It took Tor a while to scrape off the mud and by the time she was done, she had decided to go back to town and have her clothes washed so she could have spares. And maybe have another bath while she was at it. The closest water source to rinse and bathe in was still a few days' ride away. And she did not fancy riding that long with mud in her hair. Or the other places where mud was currently squishing uncomfortably. She pulled her boots on and stuck her head back inside the tent.
"I'm going back to Verna to get supplies," she said brusquely. "I'll be back this afternoon." She grabbed her pack, Idiot's tack and backed out of the tent. Shortly thereafter, the thunderous beat of Idiot's hooves faded into the distance.
The doctor had been working on Eric's legs when she spoke, so the princeling couldn't go after his friend/owner/protector. He sighed and looked to the doctor. "She didn't take her things. So she'll be back. We should be just fine inside the tent. No wandering outside. Everyone should stay inside."
Julia gained boldness in Tor's absence and sat beside Eric. She smiled and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, for convincing your giant to allow us to stay. We appreciate it." Her blue eyes glimmered in the faded light of the tent as color bloomed across her cheeks. She leaned in, pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and darted back to the rest of her group.
The doctor chuckled and finished massaging Eric's legs. "Julia is a good girl. Very sweet, right about your age, I would guess. How old are you, anyway?"
"Seventeen," Eric said after a moment. "I'm seventeen. That's why my father became insistent about marrying me off to some twit he picked out for me." He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Do you know who was chosen for you?" the doctor asked. "Surely his choice would be made with you in mind."
Eric snorted derisively. "No. He would choose based on how much land or money or power he could gain from the arrangement. He wouldn't even take her looks into mind. He only cares about himself."
The doctor didn't have a response. He didn't know Eric's father so he could neither agree nor disagree. "Julia is sixteen. Her parents are looking for a suitor for her," he said. "She now has a fond eye for you."
Eric smirked. "So I've seen. She is a beautiful young woman." She had curves in all the right places, bountiful ones at that.
"But her parents would never let her go with someone who lives with a giant, pet or friend or otherwise," the doctor said seriously. "If you ever consider a future with your own kind, which is what is proper, you must know that your giantess 'friend' cannot be a part of it."
Eric frowned and leaned against the blankets. "I know. Believe me, I know. I've learned how, uh, devastating Elders can be on humans. Which is what they prefer to call themselves and be called. They are Elders. Tor is only barely tolerating your use of the word 'giant.' And I cannot promise she will do so for much longer. If you want any kind of favor with her before you part ways, you should change your vocabulary. And it will probably go a long way with any other Elder you encounter."
The doctor hummed in thought as Eric fixed his pant legs. "Perhaps. At the least, we should do so in their presence if they are so discomfited by it." He rubbed his chin absently. "For now, we should pack and ensure our wagons are ready to go tomorrow. It will do no good to wait until the last moment."
The younger man nodded. "Indeed. Tor breaks camp fast. She can have everything packed and ready within twenty minutes. Then she swings into the saddle and we're off."
"How old is she?" The doctor asked abruptly. "And how long have you been with her?"
Eric looked caught. "I honestly don't know her age. But I've been in her care for nearly two months, total." He was fudging the definition of the word "total" some, but he was loathe to tell of his time with the previous doctor for fear of it leading to questions of the man's fate.
"Uh-huh. Well, if you should choose to come with us, you would be welcome. Although I don't know why you would go with an gi--err, Elder, over your own kind."
Eric was a little flustered over the question. This was the second time he had been asked this. And he had given a perfectly valid, in his mind, reason why he was with Tor. "I don't want to be forced into anything. I have chosen to be her pet. And I would rather have this choice of life rather than forced into being a pawn for my father. For the most part, Tor considers my requests and feelings in an issue. My father never did. She is far kinder. To me."
The other man just nodded. "She does seem to have an affinity for you."
Some miles away, Tor was slipping nose-deep into a tub of steaming water as her clothes were being scrubbed next door. She was down to her last clean set. And her boots were getting pretty rough as well. She would buy a new pair at the general store after her bath and laundry was done. Maybe she would find something for her princeling.
When she and her clothes were clean, she dressed and walked down to the general store. A little smirk curled the corners of her mouth when Idiot followed. That smirk lingered up until he nipped her thigh.
"Ow!" she yelped and turned a baleful eye on her horse. "Seriously, what was that for? Sorry I made you walk but I don't fancy on you breaking something and me having to do all the walking to Settlement!"
The big mustang snorted and flicked his tail, ears swiveled back as if to say 'Your point?'
Tor rolled her eyes and grabbed his reins, having him walk beside her so she could keep an eye on him. When they stopped at the general store, she ground tied him and walked inside. There wasn't much in such a small town, but she was able to get a few necessary things. She packed them away in the saddlebags and mounted.
She rode at a walk, much to her horse's displeasure. It was a solid hour before her little camp came back into sight. When it did, she was equal parts horrified and enraged when she saw another Elder rifling through her tent.
"Hey!" She shouted. "Get away from my things!"
When the person jerked up and backed away, she saw two little legs kicking frantically from his mouth. He slurped them up, swallowed quickly and turned to run for his horse.
A fire burned within her, consumed her and pushed aside all rational thought. She gigged Idiot hard in the sides and crouched low as he thundered towards the man. She felt the impact of Idiot's broad chest colliding with the man who was halfway in the saddle, sending him to the ground. She felt the off beat that resulted from Idiot trampling him.
When his normal gait resumed, she turned her horse around and ran him back over the groaning giant. There was an aguished cry. She stopped Idiot and swung down, stomping over to the man.
"Spit them up," she growled. The thief couldn't speak, only pant and moan in pain. Tor didn't repeat herself. She flipped him over to his stomach and drove the heel of her Palm into the space between his shoulder blades. It only took two such thrusts before the man was vomiting profusely.
The bile splattered everywhere and smelled awful. He continued emptying his stomach as Tor thrust her hand into his back again. She stepped off him and carefully pushed aside the foul liquid around several human shapes. The tiny people coughed and spluttered and picked themselves up. They looked up at her with gratitude as they pulled themselves to their feet and trudged away.
The man finally caught his breath. "You... bitch," he wheezed. "I think you broke my legs!"
Tor rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't be the first. It should learn you not to go rootin' about in other people's things. Most especially mine."
"I didn't know! I thought it was abandoned," he protested.
"Yeah, a fully stocked tent in pristine condition full of humans is abandoned," she sneered. "That tent and everything in it are owned. By me. As repayment for your attempted thievery, I'll take your mare. I need a pack horse. And she'll make a good brood mare." She took the mare's reins and lead her over to her tent.
"You can't take my horse!" He screeched. "You're condemning me to death by leaving me here. I need help!"
She turned a baleful eye on him. "Like you were going to condemning the humans to your gut? Count yourself lucky none of them were my princeling. I would have cut your masculinity just like any other animal I found useless." She didn't look back at him as she tied the mare to a rear D-ring on Idiot's saddle.
Tor crouched and pushed the flaps of her tent aside. Her eyes immediately sought out Eric and a little sigh escaped when she saw he was alright. She turned her attention back to the humans.
"Pack your things. We're leaving." She grabbed her pack and bedroll and left the tent.
The doctor turned to Eric. "I am thankful for Tor's interference. Any time you need medical help, come see me."
"Doctor, that isn't necessary--" the younger man began protesting.
"No. It is. She saved seven of my people, three of which were my children." Tears welled up in his eyes. "I am grateful. I owe her a life debt of innumberable measure."
Eric could do nothing but nod. "I'm going to speak with Tor. Let me know if you need anything." He made his way out of the tent to where Tor was looking over her recent acquisition, the leggy, broad-chested mare of the would-be thief. She was studiously ignoring the man's groans and curses.
He climbed onto her boot and slapped her leg. "Tor!" He called up to her.
She spared him a glance, but only barely. "I know what you're going to ask. But we're doing it my way. I'm not spending over a week with them trudging across the country."
Eric smiled. "And here I was beginning to think you had no heart." He patted her leg and smiled. "By the way, how old are you?"
She shot him an incredulous look. "Don't you know not to ask a woman her age? Especially one whose foot you're sitting on."
He chuckled. "Fair point." A scream from the giant made him wince. "What will you do with him?"
She shrugged. "This road is well enough traveled. Someone should find him within a day or so."
Eric sighed and rested his head against the top of her boot. "Alright. Fair enough. What is your plan for the people?"
"Their wagons I will strap to the saddle. The people can go in his saddlebags. I'll leave his food and water here. That's all he really had. It won't be supremely comfortable. But it will be faster than a week slogging at their pace."
"How much faster?" He asked.
"Two days if we get good ground. Four otherwise,"
"I'll talk to the people. Tell them to arrangements," he said as he slid off her foot.
Giantess World
