by Luke, Monica
“Are you happy with me?” Ogorec asked, as they walked.
“Yes,” Ovfren answered right away.
“And?” teased Ogorec, “Annnd?”
“Aaannnd,” Ovfren smiled, as he felt Ogorec teasingly pull on his hair, which made his head jerk, “And much in love with you.”
Back with the horses, as Ogorec stood in front of Ovfren to kiss him, he stopped him.
“Wait,” he said, and picked up the sword; then wielded it around a few times before he walked to a tree, “A promised reward comes to mind.”
Taking a deep breath, Ovfren exhaled; then swiped at the air a few times to loosen his arm; then after he exhaled again, he walked around a tree and stripped the bark off it perfectly.
Once he was done, he threw down the sword and walked straight to Ogorec.
“Remove your clothes now,” he demanded playfully, as he stood in front of him and took off his tunic, then grabbed him, “And give me what I enjoy.”
**
Still unwilling to hear more of Irek’s words or believe him, Laad kept himself busy outside the walls of WorrlgenHall avoiding him by watching the bowmen and inspecting the walls defenses for worn bricks and gaps; but one morning, as he rode with Loth to look at the northern wall, he passed only the guilds out training.
Sending Loth on, he sat on his horse and watched; then noticed Ogorec farther away watching too and rode to him.
“Early it is,” he casually commented when he stopped next to him.
“Lord Baric is not riding out again this day,” Ogorec’s excuse just in case he asked why he watched them, “When he does not, some of the times, I spend watching the guild’s skills.”
“Hmmm, I see,” Laad’s incredulous reply, then looked for a face.
Ovfren spared with Egar within the lined guilds, and while he did, Egar, a guild longer, wasn’t able to successfully charge him or move him backwards out of the sparing circle, and as Ovfren spared knowing he was doing well, looked over at Ogorec and smiled.
“Ovfren,” Aron said, as he stood in front of them to stop them; then turned and looked at him with his back to Egar, “Someone indeed has trained you well,” he then complimented before he moved Ovfren to train with more experienced guilds.
When he did, Ovfren looked to Ogorec who looked back, but didn’t smile, then once he noticed Laad on his horse right next to him, turned his head and avoided looking his away again.
“He does well,” Laad said, as he also watched.
“Who does well?” Ogorec feigned his ignorance.
Laad turned to Ogorec and stared at the side of his head slightly annoyed that he took him for a simple fool.
“Ogorec,” he scoffed, “So many are sparing, yet my words are he does well. Do you believe I am blind?”
“What do you mean?”
“Dare I count the times his head turned and looked to you,” Laad said, “If so it would be many.”
Ogorec gave an annoyed sigh, shifted his position on his horse, and offered no reply.
“And you and Belon fighting in the middle of courtyard,” he added, “The reason is in front of us.”
“Then what words shall I give you?” he finally offered a short snap, “You know.”
“True,” Laad said, “Yet, I ask when?”
An odd silence came over them both for a short while, but Ogorec knew Laad wanted an answer because he was looking at the side of his head.
“Near the Lake of Hebor,” he confessed, as he still faced ahead.
“And you and Belon?” Laad then questioned, “How long?”
“With Belon three full springs...”
“That you ended for the sake of Ovfren I gather?” Laad questioned more.
“Yes.”
More silence, then Laad voiced a concern.
“Such is Belon’s rage,” he warned, as he shook his head from serving under Bayl alongside him, “I fear more fights between you two or Belon with him.”
Ogorec’s head turned for the first time since Laad rode up beside him.
“I have warned Belon,” Ogorec said sternly, “If he harms him by his hand or from his words, I will defend him.”
Laad sighed loudly; then spoke another concern.
“Ogorec,” he tried to reason, “If with him this is a passing pleasure the time is now to end it.”
“No,” Ogorec said resolved. “I cannot. I will not.”
“No?” Laad’s voice rose, questioning if he was defying him in the tone, “You have had your pleasure with him… end it.”
“To do it would anguish me,” Ogorec said, as the look on his face intensified, “He is within me, and I let myself deeply love him.”
Taken aback by the boldness of his words, Laad laughed aloud, recalling his words to Wurden not so long ago of Nona.
“Why do you laugh?” he asked, trying to fight away feeling insulted by it.
“Those words you spoke,” Laad confessed, “Words almost the same came from me not so long ago.”
“And of them?
Again, Laad shook his head; then looked out to Ovfren, and let out a woeful exhale.
“He is young if scaled with you,” he warned, “And I fear eye-catching. Women, as well as men, may seek to tempt him from you.”
From his words, Ogorec looked out to Ovfren too, and his chest swelled as he thought of his love and passion for him.
“Such was his course set on me and words to me of it,” Ogorec spoke freely and confidently; “He is old enough to know what and who he wanted, and it is me.”
“Dare I confess,” Laad found himself admitting again, “A young one indeed was such for me.”
Again, Laad looked out to Ovfren, then back at Ogorec.
“I care not to reason what makes a man love another man as he would a woman,” Laad simply told Ogorec freeing his mind of judgment, “But I know very well the deep feel of love, and the strong desire and passion for one also young, and though not handsome, beautiful.”
“Then know this,” Ogorec said devotedly, “He is who I love, and I have set myself to live out my life with him within the walls of WorrlgenHall or beyond the lands of Worrlgen if I must.”
“Then it is set,” he said, as he turned to ride away.
“What is set?” Ogorec called out his question, before Laad spurred his ahead.
“It is senseless toil to lurk, as I gather you both do to be with the other, but I warn you Ogorec, you still stand and ride next to a lord you swore to defend. Do not bring others to reason you are weak from this and not able to defend him,” Laad said, then added, “It is my will that you remain within these walls with your place of command as it is, and if you must, with your Ovfren.”
Ogorec nodded unsure how to respond, but from that moment, Laad gained even more of his respect.
After he watched Laad ride away, once the knowledge Laad cared nothing about their secret set, he called Ovfren’s name.
Worried about what they could have talked about, Ovfren hurried over to find out.
“Speak them,” Ovfren said, certain whatever they talked about was not good.
“Before you sleep,’ Ogorec said, “Come to me.”
“What words came from the Lord Master to you?” Ovfren questioned concerned.
“I will speak of it this night,” Ogorec only offered.
Both begging for darkness to come, Ovfren fretted all day of what words Ogorec would tell him; then as a quiet came over WorrlgenHall, he made his way to his chamber.
Worried that still others were up and moving about, he was hesitant at first, but followed Ogorec’s command.
Quietly, he unlatched the hinge then came inside. His eyes looking at once to Ogorec’s bed, he was surprised to find it empty; then as he looked around the chamber, saw Ogorec naked standing by the window looking out.
Quietly, Ovfren walked up behind him, lovingly kissing him on the back of his neck.
“What fills your head as you look out?” he asked, and put his arms around him, “
Did the Lord Master speak dire words to you?”
“You are all that fills my head,” Ogorec said turning, “And no.”
“Then what were his words?”
Not answering, Ogorec put his arms around Ovfren; then moved away from the stoned wall, and pressed him to it before he kissed him passionately, and such was his kiss, Ovfren became almost breathless from it.
“Aaaahhh,” was all Ovfren could gasp, as he inhaled to take in air, before Ogorec kissed him again.
“Remove your clothes and come to bed,” Ogorec said, when he pulled his lips away, “Never have you only slept in my arms all throughout the night.”
Ogorec got in bed watched Ovfren undress in front of him. His muscles even more pronounced than before from his training with not an inch of fat anywhere on him, he fought to control himself from seizing him at moment.
“Sleep,” Ogorec whispered in his ear from behind when he came to bed, as he pulled him close and put his arms around him.
“How long shall we sleep before I rise to leave you?” he asked, as he put his hand on Ogorec’s hand.
“Long after the sunrise,” Ogorec whispered; then closed his eyes to sleep.
Still wary, as was his habit, Ovfren rose just before sunrise to leave, but when he tried to get out of bed, Ogorec pulled him close again.
“Umm,” he groaned, as he felt the heat of his body again press to his.
“The sun will rise soon,” he warned, “I must leave.”
“Let it shine in and onto us,” Ogorec said, then raised and rested his head on his hand, “And who sees you leave this chamber I care not.”
Pleased by his words Ovfren turned to face Ogorec’s, and after being quiet for a moment, began to smile.
“So smooth is the hair on your brows just as that along your chin, and when you shave it close and low on your face, it pleases me,” Ovfren said, as he touched it.
“Then I will wear it this way for you,” Ogorec whispered, “To please you.”
“And so handsome are you that the sight of you rushes blood all through me when I look at you,” he added.
“Never would I have wanted such words from a man,” Ogorec confessed, “Until from your mouth they came, and now I long to hear them from you.”
Ovfren sighed from his love.
“Then shall we go back to sleep?’ he asked, while slowly he gliding his fingers down the hard muscles that lined Ogorec’s side, before he rested his hand on his tight rear.
The feel of his touch going slowly down his side like the feel of cool air, chilling his spine yet heating his groin, Ogorec moved closer to Ovfren and put him onto his back.
“If you had not touched me the way you did, yes,” Ogorec said, and got on top of him.
“I only ran my fingers down your side,” Ovfren moaned, as he felt Ogorec’s manhood swelling.
“And that was all it took.” Ogorec’s words into Ovfren’s neck, “Our time for sleep is over.”
**
Other than the chorus of chirping crickets from the darkened corners, all within WorrlgenHall quiet, Laad sprang forward awakened out of his sleep.
Believing he had dreamed the sound, he listened and heard nothing, then when he fell back onto his pillow to go back to sleep, again pounding echoed throughout his chamber.
“Lord Master!” the man yelled; then pounded again, “Lord Master!”
Laad jumped out of bed and dressed, then when hurried to the door, he pulled it opened quickly stepping into the hallway to keep from waking Nona and the children,
“Such pounding,” he cautioned, “You will wake all. What reason is there for it?”
Still half-asleep, he didn’t really notice who the men were at first, but once the fog left his eyes, he saw they were guards to the king and knew why they were there.
“When?” he questioned.
“…in his sleep not long before,” one answered.
“I will come.”
Nona awoke from the loud pounding and noticed Laad finishing dressing.
“What is wrong?” she groggily questioned, then noticed the seriousness of Laad’s face.
“Irek,” he answered, as he sheathed his sword; then walked over to kiss her before he left the chamber, “Has died.”
Laad’s feet went one in front of the other behind the sound of the guard’s steps, yet the actual cognizant thought of why hadn’t quite hit him. So deep in thought about his and Irek’s earlier words, when the guards suddenly halted, it seemed only seconds had passed before he left his chamber and was on Irek’s chamber floor.
As he walked farther, he noticed the hallway lined with guards to the king, then after a strengthening pause to hold back emotion, he went inside.
Bowing his head to King Rone, who stood just across the threshold, somberly he nodded and stepped aside clearing Laad’s path to go to Irek, and once he was in front of him, he looked down and sighed before carefully taking his still warm hand and kissing it.
“Journey well,” Laad’s solemn words, as he put Irek’s hand back upon his chest.
When he turned, King Rone touched Laad’s shoulder and gave him Irek’s ring of authority. Cast from solid gold with a rounded flat head and the crest of Worrlgen in its center, it sat heavy on his finger and much to his surprise fit perfectly.
After Laad slid the esteemed ring of his finger, King Rone kept his word concerning Laad’s bravery, skill, and knowledge by putting it to the task and making an exception for him in something he had not done for any other.
“Kneel.”
Obediently, Laad kneeled and bowed his head while King’s Rone put his hand on top of it.
“You are now my Lord Helm, and it is my will that there will be no Lord Master under you,” his decree; then announced it aloud to those around him and to his royal scribe.
King Rone nodded pleased with his decision.
“Blow the horns of mourning,” he ordered, “That all may know Irek has left this life.”
After King Rone left the chamber, as soon as the door closed, Laad walked to Irek’s widow and tenderly kissed her on her forehead.
“I will greatly miss him. He was as much a father to me as my own,” Laad’s sincere words before he turned to leave.
“Wait,” Irek’s widow quickly said, then walked pass him to the door carefully putting her ear to it to make sure all had gone.
Laad looked at her curiously wondering what she could want and waited.
“Dare you let others eyes behold this!” she warned when she turned back to him; then gave him a small wooden chest, “Away from all. Only should you open it… away from all Laad.”
Laad took it, nodded that he understood, and tucked it under his arm.
“Were any of his words before he left this life of me?” he questioned.
A smile came upon her somber face, and her saddened eyes lifted, as she revealed his last words. “Rise and rule!”
Chapter 20
The line of men stretched across the countryside, as Laad honored Irek with a grand ceremony, which lasted long into the day and part of the night, and was a somber moment, even for King Rone, Baric, and Bayl, who were among them.
Baric on the right of the king and Bayl on the left meant Ogorec and Belon were closer to each other, yet all through ceremony neither spoke to the other, although Belon glanced over at Ogorec many times.
As the guilds lined and rode pass him, they cut their hand in honor of him letting their blood drip onto his body while the other men who rode or walked by clang their swords onto their shields or breastplates loudly.
The footmen lined, some beating their marching drums while others blew their horns. Both groups sounded and pounded away which such fervor there was no doubt it resonated as far as Eldernon Mountains.
After all the guilds rode pass Irek’s body, when the ceremony ended Laad set it ablaze, but as he watched from his horse, when the guilds began to ride back to WorrlgenHall, when some passed Laad, they put the palm of their cut hand over their
guild band.
Just as some did in front of Laad, when Loth passed him, he did the same, but afterwards turned his horse to sit beside him.
“Helm Laad,” he casually asked, “How long will you tarry?”
“Until his body is no more,” he answered. His eyes fixed upon the blaze.
Loth rested his arm on his knee and shifted his weight to sit more comfortably and wait with Laad, and as both sat silently, Laad didn’t question why he remained beside him, he knew.
“A wise one has left us,” Loth finally broke the long silence.
His friend beside him, Laad expressed some of what ran through his head as he watched Irek becoming ashes.
“Yes,” he agreed, “I am fearful I may fail in my lead of men. My wisdom falls well short of his.”
“You are indeed wise and will strengthen this kingdom,” Loth gave his assuring words, and looked over at him, “And I shall watch proudly as you do, following all commands given me.”
“If such is to be with me, I want it with one by my side I trust,” Laad said, as he looked at the fire, but not at Loth.”
“Who is such?”
Laad now turned to Loth, and looked at him surprised he didn’t already know.
“The king has decreed a Lord Master will not serve under me,” he revealed, “I know of only one with the bravery, strength, and loyalty that I give him eagerly my words and welcome his. And, I know no other I would have by my side in my command as Lord Helm other than you.”
No need for words, Loth gave him an accepting nod. Their roles and duty in the beginning making it necessity to fight alongside the other, as well as eat, sleep, and travel, morphing that allegiance into a well-founded friendship over time, neither would dare break such a trusted bond.
Now completely dark, when the flames had subsided from the fire, both began to ride back to WorrlgenHall, and as they rode Laad now questioned Loth about what he saw earlier.
“Why did some who rode pass me put their cut hand on their wristband?”
Loth said nothing, as the trotted along a little farther; then he looked over to Laad.
