WORRLGENHALL (96 page)

 
    “By the hands of those with you or you,” Belon now said, and menacingly scowled, “You took, wounded, and marred a king, who is loved by me.”

 
    “I know nothing!” he blared, as more fear rose within him.

 
    “Live or die.” Belon’s simply choice to him, “Words from you mean you live and silence means you die, and in agony.”

 
    Not waiting for him to speak again, Belon slowly withdrew his own sword and stepped back.

 
    After he lifted his sword high, its whisk heard cutting through the air towards his neck. Just as it was about to cut into him, and the steel only inches away from the man’s neck, he screamed out.

 
    “Live! Live!”

 
    Stopping at once, Belon able to control his sword well, did it without as much as a knick upon him.

 
    “Speak!” he demanded, as the cold steel of his sword now rested on the man’s shoulders.

 
    “Lord Cadon sent a man from Celgon to us,” he blurted, as he breathed heavy, “He came to our tribe and gave us gold to come here and rob the travelers we passed in the spring wearing the clothes he gave us.”

 
    “Aderac was right,” he said, and looked at Laad, “Something about them was indeed different from the others.” 

 
    “We reasoned that as well.” Laad confirmed.

 
    Belon sheathed his sword and turned his head to Laad.

 
    “There, that was not as hard as it seemed,” he said, before he walked away.

 
    Laad looked at the guard and frowned at his failed attempt to torture information out of him.

 
    “Chain him and put him away,” he said, then followed Belon.

 
    As they walked down the hallway, Laad stopped.

 
    “Why do you stop,” Belon asked, and turned.

 
    “Belon,” he said concerned, “Your son is within these walls, as well as, ours and those we love. Do nothing to cause them harm from your temper.”

 
    Belon looked at Laad. He knew long ago that he would have killed that man they held; then rushed to slit Lord Cadon and Lord Elgen’s throats.

 
    “Such is true.” Belon understood, “I will do nothing without reasoning with the others from WorrlgenHall first and with King Aderac.”

 
    “Indeed.” Laad nodded, as he again started walking, “You are not the Belon who left theses walls to command at Ivodgald.”

 
    Belon smirked, both playfully and proudly. “Now what makes you believe that?”

 
    Laad didn’t answer, knowing Belon felt his comment was foolish, and probably what most who knew him had been telling him for awhile.

 
    “Find your first in command,” he said instead, “To meet in the king’s chamber with the quorum.”

**

     As two first in command, Loth and Enek talking freely, and Loth able to get along with most everyone, liked Enek right away for his wit and convivial nature.

 
    “What do they feed the horsemen at Ivodgald under Belon’s command?” he teased bewildered, “You are just as tall as Belon, and so are the men you rode with. I have yet to see even one not well fit?”

 
    Enek light heartedly laughed.

 
    “I must thank my father,” he then answered, “I sprouted to be tall just as he was, and we all train much which keeps us fit. As for the others being tall, I cannot say other than it could be the northern air.”

 
    As both spoke pleasantly, Ovfren happened to walk into the men’s hall and sit, then while waiting for something to eat, he happened to look across the room and saw Loth speaking with a man he had never seen before.

 
    The man’s body and head turned sideways, Ovfren couldn’t see him clearly and gathering he was one of the men from Ivodgald or Hemrock because of his short hair, turned his own body to the side to wait and paid no attention to him.

 
    Casually, Ovfren rested his arm on the table relaxing; then when another guild walked in and sat beside him, they began a conversation, and as both chatted, again, he just happened to glance over at Loth while he spoke with the stranger.

 
    This time his body now facing him, able to see him more clearly, his eyes at once admired him, now noticing his smooth, yet masculine face before his chin raised to get a better look at him and for longer.

 
    As his eyes fixed on him, for the first time since he had set them on Ogorec, he saw another as remarkably handsome and almost immediately everyone else in the room faded from his sight.

    A
fter momentarily gaping at him, he halfheartedly tried to continue participating in his earlier conversation only to have his eyes wander back to the stranger; each time noticing more of the man’s handsome features.

 
    As he studied his wonderfully shaped eyes and nose, before moving to his lips, Loth looked up and saw Ovfren looking over at them.

 
    “Ovfren,” Loth said when he saw him, “Come meet someone.”

 
    Long since he felt nervous about anything, nervously Ovfren hopped out of his chair like a jackrabbit, leaving the man in mid sentence and walked over to their table.

 
    “This is Enek,” Loth introduced, “Belon’s first in command and Ovfren is one of our high guilds.”

 
    Ovfren nodded cordially.

 
    “Young you seem to be.” Enek noticed surprised, “But, I gather to be what you call high guilds, must indeed make you skilled.”

 
    “I was at Ivodgald,” he replied, fighting away blushing from his compliment, as well as being close to the handsome stranger, “And did not see you.”

 
    “Ah,” Enek remembered, and playfully chided of Belon “My commander has his times of sloth, and when he does makes me do the scouting.”

 
    Ovfren smiled, impressed with his voice and with his charming demeanor as well.

 
    “And any Belon would make second under his command; I reason must be more than skilled and brave.”

 
    “Skilled enough to stay alive,” Enek teased, and leaned forward as if revealing a secret, “And keep my commander alive as well, but brave I cannot say. I do what must be done as it is asked of me in all things.”

 
    Again, Ovfren blushed from his words lowering his head to laugh slightly, then as he slowly raised his eyes again; they fell right into Enek’s entrancing light blue eyes looking back into his.

 
    When they did, Ovfren swallowed hard mesmerized from looking right into them, as well as by all of his strikingly handsome features.

 
    While Enek spoke, Loth glanced at Ovfren’s face noticing the reddish tint that now graced his cheeks when he laughed. His first instinct making him believe that he was flirting and seemed attracted to the man, he quickly pushed it out of his head as a silly notion because of Ogorec.

 
    Unsure what to say next, Ovfren became quiet, yet he stayed next to them unable to make himself go back to his own table. The stranger beguiled him, and it was unlike any feeling he had ever felt before.

 
    “Enek,” Belon called out suddenly appearing at the door, “Come with me to meet with the others in the king’s council chamber.”

 
    “Did he speak?” Loth asked, as he rose to go as well, suspecting Laad now told him.

 
    “He spoke,” Belon said, and walked away.

 
    “Well,” Enek said pleasantly, as he stood to leave, “I must go.”

 
    Ovfren again nodded as Enek stood, and as his body slowly rose before it towered over him, he forced his chest not to heave in and out excitedly.

He dreaded the stranger had to le
ave so soon, longing to speak with him more; then when he began to walk away, had to fight another longing, which was turn and watch him.

 
    Once in the hallway, as Belon walked with Enek since he saw him talking to Ovfren, commented on it.

 
    “What did you reason of the one I saw you speaking with?”

 
    “I reasoned nothing good or bad,” Enek answered truthfully, thinking nothing of Loth’s friendly introduction to him.

 
    “Well,” Belon vaguely added, “At a more fitting time, remind me to speak more to you about that one -” 

**

     Once Belon walked into the private council, while they waited for the quorum, Baric commented on their newest guests.

 
    “I am told we have two new guests at WorrlgenHall.”

 
    “Such is true,” Belon said, “Both are reading to King Aderac as he lies healing.”

 
    “Wonderful,” Baric said pleasantly, “They can play with Oen. He will enjoy seeing his cousin for the first time and your son, who, I learned holds the title of an En Velgarid now.”

 
    Belon nodded; then turned as the quorum now gathered in the king’s private chamber, and as they did, Baric waited until all sat before he spoke.

 
    “We have a matter that is great before us,” Baric’s word, as he looked around the room, “Long has Celgon been our thorn, and now again, has betrayed us. Lord Cadon lays mending in a chamber, and Lord Elgen lies in bed and still has not spoken all of what caused his brother’s death, yet now we know the truth from the one captured.”

 
    “To just kill them both,” Laad then added, “Would be a simple deed, but what of Celgon? Would those in its council wage war with WorrlgenHall in the belief we lured them here only to kill them?”

 
    The quorum sounded off a hum agreeing with Laad.

 
    “We have a guest king with us,” Laad continued, “Who journeyed far and it should not be in vain. Lord Oen is coming of age. We should hold to his father’s promise to honor him. I reason we keep the challenge of vying in place and not let on that we know. And once over, we deal with the two with us, who all in this room shall see as our prisoners other than them for now.”

 
    “Are we all agreed?” Baric asked, as he looked around the room.

 
    “Agreed,” all sounded off, except Belon.

 
    As all eyes now turned to him, Belon hesitant to agree with their decision because somehow Celgon had always managed to avoid punishment for their treachery, was reluctant.

 
    “If all are in agreement,” he hesitantly said, “I shall be as well. Only if champions I chose from Ivodgald can vie with them.”

 
    “Why?” Baric asked curiously, “If you win, did you want the gold?”

 
    “Keep it,” Belon said, “From such a journey; this will give them something to do.”

 
    “Agreed.”

 
    “Then it is set, in two days,” Baric said, as he stood, “We shall vie and honor the victor and punish treachery as well.

 
    After all left court, Belon met with Enek, who was waiting for him in the hallway, then waited until all had passed before he spoke.

 
    “Train,” Belon said, and patted him on the back, “When the others vie you shall vie with them.”

 
    Enek nodded obediently.

 
    “Why?” he did, however question.

 
    “There is only one I believe is as skilled as me,” Belon said, “I am not vying, so it falls to you.”

 
    “And what is that?”

 
    “Harm none from Hemrock, but defeat them,” Belon instructed, “So you can vie alone with the ones from Celgon. When you finally vie with the last one taunt him such that he tries to kill you, and cut him down.”

 
    “What if those from Hemrock defeat the others?” Enek questioned, “Then we will not pair.”

 
    Belon lightly laughed, thinking nothing of it.

 
    “I have seen them?” He noticed, “All they have done is eat and chase around the women, none do I see train.”

 
    “I reason such is from their skill, and they have no need to train.”

 
    “Skilled they may be where they are from, but this is not where they are from.”

 
    “Then so be it.”

 
    “Still, ready yourself,” Belon said, although completely confident in him, “Never take anyone else’s skill lightly, sometimes they surprise you.”