Somewhere, West Virginia, USA.

Hamish was quite confused, after Stella's birth Clive had stormed off with no word as to why! It was quite rude, Hamish thought. After making sure Addie and Stella were good and sorted he gave chase after the human.

"Clive! Wha' ever is tha matter?!"

Clive rounded on the pursuing halfling.

"The matter Hamish, is that what your trying to do is VERY ILLEGAL!!!"

"Wha' is?! Wantin' ta help out a friend?! Or puttin' tha furture 'nd happiness o' my daughter in yer 'ands?!" Hamish retorted.

"She was just born Hamish!"

"You say tha' like shes goin' from tha womb ta yer arms!"

"I didn-"

"Didnae wha' Clive?! Agree ta my proposal?! I said it outright wha' it was 'nd you agreed ta it!"

But I wasn't paying attention, is what Clive wanted to retort with. The truth was this was a mess he, unintendedly, made and this was the consequence of that. What was he supposed to say at this point? Sorry, but I'm going back on our deal because I got tired of hearing you worry about me that I tuned you out and agreed to something I wasn't even aware I was agreeing to?!

Clive groaned as he rubbed his face in frustration. If Jeb or Morty were here they could talk their way out of this, for one they would've paid attention as a child marriage offer was put forward!

"Hamish, I CANT do this! It's wrong, it's ille-"

"Oh I get it! Me 'nd my family ain't good 'nough fer you?!" Hamish snapped back with venom.

"Hamish that's not-"

"Well fine then, go back ta yer 'better' life! Livin' alone ina glorified closet!" Hamish huffed before turning away and marching back towards his family.

Clive gritted his teeth in anger and his mounting frustration. He looked around and saw that the rest of the halflings were watching him with judgmental looks. He gave a huff himself before wandering into the woods. He needed some space away from headstrong, prideful, halflings, and his childish friends.

Hamish stormed into his family's tent.

"Can you believe tha nerve o' him?!"

"You went too 'ard Hamish." Was Addie's simple, calm, response.

"What you mean too 'ard woman?! Yer tha one tha' wanted tha arrangement in tha first place!"

Addie sighed and rolled her eyes as the new born Stella continued to suckle.

"Don't send a man ta do a lady's job."

"What's tha' mean?!"

"What tha' means, Hamish, is tha' yer goin' ta get back out there, make amends ta Clive, 'nd not ta worry 'bout it."

"But, but, he-"

"Now Hamish!" Addie snapped, the movement startled Stella from her feeding. Eliciting a tear-filled cry from the babe.

Hamish just looked exasperated at his wife before turning and leaving to find Clive. Addie calmed Stella as he left, big green tearful eyes earning her the other teat. She smirked down at the little new born.

"You'll 'ave him wrapped 'round yer finger 'fore you can walk! Huh, my lil dove!" She cooed as her daughter continued her suckling. The verbal proposal was just a formality, the REAL proposal was the girl getting her man so in the palm of her hand that he couldn't refuse her even if he wanted to!

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

So let Clive huff and puff, she thought. It wont matter in a few years when little Stella, under the teachings of her seasoned mother, forces her way into Clive's life so much that they'll be wed in all but on paper!

Clive stormed through the woods, he wasn't sure how long or how far he went. It wasn't until he stopped and looked around that he found himself at the massive tree where the giant had used the roots to pull himself out of the nearby lake.

He looked over to where he watched the giant leave. Flee would be a more appropriate word, Clive thought. He picked up a thick branch and began to smash it against the tree in anger.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!"

He screamed and continued to let out his frustration on the poor tree before the branch finally broke from its constant abuse. He was breathing heavy from his anger and exertion. Clive turned and laid against the base of the tree.

"Why do I feel like the bad guy?!"

He could've avoided the confrontation with Hamish if he had just paid attention long enough. He could've stopped Jeb's and Morty's little war if he had just visited Jeb when he wanted him too, thus knowing about the kobolds and goblins and working something out between the two.

He sighed. He could've also stopped the ordeal with the giant if he had done more than just stand there. He could've stopped the halflings before they hurt him. He could've offered the giant SOMETHING other than the pitiful look he gave him. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

Clive put his head in his hands as he was overwhelmed by everything. So engrossed he was in his own head he didn't notice that said giant was now standing over him. Clive looked up when he heard a crunching noise, and almost jumped out of his skin when he finally noticed the giant.

He was eating something from the looks of it. Clive hoped it wasn't people. Thankfully his fears proved false when he watched the giant bring a fist to his mouth and pop a feral hog into his mouth with a wet crunch.

"Well, at least that's one problem solved." Clive muttered. Despite being out here for a few days now he was already looking better, not quite so gaunt looking.

"Don't suppose your going to kill me now right?" Clive asked half serious and half joking.

The giant just continued to watch Clive while feasting on his handful of wild swine. That's all it did. Just watch, eat, and watch some more.

"You, uh, wouldn't happen to have a place to sleep do you?" Clive asked, though he wasn't sure why. His tent was barely big enough for him!

The giant brought up his free hand and pointed to where Clive was sitting.

"OH?! Sorry."

Clive got up and moved over. But the giant made no effort to sit down. Looking at the tree and giant Clive noticed that while the tree itself was big enough to provide cover should it rain, there wasn't much cover for the chill wind that had started to blow.

"You don't have anywhere else to sleep? Somewhere warmer?"

The giant shook his head slowly. Clive looked at the tree again, kind heart and bright mind going to work on how he could salvage this. An idea formed and he, slowly, made his way over to the edge of the lake. Where he picked up a good sized rock with an edge and brought it over to the tree.

He held it up to the giant so that he could see. Then he scraped the rock against the tree, bark and tree being peeled away. The giant watched for a time, before his face shone with understanding. Popping one last pig into his mouth before setting down the rest nearby, he grabbed a boulder from nearby and brought it down on the tree with such force that Clive was worried it would knock down the tree!

"NONONONO! GENTLY GENTLY!!!"

The giant recoiled from Clive's shouting, he looked like he would bolt again. So Clive just held up his hands and made soothing sounds.

"It's ok! Just. Gently."

He said as he, slowly, brought the rock back. Going slow so that the giant would understand more. The giant hesitantly, and clumsily, repeated the action Clive was doing. Rough at first but getting more smoother as he progressed.

Clive wasn't sure how long they were at it, but after his muscles started to stiffen up he stopped and looked at their progress. Where there was once a thick, mighty, tree was now a decent sized opening in the tree. Not enough for the giant to lay down and sleep in, but enough for him to be better protected from the elements.

The giant stopped as Clive did, when he noticed what Clive and him, mostly him, had done a smile sprung from his face and he shuffled happily.

"Well? Test it out!"

At his words the giant tossed aside the boulder and sat with a great thud before shuffling back and into his giant-sized cubby hole in the tree.

Big grin plastered on his face he looked over at Clive, who had just as big of a smile on his face. The giant shuffled out a little before reaching over and picking up a boar to offer to Clive.

"Um, no thanks. I prefer mine not quite so raw."

The giant looked confused at him. Clive patted his pockets looking for something, giving a quiet cheer as he pulled out some flint and a pocket knife! He collected some nearby twigs and small branches and some dry moss for kindling. The giant watched wide-eyed as Clive sparked into life a fire!

He let out a shocked noise and watched as Clive cut off a piece of boar haunch and stuck it on a branch and roasted it over the fire.

"You know, I should thank Jeb and his family. My own never took me out camping. Always too busy with their work. It was Jeb and them that taught me a few outdoor tricks."

He chuckled at the memory of Jeb almost lighting the tents on fire when him, Clive and Jeb's father Sam went camping one weekend when they were little.

"He was just taught how to make fire and so he picked up a burning stick and ran around the camp screaming FIRE GOD, FIRE GOD! Almost burned down the tents and the campground to boot!"

Clive sighed happily at the memory.

"Just hope you have better judgment and don't set the woods ablaze."

He picked at the boar, deciding it was cooked enough, and bit into the tough swine. Wild boar wasn't really good eating as is, it was too tough for most everything. The best you could do was turn it into sausage.

The giant broke a great branch off of the tree and skewered a few swine before setting them over Clive's small fire. Noticing what he wanted, Clive brought some more branches over and fed it until it was a roaring bonfire!

The whole time the giant watched Clive. He watched as he taught him where to position the skewered boar so that it cooked. He also taught him how to rotate it so that one side didn't burn and so it would cook all the way through. After picking up the now roasted swine the giant ate them off the branch like one would marshmallows. His face burst with joy and surprise as the enhanced flavor of cooked pork filled the giant's mouth.

He repeated what he was taught with the rest of his swine. Before long though Clive noticed the sun going down. How long was he out here?

"Looks like its time to head home."

Waving and saying goodbye to the giant, who waved excitedly at Clive as he left.

"Oh?! My names Cliven by the way. Friends call me Clive. Not sure you can talk or even understand me but, there we go."

So the giant watched his new friend leave. Happy at what he was taught and at the friendly human.

"Kly-ven!"

Clive made his trek back home, an infinitely better mood than he has been for days now! Then he saw Hamish. He was looking around with a worried look on his face. It turned to relief when he noticed Clive and hurried towards him.

"Clive! Are you alright lad?!"

"Yeah, I just needed some space. Look Hamish, I'm sor-"

"Save yer sorrys Clive! It's my fault! Even back home marriage arrangements 'tween humans 'nd halflin's were contentious and difficult. I don't know why I thought 'ere would be any different. So, why don't we just forget 'bout this business 'nd move on lad?" Hamish stated as he held out a small hand.

Hoping that the marriage arrangement was over Clive shook Hamish's hand with a smile.

"How about this. You and I go into town tomorrow and we can check on some livestock?"

Hamish smiled.

"Tha'd be good lad!"