The climb to the caves is exhausting. Your legs and back ache from exertion, your blonde hair is plastered to your face, and your entire body is drenched in sweat. The wind howls around you and your fingers are raw from seeking purchase on steep rocky paths.
At last you reach the entrance to a cave that seems relatively deep. You collapse just inside the mouth. You arrange yourself against an outcropping rock, trying to become comfortable and eventually drift off to sleep.
You are awakened by a rumbling sound from within the cave and, suddenly afraid, you attempt to hide in the shadows.
From the moonlight streaming into the cave you can make out an enormous figure emerging from the depths. It is ten feet tall and is wrapped in crude clothing made from animal pelts. It crouches inside the cave. Its face and body are human, but slightly distorted proportionally, with a thick barrel chest and longer arms than seems fitting. It has a broad face nearly as wide as your shoulders and single tusk juts from the side of its thick-lipped mouth.
You recognize it from hearthfire tales with your mother. It is a hill giant, as strong as five men and not nearly as smart as one.
As you ponder its nature you realize it has seen you. You scramble away, but its eyes are much better in the darkness. A massive hand wraps around your blonde hair and pulls you up to its eye level.
"Whut 'ave we 'ere?" It grumbles slowly. "Dinner?"
"Please, let me go!!" you cry in desperation.
"And why should I?" |