WORRLGENHALL (50 page)

Holding in tightly in his hand, Ogorec turned and threw the axe hard into the wooden bar around the bed.

“Solid and sharp,” he said, as he walked to it and pulled it out, “And will bring down anyone at once. I will wear it with pride.”

Happy he was pleased with his gift, Ovfren smiled.

“Come let us sleep,” he said, as walked towards the bed.

After putting the axe back on the table and both cleaning up from their pleasure, they climbed into bed, but instea
d of putting his back to him, Ovfren turned to face him to sleep.

“
Are there unpleasant or hurtful words you want to give me from your journey?” he asked waiting to hear if Ogorec needed to confess anything.

“
There are none,” Ogorec answered without hesitation. His heart and mind free of guilt.

After deeply inhaling, tenderly Ogorec kissed him; then closed his eyes.

“I am once again with my love,” Ovfren’s whisper and began to fall asleep, “And so in love am I with him.”

“
As I,” Ogorec said, as he yawned and quickly followed.

When morning came and Ogorec opened his eyes, he noticed Ovfren resting his head on his elbow staring down at him.

“How long have you watched me sleep?” he asked, and stretched.

“
Long enough to feel you are not a dream,” Ovfren answered, as he moved closer to him.

“
And you pressed against the wall,” he teased, “Did you feel that was a dream as well?”

“
So pleasing was this night,” Ovfren said, “I feared it was.”

After tenderly touching his face, Ogorec raised
and sat on the edge of the bed; then stretched again.

“
You must speak all,” Ovfren said, when he moved to sit beside him, “So long were you gone.”  

“
Each day I felt madness closer to me,” Ogorec admitted, “You filled my head so.”

“
The smell of you upon our bed,” Ovfren admitted, “Is what many nights helped me sleep.”

Now standing, Ogorec walked to his axe and picked it up, then smiled.

“Where did you get it?”

“
The trading Valley of Tul,” he answered, “Aron asked me to wait to vie until you came back, and if so, he would let me ride alongside the other guilds that rode with those to trade.”

“
Vie.” Ogorec looked at him curiously, “To move to what?”

Knowing Ogorec
’s protectiveness of him, Ovfren walked to him and stood in front of him hoping to sway the concern he knew he would have.

“
Dare I as well, miss you to madness,” he said, “If I vie to become a high guild I can ride out with you?”

“
Laad chooses those who ride,” Ogorec told him, “And even if made a high guild it does not mean you will ride with me.”

“
Even so,” Ovfren said, “From it the chance is more in our favor.”

“
And if you are put under Bayl,” Ogorec argued, “In battle you may be apart from me if they do not fight together.”

“
Or not,” Ovfren argued back.

Ogorec inhaled, and shook his head.

“I will not allow it.” His decision made. “You shall remain a low guild and not be in the way of much harm so I will not have to worry over you.”

“
Nooooo,” Ovfren protested angered, “Do I not have a will of my own?”

“
As one that I love more than my own life,” Ogorec said adamantly, “You do not.”

“
What if I do it against your will?” Ovfren rebelled, “I do have choices over my own life.”

“
A life you share with me. I have a word in it as well.” Ogorec squashed his rebelling words. “You will not go against me and vie.”

“
You are selfish.” Ovfren huffed angered, but Ogorec steadfast in his decision, when he looked at his face and saw how stern it became, knew arguing was of no use.  

“
Curses!” he instead yelled; then started dressing, and as he did, Ogorec tried to talk to him to soothe him, but Ovfren wouldn’t listen; then once dressed, he stormed out of the chamber without words or a kiss goodbye.

Knowing he was angry, Ogorec said nothing and didn
’t try to stop him when he stormed out; but after he dressed, did look for him.

Not finding him in the gathering hall or the men
’s hall, he went to look for him among those who trained, but not among them either; he went about his day reasoning he would talk to him later.

When later came, and Ovfren still had not come back. The hour now late, worry swept through Ogorec, who at first wanted to go look for him and scold him, calmed himself and stayed within the chamber.

As more time passed, Ovfren still gone, Ogorec became anxious, as his mind filled with thoughts of him doing something foolish to punish him, but he decided to remain in the chamber to wait instead of going to search for him.

Diligently he waited and sat at the table, instead of lying in bed, refusing to close
his eyes until he returned; then almost at dawn, the door opened and quietly Ovfren sneaked inside.

“
Where have you been?” he demanded, as he sat in the dark at the table, “Speak it now.”

“
What is it to you?” Ovfren asked defiantly, “Or do you only want to know to keep me in your grasp?”

“
A grasp on one dearly loved,” he said, “If I had no love, I would not care what you did.”

“
Where I was is none of your worry,” Ovfren retorted.

“
Then should I fear you did a foolish deed?” Ogorec asked, concerned he may have, “To wound me.”

“
Never could I do such,” Ovfren proclaimed at once, “But I am angry with you.”

“
All day and night you have been gone,” he demanded to know, “Where?”

Ovfren huffed, but answered.

“I rode the land and tarried in the plains,” his truth of where he went to sulk, “There I reasoned how much I love you, but how angry you make me at times with your strong willed ways.”

“
Is it wrong?” Ogorec asked, and stood, “To want you away from harm?”

“
No,” Ovfren argued, “But it is wrong to want to be near you in all things?”

Both stood in their chamber and looked at each other intently. Their eyes longing for their bodies to join and hug, their will keeping them apart, they stood their distance, as both resolved they were right, then always weakened when
he looked into his eyes for very long, Ogorec sighed heavily; then began to speak, but again sighed heavily.

“
No.” Ogorec finally reasoned, and relented, “Dare I treat you like a child when you are not.”

At once, Ovfren let out a deep sigh.

“When we quarrel,” he confessed, “It troubles me greatly.”

“
As it does me,” Ogorec confessed; then looked at him lovingly, but let words of warning follow his look, “You may vie, but know you must rise on your own and not by way of what you are to me.”

Pleased, Ovfren
smiled.

“
Dare I not rise on my own?” he said, without doubt, “For what spurs me is my longing to be beside you in battle, as well as beside you in bed.”

As Ogorec moved from the table, Ovfren walked to him and stood.

“Kiss me,” his tender command, which Ovfren eagerly obeyed, “Are our angered words behind us my fiery love?”Ogorec added, as he began to back him to the bed.

“
Well behind,” Ovfren answered, and gladly let him.

**

Any time on his own Ovfren used to hone his skill, while Ogorec, who occasionally helped him when he practiced, generally left him alone until he was done.

Day by day, patiently Ogorec would watch him until Ovfren was ready to come to bed or come get him if he stayed out late
urging him to come to bed, and as the days passed, when it was time for the low guilds to move in place, Ovfren joined the line of men.

As Aron watched him showing off his skill, knowing the improvement came from training with Ogorec and his determined wil
l, he and a few others who trained walked down the line to place their hand on the shoulders of those who could vie, and gladly Aron placed his hand on Ovfren’s.

“
He watches you,” Aron said when he put his hand on his shoulder, “Do well and honor him.”

Ju
st as Aron knew, Ogorec stood just under the king’s square away from the others to watch Ovfren, and as he stood, Belon walked over and stood with him.

“
There are many, yet I know your eyes are set on only one,” he teased.

Ogorec said nothing, yet deep wit
hin anxiety filled him. Ovfren was strong, fit, and skilled, but so were the others.

“
I cannot watch,” Ogorec nervously said, as he turned to walk away, “I will know when all are done.”

When he turned, Belon grabbed his arm.

“Do not be foolish,” he said, “If you leave your mind will still be vexed.”

Ogorec turned back, and again watched; then as all lined, they paired each other in a long line, and as they showed their skill, one by one those whose shoulders got touched had to try again next spring.

Once half were gone, and Ovfren still among them. The drive to ride alongside his love spurring him more, he fought harder; then when the number was down to only about thirty, the high guilds came to vie with them.

When they did, again Ogorec became worried be
cause he saw Osgorad among them, and as his eyes squinted, Belon looked at to whom.

“
Dare he seek revenge?” Belon questioned.

“
He would.” Ogorec feared.

Just as he feared, Osgorad made his way down the line and intentionally stopped in front of Ovfren, and
right away Ogorec began to walk forward to go into the courtyard to say something.

“
No,” Belon said, and again grabbed his arm, “You shield him enough as it is. Let him have his bumps and bruises.”

Ogorec inhaled reluctantly, but agreed with Belon and st
ayed out of sight, yet fretted such that he could hardly stand still.

Unknown to Ovfren that Osgorad intentionally picked him; he thought nothing was wrong, that is, until he saw the hate in his eyes.

“Begin!” shouted one of those who trained.

Even before
he shouted, Osgorad lunged towards Ovfren who wasn’t ready, and as he moved, his feet not balanced, stumbled and fell backwards.

“
Come on young guild.” Osgorad prodded, “Rise.”

As soon as Ovfren was on his feet, Osgorad charged towards him, but he blocked his strike, then as he tried to strike again, Ovfren moved out of the way and hit him in his back w
ith the pommel of his sword.

Turning quickly surprised, again Osgorad charged him, but again faster and more agile, Ovfren moved out of the way and did the same thing.

“Stand still.” Osgorad grunted annoyed, “And face me.”

From his words, Ovfren stayed in
place, and again as Osgorad moved forward, but this time he intentionally stepped on Ovfren’s foot, which caused him to look down, and when he did, Osgorad struck him hard across the forehead with the pommel of his sword cutting open his left brow.

When
he saw it, at once, Ogorec seethed.

“
I am going to slice open his throat from ear to ear this very night,” he promised under his breath, but Belon heard him.

“
Would an enemy do less in battle?” he asked, but Ogorec didn’t answer.

His gash bleeding, Ovfren ignored it and charged Osgorad instead, and as he remembered what Ogorec taught him, he flailed away at him twice to the left and twice to the right, then once to the left, and once to the right, back and forth relentlessly.

Unable to stop his charge as he moved forward to keep him from getting his bearing and moving forward himself, Osgorad became frustrated; then when Ovfren paused, he tried to kick him in his chest.

“
Uuuuurrrr,” Osgorad groaned loudly as he did, but as soon as Ovfren saw his foot leaving the ground, grabbed it and pulled his other foot from under him sending him high into the air, before he landed hard on his back.

The air instantly knocked out of him, while he lay on the ground, Ovfren quickly got over him and
stuck his knee into his chest, and Ovfren brawny and strong, when Osgorad tried to move from under him, couldn’t.

“
Yield,” Ovfren commanded, as he looked at him, the blood on his brow dripping onto Osgorad’s face.

Osgorad made one more attempt to rise, b
ut couldn’t.