All Part of the Masterplan

Despite losing their wagon, travel with the giant siblings made for a much more pleasant journey through Giant Country. Agnes trusted Hektor's judgement but now with a chance of her own to converse with Rhuk & Rhek she developed a fondness for them as well. While Rhek could be crass there were sides of him that reminded Agnes of a village headman. The way he could point out signs of homes and Giant infrastructure to make the steppe a more developed home than they first realized. Once it was pointed out to her Agnes couldn't help but see the skillful craftsmanship to make a few stacks of stones the perfect spot to process large game or fletch javelins.

It still had a lot of the same hallmarks Agnes was used to. In some ways more than anywhere they'd been since leaving her village in the hills outside of River's Bend. Especially when she recalled her occasional trips out to the hunting camps the men would set up during the winter. From what Agnes gathered, the Giant villages nestled higher in the mountains they were presently traveling closer to would remind her even more of home. The more she came to know the fierce yet charming Rhek, the more he started to remind her of Alex and Leo as well.

Rhuk on the other hand was someone Agnes didn't think she could ever tire of speaking with. In the shapechanging shaman she found more of an equal. Someone with gifts their rustic life didn't always offer the most exciting opportunities to develop. She even started to gain a little begrudging respect for the seer Osman learning more about his relationship with the giant.

The journey was a pleasant hike from campsite to campsite as they made their way across the steppe. Eventually coming to the mountain range that made up its western border. Agnes was used to elevated terrain but this was an entirely different scale. It was still late summer and she could see snow still covering some of the higher peaks! They wound their way up a rugged trail to a spot that gave her views of the wide world she'd never imagined seeing.

Then they came to their destination. A cave with a small outcropping overlooking the first proper building they'd seen in several days. The stones were carefully cut and arranged, there were clear structures with a purpose. It was unmistakable. From their vantage poinr they could see over those imposing walls, past the thick iron gate into the prison mine run by Dunne the One-Eyed.

It was such a cruel, cold place they were looking down on. The rest of the group made their way into the cave to ride out the rest of the day without being spotted, but Agnes couldn't look away. She had been playing with the heat haze, mirage magic as the proper name she picked up since they left Trelle. By now it wasn't hard to obscure her presence sitting on the outcropping. She was even able to do it while using a little water to mimic the Seer's device. The telescope. So she sat, and watched the grim institution from above.

There were a few well-dressed giants wielding a shorter type of club than Rhek or Naak carried. Agnes figured this made sense as a weapon that would be easier to use in some of the tighter parts of the complex. They weren't the only giants there though, there were quite a few who were shackled and haggard. Along with many, many humans. The guards didn't seem like they needed to do much, the prisoner's spirits had been broken the whole experience made Agnes feel like she was watching an ant hill. People scurried from quarry sites to processing areas. Teams pulled ropes, swung tools, and marched in a steady rhythm. Heads kept down, minimizing the time they'd spend in the eyeline of their captors.

Agnes was so absorbed in watching the prison mine she didn't notice when Rhuk joined her. Standing on the edge in their falcon form.

“The memory of the reprisal is long,” the shaman offered in the strange voice coming from a bird's throat. “But the camp doesn't boast the same numbers it once did.”

“I guess it wouldn't have been that long since Alexander led the breakout.” Agnes replied.

For the first time since this journey picked up the pace, Agnes thought about young Stellios back in her home village. The lad was certainly tending to her garden as asked and she was certain his family was overjoyed to see him. Did he lie about where she went? Did Agnes's husband Lysander even notice she was gone, or was he too absorbed in his latest sculpture?

She sat and traced the layout of the prison mine. Trying to recall the details of Stellios's story, recounting how the boys made it out. She thought she saw the narrow pass where it all began. A broken gate from where the prisoners made their exodus. She was certain he was still alive. Agnes and Rhuk sat mostly in silence, occasionally noting observations as night fell over the steppe. As the sun went down behind them Chloe approached, breaking their concentration.

“Agnes, Rhuk! Ready for dinner? We're getting worried about you two out here. You look so serious.”

“Sorry to worry you, little cat burgular.” Agnes tittered as she rose and dusted herself off. “We were just doing a little scouting.”

The others were still distracted at the beguiling sight of a bird turning into a massive woman in front of them, but returned to the cave with a jubilant step after Rhuk sniffed and boasted “Littlefoot's stew! Very good.”

They finished dinner while recounting the days events and observations of the prison, a light mood that changed quickly after they finished and Rhek cleared a space in front of the fire. Drawing a crude map of the area with charred sticks, he finally spoke in his low, gravelly rumble.

“Rhuk say best to make sure we're reading same book. Two goals. Beat Dunne. Rescue witch's grandson. Grandson led breakout of prison, probably taken to Dunne's camp. We know most of Dunne's favorite camps, but not which one he at now.”

“Right,” Hektor cut in. “I get that and all, but why did we come to the prison? I was thinking he'd have a fort or a castle close by.”

Rhuk was the one to answer, this time also a rather low and heavy voice coming from the body of a yak the girls liked to lie on in the evenings. “Not quite, Dunne does like to adopt the trappings of city-state rulers but giants don't really build things of that nature. So he does travel between favorite spots on the steppe much like most giant men. You've of course been given the great honor of seeing Rhek's.”

“Rhek has best camps.” Rhek bellowed with a guffaw.

“I do agree you've found some amazing spots I'd never consider out here.” Hektor replied.

Rhuk snorted to quiet the interruption. “As I was saying. Dunne does migrate with his retinue. We know several places he might be this time of year, but scouting those individually would take too much time and call too much attention. So we need to ask someone in a fixed spot who would know.”

“So of course,” Agnes cooed sleepily. “The warden of the prison would have to know where to send promising captives to.”

“Exactly.” Rhuk confirmed, this time without the annoyed snort. “Dunne loves his gladiators. He would not like to hear of a promising one languishing in the prison mine. So the warden would know his general migration plan for the year.”

“So what's our plan?” Chloe purred contentedly.

The two dozing off in Rhuk's fur jolted awake at the gruff bellow from the elder giant. “Rhek become actor! Dunne know Rhek potential rival. Rhek offer witch as peace treat.”

“Treaty, brother.”

“Sound too cute.” Rhek grumbled. “Like lion begging for scrap of meat. No matter. We play like Rhek ready to join Dunne. Let slip granny and grandson in fighting pits together. Dunne won't be able to keep his eye off that show.”

“Hey! That's a lot of risk!” Chloe shouted.

“I must agree, sounds like Ms. Agnes is going to be in a dangerous position.” Hektor concurred.

The two leapt to their feet to stare Rhek down, forming a wall between him and Agnes. Rhek didn't move or act as though he was bothered, simply looking past them to the old woman snuggled up in the fur of his transformed sisterbrother.

“You two, pipe down.” Agnes said with a yawn. “If that's the plan, that's the plan. Make a fake staff for them to confiscate and trust Rhuk with the real one. I don't actually need it, but I like that one.”

With that, she turned over and went to sleep. Leaving Hektor and Chloe in a stunned silence while Rhek laughed and Rhuk snorted. After a moment Rhek leaned down close to the companions, eyeing them up and down before saying with a nudge to Hektor. “Besides, you two are going in with her.”