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"There's nothing I can do for Greta," Bria
"Cast the spell on the wolf!" Tavis urged. "Or do you want to get everyone else killed along with yourself?"
"Tavis not worry." Rog said. "Tavis friend-save Greta."
It did not escape the notice of either Bria
At the same time, Bria
"What do you mean?" Tavis demanded.
"I've run out of healing spells for today," Bria
Tavis's jaw dropped. "You can do that?"
Bria
The scout shook his head in astonishment. "Women!" he hissed. "I'll never understand you. Why didn't you just ask?"
"You'll let me cast the spell on you?" Bria
The scout nodded. "If Rog lets you live that long," he said, glancing above her.
Bria
"Can't save Greta?" he demanded.
"Then kill humans," suggested one of his friends. "Don't taste good anyway."
Rog's second friend reached out and plucked Avner off the platform. "If stupid girl can't save Greta, then Kol crush boy!"
Avner's face, all that showed above the giant's thumb went as pale as Tavis's. "Maybe we can get more wolves?" he suggested.
Rog shook his head stubbornly. "Take years to train new bully wolf. Raise from pup, teach to like Rog, to make others obey," he complained. "Without Greta, Rog no hunter. Him just stupid guard."
The other giants frowned at this. "What wrong with that?" demanded Kol, the one holding Avner.
"Yeah. Sart like being stupid guard," the other confirmed. "Sleep on same floor every night, rut whenever Sart like."
Rog's face reddened as he realized he had insulted his friends. Glancing over his shoulder, he said, "Nothing wrong with being stupid guard-for you. Rog not stupid. Him smart, have own pack."
This did not alleviate the tension. "Not after Greta die," smirked Sart.
"Yeah, then Rog stupid, too," added Kol.
Rog's face went pale. He looked back to Bria
"Maybe you can do something without a spell," Tavis said. "The ogre poison only knocks its victims unconscious. It doesn't kill them. With luck, Greta may not be injured that badly."
Bria
"Fix Greta now!" Rog insisted.
Bria
Their only hope was Tavis's friendship with Rog, Bria
The motion did not escape Rog. "Do something!" he boomed.
Tavis pushed himself to his feet, bracing himself against the cliff face to keep from reeling. "Rog, listen-"
"No!" The hill giant pushed the scout back down, then looked over his shoulder at Kol. "Drop stupid boy over cliff!"
Kol extended his arm over the edge of the platform. Bria
"Fat firbolg next!" he declared.
At the edge of the platform, Kol began to open his fist one finger at a time. A wicked grin creased his mouth, then he teased, "Rog go
Avner's eyes were opened wide with fear and his lips were trembling uncontrollably, but the boy seemed far from resigned to his fate. Although he could move no more than his head, the youth's eyes were wildly searching for a means of saving himself.
"Rog, do you think I'll keep my promise if you let Kol kill that boy?" Bria
Kol's fist closed instantly, once again holding Avner secure. "Horses?"
Sart scowled in Rog's direction. "You didn't tell us nothing about horses!"
Bria
"With what?" demanded Kol, eyeing Rog suspiciously.
"To go see Noote," Rog growled. He scowled down at Bria
Kol pulled Avner back from the edge of the platform. "A hundred horses?"
"That's right," Bria
Sart and Kol nodded to Bria
"Them's Rog's horses!" The hill giant tossed Morten toward the wall.
The bodyguard hit with a loud thump, then dropped to the timber road at Tavis's side, gasping for air as he tried to recover his breath.
Rog stepped toward Kol. "Give boy!"
Kol backed away, placing Sart in front of himself and holding Avner out of reach. "Share!" he yelled.
"Rog lose wolves!" Rog thundered back, stopping in front of Sart. "Not Kol! Not Sart!"
With that, the hill giant loosed a vicious right hook that landed with a deafening boom. Sart slammed into the cliff, dropping with such force that the sound of splintering timbers echoed off the granite wall. Fearing the platform would collapse, Bria
"Rog, I'll bring horses for everyone!" Bria
Rog was too angry to pay her offer any more heed than he did the shaking platform. He stepped past Sart and tried to snatch Avner. Kol shoved him away, then stepped back. He was now standing directly in front of the fault cave gate, with less than a pace of platform left behind him.
"Leave Kol alone!"
"Give boy here!"