finished cooking, he came over to the tent to present her with a leg. He came to sit down beside her, as they enjoyed the fresh cooked meal.
She had no problem with digging in. The leg of the bird looked so good, and her stomach wouldn't stop growling up at her. It also allowed her some time to stew in her thoughts. She was still figuring out how she felt about Kaeldar. Robert’s death had been unnecessary in her mind, but this rock giant seemed to be an uncontrollable force.
A force she’d hitched her wagon to.
After they finished their meal, they sat at the opening of the tent and watched the fire crackle happily.
“You must miss your people.” Claira broke the silence. It’d probably be wise to learn a little about him.
“I haven’t been gone long enough to miss anything. I’m sure they think me dead, since I didn’t return to an encampment after the battle.”
“Hopefully, it will be a welcome homecoming then.” Perhaps he was anxious to get back to his family. She might very well be the only human about to get an inside view of the life giants led.
If she were to guess what he was in his life, she might guess a commander of some sort. The way he carried himself struck her as more than just a soldier. He seemed to have a confidence like he knew his place in life.
As the night aged on, she and Kaeldar closed the tent flap and settled in for the night.
The night air chilled quickly, and Claira soon scooted over to place her back against the rock giant. His warmth soaked into her skin, and a little sigh escaped her.
She was sure he was fast asleep, and he would never notice her closeness. She didn’t want to give him the wrong impression, but she had been growing chilly on her side of the tent.
He was still in her bad book for what he’d done, and now she had to fight the images of Robert’s death that tried to float behind her closed eyelids.
Chapter 10
Claira let out a piercing shriek, as she bolted into a sitting position.
Kaeldar jolted awake expecting to find an enemy of some sort in their tent. He reached for a dagger, but then saw Claira was the only other person inside.
She was staring off into the distance with terror shining bright in her jade eyes. The beads of sweat on her brow caused concern to flush through him.
Kaeldar gathered her small frame into his arms. “What is wrong?” Kaeldar almost expected her to bring up the death of the human male.
“I had a nightmare that I was being burned at a stake. There were people standing around and laughing, while I cried out in pain.” Tears built up in the corners of her eyes.
He could feel her heart pounding away in her chest. He still had nightmares from the war, but he had been trained to deal with the stress. Claira wasn’t a soldier though. Kaeldar had no idea of how to soothe her, other than to hold her, stroke her hair, and talk to her in a soothing voice.
“You were spared from that fate. Nothing will harm you, while I’m here.” He promised her, but he wondered if he could honor such a promise. He was about to take her to his people. People who would have a hard time accepting what she was.
He wanted to bite his tongue for giving her false promises, but now wasn’t the time to bring up her safety with his people. Right now, she just needed some comforting words.
With her head huddled against his chest, he found her sweet scent coming up to flood his senses. His hands moved over her stomach, and he had to resist the urge to allow his hand to slip under her clothing.
Claira was clouding his mind, and all her could think about was her closeness, her kindness, and the need know her better.
Claira found support from his strong arms. His promise warmed her to the core and made her feel a little better. She could imagine him tearing through anyone who wanted to harm her. So far, he’d kept her safe by any means necessary.
The dream had really shaken her to the core. She hated the thought of being burned alive. The pain her feet had endured gave her a taste of the agony she could’ve gone through. Thankfully, Kaeldar had stepped in to save her.
She truly owed him her life. Or maybe they were even now. She’d saved his, and he’d returned the favor.
Gently, he laid her back down with him, but never removed his arms from around her waist. His warmth and strong presence relaxed her from the terror she’d relived in her dreams.
Rolling over she went to sleep huddled in his arms with both of them chest to chest.
A small blush crept up her face, in the morning, as the memories of the night before came back to her. She felt foolish getting so upset about a silly nightmare, even if it had been on the terrifying side. She was an adult, not a child.
Claira loved being held within his strong arms, which caused another blush for a whole new reason. There was just something about him that was intoxicating to her. Maybe it was because he was something new, and hopefully someone who she could depend upon. Kaeldar had shown her the compassionate side of a strong warrior.
As she got up from the covers, she brushed down her clothing. Then ran her hands through her long straw colored hair. She knew it must look like a mess by now, so she tried to do her best to straighten out all the knots.
She was keen on taking a bath, but at the moment she was out of luck for finding a tub. She would have to settle for the cold river water, if she wanted to clean up.
Leaving the tent Claira found Kaeldar ready to get back on the move. He was tending to the horses, but when he heard her step out he looked up and cast her a dazzling smile. He had to have a trail of rock giant women falling head over heels for him.
Claira felt her heart putter, at that thought. How would she compare to rock giant women? If they looked anything like Kaeldar, she’d have no chance.
“How are you feeling this morning?”
Smiling back at him she replied, “I am doing fine thank you.” She raised a hand to brush a piece of hair back behind one of her ears, and his eyes followed the movement.
Clearing his throat slightly, he focused back on her face. “Will you be able to travel without any pain?”
She felt a little embarrassed he was making such a fuss about her. Her feet weren’t a big deal, but he obviously thought she might be in a fragile state after last night. He needed to realize she was stronger than she appeared.
“Of course.” Needing to explain Claira clarified last night to him. “Thank you for your support last night, but I promise you, I’m fine and need nothing.” She waved her hand in the air. “It was just a dream, a scary one, but still just a dream.”
He eyed her, and she
got the feeling he didn’t believe her, but then nodded accepting her explanation.
She stepped up to the horses, as Kaeldar got the tent packed up, and tied it to the back of her horse.
“Would you like help mounting the horse?”
“Which horse will you use?” Claira asked, now that they had two horses because of Robert’s death.
“I will take, which ever one you don’t choose.”
She chewed on her lip for a little bit, before speaking. “I would like to ride my own horse, if that’s fine.” She would feel a bit weird riding Robert’s horse.
Kaeldar gave a shrug. Of course, he wouldn’t care which horse he rode. Robert’s death was probably just one of many, someone he’d already forgotten about.
Maybe that was why he couldn’t regret Robert’s death. If Kaeldar mourned everyone he killed, he wouldn’t have time to keep himself alive. It did give her some insight into his character. He had to be practical, since he was a warrior. He either made a flash decision or threaten his own life.
Kaeldar wrapped his hands around Claira's waist and swung her up onto the saddle. Quickly, Kaeldar mounted up on the other horse and led the way.
They traveled for a few hours, until Claira broke the never-ending silence. “I've been wondering why you came back to save me.”
Kaeldar rode in front of her, but when she spoke he slowed his horse, to ride next to hers.
“You saved my life, a rock giant warrior, unknown to you.” He took a moment. “As I was leaving on your horse, I thought about what the villagers might do to you. I found it bothered me that you saved my life, and I had done nothing to repay you.”
“Still. I wouldn’t have expected you to risk your life.”
“I circled back and found you being tied to a post. At that moment, I knew I would have to save you… if I wanted to live with myself. To think your people would burn you.”
She knew no one would ever believe a rock giant could be so honorable to return a favor, but here she was. She was the proof. It seemed humans had misjudged these rock giants, or at least one of them. But if one of them could be this honorable, then surely there could be more among his people. Not every human was virtuous, but not every human was cruel.