by Luke, Monica
**
Just as Laad had told him, as they journeyed around the valley, they saw the path leading into the valley.
“Laad reasoned well,” Baric said, “Have one climb this peak and look below.
Ogorec pointed.
“Cered,” he said right away, “Climb it and look below.”
After Cered reached the top, he looked down; and again as Laad suspected saw many from Celgon camped; then hurried back down.
“Just inside the north mouth to the valley,” he said, as he breathed heavily from rushing back, “They are camped.”
“Their number?”
“I reason their number no less than one hundred men, yet others could be in their tents.”
Baric looked to Ogorec, then at the path.
“The path is narrow,” he said, “We cannot charge through it, but in a line.”
“Put them off their guard by an attack from above,” Ogorec suggested, “Put those bowmen of Laad’s to use and as they scurry about, we can hurry along the path.”
“Those who are also well skilled bowmen!” Baric shouted, “Come forth!”
Once twelve bowmen were in front of Baric, he gave his command.
“Climb this peak; then spread yourselves, and as we come into valley rain arrows.”
With efficient ease, the men climbed the peak, and spread themselves into place, while the others hurried around to the north and traveled the path.
All riding hard, when the men camped heard the thunder of hooves, at once they armed themselves, but while they anxiously waited for the first horse to appear, arrows suddenly rained from the sky.
“Above us!” one shouted, “Bowmen are on the peak!”
With haste, Celgon’s bowmen shot their arrows back, but the twelve hidden well behind rocks went untouched, then as they heard the thunder of hooves draw closer; Baric’s horse appeared, followed by Ogorec, and just like the confrontation in the valley, all charged towards the other.
“Let none remain standing!” Baric’s loud cry, as he slashed through one of Celgon’s men.
Ogorec close behind him, slashed several to his left and right, but when he turned his horse, one of them struck it in the head with a mace and forced to jump off or have the horse crush him, he landed hard on his back releasing his sword.
The wind knocked out of his lungs from landing hard, he lay dazed for a moment not noticing the man now raising the mace high about to crush his skull.
“Ogorec!” Ovfren called out before he threw his sword back to him, but as he did, he thrust his own sword into the man, which sank deep in his stomach.
Ogorec rose to his feet, and pulled Ovfren’s sword out of the man’s stomach and tossed it back, but once he caught it, for some reason expecting him to say something, he was taken aback when he simply jumped back on his horse and rode off.
His horse now wounded badly.
“A horse!” Ogorec shouted to one of the men.
Right away, one of them brought him the horse of a slain Celgon man, then once back on one; again Ogorec fought with verve along with the others killing many, then before he realized it, when he looked up all that remained standing were only the men of WorrlgenHall.
Relieved no man lost his life, and only a few suffered wounds, Baric raised his sword high.
“Blow the horn four!” he shouted.
Still breathing heavy from battle, with no will of his own, although he tried to keep an eye on him, when the fighting became fierce, he couldn’t and now keenly searching for his face among the men, he felt anxious when he did not see him.
“The guild Ovfren,” Ogorec said, fighting to control any sign of worry in his voice, “Where is he?”
The man shrugged his shoulders.
Quickly, Ogorec turned his head so he wouldn’t notice he looked worried.
“The guild Ovfren,” he asked another, “Where?”
Again, another shrugged shoulder.
Resolved to find him, Ogorec raised his head and looked into the faces of all riding horses, now truly worried
“The guild Ovfren,” he said, his voice strained to show no sign he was troubled, “Where?”
“There.” He pointed.
When Ogorec turned and saw Ovfren sitting on his horse on the far side of him; the view of him blocked by a tree, he no longer worried, but a realization came to him that he did in fact worry, and knew he would from that moment on.
**
Laad heard the horn blown four times, but the footmen still fighting, as Loth ran to join them, he stopped him.
“Wait,” he said, and took the bow and arrow off one of the slain Celgon men.
“They are mingled.” Loth doubted certain Laad could not hit them while they moved about.
Laad said nothing, just quickly nocked and released the arrow, and as it did its lethal damage into man’s back, no sooner than he fell over dead, Laad brought down yet another.
Now after the third fell, the other three looked up and saw Laad with an arrow pointed; then as he turned to flee, the footmen ran them through.
“Search the trading huts for Wurden or Glen,” Laad ordered, as he looked at those they had killed; before he walked through the valley and search too; then after they checked all the trading huts, the other footmen meet with Laad.
“We have not found them,” he said.
Anguished over his friend, Laad looked up.
“Where ?” he questioned.
Just as Laad spoke, Baric and Ogorec, along with the other guilds, rode back around and now into the valley.
“Any word?” Baric questioned.
“No word, my lord,” Laad said.
“What do you reason was their fate?
“I know not my lord,” Laad said, now resolved, “But we cannot ride away without knowing.”
Baric nodded.
As Laad and the others gathered back in front of the valley to speak of what to do about Wurden and Glen’s disappearance, they heard a shout from inside the valley and noticed five men on horses ride from between a fissure.
In front of them, two men staggering as they walked with ropes around their necks, Laad looked closer and noticed who they were.
“It is Wurden and Glen!” he said alarmed.
“And I see four Celgon men?” Baric said, as he looked, “Who is on the fifth horse?”
“Okev,” Laad said as his stomach became like a boiling cauldron of filled anger for disloyalty.
At once, Laad rode towards them, dutifully followed by Loth who remained a length behind; then when he was close, he looked at Wurden noticing his face was badly beaten and that he was barely alive.
“Release them!” he ordered.
“We want to ride out of the valley without a horde of men behind us,” one man said, “Your men blocked the path out of the valley with huge rocks and we cannot leave how we came. You will not hear from us and we will tell no one.”
“Do not put faith in this filth!” Wurden groaned, “They beat me, but I told them nothing.”
As Wurden spoke, one man kicked him in the back and when Wurden fell to his knees, Laad moved closer.
“If you let them go,” Wurden warned, “They will get word to others of our numbers.
“Silence!” the man shouted, and pulled the rope around Wurden’s neck tighter choking him.
“Stop torturing him,” Laad ordered, trying to show no sign of angst, “We can reason a truce, but if you want to speak to me, I will have to come closer so we can stop straining our voices.”
Slightly turning his head, Laad looked to Loth only for a moment before he rode closer to them, which instinctively made Loth ride in closer; then when he was only about a horse’s length away, he stopped and again spoke.
“Look,” Baric observantly said, “Laad is about to kill them.”
“How do you know?” Ogorec, who was beside him asked.
“Would you not do the same?”
“When you ride out, where will you go?” Laad, now closer, as
ked calmly; his eyes scanning all five from his horse.
The men looked at each other.
“To the Plains for Kurn,” one volunteered.
“I see,” Laad’s reply to their lie, the plains of Kurn still knee deep in mud from the spring rains, the horses wouldn’t be able to ride through it.
Before the man could speak another lie, Laad made it his last, as he swiftly drew his sword with his right hand and brought it upward across his throat.
Laad’s slash precise and deadly, his face showed shock as he grabbed it, and while his blood quickly drenched his hands, after gargled a few times, he fell to the ground.
Surprised by the sudden attack, another began to draw his sword, but just as swiftly as he had slain the first; Laad moved towards him and in the same method, brought it down deep into the man’s collarbone and into his neck.
As Laad’s sword cut deep into it severing the bone, quick silence followed his brief yelp, as his head slumped to the left, and if not for the clinging flesh that held it, would have fallen to the ground.
“I dare say Ogorec,” Baric mentioned to Ogorec as they watched, “Reason yourself graced you did not challenge him.”
“We all knew he was gifted, even if we did not see him train,” Ogorec said, as he watched intently.
“He was a messenger,” Baric said, “Would you not reason journeying alone far and wide that one would need to know how to defend oneself well?”
“There must be more,” he argued, “He did not come from the womb with a blade in his hand.”
“His father was a guard to the king and in his youth he taught Laad well how to fight,” Baric said, as he watched entertained by the quick work Laad made of the men, “As well as Irek when he joined the King’s United Men.”
“Now I see,” Ogorec said, “I do regret my words of challenge and hold no ill will against Laad. My mood was harsh for other reasons.”
“Make your peace with Laad,” he urged, “Since no one else heard you speak against him, ask him to forgive your words.”
“Will he see me as weak and believe I did it from fear?” Ogorec questioned.
“Laad’s nature has never been one of bitterness and spite.” Baric knew without doubt, “But you did challenge him, and he is over you. He does have the nature to ensure that you know who is in command.”
Ogorec nodded. “I will ask forgiveness and bear my punishment.”
As Baric and Ogorec talked, their conversation halted when they heard a shout.
“Laad!” Wurden shouted, when he noticed the man riding towards Laad and grabbed the rope around his neck still tethered to him, before pulling him off his horse.
Glen tried to do the same, but the man grabbed his sword and severed their bond by cutting the rope, then ran Glen through with his sword.
When Glen fell to the ground dead, he rushed to help the other one who was now struggling with Wurden.
Laad, erred and impulsively jumped off his horse to run to Wurden, then noticing Loth closer, called out to him instead. “Deal with one, and I will the other!”
His sword high, Loth quickly rode over to Wurden who, although receiving hard blows to his already injured head, now fought with what strength he had to keep the man from freeing himself from the ropes.
As he tried to hold the man back, once Loth reached them, he thrust his sword down into his skull ending him quickly.
“The man from the valley is fleeing! Loth now noticed.
“Deal with him harshly,” he ordered, “Just as you would anyone friendly to an enemy.”
Without another word, Loth rode hard to catch him.
“Die a traitor’s death!” his avid cry, as he sliced into him twice, once in his arm almost severing it from his body and the other in his side killing him.
At the same time, the other Celgon man on his horse and Laad afoot, Laad kept his sword in front of him to keep him from charging and striking him, each time rolling away, but now becoming tired, although it pained him to do it in this way, he knew he had to put him afoot too.
With one fierce swipe of his sword when he charged him again, Laad cut off the front legs of the horse, and as it and the man plummeted to the ground, Laad rushed over to him and opened his stomach.
As the man’s horse laid breathing hard though its nostril whinnying and neighing, Laad walked it ending its pain by plunging his sword into it killing it instantly; then he scowled at the man who lay in agony moaning wanting him to die, before he rushed over to Wurden.
“Old friend,” Laad said anguished, “Are you wounded badly?”
“I fear yes,” Wurden groaned, “That vermin pierced me as we fought and it is deep.”
“Can you ride?”
“There is no need. I am at my end.”
Laad fell to both knees beside him and took his hand, surprised that badly wounded strength was in his grip.
“Speak what you will have me do?” he asked, as he struggled to keep what both knew, which was that he was dying from his tone.
“Laad,” Wurden coughed his words. His lungs filling with blood slowly choking him, “Get word to my wife and children that it was them that as I closed my eyes I saw.”
“Yes, is there anything else?”
“Bury me with ceremony,” his other request, “As a high guild.”
After he spoke his last words, sounding as if choking, he went limp.
Now joining them, Loth jumped from his horse.
“Has he left us?” he asked careful to show compassion in his tone as thinking nothing of it, he stuck his sword into the whimpering man still on the ground alive, and wiped it clean.
Laad didn’t answer at first, as deep sorrow came over him. “Twice before one dear to me has left me,” his voice low and grief-stricken, “And now there is another. My sorrow is great to lose my friend.”
**
As soon as the men left the Valley of Tul, they journeyed swiftly to the Lake of Hebor, and the great lake undisturbed by those from Celgon, camped there for a time to send Wurden and Glen on their way with grand ceremony.
As all the guilds lined Wurden and Glen’s body, and beat their shields with their swords, one by one they pierced their hand and let their blood drip onto them, before they set them ablaze.
The moment somber as Ogorec thought of his life and future with Belon, as he sat on his horse and watched the men slowly pass him, when Ovfren passed; Ogorec gazed at him, and even at such a somber moment, a want for him swept through him.
Avoiding his gaze, at first Ovfren did not look back at Ogorec, yet he knew he watched him, and after he pierced his hand, while he squeezed his fist tight and his blood dripped, he looked to Ogorec and such was his beguiling look, Ogorec’s heart pounded rapidly.
Later that night after the ceremony of Wurden and Glen, just as Baric urged, Ogorec went to Laad to ask for forgiveness for his insolence and get his punishment, but Laad in no mood for reasoning out what punishment to give him, forgave him.
“We are brothers who must fight together as one,” Laad did however scold him, “Do not let your mood siege you in such a way as to try me once more.”
Ogorec nodded humbly, and left him.
While they camped, although Ogorec’s mind was still vexed over his and Belon’s harsh words to the other before they parted, now another vexed him in a different way and affected his mood far greater than any felt with Belon.
Other than calling his name when he saved him, Ovfren said nothing to Ogorec if not commanded and it gnawed at him such that each time Ogorec saw Ovfren, he made him speak words to him by ordering him to do meaningless things.
Ovfren’s replies back to him short and cold, Ogorec began to reason why his aloofness troubled him, as ever since he came to his chamber, even though they said no words to the other, Ovfren stayed in his thoughts and everyday he began to want him more.
Such was Ogorec’s unending thoughts he began to accept the true reason he did not go to the Eldernon Mountains with Belon had nothing to
do with an oath, but instead a dread to leave the one that now plagued him.
Since they camped for a time, reasoning no better time, Ogorec set his mind to stop his unending thoughts or embrace them, and gave Ovfren watch in the latest hour by the far south end of the lake so he could speak with him well away from others.
While on watch, Ovfren sat on a rock beside his horse looking out not surprised to see Ogorec, who when saw Ovfren stand, then turn his back to him, knew talking with him would be harder than he had hoped.
“If I did not say thank you,” Ogorec said, as he now approached him. His ruse to begin talking to him, “I thank you.”
Ovfren slowly turned, looked at him and slowly turned away.
“Did you understand me?” he asked, “I want to give you thaaaan …”
Ovfren spun around this time.
“I did not ask for it,” he spouted before he could finish his words.
“Still I will give it.”
“Now we are even,” he replied, his voice cold and unforgiving.
His words cut short Ogorec stood for a moment and looked out; then inhaled deeply.
“I have a weakness for grand sights,” he offered a secret, hoping his openness would break through some of Ovfren’s coldness, “As I look out onto this lake it is one of them.”
Ogorec stood looking at him waiting for some kind of reaction, but got nothing.
“Your words are cold to me, yet not long ago they were filled with love for me?” Ogorec questioned, slightly chagrined, “Which is it?”
“Shall I bring to mind your words that sent me away?” Ovfren’s terse answer still hurt by them, “Yet, I gather you know them well.”
“Ovfren,” Ogorec said, as he now walked to his horse gathering, and actually even disappointed, that Ovfren’s want for him had quelled, yet he did not get onto it, “My words were harsh and I wish never spoken.”
When he began to get on his horse, Ovfren now looked at Ogorec surprised and softened his mood. “What words?”
“All of them.”
Relieved, Ovfren sighed.
“I too have a weakness for grand sights,” his tone soft and deep, “One is before me now.”
Ovfren’s words cutting deep into Ogorec, he sat for a moment confused of what he should do.
