Right before dusk Mary explained that she had to be back home before it got dark, her uncle would be furious if dinner wasn’t on the table.  She promised she would come back tomorrow morning to check on Ann, and said good night. Nickolas sat near Ann and gently talked to her willing her to get better and keep fighting. Eventually he fell asleep. Nickolas was awakened by someone calling his name, he opened his eyes to see Mary standing over him. She seemed rather pretty in the morning light her brown hair glowing amber in the suns new rays. She had delicate features and kind blue eyes. “Did you sleep on the cold ground all night?” Mary questioned. Nickolas rubbed his sore neck and answered, “Yeah, I guess I did. Hey how’s Ann doing today?” Mary looked over her shoulder at Ann and said, “I’d say she’s a bit more active today but her fever hasn’t broke yet.” A moment later a massive hand reached out and tree sized fingers closed around Mary’s waist. She was lifted off the ground and brought close to Ann’s face. Ann’s fever glazed eyes looked at Mary.  Shockingly Mary didn’t scream or struggle she remained calm and stared back at Ann. In an incoherent kind of way Ann began to speak, “Who are you? Are you Nickolas’s girlfriend? That’s good he needs someone to take care of him, and he needs someone he can have a family with. He doesn’t have any family and everyone needs family. I don’t know if I have any  but I’ve never heard of any other giant people so I probably don’t have one.  Oh and you should know he’s seen a naked woman before…it was me, he saw me naked you know.” Nickolas cut her off at that point and shouted “Put Mary down right now Ann, you’re scaring the crap out of her, and she’s my new friend not my girlfriend.” Ann stared at him a moment and gently set Mary back on the ground next to Nickolas, and promptly fell back to sleep. “Sorry about that, she’s normally more courteous about staying out of people’s space. The only time she’s ever picked me up was in a life and death situation. She didn’t hurt you did she? Nickolas questioned. Mary smiled and said, “I might be a little bruised but she was pretty gentle, was that all the fever talking or was some of that true?” Nickolas looked at the ground and his face began to burn with embarrassment and finally he explained, “I saw her bathing one night so yeah that’s true…I wasn’t being a pervert it was a onetime thing, just an accident.”  Mary smiled at his discomfort over the situation and said, “Well would you like to tell me everything you know about Ann, something you know may help me find some kind of treatment.” The two sat down and Nickolas began to tell Mary everything he knew about Ann.

A few hours later Ann’s fever had broke and she was introduced to Mary. After talking for a while Mary asked, “What are you two going to do now, are you planning on staying here or are you going to keep moving to stay ahead of the people that attacked you?” Nickolas looked up at Ann and said, “I think we’ll stay here for awhile Ann needs to gain her strength back and we need to figure out our game plan.” For the next few weeks things remained peaceful and a strong friendship formed between the three. The weather had remained peaceful for the time of year but it was only a matter of time before the rains came. Mary looked out the window of her uncle’s tavern at the cold rain that fell from the angry sky. As Lightning flashed and thunder cracked Mary’s concern for her new friends deepened. She was sure Nickolas could find shelter but there was nothing even remotely big enough within miles to shelter Ann from the torrential downpour. As lightning flashed again the tavern door slammed open a troop of wet tired looking men walked in and sat down. “We’d like some rooms and some Ale” they informed Mary. After serving the men their first round of drinks Mary’s mind wandered back to her friends until something one of the men said caught her attention. A rugged looking man with a beard was arguing with a slight framed man. “How could that monster still be alive, that many arrows, that much poison should have brought down a beast three times its size,” the bearded man argued. The slight man replied, “Well we didn’t kill it, it and that boy are alive and camped out in the woods just outside this town. I’d hate to be that behemoth on a night like this; it must be drenched to the bone. But like Sir Paul said tomorrow bright and early we’ll finish this nasty bit of business for good.” With a clink of their glasses and a burst of laughter the men finished their conversation. Holding back her tongue Mary grabbed her coat and a lantern and rushed out into the night to warn her friends.

As Mary reached the clearing in the forest she saw the rather sad form of a soaked and miserable looking Ann. As Mary approached she saw no sign of Nickolas. Suddenly Ann turned and with gold eyes shining like a wild beasts in the dark asked, “Who’s there?” Squinting through the rain Ann smiled and sighed, “Oh it’s only Mary, what are you doing out in this weather at this time of night?” As Mary got closer she could make out the figure of Nickolas sleeping on Ann’s lap her massive hand poised above him like a roof protecting him from the rain. Even with such terrible news weighing on her mind Mary had to smile at Ann’s kindness and Nickolas’s trust.  Mary looked up at Ann and explained to her what she had overheard and that tomorrow morning the men would attack. Ann looked at Mary and said, “I have to leave then, I have no choice. My life is worth nothing but to stay would mean putting Nickolas in danger, I’d never forgive myself if he came to harm under my watch. We need to leave tonight, thank you for your help and friendship Mary. I’ll wake Nickolas up so you two can say goodbye.” After a heart wrenching goodbye Ann lowered her hand to Nickolas and standing up smiled down to Mary and began to walk away. Mary’s last moments with her two friends were awe inspiring she’d never seen anything so big as when Ann stood up to her full height and shock the ground as she walked away.