The Giant Among Us Read Online Free PDF

Tavis followed close behind, positioning himself where he would see inside the silver case when it was opened. The scout doubted that Arlien intended any harm to the queen, but it was his duty to be cautious.
    “As you can imagine, the journey from Gilthwit is a long and difficult one,” Arlien began. He looked through the embrasure, to where the purple light of dusk was creeping across the craggy hills north of Cuthbert Castle. “I had to cross endless miles of frozen wastes, as forlorn and dangerous as the highest peaks among the [ce Spire Mountains. The plains were bitter cold, and full 3f dragons and giants-and many beasts even more ferocious and terrible.”
    “I know what the Icy Plains are like,” Brianna inter—upted.
    “And so does my father,” Arlien continued. “Yet, when news reached us that you had ascended Hartsvale’s throne, he still asked me to make the perilous journey to your kingdom.”
    “Why?” Brianna demanded.
    “For a thousand years, the giant tribes have let Hartsvale live in peace, but that has changed with your father’s abdication-as you can see by the great number of marauders converging on this fief alone,” the prince said. “Gilthwit, on the other hand, has always endured the enmity of the giants.”
    “And you have come to share your wisdom with Hartsvale.”
    “Both our kingdoms would benefit by an alliance,” Arlien replied. “Gilthwit is a rich land that has endured in isolation too long. A trade route between our two countries, patrolled jointly by our armies, would greatly strengthen both kingdoms. Gilthwit would have a market for its jewels and rare metals, while the trade tariffs would swell Hartsvale’s treasury. You would have the gold necessary to bolster your defenses against the giants, and a ready ally to fight at your side.”
    “What you propose has merit.” Brianna’s voice softened, and she laid a hand on the sill of the embrasure. “But if Gilthwit really exists, how come you’re the first person I’ve met from there?”
    “Because my people rarely leave Gilthwit,” Arlien explained. “The kingdom is surrounded on all sides by frozen wastes as vast as they are deadly. I required a caravan of three hundred men and twice that many yaks to make the journey, and we lost two-thirds of our number even before the frost giants attacked us. Such treks are not undertaken lightly.”
    “And you want to open a trade route across such dangerous terrain?” Tavis scoffed.
    “The route will never be a safe one,” the prince admitted, continuing to look at Brianna. “But together, our two kingdoms can make it passable-and the rewards will repay our efforts tenfold.”
    “If the rewards are so great, why haven’t you sent an envoy sooner?” Brianna asked.
    The prince gave her a condescending smile. “At least we sent one, dear queen,” he said. “I don’t recall receiving any of Hartsvale’s princes in my father’s palace.”
    “Perhaps you will forgive us if you remember that we’ve always regarded Gilthwit as a legend,” Brianna said.
    “I must admit that Hartsvale seemed quite mythical to me, at least until I arrived in High Meadow,” Arlien allowed. “Yet here we stand, two legends speaking to one another.”
    A neutral smile crossed Brianna’s lips. “So we are,” she said. “But you still haven’t answered my question.”
    The prince inclined his head. “So I haven’t,” he said. “As I said earlier, Gilthwit has always been an enemy to giants. I doubt very much that King Camden, or any of your ancestors, would have traded peace with the giants for an alliance with us.”
    “And what makes you think I will?” Brianna demanded.
    “Because you are not at peace with the giants.”
    “Hartsvale has always had marauders,” the queen said. The troubles in this fief don’t mean we’re at war.”
    “Come now, you don’t believe that, and neither do I,” the prince said. “You see, I know all about the circumstances surrounding