WORRLGENHALL (33 page)

“Mercy. Reason this as my mercy!” he cried out to them all, “That I did not put all of you to death.” 

Just after he spoke one of the guilds walked out of a tent carrying painted plates and drinking cups, along with jewelry and other trinkets.

“They have chests full of such hidden about the camps,” he said as he held them up.

“
Seize it all,” Baric ordered; then turned and looked again at Gemon, “Then burn all that stands to the ground.”

**

Early that morning as Laad walked out of his tent, Loth approached on his horse.

“
They have not joined us,” he said, when he stopped in front of him.

“
No one?” he questioned aloud, as he wondered what could be wrong, “Gather men and ride back to see what holds them.”

Loth nodded; then rode off.

Right away, a group gathered; then rode back to the nomad camp; but when they got close and heard the sounds of loud wailing; fearing trouble, blew the horn to call the others and drew their swords charging forward.

When he heard the horn, Laad looked to Loth, then in the direction of the nomad camp and saw smoke.

“Our Lord!” Laad shouted, as he hurried to his horse, and when he did, no need to give a command, all knew to follow.

As Laad and the men made their way back to the nomad camp, again they heard the horn blow alerting them there was no longer a threat of danger, yet the heavy smoke caused hi
m concern.

“
I will ride in,” he said to Loth, “Send the men back to the camp.”

“
So shall I,” he insisted, then turned and drew his sword and held it sideways.

When Laad and Loth rode in, Laad saw Ovfren
’s side bandaged and bleeding, as he lay on a makeshift pallet on the ground, then saw Ogorec standing next to him.

“
The burning?” he questioned.

“
Lord Baric’s command.”

“Where is our lord?”

Ogorec signaled with his eyes, which Laad followed, and as they did saw Baric standing n
ext to a woman who was holding a child, and rode to him.

As he sat on his horse in front of him, he said nothing, instead, waiting for Baric to speak first.

“I have a son,” Baric proudly said, and looked at him.

Laad said nothing when he looked at the boy, then at the woman who held the child. Instead, he only nodded at the woman, who politely nodded back; then as the wailing men, women, and children crossed his path, he spoke.
“What is your wish, my lord?”

“
Vile, they are,” he said bitterly, “They sacrifice male children tender in age.”

Again, Laad looked at the boy and knew why his lord seemed outraged.

“And the other children?” he questioned.

“
I want them taken to WorrlgenHall.”

Laad inwardly sighed, but sa
id nothing against it, as again he looked at the boy. Reasoning he was about the same age as his young son Elaad, he thought of the fate of having his own child sacrificed which sickened and angered him.

As he looked and listened to the men and women wail
ing aloud, more so because of selfishness than forced from their own loved one’s or children, Laad began to seethe.

On his horse, Laad watched the men and women. Many young and well suited to make and bear children; he looked over at the small number of ch
ildren in the camp compared to the males and females.

“
So little male children for so many people,” he commented to Loth.

“
Such is true,” Loth agreed.

Again, Laad looked at the men and women wailing about and his stomach turned realizing the practice of sa
crificing boy children was agreeably shared by all and often.

“
You wail for only yourselves!” an angered Laad shouted to them all, “Your deeds should bring you worse woes. Worse than what shadows you now. If I hear one more sound, all of you will be struck down where you stand!”

From his command, Laad nodded to Loth, who unsheathe half of his sword ready to strike down his first, and as Loth glared at them, all silenced.

After he made his threat, Laad rode to speak with Baric.

“
You have found her,” he said, as he put his horse next to his, “Will you go back with WorrlgenHall with the men who take the children?”

“
No, I will scout,” Baric said.

Laad looked at the woman noticing how pretty she was, and then looked at Baric.

“A word, my lord,” he requested, as he moved away.

Baric looked at him curiously, but followed. “
Speak you words.”

“
You have found her,” Laad understandably said, “Dare you keep yourself from her by coming with us. Enjoy her and your son, my lord. Such was the only reason you are with us.”

Baric sighed, he knew they would be gone no less than two more moons.

“Yes,” Baric nodded regretfully, “Yet there is an oath that I and you must uphold, which is to protect the kingdom from those bound to bring it down. I am bound to my oath.”

The toil of
separating the men and women now solemn, as none spoke, once all were ready to march, Laad lined them, with Loth riding next to him.

“
Four mountains to the west there are traders that settle there in the spring and summer. Sell the women to them, and the men to those who offer a price for them along the way. Tarry not with price take what they offer for them.”

“
Where shall we gather?” Loth asked, as he looked at the men and women.

“
Near Orem just before The Mountain of Ash is where we will camp,” he answered, “As we pass it to shorten our journeys many times the men ride down and attack us. It is a good time to deal with them”

“
So be it,” Loth said.

“
Loth,” Laad called out before he rode off, “Be wary and move with haste. We will be waiting.”

Loth nodded; then hurried away on his horse while signaling for the men to follow him with the tied men and women.

As Laad watched the other men load the spoils from the nomad camp to take back to WorrlgenHall, he happened to look down and noticed a polished copper trinket in the sand.

Curious about it, he got off his horse to look closer,
picked it up with one finger, and blew the sand off it.

“
Such gifted charms they have,” one of the men, who passed him, said.

“
Yes,” Laad agreed,” as he thought of Nona and tucked it in his belt.

The hour late, Baric decided to leave before first light,
but moved from the smoke and earth seared nomad camp.

In no mood to ride, Laad
also decided to wait for light and stayed with Baric’s camp before joining the other men.

“
Send word back to the men,” he ordered one of the others, “We ride out before first light when all are joined again.”

The man nodded; then jumped onto his horse to ride out.

“Wait!” Laad shouted, as he reached into his belt, “Take this with you and give to it to the blacksmith.”

Laad paused for a moment and thought of what would look pretty
around her soft arms. “Have him melt and coil it into an ornament to grace the small arm of one very beautiful.”

The man took the charm, and tucked it into his belt not bothering to look at, then rode off.

As he watched him ride out, he sighed to himself and his mind now flooded with thoughts of Nona. The air nicely cool and everyone settled for the night, he decided instead of sleeping inside his tent, to sleep looking up to the stars.

After letting out a tired groan, he plopped himself onto his blanket;
then put his hands behind his head and stared upward waiting for his eyes to become heavy.

“
Ah, Nona,” he said under his breath, as he thought of his unborn child in her womb and his son, “Never have I ached to be home so badly.”

His mind flooding with th
oughts of them, he smiled to himself as images came to him of them by the fireplace as he sat sharpening his sword watching them, or of all of them eating as he told her of his day.

He thought of how as they slept, she would wrap her leg around him, or ho
w when he woke, he would turn and caress her thighs before getting between them.

“
Such want,” he sighed, feeling himself becoming rigid with thoughts of her.”

Fighting the feeling of arousal, Laad turned onto his side to sleep, but as always, before he act
ually went to sleep, he spoke to Nona.

“
Feel my love,” always his final words to himself as he drifted off into sleep.

**

That same night as Ovfren lay sleeping, his head turned towards the wall of the tent while he slept, when he opened his eyes only one thought at once came to his mind, as he quickly turned it.

“
Ah,” he looked delighted at the pleasing sight near him; followed by a groan of pain when he tried to move.

The day long, and his night before without much rest, fighting to keep his eyes open,
Ogorec sat vigilantly by Ovfren instead of out in the camp, but fatigued and worn, had dozed off.

His face looking peaceful as he slept, Ovfren sighed comforted and couldn
’t bring himself to wake him, but as he shifted his body an unintentional groan did.

Slowly, Ogorec
’s eyes opened, his obvious delight of Ovfren his first sight also, he stood.

“
Do not try to move,” he ordered and went to the flap to adjust to it make sure no one could see inside the tent.

“
I am healing,” Ovfren said, still trying to move, “How long have I slept?”

“
Well long,” Ogorec said, as he walked back over to him; then put his hand tenderly on his head, “For the men to worry.”

“
The men…”

“
Me,” he confessed and smiled.

“
And is it why you sit and watch over me?”

“
It is.”

His mind sti
ll filled with worry, but relieved Ovfren was awake, Ogorec looked away to kept him from seeing it on his face, but unable to resist, he looked back at him

Ovfren
’s glance always pulling him into his eyes, as if uncontrolled he felt himself being pulled closer, his eyes moving back and forth from Ovfren’s eyes to his lips, as he was.

“
Such a risk you shall take,” Ovfren whispered, as he watched Ogorec’s mouth coming closer to his to stop him, “To kiss me in such a way in this tent when others could enter without warning.”

“
Dare I look at you,” Ogorec whispered back, only stopping long enough to quickly reply, “And into those eyes and not kiss you?”

“
Remember your place here.” Ovfren sighed wanting to feel his kiss, “But know we also will have our time and place.”

Ogorec let out a discouraged groan, realizing how easily and readily he lost his will around Ovfren always longing to hold, touch, or embrace him in some way.

“I wish it was now,” he said, and sat back down tormented.

“
Just as I do,” Ovfren whispered; then began to reach for his hand.

“
For life.”

“
Yes, Ovfren,” Ogorec spoke, remembering their vow and held Ovfren’s hand, “For life.”

Just as both pulled their hands away, the tent opened.

“He is awake,” a guild turned, and yelled out; then closed it again.

Soon afterwards, Baric walked inside.

“Such a wound for a stray arrow, yet it found its mark well. How do you feel?” he asked, as he walked to Ovfren.

“
It is a small wound,” Ovfren tried to assure him.

Baric slightly laughed.
“It is what we reason small that kill us.”

“
He is like a stubborn oxen that nothing can bring down,” Ogorec added, “He will be well in no time.”

Baric nodded.

“We have twenty children among us now. I reason it wise you go along with the men who take them back to WorrlgenHall. I see no cause for you to scout if you are hurt.”

“
Back to WorrlgenHall,” Ovfren said surprised, “This wound is but a small wound.”

“
No one wrestles in his sleep from small wound,” one of the men added.

Ogorec didn
’t turn, but annoyed with the man’s words quickly let him know it.

“
I gather you have other tasks to tend other than standing here looking out of place,” and quickly the man cleared his throat, and left the tent.