A Giant's Trek by Nick Stella

Author:Nick Stella [Nick Stella]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Text Publishing Company
Published: 2023-04-21T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

TWO BECOME THREE

Ash liked Syp. Conversation fell from his lips like apples from a tree during autumn, plentiful and full of colour. Small-Fort was still in view behind them but already Ash found himself at ease with the young soldier. He had insisted they call him Syp and not Marshal Sypender.

‘I grew up thinking that the wild-folk, I mean giants, could eat a wild boar whole and would think nothing of dragging a python from a swamp to make soup.’

Ash laughed and even Avalanche chuckled.

‘I’m glad you’re our marshal and not that grumpy old Grekk,’ Ash said.

‘One look from him can make milk go sour,’ Syp said.

They walked in silence for a while before Avalanche spoke. ‘How many times have you marshalled, Syp?’

‘This is my first,’ he replied, scratching at his fluffy beard. ‘I was sent to Small-Fort because travellers don’t normally pass that way. Except for you two and now I have my chance to walk alongside giants.’ He smiled up at Ash.

As they drew further from Small-Fort, a high wall lined with contraptions loomed.

‘I’ll run ahead and have that gate opened,’ Syp said. He took off, the pots and pans clanking around the outside of his pack and the ringed shirt flapping down towards his knees.

‘What do you think of our marshal?’ Avalanche asked.

‘He’s easy to like,’ Ash said. ‘A lot more pleasant than Grekk would have been.’

The gate was still closed when they arrived at the wall. Syp was banging on the gate with his spear and shouting at the soldiers on the wall above. They were throwing fruit and various objects down at him and laughing as they did so.

‘Open the gate,’ he shouted. ‘I’m on official marshal business.’

This only seemed to cause more things to rain down on him and for the laughing to grow louder.

As soon as the giants drew level with Syp, the objects stopped falling and the laughter died away. The gate rose and Syp led them in, the giants ducking to pass through.

‘I’m always joking around with those guys,’ Syp said, but Ash could hear the sadness in his voice.

They emerged on the far side of the wall to behold a large depression in the land that was green and bursting with life. The trees were laden with fruit and the farmlands were full of vegetables. Cottages were dotted among the farms, smoke billowing from the chimneys. To the left and right, Ash could see more of the depressions in the distance.

‘This is one of the Food Bowls,’ Syp said. ‘Their produce feeds the whole of One Fort. The one in front of us mainly has apples, pears, pumpkins and melons.’

Ash could see pocket-folk picking fruit and working in the fields. Horses pulled carts loaded with fruit, vegetables and children down the paths between the farms. Farmers stopped their work as the giants passed by. They spoke to each other in whispers and children ran away to hide.

‘Don’t they like us?’ Ash asked Syp.

‘They don’t often see giants, that’s all.’

They continued through the Food Bowl as Syp chattered away about melons and lemons, cherries and berries.

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