20 Chapter 20 A Giant Surprise (1/2)

”I think we may have slept in a little,” Carla said, as everyone began moving the next morning.

”Well, it was rather warm in the tent and everyone was tired after all that walking,” said Tom.

Vonn and Gia were trying to figure out how to roll the tent back up small enough it would fit back into the case it came it.

”If I hadn't helped you take it out of the thing last night, I would swear this tent didn't come in it,” complained Gia, shoving and pushing the fabric.

”Gia, let's try rerolling it again,” sighed Vonn.

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”We've done that twice already,” she growled.

He took her chin in his hands and made her look at him.

”Some things take time,” he whispered.

All of her anger and frustration disappeared in the blink of an eye and she stood there in shock as he pulled the tent from her hands and began unrolling it.

”Can I go look at the river?” asked Mikey, tightening the strap of his axe sheath on his side.

”One moment and I'll go with you,” said Carla. ”I don't want you slipping and falling in.”

”Mom,” he groaned, giving her a look.

Gia sighed, sitting back on her heels as Vonn continued trying to roll the tent up tight enough to fit into its original sleeve.

”We have to figure out a better way of doing this,” she said, looking over the flat area ahead of them, that lead to the forest.

Patches of water shone in the late morning light, and the sound of the rushing river was much louder.

”You're right,” said Vonn, giving up on it and sitting back on his heels, too. ”Why don't you go with your mom and brother to see the river, while I work on this a bit? Maybe I can figure something out.”

”Alright,” she said with a nod, standing up. She needed to pee anyway, and this would give her an opportunity to get out of sight to do just that.

Linking arms with her mom, they followed Mikey's skipping form as he rushed towards the river.

”Wow!” he exclaimed, stopping in his tracks and waiting for them to catch up to him. ”Look at all the little pools!”

The rock slab next to the river had spots worn out of it, where the water had hit it enough to wear away large depressions. Inside each one, they could see colorful rocks and tiny creatures like fish and frogs moving about.

”Try not to touch anything,” cautioned Carla as Mikey sat down on the wet stone to catch some of the creatures.

”But mom! Why?” he whined. ”I can catch enough fish and frogs for us to eat!”

”We don't know which of those might be poisonous,” she said, giving him the mom look. ”I don't have any potions like the mushroom people had, to heal you if you get poked by a poisonous barb.”

He looked back at the fish. Some of them did have fancy fins and colorful spines. Sighing in frustration, he climbed to his feet.

”I'm going to find a spot to pee,” said Gia, eyeing the rocks that littered the space against the cliff wall.

”Alright. I'll keep an eye on the little hunter until you return, and then swap with you,” chuckled her mom.

”Little hunter!” grumbled Mikey, moving away from them. ”I was the one who hunted the rats we caught before we came here! I think I am more than just a little hunter!”

Knowing that he had a valid point, Gia left him to her mother, in order to find a suitably hidden spot to do her business. Some of the rocks were tumbled from above, probably from when the dwarves were carving the path, they had walked along the day before, and others were shoved in place when the river flooded this area. Making her way carefully around a bend, she stopped dead in her tracks, too terrified to move.

A giant figure sat among the rocks; sound asleep. All around it were bones from animals and what looked like humans. There may have been dwarven bones there, too, but she wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between them and human bones. Furs and slats of wood were tied to its body, in the guise of clothing with thick gnarled ropes.

Breathing as lightly as she could, Gia stepped back the way she had come, reaching out for the rock next to her, to keep her balance on the slippery ground. Her hand brushed against some loose rubble, and she snapped her head to the side in horror, watching as the pebbles fell on the ground, skittering all the way to the giant's ugly feet.

Snorting, it raised its massive head and blinked groggily a couple of times, before spotting her.

Swallowing the bile that rose in her throat, she gave it a weak smile and tried to curtsy.