“I know,” thenonnaereplied.
How were they supposed to fight eight giants? Lia wasn’t a trained fighter. Sure, she was scrappy and had learned skills from her travels to keep herself safe. But compared to themuscled warriors surrounding them, she knew they had no hope. They needed to come to some sort of understanding or be able to outrun them. She glanced down at Mizar which was just too far away for help. Loshika might be able to escape but not Lia.
“If you don’t mind, we will leave you and be gone. Our families will be missing us. They do always worry when we come home late,” Loshika replied.
They took a step down the mountain, and the giants slowly closed in.
“It seems you have something of ours, and we can’t bear to be parted from it,” the leader said.
Lia winced. The pin.
She reached into her basket and pulled out the silverdimedonpin. “I believe you’re referring to this?” she said, proud that her voice didn’t shake.
One sniffed the air like a hound, and she bit the inside of her cheek hard. Giants could scent emotions, and these ones were no different.
Don’t be afraid.
It was easier said than done.
“Loshika,” she said softly. “It seems I found a pin that belongs to our friend. Would you be so kind as to return it to them?” Lia dropped the pin into Lo’s open palm. She felt more than saw the healer toss the pin to the leader.
“We’ve returned your property. We shall take our leave.”
That was Lia’s cue.
She started down the path with Loshika hot on her heels.
“I’m sorry, but our time has not ended yet. There’s much more we need to speak about.”
“Run!” Loshika bellowed.
Dahlia picked up her skirts and ran, whistling to Serenity.
The leader yipped and then howls filled the air. Goosebumps broke along her arms, and she glanced over her shoulder. All giants but the leader sprinted down the mountainside after them. Loshika paused, picked up a branch, and slammed it into the head of the nearest giant, knocking him out. Another one tackled the healer to the ground. Lia slowed, a scream caught in her throat. Her friend produced a blade from somewhere and stabbed the giant in the throat.
She got to her feet, eyes widening. “Keep running!”
Lia spun around, her arms pinwheeling at the steep incline. A growl to her left had her speeding up. Clawed hands snagged the back of her cloak. She snapped the closing pin at her throat and kept sprinting, tossing her basket at the giant behind her.
Loshika wailed.
It was one of pain.
No.
The distraction was all it took for the giant to catch her.
An iron band caught her about the waist, knocking the air out of Dahlia. She wheezed as her feet left the ground.
Not today.
Lia ripped her blade free and blindly stabbed any skin she could see. Her captor howled, his grip loosening enough that she dropped to her knees in the snow. Lia wrapped her hands around the hilt and drove it into his groin as Serenity dove from the sky, raking her talons across his face.
The giant dropped, moaning and twitching—his silver blood soaking into the snow.
Lifting her head, she spotted Loshika fighting two giants, another dead on the ground. Her heart flew to her throat when one pinned Lo’s arms above her head and the other climbed on top of her legs, tearing at her skirts.
No.
