After the rain had stopped everyone soon finds themselves back at the trading outpost that Sir Gabriel had purchased six barrels of food earlier. Sir Gabriel looks more like a knight; wearing his armor minus his helmet which he has tied to his waist. He no longer feels vulnerable, the metal being able to protect him from most attacks. He is inside the building, retrieving the sword that Sir Olric had given him yesterday.
Ashley is waiting outside, her fifty-one-foot stature preventing her from entering the building, as she is consuming another two barrel's worth of food. Sir Gabriel was insistent that she has enough to eat, and the maiden was not going to argue with him. Normally being outside wouldn't bother her too much, but Sir Gabriel is inside retrieving his sword and paying for everything that had been purchased.
Faith is looking up at Ashley, enjoying a loaf of bread that Sir Gabriel and Ashley had generously purchased for her. She is still amazed that such a large woman exists. She had always believed that she is the tallest woman in Albion until meeting Ashley. A title that she is glad no longer belongs to her.
Sir Gabriel steps out from the trading outpost, his gaze fixated on the giantess's beautiful face. While looking at her he can't help but recall what Edward had said about the amount of coin Ashley has in her coin pouch. Sure, the knight is aware that the giant maiden needs a lot of coin to sustain herself, but Edward did bring up a valid question. How did she get so much? He had always assumed that she had earned it. But when she helped out on a farm in August, she had told him that she was not used labor. He decides to push these thoughts aside for now.
"Faith, are you sure that you don't want to travel with us?" Ashley asks while looking down at the tall woman.
"I am sure." Faith still has a hard time believing that she is having to look up at someone for a change, someone who is kneeling. "I am heading for Knobbstown. Didn't you say that you are headed for Creek's Crossing?"
"Yes we are," Sir Gabriel answers while looking at the second-tallest woman he has ever met, "Creek's Crossing is towards the river and Knobbstown is towards direction Ashley and I came from."
"Well, best of luck on your journey," Ashley says with a smile. She is sad to be parting ways with someone who is dealing with a problem that is similar to what she went through growing up, but at the same time, she is glad that she will be alone with Sir Gabriel as she continues her travels with him. She wastes no time lowering her hand to the ground, her open palm facing upwards so that the knight can climb onto it.
Faith watches with a sense of awe as she witnesses the knight being lifted high into the air. This is the second time she has watched the maiden place the man she loves onto her shoulder. He is sitting there as if it is normal. Then again, what could be considered normal for those two could be vastly different because of Ashley's extraordinary size? This is something that she will keep in mind for herself if she manages to find herself in a relationship. With her tall and lanky figure, she finds it to be very unlikely that she will meet someone who is the same height as she is, much less, taller than her.
Sir Gabriel leans up against Ashley's cheek, wanting to be as close to her as possible. Her large finger gently strokes his face, the giant maiden enjoying this very simple gesture before she begins to make her way towards Creek's Crossing. Her long strides carry both her and Sir Gabriel away from the trading post at a relatively quick pace. S Ashley moves further away, Faith finds herself wondering if she will meet the giant maiden again in her lifetime.
"I still can't believe everything you went through today, just to get me something to eat." Ashley goes over everything Sir Gabriel had told her; having to leave his sword behind as collateral, loading six barrels onto the back of the cart by himself, and fighting off a group of bandits while unarmed. She has a sneaking suspicion that he may have thrown in an exaggeration or two just to make it sound more impressive. She doesn't mind them, of course, it made his tale more entertaining to listen to.
"I will admit that it was only three bandits I faced," Sir Gabriel confesses. "Luck was on my side so I really only had to fight one."
"But you made them flee from you, I would say that is very impressive."
"Just good intimidation. Sir Olric taught me that intimidating your opponent is the best thing you can do. Not the first time I have ended a fight before it even started."
"I wish I could have been there to see it."
"If you were there I dare say that those bandits would have thought twice before trying to steal what was yours."
Ashley puts on a smile when in truth she knows exactly what Sir Gabriel means. She may be a kind and gentle soul, as Sir Gabriel puts it, but her size can frighten most people. Sir Gabriel is the first person to give her a chance, to get to know her: she is grateful for that. Her smile soon shifts from being forced to one that is genuine as she remembers how he has convinced entire towns that she is nothing to fear. Plus, Sir Olric is spreading rumors about her from The Dented Flagon, telling people of a giant maiden who is as gentle as can be. She imagines that with enough time that she will be able to approach any town or anyone and she will be greeted with a wave and a smile.
Sir Gabriel is looking off into the distance, enjoying a view that most would never be able to appreciate. Ashley enjoys views like this every day because of her height, the knight is only able to appreciate such scenery because he rides on her shoulder. He turns to look back at her face, the best view that he will ever appreciate. Her hazel-colored eyes, her optimistic smile, her long chestnut-colored hair; all features he adores. He is about to remove one of his gauntlets so that he can stoke the giantess on the cheek, the metal would not feel pleasant for her skin nor would he be able to feel her. As grabs his gauntlet so that he can remove it, Ashley distracts him. "Gabriel, is that smoke?"
Sir Gabriel looks towards where Ashley is pointing, seeing the smoke that she is referring to. He is about to dismiss it as a campfire that someone has going, but there is so much of it and it is so dark. Which can only mean that something is on fire. It does not look like it is coming from Creek's Crossing, which means that the town is safe, but it also means that it could spread to the town. "Something is on fire," he says pointing out the obvious.
Ashley picks up her pace, nearly throwing Sir Gabriel off her shoulder since he is not prepared for the increase in speed. The statuesque woman may not be running but she is still moving relatively quickly. Ashley may not know exactly what is on fire but, like Sir Gabriel, she is aware that things can get worse if it decides to spread.
As they approach the source of the smoke, the pair sees a mill that is situated beside the river. Flames are erupting from it as the structure is being burned. With it being the only building in the area, along with a small home that is close to it, there is very little chance of the fire spreading and causing more damage. There seems to be a man and a woman standing close to the burning mill, the man holding back the distressed woman.
The woman seems to be in her late thirties, her dirty blonde hair up in a bun, and her blue eyes filled with worry. She has a little bit of weight on her, not enough for someone to describe her as being fat but enough to say that she has curves. The man looks to be a bit tall and older than her, his brown hair starting to show some signs of grey, and his green eyes focused on the woman he is holding.
"Mariah! No!" the man shouts as he is trying to hold the woman back. Tears rolling down her face as she is struggling to free herself. "I can't let you go in there! There is no point in you burning alive to rescue our son! I don't want to lose both of you!"
"He's our baby, Jack!" She is fighting her husband, desperate to free herself so that she can rush inside and rescue her son. Her safety and well-being are not as important as her son's. If she is covered in 0third-degree burns while rescuing him it will be worth it."
As the husband is desperately trying to prevent his wife from risking her life, neither one hears the loud rhythmic sound of footsteps approaching them, nor do they see the large maiden approaching. It isn't until a large shadow is looming over them that the couple becomes aware of their surroundings. They both look towards the shadow's source, seeing the largest woman they have ever seen, kneeling and still towering over them. She has a look of concern on her face as she stares down at them, "Are you two okay?" the giant maiden asks, her voice portraying the same amount of concern that her face is conveying.
Both the husband and wife start to move their lips, forming words but no sound is escaping. They are having a hard time believing what they are seeing. "It's okay," Sir Gabriel says, grabbing the couple's attention, "You don't have to be afraid of Ashley here. We saw the fire and we just want to make sure that you two are okay."
"My son, Luke," Mariah cries out hysterically, "he's in there!"
"Ma'am," Sir Gabriel says in a calm voice, "don't worry, I will go get your son and I will bring him to you safe and sound." His words help to comfort the distraught woman, a knight saying that he would rescue her son, she can only hope that he saves him before it is too late.
As Gabriel turns towards the burning mill, the fire still going strong, he begins to approach it. A large hand comes down between him and the mill. He does not jump back at the hand's sudden appearance, he knows who it belongs to and he can imagine why it is there blocking his path. He looks up at Ashley, her concerned look replaced with one of worry now. "Gabriel, please, you can't go in there."
"Ashley," he places his hand on her finger, "I know you are worried about me but it is my duty as a knight to do this. If it was your child, wouldn't you want me to bring them back safely?"
Ashley slowly moves her hand back, still not liking the idea of her knight rushing into a burning building. Another's life is at risk and it would be wrong for her to hinder Sir Gabriel's attempt at rescuing the child. "Just be careful like you promised." She rubs her finger along the knight's cheek, smiling slightly as she feels him kiss it.
Sir Gabriel looks up at Ashley, smiling at her. "Returning to you is more than enough reason for me to be safe. I will always find a way to return to you safe and sound."
Sir Gabriel walks up the door of the mill, mentally prepping himself for what he is about to do. Kicking the door in, he steps back quickly as flames shoot out from the now open door. He hasn't even entered and he can feel the intense heat of the flames. He would like to remove his armor first, but with how long it would take him to remove it simply isn't an option. He steps inside, with the intent of finding Mariah's son, Luke.
"Luke!" Sir Gabriel calls out, coughing as the smoke is entering his lungs. The inside is an inferno and he can feel the heat through his armor. He has to be quick, even if the flames don't get to him the heat will. "Luke!" he calls out again, listening with the hope that he can hear the boy call out to him. After finding no signs of him he looks up the stairs and towards the second floor, figuring that he has to be up there.
Ashley is staring at the burning building, worried for her knight. Being over fifty feet tall there isn't much that she can do to help out Sir Gabriel. All she can do is wait and worry, praying that he will return to her safely. She looks at the river which is running beside the mill, which is what pushes the water wheel. She looks at her hands, now seeing how her size could help out Sir Gabriel.
Ashley gets up quickly, heading towards the river with a sense of urgency. She plunges her hands into the cold water before she pulls them back out. Her hands are cupped together, water sitting in her palms as she quickly moves her hands above the mill. Her hands are dripping, not only from being wet but also from the liquid trickling through the cracks between her fingers. Pulling her hands apart, she dumps water over the roof of the mill in hopes of bringing the fire under control. The fire is still burning, her actions barely doing anything.
Mariah and her husband are watching as the colossal woman is attempting to douse the fire by dumping water onto the fire with her hands. The water she is transporting each time is considerable, but the fire is not going out.
Ashley stops plunging her hands into the river, realizing that what she is doing is having no effect. She is losing too much water as she goes between the river and the mill, water slipping through the cracks between her fingers. She can't help but feel that if she was bigger than she could easily douse the fire. But she is only fifty-one-feet tall, and her hands are only so large as a result; which means that she can only carry so much water.
The giantess frantically tries to come up with another solution. "Okay, what if I…" Her voice trails off as one idea comes to mind. Her eyes widen at how embarrassing the thought is. "No!" She begins to shake her head, her cheeks turning bright red, "Not only is that unladylike, but it is disgusting as well."
Ashley turns her attention to her surroundings, more specifically looking for something that she can use. Her eyes fall onto a barrel, which could easily function as a bucket at her size. It can hold much more than her hands can and should be sealed well enough so that it won't leak. Without a second thought, her large fingers wrap themselves around the wooden container, dumping its contents without any consideration for what it contains.
She plunges the barrel into the river, allowing it to fill before she pulls it back out. What she is doing does seem to be helping keep the fire under control, but that is about it. The fire is still burning, consuming the structure of the building. All she can do is to persist in her endeavor and hope that it is helping to keep Sir Gabriel safe, as safe as she possibly can anyway.
Still watching the giantess as she is fighting the fire, Mariah and Jack are unaware of the child who is approaching them from behind. Looking to be about eight years old, his short brown hair looks just like Jack's and he has the same blue eyes as Mariah does. He is approaching the pair slowly, as though he is hesitant to make his presence known. "Mom," he says softly.
Mariah turns to look at her son, a sensation of relief washing over her as she sees that he is okay. His clothes are slightly dirty but are lacking any signs of soot or being singed. She rushes over to him, dropping to her knees and pulling him in close. "Lucas!" she says with tear-filled eyes, "Thank God you are okay! I was so worried, why didn't you let me know that you were okay?"
"I thought you would be mad at me," Luke answers nervously.
"Normally I would be angry with you; haven't I have told you multiple times to stay out of mill?" Mariah says gently. "You are safe so that is all that matters.
Ashley looks over at the new commotion that is happening nearby, watching as the mother is happy to see that her son is safe and sound. A realization soon dawns on her. If Luke is out here, that means that he isn't in the mill; which means that the knight is looking for a boy who is not inside the mill. "Gabriel!" Ashley shouts with a sense of urgency, "Luke is out here!"
Sir Gabriel can hear Ashley from among the roars of the flames, her size allowing her to be very audible. The moment he hears that Luke is safely outside he feels a sense of relief; followed by a sense of foolishness that he now has to leave a burning building that he never needed to enter in the first place. His clothes are drenched with sweat, the heat of the flames making the interior of his armor very warm, almost feeling as though it is inside an oven. Not wanting to spend another moment inside the veritable inferno, he makes his way towards the stairs so that he can return to the first floor and leave. Approaching the stairwell, the stairs are engulfed in flames. The knight proceeds to take his first step, knowing that his armor will protect him from the flames; though the heat is another issue altogether. As he prepares to head down, the sound of wood creaking is heard before the stairs collapse and leave Sir Gabriel stranded on the second floor.
"Shit," Sir Gabriel mutters under his breath. He does consider jumping down, hoping that he will sustain minimal injuries, but with the flames below he highly doubts that he will be able to walk away from the drop. The floor below him is beginning to creak and groan, the flames eating away at what he is standing on. If he doesn't find a way to get downstairs soon, he will be making a quick trip to the first floor. His eyes turn towards the window, the only other possible exit he can take. Under normal circumstances being on the second-floor would be problematic, but the knight is in a circumstance that is far beyond normal and that window is his only safe way out.
Sir Gabriel dashes for the open window, the heat of the flames giving him the incentive to move as quickly as his legs can take him. "Ashley!" he shouts from the window. The sound of wood creaking and cracking only adds to his sense of urgency, fearing that the floor's integrity will not last much longer. This time the sound is not coming from below him but rather above him. The roof caving in on him is not a better alternative to the floor giving out. He is getting ready to shout the maiden's name again, desperate to leave the burning inferno when he sees her beautiful face appearing in front of him.
"Gabriel, are you okay? You're not hurt are you?" Ashley's tone matches the worry that is conveyed on her face.
"I'm fine," Sir Gabriel says hastily. He is running out of time, he believes that either the floor or the roof could collapse at any moment, neither of which will end well for him when it happens. He doesn't want the giant maiden to worry about him even more than she already is, so he is doing his best to remain calm. "The stairs collapsed, I need you to carry me."
Ashley doesn't say anything, instead choosing to move her open palm close to the window. She can feel the intense heat of the flames against her skin. Her first reaction is to pull her hand away for fear of getting burned, but she fights this urge knowing that Sir Gabriel needs her hand there so that he can have a safe exit from the burning building. As the knight goes climbing out the window and into her waiting hand, the sound of wood cracking can be heard as the burning roof begins to collapse.
Ashley reacts to this by quickly snatching Sir Gabriel out from the window and clutching him to her chest. The metal of his armor is hot, exposed to the flame for such an extended period of time. Her hand is warm but it does not bother her, Sir Gabriel is safe and that is all that matters to her right now. The roof of the mill caves in, the floor beneath it breaking under the impact and weight of it. The walls begin to crumble with hardly anything left to support them. The mill is now a burning pile of materials, slowly turning to embers and ash as the fire continues to consume it. Ashley looks down at Sir Gabriel, who is gazing back up at her, both feeling grateful that they are with each other, as it should be.
Ashley looks back at the family, thinking that they must be feeling the same way about their son right now. They may have lost their mill but they still have each other. "Are you going to be okay? I am pretty sure that this loss is going to be a devastating loss for you financially."
"Well…" Jack looks at the burning remains of the mill before returning his focus to the giantess who is kneeling on the ground. He has never seen anyone as large as she is, but her presence is less of a shock to him at the moment. "We may struggle for a while, I will admit, but we will make it I suppose."
"Will you be able to rebuild it?"
"Rebuilding isn't the only problem. There is also all the grain that was lost, which I was relying on selling. To make rebuild the mill and compensate for the losses we suffered, it would take a veritable king's ransom for use to get by comfortably."
Ashley lowers Sir Gabriel towards the ground, having every intention of picking him back up. Right now, there is something that she has to do, that she wants to do. Everyone watches as the giantess reaches into her coin pouch, the sound of metal coins clanging as her fingers are rummaging through them. She pulls her hand out, clenched in a fist, several gold coins falling as she brings her hand closer to the family.
The family is shocked when Ashley opens her hand and gold coins fall out into a large pile before them. "Is this enough?" They are rendered speechless at Ashley's generosity, they have never seen so much gold at once in their lives. This giant maiden has just presented it to them as though it is nothing to her. "Please, I insist," Ashley offers, seeing how hesitant they are to accept the gift.
Sir Gabriel looks onward, watching how Ashley is giving away what he considers to be a small fortune in gold. While it may be enough for most to live on for a month or two, more if one spends it wisely, he imagines that such a sum would only last Ashley for a week or two. He can't be angry at her for this act of generosity, he has learned that she is a kind and gentle soul and such an act is in her nature. Her giving away so much coin only means that he will have to work harder to provide for her and meet her extraordinary needs; something he will not mind doing because of his love for her.