Chapter 33.2

If they were going to attract Frost Giants anyway, Eirwen reasoned they might as well gather more. So for the next few hours, they wandered and found more snowplum locations. Leaving a few behind in every spot, it still gained them over a hundred, all in excellent quality. Enough that Eirwen permitted Red to use a few for experiments.

As for him, he couldn't stop smiling at her. He was beaming with pride at her accomplishment, the speed at which she found the fruits. She even discovered pits that had already begun decaying, which they at once had started theorising about. While most of the knights couldn't follow the conversation well, Bethan did contribute, her healing knowledge helping imagine out the stages of a snowplum.

The healer also berated both of them, as they were so occupied with their conversation, they repeatedly called people by their real names. Eventually she made both of them recite all aliases five times in a row, to get them back in the mindset of their cover identities. All the while, the others were failing at holding in their laughter at the ridiculous sight.

Eirwen and Red rode side by side, closer than needed, as they made their way back down the mountain. Rather than visit the same village again, they took a route that would let them visit a few more places as they meandered back to Bealach na Caisteal. That would also let them hide better where they had obtained the snowplums.

At times, they found traces of wolf packs, giants, and other people. Nothing recent, but it showed they were in an area frequently visited by others. There were a few villages that they travelled past, ones far enough from what felt like a main road, that anyone approaching would be spotted well before they could become a threat.

Thanks to moving down on the western side, they still had daylight by the time Eirwen felt a strange presence in the distance. Before she could even warn Red, his senses chased hers and intertwined, allowing him to benefit from her reach. The way his face immediately turned into a frown, was all she needed to know, taking command of her entourage at once.

"Frost Giants at about eight hundred strides, prepare weapons and cover our flanks." Immediately all switched from passive observations to active searching, their senses stretching wide to ensure nobody could flank them. That left the front to Red and Eirwen, who took time observing their opposition. Numbering four giants and two wolves, they were near the upper limit of what Eirwen felt they could handle in a first fight.

No others were nearby, nor people. But Eirwen couldn't help notice these Frost Giants appeared to be travelling a path that let them observe the large road that Eirwen had been travelling towards, which connected several mines with Bealach na Caisteal. Likely they were keeping an eye on the road, find anyone worth fighting.

As Eirwen's group came closer, it drew the attention of the Frost Giants. She couldn't help but notice it was at a range that required massive skill normally. Most likely, the creatures' size was helping there, like how she had noticed her senses grew sharper when gigantified.

The creatures came closer, immediately moving to intercept, rather than observe first. Ah, they had sensed the snowplum pits then. Red had been right, it was luring them in. Good, that made it easier to predict the battlefield.

With weapons chosen, they rode forth, nineteen combatants ready to meet six. The giants actually tried to hide for an ambush, taking position on one side of the road, with one giant at a larger distance. From here, Eirwen could tell it had several projectiles that it likely would be throwing at them.

Nearing the ambush site, still out of effective range, they all dismounted. These weren't warhorses that would fight until death, so no point in risking them getting spooked. Even with the wind not blowing towards them, the horses had already caught on something was going on, nervous enough that they were clearly a risk in combat.

As healers and smiths stayed back, the rest moved towards the giants, in a loose formation that they could tighten up in an instant. No point in giving away they were an organised bunch until it was too late.

When the giants finally could lay eyes on their group, one actually snorted at the sight of bows. And sure, normally those were harmless against the creatures. But that was exactly why, to make the creatures underestimate them. And if needed, they could still Verglas the arrow tips.

Red whispered his orders. "Fang and I will dash through and take the ranged one. Use spears to keep the giants occupied, then go for their limbs. As for the wolves, expect those to flank us, they will attack on any perceived opening on the side or behind. So lure them in." They had trained for this already, but it was still a useful reminder.

When the giants were about to attack, Eirwen shouted out. "Loose!" A dozen arrows flew towards the faces of the giants, enough to distract them for a few counts. Red and Fang dashed forward into the woods, letting them bypass the frontline to attack the giant that held large javelins. The archers threw their bows aside and switched to a combination of spears and poleaxes. At the front, the giants now charged towards them. Light and Rook stood on Eirwen's left and right, a few steps ahead, ensuring she wouldn't face all three giants.

The first javelin flew in their direction, but its quality was good enough to make its path decently predictable. It smashed in-between several knights, but not close enough for its smashed remnants to injure anyone. With Red and Fang already on the creature, moving at a boosted speed that even a horse couldn't keep up with, its threat was now neutralised. 

The giants tried to smash at them with clubs, but the trajectory was far too simple. Their range and brute strength was all they had here, and those advantages weren't enough. The attacks were sidestepped, at which point pairs of spears stabbed towards them. As for Eirwen and the other sword wielders, they flashed forward as fast as the wolves circled around, aiming for the legs of the giants.

Thick skin was normally a nightmare to cut through, and two of the giants used a defensive technique, but none of that mattered when faced with Verglassed blades. Shouts of pain echoed forth as the giants stumbled, then fell to their knees. Meanwhile, Eirwen could tell the wolves had been surprised by how shields had merely served to hide spears launching towards them.

Focus. They can handle. Take it in passively, and focus on the enemy in front.

Never faltering, never stopping her movement, Eirwen cut through her opponent limb by limb as she flashed past it. The brute strength of a giant was useless when one was too fast to get hit, so she made sure to stay close but never stand still.

Her opponent raised a hand, ready to hit the ground. She recognised the mana flow as she launched herself at its neck, cutting through its neck faster than it could even follow. Sure, they could have handled that paralysis attempt, but she saw no need in holding back right now. She immediately joined the fight on her right, while the knights split over all remaining foes. Only a few counts later, the last opponent stopped moving.

Further ahead, Red and Fang had also wrapped up their fight. While their cuts had been less deep, as they hadn't Verglassed their weapons, they had made enough attacks that their opponent never had stood a chance. As Eirwen mentally recalled the way she had observed their movement, she realised it was a good way for the pair to take out one giant at a time, which suited their abilities and weapons.

After they ensured all opponents were dead, the healers came forward to verify nobody had suffered any injuries. The horses weren't entirely happy with coming close, but dragging the bodies aside was enough to satisfy them.

They took the time to study the giants and wolves, discussing the way the fight had gone. All in all it was excellent, none had needed the Carraig Defence and only a few had used Verglassed blades, yet even then they had cut through their opposition in but an instant. This way, they could fight without giving away too much of their skill, so none could prove they were an organised force.

They took the wolf pelts but left everything else behind to rot near the road. After they reached the main road, they found themselves being ambushed twice more, this time with remote scouts observing them, and once passed by a caravan while they were field dressing a wolf. While Fang sold off the meat for a cheap price, Eirwen could tell the caravan's security was studying the bodies and their group. Good, that would help spread their reputation.

Yet despite all that, despite being able to handle every mana technique that had been thrown at them, despite only minor injuries that the healers dealt with with ease, Eirwen couldn't help but notice that Red's frown was growing more intense with every fight. He even had them push on during dusk, arriving at a town shortly after nightfall and wordlessly paying the warden fee for staying without a business permit. That night, it was his sleep that was disturbed by bad dreams, not Eirwen's.