Free Slight and Shadow (Fate's Forsaken: Book Two) by Shae Ford Page B

their brows.
    “What is it, master?” the giant behind the plow said. He had a shock of white hair and limbs that were a little ganglier than the average giant’s. Even though his mouth was serious, his eyes glinted like a man up to no good — which gave his words a mocking edge.
    “I’ve found you a third,” Finks said, shoving Kael forward with a thrust of his boot.
    “That little thing? He’ll be more a burden than a help.”
    “Don’t try to make excuses, you lazy oaf!” Finks snapped his whip, and both giants winced as the spell struck them. “I still expect these fields to be plowed by sundown. And if they aren’t, I’ll bleed you. Understood, beasts?” He turned and marched away, his horse’s tail flicking sharply across his back as he went.
    For a long, icy moment, the giants stared at Kael. The one behind the plow leaned against it, his eyes glinting like a crow’s. The second giant never moved. His eyes were set back so deeply that the ridge of his brow cast a shadow over them, masking the top half of his face.
    Kael didn’t have time for this. He didn’t know how long it would take to plow the field, but staring at him certainly wasn’t going to accomplish anything — and he had no intention of being flogged.
    “What do you want me to do?” he said to the giant behind the plow. He wasn’t sure if the second giant could even speak: his mouth was closed so tightly that Kael wondered if it’d ever been open.
    “I don’t know. What are you good for?” the giant behind the plow replied.
    “I’ve never done any farming,” Kael admitted. When the giant snorted, he added quickly: “But I’ve read all about it.”
    “Have you? Well then, by all means …” The giant skipped out from behind the plow and bent his arms in a grand, sweeping gesture. “Lead us on, Lord Rat.”
    Kael wasn’t surprised at his mocking. The Atlas had mentioned that the giants weren’t very fond of outsiders. The few times in history when the giant clans had stopped fighting each other long enough to band together, it’d been to stop another race from sneaking in. They guarded their fields against invaders and chased all would-be settlers from their lands.
    But Kael wasn’t trying to steal anything from the giants. He’d been tossed into slavery right along beside them. He wasn’t going to let himself be bullied for it. “Heckling me won’t get the fields plowed any faster,” he said, meeting the giant’s glinting eyes.
    “Oh no, you misunderstood me. I wasn’t heckling you — I was just clearing a path. What with your book knowledge and all, I thought you might be able to teach us a thing or two.”
    He looked so sincere that for a moment, Kael almost believed him. Then the second giant spoke:
    “We haven’t got time for jokes, Brend.” He grabbed another harness off the plow and tossed it at Kael’s feet. “You’ll pull alongside me, rat.”
    Kael shrugged the harness on as quickly as he could. It was far too big for him: the strap that was meant to go around his waist dangled almost at his knees. The shoulder straps felt uncomfortable as well, but he couldn’t figure out why.
    “Have I got this on right?” he said, hoping one of the giants would answer him.
    “Most definitely,” Brend said with a nod. “You just tuck that cord between your legs and pull it along by your important bits. That’s always the most sensible way to drag a plow.”
    Kael’s face burned as he turned the harness around. He hadn’t realized that he’d had it on backwards. Brend could’ve just said as much.
    “Ready, Declan?” Brend hollered.
    “Yeh,” the giant next to Kael said, answering with something that was halfway between a grunt and a yes .
    Declan leaned against the harness and pointed his chin at the opposite end of the field. Kael mirrored him — and that’s when he noticed something odd: Declan was easily the smallest giant he’d come across. He still stood over Kael, but it was by no more