A Maiden and Her Knight

15: A Memorial

     After picking his armor up from the blacksmith, Sir Gabriel is back at his parents' home putting on his last piece of armor. Ashley is kneeling behind him, eager to head for the town of August, the town where Sir Gabriel was born. She has no idea what kind of town it is, but she can only imagine just how different it is from both Vershire and Oakvale.

     "Are you sure that you want to leave so soon?" Heather asks, feeling that her son hasn't visited long enough, having only just returned home yesterday from one of his long journeys.

     "Come on," Laura encourages him with a grin on her face. "Can't you stay another day or two?" She had managed to "coax" her brother into giving her some gold. If he were to stay another day, she could easily get some more from him. Putting him in another headlock would work very easily, just as it did earlier.

     "If we could stay longer, we would," Sir Gabriel answers, already tying his helmet to his waist. "You know I always try to make this trip as often as I can, plus Ashley still has a lot more to see."

     "I really did enjoy visiting you," Ashley comments with a big smile on her face. "You made me feel so welcome. But, Gabriel is right, I really do want to see more of this country."

     Ashley still has a hard time believing that she can venture outside her home and visit different towns now, and having an even harder time believing how most of the townspeople are accepting her. With Sir Gabriel informing the townspeople how she means no one any ill will she can actually walk about each town like any other person.

     "Go, and take in all the sights you can," Sir Olric encourages. "I did my fair share of traveling before I settled down and started a family with Heather here," the retired knight wraps his arm around his wife's waist and pulls her close, "the most beautiful woman I ever had the pleasure to meet. So you two be sure to see as much as you can."

     "Just be careful, Gabriel," Heather says. She steps away from her husband so that she may hug her son. "You know that I do worry about you as you travel, just like I did with your father. Plus, you have Ashley now, and I am sure that she will worry about you even more than I will."

     "Don't worry, Momma," Sir Gabriel says, doing his best to reassure her. "I may perform tasks that are dangerous from time to time, but I am not foolish. You need to remember, Sir Olric taught me well."

     Ashley lowers her hand to the ground, her open palm face up so that Sir Gabriel can step onto it. The knight's family watches with a sense of awe as he is lifted high enough so that he can sit on the maiden's shoulder the method of travel that Ashley prefers for the man she loves since it allows her to walk at a pace that is not too slow for her and allows him to be close to her

     "Look, Momma," Laura says. She is pointing at the couple as she starts to grin. "Gabriel is riding Ashley!" Both the knight's and maiden's faces turn red at the implied comment. They both know that Laura is merely making an observation, but the way she has pointed it out is making a different implication about what the couple is doing.

     "Laura Sophia Darrold," Heather says firmly, getting tired of how her daughter has been acting towards her son. "The chicken coop is now your responsibility for the rest of today, tomorrow and quite possibly the day after."

     "But Momma," Laura protests, "All I did was make one itty bitty comment."

     "One comment too many to be more accurate. I have been nice and given you plenty of warnings yesterday and today young lady, and you seem to have chosen to ignore every one of them."

     "That's not fair!" Laura protests again, even stomping her foot to show her displeasure. "Papa, say something. Tell her that this punishment isn't fair!"

     "There is nothing I can say about this," Sir Olric responds. "I agree with your momma about how you have been acting towards your brother and Ashley these past two days. Besides, we both know that I am smart enough to know that I shouldn't contradict the punishments she gives out."

     "But, but..." Laura tries to argue.

     "No more arguing, young lady," Heather says. "Now I believe that chicken coop needs some attention right now. With your brother visiting us, it has been neglected a bit." Heather points towards the coop, "Now get going, off with you."

     Laura groans in frustration, crossing her arms as she stomps off. Sir Gabriel can't help but grin a bit at his sister's punishment, feeling some satisfaction about her finally getting what has been coming to her these past couple of days.

     "I would like to apologize for how she has been acting these past couple of days," Heather says as she looks up at the maiden and her knight. "She has always acted like this towards Gabriel ever since Olric brought him into our home all those years ago."

      "Why does she treat him like that?" Ashley asks. "I can't imagine that Gabriel would do something to her which would make her have such a grudge against him."

     "It's just sibling rivalry, I suppose," Sir Olric answers casually. "She's been like that with him ever since we took him in. I imagine that she was just unhappy about the fact that she is no longer an only child."

     "Hopefully she will treat him better soon," Ashley comments optimistically as she stands up to her full height. Both Sir Olric and his wife crane their necks just to look up at the maiden, still trying to get used to the sight of such a tall woman. Ashley waves to the two of them, smiling as she says, "Gabriel and I will be sure to come back and visit often as we can after he has shown me everything Albion has to offer."

     Ashley starts to walk off, not even bothering to go through Oakvale today. The roads in town are most likely busy with people at the moment; everyone running errands or just trying to pass through to arrive at their next destination, and she would hate to disrupt their routines as she tries to navigate her way through. With her massive size, she does need plenty of room to walk, her feet alone posing a potential hazard to anyone who isn't careful around her.

     Sir Gabriel looks over to see a big smile on the maiden's face, and that isn't the only hint he has about her good mood. He can feel himself being bounced on her shoulder as the giantess is walking with a slight spring in her step. "I see that you are in an especially good mood right now."

     "Well, I can't help it," Ashley responds. "Things have been going so well for me lately."

     "Really? How so?"

     Ashley holds her hand out, counting off each thing as she lists them off. "Well, first I got to meet you. The first person to accept me and love me exactly as I am."

     "That isn't hard for me to do. You are a wonderful woman. I daresay it would be next to impossible for me to have not fallen for you."

      "Well, there is more to it than that." Ashley's smile starts to look more warm, with her thinking back to when she first met the knight. "I mean, you didn't run in terror from me. You actually stayed and talked to me, as if I was a normal maiden. Not to mention when we had our first kiss you were willing to.

     Sir Gabriel thinks back to that first kiss, remembering just how odd and awkward it was for him at the time. He had always pictured himself locking lips with a beautiful woman, a beautiful woman of normal height to be more precise. The idea of only kissing one lip was something he never thought about. "I am glad about that moment. As I said, it was your kindness that helped me to see the beautiful woman that you really are."

     "Second," Ashley says, getting back on topic as she is now holding up two fingers, "I have actually gotten to visit and walk through two different towns, two towns that I have never been to before. Not only that, but you were able to convince people that I meant them no harm."

     "I can't take all the credit for that. You were showing people that you are kind and gentle, which is something that they can't ignore about you."

     "Don't be so modest. Without you, they would have just jumped to the conclusion that I was some mean giant and they would not have even given me a chance to explain myself. They would have just taken up arms and chased me off." She is now holding up three fingers, getting ready to continue explaining her good mood. "Lastly, the fact that your family had accepted me so easily. Your family really surprised me by how welcoming they were of me."

     "And I kept telling you that, didn't I? That they would treat you like you are already part of the family."

     "I know, but can you blame me for being worried about it? I have had a lot of negative reactions from others due to how tall I am."

     The walk to the town of August doesn't take long. The small town is close to Oakvale, but it is still a decent walk for most people. Though the distance isn't that much for Ashley due to her extraordinary size, the maiden being able to walk such distances in a short amount of time.

      As Ashley is approaching the town, she notices the crowd that has gathered at the edge of town. "I guess I should put you down now," Ashley suggests as she points towards August. She can understand how the people must view her, a woman who is just over fifty feet tall approaching the town. They view her as a possible threat, and she can't really blame them for thinking that either.

     "Not yet," Sir Gabriel says. He isn't looking directly at the town, but rather at an old house that is just outside the town's outskirts. Pointing to the building, he says, "We're stopping there first."

     Ashley looks at the building that Sir Gabriel is pointing at and is surprised at how decrepit it looks. The old home looks as though it has been through a lot with he roof practically caving in and one of the walls crumbling away and leaving a big hole in the side. There is even some vegetation that is growing up what is left of the decrepit home. She is amazed at the fact that it is still standing to the point where it can still be recognized as a home. "There?"

     "Yeah, that is where I used to live before Sir Olric took me in as his son."

     Ashley steps up to the old building, setting Sir Gabriel down in front of it. There isn't much left of the property, but she can only imagine how much this place must mean to the knight if he is stopping here again and again.

     Sir Gabriel is looking at the old place, not having too many memories about it. He was only three when his parents died and Sir Olric had taken him in. The memories that he does have from that long ago are almost just out of his reach; he can just barely recall his parents' faces. He finds himself staring at the old house, hoping that something will come back to him, which isn't helping at all. Besides, he didn't come to look at a building that is falling apart.

     Sir Gabriel walks around to the back of the house, with Ashley carefully following behind him. Her footsteps are heavy enough that they are causing the old building to shake slightly. The knight stops when he arrives at two grave markers; the markers are very simple in design, each one being just two branches tied together into a cross. He gets down on his knee, looking at the spots where the markers are at.

     "So, your parents are buried here?" Ashley asks as she kneels on the ground behind the knight.

     "Unfortunately, no." Sir Gabriel sounds like he is starting to get a bit choked up by his answer. "By the time the weather had cleared up and Sir Olric had come back to bury them, the bodies had already been moved."

     "Moved where?" Ashley asks.

     "More than likely thrown into a mass grave with others who have died during that winter," Sir Gabriel answers. Such a thing is not so uncommon, especially when death counts are high over a short period. "These are more of a memorial to tell you the truth."

     "I am so sorry to hear that." The giantess rests her finger onto Sir Gabriel's shoulder, hoping to comfort him a bit. She would have loved to have picked him up and held him at this moment, to hold him in a loving embrace, but she feels that it is better if he remains where he is for the time being.

     "It's fine. At least I have a place to come back to so that I can remember them." Sir Gabriel takes a deep breath, trying to keep himself composed as he continues to speak.

     "Hi Mom, Dad," Sir Gabriel says. Even though his parents are not beneath the ground, he still feels as though they are listening to him. "It's been a long while before I have visited. My travels are going very well." Sir Gabriel smiles slightly as he continues, "Remember my goal, how I always wanted to rescue a maiden and marry her?" He chuckles a bit, shaking his head. "A silly goal from what I have been told, but one I strived for regardless. I like to think that you two would have supported my ambition. Anyway, I finally did it. I have found a maiden and rescued her. Her name is Ashley."

     Sir Gabriel turns to look up at the maiden who is behind him. "She may not be your typical maiden, but I love her all the same." He turns back towards the grave markers, "I bet that you would have loved to meet her. She is the kindest woman I have ever met."

     "Would you like to say something?" Sir Gabriel asks, looking back at Ashley once again.

     Ashley smiles at the knight, seeing how much this simple request means to him. "Hi," Ashley says, trying to sound casual. She isn't quite sure how one should sound when talking to the deceased, she figures that taking a casual approach would be the best way. "I'm Ashley Evans, the very maiden that your son, Gabriel, rescued. I've only been with your son for several days, but I have seen how just how good and noble he is."

     Sir Gabriel stands up, looking up at Ashley once again. He takes another deep breath, feeling that he has said some meaningful things to his parents. "Thank you, you have no idea how much that meant to me."

     "Do you really think that your parents would have liked me?"

     "I know so," Sir Gabriel answers reassuringly, which causes Ashley to smile. "You are a very likable woman." He looks back at the two crosses, "Before we make our way to August, I need to replace these two markers."

     "Why don't I get the wood to make them," Ashley offers. "I can get the branches for them easily."

     Sir Gabriel laughs slightly, knowing full well that the giant maiden is being completely honest about what she has just said. "I bet you can."

      Ashley walks off, leaving Sir Gabriel to pick up the old grave markers so that they can be replaced. She makes her way over to the closest tree that she can find, kneeling in front of it so that she can be eye level with the branches. Reaching up and snaps off a small branch, believing it to be a good size to make a nice sized cross to mark Sir Gabriel's parents' gravesite. Stripping off the leaves and excess twigs, she is quite proud of herself of what she has managed to pick.

     As Ashley is grabbing more branches, Sir Gabriel is busy untying the twine that is holding the two crosses together. The wood is weathered from how long it has been outside, being in dire need of being replaced. As he lays each branch down, he looks over to see Ashley busy stripping another branch from the tree that she is at. He can't help but smile at her, watching as she is helping him to make new markers.

     He still can't believe the odd, yet surprisingly welcome, turn his life has taken ever since he has met the large woman. Ever since he has decided that he wanted to rescue and marry a maiden, he had always pictured something different. He certainly didn't picture himself being with someone who is as unique as Ashley. Yet, the time he has had with her couldn't be more perfect.

      For a good portion of his life, he had always pictured himself holding the woman he loves in his arms and kissing her on her forehead; common ways for a man to show that he loves the woman that he is with. But with Ashley, such affections from him are not easily possible. She is the one who is holding him, wrapping her arms around him as often as possible. Lifting him to kiss him, even if it is his entire face.

     Sir Gabriel can't help but smile as he thinks about these actions from Ashley. She is showing him her love the only way that she can, being the affectionate woman that she is. There isn't much he can do to return his feelings for her, her large stature limiting what he can do for her. Though, he has been willing when it comes to letting her hold him, not to mention kissing her on the lips whenever he is close enough to her to do so. He knows that in time he will be able to figure out a way to better show the feelings that he has for this maiden.

     "I got the branches you need," Ashley says as she returns. Kneeling in front of Sir Gabriel, she places the four branches, that she had pulled from the tree, in front of him. "I think that these will be perfect, what do you think?"

    Sir Gabriel picks up one of the branches that have been laid before him. The piece of wood is almost straight, only having a slight curve to it, and is a decent thickness so that it can resist the elements. "These will do nicely," he comments.

     Ashley watches as the knight is fashioning the branches into two crosses, using twine to tie them together. "There we go," Sir Gabriel says as he sticks each one in the ground. "These two will last a long while." He looks up at the maiden smiling at her.

     "What is that smile for?" Ashley asks.

     "I am looking at a very beautiful woman, I can't help but smile at you."

     Without saying a single word Ashley reaches for Sir Gabriel, who does not recoil in any way as her large hand is coming for him. She lifts him, only to wrap her arms around him as she hugs him. She doesn't even care that his armor makes it a bit uncomfortable to give him a loving squeeze. "You really find me beautiful?"

     "Of course I do." He is looking up at Ashley's face, seeing the smile that she has. The words that he has said to her may have been simple, but it is obvious just how much they mean to her. "I actually have found you to be quite beautiful the moment I first saw you."

     A tear starts to run down Ashley's cheek as she listens to the knight's words. It is taking everything in her to not tighten her embrace on him anymore, knowing full well that she is very capable of squeezing him too hard and severely injuring him as a result, even with his armor on. She wishes that she could say something back to Sir Gabriel in response, but she is unable to find any words at the moment.

      "Ashley, as much as I would love to stay in your arms, I really think that we should make our way to August."

     "Just a few more minutes, please? I want to enjoy this moment that I have with you."

     "Of course," Sir Gabriel answers, leaning his head into the giantess' chest. "Go ahead."