14. Giants
Giants
In the middle of the night, when only the crackle of the many campfires and crickets chirping filled the night, Cypress woke with a start.
Her heart pounded, sweat beading on the back of her neck. Slowly, she looked around the room, scanning for any sign of something amiss.
A great boom sounded somewhere in the forest, shaking the ground, the tent, and her bed.
Another great Boom–then a tremendous rumble. The earth rippled like a wave, as if the solid bedrock had turned into the ocean.
“Torren–” Cypress whispered, sure that something horrific was just outside their tent.
Torren lay in his bed on the other side of the tent, a small curtain concealing a portion of his sleeping quarters.
“What?” he mumbled, as if sleep still claimed him.
“What is that?” she whispered, fingers reaching for her blade.
Boom, and the ground shook once more.
“I told you the Giants were awake, lass,” Torren grumbled, then rolled over.
Within moments, he was snoring, while Cypress counted each step the Giants took as they went further and further away.
Eventually, when she knew they were far away from the camp by the gradual lessening of the wave-like rumble of the ground, sleep reclaimed Cypress.