Morning came quietly, the fires from the night before had burned down to glowing embers, and the beach that had been filled with music and laughter now lay scattered with overturned cups, abandoned plates, and footprints pressed deep into the sand. Haffold woke beneath a table. He opened one eye. The sky was blue. The sea was calm. A seagull stood approximately two feet from his face. They stared at one another.
"Don't."
The bird tilted its head.
"I mean it."
It took a step closer. Haffold slowly raised one hand.
"If you take my breakfast, I'll tell everyone you did it."
The bird stared at him. Then stole the piece of bread resting beside his head.
"HEY!"
It flew away. Haffold sat upright so quickly that his head struck the underside of the table.
"Ow!"
He rubbed his skull and glared toward the retreating bird.
"Thief."
A deep laugh came from nearby. Haffold froze. He slowly looked toward the sound. Sanna sat at the edge of the village. She had somehow managed to wrap herself in nearly every blanket the Bramblefolk had been able to find, though most of them only covered portions of her enormous body. She was watching him. Smiling.
"Funny."
Haffold frowned.
"You saw nothing."
"I see."
"You saw absolutely nothing."
Sanna nodded solemnly.
"Nothing."
Haffold stood and brushed the sand from his clothes.
"Good."
He walked toward her, then noticed that there seemed to be something missing. He looked around. The barrels, the food, the baskets of fruit, the remaining bread, all gone.
He looked at Sanna. She looked back as he narrowed his eyes.
"...Did you eat all of that?"
She smiled.
"Yes."
"All of it?"
She nodded. Haffold stared at the empty barrels. Then at her.
"How?"
She shrugged.
"Was hungry."
He rubbed his face.
"I suppose nearly drowning does work up an appetite."
Sanna pointed toward the village.
"More?"
"No."
She frowned.
"Why?"
"Because if you eat everything again, we're going to have to start eating the villagers."
Sanna's eyes widened.
"No!"
Haffold laughed.
"I'm joking."
She stared at him for several seconds, then slowly smiled.
"Joking."
"Exactly."
She nodded.
"Good joking."
Haffold shook his head.
"I've created a monster."
They spent the morning walking along the beach. The village had returned to its normal rhythm. Children ran between stalls while the fishermen repaired nets and the merchants sorted through their goods. Everywhere they went, Sanna attracted attention. She tried to ignore it at first. That lasted approximately ten minutes. Eventually she began waving to everyone who stared. Most waved back. Some still looked nervous. Others simply looked curious. Haffold noticed that Sanna seemed to enjoy the attention.
"You've never seen this many people before?"
Sanna shook her head.
"Not like this."
"How many people live where you come from?"
She thought.
"Many."
"How many?"
She held up both hands. Haffold waited. She held up her hands again. He frowned.
"Twenty?"
She shook her head.
"Forty?"
She shook her head again.
"One hundred?"
Sanna shrugged.
"Many."
Haffold laughed.
"Right. Very precise."
They continued walking. After a while, Sanna's expression changed. She became quieter. Haffold noticed.
"You alright?"
Sanna nodded. Then shook her head. She looked toward the ocean.
"I had..."
She struggled with the words.
"...home."
Haffold stopped. Sanna continued walking several steps before realizing he wasn't beside her. She turned.
"Haffo?"
"I'm listening."
She looked toward the sea again.
"My people."
She searched for the words.
"Jotuun."
She pointed to herself.
"All Jotuun."
Then she touched her stomach.
"Eat."
She made a motion like tearing meat from bone.
"Animal."
Haffold nodded.
"Your people eat meat?"
Sanna nodded.
"Much."
She pointed toward the ocean.
"Fish too."
Then she shook her head.
"But me..."
She pointed to herself.
"No animal."
Haffold frowned.
"None?"
She shook her head.
"Fish."
She smiled.
"Fish good."
Then her smile disappeared.
"Other animal..."
She shook her head.
"No."
Haffold studied her.
"Why?"
Sanna shrugged.
"Don't like."
It was said so simply that Haffold almost laughed.
"You just didn't like it?"
Sanna nodded.
"Don't like hurting nice animal."
"My people think..."
She searched for the word.
"Weak."
Haffold's smile vanished.
"They thought you were weak because you wouldn't eat meat?"
Sanna nodded.
"Jotuun strong."
She flexed one enormous arm.
"Jotuun hunt."
She made a tearing motion again.
"Jotuun kill."
Then she pointed at herself.
"Sanna..."
She shook her head.
"No."
She looked down at the sand.
"Not Jotuun enough."
Haffold was quiet. The wind moved gently through the grass beyond the beach.
"And they cast you out?"
Sanna didn't understand the words. But she understood his expression. She nodded.
"Yes."
She looked toward the ocean.
"Was alone."
For a moment, Haffold didn't know what to say. Then he sat down in the sand. Sanna lowered herself beside him. The two watched the waves together.
"Well..."
Haffold finally said.
"They sound like fools."
Sanna looked at him as Haffold shrugged.
"You saved my life."
He pointed toward himself.
"I'm alive."
Then pointed toward her.
"You're alive."
He smiled.
"Seems pretty strong to me."
Sanna stared at him, then smiled. After a while, Haffold noticed something tied around Sanna's waist. A length of rope. Old, and frayed. He pointed at it.
"What's that?"
Sanna touched it.
"Boat."
"Boat?"
She nodded.
"I made."
Haffold's eyebrows rose.
"You built a boat?"
Sanna nodded proudly.
"Big boat."
"How big?"
She spread her arms.
Haffold laughed.
"I suppose that means absolutely nothing coming from you."
She ignored him.
"Made boat."
She mimed hammering.
"Wood."
Then rowing.
"Left island."
Haffold's expression softened.
"You tried to leave."
Sanna nodded.
"I leave."
"Why?"
She looked toward the ocean.
"People mean."
Her voice became quieter.
"Couldn't stay."
Haffold didn't press.
"What happened?"
Sanna's eyes drifted toward the horizon.
"Big storm."
She spread her arms.
"Big."
Then made a crashing motion.
"Very big."
Haffold nodded.
"Alright."
Sanna looked at him.
"Storm..."
She pointed toward the water.
"...and beast."
Haffold froze.
"A beast?"
She nodded.
"Big serpent."
She spread her arms.
Then kept spreading them.
Haffold's eyes widened.
"That big?"
Sanna shook her head.
"Bigger."
"How much bigger?"
She pointed toward the horizon.
Haffold stared.
"...Oh."
Sanna's expression changed. For the first time since telling the story, she looked genuinely frightened.
"Water."
She whispered.
"Deep water."
Her hand trembled slightly.
"Serpent under."
She pointed toward the sea.
"Couldn't see."
She closed her eyes.
"Only..."
She searched for the word.
"Eye."
Haffold swallowed.
"Eyes?"
She nodded.
"many."
"Very big."
Then she made a slow motion with her hand beneath the surface.
"Moved under boat."
Haffold looked toward the water. Suddenly the peaceful sea he knew all his life didn't look quite so peaceful.
"What happened to the boat?"
Sanna closed her eyes.
"Broken… Eat in one bite"
"And you?"
She pointed toward herself.
"Water."
She shuddered.
"Deep."
Haffold nodded slowly.
"That's why you were startled when you woke up here."
Sanna nodded. She looked toward the waves.
"Sanna don't like deep water."
"I don't blame you."
She looked at him with a certain intensity.
"Never again."
Haffold smiled.
"Then don't go into it."
Sanna looked confused. Haffold paid it no mind as he pointed inland.
"There is a whole world that doesn't require swimming."
She blinked.
"World?"
"Mainland."
He spread his arms.
"Everything beyond this beach."
Sanna looked toward the horizon. Then inland.
"How far?"
Haffold laughed.
"Very far."
She frowned.
"How far?"
"Days."
She waited for further explanation from Haffold.
"Many days."
She waited longer.
"Many, many days."
Sanna's eyes widened.
"How many?"
Haffold thought about it.
"...I've never counted."
Her expression slowly changed. Curiosity, and wonder flashed between her eyes as a small smile began to spread across her lips.
"You go?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"Everywhere I can."
Sanna stared at him.
"You travel?"
"That's what I do."
He tapped the satchel at his side.
"I trade."
He pointed toward the road.
"I walk."
Then toward the distant horizon.
"I find places I've never seen."
Sanna was silent. Then asked…
"Can Sanna go with Haffo?"
Haffold looked at her.
"With me?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
He smiled.
"If you want."
She looked toward the village. Then toward the ocean once again, Then back to him.
"But..."
She pointed to herself.
"Jotuun."
Haffold shrugged.
"Yes."
"Big."
"Yes, very much so."
She looked at him.
"Small."
Haffold frowned.
"I prefer compact."
Sanna stared blankly at him.
"So..."
Haffold grinned.
"Travel Friends?"
She smiled.
"Friends."
"Then yes."
He held out his hand.
Sanna carefully lowered one enormous finger and touched it against his palm.
"Travel."
"Travel."
The decision spread through the village by lunchtime. By sunset, everyone had an opinion. And by the following morning, everyone had apparently decided to help. Haffold emerged from his home to discover half the village constructing something enormous beside the road. He stared.
"What is that?"
A carpenter looked up.
"Your pack."
"My..."
Haffold looked at Sanna. Then back at the pack. It was nearly as large as a fishing boat.
"That's a pack?"
The carpenter shrugged.
"She's a big woman, what do you expect?"
"Fair."
Sanna crouched beside them. The villagers had built a reinforced wooden frame with thick leather straps. Haffold climbed onto it. Then climbed off.
"Looks perfect to me."
He looked toward Sanna.
"Now..."
He scratched his chin.
"How am I supposed to keep up with your large strides?"
One of the children shouted:
"You can ride her!"
Haffold's face went flush at the idea of how it would look to be with a woman of Sanna's size, shook the thought from his head as he began to blush, then looked at Sanna's shoulder. Sanna looked at Haffold. They both smiled. By midday, the villagers had constructed a small saddle akin to a sort of spaulder. It was little more than a padded wooden seat with leather straps running around Sanna's shoulder and upper torso. Haffold climbed onto it. He adjusted his merchant's hat.
"How do I look?"
Sanna looked over her shoulder.
"Small."
Haffold sighed.
"You're really enjoying that word."
"Small merchant."
"Very funny."
She laughed. Haffold looked down at the enormous pack strapped across her back. His entire inventory was there. Cloth, tools, jewelry, spices, shells, carved trinkets. Everything he had spent years collecting. For the first time, his entire business sat behind him. And he wasn't pulling it. He was sitting on a giant.
"Well..."
He began to strap his waist into the frame of the shoulder saddle.
"This is certainly new."
Sanna stood. The sudden movement nearly launched him into a tree.
"WHOA!"
She froze.
"Sorry."
Haffold clung to the saddle.
"I'm going to have to teach you about sudden movements."
She nodded.
"Sorry."
"Good."
A pause. As Haffold finally secured himself.
"Now, we can go."
Sanna smiled.
"Go."
The entire village gathered along the road. Children ran alongside them. Merchants shouted last-minute advice. Fishermen gave Haffold supplies he absolutely did not need. The old fisherwoman approached Sanna. She held something in her hand. A bracelet that looked as if it were an anchor line in her arms. Woven from colored thread. She reached up and tied it carefully around Sanna's wrist. Sanna looked down at it, then at the old woman.
"For luck."
Sanna touched the bracelet.
"Thank you for luck."
The old woman smiled.
"Come back someday."
Sanna nodded.
"Come back."
Haffold looked back at the village. He had spent years dreaming about leaving it to actually adventure well past his known routes. Now that the moment had finally come… He felt something unexpected. He would miss it. He turned forward.
"Ready?"
Sanna looked toward the road.
"Ready."
She took her first step. Then another. The Free Coast slowly disappeared behind them. For the first several hours, neither said much. There was too much to look at. The beach gave way to rolling grassland. Then fields. Then scattered farms. Haffold watched the road ahead. Caravans traveled north and south. Horse drawn carts passed them. Travelers stared openly at Sanna. Some waved. Some hurried away. Others simply stopped to watch. Sanna waved at nearly all of them. Haffold laughed.
"You know, you're going to become very famous."
"Sanna Famous?"
"Everyone will know you."
Sanna smiled.
"Good."
"Why?"
She looked toward the endless road ahead.
"Many places."
Haffold nodded.
"Many places."
She looked at him.
"Good."
He smiled. For the first time in his life, the road ahead didn't seem impossibly long. It seemed like an invitation. They continued north. Neither of them knew exactly where they would sleep that night. Neither knew what towns waited beyond the horizon. Neither knew what dangers traveled the roads of the mainland.
But for the first time...
Neither was worried about it. Because they had each other.
And for now...
That was enough.