Throughout the entire time that Maxine carried the boy he had been trying to escape by punching and kicking. The only thing that he was achieving was tiring himself out and it wasn't long before he no longer had the energy to fight back. This was exactly what the armoured giantess had wanted. At least now he would stop fighting and she didn't have to strike him at all.

There was still some nervousness from Charles as he followed close by. He was still keeping his eye out for danger which as far as he was concerned was from every direction. A couple of times he did notice a rabbit and even a couple of squirrels. Despite all of this he still couldn't move too far away from his friend. The last thing he wanted right now was to be separated from her.

He wasn't the only one who was concerned. Maxine had a small amount of her own as she was hoping that her memory wasn't betraying her. If she had been mistaken with the location of the orphanage then it meant that they would be walking in the wrong direction. The last thing she wanted was to have to take care of this boy in the long term. If it wasn't a member of her family, she normally wasn't very good with children.

"Boy," stated Maxine in a commanding tone. At first Charles thought that she was referring to him but he soon realised that she was actually talking to the boy that she was still carrying under her arm.

"What do you want now?" replied the Boy. His tone was indifferent as it seemed like he was accepting his fate. Almost like a condemned man being taken to the gallows.

"You still haven't told us your name."

"Does it make any difference?" It seemed obvious that he didn't want to say but he couldn't help but look up at her. She was still the largest human being that he had ever seen and it was unlikely that he would meet anyone larger for the rest of his life.

"Yes, it does, unless you want me to keep referring to you as boy."

"Fine." He gave a sigh as he didn't think that it made too much of a difference at that moment in time. "My name is Theodore but I go by Ted."

"Hmm, Ted. I once knew a man named Ted, he told me that my place was in the house cleaning and making my husband happy. After he said that he found himself with a few less teeth." She chuckled to herself for a moment as she still got some satisfaction from putting that man in his place. "My name is Maxine Martel, eldest daughter of Sir Tucker Martel and soon to be knight."

"Is your father supposed to be someone important because I've never heard of him." His voice seemed disinterested and this got Charles's attention. He knew that the quickest way to anger Maxine was to speak badly about her father.

"He is a great man and one finest knight in Angleland. I intend to carry on his legacy for as long as I can. My companion here is named Charles."

"Is he not important enough for you to mention his last name?" It seemed like the boy was trying to annoy Maxine in whatever way he could. It seemed to be his last chance of trying to stop what was happening. It was a futile gesture but right now he didn't have that much of a choice.

"M-My surname is Ingram," answered Charles. He wanted to answer himself since he knew that if Maxine did that it would likely just annoy her further.

"Sounds like a dumb name." He felt a small amount of pain as Maxine squeezed tighter for a moment. He gave one small yelp of pain and it was an obvious indicator that she was telling him to behave himself.

"We don't choose our names but we stick by them regardless," answered Maxine. "Although I admit that some are just awful."

Just as the group continued to walk, they began to see a building that was close by. It was surprisingly large and seemed to be out of the way somewhat. It took them a few moments to step close enough to it before they realised what it was. Just outside there was a sign that read 'Sunny Valley Orphanage.' This was something that Charles had to read out since Maxine's reading skills were not up to scratch.

As they looked upon the building itself, they could see that at one point it had been something grand. Now it looked to be in a state of disrepair as it clearly had better days. It had a few floors and a solid roof although it did look like a few tiles had fallen off over the years.

There were sounds that indicated that the building was occupied by a lot of people. The main sound that could be heard was that of children and the occasion voice of an adult. It seemed that there was chaos taking place inside and this made Charles in particular nervous to step toward it.

Maxine had no problems with this though as she stepped toward the main door and knocked it with her fist. The door itself was quite large but she was still more than a head taller than it. Charles quickly stepped over to her after she had knocked the door and they stood there and waited until the door slowly began to open.

There they saw an old woman stepping out, she wore mostly black and had a necklace around her neck. It contained a symbol that looked to be a sun with a series of lightning bolts around it. The only part of her body that wasn't covered up was her face and her hands and it was obvious to Maxine and Charles what kind of woman that this was.

She was someone who had devoted herself to the religion that dominated Angleland. Even Maxine and Charles followed this religion although they were not as devoted as some people were. One thing they knew was that they needed to show respect to this kind of woman and that was exactly what they intended.

"Hello, how may I..." stated the Old Woman. She was looking up slightly but then she realised that she wasn't look up far enough. She craned her head further and further up until she locked onto eyes with Maxine. "Help you." There was a small amount of disbelief in her words as she couldn't believe the gargantuan woman standing before her. She had seen plenty of tall people in her life but none as tall as her.

"We found someone who I think that you might have lost," replied Maxine. This was when the Old Woman looked at Maxine's arm and she could see Ted being held there. By now he had stopped trying to escape and was practically ready to accept his fate.

"Oh Ted, we've been looking for you for two weeks." Ted didn't respond with words and simply gave an annoyed grunt.

"Ah so he did come from here." She then placed him down to the ground but she still kept a grip on his collar so that he couldn't escape. "You may take him off my hands and also I suggest teaching him more manners."

"I apologise and thank you for bringing him back to us. But please do not leave yet, we have to thank you for bringing this unfortunate child back. It is near supper time so why don't you stay and have some food. It is the least that we can do for you."

Maxine fell silent for a moment as she considered what to do next. She knew that Charles was still not in the best place mentally but in a way, she thought that this place could help him. These religious women were known as Priestesses but went more by the title of Shepherds. This time seemed even more so since they helped tend to unfortunate children. Not just that but when people were in times of crisis, they would speak to a Shepherd in the hopes of them giving the comfort.

This seemed like an ideal place for Charles to be as the Shepherds would be able to help him process his trauma and lead him to the road of recovery. The fact that they could get some free food also was enticing for them. On her travels, one thing that Maxine was sure to remember was to not turn down free food. It seriously helped with their budget as feeding a nine-foot woman with larger muscles than the majority of men wasn't cheap. There was also the minor fact that turning down a Shepherd was considered to be an offense not just to them but also the gods.

"We graciously accept your offer," said Maxine after her mind was made up. She knew that she hadn't consulted Charles about it but she thought that it was for the best. "And we thank you for your generosity."

"Not a problem at all," replied the Shepherd. She then opened the door wider. "Please come in, I think that the other children would be thrilled to meet you as well."

Ted was the first to step through the door although he was reluctant to do so. He wanted to go and live out on his own again but his escape had been thwarted for the time being. In his head he was already thinking of other ways that he could escape. These were all being forced to one side however as he knew that the Shepherds there would be keeping a close eye on him.

After he had stepped through Charles did the same. He had been quiet the entire time and he was a little nervous with entering the orphanage. He still thought that it was relatively harmless but he thought that about the inn as well. The truth was that he simply wasn't sure what he was going to do with himself. He did take some solace with the thought that Maxine would be with him to protect him. However, inside this orphanage he would only have to worry about children and Shepherds who were practically harmless.

As expected, when Maxine stepped through the door, she had more difficulties than her squire. The door was far too short for her to walk through comfortably and she had to bend down in order to get through. However, when she was able to step through, she stood back up to her full height and she felt a thud as her head struck the ceiling. This made her grunt slightly in pain as she realised the ceiling was just a little too low for her. If she had been a couple of inches shorter, she would have just made it.

The first actual view inside of the orphanage made it look unremarkable. For the moment they were merely some kind of small entrance hall and as they stepped through another door, they found themselves in a large dining hall. Thankfully there the ceiling was more than high enough for Maxine to stand up straight.

There were several long tables with benches which were for the children when they came to eat. For the time being it was mostly empty although they could definitely smell some food being cooked. It didn't smell like the most appetizing of meals but it would be one that Maxine and Charles would be happy to have.

"If you don't mind, it is best that you wait in here," said Shepherd. "I need to take Ted back to his room and I will make sure that one of my Shepherds tends to you as soon as possible." She then grabbed onto the hand of Ted and began to lead him away. "Come along you, I need to have a word with you."

With that the Shepherd stepped out of the dining hall while Maxine and Charles simply stood there and watched. It was somewhat surreal but after their long walk they were more than happy to simply sit down on one of the benches and take the weight off of their feet. It was a somewhat nice feeling for them.

One thing that did take Charles by surprise was the fact that Maxine was beginning to take off her armour. It was somewhat difficult for her to do by herself and she looked towards him. He didn't need to be told as he quickly got back up to his feet and began to help the large woman with her task.

"Ma'am," said Charles. His voice sounded timid as he was somewhat afraid that he might be berated for his next question. "Why are you taking off your armour?"

"Simple," replied Maxine. "We are perfectly safe here and if we are going to be dining with children then I'll seem less intimidating with my armour off." She said this as the armour on her left arm was removed which exposed the large, muscular arm underneath. In Charles's mind it did make some sense with what she was saying but he still thought it was best to be on their guard. Danger could come from any direction.

It took a minute or two before Maxine's armour was completely removed and it was somewhat of a relief. Her body felt much lighter and she found it less difficult to move around competently. Although she had pride with her armour it was nice to take it off every now and again.

Only moments after she had finished taking off her armour they were approached by another Shepherd. This one looked different to the one that they had met earlier, she was a much younger woman and she looked up at her with some wonder. Like the other Shepherd, only her face could be seen and she was noticed quickly by Maxine and Charles. Her eyes widened at the sight of the giant, muscular woman and she couldn't help but take a couple of steps back.

"Is there something the matter?" asked Maxine. She had seen this kind of reaction before and it was one that annoyed her. However, since the woman in question was a Shepherd, she would tolerate it a little more.

"N-No," replied the Young Woman. There was something about her face that Maxine found to be familiar but she couldn't put her finger on it. "My name is Shepherd Riley and I have been tasked with assuring that you are comfortable here before the children come for supper. Is there anything that I can assist you with?"

"There is something, I need a place to store my armour while we eat. Do you know somewhere where the children won't be able to mess around with it?"

"We do have a storage cupboard not far from here, would you like me to take them there for you?" Her voice sounded quite timid, almost like she was afraid of the woman standing before her.

"My friend and I will take them there ourselves. Just lead the way and we can do the rest." This was not because she didn't trust the Shepherd, but merely because she knew that this quite small woman would greatly struggle with carrying such heavy armour to any location. Even if it was one that was close by.

As Shepherd Riley was instructed to, she led Maxine and Charles to a storage cupboard that was just outside of the dining room. It was only just large enough to store all of the armour and the sword too was placed there. Maxine was a little reluctant to put that away as she felt that a knight should never be too far away from their sword. However, she couldn't have a sword on her person in the presence of children.

After they were done, they were led back to the dining hall and quickly sat themselves down on the bench. Thankfully since it was bolted to the ground, they didn't have to worry about the weight of Maxine's body tipping it up. Shepherd Riley stood by the table with her hands together and she looked at the two visitors.

"Would you like me to get you some water?" asked Shepherd Riley. She sounded like she was becoming a little more confident around them and she watched as Maxine turned her head towards her.

"That would be nice thank you," replied Maxine. Her tone was quite pleasant and it put both people present at ease. "Although I doubt that an orphanage doesn't stock ale." It had been a while since she had last drunk ale. It was the night before and she knew what happened after she had drank it.

"Unfortunately, not, but I'll get you some water. But I must warn you, the children are coming in a minute so things might be a little hectic."

With that Shepherd Riley began to walk away leaving Maxine and Charles there to simply wait for the water and eventually their food. They weren't expecting a great feast or anything to have particular flavour. It wasn't too difficult to remember that whatever food was coming was mass produced so taste was not particularly a priority.

While the Shepherd was gone however Maxine did begin to think about her. She was sure that she had seen this woman's face from somewhere before but she couldn't remember where. This was beginning to annoy her but not to the point where she became angry, just annoyed at herself for not remembering.

It didn't take long for Shepherd Riley to bring the cups of water for the weary travellers. She placed it in front of them and they began to drink it. She stood there with a smile on her face as she was happy to help them. But then she noticed Maxine's head turn towards her with a look of determination.

"What did you say your name was?" asked Maxine as she looked directly at Shepherd Riley. This sent a shiver down her spine as she wasn't sure what was going to happen next. Because of Maxine's size and obvious strength, she was a little afraid of the giant woman even though she wouldn't harm her.

"Shepherd Riley," replied the Shepherd with the slightest hint of nervousness in her voice. She wanted to step away but she knew that she was duty bound to remain where she was. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm sure that I've met you some place before, are you sure that this is the first time we've met?" Her curiosity seemed to be getting the better of her as she seemed to be convinced of her memory.

"You must be mistaken; we've never met before. I have been here ever since I was a shepherd and if you don't mind me saying... I would have remembered meeting a woman such as yourself."

Maxine didn't really respond to this; she was a little offended by her words but did nothing about it. She knew that the Shepherd meant no offense by what she had said but more than anything she was convinced that she had seen her before. Her voice also sounded familiar and this only added to her frustration.

Before she could ask anything, else there was the loud call of several children entering the dining hall. They were fairly loud and somewhat excitable as they quickly made their way to their seats. Boys and girls were mixed and there was a large age range between them. For the moment none of them had noticed that they had guests joining them and instead simply went where they needed to go.

One of the children that Maxine noticed was Ted who was much slower entering the dining hall in comparison to his peers. He seemed to be a little upset after what to him was his stretch of freedom had come to a crashing end. Not only that but he found himself here again which was the last place that he wanted to be.

Charles had noticed this and he felt some sympathy towards him. But his thoughts were distracted when he was noticed by one of the children. She was a little girl who stared up at both him and Maxine with big brown eyes and a smile on her face. She seemed genuinely happy to see them there.

"Hi," said the Little Girl with a smile on her face. "You're having supper with us tonight and that makes very happy."

"W-Well we're happy to be having supper with you as well," replied Charles who despite what he was feeling still knew to be nice. He heard the little girl giggle and then she took a better look at Maxine who was sitting right next to him.

"Wow you look very tall." She giggled. "How did you get so tall? Did you drink a lot of milk?"

"My mother is a very tall woman," replied Maxine as she took a sip of her water. Normally she would be angered by these kinds of questions but because it was coming from a child, she didn't mind answering them.

These words also made Charles think about the time they spent at the Martel farm. He easily remembered Maxine's mother Jessica and her sisters as well. If the kids could meet them and also witness them using their size manipulation abilities then it would likely put Maxine to shame. Although he knew by now not to mention to her about the fact that her mother and sisters could increase in size but she couldn't. It was still something that was a bit of a sore spot.

As the moments went by more children curiously huddled around where Maxine and Charles were sitting. They all looked at them in wonder as it wasn't often that they got visitors. There were even some children who hoped that they were there to adopt them, only to realise that this wasn't the case.

Her muscles were also something that brought some attention to her. At one point two of the children were able to grab onto her biceps and she was able to lift them off the ground with practically no effort. This amazed the children and they couldn't help but think that she was the strongest woman that they'd ever met.

Unfortunately for them, their fun came to an end when Shepherd Riley stepped over and instructed the children to take their seats. There were a few sighs of disappointment as they began to disperse and sit down where they had been allocated. It was mere moments after that when the food was finally brought out.

What was placed in front of Maxine and Charles didn't look particularly nice. It almost seemed like something had crawled onto their plates and died. She even thought that the cooking of her mother looked better than this. Even so they knew that they couldn't turn down the food simply because it was free and from a Shepherd. But as she looked over to Shepherd Riley some gears started to turn in her head and she began to realise where she had seen the religious woman before.