killed seven with one blow.
A man grabbed my arm. “Well done, lad! That will show them—”
Several men tried to lift me to their shoulders. I thrashed until they released me, and then ran deeper into the crowd.
How could Will have moved so far past the gates? The fierce strength I’d felt when facing the giants drained from me. I wanted to cry. And that made me angry, a petty, waspish anger that wanted to sting every person who jostled me.
“Will!” I called, turning in a circle.
“Will!
”
The crowd quieted.
“Where is the boy?” I asked.
One man, a blacksmith still wearing his leather apron, heard me. “You’re the champion?”
I almost told him I hadn’t done anything, but there wasn’t time to explain. I nodded. “Follow me,” he said. Then he shouldered into the crowd, shouting, “Make way for the champion!”
I followed in the path he created. He pushed people aside, shouting, “Make way for the giant killer!”
That was too much. I touched his shoulder. “I didn’t—”
He was too busy picking up a smallish man and moving him to notice. And then it didn’t matter: I saw Will. Part of him, at least, lying by the fountain. He was mostly hidden by a young noble who stood, arms crossed, between Will and the crowd.
I darted toward Will, but the nobleman blocked my way.
“Let me pass—!” The demand died in my mouth.
Fine Coat
. I ducked my head, unable to move, hardly able to think.
“Let him see the boy!” hollered the blacksmith. “He’s the champion!”
His meaty hand clapped me on the shoulder, and I stumbled forward against Fine Coat. I righted myself, but I didn’t look up.
“
He
is the champion?” I heard the disbelief in Fine Coat’s voice and felt the tickle of fear between my shoulder blades. He must be looking at me. “Who are you, lad?”
Don’t you dare wilt now
, I told myself.
Will needs you
. The last time Fine Coat had truly seen my face, I was Saville, a girl bundled against the cold. He’d been preoccupied with boiled bones, crushed houses, and the young man in the wagon. Hewouldn’t guess the truth—unless I gave him reason.
So I raised my head and met his gaze as if I really had killed seven giants with one blow. “Who are
you
? And why won’t you let me see the boy?”
Fine Coat scowled. “I’m the one who brought him here! And I need to know about the giants. How many were there? I saw two, and then—”
I didn’t have time for his questions. Will hadn’t moved once. I tried again to elbow past, but Fine Coat grabbed my arm.
I yanked myself free and glared at him. “I have to see Will! He’s hurt.”
Fine Coat planted himself in front of me. “And I need to know what’s happened. There’s not much time!”
I opened my mouth, about to tell him I didn’t care. Then I saw the set of his jaw. He wouldn’t let me pass until I answered his questions. I ground out an answer.
“There were two giants, and now they are gone. Not killed. Gone.” It seemed important that he know the truth about my role as giant killer. “That’s all.”
Fine Coat narrowed his eyes, as if he suddenly recognized me. “Do I know—?”
I didn’t give him a chance to finish the question. I pointed at Will. “He’s hurt! If you have any honor, you’ll let me help the boy.”
For a moment, the nobleman stood there, studying my face.
I couldn’t breathe around the fear, but I folded my arms and glared up at him.
One heartbeat. Two. Then he let me pass.
“It’s the champion!” Someone lunged forward and tugged at my shirt, yanking me off balance. “Show us your arm, giant killer!”
I twisted to free myself, but Fine Coat was faster.
“Stand back! Give them room!”
I heard the ring of a sword being drawn, and I sensed the crowd pull back as Fine Coat moved to stand between us and the crowd.
“Will?” I knelt beside him.
His eyes opened. Focused on me. He swiped at the wetness on his cheeks, his face taut with pain. “It hurts,
A man grabbed my arm. “Well done, lad! That will show them—”
Several men tried to lift me to their shoulders. I thrashed until they released me, and then ran deeper into the crowd.
How could Will have moved so far past the gates? The fierce strength I’d felt when facing the giants drained from me. I wanted to cry. And that made me angry, a petty, waspish anger that wanted to sting every person who jostled me.
“Will!” I called, turning in a circle.
“Will!
”
The crowd quieted.
“Where is the boy?” I asked.
One man, a blacksmith still wearing his leather apron, heard me. “You’re the champion?”
I almost told him I hadn’t done anything, but there wasn’t time to explain. I nodded. “Follow me,” he said. Then he shouldered into the crowd, shouting, “Make way for the champion!”
I followed in the path he created. He pushed people aside, shouting, “Make way for the giant killer!”
That was too much. I touched his shoulder. “I didn’t—”
He was too busy picking up a smallish man and moving him to notice. And then it didn’t matter: I saw Will. Part of him, at least, lying by the fountain. He was mostly hidden by a young noble who stood, arms crossed, between Will and the crowd.
I darted toward Will, but the nobleman blocked my way.
“Let me pass—!” The demand died in my mouth.
Fine Coat
. I ducked my head, unable to move, hardly able to think.
“Let him see the boy!” hollered the blacksmith. “He’s the champion!”
His meaty hand clapped me on the shoulder, and I stumbled forward against Fine Coat. I righted myself, but I didn’t look up.
“
He
is the champion?” I heard the disbelief in Fine Coat’s voice and felt the tickle of fear between my shoulder blades. He must be looking at me. “Who are you, lad?”
Don’t you dare wilt now
, I told myself.
Will needs you
. The last time Fine Coat had truly seen my face, I was Saville, a girl bundled against the cold. He’d been preoccupied with boiled bones, crushed houses, and the young man in the wagon. Hewouldn’t guess the truth—unless I gave him reason.
So I raised my head and met his gaze as if I really had killed seven giants with one blow. “Who are
you
? And why won’t you let me see the boy?”
Fine Coat scowled. “I’m the one who brought him here! And I need to know about the giants. How many were there? I saw two, and then—”
I didn’t have time for his questions. Will hadn’t moved once. I tried again to elbow past, but Fine Coat grabbed my arm.
I yanked myself free and glared at him. “I have to see Will! He’s hurt.”
Fine Coat planted himself in front of me. “And I need to know what’s happened. There’s not much time!”
I opened my mouth, about to tell him I didn’t care. Then I saw the set of his jaw. He wouldn’t let me pass until I answered his questions. I ground out an answer.
“There were two giants, and now they are gone. Not killed. Gone.” It seemed important that he know the truth about my role as giant killer. “That’s all.”
Fine Coat narrowed his eyes, as if he suddenly recognized me. “Do I know—?”
I didn’t give him a chance to finish the question. I pointed at Will. “He’s hurt! If you have any honor, you’ll let me help the boy.”
For a moment, the nobleman stood there, studying my face.
I couldn’t breathe around the fear, but I folded my arms and glared up at him.
One heartbeat. Two. Then he let me pass.
“It’s the champion!” Someone lunged forward and tugged at my shirt, yanking me off balance. “Show us your arm, giant killer!”
I twisted to free myself, but Fine Coat was faster.
“Stand back! Give them room!”
I heard the ring of a sword being drawn, and I sensed the crowd pull back as Fine Coat moved to stand between us and the crowd.
“Will?” I knelt beside him.
His eyes opened. Focused on me. He swiped at the wetness on his cheeks, his face taut with pain. “It hurts,
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