Open Chronicles They Might Be Giants

[Bergelmir]

His brow relaxed as he sized up the human, looking to the creature that he had pushed behind him as Ragna laughed and hauled the human into the air. His eyes followed the human, Ragna had explained the herd and lands being under the giants control.

He nodded slowly as Ragna asked what the human had to say further.

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

Well Weylin definitely was getting what he asked for when the giantess picked up and began to manhandle him with ease. She told him that he was more or less trespassing and then asked him for what he had to say. The male was being quiet and calm. A quick glance his direction made Weylin think he seemed almost curious, but that had to be wrong. Giants were people eaters and violent beings after all.

Grabbing onto her hand for some stability, Weylin just looked at Ragna face as she held him there. She was a looker and if she had been human he might have blushed. Well if she was human and still doing this to him he wouldn't have though too. He just looked at her and said in that same stupidly defiant tone from earlier, "The Spine is wild and free. I was born and raised here so I have as much claim to her bounty as any other so long as I pay the due respects."

That comment wasn't sure to get Weylin into trouble at all right now. A thought crossed his mind however. He pointed towards Bergelmir and added, "And if this land does belong to anyone then it is his clan not yours. Stone shields are further north aren't they? Who is really the one trespassing and threatening the other here? The human and his dog clearly in need of a meal or the foreign giantess from another clan that could be scouting out a target for war?"

 

[Ragna]

"I don't see much respect boy" Ragna was debating whether it'd be as easy to break him in two and haul him back for the feast too. Humans were so stringy though, such a scrawny weak little race. She ignored the little hand grabbed onto hers. "And I advise you watch your tone little one before I break you".

Her other hand casually rapped him in the stomach, a blow that should be enough to wind him for a moment. "They talk a lot" she told the other giant, "But I think we can make this little bird sing a little more. Maybe he knows what's taking your mammoths".

She rose, throwing the human other one arm so she could carry him easier. "I think we should find some shelter. We can have our little chat there. Grab his dog".

 

[Bergelmir]

The human tried saying these were Bergelmir's land, which made him laugh a bit. His clan only claimed the land in name, truly never coming down this far save for the rare occasion for the clans meeting. "He seeks to set one against another. They are clever and talkative." He nodded to Ragna as he tried to scoop up the dog as well, earning a small nip on the fingertip as his features showed his surprise.

"Stubborn little beast, this dog." Bergelmir hissed as he tried again, his hand closing around it, giving it enough of a squeeze to make it wheeze before he let his grip slack enough to keep hold of it. "Let us be away." He curled his arm around it and carried it with them, front paws awkwardly pointed ahead as its legs dangled below his arm.

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

The giantess was still being very threatening. Not hard either seeing how she could literally snap his back right now if she wanted to. Weylin was still cursing himself for what he was saying. He knew better than to be that way with a giant! Well it was his first time actually seeing giants but he had heard all the stories. This was worse than when he had to fight off those orcs. At least he stood a chance of coming out a live with them. With this giantess he had none.

Weylin got hit in the stomach and indeed had the air knocked out of him. He coughed and bent over as much as her hand would allow. Then she mentioned something about taking him to a shelter to ask him some question about mammoths. Did that mean they were going to eat him?! He could say as he was still trying to catch his breath and couldn't get a word out. She then threw him onto her arm and carried him like some kind of toy.

The male giant was told to grab White and Weylin began to try to give her the whistle to run away. Nothing came out of his still recovering chest. Despite doing her best to fight back, White too was grabbed. The both of them tried to struggle free, but it was clear that wasn't about to happen. While the dog continued to try he just gave up. His breath finally had returned enough as well that he could get out, "Eat me if you must but let White go. She is the only family I have left."

Ragna Bergelmir

 

[Ragna]

Ragna rearranged her grip on the human so he was under her arm. "Shut. Up" she said, the human's bleating annoying her. She tightened her grip on him as he began to struggle and squirm. He had spirit, she could give him that. "Dogs make bad eating" she informed her fellow giant, "But they are good hunters, humans use them a lot".

She paused only to retrieve the deer carcass. She roved around, looking for shelter where they could at least get their bearings before more snow fell. Something that wouldn't just handle her bulk but also her companion and their captives.

A rocky crag offered the best she could see. The overhang gave some shelter and there was even the opening to a small cave. Ragna dumped the human unceremoniously on the ground before stooping to his level. "Run and I break your leg" she warned before ignoring him and focusing on snapping branches off a fallen tree trunk for firewood.

She turned back to the human after a moment, "Deal with the deer carcass boy" she ordered. Might as well make him useful. She chuckled before she winked at Bergelmir "Do a good job now or we might have to eat the dog!".

 

[Bergelmir]

Bergelmir kept hold of the dog, keeping up with his fellow giant as they found something that would work. She dropped the human and gave him a fair warning, along with the task of the deer. She joked to him about eating the dog.

His smirk was all the sign she had as he used his free hand to pull at the dogs paw in mock thought of eating it. "Be a bit stringy, but it would make for a snack." he joked, letting go of the paw, still holding the dog about the waist.

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

Giants were jerks. All the stories said so along with them being man eaters, but he had half thought it was made up. Now though he was certain it was true. Who threatened such a sweet, good girl like White with being eaten? All Weylin could do was frown and hope they let the two go on a whim.

Once they got to a suitable shelter for giants, and he thought it was hard for him to find good shelter locations, Weylin found himself dumped onto the ground. It wasn't enough to knock the wind out of him again but it wasn't exactly pleasant either. Seemed the giantess wanted to keep making threats and tasked him with cleaning the deer. Why did they have to just threaten him all the time? Never hurt to be nice.

As Weylin pulled out his skinning knife words slipped out of him. "You could have just asked nicely." White, once she was on the ground, ran over to him. He petted her for a bit and made some soothing noises to her as she licked his face. Poor girl was scared to death now. He understood that but also by this point kind of didn't care if they ate him or not. He got to work though on preparing the meal.

The first thing Weylin did was cut off a length of rope he had on him and tied it around the deer's ankles. Next he got it lifted over a piece of rock sticking out of the crag and stuck the dead deer in the neck to bleed it out. After that, he moved a little ways away and got his cloak off. No need for it soon and he didn't like working in the thing. After he got his father's sword unbelted and wrapped it gingerly in his cloak. Then he went back to the deer and went about skinning and gutting it.

Ragna Bergelmir

 

[Ragna]

Ragna hadn't even bothered disarming him. She didn't feel any threat from the human. One hand reached over, her fingers giving a light tap to his skull at his words. "Don't push me" she told him with a smile that flashed all of her teeth. She seated herself, breaking branches to make a fire.

"Humans talk a lot" she told the other giant with a shrug. At least she was making him sing for his supper, his smaller hands could gut it a lot neater than she'd be able to. "You said the mammoths still go missing? How often and how many?"

Another look back at the human, "If it's one of his kind, his skull will be on a belt soon. Mammoths are hard for them to kill though. They're small. Weak".

 

[Bergelmir]

Bergelmir let the dog go, and it scampered to its masters side. He joined the giantess with snapping the branches, sitting while listening to her speak before replying.

"I doubt his kind could bring one down so easily that close to the sky. And the missing tracks make me think it is a being that can take to the air." Bergelmir replied, not caring if the human listened. His people were close enough to the sky that the little thing would likely be swept away by the wind alone.

"It takes a mammoth almost every eighth moon. Sometimes taking another between. The same is told by other clans along the peak.

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

All Weylin did was shake his head at the giantess' words. She spoke more than he did. Didn't matter though. He was just going to focus on his work and try to get a meal out of it. Even if they didn't let him eat anything he could at least feed White the scraps. One of them getting a meal was good enough for him.

As he removed the guts out of the deer, the two giants began to speak about the missing mammoths. Why the female thought humans were hunting mammoths was odd to him. Sure they would feed a whole town for a few days, it wasn't worth the effort usually. The herds were aggressive and giants were well connected to them in the stories. Seemed it was true though. He began to separate out the organs good to eat, such as the heart and liver, from the organs that weren't, such as the intestines. He set the good parts on some clean looking rocks nearby and tossed the rest off into a pile.

White looked at the pile of good organs while Weylin began to work the hide. He smiled at her then sliced off a piece of the liver for her. She happily ate it then went back to staring at the rest of the liver. He shook his head then went back to work. He did end up listening to the details from the giants about the missing mammoths. Something about it was familiar. It was very familiar. He heard stories about something like this growing up....

"Dragons...." Weylin said out loud as he froze in his work. Could it be true? There was no way a giant scaled beast capable of flying and breathing fire and poison existed.... But giants did so why not dragons as well? This disturbed him more than the idea of being eaten had.

Ragna Bergelmir

 

[Ragna]

Ragna grunted. Pity, she would have welcomed the possibility of raiding a village or town further down the slopes. "Every eight moons" she repeated, it was an odd sequence. "And your shepherds saw nothing? Heard nothing? Is it magic?"

She was so lost in thought that she almost forgot the human was there until he spoke up. She half turned so she could eye him up. "What did you say?" she demanded, her gaze studying him with unblinking eyes. "Speak up. What do you know of this?" Perhaps the little one might be useful after all.

 

[Bergelmir]

Bergelmir shook his head as she asked about the shepards. "They do not hear it draw near. The wind seems to pick up before one is snatched from the herd, snow flies and wind howls and one is gone before anything is seen. It reeks of magic, the snow and wind stinging even our eyes and faces."

He was thinking when the human spoke. Barely catching the word it had uttered. His brow knit together as he thought of what the word meant, his gaze directed harshly to the human. "Drag-on? A wurm you mean small one?" Bergelmir asked in response.

He pondered at length as Ragna spoke, the signs falling together as some of it seemed to fit what the clan knew of the great beasts.

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

Weylin was very aware of the giants' gaze upon him after he had mentioned dragons. This got him to turn and look to the big beings. The male mentioned something about worms. Something about the word seemed familiar, yet again. Why was that? Could it have been that crazy old man who wandered from settlement to settlement in Weylin's old area? Maybe or maybe not.

Looking at them, Weylin said, "Dragons. Giant flying beasts covered in scales and hide tougher than stone and steel. They breath out fire and poison from their mouths and said to be big enough to carry a mammoth off in a single swoop." He made some movements with his hands that mimicked his words. "Like a hawk grabbing a hare."

Weylin wasn't sure what else to say. It seemed they had some familiarity, but it was impossible for him to know what giants spoke about. "I've heard many stories from the old folk that claim they live in the Spine, but don't hunt regularly. Seems they spend most of their time sleeping on mounds of treasure. One story claimed a great hunter once spent several years watching a dragon's den and the beast only left a couple times a year. It is just tales though.... Or so I thought about your kind until today. Why not dragons as well being real?"

Ragna Bergelmir

 

[Ragna]

"Dreki" Ragna murmured, the word making sense now. She frowned as she listened to the human before holding up her hand, "Slower" she commanded, their squeaking little voices could just meld into one sound when they got excited. But the little one's words made sense.

"Where do these tales say it nests?". The Spine was all well and good though it covered hundreds of miles. "What other tales have you heard?"

It seemed Bergelmir had heard similar stories. She had heard them around the fires herself. Only the greatest warriors had defeated them.

 

[Bergelmir]

Bergelmir was content to listen to the human as Ragna asked the questions that he had wondered. Stories among his clan were held in high regard. They were the ties to knowledge, and each story was also a lesson besides just simple history.

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

Seemed the giants were of the same mind as Weylin now on the potential of dragons. He really hoped the giantess was just going to insult him again and to stop rambling about myths. Oh how he wished that was what had happened right now. Instead their attention was fully on him and they wanted to hear what more he knew. Seemed it was time to recall every single story he had heard to draw some conclusions.

After thinking it over a bit Weylin said slow enough for Ragna to hopefully not get upset at him, "They can nest in all kinds of places. Caves, ruins, barrows. So long as they can fit and it protects them from the weather." There really wasn't any specifics he could go off of. All the tales were rather vague with no specific names given. That was the problem with the tales it seemed. The teller never did give a specific location so it never felt real.

Weylin's mind still raced as he just looked at the two giants. A memory began to float up to the surface and he just suddenly said, "Highrest! That was where the great hunter from that earlier tale watched the dragon, or wurm was it, from." He frowned a bit. "I'm not sure where it is though. All I know is it is some old fortress high in the Spine. Some tales say it is dwarven. Others say human. I even heard one story claim it belonged to a long forgotten clan of giants."

Bergelmir

 

[Ragna]

Ragna's look was unimpressed. 'High in the Spine' could mean anywhere from near Molthal in the north down as far as Belgrath at the other end. The meaning of the word would also vary, depending on who you were talking to. "Highrest" she repeated, mulling over the words in the human's tongue and hers.

There were tales of forgotten strongholds. Cyclopean ruins that now few dared to tread in. But the names were for the most part a mystery. "There are many such" she murmured, strange how even the smallfolk could remember fragments of the before times. "Do your stories speak of where it lies? The Spine is vast"

 

[Bergelmir]

"Highrest?" Bergelmir sighed, the name was unknown to him. Of course, human names for things seemed to differ greatly from what his kin called the same things.

"Some tales? I wonder if the stone diggers have such a tale also. They do not come out of their tunnels often, but we have tales of their hoarding of knowledge." Bergelmir pondered aloud, very much doubting the dwarves would welcome him.

He eyed the human as he thought for a while longer.

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

Weylin was not sure what to do. Both of the giants wanted more from him but he was just relying on vague tales told by the old folk of the Spine. What those who had lived around it for generations knew was hard for him to say after those devastating orc raids as everyone he knew personally was either dead or fled far away. They were of no help to him and he was no skald. He was a hunter and woodsman. It wasn't his task to memorize all the history and tales.

Even after several moments had past nothing had come to Weylin's mind. His focus was on Ragna as White had taken the chance to sneak up to the deer liver. She snapped it up then ran off as Weylin turned around. He scolded her for it, but didn't move. He was certain if he did then he would be killed by the giantess. She wanted something from him and he just wasn't sure how to give it to her.

Turning back around, Weylin looked to the giantess. Was there anything from the tales that could help narrow down the search? The hunter's tale seemed to be the one with the most information he could come up with right now. It wasn't the most popular one even if it was a personal favorite of his so it always took some asking and time to find a skald or bard who knew it. The details on how active dragons were and Highrest. The hunter spent years watching and preparing before going after the beast.... Wait. The hunter had to prepare.

Getting a little excited, Weylin pulled his hatchet out of its belt loop. He held it near the head and began to drag its butt through the dirt as he spoke. "The Great Hunt is a very long tale often told in parts. It is that story about the hunter who watched the dragon for years before killing it. Well outside of observing he also had to prepare to kill it, which is partly what took him so long. He needed to craft a bow and arrows from a special yew tree as well as gather feathers from.... I can't remember exactly what. It was not a regular animal. Something that has feathers and hair...." He frowned as he paused. What was it again? He shook his head. "The bow and arrows are not the important part. The special yew tree and creature are. The most important thing is that the tale specifically mentions he searched around Crobhear Lake. I do not remember if Highrest is close to the lake, but it must be near enough for the hunter to be able to keep an eye on it from there."

Bergelmir

 

[Ragna]

The hill giant studied the rough sketch map in the dirt with a frown. The mention of the lake made her smile though and she gave the human a pat on the back in delight, the impact nearly enough to send him sprawling. "Good" she boomed. It had narrowed it down somewhat.

"Crobhear is further south" she explained to her companion, "The greatest lake in the Spine". There were numerous others but none to rival it. "The stone diggers live further south".

She smiled again, "We have a location". She grabbed a limb from the deer and tore it off, preparing it for the flames. "Now we can eat">

 

[Bergelmir]

With the mention of the lake paired with the rough drawing, the frost giant was getting a better picture of exactly where along the spine the human was talking about.

"That is close to other one of the other frost clans if I remember right. The ones that had the trouble first. Would make sense." Bergelmir nodded as he watched the human for a moment.

"Thank you small one. Your tales have put a face to my foe and a place it may dwell. I owe you a favor for aiding my search." Bergelmir told the human as he too grabbed a limb.

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

Weylin's torso rocked forward from Ragna pat. As much as she had tapped and squeezed him now it was a wonder none of his bones had broken yet. His breath left his lungs yet again and he began to cough as the giantess got all excited. Seemed the Great Hunt was more than a story right now as it lined up too well with what Bergelmir clan was going through. Maybe now they would let him and White go.

With the mention of it being time to eat, Weylin turned his attention back to the deer. Whatever the male had said to him about now having a favor went in one ear and out the other. Too many things had happened and too much was on his mind. He put his hatchet back up and then went to masterfully carving up the deer. Meat came off of bone and as it did he placed it on a large, flat stone near him. It was likely the perfect size to serve as a giant's dinner plate. It was not long before he had it all finished up and all that was left of the deer was bones.

Weylin tossed the bones by White, who was more than happy to help him dispose of it. He got the deer hide and went to work on prepping it to be tanned. Old habit that even the hunger deep in his belly couldn't break. For the first time since the giants had caught him he remained quiet. It was best to let them eat and maybe he could get scraps after. If not they might not find any need to eat him.

 

[Ragna]

Ragna tore into the meat without much ceremony. Some of the pieces she left too long in the flames and they got charred. Others she barely let at it for a few seconds, the blood still dripping off it. She ate it all, not caring much beyond it was hot. Venison was one of her favourites.

She noticed that while the giants ate, the human seemed to linger, focusing more on the hide. "Eat" she ordered between mouthfuls. She was feeling generous after the news. Perhaps smallfolk had their uses afterall. She licked her fingers before belching. Was there a better feeling than a full belly after a hot meal? She thought of herself standing atop a dragon, screaming to the heavens in triumph and grinned. Maybe.

"The old tales warn of the worms" she said to the other giant. "Only the mighty could slay them". A dragon was a formidable foe, even for a giant.

 

[Bergelmir]

"Plenty of tales warn away from even seeking the wurms, and many more so against attempting to slay one." Bergelmir nodded in between bites. He had a few pieces and was still thinking on the issue of finding the blasted thing.

Why would it hunt so much of stories said it hunted so little? Confused, but content at possibly knowing the enemy now, he wondered how his clan would take the news. If he even bothered to let them know until after the great beast was felled.

"We will need more hands to fight it should we find it." Bergelmir huffed, still lost in a bit of thought, tales from his own people now being recalled as he ate.