Giants and Ogres (15 page)

“It's not true, is it?” she asks at last.

“No.”

“But, then, what are you?”

“We're the Watchers. The ones that Watch over both the humans and the forest. The ones that keep things balanced and keep people safe. It was a vow made by the Ogres hundreds of years ago. A vow my mother died trying to keep.”

“I'm sorry,” she whispers. A tear catches the sun then slides glittering down her cheek.

“I'm sorry about your mother, too. I wish we could have saved her. It wasn't your fault.”

“So, there are a lot of you?”

“Not anymore.” The words are acid in my throat.

“How many?”

I can't say it out loud. I put up one hairy finger.

“I'm so sorry.” She looks like she's ready to start full-on bawling all over me, so I change the subject.

“What were you doing with that giant spear anyway?” I ask.

“I was trying to catch some fish.” She rolls her eyes. “I know it was a stupid way to go about it, but we're getting a little desperate. Since my mother died, it's just my little brother and me. I have to take care of him, and things have just been so hard lately. Nothing's really growing right, and the wolves took our last sheep last week. I can't even dig worms to use with my fishing pole, so I thought I'd try with that spear.”

“That's, uh, terrible,” I say, averting my eyes. She's looking at me a bit suspiciously, and I won't meet her gaze. “You should try digging out here.”

“Really?” She purses her lips. “Okay.” She barely
scratches the surface of the earth when two fat earthworms wriggle up into her palm. She looks at me incredulously, and I smile at her. Close mouthed, of course. I think my teeth make her uncomfortable.

“You should head on home now. But maybe fish in the pond closer to the village, there's a lot of trout in there this time of year.” Especially now.

“Alright. I'll see you around, maybe.” She stops and looks me over. “What's your name?”

“Oni. Yours?”

“Kaya.”

“Good-bye, Kaya.”

I Watch her a little bit after that. She's all alone in the world, really, and I feel a bit responsible for her now. She has a little brother, a funny little guy with a snub nose and a face full of freckles. He never stops moving, and she's always chasing after him. I'm surprised he hasn't tumbled into the river yet. I worry about him, he's a little too skinny.

That week, a couple of wild turkeys mosey onto their property. Kaya guides them gently into the sheep's old pen, then flies around settling them into their comfortable new home. Little brother chases the new pets
around gobbling and flapping his arms. He doesn't see his sister turn towards the hill and mouth, “Thank you.”

Now that the worms are back, they've begun fishing in the river almost every day. The little boy—I hear his name is Adam—has become quite the expert fisherman. He manages to catch something almost every time he casts his line. The fish just seem to jump onto his hook.

A couple of times a week, I find a basket of bread at the foot of the hill. Once, I find a blackberry pie. I couldn't eat that, but I fed it to the bears so I wouldn't hurt her feelings.

I awake to a wall of heat. The pines are withering black shadows, slowly being consumed by the ocean of flames. Thick rippling smoke, illuminated by the crackling blaze, fills the air and my nose. I jump to my feet, calling to the creatures of the forest.

Many of them have already begun the blind run. They know where they're going, as far from the forest fire as they can get. They'll worry about rebuilding their dens and nests after it has all died down. For now, they are in survival mode. I lend them what strength and speed I can, then turn my attention to the village.

The inferno is still too far to wake the sleeping villagers, but it is spreading fast. Fueled by dry grass and brittle leaves, it's only gaining in speed and ferocity. By the time it reaches them, it may be too late.

I break into a hard run until I reach Kaya's cabin. I bang on the door, calling her name. She answers, hair disheveled and blinking from sleep. Her eyes widen when she sees me. “Oni, what are you doing here? It's not safe for you. Quick, come inside.” She grabs my arms and tries to pull me in.

“No, Kaya. You have to go. We have to wake everyone, and you all have to move. Now. Fire's swallowing the forest, and it will be here soon.” She turns her gaze to the horizon, which flickers and glows orange.

“You're right,” she whispers. “Help me. Help us.”

She wakes her brother, who screams when he sees me.

“Hush, Adam. This is a friend. She's here to help us.”

I try to smile reassuringly at him. It's not very easy to do while trying to hide my teeth.

We run from through the village, banging on doors and windows, rousing the village. I move in the shadows, darting from house to house unseen. Once everyone is roused, I lead Kaya and her brother away, to safety.

“Follow me!” Kaya shouts, her voice strong and
authoritative. I'm proud of her.

They follow me, past the river, towards the caves that only I know. The bears slide out, silently offering refuge. The villagers spend the night huddled together, comforting their children and planning with their neighbors. They'll rebuild. They'll make it better this time. It's kind of sweet.

I rest just outside, Watching.

The dawn comes, and so does the rain. The villagers are doubly glad for the shelter of the cave now. The torrential downpour leaves no doubt in anyone's mind that the fire will not survive the morning.

As the sun breaks through the clouds, they hurry back to the remains of their homes. The fire consumed the village, and they are left with little other than what they could carry last night. Again, they talk about rebuilding. And I know they will. Kaya will lead them, and I will Watch over them.

A year later, on the anniversary of the fire, baskets line the river. They're filled with loaves of bread, cookies, and cakes. They look delicious, but I don't understand.

“They wanted to thank you.” Kaya sneaks up on me for once.

“Really? Why?”

“I told them about you. About how you saved us that night, and how you've looked out for us ever since.”

“I didn't—”

“I know you did, Oni. You brought us the logs for our cabins. Huge piles that would have taken us weeks to fell. And what about all the livestock that magically appeared in our empty pens? The wild pigs, the goats, the turkeys. And my honeybees? They work so hard for me on their combs, and not one has ever stung me.”

I shake my head, but she continues.

“The crows never come anywhere near the corn crops now, and no one's even seen a wolf since the night of the fire. You've looked out for us in a thousand little ways, too many to ignore or deny. You had every reason to hate us, but instead you watched over us. We'll never forget that.”

I hold the Watcher necklace tightly in my hand, pressing the talon into my palm to distract me from the tears filling my eyes.

“One more thing, Oni. Come with me.” She leads me towards the village, stopping short at the outskirts.

“You've all done a good job,” I tell her. “It looks like new.”

She smiles. “Yes, it does, doesn't it? So we thought the town needed a strong, new name to reflect that.” She gestures to the wooden signpost, recently and beautiful carved. Grinning, I read the name of her village, our village: Ogreton.

I'm so happy I forget to hide my teeth. She doesn't even flinch.

J.G. Formato
is a writer and elementary school teacher from North Florida. She lives in a little house by the woods with her amazing husband and their four wonderful children. You can find her work in
Youth Imagination Magazine
,
freeze frame fiction
, and
Trysts of Fate
.

There are countless villains found in the pages of fairy tales—ogres, giants, even a witch or two—but none seem to capture the imagination like the stepmothers and wolves. Here nine authors tackle these villains. In some, the wolf or stepmother becomes the hero. In others, they retain their original threatening nature. In all the stories, the villains are presented in a new light. Rediscover your favorite villains in these new fairy tales.

ISBN: 978-1-933767-40-6

ISBN: 978-1-933767-41-3 (ebook)

ISBN: 978-1-933767-95-6 (Kindle)

ISBN: 978-1-933767-96-3 (PDF)