The ground shakes and thunders under Delia's body, rousing her from her doze. The writer jumps to her feet only to be knocked back on her behind by the force of the shaking. Instead the girl crawls to the opening of her tent and peers through the folds.
Even though it is the dead of night she cannot miss the sight of large mangled beasts stomping through camp.
Sticks and stones, ogres....
Shrieks and shouts erupt throughout the camp, both male and female. Delia's fists clench so hard the skin of her knuckles turn the color of white snow.
No, no, no....The ogres must be back to avenge the brute we killed earlier.
"Gather your weapons!" Delia hears Rissa's voice order.
Like they have a chance. With the ground shaking so hard no one can even stand, fighting is practically impossible. Despite this Delia watches many a brave man stand with weapon raised only to see them topple un-heroically to the dirt. If the situation hadn't been so serious Delia might of laughed, but now the only laughter is coming from the monsters themselves.
It's a bellowing sort of laughter that emits from the ogres mouthes. A throaty laugh that only adds to the shaking of the ground beneath them.
And then suddenly there's a big ugly eye peering right at her. The writer, startled beyond belief punches the eye and scrambles backwards.
The ogre bellows and stomps wildly.
I-I can't believe I just did that!
She barely has time to think that thought before a large harry foot stomps on her tent, nearly smashing her flat. Delia pulls herself from the wreckage of her tent, taking cover behind a large sturdy oak.
Delia peeks out from behind the tree. Everything is in complete and utter chaos. Ogre's stomp around, smashing everything in sight and people either fruitlessly attempt to fight or scatter.
Both options aren't working. Every human seen by an ogre is scooped up and placed in a large but crude wooden cage. Delia got away just in time. But that's not how she sees it. Everything in her wishes to run off to the cage and let everyone loose. However, her common sense keeps her rooted in place. If she's to save them it won't be now.
After awhile everyone is stuffed inside the cage --all except for Delia of course-- and paraded away into the night.
As stealthily as possible Delia tails their procession, being carefully not to fall because of the ground that quakes with the ogres every footstep.
It doesn't take long for them to reach a gigantic roaring bonfire. Feminine looking ogres sit around it, preparing a humongous cauldron of water. Delia's stomach drops to her feet as realization hits her like a ton of boulders.
They're going to eat them. These heavy thoughts drop into her mind, weighing her down in her worn boots.
There is suddenly a time limit to her rescue mission. She has to save them before they get into that pot. If not they will become human stew to fill the ogre's hungry stomachs.
A tapping on her shoulder has Delia whirling around. Maya stands beside her with wide sad eyes and a grim expression.
"D-Delia, what are we going to do?"
Being pushed into this leader position nearly has the writer quaking in her boots. She's no Kagon, Iglesias, or Rissa.
I don't even have a weapon!
And yet she knows that there is no other choice but to take the responsibility for her own and save these people she's traveled with for awhile now.
"We're going to save them." Delia answers, her lips in a tight line.
Maya shivers. "Okay. But how?"
Delia shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know, we need a plan first."
Maya ponders this as does Delia.
"We need a distraction, then one of us can unlatch the cage." Delia says after a moment of thoughtful silence.
"What kind of distraction?" Maya asks, twisting her dress nervously. "I hope you don't mean bait."
"No, not bait. If we use one of us as bait we'll never see them again. We can't chance that, especially with the lack of men we have. We need everyone we can."
"A trick then?"
Delia bobs her head in agreement, thinking of a perfect trick. When their mother died Lis stayed attached to Davel's side. And so she is not used to the mindset of playing tricks on her siblings. However, she is clever and managed to evade her father's wrath for years. So surely she can come up with a good trick.
"I got it!" She exclaims in a whisper. "Ogres have terrible eyesight. One of us could throw rocks in different places to lead them away from the cage. The only problem is that we'd need to be able to throw them far."
"I have a slingshot." Maya offers. "I was able to snatch it before I left."
"Good, then we'll use that. Do you wish to do it, or me?"
"I-I have rubbish aim." Maya admits.
"I'm not sure how mine is, but I'll give it a shot. While I lead the ogres away with the sound, you go and unlatch the cage. It's short enough for you to unlatch it, I think. If not then use some rocks as a step stool." Delia plans out, taking the slingshot Maya hands her.
"I think I can manage it." Maya says, eyeing the latch on the cage, thankfully it doesn't have a lock that needs a key.
"Alright then, let's spread out."
Maya nods her agreement and the two are off, Maya sneaking towards the cage and Delia gracelessly clambering up a tall tree to get a better range.
When she sits yards above the ogres' heads she takes out the slingshot Maya gave her and a stone from the armful she stuffed in all of her pockets.
Delia takes the stone and sets it in the sling before stretching it. The writer aims at a tree from far off, but before she releases, Delia checks on Maya's location. The girl crouches safely behind a boulder near the cage.
Delia takes a breath before letting the stone fly loose out into the night. Instead of hitting where she had aimed the rock flies a little bit too far left, hitting the tree next to it. Still, this will do.
From the ground the ogres whip their heads around wildly, grunting in their strange guttural language that only they understand.
Two of them lumber to their feet and stomp off towards the direction of the sound. Delia nearly falls from the tree from the force of their booming steps.
Taking aim for the second time, Delia releases another rock. She watches it fly and then disappear as it clunks against another tree.
Angrily, three more ogres rise to go and try to find the source of the sound. Delia silently thanks the gods that these creatures are as stupid as they are large.
After a moment she let's another rock soar into the night, smiling as it hits where she was aiming this time.
Third times a charm, I suppose.
Another ogre grunts and follows the sound, leaving only the females to tend to the --now-- boiling cauldron.
Delia makes another shot, this one hitting a branch and making the leaves shake. However, no one of the three female ogres rise from their stooped position around the flickering orange flames of their bonfire.
Delia curses the fates under her breath. "Of course it isn't that easy, nothing is."
From the corner of her eye, Delia sees Maya looking up at her. Delia motions for Maya to go ahead and open the cage. She'll have to distract the females some other way.
She suddenly smiles as a thought comes to mind. Taking aim she shoots another rock. However, this time the stone does not strike against a tree, instead hitting an ogre woman's forehead.
The ogre woman grunts and looks around wildly, her eyes lighting upon the ogre to her left. She roars at the ogre lady to her left, as if accusing her. The ogre on the left argues back with a loud guttural sound. The one Delia hit grabs on to the accused's dirty pigtails.
The accused retaliates, landing a hard blow to her accuser's face. The third ogre lady grunts in alarm and tries to stop the two's fight only to get shoved roughly to the ground. With an angry roar she jumps to her feet and joins the heated fight.
Delia grins for a moment before quickly and clumsily scrambling back down the tree. Ever since she almost fell from the mountain, climbing hasn't been one of her favorite pastimes.
The writer's shoes sink into the mushy soil and she's off, running to assist her friend.
Even using stones as a step stool Maya cannot reach the latch. She teeters precariously on the rocks.
Delia dashes over to her and steadies the girl. Now without the possibility of falling over, Maya jumps, finally able to undo the latch.
The two girls, as quietly as possible tug open the heavy door. The people inside pour out from the cage. Their whole group, now reunited don't take the time to greet each other. Instead they all silently run off into the trees.
Everyone follows Rissa and Iglesias as they speed through the woods, dodging greenery and hopping over gnarled roots until they reach their destroyed camp.
Rissa only speaks four words, "salvage what you can," before the whole group begins to rifle through the debris.
As soon as they gather all they can they're off, not running but swiftly walking through the forest and away from the hungry, revenge seeking ogres.
When they finally stop Delia feels exhaustion taking a hold of her and she doesn't doubt that everyone else feels similar from their droopy faces.
"We'll rest here." Iglesias announces.
The group sighs in relief, some falling to the ground right where they stand. Delia is one of those. The writer curls up at the base of a mighty tree, using nothing but her arm as a pillow. However, no comfort such as blankets or pillows are needed for how exhausted she is. And so her eyes quickly close, bringing the girl into a much needed sleep.