Saving Autumn - preview part 2

It was only a matter of time before the giant checked under the couch. After all, it was the most likely spot of a human to hide. Faolán watched as the giant walked over to the centre of the room. He stopped in front of Grady’s lifeless body and softly sighed,

“I’m not in the mood for this,” he mumbled to himself and reached down for the dead human, crumpled and still bleeding on the floor. From Faolán’s hiding spot, he couldn’t see what the giant was doing with Grady’s body. He waited, anticipating the nauseating wet crunch of the giant biting down into him but it never happened. Instead the giant simply turned towards the crackling fireplace and tossed the body into the flames. Faolán gulped and backed himself behind the leg of the couch again.

The giant moved closer to the couch and sat down on the floor. Faolán noticed that he had his arrow in his hand and flipped it through his fingers like a toothpick.

“I know you’re down there,” He said. Though he spoke softly, his voice was still loud enough to resonate through Faolán’s bones.

“You can make this easier for the both of us...” the giant paused for a moment. How embarrassing would that be if the human wasn’t even under the couch anymore?

Faolán watched as the giant’s legs shifted behind him and suddenly his massive hand fell down just meters in front of him, then before Faolán could turn to run, the giant lowered his face down and the two found themselves eye to eye with each other.

The giant gave a soft gasp, ‘He’s just a boy...’ he thought to himself.

There was a second where Faolán noticed the brief expression of surprise on his face before his eyes narrowed again and he huffed through his nose.

Faolán was left in shock. Not only was this his first encounter with a giant of this size, but here he was, practically in arms reach. Time felt like it stopped completely as the giant’s eyes bore into Faolán’s. They appeared to be a dark, earthy brown but once he started to back his head away from the couch the light in the room brought out their flickering gold and red tones and the giant’s eyes shimmered like brilliant copper.

Unable to control himself, Faolán started to slowly step forward out and away from the protection of the couch. He watched as the giant first raised his head, then straightened his back, bringing him to his full height.

“So you’re my little intruder,” he said. He leaned back, supporting himself with his free hand, he used his other to pick at his teeth with Faolán’s arrow.

“I was lost, sir...” Faolán said quietly. There was a bit of truth in his statement.

“Lost!” the giant laughed, “Aw, and let me guess, you’re also cold and hungry and need a place to stay for the night, hm? Tell me something I haven’t heard and maybe, maybe, I’ll let you live.”

“I mean you no harm Sir Giant... Please...” The strength in Faolán’s voice was gone and he trailed off, “Just let me leave.”


The giant held up Faolán’s arrow, “No harm? Explain this.”

“It’s for hunting.”

“Hunting? Hunting what, pray tell. Myself, my son?” The giant recognized the crescent shaped tip on the arrow; he knew it wasn’t for small game.

“Just let me leave...”

“Leave!” The giant snorted, “Leave and go where? To bring back reinforcements? To tell the rest of the village how to get into my home. It’s bad enough ya trickle in when ya can, but ya really think I’m gonna risk having an army show up at my door?”

Faolán didn’t even look up at the giant anymore. He found himself suddenly overrun with emotions and the interrogation by the giant wasn’t helping matters.

“You were going to kill me, weren’t you?” The giant calmed his tone down in an effort to gain Faolán’s attention again.

“I’ve changed my mind,” Faolán replied. He finally looked up and stared into the giant’s bronze eyes. “Yes, I was hired by the Duke of Forwyn to claim your life but...” he had to stop himself from chocking on his words, “But I had no business taking a father away from his son. Now please, Sir Giant, return my arrow and let me leave.”

The giant’s entire demeanor changed. His lips slightly parted and his shoulders dropped. He looked down at the tiny arrow in his hand then back at Faolán. He didn’t expect such a response to come from this human, especially one so young.

“I chose to spare your life,” Faolán continued, “all I can ask in return is that you spare mine and we can both part in peace.”

Faolán took a step back when he saw the giant start to lean forward. He folded his legs in front of him and rested his elbows on his knees. He pressed his lips to the back of one hand while he spun the arrow around with the other. It was a gamble; letting this human go but something tugged at him. He was impressed with the way the young boy confronted him, even a well seasoned human soldier wouldn’t do something like that, and nor have they ever. There was something different about this one.

“And if I don’t allow you to leave?” he asked. He was more curious about how the boy would answer.

“I can’t force you to do anything, Sir Giant. I can only ask.” Faolán was amazed he was able to sound so calm. He hid his shaking hand behind his back and away from view.

“Well then,” the giant kept his voice soft, softer than Faolán could have ever imagined him to speak. He lowered his hand to Faolán, balancing the arrow on his finger tips for the boy to take back. Faolán was hesitant at first but he eventually reached out and took it. “I have no business taking a son away from his father. You’re free to go.”

“Thank you...” Faolán clutched at the arrow.

“But,” the giant cut him off before Faolán could finish, “If I see you in here again, I will kill you.”

The words hurt Faolán more than any knife or sword ever had; to feel unwelcomed in a home. Feeling a lump form in his throat, he closed his eyes and nodded, “Agreed...” he said.

He opened them again when he heard the giant shift and start to stand up to his full height with a soft, tired groan. Faolán could tell by the way he clutched at his belly something was hurting him. He started walking over towards the enormous wooden door at the front of the room and Faolán followed. He had to trot to keep up with the giant’s long strides.

Once at the door, the giant gave Faolán on last glance before opening the door to a dark forest and heavy rainstorm. Suddenly Faolán didn’t want to leave as badly as he did before.

“Well?” the giant asked, noticing the human wasn’t moving.

“It looks pretty bad out there...” Faolán was hoping he would respond, but the giant said nothing and only silently waited for him to leave.

Faolán took the hint and started to walk outside. The cold wind and rain bit at his face and before he could turn around to get one last look he heard the massive door slam closed behind him and a heavy lock click, sealing it shut for the night.

Faolán realised he was still holding onto this particular arrow. Its shaft was stained with Grady’s dried blood but the tip was clean from the giant using it to pick at his teeth. He slid the arrow into the quiver than hung from his hip and started his hike through the woods back to Forwyn. He could see the lights of the town in the distance through breaks in the trees, but knew it would take at least a few hours to reach the village. He took one last look at the enormous castle before securing his bow to his shoulder and marching off.


As expected, it took Faolán hours to get back to Forwyn. The storm had actually long passed by the time he reached the village, leaving him to navigate empty, slick cobblestone streets. The cottage they were given by the Duke was on the other end of town, just on the outskirts. Two lanterns were left lit outside on the front step for Faolán and he blew them out as he entered inside.

Fae jumped up from her chair, lost in a book she had found until she heard the cottage door open and saw Faolán walk in.

“Faolán! My Gods, you’re alive!” She dropped her book in her chair and ran over to him, “How’d it go?”

“What go?”

She raised a brow, “The giant? Did you kill him?”

“Oh... that,” he stammered, “I didn’t kill him...”

“What?!”

“Yet! I didn’t kill him yet. I wanted to see where he was, learn his habits. Ya gotta plan these things.”

Fae crossed her arms, “You never had to plan them before...”

“I did. You just never saw me plan them... and some of them weren’t planned very well...” Faolán shook his head, “Look, this one is gonna take some time, alright?”

“How much time? The Duke wants him dead and by the way he sounded, he wanted him dead yesterday. He’s not a very patient man. If you don’t kill him soon...”

“I know, I know... and I will. Just...” he placed his hands on Fae’s shoulder’s “Just give me time.”

She nodded, “I just don’t want to lose this, Faolán. We make this kill and we’ll be set here in Forwyn for the rest of our lives.”

“I know... and believe me, I want this too. We’ll be alright. I got this. I promise.”

Fae smiled. It was a smile full of worry and concern for Faolán’s safety but it was a smile nonetheless. She knew as well as Faolán how dangerous giants were and this giant in particular had her very frightened.

While Faolán set his weapons away Fae laid out some dry clothes for him to change into. Faolán didn’t say much the rest of the evening; he was too focused on what he had seen in the giant’s castle, what Grady had said and even his interaction with the giant. Other people were after this giant; it was a race to see who could get the kill first and if Faolán lost, he and Fae would be back to nomad life, wondering about the countryside for another place they could temporarily call home. It was no way to live, not for the long term. As much as Faolán desperately wanted a place to call his own and break away from the painful memories of his childhood, he didn’t feel that it was worth taking someone’s life over.

‘Someone?’ he thought, ‘he’s just some giant...’

Did that make him ‘someone’?

He was exhausted but thoughts about the giant kept him up late into the night. So many ‘what ifs’ ran through his head. He could see his face when he closed his eyes; not his fierce leonine scowl but instead the gentle demeanor that showed around his son. It was so foreign to Faolán.

‘Is that how it’s supposed to be?’

He squeezed at the thin pillow under his head and tried to bury his face.


Autumn quietly opened the door to his son’s bedroom. Eoin was already fast asleep in his bed and single lit candle threw off a dim red light and casted tall shadows that danced across the stone walls. He walked inside and knelt down next to his son’s bed. The evening replayed in his head in slow motion; the arrow aimed at his face, pushing his son out of the way, and the shot. Seeing the arrow explode through that human’s neck. Maybe it wasn’t an accident, he wondered. Maybe that boy really did shoot with the intention of saving him.

He stroked his son’s hair and leaned in to softly kiss him on the forehead. Eoin’s eyes slowly opened but Autumn hushed him,

“I’m just coming in to check on you. Go back to sleep child.”

Eoin sleepily nodded and closed his eyes again, snuggling his face into his pillow. Autumn stood up and blew out the candle as he left Eoin’s room. He closed the door behind him and leaned his back against it as he sighed deeply. Eoin was all he had, the humans had already taken everyone else from him and the thought of losing his son as well was enough to tighten his throat and draw a tear to his eye. He covered his mouth with his hand and closed his eyes for a moment to gain his composure then smoothed his hair back away from his face and took a deep breath. He can’t remember a peaceful night since the humans of Forwyn turned on him. If he wasn’t being attacked directly just the fear of an ambush from a mob of humans was enough to keep him on edge.

His mind raced for the rest of the evening. Like so many other nights before, he went to bed exhausted but unable to fall asleep right away. Tonight was a close call. Had it not been for that boy...

Autumn almost felt bad kicking him out into the rain but what choice did he have? He couldn’t risk his life or the life of his son keeping a human he doesn’t know in his home. He suddenly realised something; he had never seen that human before. Many of the humans who have come in to kill him he had recognized from Forwyn, they were all villagers, but this boy... who was he?