Talon cocked his head to the side for a moment, and then leaned over, and sharply pecked the old hunter’s forehead twice. Before Loudin could react, Talon flew to the other side of the fire, landed near Mikahl, and bobbed his head up and down with glee. Mikahl and Vaegon burst into a fit of hysterical laughter. Loudin scowled at them, and rubbed the red spot on his forehead briskly. Hyden, like Mikahl, had a great sense of humor.
The giant, Borg, stood just over fourteen feet tall. He wasn’t even close to being the tallest of his race. The club he carried – he called it a staff – was made out of the trunk of an old pine tree, whose resin like sap had been hardened in the Cauldron at Afdeon. The base of it was as big around as Hyden’s waist, and so were the giant’s upper arms. Borg’s hair was long, dark, and streaked with silvery gray, as was the thick beard, which trailed down his chest. His pants, and knee length vest coat, were a patchwork of thick furred animal skins. The long sleeved shirt he wore underneath was made from a dark and well tanned elk’s hide. His boots looked to be made of a thicker sort of pelt. The fur was as white as the snow he was standing in. Mounted on the bridge of each foot, was a toothy skull that matched the one mounted on his belt buckle. What the giant’s hair, mustache, and beard didn’t cover of his face, the long bushy eyebrows did. Even though his eyes were the size of plums, they seemed hidden underneath them. The huge slab of Borg’s forehead was the most prominent, and the most exposed of his features.
Hyden saw a glint of curiosity sparkle from the depths of Borg’s sockets, as the approaching giant mused over his sudden burst of laughter. Hyden didn’t think he could explain the long distance jest that had just played out on Loudin’s skull, so he did his best to suppress his mirth.
Borg was more than a little intimidating, even to one who had met him before. Hyden wanted to be taken seriously by the Southern Guardian, because he was sure that Mikahl’s business with King Aldar was important, as well as urgent. He put on a face, similar to the ones he’d seen his father and grandfather use when dealing with the giants: stern and serious. He then searched his memory of Berda’s tales for a hint of the proper etiquette and greeting to use in the situation.
Confident now that he wouldn’t make a fool of himself, Hyden started through the ice and snow to greet Borg. He caught himself fighting back a grin as he went. He hadn’t been able to see Loudin’s expression when he told Talon to peck his head, but he imagined it was a sight to see. His grin faded, when the deep creases of concern splitting Borg’s huge forehead became clear through the swirling snow. It was an intense look, a look that cut far deeper into Hyden than the icy blast of wind that preceded the giant.
“What business would cause you to guide two kingdom men, and an elf, into these lands, son of Harrap?” Borg asked harshly.
Hyden couldn’t believe that the giant recognized him as his father’s son, but he had.
Obviously the giant wouldn’t know which son he was, so he clarified the matter.
“I am Hyden, eldest son of Harrap,” Hyden said. “One of the kingdom men, a tattooed hunter called Loudin, says he knows you. He has brought something of value he thinks you will want to barter for.”
Hyden paused to gauge Borg's reaction. He hoped the giant actually knew Loudin and remembered him if he did. The giant’s nod assured him that it was so.
“The other kingdom man has urgent messages for King Aldar. He carries those and a sword that -” He let his voice trail off there. He wasn’t sure how much information he should divulge. He didn’t want to mislead Borg, nor did he want to betray Mikahl’s trust. He found that he suddenly wished he hadn’t mentioned the sword at all.
Borg was silent for a long moment. He looked haggard, and worried over serious matters beyond the issue before him. Hyden noticed that there were dark stains all around the base of the giant’s big staff. Some were old, and a brownish black in color, but some were slick and glossy red. A patch of yellow could be seen where a piece of the wood had been chipped or torn away recently.
“What about the elf?” Borg finally asked.
“The elf,” Hyden searched for an explanation that made sense, but couldn’t come up with one. He ended up saying the first thing that came to his mind, which was also the least believable of any answer he could have given. “Vaegon is my friend.”
With a doubtful scowl, Borg seemed to accept this. He let out a deep sigh, and nodded for Hyden to lead him. As Hyden complied, Borg’s spoke from behind him.
“It is a sign of strange times when any member of the Skyler Clan chooses to befriend an elf, but a bridge between the two races has long been needed.”
Hyden had to hurry and scramble to stay ahead of Borg’s huge strides. He wanted to ask about Berda, but couldn’t find the words, or the moment, to speak them. He cared deeply for the giantess who had educated him through the telling of her tales, while her husband grazed his big horned goats in the valleys around the Skyler Clan village. He had a feeling that if he didn’t see her while he was here in the mountains, that it would be a long while before he had the chance again. He wanted to ask her about the man named Pratchert, who eventually became the wizard, Dahg Mahn. He wanted her to see Talon, and to ask her what she knew about such a bonding. All of that aside, he just plain wanted to see her, and hear her soft voice, as she carried him away to some grand and far off place for an adventure. It came as a shock when Borg, seeming to have read part of his thoughts, asked him a question.
“So Hyden Hawk, where is your familiar?”
Hyden took two more steps, then stopped abruptly, and turned.
“How do you know about Talon?” His tone was as curious as it was fearful.
“I talk with the animals as you do, Hyden Hawk.” Borg made sure that his tone wasn’t severe. He hadn’t meant to alarm the boy in any way. “They help me with my duty. Sooner or later, I hear of everything that happens in these mountains. How else do you think I could guard such a vast border by myself? For the moment, you and Talon are the envy of the skies. All the birds are chirping about it.”
“I can only communicate with Talon,” Hyden said, as he turned and started walking again.
“You will grow into your power far sooner than you’ll like,” Borg told him. “It’s something that takes time to develop. Usually, necessity brings out the abilities you have happened upon. And I am afraid that using your gift will become a necessity before too long.”
The giant sighed again, as they continued stalking through the snow.
“Bad things have been loosed upon the world recently. I think that maybe you and your group may have met one of them already.”
The idea that there were more things out there like the hellcat that had killed Lord Gregory and half blinded Vaegon, made Hyden shudder. He wondered what sort of things they could be and what they were after. The hellcat had seemed concerned only with Mikahl, or maybe it was that magical sword he wielded. Either way, Hyden was sure that he would find out more about the kingdom men than he really wanted to.
He was relieved when they finally reached the cavern, and at least for a while, his mind wouldn’t be idle to dwell on such dire possibilities.
Borg had to duck into the cavern, and ended up sitting cross-legged by the fire, with his head brushing the soot blackened ceiling. Hyden introduced him to everyone and them to him.
When Mikahl rose and bowed formally, as Westland custom dictated, he got a good look at the massive Southern Guardian. He was shocked, and relieved at what he saw. The things his countrymen had fought at Coldfrost hadn’t been giants at all. He couldn’t picture them as even being half breeds.
Borg was just a great big human, where those things had been semi-intelligent beasts. The contrast between what Mikahl had expected, and what was before him, confounded him so much that he forgot to ask Borg the questions that had been eating away at him for the last few days. He was so relieved, that he forgot about everything for a while, at least until he caught the giant eyeing King Balton’s sword.
Chapter 32
After everyone had been introduced, and all the formalities had been taken care of, Loudin attracted Borg’s attention by carefully unrolling a few feet of the bark lizard skin. The size of the cavern wouldn’t allow him to show any more of it, but he didn’t need the extra room. Like some monstrous baby, Borg crawled on hands and knees
