"I believe because it saw me," Dzeb offered. "Do you remember me?"
"Yes. You kept following me."
"That's right," Dzeb confirmed with a sincere smile, very pleased to hear that Linda recalled most of the events.
Her attitude, however, did little to encourage the delver. While she wasn't hostile to him or the cliff behemoth, she regarded them both with the barest consideration.
"Would you like me to put you down?" Dzeb asked.
"Are you well enough to walk?" Ryson pressed.
Linda disregarded the concern of her husband. She seemed to weigh the benefits of walking on her own as opposed to being carried. In the end, she wouldn't make a decision and left it to the giant.
"You can if you want."
"I want you to be safe," Dzeb replied. "I will hold onto you until you wish me to put you down or we reach our destination."
"Where are we going?" Linda wondered but with no real interest one way or the other.
At that very moment, they were interrupted by a soldier on horseback who had ridden out to meet the threesome. The guards at Connel's border could not ignore the sight of the cliff behemoth, nor could the citizens at the edge of the city. A crowd was beginning to form.
"I'd like to ask you the same question," the guard announced as he moved up. "Where are you headed?"
Dzeb smiled broadly at the horse. He cradled Linda in one arm, allowing him to lift the other free. As he held out his palm, the horse willingly stepped up to the giant and nudged the huge hand with its snout. Dzeb patted the horse gently but lovingly.
"Do you recognize me?" Ryson asked of the soldier.
"Yes, you're the delver… Acumen, I believe."
"That's right," Ryson replied with relief. He hoped that would make things easier. He didn't want to be delayed by guards that might question his intentions. He knew Enin was difficult to see, but he had a long history with the wizard. "We need to see Enin."
"I don't think that's going to be a problem. He'd want to know about your friend here. I've heard about cliff behemoths, but never saw one myself. Never thought I ever would, to tell you the truth."
The soldier regarded the giant with both a sense of awe and gratitude. Despite the overwhelming appearance of the cliff behemoth, word had spread through the ranks that they had assisted humans in the past. He was grateful for that. He had defended the city against shags and bloat spiders-colossal beasts in their own right-but neither could match the staggering presence of the titan before him.
"What's the best way to handle this?" Ryson wondered aloud.
The guard looked back to the city border. The number of curious bystanders was growing. He wasn't sure what the delver wanted with Enin, but he acknowledged the wizard was the best suited to handle the situation.
"I'd like to get you to a safe place," the guard stated. "You're causing too much commotion out here in the open. Did you have a place in mind?"
"I was going to head right to Enin's home. I've been there before."
"Then you know that might not be the best place to go. You're going to attract a big crowd and there are some narrow streets between here and there with quite a few open markets as well. Too many people at this time of day. We also need to find a place that can accommodate your friend's size."
"Would you escort us to the Church of Godson, please?" Dzeb requested as he continued to pet the contented horse.
"That's not a bad idea," the soldier allowed. "You alright with that?"
Ryson was fine with the idea and nodded in agreement.
"Alright," the soldier stated and then reviewed the surrounding grounds. "This is what I'd like to do. I'm going to lead you around that hill to my left. That's going to take us out of the view of the crowd. Then, I'm going to pick up the pace a bit. I know you can keep up," the soldier acknowledged as he looked to Ryson, but then turned to Dzeb, "but how about you?"
"I will try to maintain any pace you set," Dzeb announced with all humility.
"I don't think you have to worry about him," Ryson added. "They are surprisingly fast and their long stride allows them to cover a lot of ground in a hurry."
"Great. Then I'll lead you down a side path I know. We're still going to attract attention, but not as much. I'll get you to the church, get you inside, and then I'll send word to Enin."
"Thank you very much."
"Not a problem. Okay, let's go."
The soldier pulled on the reigns and led his somewhat reluctant mount toward the hill. The horse did not wish to leave the cliff behemoth, but when the animal saw the giant follow, it perked up noticeably. The horse seemed more than pleased to be leading the cliff behemoth. In fact, the animal appeared downright proud.
They moved quickly. The soldier looked back only once. When he noted the speed and agility of the behemoth, he lost any worry of outpacing the giant. He nudged his horse to a quick step and entered the city out of sight of the initial crowd.
Others within Connel, however, quickly took note of the giant. They could not have missed him. Curious onlookers tried to follow, but by the time they recovered from their original surprise, the small group of travelers had weaved their way out of sight. Only a few citizens managed to keep up, but they found the pace and path difficult to maintain.
The guard moved through alleys wide enough to handle Dzeb's massive frame but deserted enough to avoid growing attention. He steered them away from all street markets and public squares, and he maintained a swift pace to lose all followers.
Other guards on patrol quickly observed the continuing disturbance. They moved in to address the mammoth form rushing through Connel's streets. After brief calls to the lead soldier, they accepted the short explanation without debate. They even assisted in diverting any growing crowds. Rather than detaining or even delaying the group, the escorting soldiers allowed for even faster travel through the city.
While making such progress and gaining the assistance of the soldiers, Ryson believed the decision to bring Linda to Connel was the correct one. The only other choice was Burbon, and though he would have liked to bring Linda home, parading a cliff behemoth through the controlled streets might have raised other problems.
He was actually surprised the soldiers of Connel were so accommodating and willing to assist without obtaining approval from superiors. He knew Burbon's guards would have been much more reluctant to permit such a disturbance. He wondered if they would have allowed Dzeb to pass through the town gate without checking with Sy, but that was not a concern in Connel, and Ryson dismissed such thoughts in order to focus on the well-being of his wife.
Much sooner than Ryson hoped possible, they had reached the tall steps of the Church of Godson. The soldier stopped at the base, but ensured the delver and cliff behemoth would reach the door.
"You going to be alright from here?" the soldier asked.
"It'll be fine," Ryson assured the guard. "I know them, and they view cliff behemoths as kind of a blessing. We've been here before."
"You know I've already asked other guards to get word to Enin. I'm going to the nearest post. I'm going to make sure they increase patrols around the church to keep any gawkers from creating a problem."
"Thanks again."
"Just get inside as quick as possible," the guard requested.
His horse gave one last look to Dzeb and whinnied a final farewell before following the soldier's urges to move on. The behemoth offered a bow of his head and another broad smile to the departing animal.
"Such magnificent servants of Godson," the giant noted and then followed Ryson up the remaining steps and through the door of the church.
Ryson quickly explained the situation to a few followers and the Reader Rachael. He was pleased but not surprised to hear they would assist in any way possible. They placed Linda in a comfortable chair in the main seating area for the congregation. The stone building contained an interior that was large enough to easily accommodate Dzeb's size, as if it were built with the understanding that a cliff behemoth was apt to enter at any time.