by Lily Thomas
She surprised him then by saying, “I hope you die.”
Now it was his turn to glare down at the back of her head.
Before he had time to think about what he said he stated, “I should have left you where I found you, and then I wouldn’t have the trouble of trying to keep you alive.”
He left the threat hanging in the air. If she wanted to use her sharp tongue, then he would return the favor. He wouldn't apologize for anything he said. She was just a human.
Jasmine wondered what he meant by that. Was he implying he wanted to leave her? Or that they should kill her and be done with it all? Either way, she was dead. There was no way she would survive in this extreme environment.
She might not be a lady of the court, but she still had a gentle upbringing in their manor house.
She would need these irritating giants if she wished to survive in the mountains since she had no horse of her own or any knowledge of how to survive. But the moment these giants turned their backs, she would make a move. All she needed was the right opportunity to present itself and a decent plan.
There was still a small part of her that was afraid to try an escape. What if they caught her? Then what would they do to her? She was sure they would not be thrilled with her if she attempted an escape.
The stories she’d heard as a child about these giants resurfaced. A bit of fright shivered through her entire body. Though they were keeping her alive for now, they could change their minds at any moment. And perhaps they were saving her for some particular purpose.
Jasmine turned slightly to eye the ice giant who was always riding next to them. He was tall like the one behind her. He also sported those frightening, bottomless black eyes, and the long silver hair that blew restlessly in the wind. The silver hair was interesting. These men were obviously in their prime, yet they had such a light hair color. Now that she was looking, every single one of the giants had silver hair. That must be one of the reasons they were called ice giants.
“We are almost there.” The voice of her so-called rescuer jolted her from her thoughts and made her jump a little.
A stony arm wrapped reassuringly around her waist. The giant probably thought she was going to surprise herself right off the horse if she kept making sudden movements.
“Where is there?” Jasmine asked, intrigued. Were they going to a giant stronghold?
If she escaped, and after she ensured her sister’s safety, she could lead men back to make sure the ice giants hadn't taken any other human women. Jasmine glanced at the landscape. Never mind. The environment was too extreme up here. A human army would be slaughtered in this treacherous terrain, a terrain they had no experience with. That is if the weather didn't kill them all first.
The ice giant’s reply interrupted Jasmine’s train of thought.
“We’re heading to a camp some of my men have set up on the border.”
More ice giants?
“Did you mention the border?” Jasmine couldn't stop hope from entering her voice.
“The fire giant and ice giant border,” her companion stated flatly. “Not the ice giant and human border. Don’t start thinking I’ll let you escape easily.”
Jasmine was starting to think she had rotten luck. First, she had run into Keir and Lord Gothar plotting, and now she was in the hands of ice giants. Giants who would soon be joined by even more ice giants.
“May I at least know who has kidnapped me?”
The giant behind her snorted. “I did not kidnap you, but my name is Dryden.”
“And his name?” Jasmine pointed to the other ice giant warrior, who was giving her the stink eye.
“Mathar, my general. And your name?”
Jasmine shivered. Mathar didn’t seem to want her around. “Jasmine.”
As they continued on their journey, Dryden noticed how quiet Jasmine had become, after her previous spell of talking. Perhaps he had unnerved her a little too much? Everyone had his or her breaking point. Was her spirit really broken, or was that backbone still hiding away in there?
Just then, they broke through the trees and entered the ice giant camp. The warriors turned to greet them as they rode in. It didn’t take long for them to notice the human female sitting before their king.
Dryden felt Jasmine stiffen the moment she realized she was attracting unwanted attention from the ice giants within the camp. Her head came up, her back straightened, and he felt her tense. His arm remained firmly wrapped around her waist.
At least her spirit wasn't broken, and she still had some fire left in her. Good, because Dryden hadn't meant what he said earlier. He had saved her, and now she was his responsibility. He wasn't about to kill her or let her be killed.
It was so weird for him to realize he thought of her as brave. He was amazed he even found her intriguing. This was such a learning experience for him. Never had he thought a human female could be so strong-willed in the face of what must seem like a perilous and desperate situation.
Things would have been easier for the both of them if he had simply left her in the snow to die. Instead, by rescuing her, she would have to live out the rest of her life with a group of giants who would automatically distrust and exclude her.
For his part, Dryden knew he would face intense criticism from his people for helping a human. As he looked down at the little human female, chin up and ready to face down an entire camp of ice giants, he couldn’t find it in himself to regret his decision. He was happy he had found her before the snow and cold took her away.
Dryden kept his face relaxed and impassive as he took in the curious stares surrounding them. He knew some of the men would wonder why he had a human female in his arms, but they were just going to have to wonder for a while more. A little mystery would be good for them, theorizing how their king got his hands on her. It would entertain their minds.
Dryden and Mathar guided their horses over to the edge of camp, where the men wouldn’t be able to keep spying on the human. He could see that although she was strong, she was still fearful of all the warriors surrounding her.
Mathar dismounted and strode over to Dryden's side.
“Let me take her for you.”
“I can dismount with her in my arms.”
“You’ll only end up dropping her into the snow. Hand her over.”
Dryden relented and handed the human over to him.
Concern flooded her eyes the moment he relinquished her, and Dryden had a sudden urge to bring her back into his arms, yet he knew Mathar would take good care of her.
“Take her to my tent, and then meet with me afterward,” Dryden ordered his fellow warrior, in their language.
Mathar led the human away, but Dryden called after. “And have someone guard her. I would hate for her to get any ideas about escaping from us.”
He didn’t want to be forced to trudge after the human female when he had more important things to do on the border.
Jasmine didn't like it when Mathar dismounted and took her away from Dryden. Despite her earlier conversation with the giant, she was confident he would keep her safe. On the other hand, she could tell Mathar didn't like her very much. She could see annoyance and disgust flickering in his dark black eyes as he glared down at her.
“Here.” Mathar thrust a pair of large socks in her face. “They’ll keep your feet warm until we get you to a tent.”
“Thank you.” Jasmine accepted the stockings and slipped them on, her feet already cold from the snow she was standing on.
This ice giant didn't bother to hide his displeasure at the fact she was still around. Based on his interactions with Dryden, though, she could safely say Dryden was a giant of some importance.
If she was going to have any giant be interested in her safety, she was glad it was one with influence. As long as Dryden wanted to keep her safe, she would feel more secure among them.
Despite their earlier argument, Jasmine was starting to wonder if Dryden had told her the truth about finding her in the snow. Call her c
razy, but Dryden came off as a trustworthy person. He might be a giant, but despite the stories she had heard about their people, he wasn’t a barbarian.
As they made their way through the encampment of giants, she was unable to ignore the fact that the ice giants found her an irresistible sight. In no way did she want to know what they might be thinking about her. From all the stories, these were ruthless warriors with no hearts.
There was a part of her that doubted all she'd heard. She had been with them for days, yet nothing adverse had happened to her. Perhaps both sides were misinformed about each other.
Then Jasmine looked into the eyes of the nearest giant, and she couldn't keep herself from gulping in dread. She could see why they would be misunderstood. None of these giants gave her the impression that she was safe and sound. She could see the same question plastered over all of their faces: Why was she here?
Jasmine couldn’t come up with an answer. All she could guess was that their leader had taken an interest in her, and she was uncertain whether that was a positive or negative thing.
Jasmine stayed close to Mathar as he led her through the camp, and she paid attention to where the tents were placed and how many ice giants were walking around. If there was an opportunity to get away, she was going to take it. It didn’t matter how nice the ice giants were; she couldn’t stay here when her sister’s life was on the line.
The thought of her sister in trouble bothered her, and she also didn't want her sister worrying about her disappearance. Jasmine wondered if Adorra was trying to find her at this very moment if servants from the manor were out searching for any sign of where she had gone.
Jasmine could easily imagine Lord Gothar pretending to try and find her, but of course, he would have no luck in the search!
Maybe Lord Gothar would injure himself while out riding and pretending to search for her. Jasmine could only hope because if she didn't get back before the wedding, her sister was a dead woman.
An idea built in her mind. Maybe Adorra would push off the wedding because of Jasmine's disappearance. Adorra might even refuse to have the wedding without her sister present.
Jasmine’s hope faded a little as she thought of how much Adorra admired Lord Gothar. She might push off the wedding for awhile, but if they found no clues to Jasmine’s fate, then eventually Jasmine could see Adorra turning to Lord Gothar’s arms for whatever comfort he pretended to offer.
Desperation filled her. Just then, Mathar gripped her arm in a firm grip, forcing Jasmine to a halt. Flinching, she tried in vain to get her arm back from his viselike grip.
“Halt, female!” he barked down at her with a deep growl.
She stood there, her mouth hanging open. She had not expected such a fierce reaction from him. There had been very few times in her life someone had raised their voice at her.
Jasmine straightened her back. She was a lady of wealth and breeding on her side. “Why have you grabbed me so brutishly?” Jasmine accused him.
Slowly, with exaggerated patience, Mathar leaned down and growled in her face. “Because you are just a human, and you weren’t paying attention. We have arrived at our destination, but you were about to walk off into the forest.”
When he straightened and stepped back, Jasmine saw that they were standing outside a tent, larger than all the others around them. Before she had time to take it in, the giant pushed her ungently through the opening.
Jasmine stumbled but quickly righted herself, flipping back around to yell at him, but right when she opened her mouth, the tent flap closed with a snap in her face.
Jasmine huffed at the tent flap. How dare he be so discourteous! She wasn’t in a position to protest his actions, but she sorely wished she could do something about it.
As she stood there, fuming before the tent flap, she heard a low rumbling begin from outside. The giants, who had stayed silent during her arrival, had resumed talking, or perhaps she should say they resumed growling. There was only one thing she could think they were talking about - her unexpected arrival.
Jasmine’s heart fluttered in her chest as the growls, and deep rumbles filled the air around the tent. She could understand how she might be a subject of conversation, but all the noise was overwhelming. Hoping Dryden was somewhere near. Jasmine went to sit on the pallet of furs that lay ready inside the tent.
Breathing deeply, she forced herself to calm down as the growls from outside the tent seemed to decrease in volume and excitement. Now that she was out of sight, they would probably return to their business, or at least one could hope. She wanted them to forget about her very presence.
Still breathing deeply, Jasmine looked around the tent. There was little to see, only the pallet of furs she was currently sitting on and a few articles of clothing off in one of the corners of the tent. Unfortunately, she didn’t see anything useful, like her dress or a knife that she could use to defend herself when she escaped. Briefly, Jasmine remembered the mountain cats, and she shuddered and quickly tried to put them out of her mind. A knife would do her no good against one of those creatures.
Shaking her head to dismiss her thoughts, Jasmine clutched the furs she was wrapped in more closely to her body and looked warily toward the door. She assumed she was now waiting in Dryden’s tent.
She hoped Dryden would reappear in the doorway of the tent at any moment. There was something about his presence that made her feel more comfortable. Perhaps she wouldn't go as far as to say she felt completely safe with him, but she didn’t feel like he posed any immediate danger to her, either. And now that they were in the middle of an encampment of ice giants, she was feeling particularly vulnerable.
A little grumpy, she grudgingly admitted to herself that he had done her a favor by saving her from the freezing mountain river. It had been an idiotic move on her part, but in her defense, she had been half-drugged and scared out of her mind.
The memory of the water engulfing her head sent shivers across her skin.
What if Dryden hadn't cared enough to save her? What if he had let her sink to the bottom of the river and drown?
Not only would Jasmine have drowned, but then who would warn her sister? Adorra would remain unaware of her deceptive soon-to-be-husband’s plans, at least not until it was too late on the wedding night. Or maybe Lord Gothar would be sick enough to enjoy the benefits of the wedding night and then kill her sister afterward.
Jasmine felt like throwing up, but she could only gag. There was absolutely nothing in her stomach.
Right at that moment, it decided to growl up at her. She was now fully aware of her hunger, even though she had the impulse to puke.
Jasmine sighed and faced the tent flap. There was no way she was going out there by herself to ask for food. They might misunderstand her request, and she didn't want to end up being food herself, or something similarly awful.
Maybe Dryden wouldn't return, and she would just end up starving for the night. Jasmine realized this was the first time she had ever gone without food for such an extended period. At the manor, she had never gone hungry. It gave her a different perspective of the world.
Imagining the poor, she groaned, having never understood hunger pains. This was a horrible thing. How could anyone live with it?
Jasmine stopped and sat up straight as she realized she was acting like a spoiled little girl. How would she deal with the rest of the harsh environment around her, if an empty stomach was causing her to pout like a petulant child?
Chapter 6
Sending her off to his tent made Dryden’s heart speed up. He didn't want to leave her alone among the encampment of warriors, but at the same time, he had duties to attend. He was a king after all, and there was no way he could always be by her side. She’d just have to stand on her own two feet for awhile.
Dryden checked over his horse as he prepared to ride out to the fire giant border. He hoped he would be able to avoid a conversation about Jasmine’s presence until they returned. Dryden still needed more time to think about ho
w to ease his people into accepting Jasmine. Unfortunately, Dryden was out of luck. No sooner had the human female been safely put away in his tent, when all hell broke loose. Conversations immediately sprang up around the camp as the human disappeared.
Dryden tensed as a couple of his more senior warriors approached him. “Who is the human?” one demanded.
“Just a human.” Dryden lifted one of his horse’s hooves to inspect it for any loose nails.
Unsatisfied, another asked, “Where did you find her?”
“It couldn’t have been at the human border. We didn’t go anywhere near there,” another reasoned.
Dryden dropped the horse’s hoof and faced his men. “We have more important things to deal with right now then discuss the human female. She was found in our mountains, and that is all that you need to know for now. I don’t want to hear any more about this.” Dryden turned away, dismissing them. He knew they wouldn’t be happy, but they didn't have the time to talk about the human in great detail.
Now that Dryden was getter nearer to the fire giant border, he was itching to get there quickly. He needed to see why the fire giants had uncharacteristically decided to journey into human territory. It had better be for a damn good reason. He really didn't need the fire giants attracting the interest of the humans in their general direction. Then the ice giants might face a war along with them, and that thought didn't sit well with him.
He hoped the fire giant sighting had been an honest mistake by his scouts. Maybe a troop of fire giants had gotten lost or had just traveled close to the border.
Knowing the fire king Stryme, though, he highly doubted Stryme would allow his men to make such a critical error as accidentally walking into human territory. Which meant Stryme had gone in on purpose.