WORRLGENHALL (108 page)

 
      “They already speak another tongue,” Belon jested thinking of Aderac and his obsession with books and always learning, “They, I reason could teach the priests.”

 
      Again, both laughed, yet unable to resist, as he looked out at him, his mind rampant with thoughts of what drew Ovfren to him, Ogorec asked about Belon’s first in command.

 
      “Speak to me of him…” Ogorec said, as he sat on his horse avoiding eye contact by keeping his eyes forward.

 
      Knowing of whom he spoke, Belon hesitated, unsure how he should respond to his request.

 
      “Ogorec,” Belon only said, as he looked over at him noticing his intentional stare ahead, “I did not know, and when I did, I…”

 
      “I know,” Ogorec cut in, “He chose me, but I know he is struggling within to keep him out of his head.”

 
      “Then I am sorry. Never would I have reasoned this would be. I did not send for him, he came to help me of his own will with Aderac,” Belon’s candid truth, but still somehow he felt guilty.

 
      “Do not be,” Ogorec responded, “His love is for me, but somehow something about him seeded within Ovfren.”

 
      Ogorec let out a strange laugh, but not from something amusing, but rather the quirk of fate. He remembered his discussion with Belon when he head butted Ovfren after they returned from the Valley of Tul.

 
      “I fear to bring to light my wrong to you long ago,” he voiced his thoughts; “I now know how you felt you when you learned of me and Ovfren?”

 
      “I felt anger and wanted revenge,” Belon admitted, “And then felt sorrow for myself by sulking.”

 
      “I hoped you forgave me.”

 
      “And, I did in time,” Belon responded, “But, we both know long afterwards, I still longed to again set our spark to a flame.”

 
      “Until...”

 
      “Yes,” Belon shuddered, not even wanting to think of his life before him, “Until Aderac.”

 
      “Our places have changed much over time, as I now find myself asking you what you asked me as we rode to the People of the Vells,” Ogorec commented, since both spoke honestly and freely, “What is it about King Aderac that changed you from the old Belon. To speak I did, I shall reason is part, but we both know not enough? I do not mean to offend, but he is not pleasing to the eyes, and at times speaks such that he annoys those near him who if he was not a king, would run away.”

 
      Belon could only laugh, because Ogorec spoke the truth, but he gave him his truth as well.

 
      “All is true that no woman’s head turns to look at him as he passes, yet when I look at him, I become lost in his green eyes. When he speaks, I take in every word with awe, and become weak for the reason his words, any words, which he is able to speak in many other tongues stay with me and strengthen me. He revealed he loved me, and like a fool; I almost denied myself happiness vowing to never love again, and dare a chill.”

 
      Belon again shuddered, and paused to take a deep thankful breath, “Not come over me when I wonder what would be my loathsome life if he had taken to heart my words, and returned to Ivodgald right away?

 
      One night on the way to Ivodgald, as if lightning struck me was my overcome feeling when I began to love him, and to this day, it feels just as that when he is near me. The purest love he has for me, and by the very life within me, I shall always return it.”

 
      Ogorec’s head bowed to Belon, impressed with his words, then when he noticed the resolute expression on his face after he confessed his heart decided to lighten the moment.

 
      “You do know that your words were long winded,” he teased to get him out of it, but was glad to hear it from him, “But, you spoke them well.”

 
      Again, both chuckled; then back to the matter at hand, Belon offered Ogorec information on Enek that probably dwelled in his head.

 
      “He is a good friend, a strong and fearless commander, and true to his will,” Belon revealed, “And other than you, my friend, to have him in battle beside me is an honor.”

 
      Since the gate was open, Ogorec rode through it asking more. “Is there another in his life?”

 
      “A few women, I have seen from time to time, but none held his heart.”

 
      “Could he be such a way with Ovfren?”

 
      “I do not know, but never,” Belon again revealed, as he shrugged his shoulders, “Has he spoken of such, or done anything to have me reason such.”

 
      As they spoke, one of the inner guards came for Ogorec.

 
      “The king wishes to see you,” he said, “In his private chamber with Laad and Loth.”

 
      “Is it a matter for King Aderac as well?” Belon asked.

 
      “It is not.”

 
      “Then, I shall tarry and watch.”

 
      As he turned his horse to ride away, Ogorec nodded to Belon, who nodded back, and both understood the nod meant that would be their last conversation over the matter.

 
      Once Ogorec rode away, Belon got on his horse and rode down to the glen, and as he sat on his horse watching, Osgorad, who was among those training, began to mock Belon to his friends.

 
      “I wonder if his ride over to us was a painful one,” he mocked, “With all that trotting on his backside.”

 
      After he and his friends laughed, again Osgorad made a sarcastic comment, and now annoyed by it, Enek decided to humiliate; then shut him up.

 
      In a line farther down, as the men paired training, Enek told three of the men to move to his left, which would pair him with Osgorad, and when Belon saw it, one brow lifted puzzled.

 
      “Hmmm,” he said to himself, and called Enek over to him.

 
      Enek broke the line, and walked over to him.

 
      “You are out training, and now you move yourself such that you pair with Osgorad,” Belon mentioned, “Why to both?”

 
      Enek shrugged his shoulders, and grinned. “It is something to do.”

 
      “Mmhm,” Belon doubtfully expressed, before he nodded knowing Osgorad must have said something that offended Enek, “Do nothing to put the men of Worrlgen and Ivodgald against the other.”

 
      Egen nodded, then walked back, but by now, all had again moved.

 
      “I was about to pair with that one,” he said causally, as he pointed at Osgorad, “I want my place again.”

 
      Puzzled Rulgesic looked over to Belon, who nodded his approval.

 
      “Very well,” Rulgesic said, although wary, “Osgorad pair with Enek again.”

 
      While walking back to pair with Osgorad, amusing himself Enek took off his tunic, and when he passed Ovfren, Ovfren had to turn his head because his breath quickened confirming what he already suspected, that his muscles rippled down his broad chest to his stomach, and down his back to his rear.

 
       Once in front of Osgorad, he nodded pleasantly, then as all again began to train, after awhile Osgorad became frustrated that no matter what he did or which way he moved, he couldn’t get the upper hand on Enek, who barely broke a sweat as he taunted him.

 
      “Come now,” he mocked while using only his left hand, as he did. “What is it that they call you, oh, high guild?  Come now high guild, overcome me.”

 
      Osgorad groaned in frustration wildly swinging forward, and when the others noticed how furious he had become and loudly groaning, they began to move out of the way, and circle them.

 
      “Overcome me!” Enek repeated solely to taunt, “Overcome me!”

 
      Aggravated to the point his temples pulsed, Osgorad now charged blindly towards him, and as he watched Belon laughed amused already knowing what would happen next.

 
      A bad habit of his, which was to charge when angered. Osgorad kept his head down when he did not paying attention to his readying foe, which any much taller and faster than him merely had to do was quickly step out of the way of his charging path then strike him.

 
      Exactly what Enek did, he struck Osgorad in the top of his head with the pommel of his sword dropping him face down in the ground, then got over him and effortlessly flipped him onto this back.

 
      After jamming his knee into his sternum, he looked down at him and spoke to him quietly, keeping his words few, but meaningful.

 
      “Speak hatefully or mock who commands me again, and I will slit your eyeballs in half while they still sit inside your head.”

 
      Never having heard such a threat, Osgorad looked at him dumbfounded, as he struggled to breathe.

 
      “Have my words reached you?” he made him answer by adding an incentive burrow deeper into his sternum with his knee.

 
      “They have,” Osgorad painfully groaned.

 
      Enek back on his feet with one simple bounce, he graciously extended his hand to help Osgorad up, then once his feet, in a haze and slightly woozy, he steadied himself and rubbed his chest.

 
      Still dazed, slowly he began to walk, but as he did he turned and looked at Enek, who returned the look with a smile, then kept walking.

 
      “Well,” he said, as the men again began to disperse and pair, “I am done for this day, and shall join my commander.”

 
      As he walked away, his tunic still on the ground, Ovfren quickly picked it up and gave it to him.

 
      “Your tunic,” he said, fighting not to stare at his muscled chest.

 
      “I thank you, Ovfren,” he said pleasantly, before he took it and playfully winked at him.

**

       Once back inside, as the children freely ran and played, when they ran pass Belon, he whisked Beladera up, and gave a quick kiss to her forehead, then put her down so she could continue to run with them.

 
      “I gathered all of you would be learning,” he said to the children, “Instead of playing about.”

 
      “Father cannot find which books he wants us to learn from,” Ihon answered, “And sent us to play until he could.”

 
      “And how long has that been?”

 
      “All day.”

 
      “Is that so,” Belon’s irked comment, as he turned to go out to the church to chastise Aderac, because it probably insulted the priests.

 
      Once there, when he got inside, after his eyes scanned the large open room he saw two priests talking.

 
      “I am looking for King Aderac.”

 
      “The king left long ago, but the servants have come many times for books.”

 
      Belon turned, wondering where he could now be, then as he thought; he pursed his lips, when it came to him and went to their chamber.

 
      Casually, walking inside, once his feet passed the foyer, he stopped amazed.

 
      “Aderac!” he called his name loudly. His eyes wide glancing all around the chamber, “What have you done?”

 
      “Well,” Aderac answered, as he walked back and forth from one book to the other thumbing through them before tossing them aside, “I cannot find any fitting books for the children.”

 
      “Our chamber is filled with books from head to foot,” Belon said, as he walked farther inside, stepping over books as he did, “Such that my side of the bed has so many on it, I cannot lie down.”

 
      Aderac stepped over the books he had tossed aside, as he made his way to Belon.

 
      “But…” he pleaded his case, “I must go through them Belon to choose which the priests should teach them from.”

 
      “Aderac,” Belon said, as he put his arms around him, “You will do no such thing. You will have the servants take these books back to the church, and now.”

 
      “But, Belon.” He pouted.

 
      “Aderac.” Belon playfully frowned, “…at once.”

 
      “But, honey.” Again, Aderac pouted this time sticking his lower lip far out, as he made a sad face hoping to weaken him.