giants, and I wouldn’t run. I glanced around me: fields, willows, river … stones.
Stones
. The cheese in my pocket. That was it.
I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted, “I challenge you to a game of strength! I dare you to break a rock with your hands!”
The one with the beard chuckled and reached behind him to touch the pick the way some men rub a luck charm. He must work with stone. Maybe he could—
“No!” I shouted, fists on my hips. “Breaking a rock is too easy. Our children do that before they’re finished with their mothers’ milk! I challenge you to squeeze water from it!”
Both giants walked to the river and snatched up boulders. Three paces there, three paces back … each stride must have been the length of two men. A moment later, the young giant’s boulder exploded into dust and pebbles, and I threw my arms up to shield my face from the debris.
I rubbed the dust from my eyes, desperate to see again. The giants hadn’t moved.
The bearded one shook his head and told the young one, “Too fast. You work too fast.”
He held his boulder aloft, nearly above me, and I scampered back a few paces. Then he began to squeeze the stone, his eyes closed, his head tilted to the side as if listening. His knuckles grew white from strain.
The young giant stood near, dusty hands hanging loose at his sides. They were good hands: strong, with taperedfingers, the sort of hands that knew a trade. He might have been a tailor. I’d never expected to see a craftsman’s hands on a giant.
Even so, I’d seen what those hands had done to Will. I could imagine what they would do to me. They were big enough to pick me up, fingers meeting around my waist—
I saw it pick you up
, the young man in Fine Coat’s wagon had said,
just like you were a doll.…
No. I wouldn’t let the fear seep into my bones again.
I looked up at the bearded giant’s boulder. A small patch on the bottom of the rock had darkened. I thought it was a shadow. Then a single drop of water gathered. The young giant, also watching, didn’t react. Perhaps he couldn’t see. I glanced over my shoulder at the bridge.
Will was not even halfway across.
“There!” The young one’s shout pulled me back. “He did it! I heard the water fall.”
“Did you see it?” I asked.
“Ha!” he snorted, and it reminded me of a bellows. “How would we see something so small? But I heard it.”
He heard it? Their hearing is that keen?
He clapped his friend on the back. They both turned to me.
My mouth was dust dry, but I shouted anyway. “Only one drop? I could squeeze a handful of water if I wanted! But I am tired, so I’ll choose a smaller rock. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I may only squeeze three drops today.”
The bearded giant, still sweating from his exertion,chuckled and shook his head. “It is a nervy little
lité
,” he said. “All spirit and sinew. It is good not to kill it.”
The young giant’s brows lowered. “The duke …”
I didn’t give him time to finish.
“Now you’ll see my strength!” I ran to the river. Once there, I quietly dropped the cheese from my pocket and toed it around in the dirt until it was covered. Then I picked up the fist-sized hunk and held it aloft. “This is the stone I have chosen!”
Both strode toward me like a slow-moving avalanche. I yelled and stumbled back, heart thudding against my ribs, arms raised against them, as if
that
could protect me.
Nothing happened. Instead, both giants dropped to one knee. They peered at me until their cat eyes were almost crossed, ready to see if I could squeeze water from a stone.
They were close enough to touch.
No, not touch. Though they bent close, their faces were still far above the ground. I’d have to stand on someone’s shoulders just to reach the young one’s chin. I’d never been so frightened, so awed. It was like having the sun and moon fall out of the sky and hang just above me. Their breath gusted against me, slow and
Stones
. The cheese in my pocket. That was it.
I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted, “I challenge you to a game of strength! I dare you to break a rock with your hands!”
The one with the beard chuckled and reached behind him to touch the pick the way some men rub a luck charm. He must work with stone. Maybe he could—
“No!” I shouted, fists on my hips. “Breaking a rock is too easy. Our children do that before they’re finished with their mothers’ milk! I challenge you to squeeze water from it!”
Both giants walked to the river and snatched up boulders. Three paces there, three paces back … each stride must have been the length of two men. A moment later, the young giant’s boulder exploded into dust and pebbles, and I threw my arms up to shield my face from the debris.
I rubbed the dust from my eyes, desperate to see again. The giants hadn’t moved.
The bearded one shook his head and told the young one, “Too fast. You work too fast.”
He held his boulder aloft, nearly above me, and I scampered back a few paces. Then he began to squeeze the stone, his eyes closed, his head tilted to the side as if listening. His knuckles grew white from strain.
The young giant stood near, dusty hands hanging loose at his sides. They were good hands: strong, with taperedfingers, the sort of hands that knew a trade. He might have been a tailor. I’d never expected to see a craftsman’s hands on a giant.
Even so, I’d seen what those hands had done to Will. I could imagine what they would do to me. They were big enough to pick me up, fingers meeting around my waist—
I saw it pick you up
, the young man in Fine Coat’s wagon had said,
just like you were a doll.…
No. I wouldn’t let the fear seep into my bones again.
I looked up at the bearded giant’s boulder. A small patch on the bottom of the rock had darkened. I thought it was a shadow. Then a single drop of water gathered. The young giant, also watching, didn’t react. Perhaps he couldn’t see. I glanced over my shoulder at the bridge.
Will was not even halfway across.
“There!” The young one’s shout pulled me back. “He did it! I heard the water fall.”
“Did you see it?” I asked.
“Ha!” he snorted, and it reminded me of a bellows. “How would we see something so small? But I heard it.”
He heard it? Their hearing is that keen?
He clapped his friend on the back. They both turned to me.
My mouth was dust dry, but I shouted anyway. “Only one drop? I could squeeze a handful of water if I wanted! But I am tired, so I’ll choose a smaller rock. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I may only squeeze three drops today.”
The bearded giant, still sweating from his exertion,chuckled and shook his head. “It is a nervy little
lité
,” he said. “All spirit and sinew. It is good not to kill it.”
The young giant’s brows lowered. “The duke …”
I didn’t give him time to finish.
“Now you’ll see my strength!” I ran to the river. Once there, I quietly dropped the cheese from my pocket and toed it around in the dirt until it was covered. Then I picked up the fist-sized hunk and held it aloft. “This is the stone I have chosen!”
Both strode toward me like a slow-moving avalanche. I yelled and stumbled back, heart thudding against my ribs, arms raised against them, as if
that
could protect me.
Nothing happened. Instead, both giants dropped to one knee. They peered at me until their cat eyes were almost crossed, ready to see if I could squeeze water from a stone.
They were close enough to touch.
No, not touch. Though they bent close, their faces were still far above the ground. I’d have to stand on someone’s shoulders just to reach the young one’s chin. I’d never been so frightened, so awed. It was like having the sun and moon fall out of the sky and hang just above me. Their breath gusted against me, slow and
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