Melted By Love

by Lily Thomas

  He walked away to take care of his horse and tent. He’d save her, but he needed to keep some distance between them.

  Mathar glanced down at the human female in his arms. She was so small compared to anything he’d ever held.

  He was unable to see what Dryden saw in the little female. She was beautiful, sure, but not enough for him to want to save her life. All he saw was a bundle of trouble. For all of them.

  Somehow, she’d drawn Dryden in, and she had yet even to wake up. It was bewildering, and he didn’t see the draw. Mathar would remain attracted to giant females only.

  He headed for his horse and mounted up, holding the petite human female with only one arm. She was dainty, and he didn’t expect her to survive her ordeal. It was all a lost cause, in his mind.

  He noticed the gazes she was drawing from the other men. Most of these men had probably never seen a human female since the ice giants tended to stay hidden deep within the mountains. Humans were afraid of the fearsome weather and the wild animals they were unable to control up here in the untamed wilderness.

  Glancing down, Mathar made sure the furs covered her entirely. He may not agree with saving her, but he loved Dryden like a brother. They had been through a lot together, and they would always have each other's back, no matter what the odds.

  For now, he saw no need in showing off the human female to the rest of the men. Until Dryden wanted to, Mathar would make sure she was hidden.

  Their curiosity would die down after a few days. That is until she eventually woke up. Then she would again be a stir of excitement for everyone.

  He raised his head to see Dryden approaching on horseback, looking like the king he was.

  Decked out in his black armor, two swords strapped to his back as well as his hips, riding his large warhorse similarly clad in plated black armor. Dryden would always have his respect and friendship.

  As Dryden pulled up beside Mathar, he handed the human back.

  Mathar was glad to have her out of his arms.

  “Still scared she might bite?”

  “Afraid one muscle twitch and I might break one of her bones.”

  Dryden cradled her against his chest, and Mathar’s keen eyes observed a gleam in Dryden’s gaze as he stared down at the human.

  With a snort, Mathar turned away and signaled the men to mount up. It was time to head out. He and Dryden led the way.

  Dryden ignored the snort. Mathar rounded up the men, and they headed off for the border.

  The snow still drifted down from the clouds adding to the already thick covering of powdery fluff on the ground. Dryden would never wish it to stop. He’d been raised with the snow, and he wanted to die with the snow.

  Though the human female in his arms may disagree about the pleasantness of the weather. He was sure this would be a difficult environment for her to adapt to.

  Dryden dragged his mind and eyes from the little female for a few seconds.

  “Scouts!” He hollered.

  Two men rode up beside him, trying not to stare obviously at the human figure in Dryden’s arms.

  “Ride up ahead. I want to make sure we don’t have any surprises waiting for us.”

  The men nodded and galloped off into the falling snow. They were gone within moments, disappearing into the haze of white.

  Dryden frowned, reflecting on the strange recent events between humans and giants. With all the exciting and random things currently happening, he wanted to prepare for anything.

  He was getting sick of all the surprises these days, like finding a human female in his mountains. What he wouldn't give for a nice average day for once.

  Couldn’t the humans just stay on their side of the border and leave him out of their internal issues?

  Jasmine still attempted to claw through the darkness of her mind. She felt as though she was drowning in it.

  She tried her best to scratch her way to the surface, but she found herself unable to break through the overwhelming gloom. She swallowed, and the feeling of drowning disappeared.

  Instead, she felt a hot liquid slip down her throat and into her stomach, warming her, but also drawing her back into the darkness of sleep. Too exhausted to fight the pull, she embraced it instead.

  Later, the darkness lifted slightly, and Jasmine felt the rolling gait of a horse under her. She could also feel arms wrapped around her holding her tight against someone’s chest.

  A large lump caught in her throat, as her mind thought of Keir holding her in his arms. How far was he taking her from the manor, and where was his end destination?

  Was it even Keir who currently held her?

  She just had no idea, and that was the frustrating part. She felt her skin crawl at the thought of anyone holding her so personally.

  A cold wind whipped up against her cheek. Every once in a while, she felt something wet land against her cheek. She couldn't help but flinch with each wet landing.

  Where was she? Was that rain, but it felt a little too cold? Was it snowing?

  If only she could wake her body and open her eyes!

  During the journey, Dryden caught himself glancing down at the little human in his arms. Every time he did, he felt something stir in his chest, near to where his heart was located, which was a bit disconcerting for a trained warrior.

  This human had such a cute pert nose, rosy red lips, and her dark eyelashes fanned out above her cheeks in such a lovely way. Every once in a while, those lashes would catch a snowflake.

  He couldn't wait to see her awake. He wondered what her personality would be like. He hoped she would be strong enough to deal with the situation she was in. Dryden didn’t know if he would or could let her go. She would no doubt think they had kidnapped her. If he let her go, she might spread that rumor among her people. Then he might have more humans wandering through his mountains.

  He couldn’t have her people exacting revenge. Humans seemed to jump at any chance to fight others, just like the rock giants. Those damn rock giants. The humans had been relatively good for the last few years, and Dryden had hoped for a time of peace, not war.

  As the day waned into the afternoon, Dryden held up his hand, halting his men.

  “We’ll stop for a little while. It’ll allow us to check on the horses and give the scouts a better head start on us.”

  He wanted to take care of his horse and make sure the human female was in good health. It would be a shame to have her die when he had strived so hard to save her life.

  Mathar dismounted and strode over. “I will take the human from you so that you can dismount.”

  Dryden was grateful he had such a loyal friend like Mathar. Mathar might question his sanity, but he would stick by Dryden’s side no matter what.

  Swiftly, he swung his leg over the saddle, dismounted, and led his warhorse over to a pine tree that had thick enough foliage to provide protection from the ever-falling snow.

  Ever so gently, he ran his hands down the legs of his horse. Giant horses were bred to be durable but were also bred to keep going even if there was something wrong with them. Dryden made a habit out of checking on his horse whenever he had the opportunity.

  Dryden dislodged chunks of snow that had frozen onto his horse’s legs. He also removed dirt and snow from the hooves. Then he moved up to check his horse's eyes and nose.

  Everything seemed well, so with one final pat to the horse's flank he left it to dig in the snow for any grass it could find.

  He headed back over to Mathar and took back the human female who was still breathing soundly.

  Dryden exhaled a long breath. “I worry about her in our harsh weather.”

  “You could take her back to the border,” Mathar suggested.

  “No. I can’t trust she will be able to make it to a human village in her condition, and I can’t ride into human territory. If even a single human sees me, there will be trouble.”

  “I can’t help you, then.”

  “I’d like to wake her and see if her mind seems al
right.”

  “You’re assuming her mind was alright to begin with.”

  Dryden glared over at Mathar. “You’re right, you can’t help me.”

  Mathar shrugged. “Hey, I’m here for you.” He patted Dryden on the shoulder as he let out a bark of laughter. “I wouldn’t wake her quite yet, though. Do you want to deal with a crazed human? She’ll take one look at us and go mad.”

  “Perhaps you’re right.”

  “I know I’m right.”

  A sudden movement from the human had him glancing down at her. The human had tucked herself even more fully against his chest. She looked so trusting, as she should be. He was invested in saving her life.

  Even though she was a human, she was still a female. He didn't believe in killing a female. She would always be safe with him - at least, he would do his best to keep her safe.

  Hugging her closer, he headed to where his horse was still searching for grass under the thick layer of snow.

  Dryden cleared some of the snow from the ground under the boughs of the pine trees and placed her on the ground. He double checked the furs around her to make sure she wouldn’t catch another chill.

  He needed to check on the rest of his men but to do that he couldn’t be carrying her. All the men would be trying to get a look at the small human who had captivated their leader.

  Chapter 4

  Jasmine felt herself get passed from one person to another.

  Shivers crept up her spine that someone would hold her so close. Perhaps she had been rescued? If only she could open her eyes and see who held her. The thought of Keir and Lord Gothar wouldn’t stop creeping into her mind.

  It must be the drug in her system, which Keir had given her, but she knew this person couldn’t be Keir. Every time she felt the warmth come from the arms that tucked her so close to a protective chest, she knew she was safe.

  Then she felt the warmth leave, as she was placed somewhere cold and hard. She squirmed uncomfortably, and the cold swept over her skin. Shivering overcame her as the chill crept over and into her body.

  “Told you we should get rid of her,” Mather commented.

  Dryden stared at the human in disbelief. The little human had knocked the fur covers off her in the short time it had taken him to check on his men and their horses. He shook his head with frustration. Even asleep she was turning out to be a handful.

  She was now uncovered, shivering fiercely, skin puckered, trying to cling to any warmth it could, and her lips were already turning a light blue.

  Quickly, he covered her back up. “I saved her, Mathar. She’s now my responsibility.” He took her into his arms and rubbed his hands over her vigorously, trying his best to warm her back up.

  “She’s a human. You have no obligations to her. She isn’t one of your people, Dryden. Nor will she wish to be. Your life is going to be hell trying to keep her reigned in.”

  Color once again returned to her lips, and her shivering ceased, ending with her curling deeper into his arms.

  He smiled down at her as he mounted his horse and headed over to where his men waited for him.

  Once Mathar and the rest of the men saddled up, they set out for the border of the ice giants and the fire giants before they missed the opportunity to see what the fire giants were up to in the human kingdom.

  The going was slow, as many mountain passes were too dangerous to travel through because of the snowfall. Many more crossings were impassible due to the icy terrain.

  “What should we do?” Another man came up beside them, and Dryden looked over at one of his lieutenants, Haerst.

  “We could take the river,” Mathar suggested from his other side.

  Dryden pursed his lips. “It looks like we’ll have no choice, which is unfortunate. It’ll tack on a few more hours.”

  “Unless we want to chance losing some of our men, the river will be safer.”

  “True.”

  “We’ll get there in time to see what the fire giants are up to.” Mathar patted Dryden on the back and directed the men towards the river.

  Once they made it to the river, Dryden hesitated. The human had been tossing and turning more than usual, and he worried that she might be waking.

  Mathar rode up beside him. “Something troubling you?”

  Dryden raised a brow and snorted. “You know me too well, my friend.”

  “I just know how to read your expressions.”

  “She’s been moving a lot more. I worry she may wake before we get to the scouts.”

  “Keep your hands tight around her then. She probably won’t survive a dunk in the river.” Mathar eyed the swift water, following the path of some ice fragments as they drifted by him.

  “I didn’t even think about her wiggling her way into the river. Thanks.” After all, Dryden had gone through to save her, and she might just end up dead in some icy water.

  “Sorry. I can see this means a lot to you, but we can’t wait for her to feel better.”

  Dryden hoped the berry brew she’d drunk would last until they got to the scouts. Once there he would be able to make some more for her.

  The river gushed down the mountain valley. White crests broke over rocks as the rushing water smacked into the obstacles before it. The water height was higher than he remembered from the last time he had come here to cross.

  There was nothing he could do about it. They had to make it to the border. Signaling his men, Dryden led them up the river until they found an area that would be relatively easier to cross.

  The blackness faded, and the voices she heard sent shivers racing up and down her spine. The sounds were of growls and grumbles. She wondered if Keir still had her, or if it was someone else. She felt the grumbles and growls rumbling from the chest she was pressed firmly against.

  Those sounds could not be human.

  The darkness faded completely, and the sounds of men, horses, and a river came rushing to her ears. Her heart rate exploded against her chest.

  Testing her eyes, Jasmine found herself able to crack them open. She was awake! Closing her eyes, she kept them firmly shut. If she was going to attempt an escape she needed to make sure the person holding her didn't suspect she was awake and able to move. This would be her only chance. She had surprise on her side.

  Jasmine could feel that she was weak, but she had to try to get away. There was no way she could live with herself if she didn’t try everything in her power to get back to her sister in time to save Adorra.

  After hearing the sound of the rushing river, she just knew that the rider holding her would cross it, and when he did, she would put her plan into action. She knew that wherever they were, the river would be freezing cold, and it may not be the wisest decision, but it was the only plan. It was a chance she would have to take.

  She was probably dead either way. She had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

  The horse snorted as it entered the river, and Jasmine flinched. She felt little droplets of icy water hit her face as the river splashed against the horse's legs.

  They were in the middle of the river. It was now or never.

  With a deep breath, Jasmine solidified her resolve.

  Dryden signaled his men to follow him across the raging river. He had just started his horse across the river when he felt her heart speed up against his arm. It thrummed through her entire body with strong beats.

  Was she waking?

  Right when he looked down to see to his little human, her eyes flew open and she wiggled in his arms. At first, he was too shocked to react, and the female leaned out precariously over the horse’s side. With a start, he tried to clasp onto her, but she wiggled her way right out of the furs and out of his arms.

  He heard the splash from the river, and his heart stopped, then kicked into overdrive.

  Jasmine cracked her eyes open and saw a chest full of black armor. Some man held onto her, and she was wrapped tightly in some furs.

  Deciding she should act quickly, she opened her eyes and
wiggled her way out of the man's arms, as well as the furs. She was going to be free, and she was going to save her sister!

  As she fell from the horse's back, she had a split second where she doubted the logic of her decision, but it was too late to go back. She would have to survive or die.

  Her head plunged under the ice-cold water, shooting up her nose and stealing the very breath from her lungs.

  Dryden couldn't believe it. He had seen the intent on her face as she jiggled free from his arms. His human had meant to land in the water to escape him.

  Why would she throw herself into an icy cold river? Was she completely daft?

  Mathar pulled his horse up next to Dryden's in the river. “Should we not rescue her?”

  The question jolted him into action.

  “After her!” Dryden hollered, as he spurred his horse toward the bank.

  He would have to save the human, and he would have to do it quickly. The freezing waters would kill her within minutes, and he knew there was no way she could fight the raging river waters to the edge.

  Even warm, these waters would drown her in their grasping currents.

  He drove his heels into his horse's sides, guiding it back to the bank to run along the river. He forced his black warhorse into a gallop, racing beside the fast running river.

  His eyes never left the sight of the human flailing uselessly against the raging river waters. Her brunette head bobbed in the water, first dipping under the surface, and then she would come up sputtering liquid. He could see her try to take in air before the river forced her under again.

  His heart felt like it was going to stop. He pushed his horse faster along the side of the river. The horse's hooves pounded a rhythm against the frozen ground as he raced the river, slowly catching up to the human.