Healers' Call

Baby Giants Don't Like Mud

"Let's stop here for the night. Will that stream work for your magic lesson, Mauve?" Carrick pointed, bringing his horse to a stop and dismounting.

The others followed suit as they tied up their mounts. The horses immediately began feasting on the ripe apples, which was a good thing since they had nothing else to feed them.

Valda accompanied Mauve to the pond, not liking the look of the scummy water or the frogs swimming just below the surface.

"This will be great." Mauve clapped her hands in excitement and laughed at Valda's dubious look. "The horses need water, so this is the perfect time to teach you how to separate the dirt."

Valda felt relieved. Getting into the bug infested pond would not have been the highlight of her day. Add that to the fact it would take ages to get her wiry, black hair to dry meant that she was more than happy to stay on the bank.

Within minutes Mauve was sifting out the weeds and mud whilst Valda was pushing the water towards the horses. They had grown used to various bits of magic over the past few days and weren't put off drinking the floating water.

Once Valda and Mauve finished with the horses, they filled their drinking bottles and helped with the fire.

"We'll have to go on foot from here. The path is going to get steeper and these horses aren't bred for that type of terrain," Carrick said, tossing his dinner scraps back into the forest.

No one was surprised by this announcement. The mountains had been getting closer and closer during their journey until they'd become imposing towers that loomed over them. The trees were few now, and the ground was split in places, creating small ponds and streams.

Valda knew Carrick was right, but that didn't stop a bit of fear from creeping into her heart. Somehow the horses gave her a sense of safety. They were their key to a quick escape. Without them, they'd have to rely on their skills and wit to stay safe. And Valda wasn't sure she had any.

She was okay at magic and she could hold a sword without too much embarrassment, but that didn't seem enough. Not when Lorcan's men were still looking for them.

Carrick had assured her that no one else would know where the rebel stronghold was, and Tevin had agreed. But that still didn't stop her from being scared. They could easily be walking into another ambush and not know it.

A sudden wailing noise made all of them jump and the horses brayed uneasily.

"What was that?" Valda whispered, her eyes roaming around them.

"Don't know, but we'd better go check it out." Carrick and Tevin stood with their weapons drawn and made their way forward.

The girls didn't argue with their decision. The boys had the superior skills in hand to hand combat. Instead, they extinguished the fire so as not to lead anyone to their camp. They would light it again if there was nothing wrong.

Not needing to communicate to each other, Valda and Mauve began putting things away should they needed to leave in a hurry.

It was over an hour later when the boys returned. The sun had set a long time before so it looked like they materialised out of the darkness.

Valda and Mauve stood up, their eyes raking over their forms, trying to see any injuries. But the two boys seemed unharmed.

"What was it?"

Carrick shrugged. "A baby giant's stuck in a gigantic crack filled with mud. Looks like it's been there a few days, so it's exhausted. I don't think it'll have the energy to make any more noises so we're safe."