“Oh, gods Graham, this is…fantastic! Best chicken I’ve had in years!”

“Oh sir, it’s merely alright. I must imagine with how hungry you must be, anything would taste delicious.”

“That’s not true! I don’t know how you cook everything; it all comes out amazing!”

“Pavel, trust me, I’ve been telling Graham that for years and he still doesn’t believe me.”

“It could use some improvements.”

“No, it’s perfect the way it is.”

“As you say ma’am.”

“You’re too humble Graham.”

“Better humble than arrogant, if I say so myself.”

“Oh, Mom warned me about men like you, all for show!”

“Believe me ma’am, if I could put on a good show, I’d have left Miss Torohar’s service a long time ago.”

Werond grinned and rolled her eyes as Serena, Jo, and Pavel burst out laughing. Cruck’aa, however, remained silent, as he plucked another apple from the plate closest to him, ignoring the tray of roasted chicken that sat in the middle of the table.

How they could remain carefree was beyond him.

The day had been wasted by everyone, Cruck’aa included. Neither Jo nor Pavel held any desire to assist Cruck’aa in attempting to find the hole within the walls of Waterdeep, after their conversation from yesterday; though Jo did head off on her own, in an attempt to do Gods know what, Pavel had outright refused, stating that he still needed to train for the upcoming Festival…and that he was still too irritated at Cruck’aa to help. That had left Serena, though Cruck’aa hadn’t tried to discuss anything with her; she remained too enamored with that woman to be any help to him.

Thus, Cruck’aa had to tackle the issue by himself, and being in a city that he held no knowledge of, and one that threatened to arrest him should be fly about, he was forced to admit that he’d achieved nothing the entire day. Walking about the city proved fruitless, and by the time the sun had set, his irritation had blinded him to what he was even looking for in the first place. When he’d returned, everyone had already begun to eat without him, though Jo was quick to offer him a chair.

More laughter echoed around the table, though Cruck’aa had missed what it was about.

Try as he might, he remained unable to wrap his head around Jo’s, Pavel’s, and especially Serena’s, lax attitudes towards their job – towards their duties. They were trusted by the Harpers to investigate whatever it was the Cult was doing. Why, then, with such a monumental task laid upon their shoulders, did no one feel the urgency that Cruck’aa felt? Pavel and Serena had already demonstrated that their personal lives remained more important than their mission, and while Jo did actively work to uncover information, she did so without the fervor that Cruck’aa held, a fact that irritated him beyond belief.

He frowned as he cut chunks off his apple, throwing them into his mouth.

Perhaps the lack of urgency was borne from the lack of communication from their superiors. Due to their ‘secretive’ nature, the Harpers hadn’t contacted them once after they’d been hired in Baldur’s Gate, and none of them had discussed finding a way to recontact them. Then again, the man who’d hired them, an elven monk whose name escaped Cruck’aa, spoke of no way of contacting them again, leading him to believe that their superiors didn’t want to be contacted. At the very least, Cruck’aa wished to inform them of the events that had occurred on the caravan, though he expected that, on some level, the Harpers had already known.

Werond directed something at Cruck’aa; he shrugged and ignored her, rolling his eyes at the laughter that filled the table again.

Perhaps it wasn’t the lack of communication that nurtured the carefree attitudes from his friends, but the caravan itself. Evidently, their caravan had been one of the worst accidents that Waterdeep had seen in years, something that Cruck’aa had picked up from his wanderings that morning. Quite a few people had even approached him and offered their sympathies for his losses, which served to only anger him further.

He couldn’t blame his friends, then, for wanting a kind of distraction from those events. Perhaps the thought of continuing their duties dug up ugly feelings towards those they’d lost on the caravan, a position that Cruck’aa knew all too well.

It still didn’t excuse everyone’s attitudes, however. Cruck’aa had suffered his own fair share of tragedies, yet he remained focused on what needed to be done. The same could not be said for Pavel’s fixation on the tournament and Serena’s lechery towards that woman. Even Jo, despite being the only other one who remained worried about their duties, did so with a much too relaxed attitude. They might have uneasy feelings about their duties, but they still needed to fulfill them, and –

“WEROND!”

A voice, louder than the gods, reverberated through the house, shaking its very foundations; everyone at the table leapt into the air, cutlery and cups flying out of hands and spilling to the floor. Behind them, a plate slid off the island and crashed into the wood.

Footsteps, almost as loud as the voice, thundered towards the house – one, two, three times, before suddenly stopping. Outside, a plethora of concerned and terrified voices rose loud enough to be heard from the kitchen.

Werond’s eyes widened; she leapt out of her chair at the head of the table, sending it tumbling backwards, and sprinted out of the kitchen and through the living room.

“Not the door again!” she yelled. “Let me open it!”

Everyone remained frozen; Pavel stood up from his chair and gripped the table, panic across his face. Cruck’aa exchanged wide eyed looks with Serena and Jo as they remained frozen in their chairs.

Graham, however, stood up slowly from the end of the table.

“Oh dear.” He said.

An explosion of wood and metal sounded from the front of the house, as though entire building was caving in on itself; Werond’s scream echoed the horrible noise.

Pavel grabbed a knife, vaulted over the table, and sprinted out the kitchen, Jo right on his heels. Serena leapt up after them, her hands instantly igniting. As Cruck’aa moved to follow, he willed his body to shift, falling to all fours as he exited the kitchen, his feathers turning to fur as he shaped himself into the form of a massive brown bear.

He followed the other three as they tore through the living room, Pavel leaping over the couches as Jo and Serena followed around them; as Pavel entered the foyer, however, he suddenly stopped, causing Jo and Serena to smash into him with yells of surprise.

Cruck’aa let loose a growl; unable to halt his now massive form, he collided with them, sending everyone tumbling harshly to the ground, tangling themselves with one another.

In an instant, Cruck’aa leapt back onto his paws and stood to his full height, head almost brushing the archway between the rooms. He bared his teeth and began to growl, only to stop when he took stock of the scene in front of him.

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Werond stood closest to what remained of the front door, ripped from its hinges, leaving a large hole in the way, and held her face in her hands. Standing outside, holding the door in one giant hand, and brushing splinters off himself with the other, stood a mountain of a man that could have only come from the wilds itself.

Taller than the doorway, the man’s head remained out of sight; his skin was the color of ice, his long scraggly beard as white as snow. Thick muscle rippled underneath a patchwork of animal skins and hides, each of his arms thicker than Cruck’aa’s torso. On his hip, a long and thin axe, head carved with intricate runes, was strapped to his side.

With a spark of dread, Cruck’aa realized that the man was no man at all, but a Frost Giant – shrunken, yet still towering over everyone.

Carefully, as though it were made of glass, the giant placed the destroyed door off to the side, leaning it against the wall of the house. As he did, Cruck’aa caught a glimpse of the crowd that now clustered around the gate to Werond’s house, everyone watching with a mixture of curiosity and awe.

The dread in Cruck’aa’s chest faded; perhaps he had nothing to fear if no one else seemed afraid of the giant.

The thick mountain of muscle leaned down and poked his face into view; his piercing blue eyes flicked around the inside of the foyer, and as they caught sight of Werond, the giant grinned, revealing teeth whiter than his beard.

With startling ease, he stepped under the threshold and into the foyer. At full height, the giant’s face could almost touch the railing of stairs on the second story.

“Werond!” He yelled again, causing everyone within the house to cringe; with a collective jump, the crowd outside cleared away from the gate. “You didn’t tell me you were back! Why not?!”

Werond sighed and shook her head; she barely came up to the giant’s stomach.

“Oh no,” The giant bellowed, his grin widening. “don’t act like you aren’t happy to see me!”

“First, stop yelling.” She said wearily. “Second, I’d be happier to see you Harshnag if you hadn’t ripped my door off for the hundredth time.” Werond looked up at the giant with a smile that had seen the destruction of her house far too often.

“Well, I know what would make that better!”

Werond’s smile dropped as her eyes went wide.

Before she could react, Harshnag bent down and scooped Werond into a tight bear hug, lifting her high into the air. She grimaced as he swung her back and forth like a child with a new stuffed animal.

“Oh, how I’ve missed you!” Harshnag yelled excitedly. “You should have said something the moment you came back! Durnan had to send a message himself!”

Werond grunted something that Cruck’aa couldn’t hear; Harshnag laughed and hugged her tighter.

Cruck’aa slowly reverted to his original form as Jo, Pavel, and Serena, finally untangling themselves, scrambled to their feet. Jo and Pavel, upon seeing the awesome height of the giant, froze in place, their eyes wide; Serena, however, ran forward and stood in front of Harshnag, who paid her no mind.

“Hey!” She signed, fingers still ablaze. “Don’t squeeze Werond like that! She can’t breathe!”

The mirth vanished from Harshnag’s eyes; Cruck’aa instinctively shrank down as Jo tensed beside him. Pavel took a step forward, only to freeze again, shaking slightly.

The giant dropped Werond, who fell clumsily onto her rear; Harshnag reached down and grabbed the collar of Serena’s tunic with two fingers, lifting her to eye level with ease.

Every bit of color drained from Serena’s face as the flames on her hands extinguished.

“And who are you to tell me what to do?!” The Frost Giant bellowed, causing Serena to cringe. “Come in here and tell me not to hug my friend – what are you doing in her house?!”

“Harshnag!” Werond yelled as she leapt to her feet; Cruck’aa’s eyes widened as the giant cringed at his name. “You put her down right now! Serena is my guest, and you will not treat her like this!”

Like a child caught holding a treat before dinner, Harshnag dropped Serena, who fell roughly on her back. She immediately scrambled on all fours over to Werond, shoving herself up to hide behind her.

“Well, if you had just said that in the first place…” Harshnag mumbled, his voice like rolling thunder.

“Don’t make excuses for that. Apologize to Serena.”

“Sorry Serena.” Harshnag said, staring down at the floor.

Werond glanced back at Serena and gestured towards Harshnag. After a moment, Serena took a step out from behind Werond’s back.

“I-it’s o-okay.” She signed; the color had yet to return to her face.

Harshnag nodded but refused to look up. Werond shook her head, and turned slightly towards Serena, whispering something to her.

Cruck’aa fought to keep his beak closed; he hadn’t a clue how Werond, the least physically inclined out of all of them, had somehow disciplined a Frost Giant as though he were a child – a tall one at that. He glanced back, and from the looks that Jo and Pavel gave him, they were of the same opinion.

“Excuse me.”

Graham pushed passed them and walked towards the mess that was the front of the house, unphased at what had occurred. He stopped at the stone bench to the left of the door and reached up into the cabinet above it.

“Miss Torohar,” he said. “I believe the Mending wand still has some juice left. I’ll begin work on the door. Harshnag?” He glanced at the giant, who regarded him with the eye of a child who wasn’t sure if he was in trouble still. “While it is good to see you again, and I apologize for not telling you myself that Miss Torohar was back, you caused quite the ruckus in the kitchen when you yelled her name. If you would be so kind as to help tidy up, I would be happy to make you a meal for your efforts. Would that be fair?”

Harshnag straightened up, excitement reentering his eyes.

“Sounds like a plan to me!” He said; Harshnag paused for a moment, then looked down at Werond. “Uhm…if you’ll have me, that is…”

“Yes, I will.” Werond sighed, waving her hand. “I’ve missed you too. Just…don’t make a bigger mess.”

“Of course!” The giant yelled; he ducked and began to shuffle over to the archway that separated the foyer and the living room.

Thinking quickly, Cruck’aa flattened himself against the wall as Harshnag approached, Jo following his lead; Pavel, with nowhere to go and in the path of the giant, turned and leapt into the living room. He clambered over the back of the nearest couch and fell to the floor behind it with a loud thud.

As Harshnag walked by Cruck’aa and Jo, paying them no heed, he stopped and turned back to Werond.

“Oh! I almost forgot; did you hear my good news?!”

“No Harshnag, I’ve barely been back a couple of days.” Werond said, hands on her hips; Serena had stepped out from behind Werond and walked over to Graham, hands still shaking but offering her assistance. “What is it?”

“They finally let me sign up for the Brightswords Festival!” He beamed. “After all this time, I get to compete in the tournament!”

“That’s lovely Harshnag! I’m sure you’ll put on a good show.”

“Oh, I will! They said I don’t have to go easy on the other contestants too, so it’ll be even better!”

“Other con…” Werond’s brow furrowed.

“Yes, the other contestants!”

Her eyes widened.

Cruck’aa’s beak fell open as the realization hit him; simultaneously, the color drained from Jo’s face, and she grabbed the wall to steady herself. From the living room, Pavel swore from behind the couch.

“They let you in the second tournament?!” Werond asked, bewildered. “How?! Why?! Who let you sign up?! Don’t they know you’re a damned giant?!”

“It was one of the Masked Lords!” Harshnag said gleefully. “He – well, I’ll tell you in a minute, let me…”

He turned back around and squeezed past Jo and Cruck’aa, his legs almost knocking them over. As he entered the living room, Harshnag peered over the couch, and laughed as Pavel yelled in surprise.

Cruck’aa turned back to Werond as the giant thumped his way into the kitchen; she remained where she was, back turned to the city, hand on her chin, eyes still wide.

“Werond,” Jo asked slowly. “was he serious about the tournament? Are…will we potentially have to fight…a giant?”

“I…I don’t know.” She shook her head. “He’s not allowed to join considering he’s…well, a giant. I’ll have to talk – I mean, you’d have to talk to the tournament heads if he’s in, but I don’t even know if they’ll tell you.” Werond crossed her arms. “I just…don’t know how he’d have gotten in. Harshnag has been pestering the officials for a while now, but they’ve always been firm. I don’t have a clue why that’s changed now.”

“Excuse me,” Cruck’aa interjected. “you just know a Frost Giant personally?”

“Yes, he’s a friend of mine. Known him for a while actually, I –”

Her words were cut off as the sounds of crashing plates filled the house. Harshnag yelled, causing Pavel, who had stood up from behind the couch, to jump and fall back to the floor.

“Oh gods,” Werond said, beginning to jog towards the kitchen. “I need to supervise him, sorry.”

Cruck’aa and Jo remained where they were as Werond went past them. Pavel pushed himself back up, still shaking slightly, and walked back towards them after Werond disappeared into the kitchen.

“You okay Pavel?” Jo asked as he approached.

Pavel nodded but remained quiet. Cruck’aa noticed that sweat now gleamed on his forehead, despite the coolness of the house.

“Okay. Uhm…you two think he’s serious when he said that?” Jo’s eyes flicked towards the kitchen, where Werond and Harshnag began a heated debate regarding something Cruck’aa couldn’t make out.

“No.” Cruck’aa replied instantly. “He can’t be. They probably told him that so he’d stop pestering them. No way he’d be let in.”

“R-right.” Pavel stammered. “They’d b-be extremely s-stupid to do that.”

“Yeah…” Jo mumbled. “Yeah, that wouldn’t happen.”

The three of the glanced over at Serena and Graham, who’d began to tap parts of the doorframe with a long stick, the damages beginning to repair themselves.

None of them believed each other’s words.