WORRLGENHALL (103 page)

 
    “Who is the one?”

 
    “Augerd.”

 
    “I will not just hand him over for you to kill him helplessly,” Mogen objected.

 
    “You know the laws of Worrlgen,” he reminded him, “His punishment must be death.”

 
    “Then let it be death by honor, and not execution,” Mogen, then suggested, “Such that he has a chance to live should he win.”

 
    “So be it.”

 
    “I will not fight Belon!” Augerd fearfully objected, suddenly appearing from behind the men lined with Mogen.

 
    “Then, so be it.” Belon heard him, “Fight my first in command, Enek.”

 
    “Who is Enek?”

 
    Enek rode forward.

 
    “I am Enek,” he answered without hesitation, or questioning why Belon volunteered him for one on one combat.

 
    Enek unknown to Augerd, overconfident, he sized him up from a distance as he sat on his horse, then looked to Mogen and nodded.

 
    “And if Augerd overcomes him?” Mogen asked.

 
    “I have lost my first in command, and the three, along with my promise that the king of Ivodgald will grant you something within reason.”

 
    “And if Augerd does not overcome him.”

 
    “I have the three I came for,” Belon offered, “And the king of Ivodgald will still grant you something within reason.”

 
    “Agreed!”

 
    Belon looked over to Enek.

 
    “Do not leave his throat unopened,” he told him; then nodded to Mogen, “Agreed.”

 
    Cautiously, both rode to face each other, but when Augerd saw Enek more closely, and that he was just as proportioned as Belon, and how he sat with an undaunted glower, he balked suddenly fearful.

 
    Quickly, Augerd turned and fled to get behind to the other men, but when he did, they closed the line so he couldn’t. 

 
    “Dare you dishonor us all cousin?” Mogen said ashamed of him, “You will fight.”

 
    Again, Augerd rode forward; charging his horse towards Enek, who merely sat still waiting for him to get closer.

 
    “Aaaaaahhhhhh!” Augerd’s cry, as he charged.

 
    His cry echoing loudly into the air trying to sound fierce didn’t deter Enek, who until he was about two-horse lengths ahead, had waited patiently and watched to see which side he would hold his sword to strike.

 
    Noticing the attempted strike would come from the right, Enek jumped off his horse and cut to Augerd’s horses left rolling on the ground; then as Augerd adjusted to try to strike him, he sprang up and pulled him off his horse by his leg and he went hard to the ground.

 
    When he landed, it was on his back. The wind knocked out of his lungs, he lay stunted as Enek quickly got over him, seized him by his hair and easily slit his throat, and left him to die in the mud.

 
    “It is done!” Enek yelled to Mogen, then jumped back on his horse and rode back to Belon.

 
    As Belon watched him ride back, he yelled to Mogen as well.

 
    “Go get them,” he ordered; then while they waited in the rain for Mogen’s men to get Lord Elgen and Silinia, he looked over to Enek.

 
    “You took to long,” he teased because he took the time to jump off his horse.

 
    Enek tried not to let his face gloat. “…rain slowed me.”

 
    Mogen’s men brought Lord Elgen out, but far from peacefully. He dragged his feet, screamed, and bucked, while loudly promising to double, even triple whatever Belon offered them, then when one of Belon’s men took control of him, not in the mood to listen to him beg or struggle with him, he struck him across the head and knocked him out.

 
    “Such a bellow,” he commented, as Lord Elgen fell face forward into another’s arms, “Tie him, and get him on a horse.”

 
    Clearly shaken, shivering, and wet, Silinia tried to be strong, as she looked up at Belon, who jumped off his horse.

 
    “Beladera’s heart will lift to see you,” he said, then put a blanket around her shoulders, and lifted her onto a horse, “She cries for her maiden.”

 
    “Thank you Grand Commander Belon,” Silinia said humbly, her hands still fearfully trembling, “And King Aderac.”

 
    Belon touched her hand to comfort her, then turned and jumped back on his own horse, and looked to Mogen.

 
    “Send someone to stand before King Aderac to ask what you will,” he simply said, before he turned and rode away.

    
N
ow gone all day, anxiously Aderac waited on the wall staring out into the vast blackness for Belon, and filled with nothing but worry, he set his mind that he would wait for him on the wall every night until he returned.

 
      Suspecting he wouldn’t rest within his chamber, which they were right, Laad and Loth stood watch waiting alongside him, and knew that’s where they would be until Belon returned as well.

 
      “Great king,” Laad offered, as now that early misty rain had turned heavy and poured onto their heads, “Great toil it was for you to climb this wall, and now you pace in this hard rain. We know the pain you must be feeling and you are soaked. This night could be a night of many nights if they got farther than he reasoned. I swear to you that as soon as I know he is close, I will have a guild get word to you so you can be waiting for him.”

 
      Aderac mulled. The fatigued look on his face showing his lack of sleep, as well as worry, and his clothes completely soaked, about to respond, he happened to look out again into the dark plains first.

 
      As he opened his mouth to speak, when he saw horses, he looked at Laad and Loth, then towards the direction of the horses.

 
      “Look!” he said, as he excitedly pointed, “Look out!”

 
      Both looked out, then at each other as alarm filled them.

 
      “What is wrong?” Aderac questioned from the look on their faces.

 
      “We do not know if they are friend or foe,” Laad answered.

 
      “Long has Belon been away from WorrlgenHall to know all the horn blows, and what they mean,” Loth added.

 
      Aderac remembered how Belon’s head popped up while they kissed when horns blew that a stranger rode to WorrlgenHall.

 
      “Yes, he does!” he exclaimed enthusiastically, “He does! He does!”

 
      Both men didn’t know what to say to Aderac’s statement, and held their tongues, until Aderac began to get excited again.

 
      “I hear horns. I hear them!”

 
      Right away, they listened; then looked at each other once they recognized the horn signal.

 
       “Friend!” Both Laad and Loth said in unison.

 
      Now so excited he could hardly catch his breath, Aderac began to pace more.

 
      Stopping and looking out every few turns, once the horses got closer, even more exuberant, he moved onto one of the columns to look down so he could see Belon.

 
      “I swear if he could fly off this wall to Belon he would,” Loth said, and shook his head by how excited Aderac became when he knew Belon was on his way back.

 
      “My fear now is that he will slip,” Laad added, because the stones were completely wet, “And we will not be able to catch him before he falls.”

 
      His eyes searching for his warrior, as soon as Aderac spotted Belon, he began calling out to him.

 
      “Beellloon! Beeellooonnn!” he excitedly yelled, “Beellllooon!”

 
      When he heard someone shouting, believing Aderac would be in the chamber sleeping, Belon didn’t pay much attention. But, as the shouting got louder and more enthusiastic, he realized it was Aderac on the wall calling out to him, and spurred his horse hard forward and hurried under the gate before it was completely up.

 
      “Beeelllloon!” Aderac called out, got off the column, and now stood on the wall looking down the stairs.

 
      Belon jumped from horse; then climbed the stairs three steps at a time.

 
      “Honneeey.” Aderac sang relieved, and held out his arms waiting for him to rush into them, and after Belon got to him, he flung them around him and held him tightly.

 
      “So silly you can be,” he lovingly chided, “Climbing all these stairs to wait for me in this rain. You are soaked Aderac. Were not my words for you to stay within the chamber?”

 
      “I could not,” he admitted, caring nothing about being wet, “I had to wait for you on this wall, just as I have read do all who wait for their warriors to return.”

 
      Saying nothing else, Belon looked at him and smiled, then kissed him long and lovingly. “And he has.”

 
      “Did any wound you?”

 
      “None did,” Belon answered, as he now put one arm around him; then kissed his head.

 
      “Did you find her?”

 
      “I did,” he answered, as Aderac pressed close to him, “And she is well.”

 
      “I knew you would find her,” Aderac lauded. “I knew you would for our daughter.”

 
      “Let us get to the chamber.” Belon urged concerned Aderac stood a long time waiting for him in the rain and could become ill, in addition to climbing the stairs with healing ribs, “And get you in front of the fire so you can dry and rest.”

 
      “We will lay naked in front of it,” Aderac gleefully added, “And both dry.”

 
      “Why must my ears keep hearing such words as that from them?” Loth teased, then turned and looked down at the men now entering the gate.

 
      Again, they kissed passionately unconcerned with any eyes on them, then pressed their foreheads together totally rapt in each other.   

 
      “Aaheem,” Laad interrupted after patiently waiting for their affectionate reunion to end.

 
      “Did you find all?”

 
      Belon looked out, as the others now made it into the courtyard. “Yes,” he answered, “Now Lord Elgen can hang beside his brother.”

 
      “And Augerd?” Laad questioned, yet he knew the answer, “Does he still breathe?”

 
      “No.”

**

 
      As dawn approached, the anticipation of hanging Lord Cadon and Lord Elgen filling their heads, none slept peacefully.

 
      “Are you ready?” Aderac asked, while he sat on the edge of the bed as Belon helped him with his boots.  

 
      Belon stood and nodded. Glad that finally their punishment was at hand, “I have been for some time.”

 
      “Then let us go,” Aderac said, and stood.

 
      In the courtyard of mercy, Baric sat in the king’s square with Ogorec, Laad, and Loth standing beside him, and as all looked down, when Ovfren walked into the square area and looked up, Ogorec smiled at him.

 
      “Was there trouble between you?” Baric asked, as he looked at him, then at Ovfren, “He has not been your shadow for days.

 
      “There was, my king,” Ogorec answered truthfully, “We are past it.”

 
      Baric nodded pleased.

 
      “Good,” he then said, “I could not bear you walking around looking so glum one day more.”

 
      As Baric spoke to Ogorec, the guards of the dark room brought out Endric, Lord Cadon, and Lord Elgen, and took them to the podium, and when Baric saw them, he stood.

 
      “Two shall hang this day,” he announced to all, “But the man known as Endric shall loose his right hand, but keep his life for his witness against Lord Cadon. Take him away.”

 
      Ovfren stood by the wall on the other side of the courtyard, then when Belon and Aderac walked into the square to watch, he moved over to his right to watch alongside them, but as did Enek came up behind him.

 
      “I searched for you this past night before I rode out,” Enek quietly revealed.

 
      “Why?” Ovfren’s ambivalent question, before he sarcastically added as he began walk away from him, “You made clear how you felt before you so boldly sent me on my way.”

 
      Knowing he hurt him by rejecting him, Enek quickly grabbed his arm to keep him from walking away so he could apologize, and Ogorec saw it.

 
      “Forgive me king.” Ogorec already in motion, “I must see about a matter.”

 
      Before Baric could even answer him, Ogorec had jumped over the banister and was now on his way to Ovfren.

 
      “What is this?” he yelled jealously, as he approached Enek, “That you grab him by his arm as if he is known to you.”

 
      Puzzled, Enek looked at Ogorec, then back to Ovfren.

 
      “I wanted to have a word with him,” he simply answered. “And what is it to you?”

 
      “Any matter with him,” Ogorec asserted, “Is a matter with me.”

 
      Enek taller than Ogorec and a skilled warrior and commander, who was just as good if not better than Ogorec, was unafraid of Ogorec’s bellow; but he knew his place within WorrlgenHall and didn’t challenge him. Instead, he crossed his arms keeping them well away from his sword, and leaned against the wall.

 
      Right away, knowing Ogorec’s jealously, Belon stepped forward to try to intervene by attempting to divert their attention to other things.

 
      “Two are about to be hanged,” the intervening comment, “Let us worry more with that for a time.”

 
      Neither responded to Belon, nor even bothered to look at him when he spoke as both men’s minds ran with thoughts of who would win if they fought, but Enek backed down.

 
      “I meant no harm when I grabbed him,” he simply said, “I only wanted to ask him to forgive me for being harsh.”

 
      “Harsh,” Ogorec repeated alarmed. Now being protectively concerned he tried to harm him.

 
      Ovfren exhaled hard. The more Enek spoke the worse the situation became, and knowing their secret could no longer stay hidden, confessed.

 
      “Out of anger and jealousy from your confession that you and Belon kissed, I kissed him one night while I practiced with him, but it was Belon who had me see my wrong before I did more.”

 
      Aderac made a loud gasp, which cut into Belon down to his bones, and he turned all his attention to Aderac now.

 
      “What did my ears just hear?” Aderac questioned in utter disbelief, “What did they hear?”

 
      Belon humbly held his head down. He stood in front of him, unsure where to begin explaining why he kissed Ogorec, but prepared to answer truthfully anything he asked.

 
      “You kissed him,” Aderac whined, as he looked at Belon now sure of what he heard, “How could you? How could you Belon?”

 
      “He kissed me,” Belon quickly corrected.

 
      “When Belon, when?”

 
      “It was as you lay resting after I found you. I swear there was nothing more, nor shall ever be.”

 
      “Belon.” Aderac pouted saddened, as his heart dropped, “Why did you not reveal this to me, as he so graciously revealed to him?”

 
      “I know who my heart belongs to,” he devotedly answered, “And it is not to him. I felt there was no need.” 

 
      Aderac’s lips curled and quivered longing to scream angrily at him; but saddened, as well as, mixed with emotion, he slumped.

 
      “I am going to the chamber,” he suddenly blurted, then turned to walk away.

 
      “I will follow you.” Belon quickly offered hoping to calm him, “To be with you.”

 
      Aderac halted before turning to snap. “Perhaps you would rather follow behind and be with him instead of me - you seem to do it so well?”

 
      “Never speak that way again. You know that is not true,” Belon responded troubled by his words, “Never.”

 
      Again, Aderac dramatically stormed away. “Do not follow behind me Belon. I need to be alone.”

 
      “But Aderac,” Belon tried to plead while following him, “Let me go with you; we can speak of this while I hold you.”

 
      “No, I do not want to be held. I want to be alone!” he stubbornly shouted.

 
      “You should not be,” he said trying to sway him, and still following because he didn’t want him to be alone and let his imagination run wild about him and Ogorec.

 
      Belon close on his heels, Aderac stopped and turned again. The expression on his face an angry pout combined.