A Maiden and Her Knight

16: A Helping Hand

     Sir Gabriel is approaching the small town of August with Ashley following him. The giantess is close behind him but not so close that she could accidentally bump into him. The knight isn't worried about that possibility right now, this is because he knows that the maiden is watching where she steps so that she can avoid unintentionally injuring him. He is, however, mainly worried about how the townsfolk will react to the oversized maiden who is approaching their town. The sight of everyone  gathering at the town's edge is becoming quite a normal view for him, the crowd is unsure of what the giant woman's intentions are, and he can't blame them for their uncertainty.

     Even Sir Gabriel was frightened of Ashley when she came upon him and picked him up, not knowing what she would do to an intruder in her home. But he was quick to learn just the type of woman she is. Kind, gentle and even a bit curious. The knight can't help but smile as he thinks back to that first encounter, even chuckling slightly at how foolish he was to his initial reaction of Ashley. With her being such a unique individual because of her extraordinary height, he can't really blame these people for jumping to such conclusions about her. Ashley is a unique woman, the only person to reach a height if fifty-one feet. Once everyone learns that she is a kind and gentle soul, Sir Gabriel is certain she will be allowed to walk throughout the town.

     Arriving at the edge of town Sir Gabriel stops, which prompts Ashley to do the same, the maiden even kneels on the ground behind the knight so that she can be a lot closer to everyone. The giant maiden waves to the crowd of people, smiling warmly at them in the hopes that she can help to put to rest any feelings of unease these people may have about her.  "Hello," she greets them, making sure that her tone of voice sounds overly cheerful and friendly.

     Sir Gabriel takes a deep breath, ready to speak in a loud and clear voice so that he can be heard. "I, Sir Gabriel Ian Randal, am here too..."

     "Please, don't hurt us! We beg you!" one of the townsfolk cries out, interrupting the knight.  Both Sir Gabriel and Ashley can't help but give the people a dumbfounded look, never even anticipating such a reaction from anybody. With no soldiers or guards to protect the town from any major threats, the knight can begin to see why the people would react in such a manner. Several townsfolk start to shout out different things, stating what they are willing to do for Ashley in exchange for their safety.

     "We'll pay you a tribute, as much as we can spare!"

     "We'll worship you!"

     "You can rule over us like a queen!"

     "Th-thanks," Ashley responds nervously. "B-but that isn't necessary." She knows that her height can cause some unease, but she never would have thought anyone would react to her in such a manner.  Despite the maiden's polite refusal, the townsfolk continue to shout out different suggestions, many of which can barely be understood due to so many people shouting simultaneously.

     The knight is unable to speak above everyone's shouting, his words being drowned out by the crowd before him. As a result, it doesn't take long for him to reach his limit. "Everyone be quiet!" Sir Gabriel shouts while raising both his hands up. The crowd goes silent at the sound of the knight's voice, eagerly looking at him to hear what he has to say. "Thank you. I, Sir Gabriel Ian Randal, am here to inform all of you that this maiden, Ashley, means you no harm whatsoever. All she wants to do is to walk through your small town and see what it is like."

     One of the townsfolk slowly approaches the oversized maiden, still feeling a bit unsure about her presence. He is a simple man dressed in simple clothes, though he does look slightly dirty as if he has been performing some form of manual labor. "So, you aren't going to oppress us, or anything of the sort?"

     "Of course not," Ashley answers as if the answer should have been very obvious. "I'm not that kind of person. Not only that, but that kind of behavior is wrong."

     "I can assure you that Ashley is a kind and gentle soul," Sir Gabriel explains. "You have my word as a knight on that."

     The townsperson smiles a bit, feeling some relief with the answer that both the knight and maiden have given. He turns back to look up at the maiden, who is still smiling before he speaks again. "Then, I don't suppose that you would be willing to help me out now, would you?"

     "Of course," Ashley replies with a smile on her face. "Though," she continues looking somewhat confused now, "I'm not exactly sure how I can be of any help to you. As you can see, my size could make certain tasks quite difficult."

     "Well, you see, with the bad weather and a couple of unfortunate setbacks, I have fallen behind on harvesting my crops. That is what I could use some help with."

      "No one else is willing to help you?" Ashley asks sounding concerned. She looks at the crowd of people, unable to believe such a thing. Most of the townsfolk look able-bodied.

     "It's not that no one wants to help me. It's the fact that they don't have the time to help since they have to worry about their own crops and livestock."

     Ashley thinks about this man's request for a moment. It isn't that she doesn't want to help, but rather if she can help out. With her large size, certain tasks can be a bit more difficult to perform. But he seems to think that she can help him, not to mention there is a crowd of people staring at her who are curious about how she will answer.

     "I can help you out, sure," Ashley answers with a big smile on her face.

      "Thank you so much. Oh, so sorry, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Daniel." He extends his right hand out, reaching towards the giantess. It takes Ashley a moment, but she does reach down towards him, not with her hand open like his is, but with a single finger extended. He grabs the tip of her finger and shakes it. It isn't exactly a conventional handshake and he does find the experience to be quite odd.

     "Alright, alright," Sir Gabriel shouts, grabbing everyone's attention. "I understand that Ashley is quite a sight, but please go about your business now. She is eager to walk around the town after all."

     Every onlooker is slowly going back to their business, still looking at Ashley for as long as they can. She is quite a sight, being the largest woman that they have ever seen or ever will see.

     Ashley looks down at Sir Gabriel, who is looking back at her. "What? He needs help and no one else will help him. What was I supposed to do?"

     "You made the right choice, Ashley." Sir Gabriel walks closer to the maiden, placing his hand on her leg. "You didn't have to to help him, and yet you are choosing to. With that kind of kindness you are exactly the type of woman that I was hoping to fall in love with."

     "Even though I am over fifty feet tall?"

     Sir Gabriel smiles up at Ashley, "As I said before, your size is not an issue for me. But I will admit that it means that there is so much of you love."

     Ashley can't help but smile at her. She has never heard anyone refer to her height like it was such a positive thing. She can't help but reach down and pick up the knight, quickly putting him into a loving embrace. "And I can give so much of that love back."
   
     Sir Gabriel doesn't even flinch as he is lifted, becoming used to these types of actions by Ashley. Being in her embrace is actually becoming quite the preferable place for him to be. The only thing that he does wish right now is that he wasn't wearing his armor. All the metal around his body makes him incapable of feeling the embrace that he is now in, something that he would love to feel right now.

     The townspeople are in shock at how the giantess just picked up a knight as if he weighs nothing. Most of them are staring, almost believing that he is being crushed to death. The only thing about her that is keeping them from going into an all-out panic is the look on her face.

     The giantess' expression is one of a woman who has essentially just fallen in love. Who now has the novelty of a man who she loves, and someone who can love her back. The townsfolk start to feel a bit more at ease now. Surely a woman such as this contains mo malice In her heart. With nothing to fear from her, most of them start to go on about their business.

     "Ashley," Sir Gabriel says, grabbing the maiden's full attention. "As much as I love the affection that you are showing me right now, we really should get going now."

     Ashley gently sets the knight back on the ground, even though she is a bit hesitant to do this. She would love nothing more to carry him through the town, allowing her embrace to show just how much she loves him. The only reason she isn't holding him is because Sir Gabriel needs to be in front of her, acting as a second set of eyes for her and to help ensure that her path is clear.

     Sir Gabriel approaches Daniel, who has been waiting patiently during the public display of affection. "If you don't mind me asking," Daniel begins, his finger pointing back and forth between the knight and the giant maiden, "Are you two together?"

     "Yes, I am courting that lovely woman," Sir Gabriel answers. There is a sense of pride in his voice, giving Daniel a clear indication that the knight does honestly love the woman back.

     "Oh, so you are into that kind of thing."
    
     "I'm sorry?" Sir Gabriel is lost about what the man is implying, his statement seeming kind of vague.

     "You know, height?" Daniel clarifies.

     "What, no!" Sir Gabriel answers defensively. He has heard that certain people have preferences for things that normally fall outside the norm. There is a word for such a thing but it is one that he can not recall. "I will admit that there some benefits to her height, but I love her for who she is." Sir Gabriel notices that Daniel is looking behind him now and that there is a shadow looming over him. He turns back and looks upwards, seeing that the giant maiden is now leaning over him with a big smile on her face. He wonders

     "So my height has some benefits to it, does it?" Ashley says in a bit of a playful tone. "Like what?"

     "Let me see." Sir Gabriel thinks for a moment, wanting to give the giantess his best answer possible. He has only been with her for a short amount of time, but he can already think of several things quite easily. "For starters, you can pick me up and hold me. I can't quite explain it, but I can't help but feel unconditional love from you every time I am in your arms like that." The knight can't help but notice the smile that is on Ashley's face as he is telling her this, encouraging him to continue. "Which leads me to the second reason about how your size is so beneficial. When we are laying together, I have never laid my head anywhere that is as comfortable as you are. Having your arms wrapped around me does give me a sense of love, not so different than when you pick me up."

     Ashley can't help but smile at her knight. Sure the reasons he had just given her may have been simple, but they mean so much to her. She is half tempted to pick him once again and hold him in her arms, letting him feel her unconditional love for him, as the knight so put it. Instead, she just simply rubs her finger against his cheek, smiling at him. "Well then, I guess you have two things to look forward to then, right?"

     Daniel clears his throat, grabbing the attention of the loving couple. "I think that it would be best if we get going."

     "Yeah, I guess you are right," Ashley responds as she stands straight up, her extraordinary height grabbing everyone's attention. Onlookers still find it hard to believe that anyone could reach such a massive size.

     Daniel does feel a slight pang of guilt about interrupting the loving couple. He remembers what it is like to have just fallen in love. It was the exact same way when he first met his wife five years ago. Unable to be apart from her, he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. Now that he is out of the honeymoon phase, he does find his time away from her slightly more bearable. Though he is still prone to missing her after an extended period of time away from her. Even now his thoughts go back to her, the most beautiful and important woman in his life.

     As Ashley is following both Sir Gabriel and Daniel through town, she can't help but notice how much smaller August is compared to the other towns she has been to so far. All she really sees are people's homes, all of which are a single level.

     The one thing that Ashley does notice, and is very grateful for, is that the road is very wide. She has no idea why the road was built in such a way, but it does allow her plenty of room to walk. This doesn't mean that she can't pay attention to where she is stepping at, her size still being a danger to others if she is not careful. It only makes her walk that much easier.

     Everyone is watching as the giantess walks by. She is smiling warmly and even waving. Her actions are helping to put the townspeople's minds at ease showing that she doesn't mean any harm whatsoever. Though they are staying close to their homes, fully realizing that the maiden's bare feet are a potential hazard. Being stepped on or kicked is not something anyone wants to experience, though they do have a strong feeling that is the last thing that she would want to do to anyone.

     Their destination is just outside of town, and due to her high point of view, Ashley is the first to see it. Although what the maiden is seeing looks like a typical farm, she still can't help but smile. It is the first time she has seen one after many years. Crops, a barn, a huge fenced off area for the livestock it all looks so new to her. The closer she gets, the wider her smile becomes.

     The giantess has to stop suddenly when she happens to look down in front of her. Both Sir Gabriel and Daniel have stopped right at the edge of the property, which means that she needs to do the same. She hates to think of what would have happened if she didn't look down and had just kept walking.

     "Ashley," Sir Gabriel yells up to the giantess, waving his hand in a gesture for her to get closer. Ashley kneels on the ground, getting as close as she can to the knight and the farmer.

     "So, how am I going to be helping you out?" Ashley asks eagerly.

     "It is really simple actually," Daniel begins. He then points over to the barn while he continues, "There are some empty crates in the barn. All you need to do is bring them over a couple at a time so that I can load the harvest into them. Once they are full, just carry them back and bring me two more. Simple enough, right? Besides, I highly doubt that you would have any difficulty carrying those kinds of loads."

     Ashley smiles at David warmly, agreeing with the point that he has made. Her great size does allow her to carry a lot more weight than even the strongest man is capable of. "Yeah, it sounds really simple."

     "What about me?" Sir Gabriel asks. "I am more than capable of helping you out as well."

     "A knight like you surely has more important things to do than helping out on a farm. You don't need to lower yourself to such tedious labor."

     "Clearly you do not know who I squired for. You know Sir Olric, right?"

     "The Knight of the People. Of course."

     "He taught me his values, ones I hold very close. Helping you is a task I would be more than happy to take on."

     "Great, then you can start by cleaning the chicken coops."

     The knight's expression quickly changes to one of both regret and dread. That job is the last one he would ever want to do. Ashley can't help but chuckle at her knight, knowing full well how he feels about cleaning a chicken coop. He has told her that his momma, adoptive mother anyway, would often use that chore as a form of punishment. She watches as he is removing his armor, muttering to himself about the undesired job he was given.

     As much as Ashley would have liked to watch Sir Gabriel start, she has her own task to begin. Ahe may not have worked a single day in her life, but what she was told to do sounds simple enough to carry out. She stands up to her full height and makes her way over to the barn. She kneels in front of the structure, and even then she has to duck down to look inside. She can see a pile of crates, empty ones just like what Daniel needs, all the way towards the back. She reaches in, stretching out with her long fingers to grab a single crate. She ducks down even further, crawling in some so she can reach the crates a lot easier. With some effort she can grab one then a second one.

     Walking back over to the field where Daniel is waiting for her, she can't help but notice how small the crates feel in her hands. They easily fit in the palms of her hands, she could easily carry four of them from how small they are to her. But most things are small to her. She is the largest living person in a world that is too small for her. She has to adapt to everything and everyone around her.

     "Here you go," Ashley says with a smile, bending down so that she can place the crates down gently.

     "Much appreciated," Daniel responds. He can't believe what he had just witnessed. A woman had actually been able to carry two crates over to him as though they were nothing. By himself, he would be struggling to load them up on a cart.

     "Is there anything else I can do while I wait for you to fill up those crates?"

     "Are you good with animals?"

     "Well I recently got to hold a dragon, does that count?"

     Daniel laughs at what the maiden had just said, only stopping when he realizes that she isn't joking. "You held a dragon? What kind?"

     "A toros."

     He looks up at Ashley, finding what she has told him to be quite plausible. A toros is a sizable dragon, being one of the larger breeds known. "There are several cows in that field over there. Do you think you can get them to that other field over there?" He realizes that this question is more rhetorical than anything. If she is capable of picking up and holding a dragon, surely several cows would be nothing to her.

     Ashley is able to do what she asked without any problem. The cows paid little mind to her as she lifted each of them and moved them. She did find them to be cute in their own way and even talked to each one as she held them up in the air.

     As the day continues it is starting to get warm. Ashley is not used to such labor as she is feeling a bit overheated. But the biggest toll is on her feet. With her constantly walking back and forth, another thing she is not used to, they are starting to feel a bit sore. She would love nothing more to sit down and relax to give her aching feet a much-needed break. But that is a leisure she can't afford right now with all the help Daniel needs. Hopefully, she can take a break soon.