GiantCouncil minutes, year 162 PLN
Uvin RubyFist, ChiefScout: “A group of giants has been attacked on the Great Plain. They appear to have been killed with poison arrows, something only used by dryad warriors. After the murder of our giant brothers and sisters, someone dragged their bodies to the bottom of the valley and arranged in a large circle. With our slain comrades, we also found deceased humans, also killed with poisonous arrows.”
FourthColossus: “Why would the dryads move the bodies into this valley and dump them there? It makes no sense.”
Alek StormHammer, FirstGeneral: “Perhaps they’re making a statement. They’re saying they won’t bow down to giants or humans. I think this is a warning to us that the dryads are serious.”
FourthColossus: “This whole situation with the races is getting serious. Uvin, did you see any wheel marks from wagons or carts?”
Uvin RubyFist: “No, just hoof prints, many of them. But the patterns of hoof prints were strange as if each horse had an injured leg.”
Alek StormHammer: “We should attack the dryads. This kind of aggression cannot go unanswered.”
FourthColossus: “This act of aggression will be answered but only after careful thought. There’s something else going on here we do not yet understand.”
Alek StormHammer: “But they killed our brother giants.”
FourthColossus: “I know, and we will take action, but first, we will continue to watch. It is not our way to act out of impatience. We are careful. We are deliberate. We are giants.”
Year 374, PLN
They managed to leave NeyYok in the dark of night with no one giving chase. Obviously, the scavengers assumed the three companions had met their end and no longer posed a threat. When the trio crossed the rusted and worn out bridge, the party ran into a pair of scavengers. Rayel and Bailey quickly took care of them, adding another PowerSniffer and barbed-shocker to their collection of scavenger-tech.
Hours later, the three friends reached the ravine just as the sun peeked up from behind the eastern horizon. The sky brightened from black to vibrant reds and oranges, the sun splashing warm colors across the landscape. This time, Brianna was able to cross the ravine without incident, her newfound confidence in herself, and the support of her friends, pushing away any fear.
After crossing the ravine, Rayel brought them to a halt behind a cluster of spiny bushes.
“What is it?” Brianna asked.
“Look.” Rayel carefully parted the prickly branches and pointed. “Four . . . horses, if you want to call them that.”
Brianna peeked through the bush. A group of four mutant horses stood tied to a SufferingTree, each animal cut, and bleeding from rubbing against the thorns. “Do you see any scavengers nearby?”
Rayel slowly raised her head above the bush and glanced about, her green eyes wide as she probed their surroundings. “I don’t see anyone nearby. The scavengers must be off hunting on foot.”
“We’ll have to keep watch as we walk back to Harmony.” Brianna stood and adjusted the shortened warhammer in the pouch on her back.
“Why walk when we can ride.” Stannis stood and smiled at his companions, then headed for the mutated animals.
“Those things are probably vicious,” Rayel said. “This is foolish.”
Stannis waved a hand in the air as he approached the muties, signaling for his friends to follow.
Brianna picked up her other warhammer off the ground and glanced at Rayel. Giving her a shrug, she walked toward the animals. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Stannis slowed his approach, his hands to his side.
Whistling a gentle melody, he moved closer to the mutant horses. One of the animals stomped a dark hoof on the ground, then kicked up a clump of grass, its stained teeth bared.
Brianna pulled her second warhammer from its pouched and readied herself for battle. If it tries to bite Stannis, I’ll attack. I’m not gonna let anything hurt my friends.
Stannis started speaking softly, his reassuring words seeming to calm the animal. Another mutie stomped the ground, pushing the third against the SufferingTree. It screeched in pain.
“It’s okay little friend. Stannis is here to help.” Reaching into his bag, Stannis withdrew an apple. With a knife, he sliced it in half, then brought out another apple. With both apples cut in two, he moved closer, a piece of fruit in each hand. He offered it to the nearest animal, the creature snarling, but when it caught the scent of the apple, the mutant horse instantly calmed.
Stannis proffered the fruit to the beast as he patted it on the neck. The animal shook its head, then gobbled up the apple. He did the same to the remaining animals, each devouring the tasty treat. Reaching into his bag, Stannis withdrew a small pouch filled with a white paste. Dipping his hand into the medicine, he rubbed the salve on the animals’ wounds. The creatures relaxed even more, their eyes wide with affection . . . and surprise.
“You see, it’s no big deal. They just want a little tenderness.” Stannis returned the pouch of cream to his bag and untied the animals from the thorny tree.
“That was probably the first instance of kindness these animals had ever experienced.” Rayel patted a large brown and black horse on the shoulder, gently stroking its mane. Leaping up, the dryad landed gracefully on the creature’s back, reins in her hands. “These animals will get us back to Harmony much quicker.
Stannis nodded, then leaped up into the saddle of the first horse he’d fed, then glanced at Brianna. “Come on. We ride back to Harmony. These horses are strong enough to hold you, but I know riding a horse is not something a giant does. The question I have is, are you strong enough to ride one?”
Brianna grabbed the reins of the third animal and patted it softly on the neck. “Giants don’t ride horses; they walk calmly into battle.”
Stannis was about to say something when Brianna raised her hand, silencing the boy.
“But I am Brianna MineShaker, no Brianna RuleShaker now, and I’ll do whatever is necessary to help my people, no, to help all people.” With a look of confidence on her face, she climbed into the saddle.
“Alright!” Rayel exclaimed. She whistled to Bailey, who leaped in the air and landed on the dryad’s leg. She grabbed the reins of the fourth animal, then removed the halter from the creature’s head. “Go . . .be free.”
The animal gave a growling sort of whinny but stayed near Stannis.
“Brianna, keep your feet in the stirrups, and hold on to the reins.” Stannis smiled at her, then urged his mount to a gallop, the rest of the muties following close behind.
They rode hard all through the morning, making incredible time. The animals never seemed to tire; the ColdHeat must have given the muties their incredible strength as well as that extra leg. As they galloped, Brianna marveled at the complicated way in which their five legs worked together. At times one dragged across the dirt while at other times, none of them seemed to touch the ground; it was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.
The sun moved higher into the sky as they charged across the landscape. Slowly, the mutated trees and bushes changed from spikey and writhing things to healthy pines, oaks, and maples, the effects of the ColdHeat growing weaker as they moved further from the WasteLands and NeyYok.
When the sun had passed its peak and was starting its long descent to the west, Rayel called out, “Stannis, slow down.”
The boy pulled on the reins, slowing his mount to a walk. He patted the creature on the neck, then turned and glanced at the dryad. “What is it?”
“I can see something up ahead.” Rayel reached up and scratched Bailey’s back, the tree ferret now clinging to her shoulder. “By the glint of the sun off them, I’d say they’re scavengers, and they’re right at the edge of the valley leading to Harmony.”
“I bet those scavengers are there to stop any unwanted visitors,” Brianna said.
“You mean like us?” Stannis raise an eyebrow.
The giant nodded. “Exactly. We need to get rid of them, but when we get close, they’ll see us. Either they’ll stand and fight, or run away and sound the alarm. Neither of those responses seem very good for us. We need a distraction.” She glanced at Stannis. “Any ideas?”
The human smiled and nodded his head, then reached down and scratched the mutie behind the ear. The animal made a growling sort of purring sound. “I know what to do, and I think you’re gonna like it.”