Page 17 of Keeper of the Flame: Orrick

“Did I hear you say you wanted an opponent?” Lord Irwin approached them with two of his soldiers at his side. He gripped the hilt of his sword in his hand, unsheathing his weapon with the sound of sliding metal. “I’m ready to fight, and I challenge you, Sir Rick.”

“Sir Rick is my guest,” explained Corbett. “He’s just returned from campaigning overseas and I’m sure he’s tired. Perhaps he should wait and –”

“I accept your challenge.” Orrick slid his sword from his sheath, staring Lord Irwin in the eye.

“That is a mighty look of challenge if I ever saw one,” said Sir Irwin with a chuckle.

“Sir Rick, you’re not on the king’s battlefield,” Corbett reminded him as a subtle way of saying don’t hurt anyone.

“Nay, I’m not,” said Orrick, feeling his blood pumping through his veins in vengeance. He hated Sir Irwin, even though he didn’t know why. But just thinking that this is the man who was going to marry Lady Hope was enough reason for Orrick not to like him. “If I were on the battlefield, I’d at least be challenged. This, my lord, will be like sparring with a child.”

“Who are you calling a child?” growled Sir Irwin.

“You heard me,” said Orrick, not sure why he was acting this way. It was his younger self and his arrogant attitude once again rising to the surface. He couldn’t stop it from happening. All the years of being trapped in the body of an old man and repressing his feelings was daunting. This was like releasing a dam and watching the water flow. He couldn’t stop now if he tried. This was something he had to do. Now, with his youth back, it gave him a second chance. That, in and of itself, made life finally worth living.

* * *

Hope sat in the lists, but her attention wasn’t on the men in the practice yard and what they were doing. Nay, her focus was on the book that she had stolen from Orrick’s chamber that she now held in front of her with two hands.

“Put that book away,” scolded her sister. “The men are about to start the competition.”

“This is fascinating,” she mumbled to her sister, mindlessly running her palm over the red leather cover. But before she even had a chance to open it, Sir Irwin approached them at the lists.

“Lady Hope, I hope you are watching,” said Irwin, leaning forward on the wooden railing. “I’m about to strike down that pompous Sir Rick and put him in his place.”

“Sir Rick?” she mumbled, quickly dropping the book back into her bag and getting to her feet. She spied the handsome man across the field. He was talking to Lord Corbett and holding his sword in his hand. “You two are sparring?” she asked, suddenly feeling concern for Rick.

“Sparring? Nay, we’re fighting and he’s about to land flat on his back.” Sir Irwin and his two soldiers that followed him everywhere started laughing.

“Oh, do be careful,” she told Irwin, meaning not to hurt Sir Rick, but the man thought she meant him.

“You, my dear, are too funny. I don’t need to be careful, but that louse, Sir Rick, better watch out because I’m about to take off his head.” He reached out and grabbed her roughly by the chin, leaning over the lists toward her. “Come here, my betrothed, and give me a kiss for luck.” Smashing his mouth against hers, he kissed her roughly, tasting like garlic and whisky.

When he turned and left, she wiped off her mouth with the back of her hand and mumbled quietly. “Hopefully a kiss for bad luck,” she said, and her sister heard her.

“Sister, did you notice Sir Rick staring at us? I bet you’d like to give him a kiss for luck.” She giggled, wiggling her fingers at Sir Rick.

“We need to find the Eternal Flame as quickly as possible,” said Hope, wiping her mouth off once again. “Because if I have to marry Sir Irwin, I think I would rather be dead.”

* * *

It actually felt good to have a sword in his hand again, but Orrick didn’t like what he was seeing. Sir Irwin just kissed Lady Hope, and it didn’t sit well with him. He realized the girl was betrothed to the man, but he didn’t want her to marry Lord Irwin. Something about the man bothered Orrick. He didn’t like him and would do whatever he could to stop him from marrying Hope.

“Are you ready, old man?” Lord Irwin called out, taking Orrick by surprise. For a second, he almost thought the man knew about his secret identity. Why else would he call Orrick old? But then, with Irwin’s next comment, Orrick figured he was just imagining things.

“You move so slow that even that old sorcerer could probably fight you and win. Now lift your blade and let’s get on with this.”

“Are you sure you really want to do this?” Corbett asked in a low voice from behind Orrick.

“Aye,” said Orrick, gripping his sword tightly. “I want to put Lord Irwin in his place once and for all.”

“You almost sound like this is some kind of personal vendetta,” said Corbett.

“I think it’s just my bottled up emotions finally coming out.”

“Well, don’t kill the man because you cannot control your actions,” warned Corbett.

“I’m a sorcerer,” Orrick reminded him from the side of his mouth. “I have more control in the tip of my little finger than that man has in his entire body.”