Protecter: A Giant Tale

Chapter 3

Lyra and the giant quickly traveled back to the illuminated entrance of the cave. The cold air tickled Lyra as she held close to her knees in the rough palms of the giant. Thoughts of dread filled her head, but she knew she had no choice. If she angered the giant, he would surely kill her, but stay and she might be killed anyway. She shuddered a bit as she patiently stayed quiet as the giant entered the cave with heavy foot- steps. He then took a deep breath, his massive chest expanding and pulling his tunic tight. He then slowly brought his hand down and crouched as low as he could to let her out of his hand. 

"Sorry about the earlier scare, I didn't mean to startle ya, but I wanted to make sure ya alright miss." He said speaking softly as a giant could, but his low voice still filled the cave. 

Lyra nodded and slowly crept backwards towards the fire, wincing a bit as her leg lay flat. Just as it did the giant reached out with his hands, but she quickly pulled her leg back as her blood filled with ice and fire. She was Lyra after all. She was scared and worse felt helpless. And that alone was a feeling Lyra would not allow. She pulled her leg back as he reached out further. She soon looked up at his bearded face and grew more fearful. 

I must look like a snack to him. She thought to herself. The anger from her helplessness was soon consumed from the same ice she had felt before as she screamed. 

"Stay back please! Don't hurt me! Please!" She pleaded as tears quickly stained her cheek. 

She winced and waited for a whack, a grab, or any type of contact from the giant, but nothing occurred. She slowly opened her eyes to see the same sorrow as before from the giant in his eyes as his hands rested on his tree trunk thick thighs. He looked hurt as he looked away and back at her. 

"Listen little girl, I'm not gonna hurt ya. Imma not a monster. I just wanted to help ya...I promise. I know yer kind, I know they think of me as a beast, but I reckon I'm not. Just trust me." 

Confusion wore on Lyra's face. Here was this giant, seeming hurt by her actions. She mauled over if she could trust his sincerity, or see it as a trap. But as she thought that, the giant spoke more as he lowered himself to the floor, almost like a dog would when they wanted to play. 

"D-don't be afraid of me, I promise ya I'm not gonna hurt ya." He said as he stared at her with big honey brown eyes. 

Lyra just looked and nodded to herself. "O-ok." 

The giant then smiled widely and sprung up to his feet. "Great! Alright little girly, now lemme take a look at that there leg of yours"

Lyra looked suprised as the giant got up, excited. But as soon as she questioned her leg, she put her hand on her knee. She knew she didn't have much of a choice, but she was still Lyra and she still knew she would be headstrong in her choice. 

"L-listen giant, I know I'm going to try and not be so afraid of you, but I don't want you near my leg. I think I sprained it and there's a big gash above my knee. But if you want to help I just need some bandages and maybe some ointment or something, anything that's anti bacterial and a stick for a splint." She said to him. At first her voice was still shaken from her fear, but soon it slowly melded into a normal tone. 

The giant looked at her quizzically but nodded as he walked around her and towards the darker part of the cave. The sound of rumbling and the movement of rocks and large branches filled the cave before the giant came back and kneeled nearby Lyra and the fire. 

"Now I don't know what that ointment ya wanted is, anti...anti." he seemed stuck on his thought before Lyra answered, "antibacterial?". He nodded, "yeah that, I don't have that but I have everything else and some herbs." He handed  over a large narrow strip of cloth, a wooden rod that looked like the better part of a spear and must have been more than 6ft long, and some leaves shaped like a five pointed star. Lyra looked at the supplies and slowly ripped the cloth in two but then pushed the staff back to him. 

"C-can you break that in half? I think that might just a bit too big for me." The giant nodded and snapped the rod like a baby would to a small stick and handed her back the other half. "There ya go lil one.". She shuttered at that, thinking that could have been a bone. But she pushed the thought away and went to bandaging. She took the water from her bag, cleaning the wound as best she could. Then she looked at the herbs, crushed the leaves in her hand and pressed them into her wound and wrapped it up with the other cloth before tying it tightly. The bleeding had stopped but the wound still had to be covered. 

"So...what brought ya here lil one, ya could have been killed by those coyotes." He said as he sat down cross- legged with his hands tucked into his lap, occasionally scratching his short black beard. 

"Well, I crossed the border because I wanted to see what this forest had. All I've heard was rumors about what hid here and I wanted to see it. And I guess being the headstrong person I am, I wanted the adventure of it all." She said as she looked at him but then shifted her gaze for a second to the fire. 

"Hmm, well I know it had been a while since a human like yaself has come into the territory. I've been born here since 18 years I think." 

"Wait you're only 18?! But I'm 18" Lyra said in complete disbelief. The giant looked young, but this massive at a young age and she herself the same age. 

"Well pull my beard that's mighty funny. but ya I'm only 18." The giant scratched at the back of his head as he spoke. "So what be your name?" 

"It's Lyra, but I have so many other questions. Why are you here? Are there other giants like you? Have you ever seen a person like me before? What do you even eat? And..." 

"Woah, woah settle down little Lyra." The giant interrupted with his hands in the air. "That there is plenty of questions, one at time little-" 

"Lyra, just Lyra. I know I'm small compared to you, but I'm far from little, just Lyra." 

"Sorry about there lil, I mean Lyra. But I think we should get some rest. I'll a wait to answer ya questions. For now Imma too tired." He then gave a thunderous yawn as he stretched before standing up. "Now ya can sleep over there. When ya passed out earlier I was gonna move ya to that. If ya need anything just yell my name. And I'm Micah." 

Lyra slowly wobbled over to what looked like a large quilt over a pile of hay and leaves. Just before she got far, the giant gently laid his hands near her. 

"I can bring ya over to bed if you don't mind me picking ya up Lyra." She smiled and nodded. "Sure go ahead." 

He gently lifted her up in his palm and gently plopped her onto bed and then walked over to the back of the cave where she assumed his bed was. He let the fire die out and they both drifted to sleep.