WORRLGENHALL (41 page)

“I want to make right my harsh words,” he said, as he leaned her onto their bed; then lay upon her and gently parted her thighs with his knee, “And begin our day again. Will you let me?”

“
Umm yes,” Nona whispered her answer while wrapping her arms around him, as his hand slowly moved up her thigh, “My body enjoys when we begin our day with such pleasure.”

**

Ogorec’s will determined, when Baric remained within WorrlgenHall, which now seemed often because he devoted much of his time being alone with his bride Ecia and son. He sent for Ovfren to train him away from others into the woods to help strengthen his skill.

Each time Ovfren rode to him, after he jumped from his horse, before all else, he greeted Ogorec with a tender kiss on his lips, and right away the training began,

“What do you have for me this day?” Ovfren cheerfully asked, one morning.

“
This day is the last day of your training if you can do it with ease?” Ogorec gladly revealed, happy with Ovfren’s progress and pointed to trees, then gave him a practice sword, “Take the bark from the trees on all sides without cutting into it.”

Ovfren looked at the trees, then back to Ogorec.

“Such a task.” He doubted, and slightly laughed. “It cannot be done.”

Ogorec merely looked at Ovfren without smiling to let him know he was not joking; the
n after huffing, Ovfren took the sword and flailed at the tree cutting into it each time.

“
Curses!” his frustrated yell to Ogorec, “This task is not a simple one and is useless. If this tree were a man, would I not slice into him?”

Not speaking right away,
Ogorec walked in front of Ovfren and took the sword from his hand.

“
Simple it is to thrust and slice at a man,” he said, as he sliced the bark from the tree all the way around without putting even a small nick in the wood; then walked to another tree and did the same with his opposite hand equally well.

Ovfren
’s eyes followed him in complete amazement.

“
The skill comes from practicing controlling the sword in your hands. If you can control the strength in your arm as you use your sword, you control how well and quickly you kill your enemy.”

“
Just as long as I kill him,” Ovfren said, “Is not of worry to me, just that he is dead.”

“
Ovfren,” Ogorec called his name annoyed with him, “Do not you use all your strength and take up time, as well, thrusting and slicing away at one man, when a horde of others are all around you trying to kill you. Make your strike quick and with deadly aim and move on to the next one.”

“
Thrusting,” Ovfren roguishly smiled, “As I stand here the only thrusting that comes to mind is thrusting into you.”

“
Then I shall offer you a reward after your task.” Ogorec’s incentive, “You will not thrust into me until you can do what I have told you.”

“
No.” Ovfren pouted, “The scale is not even.”

“
Even or not,” Ogorec said, as he got on his horse, “If done you have a reward. If not ...”

“
If not what?” asked Ovfren, as he frowned.

Ogorec sl
yly smiled. “You keep training, and suffer from want for me until you can do it.”

Now angered, Ovfren stuck the sword into the earth.

“Pull it up,” Ogorec ordered.

Waiting defiantly, Ovfren didn
’t at first, but pulled it out when Ogorec’s face went stern.

“
When I return,” he charged, as he rode in front of him, “I want it done with ease and well.”

Ovfren frowned again, but said nothing, as he watched Ogorec ride away.

“Curses,” he said aloud, and picked up the sword.

After, leaving him alone for most of t
he day, Ogorec returned with food and water for Ovfren, but as he rode in, he exhaled disappointed when he looked at the trees around him noticing all had nicks and deep groves.

“
Look who comes back,” he said sarcastically, as he stood and watched Ogorec get off his horse and walk to him.

“
Eat,” Ogorec said, and gave him the food.

As Ovfren ate, Ogorec walked around looking at the trees, all notched he did notice the notches not as deep as the trees lined farther down.

“You are faring better with each one,” he said; then walked back to him and sat.

Ovfren looked at him trying to sway him with his smile.

“I ask for mercy,” he said when he did; “We are alone as the sun sets. Soon darkness will be upon us, and I want to be upon you.”

“
My words are unchanged,” Ogorec said resolved, “But I am not a merciless man. I will race you to the river, and should you get there first, I will give you one small reward you enjoy.”

At once, Ovfren stood.
“So be it.”

As both stood next to the other, Ogorec shouted for them to
start, even giving him a slight head start, but Ovfren, younger and faster, made it to the river long before Ogorec, then once Ogorec reached the river, he fell onto his back.

“
Aahh.” He groaned out of breath, “I am winded.”

Breathing hard too, Ovfren sat
beside Ogorec.

“
My winded love,” Ovfren tenderly said when he leaned over to kiss him.

“
Let me get my wind again.” Ogorec panted playfully.

“
We do not have all night for such,” Ovfren teased, as he stood; then pulled Ogorec up, “Come.”

As both walked into
the forest, Ogorec put his hand on the back of Ovfren’s neck, and his fingers into his curly hair.

“
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 lookin
g 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 un
sure how to respond, but from that moment, Laad gained even more of his respect.