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Bria
The princess opened her eyes, then circled around the fomorian's gyrating mass, narrowly avoiding being knocked off her feet as an immense hip swung past her head. She led the way forward until she had cleared the dust cloud raised by the dancer's feet, then stopped in front of Noote's colossal bulk. Bria
"I'm glad you don't behave this way in Castle Hartwick!" Bria
Noote's jaw dropped, and his gaze flickered around the room for a moment, then he finally realized where the sound was coming from and looked down at Bria
"Princess!" he gasped. Noote's eyes flicked above Bria
The fomorian quickly trundled toward the wall to obey, her face betraying her relief at the interruption.
"Please, don't let me interrupt." Bria
The chieftain pulled his hand back to his own lap and shoved his companion away. "Act nice!" he bellowed. He leaned across his queen and also pushed her friend away. "Joke over!"
"What joke, Noote?" the queen asked.
Noote's face deepened to a shade of maroon so dark it was almost black. "Rutting jokes," he hissed, nudging her in the ribs. "This Princess Bria
All around him, hill giants furrowed thick brows in confusion. Their murmurs filled the chamber like the drone of Camden's guards gathering in the courtyard for an unexpected assembly.
"Quiet!" Noote demanded.
A few nearby giants fell silent, but that only increased the curiosity of those farther away, and the clamor actually grew louder. Noote's wife glanced around, seeming more irritated at having her bacchanalia interrupted than at the noise, then glared down at Bria
"Who?" the queen demanded.
Noote leaned over and whispered in her great ear, fingering the silver necklace she had been sent by Bria
"Quiet!" she thundered.
The lodge fell instantly silent. The queen whispered something to Noote. Bria
Noote whispered something back to his wife. This time Bria
"What doing here?"
"I escaped from my kidnappers. I should think that you'd have guessed that yourself." Bria
Noote glanced at the bird, then looked back to Bria
"Yes," Bria
Noote furrowed his brow and turned to consult with his queen. They exchanged a few whispered comments, then the chief looked over Bria
"Where they come from?" he demanded, gesturing at Bria
"From High Gate." The sentry looked at Noote as though the chief had lost his mind. "Where you think?"
Noote hurled a charred boar's head at Sart, then growled, "Who chasing them? Ogres?"
Sart nodded. "Yeah. Lots of ogres. Ogres kill Rog, but I fight 'em back and close gate." The giant glanced down at Bria
Bria
"That's not what happened at all."
"Lying girl!" The giant stomped forward to silence the princess.
Morten hurled himself at Sart's knees, knocking the astonished sentry to the floor. The two figures grappled, a thick cloud of dust billowing up to hide the combat.
"Stop!" Noote yelled, rising. "Not time for fighting!"
"Sit down, Noote!" Bria
As the princess had hoped, her comment drew a raised brow from the queen, who grabbed her husband's arm and pulled Noote roughly back to the ground. The struggle continued for only a few moments more before it abruptly ceased. When the dust cleared, Morten was sitting astride Sart's throat with the giant's own dagger pressed against his throbbing jugular vein.
"I wouldn't take a deep breath," the firbolg warned. "This blade's kind of heavy, and it might slip."
Sart pressed his lips together and held his breath.
Bria