Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The canopy rustled against the wind, as massive trees blotted the setting sun, towering and casting shadows upon the road. Gold and fire colored leaves littered the path to the nearest village, and with the coldness in the air, it was a sure sign of Autumn creeping in. Animals were already settling in for the Winter, and those that weren’t scrambled to prepare for the harsh snow.

Despite this, the forest was eerily quiet, save for the clopping of three horses and conversation of their riders.

“Dawn’s right, something is wrong.”

Quentin, one of the riders, voiced his concern to their leader, noting how the forest was barely making a sound. Rubbing his brown, messy hair, Quentin glanced at Dawn, the rider he mentioned. She was looking around nervously, still gripping the reins of her horse tightly as they pushed forward, occasionally adjusting herself with anxiousness. She couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, yet the eerie quietness was putting her on the edge.

Their leader, John, turned to his riders, giving them a stern look before facing forward. “If that something was there, we would’ve ran into it already, Quentin.” He grumbled out, the man looking somewhat disappointed. Much older than the two, John had been through this forest a hundred times and more; being a veteran rider made it his job to patrol these woods. The numerous scars on his body, and the old modeled armor he wore were testament enough to his job. Even as his hair was turning gray, and his strength was waning, he knew what he was doing. “There’s nothing out here, anyway.”

Yet even he felt a sliver of worry, as if the forest he knew was becoming more and more alien.

Quentin, the other rider, took a deep breath as they kept on moving, trying to calm down. Youngest in the group, he had little time as a rider, but also knew these forests well. Yet he was also nervous, trying to think of what John said to calm his nerves. Yes, they haven’t run into anything yet, but that in itself was scary, the more he thought about it. They couldn’t see any sort of animal running around the woods; no deer trotting to their dens, no squirrels climbing up the trees, not even a bird flying above them. Even though Winter was approaching, Quentin should have seen at least a few animals around, yet there were none.

It was almost as if all the animals were scared to come out, but what could do that?

“Sir, with all due respect, the fact that there nothing’s out here means something’s off.” Dawn started, stress laced in her voice. “I dunno what’s out here, sir, but-”

A distant thud stopped Dawn’s argument in shock, the three riders looking around for the source of the noise. It was if something dropped heavily on the ground, and it could be felt, albeit very faintly. Yet that was enough to shake Dawn to the core, before staring at John dead in the eye.

“...we should go.” Dawn finished, Quentin nodding at that.

Before John could say anything, another thud echoed around them, louder than the last. The riders looked concerned now, and John looked at his two companions, giving a single nod.

A third, more powerful thud made it clear that whatever was making those thuds was getting close, and the three began to start picking up speed. Their horses began to gallop, and went faster along the road, but the thuds began to become more and more frequent, getting louder and shaking the ground.

“Those are footsteps!” Dawn shouted, John looking at her with a shocked expression. It made sense; the thuds had some sort of rhythm, and they did stronger with each vibration of the ground. John didn’t have time to think too deeply on this, as he kept on trying to focus on where they were going from whatever was making those footsteps.

They managed to cover a great distance as they galloped farther away, yet that thing pursuing them wasn’t slowing down. Wood splintered and trees crashed behind the riders, Quentin shrieking in panic as it got closer and closer. From the sheer destruction it was causing, it was clear that the monster was huge, far larger than what normally lived in the woods.

Dawn steeled herself to take a glance behind her, and saw amidst the path behind them was an enormous being, a monster as tall as the trees, yet was pushing them away as if they were twigs. Its two, glowing red eyes were locked onto her group, like two fiery gemstones. The setting sun lighting up the shape of this beast, casting a terrifying, yet weirdly familiar shadow. For a split second, and Dawn could’ve been mistaken, but it looked… oddly human?

No, that was impossible. Yet, what was chasing the riders, if not a giant?

John shouting at Dawn pulled her out of this train of thought as they approached a massive gorge, with an incredibly long stone bridge in the middle, spanning the gap. “The bridge!” He yelled, Dawn and Quentin nodding their heads and following him towards it, understanding what he said. They galloped towards the start of it, John hoping that the beast couldn’t get on the bridge, lest it collapse under the monster’s weight. The beast couldn’t jump across either, John hoped, as the gap was too wide for anything to. He hoped that included the monster.

When they began to cross the bridge, the monster fully emerged from the forest, and Dawn once again looked back at it. In the fading sunlight, the creature looked less like an it and more of a he; human, yet freakishly massive, it was clear that the thing chasing them was a giant. Unlike what she recalled from the stories and myths she grew up with, this giant didn’t look like a big, burly ogre. Instead, he looked like your average person, yet was snarling at the group as they fled across the bridge, baring incredibly sharp teeth. Dawn snapped her head away from him, as the group finally reached the end of the bridge. The giant looked at them, from the other side, and let out a low growl, staring them down, and-

...turned away, walking back into the forest?

John panted, waiting for the beast to walk out again, but nothing happened. Still tense, the leader looked back at Quentin and Dawn, both of them taking deep breaths. Quentin was trying to process what exactly happened, while Dawn looked very concerned at the damage it did while chasing them. This didn’t make sense to them, how such a being existed, yet here they were, exhausted from being chased by a thing from legends.

Taking out his flask, the captain drank deeply, before letting out a huff before taking the reins of his horse. John gestured at the two to follow him, and they did, moving down the road back to the nearest village, not wanting to stay anywhere close to where the giant was.

Thankfully, the trip went without any sign of trouble, yet everyone’s nerves were strained. Having nearly been at the mercy of something out of a legend was quite horrifying, and even John, with all his experience, wasn’t faring too well with what happened. It shook the old man to his very core, more so than anything he had witnessed in all his years working as a rider.

“Sir…” Dawn’s voice broke John out of his trance, the captain looking at her. “What do we do now with a giant in the woods?” She asked, the rider still in shock.

John sighed heavily, unsure of what to do. Since the giant was roaming the woods leading towards the Capital, he couldn’t message the King to send more people to address this. If someone did try to send a letter, the chances of them being killed by it were too high.

“I don’t know.”

Chapter Text

The village of Arboras was a small hamlet, nestled near the edge of a great forest, far from the Capital, which was to the East, on the other side of that expanse of trees. It was well traveled; many people throughout the Kingdom passed through Arboras, yet it never stood out as anything interesting. Nothing worth mentioning happened within the village’s walls, nor did anything outside the gates strike as unique. One could say Arboras was dull, yet peaceful, and such a statement held truth, with many of its villagers agreeing with that sentiment.

Yet what happened in the forest was causing quite a stir for Arboras and its people.

Three riders, after doing their daily patrol within the forest, had come to the village, looking incredibly exhausted. The guards at the gate these riders approached looked at them with suspicion, yet they let them into town. By then, it was already early in the evening, the moon rising and the stars above Arboras. Its people were already preparing for the night, as few walked outside on its gravel streets; those who didn’t were either at home or drinking after a long harvest day.

The riders passed by swiftly, despite leaving their horses at the village’s stable. They garnered the attention of those few villagers who were out at this time of night, who were confused why these strangers were walking so fast. They didn’t bother with those folk, the riders instead heading towards the village’s inn, where they could rest from what happened earlier.

They passed by several buildings, a few closed shops, and over a bridge before they arrived at the inn. It was a fairly large structure for such a simple town; three stories tall, it stood higher than nearly any other structure in the village. The sound of lively chatter and laughter echoed from within, a relief after nearly being in the clutches of a literal giant.

John opened the front door, Quentin and Dawn following him into the main room of the inn, the warmth inside inviting them to rest. Many of the villagers were eating and drinking after a bountiful harvest that day, enjoying the warm food and the heat of the hearth. Travelers were enjoying their rest after long journeys across the kingdom. Even Dawn felt at ease for a moment, her muscles releasing tension as she walked with John to the innkeeper. A good rest should fix things, Dawn thought. Maybe something to eat or drink, too.

The innkeeper noticed the three riders approaching him, welcoming them with a warm smile. “Well met, travelers!” He began, wiping a tankard. “Don’t think I’ve seen your faces ‘round here, but welcome to the Silverfinch inn! What can I get’cha?”

John, however, was in no mood for such pleasantries. Instead, he took out a bag of coins and placed them on the table. “We would like a room for three, for as many nights this can afford.” He grumbled.

The innkeeper ignored John’s coldness, counting the cash before looking at the rider captain. “This’ll cover for five days here, if you’re planning to stay for that long.” He offered, John nodding in response. Five days seemed to be enough time to plan something out, he thought. Hopefully that giant hadn’t followed them, but given how it didn’t try to jump over the gap earlier, it must’ve been smart enough not to attack a village, despite its superior size and strength.

“Good! Your room’s upstairs, second floor, to the left. The one with the dove on the door, can’t miss it.” Said the innkeeper, handing John the key to the room. “If you need anything, just ask.”

John grabbed the keys, repeating what he said, before looking over to Dawn and Quentin, who were already sitting down. “Right,” he sighed, “I’ll meet you two in the room later. Try not to get too tipsy, especially you Quentin.” And before Quentin could object, John had already walked away towards the stairs, leaving both him and Dawn alone.

“It just happened once, and everyone thinks it’ll happen again…” Quentin muttered, before turning his attention to the other rider. “Anyway, you gonna go get something or…?” His voice trailed off, noticing how she was spacing out. As if in a trance, Dawn was just mindlessly staring at the window, which, from Quentin’s point of view, didn’t show anything concerning. “Uhh, you there?” He said, tapping her shoulder, one covered with a pauldron, giving a satisfying dinging noise as he did. This was enough to knock Dawn out of her deep thought, the rider looking around as if she woke up.

“Whu-huh?” Dawn stuttered out, turning to Quentin. “Uh, y-yeah, I’m just getting a mead.” She responded, rubbing her head as she called for the bartender. Quentin nodded, hoping his friend was alright.

===

After a few drinks, the two walked back into the room, which was oddly left open. To their relief, John was just asleep on his bed, snoring away, with the key next to the door. He was still in his armor, much to the amusement of Quentin, who tried not to laugh at that. It was silly, seeing the normally stoic and serious rider to be knocked out, too tired to care for removing his gear. Even Dawn had a smile, weary as she was, upon looking at John.

They soon removed their gear, setting it aside and going to their own beds for the night. Quentin had already passed out, while Dawn looked outside at the night sky, tracing constellations with her fingers. Eventually, she too fell asleep, dreaming of things she wouldn’t remember by morning.

By the time she woke up, it was almost midday, with John nowhere in the room, and Quentin taking care of his gear. Dawn sat up, yawning and scratching her unkempt hair, rubbing her eyes in the light. She looked at Quentin, who was polishing parts of his armor before he noticed Dawn. “Mornin’ sunshine” He greeted her with a smirk. Dawn nodded, looking at where John was, an empty, messy bed where his armor was. “Uh…” She began, “Where did he go?”

“If you’re wondering where he went, John left a note, saying he went off to talk with someone.” Quentin explained, Dawn sighing in response. Of course he went off without them, she thought. John had a habit of just leaving them with barely a reason, which kinda ticked Dawn off, like he didn’t trust the two riders. They’ve been with him for almost two years, and seeing this level of distrust didn’t sit well with the rider, and even Quentin felt this resentment.

"Right, he left again… damn.” Dawn muttered, already getting some clothes from her pack. Quentin shrugged, continuing to take care of his gear. “He said he’ll be back before noon though,” He said, taking out a whetstone for his sword, “But honestly, I dunno when he will.”

“Couldn’t agree with you more…” She replied, putting her boots on. Today looked relatively nice, with a few clouds outside, at least from what the window showed. From what Dawn could see, beyond the walls Arboras, were great fields in various colors, and a large lake with another town next to it, with rivers leading towards it from the mountains.

A slam of a door from downstairs echoed across the room, Dawn and Quentin jolting in surprise.

They quickly walked downstairs, wondering what it was. By the time they were downstairs, they noticed quite a few people were crowding a man, one that was panicking as he stumbled through the inn. The innkeeper passed through the crowd, Dawn and Quentin looking from behind him as he walked to this person who just barged into his inn.

“Now, what seems to be the matter here, good sir?” Asked the innkeeper, who was keeping his cool to a surprising extent. The man he talked to was shaking like crazy as he replied, stuttering.

“I-I was ambushed! A-attacked! Not b-by-by band-dits! No-hoooo! I th-think it was a g-giant! Y-ya got to believe m-me-he-heeeeeeeeeeeeee…” The stranger wailed out, crying as he collapsed on the floor. Dawn and Quentin looked at him with surprise at this news, and the people gathered around them began to talk among themselves.

“Giants?” “Those are just legends!” “Can you honestly believe him?” “He’s crazy, probably delusional...” “Poor man.”

As they talked, the innkeeper tried to calm down the stranger, yet both riders were very disturbed. They had to talk to John about this.

===

After an hour or so, John had returned, some supplied in his bag as he walked into their room. He panted, laying what he bought on a table as he looked at Dawn and Quentin. Both of them looked concerned at their captain, who brushed some sweat off his brow. “What’re you looking at me for?” He asked, confused at their expression. “I already know what happened, yes, that giant attacked someone. Word travels fast ‘round here, apparently.”

Dawn let out a sigh, before looking at her captain. “So, what should we do then? We can’t just let it attack people here, we need to do something.” She said, her tone of voice serious. Quentin remained quiet, just sitting there on his bed, not uttering a word.

John grumbled, pushing away the supplies and taking out a map. He put it on the table, unrolling it and showing an image of the kingdom, routes and all. “Since you’re so persistent on that, we’ll discuss it now.” He stated, somewhat annoyed at Dawn’s tone. She looked at the map, and so did Quentin, standing up and walking to the table to see it.

“First and foremost, if we’re going to contact the king, we’ll have to go around the forest, where the giant can’t get any of us.” He began, pointing to a map, tracing his finger from Arboras to the Capital, around the large patch of trees drawn there. “Of course, it’ll take longer, and there are definitely going to be bandits around the forest.” He continued, “So this needs to be done with quickness and subtleness.”

John then looked at Dawn, brown eyes interlocking with her blues. “That’s why you’re going. You’re the only one with a horse fast enough to get to the Capital in less than a week. Plus, it only listens to you, so we can’t ride it.” He took in a deep breath, before he planted a hand on her shoulder. “I trust you to do this as your captain, Dawn. Don’t let me down.”

Dawn then just looked at him in shock, then Quentin, who let out a shrug, before she let out a single word.

“WHAT!?”

Chapter Text

Dawn Kingston was born into a family within the Capital, a massive city within the heartland of the Kingdom. Yet she was not the daughter of some noble house, nor was she of royal descent; the Kingston family was of the middle class, one that lived a content life as humble smiths. Born the eldest of the house, much pressure was put on her to be a shining example to her siblings, who’d later be two brothers and another sister. Dusk was the second to be born, hence the name, when Dawn was a year old, and the twins Charlie and Mary came two years later. They were her family, one she loved.

And it was a family that would miss her dearly, due to the dangers of a task she reluctantly agreed to do.

Currently on her horse, Dawn was making way to the Capital, around the forest that separated Arboras and it. Despite it being the much longer route, with the occasional bandit party roaming around, John had instructed her to take chances with petty thieves rather than a literal giant. Despite this prospect, Dawn still thought she wouldn’t make it to the Capital, since the rider didn’t think she could fend off more than a few bandits.

Back when she was much younger, Dawn had been taught how to work in a forge, her teacher being her father, Albert Kingston. As time went on, she knew how to work with metal, forming it into all sorts of shapes and sizes; tools, nails, hinges, and the occasional weapon like a sword or spear. Of course, working in such an environment was dangerous, and Albert made sure his daughter was trained to not suffer any grievous injuries when working at his forge. He knew the life of a smith would be hazardous, so he’d often watch over Dawn every time she was working, lending a hand if she needed it.

Due to such backbreaking labor, Dawn grew up stronger than many other girls in her neighborhood. Her skin was often covered in soot, along with her auburn hair, perpetually frizzy due to the conditions of her work. Dawn also was quite tall, more so than most women her age, about six-foot five-inches at her current age of twenty three. She was quite intimidating as a result, even larger than many men she’d meet entering her family’s workshop.

It was already getting late in the afternoon as Dawn reached a small ranger outpost. A simple, stone and wood house, single storied, with a timber watchtower overlooking the forest. Stopping by the building, Dawn greeted the other rangers there, three in total. They seem like nice folk, she thought as she entered the outpost. Apparently, they haven’t heard of any giants in the forest, as they did not bring it up as Dawn took a break. What they did bring up was the bandit party roaming the area, so they advised her to be careful if she was heading to the Capital. The riders offered her to rest more, with Dawn agreeing to stay for the night. It would be miles to the next outpost, and it was getting late, not to mention her horse was getting weary as well.

The riders didn’t have a room to spare, so Dawn had to sleep on the floor, using her sleeping cot she had in her bag. She didn’t object, as the rider was grateful for a roof over her head that night, and a warm fire, with a warm meal. While the outpost was not like Silverfinch Inn, as it did not have the same food or beds, their hospitality was just the same. By the time she crawled into the cot, it took no time for her to sleep, Dawn unaware of how tired she was after being on horseback for hours.

When morning came, she was already packing to leave, preparing for a long day ahead of her. Dawn knew that the more time she spent in one place, the more time people were in danger due to that giant, for the message had to be delivered. Then again, who would believe her about such a tale, one where a giant was causing havoc in the woods? She hoped someone would.

Bidding the other riders farewell, Dawn got on her horse, riding away towards the Capital. If she was lucky, she’d arrive there in two days or so, if the bandits didn’t get her, or the giant. She shuddered at the thought; one hand, the giant would probably end her life, but the bandits would probably steal everything from her, leaving her without a mount or a weapon. Especially if it was a party, like what the folk at the outpost said. Dawn grunted, focusing on the road ahead, making her horse pick up the pace, as they sped across the edge of the forest.

They rushed across the road, passing by farms and small villages, mills and waterwheels, travelers and wagons, all a blur, and a knight’s fort. Though far away, the fort could be seen for quite a distance across the countryside, its stone towers and walls casting imposing shadows. Dawn slowed down slightly at the sight of the fort, with an expression of disdain, before gaining speed and continuing on her path. There were more important things to think of, Dawn thought.

===

It was already midday by the time Dawn was a third of the way there, the sun high in the sky, yet the Autumn winds made it colder than any other day in Summer. The trees at the edge of the forest moved with leaves being shook off, flying in the air. To her relief, Dawn could not feel any massive footsteps, nor could she hear trees being snapped apart. It was just the wind, she thought, nothing more than that.

Deciding to rest, as both rider and horse were tired, Dawn moved towards a large tree, one that was on the other side of the road that separated the country and the forest. She tied the reins of her horse to the tree, and sat down, leaning against the tree and taking out some provisions. A chunk of goat’s cheese, some crusty bread, and dried meat; a filling, if cold, meal for one.

Eating her food, Dawn had some time to think about her mission. The way towards the Capital was still a long one, and she’d have to make stops like this, to eat and rest. She’d have to do this frequently, otherwise both Dawn and her horse would collapse on the road from exhaustion. Even now, both of them were tired after hours of continuous traveling, and they still had several miles ahead, and the prospect of a bandit party made it worse for her. Hopefully they wouldn’t show up, as she couldn’t see or hear any sign of them around the tree. Dawn sighed as she finished her meal, standing up and taking a drink from her waterskin. It should keep her going for until the evening, and hopefully she’d find a town to rest up.

Her horse, however, was still resting, and Dawn didn’t want to tire it. So she had to wait, patrolling the area, a hand on the hilt of her sword, inside a scabbard on her hip. It was a relatively large sword, though nowhere the size of the blades that the Capital’s Wardens wielded, which were said to be longer than they were tall. Of course, living in the Capital, she did see their swords, which weren’t that big as the stories said, but the deeds done with such weapons were enough to warrant such beliefs. Dawn sighed, wondering how her life would be if she was a Warden, or at least a knight.

After a while of recalling the stories of Wardens and knights, she walked back to her horse, which was ready to continue the journey. She got on it, and rode past the tree and towards the Capital, wondering what would be ahead of her.

===

It was sometime in the afternoon when Dawn had an inkling that something wasn’t right. As she passed through on her way, she’d often see travelers, on horseback or just walking along the road, or wagons of all different shapes and sizes. Yet that was earlier in the day, and when Dawn moved past a sign marking the way to the Capital and a few other towns, the amount of people she encountered were lessening. She knew the path around the forest was longer, therefore less popular, but even this struck Dawn as out of the ordinary. It was worrying, and probably had to do with the bandits. Or the giant. Or both.

By the time the sun was already sinking below the horizon, Dawn had stopped by a roadside inn, one that was close to a small village. Resting here would be good for her, as her body was aching already, not to mention night was soon to come, and resting in the open, in the dark, with bandits afoot, would be a bad idea. A sign rattled around above the door, proudly displaying the name of the inn, Broken Iron’s Rest. An odd name, Dawn thought, as she approached the stables to the side of the building, the worker inside taking it off her hands, if somewhat nervously.

The inn itself looked humble enough, two stories tall with red shingles on its roof, covering less ground than the Silverfinch Inn, where she rested back in Arboras. Dawn sighed, opening the door and walking inside, the warmth of a hearth greeting her. Along with this came the scent of warm food and drink, with the sounds of laughter and village gossip filling the air. Most interestingly, though, was the sound of a lute and the singing of a bard, the kind of person she didn’t meet back in Arboras, despite its frequent travelers.

Dawn didn’t complain, as she just took this as something to be thankful for. She walked further into the inn, and the music stopped, and the chatter died down; some of the patrons stared at her, and some had their mouths agape, if only for a second. She was a stranger here, of course, and her height and gear didn’t do her anything to make her less of a spectacle. They were unfamiliar with seeing a rider, especially one that was a woman taller than a majority of the people that frequented the inn. Dawn let out a patient sigh, before approaching the innkeeper, who looked confused as to why a rider was here.

“Um… welcome to the Broken Iron’s Rest, ma’am,” He began, nervously. “My name is Michael Liams, how can I help you…?” Asked the man, who stood a foot shorter than Dawn. He really was intimidated by Dawn, and the rider knew it, not liking the awkwardness of this as well. She let out a sigh, before taking out a couple of coins from her pocket, and placed them on the counter.

“Ah, I’d like a room for the night, along with a meal. If that’s alright.” Dawn asked, Michael taking the money and counting it, before nodding. He walked away as Dawn took a seat at the bar, the rider waiting for the man to return, while she took a look around the inn. People were now focusing on other things unrelated to Dawn, and the music continued, much to her relief. The rider didn’t like being stared at by everyone in the tavern with eyes that held suspicion and wariness.

The common area of the inn was much smaller than the previous one she stayed at, with only two fireplaces on opposite sides of the room, and no roaring hearths in the center. There were fewer tables, and while it seemed packed, it was nowhere near as crowded as the Silverfinch Inn. A tavern worker then approached Dawn from behind the counter, giving her a meal. It was a plate of roasted goat with some mashed potatoes and gravy; the smell was inviting, much more than the cold meal she had earlier that day. She gave her thanks and began to eat in silence as Michael walked out.

“I’ll lead you to your room, miss.” He said, Dawn eyeing him as she looked up from her meal. “After you’re done with your meal, I mean!” Michael hastily added, before briskly walking away. Before he could get back into the kitchen, the rider called his attention, causing him to stop dead in his tracks.

“Sir Michael, was it?” She said, clearing her throat. “Just call me Dawn. None of this ‘miss’ business, aight?” With that, Michael nodded, before opening the door to the kitchen and walked in.

Dawn muttered something under her breath before she turned to the bard, and enjoyed a few songs as she ate. There were a few recognizable melodies and tunes, telling tales of warriors and heroes, of great battles and adventures. She smiled, wondering if she’d ever be in one of those stories, as she finished her meal. Clearly she had to do something amazing to earn the reputation that warranted her name to be in song.

Eventually, Michael returned, and offered Dawn to her room, the rider agreeing and following him up a flight of stairs to her room. A simple room with a simpler bed, with a window peering outside into the countryside, with the edge of the forest in the distance. Michael bid Dawn a good night as he walked away, leaving her alone, with only her thoughts to keep her company. She let out a tired sigh, and went to sleep for the night, not caring about removing her armor.

===

Morning came, and as the first rays of the sun brightened the room, Dawn was already waking up, stretching and preparing for a long day ahead. She walked downstairs, surprisingly silent for someone in armor, no matter how light it was, to the common area, not bothering anyone sleeping in the other rooms. One of the maids working there was already awake, sweeping the floor of the inn, and was surprised to see Dawn there, who merely waved as she walked outside. She headed to the stable and took the reins of her horse before moving out.

Soon, the Broken Iron’s Rest was far behind her, and the road ahead seemed long and winding, with few signs of civilization between here and the next town, save for the farms that occasionally dotted the countryside. But even then, they were rare amidst the landscape, and those that she encountered were small, with few people working on the fields, despite it being the harvest season. Along with this, there were fewer folk on the road than before, all with suspicion and nervousness in them, especially in the way they eyed Dawn as she passed them. She was a stranger here, after all.

By the look of where the sun was, it must’ve been a few hours before noon, and Dawn was already getting nervous. By now, Dawn was traveling past a point where mountains and cliff sides flanked her right, towering and casting shadows on the road, with the forest to her left. The mountain ridge, named Star’s Hurdle, as it seemed like the stars had to jump over them, stretched long enough to separate the Capital and the port city of Wayfare, which bordered the Azure Depths, an ocean stretching as far as the eye can see. Dawn would love to travel there one day, but until then, she had to focus. The Hurdle was a popular place for bandits to set up camp, and it was probably where that party was in, and those thoughts kept her on edge as she rode through.

Riding through, Dawn could’ve sworn she saw a glimmer of metal on a nearby ridge, and she looked around to see anything else out of the ordinary. That could only mean trouble, Dawn thought, and was reaffirmed when an arrow whizzed by her head, barely missing. Her horse bucked and whinnied at the sound, and the rider tried to calm it down, as another arrow passed by, impacting and splintering on a rock. Dawn panted hard, noticing a few men wearing mismatched armors and furs heading towards her from the front. They were bandits, whose purpose was as clear as the cloudless sky above her; they were going to rob her or worse.

Before she could react, an arrow sliced its way across her horse’s side, the animal panicking. Dawn tried to keep it steady, before it tossed the rider off, and ran away. She cursed, taking out her sword as a bandit approached her. Hefting an ax, Dawn rolled away as the bandit tried to cleave at her, the rider getting on her feet as another bandit ran towards her. She was quick to react, slashing her blade at the bandit’s torso, causing said bandit to stumble backwards. Dawn took this as an opportunity and got some distance between them, enough that the forest was to her back. She grunted, as more bandits approached her; Dawn could count seven, and there were more in the ridge with bows.

Then one of them stepped in front of the others, wearing better gear, and brandishing a large halberd. It was apparent that this man was their leader, and looked Dawn in the eyes. The man smiled, laughing, and slammed the butt-end of his weapon into the ground, as a means to intimidate the rider. Dawn didn’t flinch at this display, still in a combat stance, still with her weapon out, still ready to strike.

The leader then spoke up, his voice gravelly and filled with cruelty. “Well, wouldn’t you look at that, eh fellas? A rider, one of the king’s! And all alone too!” He laughed, then aimed his weapon at Dawn. “Tell ya what, rider, you let down your stuff, and maybe you get away with your life. Maybe.” The snarl in his voice was anything but reaffirming his claim. He was probably going to end her either way, so Dawn merely let out a scoff.

“As if!” She yelled back, her voice loud and defiant. “You are not getting a hand on me, you weak-willed thieves!” Dawn growled, venom in her voice, her sword pointed at the leader, who chuckled in response.

“Suit yourself, girly.” He said, before giving a gesture to his party to get on her. Dawn grunted, backing up as they closed in on her. She knew she couldn’t fight them all, and cursed herself for being too brave this time. There were too many bandits here, much more than she’d expected. Even if she could fight them all, she’d be too injured to make it to the next town, so she backed up more and more. She eventually stopped, her foot almost slipping, as there was some sort of ledge behind her. Dawn couldn’t see how long the fall was, but all she knew was that it led into the forest. A forest with a giant in it, one that made fighting the bandits seem like a better proposition. After all, at least she could fend them off, unlike something several times her height.

The bandits were closing in, and Dawn was already at the edge. She tried to hold her ground, and tried to not panic. Still pointing her blade defiantly at the bandits, she was ready to fight them off. It would probably end poorly for her, but what choice did she have? She let out a yell, ready to charge into battle…

...before accidentally backing up too much, and falling off the ridge, plummeting down.

Thankfully, the drop wasn’t too long, as she managed to drop a couple of feet down, much less than what she thought. Unfortunately for her, the landing was strong enough to hurt her head enough that she was beginning to lose consciousness. She could feel something wet on her head, which was probably blood, as she watched the bandits look down, ready to get her. Their leader barked out an order, or at least she thought he did.

They began to move, before something happened. Something that made them look in a direction Dawn couldn’t, with eyes wide and mouths open. Even their leader looked scared, before they scrambled away from Dawn. This was followed by rhythmic tremors, weak at first, but quickly gained strength. A shadow appeared above her, and as Dawn’s eyes began to close, something moved from the corner of her vision.

A hand. An impossibly large hand, with impossibly large fingers, connected to an arm of impossibly large proportions. And that’s all what Dawn saw before blacking out.

Chapter Text

Miles outside of Arboras, two riders were making their way to the Capital, their horses moving along the road leading there, around the forest that they dared not to enter. One of them, Quentin Bradley, let out a groan, wishing his horse would move faster, as this trip was excruciatingly slow. His captain, John, rode up next to him, letting out a sigh.

“We’re never gonna make it time...” Said the younger rider, earning a grumble from John. “Well, am I wrong? We’re going too slow, and Dawn’s probably in danger!” Quentin huffed out, concerned for his friend. He was worrying ever since she left the town, and the thought that Dawn was in peril made the young man stressed to no end.

John looked at him, a frown on his face. “Ah lad, how many times do I have to tell ya?” He said, his voice stern. “Dawn’s fine. I’ve known her long enough to tell she’s one of the best. Stubborn at times, but she knows what she’s doing. You should know that by now.” This, like the other times, did not ease Quentin’s worries.

“She’s fine… I know she is.” Quentin muttered.

===

Dawn, meanwhile, was not fine.

When she was waking, her head was pounding like a parade drum, aching greatly as she attempted to sit up. Dawn couldn’t remember much, all she recalled was that she got knocked out on the forest floor. Then the memories came, quick and sudden; she was heading to the Capital, on her horse, past the Star’s Hurdle, when a bandit party attacked her. Then she remembered their advances, and falling onto a rock or something. Then…

The bandits scrambled, scurrying away like rats. And the hand!

A coarse, guttural scream erupted from her mouth, Dawn sitting up, despite the pain in her head. She panted, rubbing her temples as sweat dripped down from them, despite the cool Autumn air; whatever the fall did to her still hurt. The rider placed a hand on the bandage wrapped around her head, before Dawn came to realize that she wasn’t the one who put it there. She winced at the pain as she felt it. By then, she also realized her gauntlet was removed, and so was her armor.

She was taken aback by this, since who’d patch her up from her encounter with those bandits?

So surprised by this, she didn’t inspect where she woke up at first. When she did, her eyes went wide; wherever she was, it was high up. Very high up. And where she was resting surprised her, the bedding she was on was coarse, and the blanket coarse. Dawn looked around the room, which was only illuminated by a roaring fire in the center and a large opening to its side, with the moon and stars shimmering from it. At this point, she realized it was a cave, an enormous one at that; it could hold a two, maybe three, story building and still have room for other buildings. Maybe more than that, she thought in disbelief. The fire, too, was massive; she could see tree trunks burning in its pit, stacked haphazardly on one another. Such a fire could be seen for miles if it wasn’t in this cave.

She continued to look around, noticing odder things. Something that looked like a drying rack, but was far too big for practical purposes, or that’s what Dawn liked to think. Layered fabric in a corner that could work for tents, but were piled high, too high for people to reach. Dawn twisted her head, noticing a large, bowl-like object, half empty with water. It looked like it could compete for the world’s biggest basin, but she had doubts it was to be used as such. Lastly, she saw an enormous pile of furs and pelts, from animals she couldn’t recognize, all stitched together lying on a flat surface, which was also covered in fabric.

Perhaps if it was any brighter, she could understand what she was looking at, but Dawn didn’t have time for that. She had a gut feeling that this place was dangerous, so she looked around the surface she was on. Dawn couldn’t see her stuff, and that worried the rider, as it included some torches, a tinder box for lighting said torches, and her sword. Without them, it would be nearly impossible to get out of the forest. With a sigh, Dawn tried to stand up, but noticed her leg; though bandaged as well, her left ankle was sprained, and it would take days for that to heal.

Before she could think of anything else, Dawn heard thumping. The same sort of noise she heard when the giant was hunting her in the forest days ago, albeit less intense. It was at this point Dawn connected the dots in her tired head; she was in a giant’s cave, with giant sized furniture around her, and whoever lived here was coming back.

Dawn began to panic, trying to think of what to do as the footsteps began to get closer. Giants weren’t seen in ages, if they even existed in the first place. They were the stuff of myths and bedtime stories, and such things weren’t supposed to be real. Even if she could outwit one, there’d be no way she could escape from the forest alive, what with the wolves and other nasty things lurking there.

She took deep breaths, and then she saw it entering the cave. Even in the massiveness of this cave, it had to duck to get in the door, and squatted as it moved around. In the light of the fire, Dawn could see the giant as a woman, one that looked to be her age, if a bit younger, with brown hair and a fair complexion, wearing simple green clothes. This lady-giant didn’t look as well-built as Dawn, but those hands could easily destroy even the walls of a knight’s fort, so the story’s say. And as this massive woman stepped closer towards the fire, they locked eyes, huge browns against miniscule blues, with the larger one gasping slightly.

This was enough for Dawn to scream, again.

The giant looked surprised, eyes widening at her loudness. It must’ve been shocking to hear something that small produce a scream that loud. Dawn scrambled in her bedding, trying to find where her sword was, before the giant came closer. She looked around everywhere, except where the giant was, which was pretty hard, given how she could take up all of Dawn’s vision.

It was too late by the time the giant was beside Dawn, her upper body looming over the rider despite the height of the surface, which might’ve been a table for all Dawn knew. She looked down at Dawn, letting out a sigh, before a massive hand, one capable of wrapping her completely in, descended. Dawn let out a scream, again, a single word escaping her mouth. It sounded like a ‘no’, but it was so garbled in fear that it had little resemblance to what Dawn intended to say. She closed her eyes, waiting for the worst to come.

Yet, it didn’t. Dawn expected many things in that moment, for the hand to snatch her, or worse, but instead, it moved away, resting a good distance from where she was on the table. She opened her eyes, panted, gasping for air as she tried to process what happened, aware that it didn’t do anything. Had she listened to me, Dawn thought, to me saying no? She didn’t believe it, but it was enough for her to muster enough courage to look at the giant’s face.

Much to her surprise, the face the Dawn looked at had no angry or annoyed expression, nor did it look like an ogre’s or troll’s or some monstrous creature from fairytales. The giant looked like a normal person, just like her, only larger than what Dawn could think of was possible. And the giant looked at her with an odd caring in her eyes, like she was looking after the rider. It made no sense, and the giant being pretty didn’t help either.

Her voice came out all of a sudden to Dawn, loud yet gentle. “Oh, you’re awake… be calm, please…” The giant whispered, with words that, despite being like thunder, further confused the rider. “I promise I won’t hurt you, okay? You’re safe here.”

Dawn didn’t trust those words at all, this was far too absurd for her. She didn’t believe them as she tried to make sense why she was here. She let out a pained groan as she did, holding her bandages. This was just exhausting, yet Dawn still held ground, looking at her captor in the eye, trying to be unafraid.

“Calm? Safe?” Dawn started, urging herself to be brave, yet her voice wavered. “I am, in every sense of the words, not safe, and not calm. Right now, I am trapped inside some cave, whether I like it here or not, with a literal giant watching over me for some reason, in a forest where I have no idea how to get out, where things like-” She let out an exasperated breath before continuing, voice rising in anger. “-wolves, bears, maybe more legends and more giants lurk! And I’m probably never going to get out of here alive! Might as well just give up!” Dawn laughed, but it was coarse and humorless, cringing at the pain in her head.

"To top it all off, you’re playing all nice and goody, aren’tcha?” She yelled at the giant, taken aback by Dawn’s rising anger, yet was still calm as the rider continued. “Trying to lure me into… I dunno, a false security or something! And then you’ll probably try to- to eat me or something horrible! Or… or...” By that point, Dawn was coughing and wheezing, the rant taking a lot of her energy as she looked at the giant, who now looked at her with an expression she couldn’t read.

Tears were streaming down the rider’s face, out of frustration, fear, and panic. Dawn wasn’t thinking about the repercussions of her actions, of basically venting at a giant who could easily end her life in a heartbeat. Now she was scared, her face contorting in fear at the giant who was probably planning on harming her for being rude. Looking at the giant now, Dawn whimpered, as the larger woman stood up; apparently she was sitting beside the table, and now was looming over the rider.

For the first time in a long time, Dawn began to cry, closing her eyes and sobbing hard. Even in the face of danger or death, she had never cried as now, feeling utterly helpless in this situation. With all the injuries she took, without her stuff, and facing a giant who towered over her, Dawn felt like she truly couldn’t do anything. And it scared her to no end. She braced herself, holding her arms together as she waited for the inevitable, shivering like a leaf.

Then Dawn heard a loud thunk, like wood hitting stone, and she opened her eyes, tear stained and red, looking at… a bowl?

It was placed next to her bedding, and it looked too small for her to fit in. When Dawn looked closer, there was water in it, clear and fresh. She then gazed at the giant, who was back to the same sitting position she was in earlier. Dawn attempted to make sense of this, opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water, but the giant merely let out a sigh, warm wind brushing past the rider. A sad smile was on the larger one’s face, as she looked at Dawn with those same caring eyes, which she couldn’t understand.

“You just need something to drink.” The giant offered, Dawn’s eyes darting between her and the bowl. “Don’t worry, it’s just water. Take your time, it isn’t poisoned or anything like that.” Her voice echoed around the cave, still calm, still gentle.

Now it was Dawn’s turn to be surprised, looking at the giant and the bowl several times. She let out a shaky sigh, deciding she should drink up, and maybe not earn a giant’s ire for rejecting it. And maybe, the larger woman was telling the truth? In cupped hands, the rider took the water as she leaned for it, drinking it greedily, her throat dry and hoarse from screaming so much. It was relieving, and she drank more water, sometimes coughing for drinking too fast. Dawn soon stopped, and brushed off her wet hands on the blanket, noticing some water got on her as well. Any other situation it would’ve been embarrassing, but this wasn’t just something normal.

Dawn looked at the giant, still confused, but a bit less scared now. The larger woman seemed genuine, but Dawn couldn’t be too sure, and it worried her to no end. What was she going to get out of this, anyway? Out of helping her? Dawn didn’t know, but in the brief moments they had, the giant was being kind and patient with her, despite the ranting. It was oddly comforting that nothing bad had happened, but it was still too early to say for sure.

“...why?” Dawn asked, her voice now devoid of anger or frustration, yet still laced with worry. “W-why did… Why am I here? I don’t understand, what are you planning…?” The fear was still there, and Dawn was too tired to hide it. She looked at the giant, expecting her to say something that would reaffirm her fears, but again, those words were still comforting, or as comforting as someone a hundred feet tall could manage.

“Well, you were hurt out there, and those people looked like they wanted to hurt you, so I decided to help.” The giant said, continuing after a short pause. “They were trying to harm you, right?” She asked, leaving Dawn confused yet again. Another pause, this time more awkward than before. Now the giant looked at Dawn with worry, and asked again. “Th-they weren’t your friends, right? I-I didn’t take you from them, did I?”

Before the giant could work herself up, Dawn tried to muster more courage to speak, and cleared her throat. “Of course they’re not my friends, those were bandits trying to rob me.” Dawn said, recalling what happened earlier that day. Rubbing her head, Dawn let out a tired sigh, before looking up at the giant. “You were the one to tend to my wounds, I assume?” Asked the rider, with the giant nodding in response, much to the smaller woman’s surprise. Though it made sense, as no one else could have tended to her wounds, Dawn shuddered at the thought of massive fingers touching her body to patch her up. But she did admire her handiwork, and how the wounds, save for her head and ankle, were beginning to fade.

"...thank you.”

The words were a bit quiet, and Dawn had uttered them without thinking much. But the giant did hear, evident by her smile. “No worries.” She said, leaving Dawn shocked as to how she heard her say that. Nevertheless, Dawn’s muscles relaxed, if ever so slightly, at how nice this giant was. It was getting harder to believe that the larger woman was faking all of this, but she still stayed on her guard.

“Say, erm,” The giant mumbled out, somewhat awkwardly. “What’s your name? I’m Madeline, and, uh, it’s nice to meet you I guess.” She said, and Dawn looked at her with the ghost of a smile on the rider’s face. Madeline sounded like such a normal name for someone like her, Dawn thought, as she cleared her throat.

“I’m Dawn, Dawn Kingston, and… I suppose the feeling’s mutual, Madeline.” Said the rider, yawning loudly.

It was late at night, after all, and today had been exhausting. But she couldn’t rest now, could she? With a giant? Dawn wasn’t too sure. She did not want to let her guard down, especially with a stranger, especially one several times her size. Madeline’s size made it scary to even feel comfortable in her presence.

But, all things considered, the giant did save her life, and did patch up her wounds. She let Dawn stay in her cave, instead of leaving her on the side of the road. She intervened when those bandits attacked her, where the rider would have perished; either by blade, or by starvation, if the bandits took her stuff and left her to die in the wilderness.

With another yawn, Dawn merely stared up at Madeline, her tiny blue eyes locking onto massive brown ones. Maybe she was too tired to care about her safety. Maybe she was letting her guard down. Maybe she was finally breaking, letting her be vulnerable to someone so huge and powerful.

And maybe, just maybe, she was actually believing what Madeline said.

But that was a worry for Dawn in the morning.

Chapter Text

The sounds of Autumn morning filled the air; wind rustled the trees as leaves fell to the ground. Birds were already migrating to warmer parts of the world, forming patterns in the sky as they flew southwards. More and more animals were already preparing for the long, cold months of Winter, and those that were done were in hiding, nestled in their burrows and dens, to sleep the snow off. Even the world itself seemed to be going to rest.

From out of the trees came two siblings, a girl and a boy, running into a clearing, laughing as they chased each other. They both wore simple farmer’s clothes, and both were covered in dirt and mud. The boy gestured for her sister to follow, and she did, a smile on her face. They frolicked without a care in the world, as they went up and under whatever was in front of them like a natural playground; passed a stream, under a rock, over some logs, it didn’t matter. They were children having fun, and they found fun in whatever they could find.

Their laughter was suddenly cut off with the splintering of wood, from beyond the treeline. The girl looked at where the sound came from, while the boy froze, fear in his blue eyes. Both of them were worried, since only the strongest animals could break through the old oak and maple trees surrounding the clearing. And most of those animals were not friendly. Standing there, they waited for whatever made that noise to pass, but the boy grew impatient, running towards the girl and telling her to run, to run far and fast.

Before she could react, the sound of more trees giving way was heard, their trunks being shattered and cracked apart. The girl flinched and found enough courage to move her legs, running towards her brother as the ground shook beneath them both. She broke into a run, but her footing became unbalanced half way towards her brother, as she tripped and fell, landing on the ground with a scream. The boy ran to her, trying to get the girl back on her feet, but they stopped as it stepped out of the forest, looking at them both with glowing eyes and a snarling face.

===

With a grunt, Dawn gasped as she jerked upright, sweat on her face as she took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She looked around, panicking for a moment at where in the world she woke up to. Light was shining from a hold in the wall, the sun peaking slightly through it like a window. A window that was carved into a rocky cave, too big to be done by hand. With one more deep breath, Dawn let out a sigh, finally regaining herself after that nightmare.

She was still alive, but wounded, along with being stuck in a cave with a giant. As if that wasn’t a nightmare enough, Dawn thought to herself, a captive somewhere beyond the reach of my friends and family. And that other giant… she didn’t want to think about it.

Looking around, Dawn saw some things had changed. The fire was gone; the only thing remaining were a few embers amid the ash and charred wood in the firepit. The bowl to her side was also gone. The giant- Madeline, she remembered- must have moved it in her sleep. The thought of those huge fingers so close to her made Dawn cringe, as they could have done so much to her while she was passed out.

But they didn’t. Madeline was still keeping her promise, that Dawn was safe here, in this cave. The rider let out a huff, wondering if she would be okay until she healed completely and was ready to go. And then what would happen, Dawn thought, that the giant would just let her walk away from this? She didn’t think so, as even if Madeline let her go, which Dawn highly doubted, there were still many dangers out there for a rider to be alone with, especially one whose horse was missing.

Dawn grumbled, still looking around, until she finally noticed where the giant was. Madeline was asleep, apparently, under a blanket in her bed, if that mound of fur and fabric across the table Dawn rested on was her. Her head, large enough to fill a room, was facing the rider, and even with her eyes closed, Dawn still jumped at the sight. When she managed to calm herself, the rider looked at Madeline, now that she could see her better in the morning light. It was hard for Dawn to believe that this was a giant, just sleeping there peacefully. In almost all the tales she heard and read growing up, giants were huge, hulking ogre-like things, taller than castles, who wore only scraps of clothing. This one, however, looked like any other commoner she could meet in the Capital, and wore clothes Dawn could see herself wearing when not working at her forge. Not to mention the giant wasn’t that tall; sure, she could tower over a few things, like taverns or Dawn’s own house, but even then, compared to many buildings in the Capital, they were easily taller.

It did not help in the slightest that Dawn found the giant pretty. If she was her size, the rider could see herself asking Madeline to go out with her to a fair or festival. As much as her father would always try to ask Dawn to mingle more with the boys and eventual men of her neighborhood, she could not admire a man in the slightest. And she was pretty sure asking a woman several times her size wouldn’t sit well with her father, even with someone as pretty as Madeline.

A sudden groan, loud enough to rumble the table she was on, broke Dawn out of her musings, as she looked to Madeline, who was stirring from her sleep. Her eyes slowly opened, blinking in the morning light, and her gaze soon found its way to the little bed on the table. Dawn cursed herself internally as she averted her gaze from the giant, wondering why she was having those thoughts at someone far more massive than her. She should have been thinking of more pressing matters, like how she would be able to get out of this cave, or if she could even trust Madeline, or if she should be paying attention to the giant looking at her-

Oh. She was looking at her.

Loud scraping pushed those thoughts away, as the giant moved out of her bed. Once again, thunderous footsteps shook the rider, who barely moved, other than staring anywhere except at the giant. A part of her found it odd that she was frozen stiff in her emotions, given how she responded to Madeline last night. Another, louder part wondered why she acted like that, which in itself didn’t make much sense now. Was she that willing to trust the giant that easily, like last night? She didn’t think she would, if Dawn could ever trust someone far larger than her. Even if she did follow through with her promise of not hurting her, although she was worried about how long that would last.

She winced at a sudden wave of pain that spiked to her head; yesterday’s injury was still aching. Maybe she got hit harder than she thought.

“Um…” A voice rumbled from above, Dawn made a silent gasp. Why did she trust Madeline last night? Why didn’t she do anything to her? Why was there even a giant here, when she was straight out of a fairytale? The question swam among several other thoughts in the rider’s head. It just didn’t make any sense to Dawn. Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt as Madeline spoke again. “Pardon me, Dawn, are you… um, alright?” The giant asked, her voice still loud.

“Uhh…” was the only response Dawn let out, mouth agape as she looked at Madeline.

“Well, I guess you’re… not? Maybe…” Madeline’s voice trailed off into a mumble, trying to think of something while the rider shut her mouth. This was absurd, Dawn thought, being completely open and out of her element with someone who promised to not hurt her.

“Maybe I can make some breakfast…?” Her captor asked, yet it held some uncertainty, like she was nervous, which Dawn found confusing as well. Before she could try to think of what she meant, Madeline’s voice boomed from above, “I-I mean! Without you being part of what I’m eating, of course!” She hastily added, before Dawn could see the giant moving around the cave. She could see Madeline gather various objects and foods, most far too large for the rider and assemble them in a pan. Why she sounded anxious was beyond the rider’s understanding.

Dawn was then left in her thoughts, staring at the surface of the table beneath her. She was trying to understand what the giant was talking about. She couldn’t help but think about what Madeline said; she wasn’t going to eat the rider, unless that was a lie. Giants were known to do both, eating people and lying to them, at least in the stories, but if she was planning on eating Dawn, why would she wait? Madeline could easily pluck the rider from her bed, and yet she just left her alone. What was she planning?

As Dawn was left to imagine, a sudden noise caught her attention. It was loud, like a snap, followed by a sound that was all too similar to a fire, roaring loudly. Yet Dawn couldn’t smell anything like burning wood, or burning anything for that matter. She looked around and saw something that she found absurd, adding more to this fairytale-like scenario she was in.

Dawn saw Madeline sitting near the cave’s window, holding a pan filled with some sort of meat and vegetables, hovering it over her hand. The food, massive as it was, did not surprise her, instead it was the fire dancing in the giant’s free hand, causing the pan above to heat up. Blinking a few times in shock, Dawn’s mouth hung open again, for the second time, watching the giant cook like this as if it were normal.

The rider’s own shock held her there as she stared at Madeline, before she stared back, those enormous brown eyes looking at her own. With once again being reminded of the disparity of their size, Dawn could not help but freeze, as both of them locked eyes, for a moment that seemed to last forever. Once again, she felt helpless, looking at the giant like a hare, caught by a wolf, with no way to escape. Dawn was trembling again, ignoring the fire that had captivated her attention earlier, as she just stared.

“Oh, good morning.” Madeline’s voice once again shocked the rider’s senses back into her, with Dawn ducking beneath the sheets of her bed like a child. Outside of her blanket, Dawn heard a sigh, and hoped she wasn’t testing the giant’s patience. It really seemed like it, given all the times she tried to talk with the rider, and how each response was her being speechless, but the next word just baffled Dawn. “Sorry…” The larger woman said, and Dawn did a double take to make sure she heard it correctly. That same loud voice continued, leaving her more puzzled than before.

“I’m sorry for scaring you,” The giant’s words were just as confusing as they were loud, and it didn’t help that they sounded so genuine. “And I’m sorry for… kidnapping you, I guess.” Madeline let out a sigh, with Dawn hearing the sound of metal being placed on stone, probably the pan being put down. “I get that I’m… huge, compared to you. A-and I know that can be scary, but, please, I really do mean I’m not gonna hurt you. I just-”

“Hey.” Dawn finally let out, cutting Madeline off. The giant looked down at the bed, and saw the miniscule rider poke her head out from the sheets, trembling ever so slightly. “I, ah, I understand. That you don’t want to hurt me.”

And, surprised as she was, Madeline couldn’t help but smile slightly, seeing her guest finding the courage to talk to her.

“Madeline, right?” Dawn continued, clearing her throat as she found more courage to speak with her. “I… gotta say I’m… sorry,” She said, straining her voice to make herself heard to the giant, while also trying to find the right words to say. “I’m sorry for yelling at you last night, and freaking out and stuff.”

“Eh, it's alright.” The giant responded, with Dawn finding it more and more difficult to believe that she was out to hurt her. “You were scared, and honestly? I’d be scared of someone like me too.”

That got a little laugh from the rider, to which Madeline smiled a bit more. Despite everything that happened yesterday, Dawn was finding the constant amount of fear and stress in her body waning. Even after screaming at Madeline in fear and panic, the giant was trying to make Dawn feel safe, and as much as she did not want to admit, the rider really felt more at ease now than the previous days.

“So, breakfast?” Madeline’s voice, gentle yet powerful, rumbled across the cave, grabbing Dawn’s attention. Breakfast did sound like a good prospect, especially with the rider smelling whatever the giant was cooking earlier. The scent of cooked meat and vegetables was almost intoxicating to her, given how the last time Dawn ate felt like ages ago. But even then, how Madeline cooked the food still confused her, since she never saw magic like that before.

“Uh, yeah, sure.” Dawn replied, rather lamely, to Madeline. The rider could figure out things later, such as asking her host about the other giant, or how she wielded magic in such a way, or if she could leave soon.

But for now, she was hungry.

And maybe things would be alright.