Zeba woke up sore again, the jar clutched to her breast and its contents spilled in her bed. She got up slowly and saw that the sun was already up, the animals were probably starting to wonder where she was at. She needed to go check and make sure Showboat and Marge made it home but instead she sat numbly on the bed. With a deep breath she tried to process the traumatizing events of last night.
Even though she had been taught about the things nature, it’s tricks and traps…
It was still jarring to see.
Something evil wearing skin that isn’t its own, using a voice that isn’t theirs. Such intimate things stolen from people she loved, people long dead and gone.
It was still a psychologically terrible thing to endure.
Zeba hugged the jar tighter and slowly got up.
It was over now, she had things to do and it was over. She looked around her dirt covered house and sighed, she’ll clean this mess later. The mules, pigs and chicken’s needed her first.
Zeba shuffled through the tiny cottage to the front door, forgetting she still had the jar tucked in her arm. When she opened the front door and the morning light hit her eyes, she abruptly lost her vision.
All she could see was the wide, upside down eye’s of the deer thing staring back at her.
And just as fast as it happened, it ended.
She stood stunned, blinking out the front door and took a second to remember to breathe. She looked down to realize she had dropped the jar, it lay in broken pieces at her feet.
She recalled her mother saying something about side effects if you ever looked into their eyes. Zeba stepped over the mess like it wasn’t even there and slammed the door. She was determined to loose herself in work so she wouldn’t have to think about it anymore.
She confirmed that Showboat and Marge made it home safely and fed them, she moved on to the chickens because they were quickest, feeding them and gathering eggs in a big wicker basket before she moved onto the pig barn. Zeba chose three pigs like last time and separated them to the butchering area, she gave them a good meal and poured them one of the jugs of cheap mead before leaving to tend to the rest of the pigs and garden.
She took her harvest and all the eggs to the butchering area and recreated the first meal she made the giant boy. She successfully kept herself focused on him and keeping her hands busy.
Someone needed her to keep her shit together for now.
Today she would make him a meal and use sticks to point him south. Hopefully he would go and she would never have to go into the woods again. If he didn’t, she had plenty of organs and intestines to feed him another meal but then she would need to think of a plan to usher him homeward. She concluded that she and her mule’s couldn’t keep this up, she needed to retire Marge soon and let the old girl enjoy her golden years. Then she could get Showboat a companion and they could all move on with their lives.
Zeba stood at the forest edge with Showboat and Marge and the boy’s next meal, her hand anxiously gripped her travelers cloak as she mentally prepared. With a deep breath the hard working trio entered the hollow, there was plenty of daylight left but the light didn’t take away what happened there last night.
Apart of her wanted to go make sure the thing was dead, another part of her wanted to avoid the whole area for forever. She decided that for today she would give the area a wide birth and travel toward the caves at an arch. The walk was uneventful, almost leisurely. They were almost to the tree line when something strange happened again.
To Zeba, it was as if she simply blinked… and it was night.
Zeba spun around in a panic and located each mule by sound and faint movement in the darkness. They seemed to be comfortable enough, like they had just been lingering in the area with her for a while. She started to loose control of her breathing and a faint dizziness came over her. She didn’t know if she was about to faint or run home. The panicking woman pinned a hand to her chest and leaned against a tree, trying desperately to stay awake and regain her composure.
She was about to get out of the woods and suddenly, some how, she lost time. She had no idea what time of night it was, only that it was so very dark.
Her mother’s lessons rung in her head again.
‘If they get you; they take your skin, your voice, they take your time, and they wear it alllll away.’
She clicked at the mules and surged forward. They were practically at the fire pit, if she can get the dead weight of the pigs off of the mules they could all run for a nearby cave. There they could wait out the night together.
The thing is dead. They’ll be safe in the caves.
‘Just throw the pigs in the pit and get to a cave.’ That desperate thought replayed in her head as she and the mules ran to the pit, stumbling as they went.
The mystery person seemed to be coming during the day while Zadian slept, so he tried to get some sleep early so he could get up during the daytime. He slept in longer than he had hoped but when he came out and inspected the area he didn’t find any gift’s or signs of the illusive person.
He must still have time to catch a glimpse of them!
Last night he dug the burned wood and ashes out of the little natural fire pit and threw a fist full of dead sticks in it to get it ready for another fire. He made his way to the spot and settled in a group of trees a short ways away from the waiting pit.
Zadian pulled his knees to his chest and stared down at the little fire pit. Yes, he was sure the secretive stranger would come to this area again. How many more fire pits could they make if they were wanting to be discreet? Plus he just had a feeling.
The day crept on and Zadian began to wonder if he picked the wrong spot, or maybe they came just before dusk…
Maybe they weren’t coming at all?
The scream from the night before rang in his memory and he hugged himself a bit tighter.
‘No,’ he consoled himself ‘Whoever it is, they’re ok… they’re coming.’ He rested his head on his knees and closed his eyes. Dozing off until the quiet sound of rustling and puffing animals roused him back awake. He picked his head up and froze when he saw them.
Three tiny figures on the forest floor hurriedly approached the fire pit he sat right in front of. The figure leading the group was covered in a cloak and guided the other two; two little beast that carried his next meal. He watched on in shock as the cloaked mini person went to work immediately, like they didn’t notice him at all.
Zadian found himself holding his breath, just wanting to observe and process that this… this teeny-tiny creature, was the one that was doing everything for him.
'A human? ... How? .... WHY?'
His own kind sneered at him and abandoned him. They could have given him so little and he would have been grateful. If they had just kept him he would have been grateful! They couldn’t give him the time of day but here was this stranger -that was a whole other micro species- that was tending to him day and night!?
He watched with growing emotions as the unsuspecting creature cut fresh pigs from the mules right by the fire pit. Once the mule’s were free of their burden they instantly started to back away from him. One bobbed its head at him and started huffing angrily. The person noticed and grabbed its mouth shut just as it was about to abrupt into a fit of braying. Then his attention was brought back to the little person when he heard what sounded like a nervous whimper come from them.
Zadian furrowed his brow at the sad sound.
They went straight back to working on the fire and situating the pigs. They didn't seem to question why there was new wood in the pit but they did take advantage of it. Proceeding with determination to provide him with a cooked meal for whatever reason. His sharp vision could see that their impossibly small hands were clumsy with quivering as they dropped and fumbled with things. They were trying to be fast, but they seemed scared of something.
This is why they hid. They were so small and terrified.
Zadian became baffled that they still hadn’t noticed him yet. Could they be blind? Is that why they were scared? No, he could tell that they could see what they were doing… kinda. Maybe they just couldn’t see as well as he could in the dark? He knew of humans but nothing about them.
Sudden his thoughts, and everything else, ground to a silent halt when the little person smacked some flint stones together, creating a shower of sparks that lit the area for just a second.
But that second was all it took to alert them that something wasn’t quite right in the trees before them.
They didn’t strike the flint again, they stayed frozen still and looked hard in his direction but not up at his face.
The flint stones dropped out of their trembling hands and they slowly looked up.
Finally they locked eyes for the first time and the little person let out a deep horrified gasp before falling backwards and scrambling in absolute panic.
Zadian’s eyes widened in surprise as the little person seemed to be fighting for their life to get up and away from him. He could hear their ragged breath and even their slamming pulse. He heard the noise of the rocks and roots -that frankly seemed to have it out for the little one- as they tripped and caught their feet with almost every step. When they ran straight into a tree Zadian finally decided to reach for them.
At this point they were just hurting themselves!
The little being was trying so hard to get away that they did manage to put a fraction of distance between them, but it wasn't enough, they were so small and clumsy that all he had to do was reach.
He felt a sickening wave of different emotions. Emotions that shook him to his core as he oh-so easily leaned forward, reached out, and wrapped his fingers all the way around the little stranger’s torso and picked them up off the ground. Catching them was almost effortless to him.
Zadian felt powerful and monstrous at the same time. He didn’t think he liked it one bit, he wasn’t at all prepared to be the bigger person in this situation, literally or figuratively!
The human in his fist was nearly weightless, but they were warm and real and squirming desperately. Zadian brought his other hand in to wrap around the wriggling being more securely. He was too reluctant to tighten his grip, not daring to test their fragility at all. But they were trying to push themselves out of his coiled grip, he couldn't let that happen so he cupped his other hand around the back of their head and shoulders to still them. Giving them no where to squirm too. Simultaneously he steadily brought them closer to his face. This finally earned him a strangled sob.
“No, shhhh, p-please don’t cry.” Zadian begged softly, then with a gentle stroke of his thumb he pushed the hood off their head so he could finally look upon his savior's face.
He drank her in; it was an adult woman with skin so dark she almost blended in with the night, she had dark earth brown hair that looked like long ropes and wide crying brown eyes that had no nocturnal glow to them at all.
No wonder she was so clumsy, she can’t see at night…
She was scared of him and he knew she had every reason to be, especially when he saw how her spirited struggles got her nowhere. And something primal and forgotten in him made his mouth begin to water.
But of course he didn’t want to hurt her, he didn’t want to scare her. He didn’t want to loose her.
“It’s okay.” Zadian cooed, trying to sooth her racing heart. He tried stroking her arm with his thumb and observed her carefully. Relief swelled in him when she started to breathe and her pulse slowed just a fraction. “It’s okay,” he encouraged again with a nod, not sure what else to say just yet but noting that a gentle touch was at least helping a little. She still shook in his grasp but he watched her eyes go from wild with terror to a fretful anticipation.
“Y-you don’t… eat… people?” She whimpered.
Zadian shook his head “I wouldn’t-!” His voice cracked and he swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to speak. “I would never-! I- Especially you-! You-!” The relentless lump choked him again and he felt his eyes getting wet. “Was it really you? This whole time? B-by yourself? You’re the one that’s been helping me?”
She was still for a moment but gave him a tentative nod.
“Y-you needed help…” she croaked, her voice still so frightened “I-I heard you crying from across the forest… I found you and… y-you’re so young. I had to help? I- I had to try…”
“Even thought you thought I might… eat you?”
“Well, I know the truce happened… but I never met or seen a giant before so… I didn’t k-know how you would react to me. I-I don’t know how giants treat humans now.”
“Well, we don’t eat you, I promise.” At least he wouldn’t and he didn’t know anyone who would. It was actually a very taboo subject for giants.
“Gl-glad to hear.” Her tears seemed to slow. He could feel her coiled quaking muscles relax a bit more in his hands. If he just kept being nice to her maybe she would stop shaking all together… maybe she wouldn’t abandon him out here.
“S-So I’m good, okay? I-I wouldn’t hurt you. I mean, I’m a good person. I- … M-my name is Zadian. What’s… what’s your name?”
She hesitated and it started to make him nervous, was he loosing her? He swallowed again and tried to readjust his hold on her, tilting his hands and relaxing his grip so she seemed more comfortably reclined.
“Is… Is this better?” He tried.
“Zeba,” she blurted. “My name’s Zeba.”
“Zeba…” He said back and kept scrutinizing her closely, she looked so… frail and almost dazed, dirty even. “Zeba? Are you ok?”
“I… I-I don’t suppose I am,” Her voice cracked and it made his hands reflexively tighten around her ever so slightly, as if she might fall to pieces between his fingers if he didn’t hold her together.
“I-Is it my fault? I-I- I swear I-“ He started to stutter in a slight panic.
“No, baby, it’s not your fault.” Her words were so soft and warm to him that he was the one about to fall to pieces now. Her tone took him completely off guard.
“But- But you look so- You’ve been trying to take care of me by yourself- And you’re so-! If- if I hadn’t gotten so lost!“
“Slow down,” she eased and patted the tip of his ring finger, the one closest to her hand “I’m sure you didn’t get yourself lost on purpose. None of this is your fault.”
He tired to believe her, how could she be so soothing and scared at the same time?
“O-Ok, you just looked really scared, even before you noticed me. Y-You were shaking the whole time. Oh! Do you always shake? I’m sorry if you do…”
“You can see very well in the dark,” she actually laughed a bit and it made him smile at the compliment.
“Yeah, I can see you fine. I can tell that’s not the case for you though…” She nodded “What can you see? What do I look like to you?” Zadian asked curiously.
“A massive black mass with glowing orangish… yellowish… eyes. Big glowing eyes. Moon’s not very bright tonight is it?” Zeba’s voice was still nervous but her speech was getting steadier. “I only noticed you because the sparks reflected off your boot. Then I looked up and saw your eyes.” Zadian looked up at the moon that was just a mere sliver in the sky then looked back down at Zeba in confusion.
“If you can’t see then why are you out here in the dark? I thought you were coming in the day time.”
Zeba sighed and accepted that she couldn’t avoid talking about the thing, it was the reason she was out like this. “I-I was scared of something… You were right,” she admitted. “There’s dangerous things out in the woods at night… mean, dangerous things… They… They try to trick you…”
“Trick you? What are they? What do they want?”
“Please,” she begged “The more you talk about it the worse it gets…”
Zadian eyed her, acknowledging her fear before softly asking “Was that you that screamed last night?” There was a pause before Zeba answered “Yes,” thickly and the fingers around her hugged her again.
“No-“ another pause, she tilted her head as she remembered her father’s face on the deformed thing and redefined her own definition of ‘hurt’.
“…Yes. I-I think it did manage to hurt me a bit.” She choked back tears as she tried to figure out how to be honest while not make her problems the kids problem. “It tried to attack me but I killed it, so it’s gone now. We don’t have to worry about it. B-but… I think if you see them they make you a little… confused. And th-that’s why I’m out here… I had left during the day! But before I knew it, it was night and I couldn’t see… it was like time jumped ahead somehow… I-I’m not supposed to be out in the woods at night.”
Zadian frowned, taking it all in. “I can help you. You said it’s dead right? I can take you home, I can keep you above the woods.”
Zeba smiled at his logic “I-I don’t know if their’s more though…”
“Are they bigger than me?” He asked doubtfully and she managed to laugh.
“No,” She admitted “But my mule’s, you can’t carry us all.” Zadian looked past Zeba and saw that the beast were no where to be found. “Um, I think they ran when… when you noticed me and got scared.”
“Oh.” Zeba said sheepishly.
“Do you want me to go after them?”
“No, they are smart, they’re probably on their way home now.”
“So… do you want to go home too? Or… I can protect you in the cave for the rest of the night?”
Zeba thought about it for a moment. Zadian was big but her pig barn was still bigger, if he could squeeze through the door she even had a hay pile big enough for him to sleep in. If they went west the forest was thinner and he would have an easier time getting through the woods. The things tended to stay in the thicker parts.
She looked into his glowing but sincere eyes and caved. It was time to bring him home. It would just be easier to take care of him there until they figured out how to get him back to giant territory.
“Ok… I-I live that way,” She pointed “but you should go that way and come around. The trees are thinner there, it’ll be easier for you to walk. Oh and d-don’t forget the pigs, we can cook them at the farm. I have an underground pit.”
Zadian tried to contain his excitement and nodded before suddenly tipping forward to get up but froze when he felt the little woman flinch hard in his hands.
‘Right, I’m just a big scary shadow to her right now, she can hardly see. Maybe if I tell her what I’m doing, she won’t be so jumpy?’ He thought.
“I-I’m just standing up, alright? I’m going to hold you to my chest so I don’t drop you or dangle you around all willy nilly. That’s… that’s ok with you, right?” He asked and smiled when Zeba nodded, taking a breath to steal herself. He nodded back and brought her to his chest, then paused.
Clutching her there felt better than he had anticipated, he couldn’t help but hesitate, holding her there warmly before finally getting up. He stretched his stiff legs and rocked back and forth on his numb feet, quickly starting to feel pins and needles after sitting in one spot all day. When he trusted his limbs again he squatted down to gather the pigs, one by one slipping them into various pockets. Then -with a shiver of anticipation- he set off in the direction she had pointed.
Finally taking them both home.
