WORRLGENHALL (39 page)

As he promised, Belon did not try to harm Ovfren again, but when he saw the boar tooth around his neck, again he seethed.

Only days after the rains had stopped, once the men began training again, when Belon noticed Ogorec had not come out yet, he waited i
n the courtyard by the gate for Ovfren to pass him.

After most had passed, casually he made his way to Ovfren and walked beside him.

“I will wait you out,” he told him as they walked, “Long have I been with him to see others come and go. Are you foolish enough to believe you are the only?”

Ovfren did not answer and kept walking, but once they got to the glen, while the men trained with each other, Belon found another opportunity to taunt Ovfren.

“I would reason,” he said, and slyly looked the other way, “We all while away scouting give in to weakness. With him away, I could not please him, and you could. Soon enough, he will bore of you and come back to me as he always does.”

Angered, Ovfren huffed and walked away, yet as he
walked, he remembered Ogorec’s words of guilt about his betrayal to Belon and the horrible argument they had about it, and it bothered him a great deal.

Unable to think of anything else, Ovfren either rode the lands or watched to keep from being inside WorrlgenHall, and even after Ogorec left several messages,
he wouldn’t go to him.

After about a fourth time, when again he still didn
’t come to him, Ogorec now suspected Belon could be the reason.

“
Why is the guild Ovfren made to watch or ride the lands and another not put in his place?”  Ogorec questioned Gath when he saw him later in the day, “Choose another.”

“
He comes and pleads to do it,” Gath answered, thinking nothing of it.

“
Hmm, I see,” he said, as he rested his hand on his knee, “This night if he asks to watch have him watch to the west by the hills, and see that it is the watch before first light.”

Sure
enough, again Ovfren asked. Obeying orders Gath put him were Ogorec instructed, and that night when he rode to the hills, an angry Ogorec met him.

“
What reason is there that you keep away from me?” he asked sternly, when he rode in front of him.

Ovfren looked away; then back at Ogorec.
“It is Belon.”

“
What about Belon?” Ogorec asked, “We are no more.”

“
When you bore with me?” Ovfren asked anguished, “Will you go back to him?

“
Curses!” he blared, “How could words such as that stem out of your mouth?”

“
Seeded by Belon,” Ovfren confessed, “He spoke that with you there were others.”

“
Ovfren!” he again blared, “Must I hold your hand in all things and walk you like a child? Reason with that unripe head of yours that they are lies to wound you!”

“
How can I trust them as untrue?” Ovfren cried out, “When I won you to me, another trusted you as only his just as I trust you as only mine!”

“
Ovfren,” Ogorec searched for a reply knowing Ovfren was right, “I …”

“
I will not wait for my betrayal!” Ovfren shouted, as he felt himself sickened. Never would he have believed such words would or could come out of his mouth, “I release you!”

“
No!” Ogorec’s eyes widened shocked, “You will not!”

“
Yes! Ovfren shouted back, “Have him!”

Angered Ovfren rode off; then at first resolved he would not ride to catch him, Ogorec did.

“Heed my words,” Ogorec said. His voice toned and low from anger when he caught up with him, as he put his horse right next to his. “To question if I go from man to man angers me, and for the reason I love you, I will not strike you. Speak of me again in such a way, and you will feel the full strength of my hand across your face.”

Ovfren huffed; but didn
’t ride off.
“I have no words.”

“
If you have set your will, I will release you,” he voiced his angered resolve, “I will not love and have it not shown back to me.”

“
Why bond to me such that you have?” his voice clearly shaken with torment and doubt, “Why?”

“
Within me I know I would give my life for you willingly, not as a vow of a guild, but for love Ovfren, and never have I felt that for anyone.” Ogorec answered, “I have no more words to speak of why. Do not make me try to reason why I love you, and cause me to reason why I should not as well.”

Ovfren head shook with confusion.

“Have I lost you?” he asked his foreboding question afraid to look at Ogorec.

“
Look at me!” Ogorec shouted, as he waited for his eyes to meet his.

“
No!” he shouted more, “But you have angered me!”

“
And my punishment?” he asked afraid to hear it.

“
You without me this night to reason how to rid your head of childish ways,” he answered, and rode away.

That morning, as Belon walked into the courtyard, Ogorec who had remained awake all night fuming, was already waiting for him; then as soon as he saw him, rushed towards him and grabbed him by his throat.

“Make your words to him few, if any!”

“
Such fire,” Belon said, as he broke his hold and struck him in the eye; then hatefully ripped the leather cord with the shark tooth from around Ogorec’s neck.

Just after he did, Ogorec head butted Belon, and as he staggered dazed punched him in the stomach; then grab
bed his hair forcing his head down.

“
Urraaaaarrrrrr!” Belon grunted in pain noticing he was about knee him in the face; then grabbed him; lifted him high, and slammed him hard to the ground.

Hearing the commotion in the courtyard, curious Laad walked out;
then when he saw several of the men gathered in a circle, walked between them to look.

“
Ogorec... Belon!” he shouted, surprised at who were fighting; then as they both looked up from wrestling around on the grass, he spoke again, “What is this that two first in command fight rolling around in the courtyard looking foolish?”

Neither spoke, as they breathed heavy and broke apart; then began to stand, and as Ogorec did, he picked up the necklace.

“Why are you fighting?” Laad asked.

Still both said nothing.

As the other men moved; then began to go about their day, Laad stood in front of them both with his arms crossed and looked at them disapprovingly.

“
Speak!” he ordered again, “Why were you fighting?”

Still neither would speak of why, instead, Ogorec looked aw
ay as he tucked the necklace ripped from his neck into his belt, while Belon spat out the blood that had filled in his mouth from Ogorec’s punches.

“
Then so be it. You know the punishment for such.” Laad resolved; then ordered Aron who was now beside him to carry it out, “Ten lashes across the back for the both of them.”

“
Ten!” Belon blared, “The punishment is five for a meager fight!”

“
For others, yes,” Laad said, then nodded to Aron, “For you two who hold high places ten.”

Both lashed openly on their knee
s in the courtyard, Laad watched as both refused to cry out, and still refused to speak a word to the other or him.

“
Ogorec, Belon,” Laad tried to reason, after they were lashed and standing up, “Foolish deeds such as this in an open courtyard… let it be the last.”

Both still breathing heavy, nodded, but said nothing and walked away.

All day Ovfren tried to get close enough to Ogorec to talk to him, but Ogorec still angry, either overlooked him or walked away when he saw him coming.

Later that night, alth
ough his back burned, he got hungry, and went to the men’s hall instead of the gathering hall to eat, and when Ovfren walked in and saw him eating, stood by the door and debated whether he should go to him.

Quietly as he stood, he looked around the room w
hile he weighed the risk of angering him more; then suddenly as boldness overcame him; with a determined walk bypassed everyone and walked pass empty tables going to Ogorec, then sat close next him.

“
I beg that you never release me,” he whispered his plea when he sat.

Ogorec said nothing; instead, he kept eating looking into his bowl purposely ignoring him.

As Ovfren sat anxiously waiting for him to speak, when he didn’t, he exhaled hard.

“
All day you have seen me and spoke nothing, if you no longer love me,” he said and began to stand, “I will go.”

“
Sit down,” Ogorec said firmly, “And do not rise again.”

At once, Ovfren sat down; but sighed in misery.

“I tell you Ovfren your deeds try me,” Ogorec again scolded him.

“
Even so, I beg you,” he whispered again, “Never to release me.”

“
I am only angry with you,” Ogorec avowed, “And even in anger, I would not stop loving you.”

Relieved Ovfren exhaled, then after a long silence, reached into Ogorec
’s bowl.

“
I hunger,” he said, as he boldly took some meat and began eating.

Ogorec keeping chewing and didn
’t look up, until after he swallowed.

“
It is my hope and want,” his reply, as he remembered what he told him long ago, “To see that you hunger no more.”

Pleased that he remembered their words, Ovfren looked down; then to Ogorec.

“Such is the love we have. I know you cannot boast of it,” he again whispered, “But in kind, I ask that you not hide it.”

Ogorec nodded, and right away looked at him not carrying
if any could see the longing look for him on his face.

“
Make your way to me with haste,” he said in a low longing tone, “Such that as I walk, I hear your steps close behind me.”

Right after he spoke, he stood and left the men
’s hall, and after waiting only a few second later, Ovfren rose, and left too.

Ogorec walked with fervor, as he listened to Ovfren
’s footsteps close behind him; then when he reached door, he was so excited he had trouble with the latch.

While he fumbled with it, Ovfren caught up to him
, then reached pass him to the latch easily unhooking the thick metal hinges, and as he did, he leaned into Ogorec’s ear.

“
After you cross this threshold,” he whispered, as his body pressed to Ogorec’s, “Do not turn.”

As the door pushed open, Ogorec went i
nside and just as Ovfren requested didn’t turn; then once it closed and the latch hinged; Ogorec hissed deeply when he felt Ovfren walk up behind him and put his arms around him.

“
So fierce you are,” he whispered behind Ogorec’s ear, as his hands journeyed up his tunic onto his chest before he quickly removed it, “The lashes you wear are for my sake.”

“
I will wear them eagerly,” he confessed, “For you.”

Ogorec facing away from him; Ovfren
’s hands on Ogorec’s chest, he pulled back enough to look at his back; then kissed each lash mark tenderly before he turned him and kissed his bruised eye.

“
This night,” he said, as he now looked at him, “As I lie on my back, have me.”

Ovfren
’s clothes disappeared in a blink; then he got into bed and waited for Ogorec while he removed his pants.

“
I belong to you,” he said, as he parted his strong thighs, and when he did, Ogorec quickly crawled between them, and laid on him.

“
You are loved Ovfren,” he now whispered into his mouth, “With all within me.”

“
Ovfren and not young guild,” he said back into his mouth, as they kissed, “Dare you call out my name and profess your love in the same breath. Long has it been for me to hear you speak in such a way.”

“
Ovfren, loved below no other,” Ogorec confessed, as pulled from his lips and buried his head into his shoulders and began his thrusts, “You shall hear only your name well from me, as I thrust into you, as well as my words of love.”

Later in the night, as those who watched Ogorec and Belon fight earlier mocked them both, Belon wh
o had come in and sat in a corner alone listened for a while.

Saying nothing at first, he let them go on and on; then always driven by emotion, now unable to resist, stood and deliberately walked over to the one laughing the loudest.

His heavy footsteps on the wooden floor, making rhythmic clomps which resonated throughout the men’s hall. All silenced when they noticed Belon eyes set on one man.

“
Hearty is that laugh of yours,” he said, as he approached him from the side and pushed him in the chair from the table with only his boot; then as he faced him still sitting, when he tried to rise; he put his boot between his legs on his groin and pressed hard. “Shall we see how mocked you are when you find what is between your legs of no use to women, men, or your hand?”