Giant Heart

Chapter 8

"Not to worry," Thrargeam assured me. "He'll be back in a while."
"Now, are you sure you're not tired, Princess?" Skramrak asked me again. I shook my head. These people were nice, but I still wasn't comfortable with sleeping around them.
Thrargeam placed a hand on my arm. "He likes you,you know. He likes you a lot."
I smiled gently. "Well," I said after a while. "Thank you very much for the meal."
The dwarfs smiled back at me. "It's no problem, but you should still get some rest." Toregoth attempted to lead me towards the bed.

"It's quite alright, I'm really not..." Yawn "Tired". The dwarfs laughed. "Well... maybe... if I have a quick rest..." I gave up and climbed into the bed. Skamrak tucked me in and then the dwarfs took turns kissing my forehead and saying "Goodnight Princess. Sweet dreams."

My eyes started to close and I fell into a deep, and needed, sleep.
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I awoke to see Reade asleep on the floor next to me, his head on the bed. Oh, poor dear. I forgot that this was his bed. So as not to wake him, I climbed over the edge of the bed and tiptoed to the kitchen. I saw all five of the dwarfs fast asleep in their beds. I decided to do a bit of tidying up, so I did so.
By the time all of the dwarfs and Reade had woken up the place was spotless. "What a good woman you are!" Skamrak declared. "Beautiful, kind, helpful woman!" Suddenly I was surrounded in a hug with all but Reade who stood watching, hand massaging the back of his neck.

"I would make you breakfast," I added. "But there's not enough food to go around.
"Well, then you just have to go to the market and get some! Reade will take you," Hadak squealed.
I turned to Reade and gave him a ' Is that alright with you?' look. He nodded.
"Go quickly now, we're hungry!" Thrageam grumbled, but he had a smile on his face. He opened my hand and placed some money into my palm. "Buy something good!" he told me.

Each of the dwarfs very generously handed us some money and sent us on our way. "Don't forget to buy yourself a new dress!" Toregoth called after me.

We walked up the path through the woods, not saying a word to eachother. Hadak had given me a cloak to wear over myself, so as not to be spotted. I knew Reade was worried about this, although his face had gone back to its normal stern look. A few times I began to make small talk, but Reade interrupted me by updating us on how far we were.

Once we arrived, I looked at Reade. "D.. do you think we should... you know... hold hands? Arouse less suspicion?" Reade's eyes widened, but then he took my hand and led me along the market.

We visited the fruit and vegetable stall, the homemade bread stall, the fish stall (although I knew the Dwarfs loved fishing), the salts and herbs stall. At the last stall sat an old woman sewing a dress. The dresses on display were simple, but there was something special about them that not even a Princess's outfit could look more beautiful. I was at once drawn to a at the back.

"Ooh! That one is beautiful!" I squealed. Reade rolled his eyes.
"We're not getting it," he told me.
"But Toregoth said..."
"I don't care what Toregoth said, the dwarfs worked very hard to get that money for food and living requirements, not a pretty dress."

"Clean clothes are a living requirement," I argued.
"Wash your old dress then."

I looked down at the now rags I was wearing. "Um... yeah... have you seen the state of it?" Reade let go of my hand and turned to me angrily.
"At least you have clothes. You can't even be happy with that, because you've had everything you wanted handed to you on a plate your whole life! You are nothing but spoilt, you know that? So no, you can't have that dress, and don't you dare moan to me about it."
"But..." Reade had already stormed back in the direction we had come from.