Page 68 of Enchanted By a Pirate
She nodded. "We have sorted everything out. Toni had nothing to do with my return."
"And you believe him?"
"Naturally!"
Anton slapped his chest. "Unlike a pirate, giants are trustworthy."
"I hope so for your sake, giant! Because if you had anything to do with this whole…"
"Stop arguing! We don't have time for this." Anna took turns looking at the two, who relented and kept further accusations to themselves. "It's great that you spoke to your relatives, Toni. Now we can sail unhindered from the east into the Kingdom of Winter. Right, Chris? Isn't that great?"
The pirate crossed his arms over his chest nonchalantly. Finally, he nodded. "Aye."
But Anton shook his head. "You cannot sail to the realm. I was at the border. The Arctic Ocean has now truly earned its name."
Chris frowned. "What do you mean, giant?"
"Apparently, it wasn't only the wind from the giants that brought eastern shipping traffic to a standstill. Not far from the border, I saw ice floes in the water. I wouldn't be surprised if the sea at the northern tip is frozen over."
"Curses!"
Anna peered at him questioningly. "How far is the sea navigable?"
The giant rocked his huge head back and forth as he mulled it over. "A thousand feet beyond our border at most."
A thousand giant feet or a thousand man feet? Anna instinctively glanced north. "Then we'll take the Fortuna as far as we can. We'll simply have to anchor earlier."
Chris shook his head. "The problem is that the only bay to moor in is near the Ice Palace. Everywhere else, the coast is a sea of rocks. I've sailed the area often enough, searching for secret access points. There are none. No, we have to walk — there is no other choice."
Anna shook her head. "That won't work. The giants have forbidden you pirates from entering their land."
Chris cursed. "Is that true, giant?"
"I'm afraid so."
The captain looked at Anton suspiciously. "So, you couldn't renegotiate."
Anton shook his head. "There is only one way you can get to the Kingdom of Winter."
Anna and Chris were all ears. "And that would be?"
The giant beamed. "Well, with me! I'll carry you."
"Then we could have gone with you from Linnenberg, Toni." Anna laughed.
Chris shook his head. "That wouldn't have been an option. The giants instantly sense when we are on their land — even if our feet aren't touching the ground. So, if we had walked across the Kingdom of Flowers into the Kingdom of Winter with Anton, the Snow Queen would have immediately discovered us."
Anton pointed north with his free hand. "It's only a few steps to the border. I'll wade through the sea along the coast, which isn't particularly deep. Once we cross the border, I'll climb the rocks. That's simply a big step for me. What do you say?" He looked at her enthusiastically.
Anna smiled. Wasn't entering the land without the Snow Queen's knowledge the point? So that they could look around and question people without being disturbed? How would it work if they visited the Kingdom of Winter with a giant whose footsteps thundered for miles across the land? "We won't be particularly inconspicuous, Toni."
Chris also shook his head. "Besides, you can hardly carry my entire crew and ship without the entire country immediately talking about it."
"Well, I have a bag with me. The ship might get damaged, so you'd have to leave it here, but there's room for all your scoundrels. It's a bit stuffy inside, but that won't bother pirates. I could sneak in with a few of your people without being too conspicuous."
"Too conspicuous?" Anna laughed. "Toni, you are…" she scanned the distance to the ground, "over thirty feet high. If we enter the Kingdom of Winter with you, we'll be noticed anyway."
"Oh," the giant waved his hand. "You know my trick. I'll just make myself into a rock when we get close to a city and wait for you at a safe distance."
