"The Peaceful Giant"

Scribed by: Scribe Windance LongQuill

Excerpt taken from a scroll entitled "The Peaceful Giant"
Discovered North of Langenfirth in the year 336.

Begin excerpt...

Dawn broke like many other days, the sun slowly rising to chase away the tired night. I awoke tired but swiftly, the excitement of today's events already beginning to chase away the cobwebs of a restless sleep. The first rays of cold light broke through the tattered shutters as I slowly rose upon my makeshift bed that had been a hayloft yesterday. Lowering my gaze from the breaking morn, I scanned my shelter, a small stable complete with tired wooden walls and half-shuttered windows, leaning chairs and a small round table in the center. Not much for a legend, but he seemed happy here, and I dared not question why.

My eyes found their way across the makeshift fireplace that rested in the corner, down the wall near the large crevice that ran the length of the far wall, and across to a large wooden bed that rested nestled in the furthest corner of the room. There a large body lay sleeping, nearly twice the size of myself or any other human I had seen for that matter. Shoulders like giant hills held aloft a massive boulder of a head, half and again the size of a melon, that rested upon a neck that reminded me of the trunks of the trees I had seen a few days hence my arrival here. A low rumble not much unlike the growl of a large lion carried up from a massive chest that seemed to stretch across the room like the face of a time-worn cliff. The sight almost made me quiver. Although I had spent the last few days with my gentle friend, his massive size still gave me a chill to my bones.

Slowly I stood, straightening the crink from my back to stretch my tired limbs. Soon I would have to set about the chores of today, but for now I would take my tea and try to awaken fully. Above the low rumbling snores of the sleeping giant, the first birds of daylight began their song. Quiet it was at first, then joined by others, and more until the whole forest seemed to echo with the harmonious songs. The floor creaked only slightly as I made my way toward the shuttered window that hung half open to the morning light. Pushing aside the shutter and taking in the cool morning air, I sat heavily down upon the nearby chair that I had used to gaze unto the stream from afar for several days now. Slowly my eyes moved across the small clearing outside the house, across the green rolling hill that lay to the west and down onto the long winding stream already bubbling and churning in its daily routine. What was it about that stream that carried so much calmness in it? How could it make me feel so whole by merely gazing upon it? With a sigh, I stood. Turning from the window and gulping down the last of my tea, I made my way toward the door. Grabbing up an axe, I opened the door gently and walked into the sunlight, ready to take on my daily chores.

Having stacked the last of the wood and finished cleaning a satchel of small rabbits for dinner, I made my way back toward the cottage where my large friend lay sleeping. Pausing only to wipe the sweat from my brow, I opened the small door and walked into the sheltered shadows of the cottage. Gazing about, my eyes stopped short at the large figure sitting slumped in the corner of the bed upon which he had been sleeping.

'Oh, by the gods, master, you should be sleeping. You can't go lollygagging around in your condition," I said, rushing to hurry him back into bed.

"I's nae needa be having a nurse maid, lad, nae now, nae ever, but me thanks yah fer your concern," came his response, deep and booming like thunder in the valleys.

"As you wish, but at least take some tea if nothing else," I stated as I shook my head and turned to make his tea.

"Nae, nae tea fer me, I's been figuring I's outta be telling yeah what yah came here fer, anyway. I nae have much'ah time being left and all. If'n yer gonna hear it, best as well be now as ever." His words were slow and drawn out as if some great effort were put into saying them, and I knew it was time.

"As you wish, my master, as you wish." Going to my satchel, I pulled from it a small quill and ink packet I tied together with a string many days before, and set it upon a small parchment scroll which I also took from my satchel. Sitting at the round table, I made myself ready and began to write as he spoke.

"I's figuring yah wanna be hearing about what it is all yah little folks wanna hear about, about the times long ago when me was a lil toglet. So I's might as well be starting as the begin'in." He began his story, the words coming slow and with tired rasp, for he was slipping, and his time was short. My heart sunk as I thought about the way of life and death.

"'Twas many a year ago now, I's be figuring, but the tree faring people that be having the pointy ears, they would say 'twas but a few years. My mams was a slave, yah's be knowing, kepted in the holes in the ground fer them lizard folks." As he spoke those words, I could see through the shadows a grimace of pain, and I wondered for whom he grieved, his mother or the slaves in general. Pausing only shortly, he continued.

"I's remember it well, me and me mams and me brother, we was working, digg'n rocks and hunting fer the lizard folks. They never be doing anything fer themselfs, nae they didn't. We's did ever'thing fer em, but they no thanks us. We just togs, just trash to them." And his face changed to an almost angry glare as he spoke. Settling my nerves, I continued to write as he spoke. "They be mean peoples, they were, beat me mams and me brother and even me at times, though I's was to young to be doing much about it. I's remember once that this fella was whippin me, I's rember him smiling as the whip cracked, and I's remember the bite how it snapped at me like a turtle, I's do." The glare changed on his face to something that startled me even more. Agony, pure agony showed now, unmistakable giant tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Yet he stiffened up and continued. From what I knew of the legends around togs, as they were called, to see one cry was a feat hardly realized. I continued to write, in awe of the situation.

"'I's was yelling, and crying, and me mams heard me as she brought in food fer the other lizards folks, and she screamed and I's told her nae to, but the lizards they grabbed her and they beat her and beat her, until she nae moved anymore. Then they say they do same to me if'n I nae be behaving." His speech grew frantic as if he was still there, and as I wrote, a tear welled up in the corner of my eye.

"I's remembers how she looked. She nae moved, only looked like she was frozen in place. Her mouth still be open, as if'n she still was screaming, and rage took me. I's jumped to me feet, and I's hit the lizard hard as I's could muster up. His whip fell, I's remember hearing his jaw shatter, and as ashamed of meself as I's be, I felt good about hurting him. So's I grabbed up his whip, and I's beat him with it. His screams, I's remember his screams the most. But the with memory of all's the things he'd be doing to me an me's family, I's just kept swinging and swinging. Soon others came, and I's hit them and hit them. When I's had finally realized where I's was again, I's was scared and I's ran and ran and ran, but as I's ran, I's heard others yelling, others of my kind. They's was screaming about their freedom, and they was fighting. I's saw many of them die as I ran by at the sword of the lizard folks." With a sigh, he calmed his voice and continued. I watched him now in amazement, completely forgetting to write what I was hearing.

"I's ran all the way almost to the end of the tunnels when I's was caught. The beating I took lasted fer days. I's remember how they beat me each day, then took me back to me hole so they could beat me again the next day." His head bowed, and his voice began to come in a shorter rasp. With a blink, I roused myself and jumped to my feet, rushing to his side. He pushed me back easily with a giant hand that covered the bulk of my chest, and with a gentle smile continued.

"'Twas nae long after that my people began to refuse to hunt fer the lizard folks, and we were eventually set free. Since then I's been livin up here in this cottage to meself in the woods, untils yahs found me." He smiled at me and gave a sudden jerk, his eyes closing and his head leaning back. It was his time at last. He would be free.

"Take what I's have told yah to yer people, me small friend, take it and be sharing it with em. Let em know all that was true about things then, and pray it happens nae again. Fare thee well, and safe paths unto yah. Now I's must meet again with my mother." With that, he went still and said no more in this world.

I sat there many a day in the passing years and pondered the ways of life and the ways of history, the right of things, and the simple concept of happiness and sorrow. And on calm days when the morning stream bubbled and the birds of day sang, I could hear a low rumble like the sound of a lion sleeping gently in a glade upon the hill. If I listened long enough and was quiet enough, I could hear the wind carry a faint sound of gentle snoring over the hill, down the stream, and up to the steps of the small cottage where a giant had found peace at last.