Teagan and Hannah made steady progress as the afternoon light waned away and the sun drew ever closer to the horizon. The formerly waist-high grass that once blanketed the ground had thinned out significantly as the two made progress, now only appearing in scattered clumps and tufts that barely made it to their knees. The setting sun bathed the golden grasslands in a lovely orange hue, causing Teagan to halt for just a moment to admire its beauty. Noticing that Teagan had stopped, Hannah returned to her side and gazed with her. The mountains Teagan had crossed were now distant once more, giving Teagan a true sense of how relentlessly quick she was traveling. It was heartening, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had wasted a great deal of time in surmounting the mountain… but the point of gazing upon the scenery wasn’t to worry over mistakes that were made, but rather to set aside that worry, if even only for a minute. Teagan looked down at the palm of her hand. Sihil was holding hands with one of the tomkin soldiers, watching the sunset with her, while the other seemed to be asleep. The sight warmed Teagan’s heart in an almost painful manner, her heart delighting at the sight of Sihil experiencing a moment of tranquility while despairing all the same at the circumstance of their captivity.

The tranquility of the moment was shattered by the distant rustling of grass and noise of clanking metal. Teagan’s gaze darted around, and she saw a few people trekking through the grass a few hundreds paces away, their silhouettes pitch black against the light of the sinking sun.
“Quick! Get down!” Hannah whispered, dropping to the ground as quickly as she was able.

Teagan tried following suit, but her descent was slower and clumsier on account of the tomkins in her hand, who she couldn’t bear to risk injuring in the slightest. Teagan could swear that one of their heads whipped around just before she dove to the ground, presumably hidden by the surrounding grass, but she wasn’t entirely sure. Sihil and the soldier she was holding hands with seemed startled, while the other soldier somehow remained asleep. Teagan looked to Hannah for an explanation.

“Robbers.” she succinctly said, spitting the word out as if it were poison, “As I said earlier, Pazsich is plagued by mercenaries and soldiery turned thieves and murderers. Surely, you heard the clinking of their maille as well as I did… there is no need to wear such armor unless one intends to seek out a fight with other people.”
Hannah’s eyes widened as the potential bandits drew nearer, their approach signalled by the clinking becoming constantly louder. Hannah reached into her satchel and unsheathed her knife, still spotted with flecks of tomkin blood. Teagan withdrew her own knife, which unlike Hannah’s was more akin to a proper weapon than a tool. The two waited in silence as the noise of the oncoming strangers indicated their presence no more than ten paces away. Teagan was sure that she was spotted when she heard their voices.
“Are you sure that you saw someone here? You’d best not be wasting our time.” a low voice said, agitatedly.

“Yes, yes, I’m certain!” replied a far higher-pitched voice, “I swear it, there was movement right around here!”
“Movement? A minute ago you said it was a person, and now it’s just movement, eh? You’re a fool!” remarked the first speaker.

“Well, it, uh, it looked like a person, but it was far away… it was movement for sure, though. You have no right to get upset after you let a squirrel make away with half a day’s rations on your watch duty.”

Teagan grew impatient. She didn’t like the idea of just waiting to be discovered, and these people seemed distracted and incompetent. She quietly slipped Sihil and the other two tomkins into her backpack, readying herself to strike. 

“How many times must you bring that up? I told you, the squirrel wa-”
Teagan sprung at the nearest person with a fierce warcry and swung her knife viciously at what appeared to be a torso. She grunted as her blow was deflected by something, and quickly leapt back before she could be subject to a retaliatory strike. Teagan was able to size up her enemy in this moment of surprise, and was worried by what she saw. There were three of them, two to her right and one directly ahead of her. The one Teagan had struck at was the tallest and most imposing, being clad in a maille hauberk and wearing a pot helm with a haphazardly attached pot helm, armor that made him all but impervious to Teagan’s knife. The other two wore quilted armor and simple kettle helmets, leaving them somewhat more vulnerable. All three carried one handed swords which seemed more than capable enough of running an unarmored person through. Teagan regretted her choice to attack, and hoped that something would save her, some force would manifest itself and deliver her from certain death like it had when she had faced a bandit earlier. She willed with all her might that she might once again be saved.

Nothing happened.

Teagan barely stumbled away fast enough to avoid the first strike directed at her, a clumsy swing by the armored bandit at her legs. She managed to use her dagger to block the second, a crude blow aimed at her shoulders by the bandit in the middle, who gripped his sword as if it were a club, using the pommel to strike and the blade as if it were a handle. It was only by falling down that she managed to avoid a kick from the last bandit, but this left her in no better a predicament than she’d have been in had the kick struck her squarely. She was sprawled out on the ground, helpless, with nobody to save her. Hannah could almost certainly do nothing to aid her in this situation, and whatever force had saved her life before now refused to manifest. Teagan closed her eyes and raised her hands to shield herself when she felt a familiar pressure in her head. Knowing vaguely that it meant she could perhaps survive if she bought herself a few more seconds, Teagan slammed a fist on the ground as the three stepped over her prone form.

“Dirty thieving brigands!” she growled, “Honorless sots! If you mean to kill me, I will have the last laugh! I haven’t a thing on me that lowlife highwaymen like yourselves would value. Not one! Hah! What did you seek, eh? Gooooold? Precious treasures? More weapons with which to shed innocent blood?”
Teagan paused, hoping to rile the three into responding. She only needed a few seconds more...

“Bandits?” the low-voiced one asked, incredulously.

The question was followed by hearty laughter from all three of the men. Teagan was completely confused, but decided not to intervene, taking advantage of every second that she could.

“Oh, dear me…” the high-pitched one wheezed, struggling to force his laughter away, “We’re… oh goodness, haha, we’re no bandits! See, we, heh, we thought you were, ah, yeah, you were the bandit! I spotted you skulking about in the grass, and thought you meant to waylay us. My dearest apologies. Please, allow me to, er, help you to your feet, if I may?”

Teagan grudgingly clasped the man’s outstretched hand, and allowed herself to be pulled back to her feet. The last of the men’s laughter had died down, and Teagan felt much safer, but she wasn’t yet sure if Hannah should come out of hiding. She wanted to glance back, but didn’t want to give even the slightest indication that she wasn’t alone.

“Our dearest apologies, madam!” said the third among their number, his voice carrying a notable accent, “I hope that you can set aside any misgivings, and we might perhaps start off on better terms.”

Teagan shrugged, saying, “Er, yes, of course. I suppose I’d be dead already if you wished it so… but I must ask, if you aren’t freebooters or robbers, why are you so heavily armed? Your appearance was certainly responsible, at least in part, for my inclination to believe you lot were banditry.”

“We’re knights!” exclaimed the high-pitched man with almost childish excitement, “We’ve come to Pazsich to seek our fortunes and bring justice to the wicked. We’re all brothers, from Allegaine to the East, and we’ve been wandering the land for a long time in search of lord.”

Teagan gave the so-called “knights” another passing glance. Rusty blades, crude armor, and the voices of mere boys… Teagan had her doubts about whether these were truly knights. Her mind drifted back to memories of her childhood. Her father was a knight, the most trusted retainer of the baron who’s land her village tended to. She remembered his neatly polished blade, his intimidating plated armor, and his intricately plumed helmet which she always wanted to wear. These wanderers were nothing close to what she knew a knight to be, but Teagan knew better than to point that out to them.

“Knights, huh? Well, it’s nice to hear that someone intends to stop these ruffians, making them fear the law once more and all. Well… it was good to meet you on friendlier terms. I bid you farewell.” Teagan said, waving and turning around.

“Wait! I apologize for my forwardness, but surely you will allow us to repay you for your understanding of our misunderstanding. We simply cannot let you continue without first making amends for our indignity. May I first ask your name, kind stranger?” the 

“I’m Teagan. Your chivalry is obvious, but repayment is unneeded. It seems my travels take me in the opposite direction that you head.”

“Teagan! It is a pleasure.” the low-voiced knight said, bowing low, “I am Tancred de Bedault.”

“Osred de Bedault, at your service.” the high-pitched knight chirped.

“And I am Bohemond, also of the brothers Bedault, and just as pleased to make your acquaintance.” the knight with the heavy accent said, “You said you travel in the opposite direction that we head. We have been taking an, er, rather roundabout path, however, and that may not be the case. May I inquire where you are headed?”

Teagan saw no harm in telling the truth.

“For now, I travel to reach a place by the name of Sudgau.”

“Ah, Sudgau, yes!” Osred began, “we were there no more than two days ago. The path to it is perilous indeed, fraught with both the small folk and roaming cutthroats. The people there are quite kind, however, and supplied us with both provisions and advice about these lands. You’d best hurry if you seek to reach them, though, as I was told they intend to leave no later than three days from today.”

“Leave?” Teagan asked, puzzled, “You mean abandon their village? Why would they do such a thing?” 

“The town of Sudgau itself was ransacked by bandits years ago,” explained Tancred, “burnt timbres and scattered shards of earthenware will attest to that. The people dwelling in Sudgau today are transitory, carrying all they need in wagons that they bring with them from site to site. They’re lucky enough to have a few breeding pairs of oxen, allowing them to carry far more with them. The small folk killed most of the pack animals in this place as they did in our home, but a few were bound to make it somehow, and these people managed to get their hands on them. Many others are jealous, and it would be unwise to stay in one place for too long while others plot your demise, yes?”

“Interesting…” Teagan mused, thinking this information over, “how long would you estimate it would take to reach Sudgau, then? Surely we stand a good chance of reaching it before the residents move on, yes?”

Tancred nodded, saying “Indeed. As Osred said, we’re around two days’ travel from it, and I’m quite sure that you move at a more rapacious pace than we, given your lack of encumbering armor. Of course… well, there is one thing that may delay your journey. There is a veritable army of the small folk on the march around this area, armed to the teeth. What an army it is… the three of us didn’t see to much, but I’d estimate their number in the tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, more than anyone can hope to challenge. I even saw a few men among their number, doubtlessly mindless slaves who have been turned against their fellow man. Tread carefully, sleep lightly, and avoid travelling out in the open, and you should be fine, of course.”

Teagan smiled gratefully, but the man’s words were concerning. Teagan could feel that her journey was taking her deeper into tomkin lands, and every step of the way would carry her into further danger.

“Thank you for telling me. I’ll be sure to stay vigilant. In any case, you’ve given me warnings and information aplenty, and surely your debt is repaid, yes?”

“Not quite yet, I think…” Osred said, smiling mischievously, “I’ve got one last thing for you. That knife didn’t hold up that well for you, fortunately for us. What say you I take that off your hands and give you something that packs a bit more of a punch, eh?”

Teagan peered in as Osred fumbled with his belt for a few seconds before pulling a sheathed dagger off of it. He unsheathed it, revealing a small lenticular blade that tapered into a fine point.

“It’s a rondel dagger,” Osred explained, “capable of punching straight through maille and forcing through gaps in plate. No matter how armored your foe is, this should be able to help you stand a chance at victory, eh?”

Teagan warily accepted the dagger and sheath from Osred, placing it on her belt after giving it a last cursory glance. She wasn’t sure why these knights were acting with such generosity, but this clearly was a better weapon than the knife she had stripped from the slain bandit, and she was in no position to refuse aid of any sort. Teagan then unhooked her old knife from her belt and handed it to Osred, who accepted it with a clumsy bow.

“It’s been a pleasure, Teagan.” he said, tucking the knife under his belt where the rondel dagger had been, “It’s comforting to know that there are honest folk such as yourself out here. Perhaps humankind stands a better chance at persistence than we once thought. In any case, it seems you wish to move on, and now that our debt is duly paid, we shall do the same. Fare ye well.”
“Aye. It’s been nice talking to someone beside these two clods for a change, and I daresay, one such as yourself is a sight for sore eyes, madam.” Tancred quipped.

“We wish you luck on your journeys. May they carry you to a place both peaceful and bounteous.” Bohemond said, giving a friendly wave before turning away from Teagan and beginning to head off. The other two knights followed suit, and soon enough, they had returned to the route they were taking. Only after their distant speech had fallen entirely silent and the sun had sunk entirely under the horizon did Hannah creep out from the cover of the grass, carrying Teagan’s backpack.

“What a strange lot…” she mused, “thank you for taking care of that. I’m glad they turned out to be kind folk, but if they weren’t, you would be in grave danger. Try not to fight if it can be avoided, yes? We don’t know if they would have found us.”

Teagan was in no mood to argue to justify her actions, and simply nodded to Hannah. She took her backpack and gently reached a hand in, scooping up Sihil and her two friends as delicately as she could manage. She raised the three of them to her face and looked them over. They all seemed shaken and despondent. Hannah seemed to notice as well, and flashed Teagan a quizzical glance.

“Are you sure they consider you a friend? It seems a lot to me like you’re a captor and nothing more. No offense.”

Teagan cast a sideways glare at Hannah, tiring quickly of her criticisms.

“I don’t rightly know, and honestly, I don’t rightly care. It’s either this or killing them, so I think I’m making the kind choice here, no? Or would you rather I release them into the wilds, where they’ll either die slowly or rat us out? I’d rather not deal with armed tomkins right now, given I’m still recuperating from the wounds I got last time I fought them off.”

“It wasn’t a critique, Teagan, I was just wondering what you thought. Your logic is sound, although I can’t say I’d do the same… befriending a tomkin just sounds like a futile endeavor, or worse, a disaster waiting to happen. It leaves you vulnerable. In any case, I’ll leave you to it… I think I’m going to sleep. Good night.”

“Sleep well, Hannah. If you happen to wake before me, just give me a quick rousing and I’ll be ready to go. I don’t want to hold you up at all.” Teagan replied.

“Alright. I’m not too worried, but I appreciate your concern that we get there in time. It means a lot, considering that you haven’t any reason to care for my plight, heheh.” Hannah chuckled as she laid down on the ground and closed her eyes.

Teagan shrugged and looked back to the tomkins on her palm.

~

Hassan held Sihil’s hand as Teagan returned her focus to them. Sihil’s hand was shaking, and he noticed the glint of tears in her eyes. He himself felt vulnerable, alone, and entirely helpless. He missed the familiar weight of a sword at his side, the cool nights overlooking Nystagmenos Lake, the occasional traveler come to exchange pleasantries and barter.

“I am Teagan.” the giantess breathed, her voice surprisingly quiet and airy for her size. Hassan heard what he could only describe as a tinge of sorrow to her tone, which perplexed him. What reason could she possibly have to be sorrowful? Hassan pondered this as the giantess pointed to Sihil, her massive finger poking at the girl’s chest.

“Sihil.” she said, before pointing to Hassan.

It was there that Teagan’s finger lingered, pressing into Hassan’s chest. Teagan was silent, and Hassan assumed that she wanted him to state his name.

“...Hassan... “ he muttered after some hesitation, no longer able to repress his own fear. What was the point? Why was she doing any of this? Hassan felt a slight rush of relief as the giantess pulled her finger away and looked to Aaliyah. Aaliyah was prone, not even trying to prop herself up with her arms. Hassan felt sickened as Teagan wrapped her free hand around Aaliyah and stood her up, only to let go and let Aaliyah fall down again, her hair spilling around her face in a messy cascade, her eyes sparkling with tears, her lips ever so slightly parted in a tearful utterance. Hassan turned away, unable to watch as the giantess denigrated Aaliyah. It was abhorrent, watching as someone was stripped of their power, of their free will, of their control over their body. Teagan furrowed her brow in frustration as she tried standing Aaliyah up once more, only for the crippled soldier to drop back down, her legs offering no stability whatsoever. Aaliyah was at this point entirely unable to hold back her crying, and was covering her face with her hands, ashamed, afraid, and humiliated. After her fourth attempt, Teagan seemed to give up with an exasperated groan. She jabbed a finger into Aaliyah’s stomach with enough force to turn her quiet crying into pained gasping and coughing.

“She wants your name…” Sihil whispered, seeming just as appalled at the spectacle as Hassan.

“I a-am Aaliyah…” she stuttered, unable to look up at Teagan’s face. Only now did Teagan seem to realize that she’d upset Aaliyah, and with a far more gentle touch, lifted Aaliyah’s face up with her finger.

“Aaliyah? I am... um, I am...” Teagan trailed off, before starting to say words in her own language. She went through a string of meaningless sounds and words, and Aaliyah quickly cast her head back down, trying to tune out the sound of the giantess’ voice. Hassan was about to do the same when he heard a word that sounded almost like ‘sorry’. Could it be? Was this murderous creature, one who had taken hundreds of lives by Sihil’s account, trying to apologize? Was she even aware that she was the one who crippled Aaliyah, or that Aaliyah was crippled at all? Surely if she did, she’d know that no amount of apologizing would rectify the hate felt towards her. At least, that’s what Hassan thought, until Aaliyah lifted her head, her crying almost immediately halted.

“Teagan, you’re… sorry?” she asked, looking at the giant woman’s face.

“I am sorry. I am sorry.” Teagan repeated, stroking Aaliyah’s back with her finger like one would treat a pet. Hassan clenched his teeth, unsure what to make of the entire situation. He watched anxiously as Teagan rifled around in her massive pack with her free hand, wondering what she might withdraw. He was pleasantly surprised when she withdrew a few lumps of the hard bread she’d been eating the day before, crumbs to one her size but ample servings to him. Hassan was grateful as she gave a hearty portion to both Sihil, Aaliyah, and himself. The bread-like stuff was extremely hard, but it was dense, and Hassan was happy to have such a filling meal. This was proof that the giantess intended to keep the three of them alive, for why would one feed a prisoner they had no intention of sparing?

“Do you think she has empathy?” Sihil asked, whispering so quietly that even Hassan could barely make out what she was saying.

“I cannot be sure.” he replied, “She confounds me. She devours people alive, cripples Aaliyah for her own perverse pleasure, and kidnaps innocents to use as playthings… and tries to make amends with an apology? I think she is remorseful, perhaps, but empathetic? I’m not so sure.”

“I want to help her.” Sihil said, a sudden inflection of sharpness adding itself to her tone.

“I’m sorry?”

“I want to lead her down a better path. I see humanity in her, Hassan, real compassion and forgiveness that surfaces every now and then. When I first ‘met’ her, I saw none of this side to her, but I was somehow slowly able to coax it out. I think that I can change her. I can teach her the value of life, and maybe, just maybe, secure your freedom while I’m at it.”

“Most would call that a madman’s task. I myself cannot say that I think such a thing entirely possible, but try if you will, Sihil. She really does seem to care for you in some strange, twisted way.“

After Sihil and Aaliyah finished eating, Teagan pulled out the massive box from the belt at her hip, the hinged wooden cube that surfaced so much pain and anguish. Hassan choked up as Teagan popped the lid open.

There wasn’t a single person inside. They were all gone.

~

Firkon gazed at the oasis town as it came into view. It was nothing much, appearing less defensible than even the most hastily constructed forts, but he had to admit that it was well fortified for a town. A mud brick wall surrounded it, high enough to come up to the waist of a giant. At each corner of the hexagonal enclosure was built a tower fitted with a ballista, a deadly looking implement that was of a greater size the giant-slaying arbalests Firkon took from Telaphonis.

“Are you sure that she’ll come this way?” Firkon asked Laeron, who was walking beside him.

“Well, let me put it this way. From your accounts, sir, she’s bound to be famished, and she preys on smaller settlements for… food… and this area is quite desolate. No other sources of food to be found in any direction, especially enough to sustain a giant. She’s at least going to pass by this area, so a few relays and scouts placed close by should be enough to catch her, unless she drastically changes direction. I don’t think she will though, given she’s been travelling this way for days now.”

Firkon rubbed his hands together.

“Good, good. And Volkhard, you talked with the townsfolk?”

Volkhard nodded.

“I was able to ease their concerns. They will let us enter the town, use their weapons, and man their walls should the necessity arise. A few members of their garrison even pledged to help us should the fight come to us.”

“Good, good.” Firkon said, a smile easing its way across his face, “so we just wait here, then?”

Volkhard nodded.

“Exactly. We’ll take the fight to her if need be, but I don’t want any more lives to be lost than is absolutely necessary. In that vein… I’m going to forge ahead.”

“Wait, what?” Firkon asked.

“I’m going to see if I can kill her before your men have to face her. If I can take her out before any lives are lost, then there’s no point in letting her attack a town and risking the lives of your men and those of innocents. If worst comes to worst, I can return back here and we can fight her together. I don’t mean to strip you of your deserved victory, but this is necessary, Firkon.

Firkon nodded.

“Of course, Volkhard. Do as you see fit. If you do manage to slay her... look out for a girl she keeps with her, red haired, a bit short. As I mentioned to you earlier, the giantess has a traitor on her side, an evil brat who’d turn her back on her own kin to further the ends of this foul giantess.”

“Very well, Firkon. I’ll see to it that she faces justice.” Volkhard said, giving Firkon a last glance before breaking away from the company and heading onwards, walking alone into the vast plain beyond.