WORRLGENHALL (2 page)

“Child, he is high born blood of some kind,” she cautioned, but silenced when Ecia opened her hand. In it the gold earring from his ear as payment if she healed him and for her silence afterwards.

“
The other did not live,” she warned, her hand instinctively going right to the wound.

“
This one will live,” Ecia responded without doubt, unknown what made her certain other than she just knew.

Baric winced, as Tela now cleaned his wound; then noticing the hot steel coming towards him, tried to raise himself.

“Careful, caaareeefullll,” she soothingly warned, “I must seal your wound. Take pains not to cry out.”

Her apron now torn to shreds, Ecia walked to Baric, then taking his hand into hers, she held it as the steel seared his flesh closed.

“Uuuuuuhhhhhh!” he began to cry out. The smell of his own burning skin filled his nostrils and her hut, but he heeded Tela’s words, and bore the pain silently, yet as he did, he kept his hand in Ecia’s.

As she felt his grip upon her hand, she thought only for a moment of his massive hand intertwined with hers while caressing the most forbidden places of her body, and when h
is powerful squeeze began to crush her hand, she did not ask him to release it.

“
His wound is deep into his muscle, but he is big and looks strong,” Tela said; then gave her a brown pouch.

Its smell reeked of rotten flowers, urine and whatever she may hav
e concocted for ailments and healing, yet she grabbed it eagerly without turning up her nose.

“
Put some in the water to drink for the poison of our blades, and the other half on the wound under the binding you make for him.”

Weak, yet drifting in and out
of sleep, when his eyes opened Baric stared at Ecia’s face. Recalling the sight of the full moon glowing behind her head when she found him, he saw her as a Godsend.

“
You saved me,” his words in a weakened tone, as his head rose to look at her while she leaned over him now binding his wound.

“
Though if you ask me why,” Ecia said truthfully, “I cannot answer. I know not.”

“
Then, I thank you,” Baric said, accepting her act of kindness, “I will not forget.”

His lids heavy, his eyes began to close, yet he foug
ht to look at her more, and he willed his mind to remember her face dirtied as it was.

As he did, h
e noticed locks of her brown hair had fallen out of some sort of twist, and then he looked at her bright blue eyes, before his eyes fell to her full, pink, and alluring lips.

“
Rest your head,” she ordered.

“
I…I must...” Baric murmured, and tried to raise his head again to speak.

“
Ssshhhhh,” she urged soothingly, “Sleeeeep.”

Unable to remain awake, Baric
’s head fell, and instantly he went into a deep sleep; then after heating water and putting it into a bowl; she took some of the torn strips from her apron and washed him.

His face and body stained from dried blood, unknown if his own or others
. She washed his strong brow, then noticing some of his long deep tree-bark colored hair must have come loose from some sort of braid in battle, she brushed it away his forehead.

Gently, she scrubbed his muscled chest, then his firm stomach.

“Battle has made you fit and strong,” she whispered. Her hand now, not torn strips touching his neck, arms, and stomach before she looked at his face again, “And I confess you are more than handsome.”

His crest medallion still
securely around his neck, she lifted it and rested it across her fingers as she studied it. An image of a hawk in its center, he was willing to use his last dying strength to keep it with him.

Nothing covering his manhood
, she dared venture further to wash it while letting her head fill with thoughts of, if compared to the virile look of his body would indeed be nothing less than astonishing.

“
Such is my deed that I long to know your name,” she whispered now slowly caressing him before she leaned close to his face, and unable to resist kissed him.

**

The blood trail leading to a small village, Belon and Tohlor hid from sight. “All this land is made up of small villages like these.” Belon noticed.

Without a sound both remained well hidden, accustomed to watching, waiting; before they whispered their plans.

“Most fighting men have left their homes to go into the field to fight against us.” Belon reasoned, “We should come back; then invade the village and search for Lord Baric.”

“
We are still at their mercy,” Tohlor said shrewdly. Not wanting to risk his life and hoping one day to rise in place pass Belon, “They have the stronger hand.”

“
If Lord Baric is here and we leave him,” Belon said wisely, as he thought of King Rone, Bayl and Baric’s father, “Should the king find out I shudder to reason our fate.”

As both men whispere
d, stunned at the sight of Baric’s knife in the hands of a man outside a hut, Belon wanted to charge in slaying all in sight; but decided against it.

“
They have him,” Belon said now sure of it before both hurried away to inform Bayl.

Swiftly, Belon and To
hlor rode to rejoin the men and the thought of Lord Baric possibly still alive pushed them to ride hard back.

“
We believe he lives,” Tohlor blurted just as they reached the dead trees, causing Bayl suddenly to rise to his feet so quickly he almost stumbled.

“
If you are wrong,” Bayl’s unspoken words to both assuring his crushed hope would bring his severe wrath.

“
We followed a blood trail,” Belon added quickly, “Someone in the village nearby we are sure took him.”

Always prepared at a moment
’s notice to fight or flee, the men grabbed their armor, packed up and mounted their horses.

“
Lead me to this village, “Bayl spoke with renewed hope; then followed Belon.

After battle, only forty-three mounted high guild warriors who were the best fighters, along with a h
andful of gruels, who were men of labor and also fought, and footmen left in all, certain their enemy’s strongest men were away, Bayl had them surround the village.

“
We will not lay waste to this place, “Bayl said, but stipulated, “Unless they attack us first.”

Grabbing the first man he came across, an old one, Bayl put his sword
’s edge close to his face. “We are looking for someone.”

“
I gathered such.” The man, remembering the glimpse of a man he saw sideways on a horse earlier suspected, pointed.

Bayl loo
ked towards the hut he pointed to spurring his horse forward; then after ordering the men, other than Belon to stay back, he dismounted his horse and with his sword still drawn cautiously entered.

His crouch set to encounter trouble
. His eyes seeking enemies; they fixed upon a bed next to a fire. Under furs a large male’s frame possibly his brother, and beside him a smaller frame as that of a woman.

The hut empty other than whoever was on the bed, he straightened and quietly walked to it careful not to awak
en them before hastily pulling the furs back causing a surprised woman to gasp softly.

When she looked up and saw a tower of a man looking menacingly down at her. Her first instinct fear, from the look on his face, she knew he had a greater purpose than t
o be bothered with her.

Considering her no real threat, and more curious and hopeful the man next to her was his brother, Bayl turned the man
’s head discovering it was indeed Baric.

He appeared to be in a deep sleep, and although his heart lifted, he sai
d nothing for several seconds while he stared at him.

“
I did not harm him,” Ecia, although in no fear for her life was no fool either, quickly said.

Bayl stepped back only slightly
, his attention now on the woman, he noticed her apprehension and obvious beauty.

“…
your name?”

“
I am Ecia daughter of Lerd who was slain long ago in battle.”

“
Slain by what king?”

“
It was a battle that waged when I was a child before I could even walk, I do not know.”

The openness of her nightdress allowing him to see her breasts move as she breathed heavily
. Had he looked harder he could have easily seen her perky nipples as they molded to the cloth. Yet, he turned his head and she immediately sought cover for herself.

“
Dress him!” he ordered.

“
But, my lord,” she instinctively knew to call him. The same earring as that of the one she took from the man in his ear, “He is badly wounded.”

“
We are surrounded by men who want to kill him and us, “Bayl said tersely, “I would rather carry him away wounded than dead.”

“
Someone took his underclothes and clothing,” she said. Fearful he would suspect her the thief.

Bayl
’s brows furrowed. Her words angered him, yet he contained his anger. “His crest?”

“
Still around his neck,” she blurted, hoping to lessen his anger.

“
Belon,” Bayl quietly ordered, “Clothing.”

Quickly
, Belon got Baric a tunic and wool pants; then tossed them into the hut.

“
Dress him,” Bayl ordered; then tossed the clothes to Ecia.

Forced to move
him to dress him, Baric groaned yet did not wake; then as Belon lifted him onto his shoulders to carry him out, Ecia moved forward.

“
Wait,” she said; then approached when he turned to face her. A heavy fur in her hand, she draped it around his body, “It is to warm him in this night air.”

Carefully, Belon laid Lord Baric sideways onto Lord Bayl
’s horse.

“
Will he make the journey?” Belon asked concerned.

“
He must,” Bayl answered, then grabbed his horse’s reins and mounted it.

“
Hold,” Belon said, as he turned Baric’s head to one side now noticing his braided lock completely gone, “The woman?”

“
For her kindness,” Bayl said, spurring his horse, “Let her keep it.”

**

Back at WorrlgenHall, King Rone woke suddenly
. His dream still vivid in his mind, he gasped as he forced his lungs to take in air. The chill of his bedchamber, as well as believed age, causing him to shiver, unable to get warm he called for his chamber servant who came quickly.

“
My king,” he said, as he hurried to him, “Shall I call for Orhan the healer?”

“
No,” King Rone said quickly, “Stoke the fire and bring someone to warm me.”

Not long afterwards, meekly a young woman quietly entered his bedchamber; then made her way to his bed
.

A
lthough, her expression showed her fear, she knew what he often expected of bellers, so she obediently got under the furs and pressed her body to his.

“
I am old and broken from past battles,” King Rone said, as she lay close to him to ease her mind, but her youthful beauty did cause him to consider it, “And to worn for frolic. I seek warmth and an ear.”

Long since he placed his thoughts in the ears of a woman,
the passing years had softened him and he longed to speak his mind, yet he was still king and cautioned the young woman of repeating anything he said.

“
What is your name?” he asked, as his body slowly warmed.

“
Seda,” she meekly answered.

The king sighed, as he stared at the timbers and stone above his head. His spacious once vibrantly furnished bedchamber, now a place covered in drab and colorless wood and f
aded cloth, other than the hearths fire bringing the only light to the place even during the day was a chamber of gloom to him.

No longer joy or passionate nights within it, when his queen died he sought no one to replace her, and as the seasons passed,
he did nothing to improve it.

“
Though I am king, I have not made use of many bellers.”

Seda remained q
uiet. But, if her heartbeat could have been heard pounding by others, its fast rhythmic thud could be dance to.

“
Where are you from?”

“
The dry lands of Kem.”

“
And your family?”

“
My mother died when I came out of her womb and my father from sickness when forced to this land.”