The Jotun is Kind?

Gilda frowned at the voice calling out to her. She initially thought that she was hallucinating. However, soon Pipi appeared to approach her by strolling to sneak up.

"Pipi? How did you get here?" asked Gilda, surprised. Both eyes were moist because, for almost fifteen minutes, she cried. She stopped crying when she heard the sound of Pipi's exclamation and the stone thrown by the little creature.

"Relax, Princess. I will tell you everything, but I have to ensure the situation first," Pipi said while watching around. She looked very anxious because she was afraid of something.

"You mean? Jotun?" asked Gilda.

Pipi nodded in agreement. Gilda finally understands Pipi's attitude, which looks anxious just now. Then, Pipi invited her to one corner of the cave as if she was about to show her something. Not long after, they finally arrived at the place Pipi was going.

"Princess, I apologize for leaving you yesterday. I did that because of reflexes and fear. I really couldn't afford to look into the eyes of the very creepy Jotun, Princess. Until somehow I just ran away without thinking about you who was left behind," Pipi said with a face full of regret.

"Ah, come on. I understand why you left. I'm sure you didn't mean it like that, did you?" replied Gilda as she gave a small, friendly smile.

"Yes, Princess. Thank you."

"Then, how did the story tell you were here? Do those Jotuns also catch you?" asked Gilda again. She was curious about Pipi's answer, which she had been waiting for.

"No, Princess. At that time, I did run away. But, I see Princess falling unconscious, and I am about to help but am too scared to do so. After that, I saw from a distance that the Jotun was holding the Princess. So, finally, I decided to follow him to this cave," Pipi said. The two spoke in half whispers hoping that something untoward wouldn't happen.

"But, isn't there no way out in this cave? I've been looking for it all night, but I didn't find it either. There is a ravine at the end of this cave. that's what makes me even more desperate, Pipi."

"Yes, Princess. That's the only way out for us. I got here because I'm secretly holding on to the belt on the Princess's shirt. I camouflaged into a hairy scarf until I arrived here. I also witnessed the incident last night when the Princess was looking for a way out, but I couldn't help because she was worried that the Jotun would wake up. So, I hid until I was waiting for the right time to see you." Pipi's explanation was enough to make Gilda's heart touched. The receding tears now reappeared, filling the girl's eyes with tears.

"Princess... what's the matter? Do I make a mistake? But, please, don't cry, Princess," Pipi said, panicked.

"Hmm... not. I'm happy you've tried to return because of my affection. Alright then, do you think we can get out of here?" asked Gilda, wiping her tears. She didn't want his grief to drag on. Hearing Gilda's answer, Pipi also smiled slightly in embarrassment. She felt that what she did was a form of her loyalty to the girl who was the village leader of Tanee.

"Princess, that's what I haven't found either, a way out. The Jotun is not as stupid as we think. In his escape, he can choose a difficult place for humans and animals to reach. If it weren't for his large body, he might not have been able to climb the cliff just below this cave."

"Ah, it's like that. Wait, escape? So it's true that this is not the Howa cave, where those Jotuns live?"

"No, Princess. Yes, this is an escape from the Jotun that is taking us now. There's an interesting story about that Jotun that maybe you would like to know. The Jotun is actually..."

Having not had time for Pipi to tell Gilda everything, there was a thumping sound of footsteps that seemed to be owned by someone whose body was significant. Gilda and Pipi's two eyeballs rounded as if they knew who was walking in the surrounding area. Gilda rushes to tell Pipi to hide again so that Arthur's whereabouts are unknown. At the same time, Gilda returns to the position where she woke up the first time while pretending to be asleep.

Bum Bum

Sure enough, out of nowhere, it came from. Arthur arrived with something in his hand. When he saw Gilda unconscious, he shook his head as if he couldn't believe something.

"This human being is very useless. It was noon but still not awake too? Is she dead or how? You, idler!" he murmured. The murmur, which Arthur thought could not have been heard around, was very clearly heard by Gilda, who pretended to be asleep.

"Hey, wake up! Wake you up, lazy girl!" said Arthur as he shook Gilda's body with his right leg. Although he had moved his legs quite firmly, Gilda still didn't wake up. At first, Arthur thought that Gilda was dead. However, he was still not sure about his guess because he had seen footprints similar to the shoe prints Gilda was wearing around the cave. He also stood directly in front of his body to observe the girl's movements. Instead of paying attention to Gilda for fear that the girl was pretending, Arthur was distracted by the charming face of the Tanee Village leader. Her face was like the light of the sun in the morning, and the brownish curls were beautifully tucked in Arthur's eyes even though Gilda's hair was loose.

'Wait, what are you doing, Arthur?! Are you crazy?!' he reprimanded inwardly when he realized something was wrong with his current attitude. He had felt confused for a moment by what he had just done. Suddenly, he felt that the atmosphere felt awkward for him. Several times he turned his face when he saw Gilda again because he felt a strange thing in her. Finally, however, the movement in Gilda's eyeballs made Arthur realize that the girl was pretending to be asleep. He woke her up again, but it was more complicated this time.

"Hey, lazy girl! Wake up! I know you're pretending. Don't mess with me, and you think I'm stupid?! Tsk! Look, who's stupid now that it has to be like this?" repeated Arthur shaking Gilda's body. Unlike before, at this time, Arthur woke up Gilda with a wood blade, not with his big feet anymore.

Gilda still didn't wake up, but she couldn't pretend for too long because the wood Arthur used to wake her up was enough to make her feel pain, and she could no longer hold it.

"Come on, get up. I know you've been awake since then, Gilda."

After hearing her name again mentioned by Arthur, Gilda was annoyed and immediately woke up.

"I told you, don't say my name anymore! You understand?!" concluded Gilda with both eyes rounded.

"Hahaha. You're mad at me because I'm calling your name? Let you remember again, how many times have you called me by the designations of insults?" Arthur asked.

Gilda was silent for a moment. She realized that Arthur's words had some truth. However, she thought back and did just that because there was a reason.

"Come on, and I'm tired of arguing with you. I want to go home. Please get me out of here!" asked Gilda.

"You want to go home? Isn't your purpose in coming to the Dark forest to wipe out the Jotuns? Now, I'm in front of you. Let's finish me off," retorted

"How can I finish you off while my sword is gone. Surely you're the one hiding it? You, coward!" concluded Gilda.

"You want to run out of energy because you keep doing it? Never mind, you must be hungry, right? Maybe, this is your lucky day. I brought you the fresh fish I just got in the river," Arthur said, throwing a few surviving fish.

"I can find a meal by myself! There's no need to pretend to be nice like that," Gilda said.

"Oh, all right. I'm full. If you don't want to eat it, keep it there. I don't pretend to be good, and I just being myself."

Arthur passed, leaving Gilda. He knew that he couldn't find it possible to forage by himself under these conditions. However, Gilda remembered Pipi. She will probably share the fish Arthur gave to the little animal. As Arthur walked away from the cave, Gilda quietly watched his steps. Arthur came out of the cave, but the monster stretched his arms and climbed up the cave. She doesn't know what he will do, but the Jotun seems to go to the top of the cave. Gilda suspected it was because Arthur's pounding of feet was heard from the direction of the top of the cave until occasionally water dripped from the surface of the cave's ceiling.

Gilda called Pipi in a whisper, feeling that the situation was safe.

"Pipi, you must not have eaten yet, right? Here, the monster brings us food. Let's go together," Gilda said.

Pipi nodded happily. While Pipi enjoyed the fish with enthusiasm, Gilda looked for wood to make a campfire to cook the fish.

"Princess, isn't that Jotun very cruel to us? But, why does he give us food?" asked Pipi, chewing her mouth full.

"I don't know. But, maybe, this is one of her strategies for planning something," Gilda replied as she stared at the fire that had started to burn before her.

"Hmm, what if the Jotun is kind?"