Everything sounded fuzzy, like he was in a huge tunnel filled with water. Noble slowly blinked as he opened his eyes. It took a minute or two to adjust to the Light, but he stared at a thatched ceiling. Light poured in from one window in the small room he was in. The sky was… blue? Impossible. He lay on a soft bed and a cotton blanket covered his body up to his chest.
His body felt stiff but pain-free. The door slowly opened- it was Belbriv.
“Belbriv,” Noble began, still trying to regain his voice.
Belbriv entered the room and sat down on a chair beside the bed where he lay.
“Don’t do that to me ever again, Noble. You scared the life out of me,” the giant told him, trying not to get emotional.
Noble smiled.
“I won’t do it again,”
He looked around the room.
“Where are Caro and Jon?”
Belbriv looked at the floor.
“They’re hopefully to the Valley of Revlere by now, providing they haven’t exhausted the horses. I’m going back for them.”
Noble looked at the giant in disbelief.
“They’ll die out there, Belbriv! We have to go get them!”
Noble began to sit up but Belbriv grabbed his shoulders.
“We are not going anywhere. I’m going with one of my friends to bring them back; you are staying here under the care of Biblen and his wife and daughter.”
Noble laid his head back down and Belbriv stood up.
“Just rest and get better; I will bring them both back here safely.”
“Please don’t let anything happen to them, Belbriv. Make sure to tell them that I’m alright too.”
“I will, Noble. I will. I’ll be back with them in less than a day; two days at the most.”
The giant left Noble in Biblen’s care and rode out of town with his close friend, Triloben. Now that he knew Noble was safe, all of his thoughts and fears were now focused on Jon and Caro.
***
Noble lay there completely still and stared at the ceiling for the longest time. How stupid was he to jump off of that horse and kill the pog? Yeah, he did save Belbriv’s life but the giant had been in many dangerous situations before; he could’ve taken care of himself, Noble figured. But he couldn’t just sit there and watch… he had to help. But why did he just have to stand there dumbfounded at what he had just done. Why didn’t he just walk away?
There was no reason to stand and wait around. It was his fault. Why was he so stupid? A knock came on the door and a huge man with a grey beard came in. This is Biblen, Noble figured.
“You gave us all quite a scare!” the man sad. “I’m Biblen Tibbens, welcome to Dule.”
“You’re thee Sir Biblen Tibbens? The giant I’ve heard so much about?!”
The old giant laughed.
“Well don’t believe everything you hear. I doubt all of the stories you’ve heard are true.” He told the boy as he mixed some liquid substances together.
Noble was somewhat let down.
“But… I thought they would all be true. Everything I’ve been told…”
“And just what have you been told, Noble?” Biblen interrupted as he handed him a cup with a peculiar mixture inside. “Drink this and tell me,”
Noble smelled the drink before he took a sip. It tasted awful but felt good as it ran through his veins.
“I was told you knew King Kizben when he ruled. When Akaidish became ‘king’, you disappeared. Or so I’ve been told.”
The old giant’s head hung low.
“I also heard that you were in love with Kizben’s daughter,”
Biblen looked at Noble.
“Where did you hear that?”
“Are you saying that it isn’t true or admitting that you did?”
Biblen didn’t say anything for the longest time.
“Well?”
“It’s true I did.” Biblen said, taking the cup from Noble after he had drank all of it. “Then that filthy creature we all knew as his brother was overcome with jealousy. Every country was good, maybe even perfect. “ Biblen paused. “Jubilee, Kizben’s only daughter, died beside her father when she tried to stop Akaidish.”
The memory was too painful. Biblen had a wife and daughter; he shouldn’t be talking of former loves.
“But then I met my wife and fell in love with her. She is my world; my daughter also. I wouldn’t trade anything for them.”
“Do you think that if things had stayed the same you would have married Jubilee?” Noble wondered.
Biblen shook his head.
“That doesn’t matter anymore. I love Vaylen.”
No more was spoken of the giant’s previous years and he didn’t appear to want to talk about them anyway
“Vaylen will bring you something to eat in a little while after you’ve rested,”
“But I feel fine now,” Noble argued. “I really should go and help find Jon and Caro,”
“That is Belbriv’s job. They will find your friends. I promised Belbriv that I would keep you here and I intend to do just that.” Biblen said as he shut the door.
Noble couldn’t help but think of his friends and everything Biblen had told him. He somehow felt that the old giant was covering up something; he certainly had secrets he wasn’t willing to share. Could it be possible that he used Vaylen in a way? Or that he used her as an excuse to cover up the pain he felt from Jubilee’s death? Certainly not! That was a terrible thing to think. But what if he was?
Noble fell asleep pondering these thoughts, and he continued to hold on to the hope that Belbriv and Triloben would bring Jon and Caro back alive.
