IV
Cosmo gradually became aware of a jolting swaying movement. At each jolt, a flash of pain shot across his eyes. He sat up, cracked his skull against something solid. A blinding pain jolted him into full consciousness.
He was in a cage, he saw, swung on poles like a litter between two of the blue giants. They were jogging along through a forest.
At once he became aware of warmth along his side, twisted his head. Mia was regarding him from wide frightened eyes. They'd been tumbled side by side into the cage. The girl was almost naked, her yellow tunic in tatters.
"You hurt?" he asked.
She shook her head.
He closed his eyes against the ache in his skull. If the pain would only let up. His mind felt fuzzy, his thoughts incoherent.
"Whew. That brute sure gave me a wallop. What happened?"
He could feel Mia shiver against him. "It was dreadful," she said. "They grabbed me—ugh!—and stuffed me in this cage. They had it hidden outside on the trail from the Ormoo's nest. Then they dumped you in on top of me like a bag of flour. I—I thought you were dead."
"So did I," said Cosmo dryly.