by Luke, Monica
“Go to our chamber and do not come out. Do not come out,” he ordered sternly, and the way he spoke made Ovfren know to obey his words.
Quickly, Ogorec walked out of the king’s hall without saying anything to anyone; then knowing different ways to move about quickly down the hallways, he took a short cut to the upper chambers, saw Vron walking, and waited for him to round the corner.
“You!” he said through clenched teeth, so angry he wanted to kill him, when he stepped in front of him and grabbed him by his leather breastplate.
Right away, Ogorec struck him in the mouth knocking out three of his front teeth.
“Take this answer back to your lord for his offer.”
“We are guest within these walls,” Vron cried out dazed by Ogorec’s blow, “Dare you offend in such a way and strike me without cause.”
“Offend you.” Ogorec said, as he searched for the coins until he found them, “Dare you insult him by offering coins as if he was a male harlot!”
“Get your hands off me!” Vron demanded while spitting his blood, as well as his teeth, out to keep from swallowing both.
“So be it,” Ogorec said, and shoved his knee into his groin, which made him bend over, before forced his mouth opened, and shoved the coins down his throat one by one.
Once all down his throat, Ogorec struck him again with his fist knocking him unconscious, and left him lying on the hallway floor.
After stepping over his body, Ogorec hurried back to the king’s hall where all except the king and Bayl were still at the table. When they saw his bloody hand, all looked at him concerned.
“What happened?” Baric spoke first, fearing he had struck Lord Cadon instead of just his guard.
“That filth offered ten gold coins to Ovfren to come to him this night.” Ogorec angrily answered.
“What did you do to him?” Laad asked, as he looked alarmed.
None took a breath waiting for the answer.
“I struck him.”
After he revealed what he did, Belon shrugged his shoulders unimpressed. “Eh, that is not so dreadful.”
“And knocked out his front teeth,” Ogorec added.
Now impressed, Belon burst into laughter, but when Laad looked at him annoyed, he cleared his throat and hushed.
“Ogorec!” he said angrily, “Why? He was to leave in the morning?”
“Dare he offer such to your wife?” Ogorec blared, “Would you not do the same? They respected us none when their father died, and now come seeking peace and harmony again, yet his brother stared at your wife all through the night of feasting lustfully with you by her side?”
Laad reasoned his words in his head, and angered at the thought agreed with him.
“Where is he?” Baric was afraid to ask.
“When I left him,” Ogorec answered, not caring if alive or dead, “He lay on the hallway floor of the upper chambers.”
“Should we go to him?” Laad questioned.
“No.” Baric knew and sighed, “Let him lay on the floor until he wakes, they will bring to matter to us soon enough.”
“Then let us go to rise early,” Laad said, and stood. “I have no question our morning will be an early and lively one.”
**
While he waited, Ovfren paced back and forth in their chamber; then when Ogorec walked through the door, hurried in front of him.
“Ogorec,” he said beside himself from worry; then when he looked down and saw his bloody hand, went to the table and poured water onto a cloth, “Can you speak of it?” he then asked, as he tended to his hand.
“I struck the guard who spoke to you,” he revealed, as he began to undress himself with his other hand, “And gave him a message to give to his lord.”
“He put a knife to my throat,” Ovfren told him, “As I went for my sword from his words.”
“If that was known to me,” he assured him, “I would have killed him, instead of only striking him.”
“How did I bring about such woe?” Ovfren asked worriedly, “I spoke no words to any of them.”
Ogorec put his bruised hand tenderly under Ovfren’s chin. “You did no wrong. His lord lusted for you when he saw you, and only I lust for you.”
Ovfren smiled.
“Come, my sought after love,” Ogorec teased; then as he exhaled, walked to the bed, “Let us sleep. I have no question our morning will indeed begin an early one.”
As both lay in bed; Ovfren couldn’t close is eyes to rest, and instead, tossed and turned.
“How can you be so calm?” he finally asked anguished, “For the first time in my life I have dreaded a sunrise.”
“What will come, will come,” Ogorec said, and turned to him, “I am true to my devotion and love for you Ovfren, and will defend you in all things.”
“Then I wish your courage was not so,” Ovfren said, worried for him.
“Would you love me as you do if not?”
“I would to not be in fear of you being slain at sunrise,” his retort.
Tenderly, Ogorec kissed him.
“Hear me well,” he whispered, “My life with you will not be done until I am old, feeble, and I will not give his sword that victory.”
“Still Ogo...” Ovfren again began to speak his worry, but Ogorec stopped him.
“Ssshhhh.” He hushed him; then kissed him passionately on his lips, “Sleep, we rise early.”
Certain he couldn’t close his eyes to sleep, Ovfren finally did; but not for long, and when he woke and didn’t see Ogorec beside him, gasped.
Worried, he sprang up, then when he turned saw him finishing dressing, leaped out of bed and rushed over to him.
“Your hair is braided and you wear your leather straps around the palms of your hand,” he noticed, as again anguish rose in him, “And from that I know you have set yourself to challenge him.”
“I gather,” Ogorec shrewdly said, “He will want to challenge me.”
Ovfren inhaled and exhaled deeply trying to calm himself.
“Let me dress and walk beside you,” he pleaded, “I want to be with you.”
Now dressed and his sword sheathed, Ogorec looked at him.
“You cannot,” he said, and kissed him, “Stand where I can see you, and cheer for me,” he added, before he walked out of the chamber.
Just as they suspected ,when Vron awoke he went to Cadon who went to his Brother King Thogor and complained, and as King Thogor, his brothers, Vron, stood before King Rone, he pondered what course to take.
Already aware of what happened during the night, because his son Baric informed him, King Rone was not surprised when King Thogor told him, but Vron accused Ogorec of being a thief, as well as striking him, so Ogorec had to stand before the king.
“They have made a claim that you robbed him of ten gold coins,” King Rone said to Ogorec, “Is it true?”
“He speaks a lie my king,” Ogorec denied, at once, “The gold coins rest within his stomach, and he will have them back soon enough.”
Wanting to chuckle, King Rone fought to keep a straight face, as did Belon, Laad, and Baric, but Vron seethe and sought retribution for the teeth knocked out of his mouth, and the gold coins forced down this throat.
“One man now hates the other,” King Thogor said, “I reason we have them settle this hate the old way and fight to the death.”
King Rone looked at Ogorec as he stood before him. His hair already braided in a row down the back of his head, and his palm bandaged, which was part of Worrlgen’s battle dress, it made no sense to ask Ogorec if he agreed to fight to the death, he knew his answer.
“Let it be so,” King Rone said, and stood to go into the inner courtyard to sit and watch from his square, “To the death…”
As all walked into the courtyard, already the highest of guilds had gathered, and all of them with the hair braided in one long braid, and leather straps around their palms, as well as armed with swords, when Laad saw they had banded together behind one of their commanders, proudly looked
to Loth.
“Did you gather them?” he asked.
“No, they came as one of their own will.”
Seeing it also, Cadon became alarmed. “Dare they attack us where we stand?”
“Our guilds band as one in all things, and line to cheer one of their own,” Laad responded proudly.
Hatefully, Vron walked into the center of the courtyard, as Ogorec followed; but as Vron stood with his breastplate still on him ready to fight, Belon walked behind him, suddenly withdrew his sword and gracefully cut the strings down the back of it with one swipe.
“Ogorec fights without one, and you will do the same.”
Vron took a second to glare at Belon, then stepped forward and stared at Ogorec looking for any signs of fear, but saw none.
Unfazed by his stare, Ogorec merely stared back, but decided to let him advance on him first to learn his ways of dueling.
“Guild,” Vron mocked, “Bring honor to your young warrior and die gracefully.”
His words said only to provoke him; Ogorec ignored them, and simply stood waiting with his sword sheath.
“Begin,” yelled the king, but Ogorec didn’t move.
After looking at him oddly because he didn’t, Vron lunged forward to slice at Ogorec from above, and as he groaned wielding his sword, Ogorec withdrew his sword and blocked it.
When it clashed, he made the steel of his sword slide down Vron’s until it reached the guard, and both close enough to see the pupils of the other’s eyes; Ogorec pushed him away disgusted by the very sight of him.
Again, they stood apart from each other, and again Ogorec waited for him to advance watching his eyes and arms close as again he groaned and tried to slice him, this time from below.
Protecting his legs with his sword, Ogorec blocked that slice also, but this time instead of pushing him away, when both tips of their swords hit the grass, again both close to each other, Ogorec struck him across his face with his left hand to move him back.
Enraged that Ogorec struck him again, he backed away briefly, then suddenly began charging, flaying his sword high and low madly groaning as he did it, and as Ogorec backed blocking both high and low advances, he happened to look to his left, and saw Ovfren.
As Ovfren watched, he stood to the left in the courtyard away from the other guilds anxiously longing to help him fight. Yet, he knew he couldn’t and stiffened his chin; then when he saw Ogorec look at him, stepped out onto the courtyard grass even more, hoping he knew by his expression that he prayed for a swift and victorious end by his beloved.
Ovfren’s hair braided too, though not one of the highest guilds, he did it to bond with him, and as a fellow guild, and as his heart swelled with more love for him for that simple gesture, a rage filled him again against Vron.
Again, as his mood darkened, just as it did when Ovfren told him Vron threatened him, no longer waiting for him to charge first, Ogorec stared at him hatefully and watched his eyes. They gave away where he planned to strike, and as he looked to his left, Ogorec moved to his right and cut him across his arm.
As he cried out in anguish, Ogorec moved on him quickly, and cut his other arm, but when he moved in close to do it, spoke to him.
“As you leave this life,” he threatened, as he rushed pass him, and cut his arm, “You will know what deed brought such haste.”
Resolved his skill was better than Ogorec’s, Vron stood defiant, then noticed Ovfren close and watching them.
“You fight for the honor of young warrior,” he said to upset him, “But with you gone someone will bend him over soon enough.”
His words worked and upset Ogorec, who in a rage lost focus and charged him, and when he did both moved back and forth across the courtyard trying to give that deadly blow.
“Such vigor comes from you for him,” Vron taunted Ogorec more, as he breathed heavy; “Dare I wonder what he does for you when alone to bring such.”
At that moment, Ogorec realized what he was doing, and stepped backed, then took several deep breaths to calm, and swiped his sword in the air to lose his blind rage and regain focus to watch his eyes; then as Vron looked to his left, Ogorec moved to his right, and purposely locked his sword handle with his again.
“That tongue of yours is a vile one!” Ogorec held him so he could speak to him one last time, “And will be a great feast for the buzzards after they pluck out your eyes!”
After he spoke, Ogorec grabbed the middle of his sword, and stuck his sword’s guard into Vron’s eye; then when he pulled back, bent over slightly and held his eye; Ogorec stepped forward and swiftly wielded his sword.
“Here is another message for your lord!” Ogorec shouted to get him look up, and when he did, brought his sword around with one hand lopping off Vron’s head.
With one swift swipe from Ogorec’s sword, Vron’s head fell to the ground and as those who watched silenced; all heard its simple thud when it landed before blood spewed from his neck like a fountain, before his body slumped lifelessly to the ground.
As all who were with Lord Cadon mutely watched, the guilds crowed loudly when Ogorec walked to his head and triumphantly picked it up by his hair.
His grip tight, first he held it up to King Rone; then he walked in front of Ovfren, who had stepped out a little more, and held it high in his honor before he walked to the courtyard garden wall.
“His head is my reward,” Ogorec shouted to Lord Cadon, as he threw it over the wall to insult him, “That I give to the buzzards to feast on.”
Slowly, King Rone stood, and all again silenced waiting for him to speak.
“I will honor our treaty of peace, as I did with your father,” he told King Thogor, “Break it once more, and the walls of Celgon will crumble.”
In no position to challenge him, King Thogor nodded.
“We will leave at once,” he said, as all began to walk away.
“The guilds lined will see to it as well,” Laad assured him, as he stood in the courtyard.
To add insult to Lord Cadon, Belon walked over Vron’s body.
“Before you leave,” he shouted and looked down at his headless body, then cut open his stomach with one swipe, “Take your ten gold coins with you.”
Enraged, Cadon scowled at him; then ordered two men to get his body.
Across the courtyard, Ovfren longed to go to Ogorec, but didn’t; instead, as the highest guilds crowed around him and honored him one by one for his victory over Vron, Osgorad among them, very proud of him, he let him have his time of praise.
Patiently, Ovfren waited all through the day to talk to him, but as the day progressed when he still had not seen Ogorec here or there, became disappointed they had spent no time together so he could praise him also for his victory.
Unknown to him, every time Ogorec tried to get away to find him, someone all the way from a guard down to a gruel asked to hear about his challenge with Vron or about the coins he made him swallow, so he couldn’t get away to be alone with him.
Now towards the end of the day, Ogorec finally free to be with Ovfren, now couldn’t find him, and at first deciding to just see him when he came to bed, knew was probably disappointed they hadn’t talked all day, so he decided to wait by the stable doors, and surprise him.
Just as he made it there to wait, he saw Ovfren carrying baskets for two women casually walking up the road, but again as he waited, someone asked him about his morning.
Ovfren’s hair released from the braid, but pulled back from his face, when he saw Ogorec waiting for him in the distance, his faced beamed surprised, and when Ogorec saw how it did, wanted to race to him.
“This day has been a long one,” he said, and began riding towards Ovfren, “I will speak of it more another time.”
Riding right up to him, Ogorec said nothing when he looked down at him seriously, while the two women stood awe struck looking up.
“Young guild,” Ogorec teasingly commanded to Ovfren, who stood next to the other women, “Come with me.”
Ogorec ex
tended his arm to Ovfren, who quickly gave the baskets back to the women and grabbed it, and after Ogorec pulled him onto his horse, he looked down at the two still standing awe struck, nodded and rode off with him out of WorrlgenHall’s gate.
“Where do we ride?” Ovfren asked, as he held his waist.
“Soon you shall see,” was all Ogorec would offer.
Riding into the lower lands where the other people lived outside of WorrlgenHall, Ogorec stopped when he reached a small cottage, then jumped off and tied his horse, but Ovfren stayed on it.
“Who is here?” he asked.
“No one,” Ogorec answered, “Come.”
Now curious, Ovfren jumped down and followed Ogorec but, Ogorec stopped at the door before they went in inside.
“All my time as a guild and then in high command I have cared not to spend on women, drink, and useless things what I earned or seized…” Ogorec spoke while they stood in the doorway, “Until love besieged me and my life became not my own. I want to share all I have, as well as, be able to enjoy you with others not so close.”
Ovfren’s eyes widened surprised.
“Is this a place for us?”
“It is,” Ogorec answered tenderly, “When not needed within the walls of WorrlgenHall and our time is our own, I want to be here with you. Is that your want as well?”
“That is my want as well,” Ovfren freely and eagerly answered.
After he opened the door, Ovfren stepped inside and looked around. He noticed Ogorec had taken great toil to have it made to feel warm, with wood already cut and stacked, and a bed, table, and chairs already in place.
“How did you deceive me?” he asked surprised, “To be away from me to do this, I am always with you?”
“I did not deceive,” Ogorec words, as he pulled him close after he closed the door, “Others built and put the things within it. I hope it pleases you.”
“I am pleased,” Ovfren said, as his heart swelled.
Glad that he was happy, Ogorec lovingly kissed Ovfren and after he did, he thought of the gentleness of his kiss; then of his fierceness in the courtyard that morning.
“My heart stopped beating within me,” he confessed, as they moved farther inside, “While you fought him around the courtyard.”
