Grounded By Love (The Giant Wars #2)(2)

Claira had never seen a rock giant warrior up close, but she could imagine an injured one would still be a force to reckon with. Some of the wounds on the human soldiers had been appalling, clearly delivered by a stronger opponent.

“You wouldn’t be able to live with yourself, if you abandoned them though.” She reasoned with her conscious. “But the villagers might come to get me, if any wounded humans have a turn for the worse.”

She’d have to be careful, if she brought a rock giant into her cottage. Then again she could always leave him in the forest and treat him there. She would have to see, when she got down there.

Shaking her head, she rushed to get a pack of herbs ready. Grabbing a knife from near her fire she tried to tell herself it was better than nothing, in case it was a rock giant and he decided she was better off dead. Claira had no intention of dying to save a rock giant warrior.

She gave one last glance at the battlefield. Whoever it was had made it into the forest.

Taking a deep breath Claira made her way down the hill. Suddenly, she halted mid-step. “How do you plan on carrying a man or a rock giant up this hill?” She criticized.

She made her way back up the hill and to the small barn that housed her only horse. Grabbing some rope, she guided her horse down the hill and into the forest. As she made her way through the trees, she paused to collect herself. She was about to head into the gore of the battlefield. It was one thing to see it from a distance, but a whole different thing to head straight into it.

Claira was willing to do it, at least, she hoped so. She’d seen death and blood before, but nothing like the mass of bodies she was about to encounter.

She made her way carefully over boulders and fallen tree stumps. As she drew near the bottom of the hill, she stopped to sit on a boulder. After slowing her breathing, she listened carefully for any signs of someone moving. All she was able to hear were animals, the wind whistling through the trees, and her horse’s breath.

She grumbled to herself, as rain spilled from the sky. Wasn’t it bad enough she was about to go searching through dead bodies? Now she was going to be searching through wet dead bodies.

Slowly, she rose and took a look around. She could smell the thick scent of blood wafting through the cool air. Her mind told her to flee the area, but she quelled the voice.

Claira was about to continue looking through the bodies when she heard a grunt. She was close to whomever it was, thank the gods. She didn’t want this excursion of hers to take too long. She was already getting soaked to the bone from the ever-constant downpour.

She held in the bile that rose thick in her throat, as she guided her horse over the dead. She came across a body missing its head, and she sucked in a deep breath, which only drew the scent of death deeper into her lungs.

She was a healer, but this war was her first. Never before had she seen such brutality from both sides. Usually she dealt with the ill or people who injured themselves in daily life. It was hard for her to imagine someone stabbing another.

Shuddering, she made her way through the mass of bodies. There were so many rock giants. They were larger than she had thought they’d be. She stared into some of the blackest eyes she’d ever seen. No wonder people liked to tell stories about these giants. They’d be anyone's worst nightmare. She could only imagine one of them wielding a sword against her.

Stepping over bodies she tried to ignore her mind, as it yelled at her to run far from this place. She hoped whoever was injured would make another sound so she could find them quickly. The sooner she could get out of here the better.

Looking down at her feet she gagged again. The bottom of her dress and shoes were covered in blood and gore.




Kaeldar drifted in and out of consciousness, but he fought for every lucid moment. Every time he woke, he’d check his wound. He wasn't pleased with how it was progressing. Death was slowly creeping into his body, through his wound. He would be beyond lucky, if he made it out of this situation alive.

Sometimes his own groaning would wake him from his fitful slumber. He had a raging fever and felt like flames were licking his flesh away, even though the freezing rain was pouring down on him. The ground around him had become a soaked mess of mud and blood.

He growled into the forest. He was warning any animals nearby that a predator was hurt and wouldn’t stand for anyone trying to eat him alive. Though he figured he most likely wouldn’t be alive for much longer. Soon he wouldn’t have the strength to hold off any animals that came for an easy and fresh kill.

As his vision blurred, he started to drift back into unconsciousness. Kaeldar heard a gasp come from beside him. He let out a growl, and another gasp sounded. He fought to stay conscious, but failed. As he blacked out, frustration coursed through him. He needed to stay awake to defend himself.




Claira couldn't believe she’d found him, and he was a rock giant. A huge rock giant with the most hideous gash she’d seen on his chest. For only one split second, she was tempted to walk away and leave him. But there was no way she’d be able to turn her back on someone in need. It would haunt her, for the rest of her life.

He groaned in his sleep, and her heart went out to his obvious suffering. He had to be in unimaginable pain from the laceration on his chest.

Quickly, she scrambled her way to him with her horse in tow. In her rush to aid him, her foot got caught on a body, and her momentum took her down. Claira let out a squeak, as she gazed into empty black eyes. She’d landed on top of a dead rock giant. Goosebumps spread over her skin and the hair on the back of her neck rose.