Grounded By Love (The Giant Wars #2)(3)

He smelled so rotten and disgusting. Bile threatened to rise up in her throat. She wanted to puke so badly, but she couldn’t afford to be ill. She had a task at hand.

Claira put her hands against the dead rock giant’s chest and pushed herself back up. His head rolled to the side. At least, he wasn't staring at her with those blank eyes anymore.

After getting back onto her feet, she stared down at the front of her dress and her hands. She was going to need a bath, after this, and she would have to get new set of clothes. Claira doubted any of this blood was going to come out of her dress, but that was the life of a healer.

Using her hand, she brushed some blonde hair out of her face, wiping blood and mud on her cheek.

She bent down next to the giant who’d let out the groan. Running her hands over him she searched for the wound that must have brought him down. There was a lot of blood on him, and she was unsure whether it was his or from the dead bodies surrounding him.

Nervously, she ran her hands up and around his head. She hoped there wouldn't be any head injuries, since it wouldn't bode well for his survival. When she didn’t find any wounds on his head, she made her way down to his neck, and then to his shoulders.

She wouldn’t want him wielding a sword against her. Those were some thick muscles he had. She was amazed he’d even gone down in the first place. He seemed like he should have been the victor, but it must have been complete chaos on the battlefield.

Lightly, she brushed her hands down the rock giant's sides and over his ribs. When he sucked in a breath and let out a groan, she ended up so startled she landed on her butt in the mud.

Watching carefully, she made sure he was still unconscious. It wouldn't be good if he woke, while she was trying to save his life. He could harm her or harm himself.

She realized he’d just been reacting to the pain, and not because he was close to consciousness. Letting out a breath she’d been holding, she bent back over him.

Gently, she laid a hand on his forehead and was shocked by the fever he was running. A fever like this could mean he was beyond her care. Either way she was going to try to save his life. Too many had died on both sides.

She pressed against his ribs causing him to suck in another breath. Her fingers went along his armor, finding the deep slice in his armor plating. She was concerned about how deep it might have gone. Someone had swiped at him with the intent to kill.

She rolled her eyes. Of course, they aimed to kill. This was a battlefield.

Dipping her fingers into the slice she pulled the armor away to expose his flesh to her view. She needed to see what she’d have to contend with.

She frowned, as infected flesh greeted her. How much worse could it get for him and for her? It was so crusty and swollen. How long had he been out here suffering on the battlefield all alone?

Even if she couldn’t save him, at least, she could make him comfortable and keep him company. Her heart went out to him. How could it not? He must’ve been in such agony, with a wound so far gone.

After she finished inspecting him for any more wounds, she looked up the way she’d come. Now that she knew he had only the one wound and no broken bones, she felt sure he could be moved. There was no way she would be able to care for him down here and in the rain.

Claira would be able to give him better care, if he was in her cottage, where it was warm and dry, and where his wound would be able to heal in peace.

The only problem for her was how to get the brawny rock giant tied up to her horse. She didn't want to reopen his wound on accident. She had no platform to put him on. If she tied him to the horse, she could cause him more damage, but if she left him he faced certain death.

Tying him up to the horse was the only choice she had. It was a challenge she was up for. She only hoped he could hang in there, while she brought him to her cottage.

After leading her horse over to the rock giant, she attempted to lift him. Huffing and puffing she struggled to raise him so she could wrap the rope around him. Once done, she and the horse slowly made their way up the hill.




Her horse almost had the rock giant to the top of the hill. This hill had never seemed so massive, but she hadn’t ever made her horse drag a rock giant in full armor up such a hill. It now seemed like a mountain, as she ran between guiding her horse and making sure the rock giant didn’t get stuck on any forest debris.

Claira hoped he’d be grateful for her saving his life, because she was working her hardest to do just that. Never before had she worked so quickly to get rocks and other debris out of his way, as the horse dragged him. She was near to collapsing from the work and from the cold rain that pelted her.

It didn't help she had decided to keep his armor. This journey would’ve been finished much faster, but she’d been reluctant to remove any of the items in case they held any special meaning to him. These items could help him with his recovery. Familiar items could always bring the injured comfort in their last moments.

If she did end up successfully healing him, he would need these things to survive. The rock giants had retreated from the area, and he would need to dodge human troops who were now prowling the area for any survivors. His only defense would be his armor and weapons.

She would take his sword off him, once she got him to the cottage. Then she would search him for any other hidden weapons. She would keep them all far away from his grasp, just in case he didn’t enjoy the sight of her.