Sylvie fell down on her hands and knees and dunked her head into the cool waters of the little stream. Her own supply of water had run out two nights ago, and her thirst was almost unbearable. There was still a little water left over, enough for Valdan’s needs, but he felt unable to drink it while his sister had to suffer. That ordeal had come to an end, thankfully, and the two of them could also wash themselves and rest for a while, before continuing the journey home.

Unfortunately, neither of them remembered the route they had taken up into the mountains, and Sylvie had had to guess the way back. She figured that, as long as she kept descending in a general westward direction, she should eventually reach the old Giant Lands. She has been walking for over a week, though, and her food supply, like her water, was used up already. Her legs ached continuously and her feet were covered in blisters, but she couldn’t give up. She reminded herself constantly that the alternative to pushing on was death in the wilderness, for both herself and her tiny brother. Valdan had more or less healed by now, and was actually in better health than she was, but the distance was far too great for him to walk, and she wouldn’t last the time it would take him to go and fetch help.

“That…was the best feeling…I can ever remember!” Sylvie sighed, after she had gulped down several thousand gallons of clean, sparkling water. She lay down on the grass, soaking up the warm sunlight – another pleasant feeling she had almost forgotten about. Her warm clothes had been discarded several days ago. She now wore only a ragged tunic and trousers, and looked the complete opposite of the royal princess she actually was. Valdan came and sat down next to her ear, in the shadow of her head.

“Don’t rest too long,” he reminded her. “We’re nearly home, and if you lie here much longer, you’ll never want to get up again.”

“Almost home?” she exclaimed. “Valdan, we have been walking – no, I have been walking down this awful valley for days, and we haven’t seen one other person, or any sign of the giant lands. How much longer do I have to go before you realize that it’s hopeless? We’re going the wrong way!”

She wanted to cry, but, if her time in the wild had taught her one thing, it was that she was a much tougher person than she had realized. Crying was not her thing anymore. Instead, she simply sighed again and closed her eyes. She knew he was right, but for once she just decided to ignore him, and to try and get some actual rest. Valdan looked up at the weary expression on her face, and decided not to push her any further. He would be of much more help if he could scout ahead, and see if he could find anything which would help them get back home.

“I’m going to climb that ridge over there,” he told her. “Maybe I’ll be able to see a familiar landmark or something. I’m almost certain we’re close to home. Also, is it just me, or does all this grass seem a bit…oversized?”

Sylvie barely heard him, having almost passed out due to fatigue. He let her be and headed off. After swimming across the great river, he began searching for a way to reach the top of the ridge. Viewed from up close, it looked more like a cliff than a ridge, being over a thousand feet high and incredibly steep in some places. They had to be in what used to be the realm of the giants by now: the scale of the surroundings pretty much confirmed that. He gathered his strength and began the daunting climb.

Many hours later, an exhausted Valdan crawled up the side of a large boulder and collapsed on the top. His arms were burning with pain, and he’d had more than a few close shaves on the way up, nearly falling to his death once or twice. But if Sylvie could find the strength to keep going day after day, so could he. After catching his breath, he struggled up the last few yards, and took a look at what lay beyond the ridge. When he saw what lay before him, he was so overjoyed that he nearly lost his footing and fell all the way down again.

The great forest which stretched down to the plains far below was definitely giant-sized: some of the trees were over 400 yards high. From his lofty vantage point, however, he could see straight across their tops. And there, in the far distance below, lay the unmistakeable sight of a ruined city, with only one building left intact – the castle that was his home. It had to be over a hundred miles away – he could barely see it even though the air was clear – but that was no more than a few hours’ walk for his little sister. He knew that she had pretty much reached the end of her strength, but maybe if he told her how close they were to home, she would feel motivated enough to get them both back safely. There wasn’t a moment to lose, though. He still had to climb all the way down again, and with his body already tired out from the climb up, taking a wrong step would be much more likely than it was before…

Her parents had gone to bed some time ago, but Belena still found it difficult to fall asleep each night. Constantly worrying about Lorek didn’t help matters much. She would much rather have him staying here with her, in her room, where she could keep him safe, but her parents were adamant that they would have to get married first. So she responded by moving their wedding date as far forward as she could: a week after Lorek’s sixteenth birthday, which was the minimum age at which boys and girls could get married in Vandan. That day was still many months away, though, and she knew she wouldn’t get a decent night’s sleep until it came. In the meanwhile, Lorek was staying at the home of the mayor of Rismark. His father, Orlak, was still unable to accept the choice his son had made, and had moved back to his old home in Elgon, leaving Lorek behind to look after himself.

As she thought about all these things, Belena made herself a cup of tea and sat down at the kitchen table. Just as she took her first sip, she heard a sudden knock on the door. She jumped in shock, nearly dropping the cup, and wondered who it could be. It was a giant-size door, of course, and, since her mother was fast asleep, that left only one person it could possibly be. She ran over and opened it, only to be knocked back, as her little sister Sylvie fell into her arms. Belena shrieked aloud.

“Sylvie!” she cried out. “Oh, Sylvie, you’re…you’re back! You’re home! Are…are you all right?”

Sylvie merely muttered something inaudible. Belena, seeing that her sister was in need of help, laid her down carefully on the kitchen floor, and rushed off to wake her mother. The two of them returned as quickly as possible, and found the tiny figure of Valdan sitting on Sylvie’s chest: she had been carrying him in her hands, but Belena hadn’t noticed him earlier. Valerie immediately knelt down and lifted him up to embrace him.

“Oh, my beautiful children!” she exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes. “You’ve come home – you’ve both come home! And you’re safe! Oh, how glad I am to see you…”

“It’s great to see you too, Mom,” Valdan gasped, as his mother squeezed him against her bosom. “But you have to help Sylvie – I think she’s fainted…”

Sylvie had indeed passed out on the floor, and was lying there peacefully, as if she were sleeping. Belena ran and fetched a glass of water, and the cold liquid helped to revive the young princess, a little. She managed to greet her mother and sister, but she was still very weak, and on the edge of slipping off into unconsciousness again. Valerie put her son down on the floor, and took hold of Sylvie’s shoulders.

“Help me carry her upstairs, Belena,” she ordered. “She needs a bath and fresh clothes, and a meal. Would you mind preparing some food, while I help her clean up?”

Carrying the young girl between them, they headed upstairs, leaving Valdan alone. Not completely alone, though: a figure came walking out of the shadows, and, before anything could be said, Valdan had run up to his father and gave him a most uncharacteristic hug.

“I missed you, Dad,” he admitted.

“So have I, Valdan. I have missed you both, and I couldn’t be happier that you came home – and not a moment too soon, it appears.”

“Oh, yeah…Sylvie. She hadn’t eaten anything in days. We’ve got to go and help her, Dad! What if she doesn’t make it?”

“It’s all right, son! There’s no need to panic! Your mother and sister are taking care of Sylvie, and there’s not much we tiny men can do to help. In fact, it’s probably a good idea to get yourself looked after as well.”

“Dad, I’m fine…”

“Really? You’re covered in dust, you’ve got bandages all over your body…how did that happen, by the way?”

“It’s…a long story…and I’m really tired. Can it wait till tomorrow?”

Alban hugged his son again.

“Of course it can. I’m just overjoyed that you’re back. Come, let’s get you something to eat first, and then you can go and rest. But I’ll expect a full account of everything that happened to you as soon as you’re up tomorrow, understood?”

“Yes…Your Majesty.”

They both laughed. Valdan was indeed happy to be home, but the desire for adventure had by no means left him. He knew he’d want to go on another journey again soon – perhaps preparing for it a bit more thoroughly this time – and he still needed to talk to his parents about the villagers he’d met, and who wanted to become part of the Kingdom of Vandan. Just then Belena came down the stairs, and she greeted Valdan excitedly. She gave her father and brother a lift to the kitchen table and offered to make Valdan something to eat.

“She’ll be quite all right,” she said, after Valdan had asked about Sylvie. “She’s not in as bad a condition as she appeared to be. She managed to take a bath before Mom sent her to bed. I’ve got to make her some food now and take it up to her.”

“Ah,” said Alban. “So we do have time for the tale of your adventures, Valdan…”

“Tomorrow, Dad!”

While her concerned family sat around her (minus Valdan, he’d already gone to sleep), Sylvie ate what was probably the best-tasting meal she’d ever had. Six slices of bread with honey, two whole apples and a bowl of soup later, she felt like herself again. Still, she couldn’t help remembering the terrible hunger she’d had for the last few days, so she ate yet another slice.

“Oh, this tastes so good!” she said with a mouth full of food. “Thank you so much, Mom!”

“Thank Belena, she’s the one who made it for you.”

“Thanks, Belena.”

“You really should learn to take better care of yourself, baby,” Alban said. “If you don’t think you’ve got enough food for the journey, rather turn back. Not reaching your destination is a lot better than dying of hunger, believe me.”

“Oh, I’m not doing anything like this again, ever!” Sylvie exclaimed. “Valdan can go by himself the next time; once was enough for me. Although…there were a few parts that were kinda fun…”

“Another story for tomorrow?” Valerie asked.

Sylvie nodded, and her mother gave her a kiss on the cheek. The young girl, feeling like a princess again, could barely keep her eyes open. Alban said goodnight as well, as did Belena. They promised her that she could lie in bed as late as she wished tomorrow, and that there would be a huge breakfast waiting for her when she did get up.

“I guess I’m gonna have to go away more often, if this is the welcome I’ll get when I come back each time!” she laughed.

“Sweet dreams, my little princess.”

“Thanks, Mom…thanks for everything.”

“I can’t wait to hear what you’ve been up to,” Belena said, as they all got up to leave. “I’ll bring Lorek along, then I can introduce him to Valdan and you.”

“Who’s Lorek? Your boyfriend?”

“Actually…he’s my fiancé.”

“What?” Sylvie yelled, suddenly sounding a lot more awake. “You…you’re getting married? You?”

“Yes, I am…but that’s another long story. Just go to sleep, little sis. We’ll catch up on everything tomorrow.”

Sylvie was burning to hear about Belena’s upcoming marriage, but, despite that, she fell asleep almost as soon as her family had left the room. A pillow feels so much better beneath one’s head than a cold hard rock, she thought, and absolutely nothing could compare to a warm comfortable bed – so it was a great surprise to find that, deep down, she actually missed travelling with her tiny brother.

“Maybe my adventure’s not over yet,” she thought. “Maybe…”