WORRLGENHALL (6 page)

“
Uded!” Laad shouted; then banged again, this time with the pommel of his sword, “I know you are inside, open at once!”

After a long silence passed, the latch untouched, Laad stepped back and kicked it open. The chambe
r dark, he saw no one until he turned his eyes to the bedchamber, then growled angered at what he saw.

Seda on her knees with one of Uded
’s hands filled with her hair; hot steel in his other, her bed gown still on her, but torn exposing her smooth unblemished back. Holding true to his sadistic nature, he had planned to mar her just as he did others.

“
You loathsome swine.” Laad’s snarl through clenched teeth before he put his hand on the hilt of his sword then unsheathed it partly and gave his warning, “Step away from her now.”

“
You have no right,” Uded averred, thinking himself high in WorrlgenHall, as he moved the hot searing steel closer to Seda’s flesh.

“
I have every right,” Laad’s declaration, as his hand quickly fully unsheathed his sword and brought it fiercely down across Uded’s chest.

The swift gash going deep, his flesh opened wide
spilling his guts onto the floor before his hand released the hot poker and he fell face down onto his bed, bounced, and rolled onto this back.

As Laad lowered his swo
rd, Uded’s lifeless body sprawled bleeding freely upon his vile bed, his servant rushed inside.

“
Tend to his body,” he ordered, as he wiped his sword clean on Uded’s long robe and sheathed it, giving not even a second thought about slashing him open.

Dist
ressed and grateful, Seda rose; then covered her back.

“
I thank you,” she said grateful, “As sure as day and night, he would have marred me badly for not giving myself to him eagerly.”

“
Thanks should not be to me,” Laad’s reply, as he turned to walk out the door, “But our king.”

Just as Laad reached the door
’s threshold, he happened to look down. His way blocked by a golden haired girl who crouched at the door watching it all, he stopped and recalled she was who told him who came for Seda and smiled at her.

Long wavy heavy locks upon her head, her tiny feet bare, she rose; then looked up at him, and as a smile came across her face, he thought she was very pretty, but her obvious youth kept him from any thoughts beyond.

“I could have trampled you young one,” he warned, “Had I not looked down.”

His words sending a chill through her, shyly she moved out of his way; then as she opened her mouth to speak
. Unlike how boldly she had spoken before, she could not.

His height almost
as high as the high threshold he crossed; his body muscled, lean, and pronounced, and his grueling ride evident by his dirtied clothes and smell made Nona immediately fascinated by the gallant dark haired man.

As she stared at his entrancing face, she knew he was brave and the way he struc
k Uded down with one swipe, strong, but she in no way feared him; instead, her heart danced within her from his deed, and now drawn to him utterly, saw him as hers alone.

Knowing he was older and part of the united men, she knew she would have to work har
d to have him, and that it had to be done right away.

Her jaws open, a flood of words in her head, but no sounds from her mouth, carefully he stepped over her; then began to walk down the hall.

“Your horse,” she blurted, when she regained her voice, “If you wish, I can care for it?”

Again, he smiled, and began to walk away again.

“Only I care for my horse.”

“
Then I can bring it something, maybe apples,” she said, thinking quickly, “And you something as well?”

“
Worry not over me young one, I will be fine.”

“
Please,” Nona insisted, “It is of no toil to me.”

The journey tiring, and in no mood to argue, Laad sighed and nodded.
“I will be in the bottom stable with the horse.”

Once Seda was safely moved to the king
’s floor in a chamber, Nona hurried to the meal house and careful not the wake anyone, got apples for his horse and dried meat and bread for Laad; then ran to him with such speed she panted heavily when she reached him.

“
Is someone after you?” he questioned, curious why she was out of breath and looked flushed.

“
No,” she said; then calmed herself, “But I reasoned you would be hungry, so I ran.”

As she feed his horse, from the side of her eye, she watched Laad who had moved two heaps of straw and rested his head as he ate; then before she could say anyt
hing to him, he was asleep.

Quietly, she drew close to him; then stared at his face, and if not for fear would have reached out and touched his hair.

As a gentle hum of breath entered him and left him, she smiled as she looked at his manly nostrils flare; then covered his legs with horse blankets to warm him.

“
I will seek you out,” she whispered her resolve, “And all mine you shall be.”

The next night, Nona looked for Laad at the bottom stable and though his horse was there, she could not find him.

At first longing to go to the inner guard towers to look for him where many in the king’s guard and men slept, afraid to be around so many men who might try to have their way with her, she thought it best to stay close to his horse.

Her heart and mind bound to
see him; she waited on the straw until she lost count of the hour and fell asleep; then late into the night, when a hand touched her face, she woke startled.

“
Do not be afraid,” Laad said calmly, and stepped back, “I only sought to wake you.”

“
I waited, but could not stay awake,” she said, after she sprang forward surprised, yet she did not move away. Instead, she smiled, “I feared you sought sleep among the men, or worse with a woman.”

From what she said, Laad looked at her surprised,
as a worry entered his head.

“
I fear you may see me in a way you should not, yet I may be wrong.”

“
And in what way is your fear?” she asked; her heart about to burst from inside anticipating his answer.

“
That you see me in a way a woman sees a man -”

“
But, am I not a woman?

Now certain his fear was right, Laad began to walk away. “
You feel you are?” he questioned aloud without turning around to look at her, “Yet, I believe you have some time ahead of you until.”

Wisely, Nona said nothing about his fear
. Instead, she got up from the straw; then hurried towards the huge doors before he was out of her sight.

“
Near the waterfall there is a place that when all look at it they become spellbound. Before the sun rises, I beg you, come to it.”

“
No,” he said without dwell, still refusing to turn to look at her, “I have no…”

“
But you must come before the sun fully rises,” she said, before he could finish his words, “Or you will miss it.

Laad said nothing else as he disappeared out o
f her sight, but that morning, by no will of his own just before sunrise; his eyes sprang open out of his sleep.

When he saw the sun rising he remembered her words and raced away, and for reasons he could not put to words, fearing he would not make it in time,
he hurried as if the king or lord’s message were at stake because he did not want to sadden her.

“
I rode with great haste,” he said. Now out of breath from running to her after he got off his horse as fast as he could, “I fear I have missed what you sought to show me.

“
You did not miss it,” she said; then pointed. The sun’s light beaming down and reflecting off the rocks. When she moved slightly, the sun shined onto her face and hair.

“
I am troubled,” Laad said, as he turned his head from her now certain something was wrong with him for being drawn to one so young. Nona’s face sending a rush through him, he already saw her as very pretty, but when he looked at her in the sun’s light. He now saw her as beautiful

“
My journey back to WorrlgenHall has veiled my reason.”

“
The waterfall is a place of passion for those in love,” she said without dwell, and full of conviction, “And I am in love.”

“
Who are you in love with?” he asked although he knew the answer.

Nona
’s face expressed a disheartened look from his question. “Only one.”

Laad sighed and shook his head
. He was unsure how he should handle her or her so heartfelt declaration.

“
Young one, I have no need or time for love,” his words came forth quickly, but tasted vile on his tongue as if a lie. Something within him had changed towards her from the night before, “I am away time after time and it is why I have no wife or children.”

“
You will have children from me as your wife.”

Her words believed within herself true
. Laad looked at her baffled. “I do not even know your name. Nor do you know mine.”

“
Laad,” she blurted. She already knew his name from questioning many the day before, “Son of Beok, who was once a brave guild warrior and later a king’s guard at WorrlgenHall.”

“
And your name is?” he asked, not surprised that she already knew about him.

“
It is Eeilnona,” she answered through a demure smile, obviously already in love.

“
Nona,” he said to himself quietly. Immediately taken with her name as he shortened it to suit him, and now speechless he walked back to his horse.

Looking back at her for only a moment, he
mounted it and rode away leaving her by the waterfall alone, yet not wavered later that night she came to the bottom stable again.

Already there, he saw her walk inside and sit down, but he did not go to her. Instead, from a distance he crossed his arms an
d leaned against the wooden wall in a darkened corner watching her as she patiently waited for him.

Knowing he could have easily slept among the men in the inner guard towers, he knew she would come back, and something inside him made him certain he had t
o come back too.

After he made her wait for a good while, now convinced she wouldn
’t leave until she spoke with him, slowly he walked out from the shadows.

“
What am I to do with you?” he questioned aloud, even more drawn to her, but annoyed with her persistence, “You are a strong willed one.” 

“
Wed me,” she spoke without the slightly hesitation, as she stood and looked at him. “Then do to me what those who are wed do.”

“
Do what to you?” Laad asked surprised.

“
Wed me.”

“
What were your words before that?”

A
s she looked at her feet, shyly Nona answered. “Do to me what those who are wed do.”

“
Young one,” he replied, “I wonder if you even know what those who are wed do.”

“
I know of what I have heard,” she spoke quickly.

“
It would be cruel to do such a thing,” Laad said concerned for her and turned, yet he felt that each word he or she spoke drew them closer, “And just leave you at dawn.”

“
Wed me,” she said a third time, and added, “Then give me yourself in such a way, that I am so weak it will hold me.”

“
Your age causes me to wary,” Laad said bemused by her words, “What notions have filled your youthful head that you speak in such a way. I know you have never been touched.”

“
I hear you well,” she said, as she walked closer, “When I am yours, I know I will please you.”

From such passion in her voice and glint in her eyes, hesitantly he stared at her and wondered where such thoughts came from her. Truly young, she had no experience of love and life, yet the zeal of her words, made him think of the joy she could bri
ng him.

“
And what is there about me that has seized your heart so that you long to my wife?”

“
There is much,” Nona spilled her heart, “The sound of your voice; your deep green eyes; the way you walk, and your bravery, and ...”

“
Nona,” Laad sighed out her name to stop her from speaking, and as it came out of his mouth, a rush went through his heart such that he could not finish his words.

“
Within, I feel your head is filled deeply of me,” she said assuredly, “Make me your wife.”

“
I…I must reason for a time,” Laad suddenly said, as her words began to sway him, and left her.