Isle of Giants

Chapter Two (2)

    When the giant turned around to scan the greenery on the other side of the glade, Oana free-fell from the branch and landed silently behind him. She looked up, her neck straining, as he seemed much bigger from down there than up above in the tree. From the position she was now in she spotted another factor that proved that he was a foreigner to her lands. As Oana looked down she found, clutched tightly in both of his hands, two objects that looked like a shorter version of her stave only on the ends they had tied crystal shards that were wicked curved and sharp. Now Oana was absolutely certain, no one in Rai'lun ever carried weapons. Ever.

    Keeping her eyes on those sharpened curves, Oana made a small noise in the back of her throat to let the foreigner know that he was not alone. In a haste of reflex the giant swung his left arm around as he spun, but Oana had foreseen it and ducked a little, even though if she hadn't he probably would have missed her head anyways.

    He glared down at Oana as she slowly rose back up, returning his glare. They stayed like that for a few moments longer, both eyes on each other, assessing if the other held any threat. The foreigner acted first and lowered his arms with the weapons and Oana's nerves calmed a little. There were so many questions that flooded her mind, like the darkness that arrived during the dusk, that she completely forgot to voice any of them out loud. But the giant seemed to dislike such silences and decided to have the first words among strangers.

    "It was not my intention to alarm you." He said quietly, well aware of the dangers of the forest as she heard the tension in his voice, and well aware that he had strayed into unknown lands. At least he spoke the common tongue, that made things much more easier.

    Oana regarded him with no emotion. "It was not I who was startled off-guard and attacked without thought."

    Oana caught how the giant's jaw clenched tighter, her gaze flickering down to his hands just in case he had the urge to swing for her again.

    "Apologies." The word didn't sit well on his tongue.

    "For what? Almost chopping my head off or for ruining my trap?"

    "Your trap?"

    "Yes. My trap," as the giant frowned and looked about the clearing in confusion, a thought stuck Oana. "I haven't much time, we can speak pleasantries later but I would be willing to look past the fact that you almost chopped my head off and ruined my trap, if you accept to help me."

    "Help you with what?"

    "Do you accept, or not?"

    It seemed to take the giant a long time to weigh his options and decide on such an answer. "I accept. What do you ask of me?"

    "Nothing," Oana said, taking a few steps back. "You are to stay right where you are, lower yourself close to the ground and whatever happens you are not to swing your weapons or you will be removed from this forest, and the reason behind why you seek my presence will be rejected."

    The giant didn't like the sound of Oana's threat as he resumed a defensive stance and held onto his weapons tighter.

    "To what end and purpose?"

    Oana sighed impatiently. "I need the venom of a prowler for an antidote. A friend of mine suffers a sickness and doesn't have long left. There is a prowler that watches us not too far away," his weapons raised higher at Oana's revelation. "Do not worry, it will not attack those who are not alone, which is why I am going to wait back up in that tree until it closes in on you. Then I will jump down and get that what I need."

    "See, that's where my problem is. I don't like to be attacked on order not to defend myself."

    "I didn't say you couldn't defend yourself, but you are not to harm it."