Chapter 13
Sir Brown looked up from his food as the two rode up.
“No need to worry,” he said as the dark haired man pulled Gunther down.
“We’re only a two day ride from Soleil. Two and a half if you want to go to the Temple.” He mounted Brigand.
Raphael gave the man a hard look.
“He’s not moving yet.” He knelt, pressing a hand to the wound upon the brown head, the other covering the bleeding wrist. He gave the boy another strange look. “Heal, you little fool. Heal!”
The wounds vanished as if it had never been. Gunther stared at him.
“I—I saw… You had…”
The man stood. His eyes softened.
“Mount, you little fool boy. We ride for Soleil, then the Temple. Understand?”
Gunther nodded. “Wait.” Raphael drew his sword. “You’re old enough now.” He smirked. “Aren’t you, Squire?”
He pointed to the blade to the boy’s chest, jerking his chin up with the flat. Gunther was forced to look into the man’s shining eyes.
He saw the wings again. Raphael smirked again. So, now the boy could see… “I only have one command for you.”
Gunther looked at his guardian questioningly. “That command is that you swear to listen to me and to never again lower your eyes to anyone.”
“I swear,” said the squire.
Both Brown and Gunther flinched as Raphael slapped the boy once across the face so that it reverberated through the quiet forest dawn.
“And that is so you’ll remember it!”
Soleil was a large village. It was only slightly smaller than that of the Lord Jeffrey’s town around his palace, and that had encompassed a good five acres.
Gunther turned on Zephyr, admiring the tanner’s and armorer’s shops. Brown nodded to the boy. He and Gunther rode to the armorer’s. Raphael glowered at their backs.
“What are you doing?” he asked as he rode over. Brown shook under the man’s gaze. “Well?”
“Gunther needs a weapon,” said Brown, eyes wide. Raphael shook his head.
Gunther swung a sword, nearly falling under its weight. Raphael dismounted, catching the boy by the arm. He smiled at the spirited lad.
“These swords aren’t made for your hands.” He pulled his sword from his belt. “Here.” Gunther stared. The man raised a brow. The boy quickly gripped the hilt with both hands and pulled.
The sword came into his hands easily. Brown flinched. He had once tried to draw the sword himself, when Raphael had been away looking for the boy and left the weapon unattended.
It had refused all his urgings to come free from its sheath. How is this boy able to wield such a great force?
He pondered this as he watched Gunther admire the new weapon. He looked to the smiling, dark haired knight.
And who or what exactly is Sir Raphael?
Chapter 14
“Brown,” called Raphael, hailing the knight to his side with a quick jerk of a finger. Brown swallowed as he rode near the man.
“Yes, Sir Raphael?” he murmured tentatively, all the while dumbstruck at the realization that the dark haired warrior never deigned him the respect of his station. It’s as if I’m a servant!
“You suggested our coming here. Perhaps you will also see fit to suggest where our lodging will be.”
“Oh. Oh, yes.” Brown looked about, asking casually, “I say, where’s Gunther?”
Raphael sighed. After viewing this technique with others many times it grew irksome, very quickly.
“Flirting and flaunting,” he murmured. He half wondered why being a young amorous man was not a capital sin.
Meanwhile, Gunther was practicing one of his new freedoms as a squire—the ability to speak to women.
“I’m sorry, you were saying?” said the girl Gunther was struggling to have a conversation with.
“My name is Gunther,” he said quietly, flushing. “I am a squire.”
“Really? To whom?” The girl, apparently a rich merchant’s girl from her dress and jewels, looked the young man in the face.
Gunther was about to look away when the harsh words of his companion burned in his mind and the oath he had taken struck a sharp pang in his breast.
The squire locked his eyes on the girl’s.
“I am squire to Lord Raphael.”
“Oh, a lord!” The girl bowed low. “Forgive me, Sir Gunther.” Gunther smiled gently, folding his arms.
“You’re forgiven. It’s not really your fault that—” Gunther yelled as his ear was pulled sharply. The boy had not known the man was within earshot, nor the consequences of his friend finding an inn only just down the road.
“I will only say this once, Gunther,” Raphael hissed. “You do not talk down to anyone. Never use your rank that way!” The man pulled him down the street to the inn, storming up the stairs.
“Let go! Aah! That hurts!” Gunther was nearly in tears as Raphael reached to open the door to their room.
“I could do a lot worse harm to you if—” He stopped short, door opened and eyes wide. “What in the name of God are you doing!”
Chapter 15
Brown and the woman gaped at the stunned man. The knight’s face darkened to cherry. He had supposed it right that he enjoy himself a little before journeying again, but not expecting the man’s barging into rooms unannounced seemed to be now un-advantageous to his health. Gunther peeked around Raphael. He stared, raising a brow.
“What are you doing? Is this some kind of…game?”
“This is not for your eyes!” Raphael drew a hand over the boy’s blue eyes. Hard gray eyes sent a powerful glare at the couple before the two walked away.
Gunther looked up at the pallor face.
“Raphael…”
“Yes, what?”
“What were Brown and that woman doing?”
“They were…” Raphael inwardly groaned. This talk was not one of his fortes. He opened a door on their left, revealing a room with a single bed, window, and bucket.
Gunther crawled onto the bed. He ran his hands over the soft down pillows and cotton quilt. After a quick thought, he pulled his tunic over his head.
Raphael snickered. “What are you doing?” Gunther watched as the man lay beside him on the bed. He shrugged.
“I wanted to try what Sir Brown was doing.”
“You can’t. You’re too young and you don’t know about…”
“About…?” Gunther leaned forward. Raphael looked over at him.
“About love making.” The squire blinked. Love making? He lifted up the down pillow and set it in his lap, stroking it as he thought about Raphael’s words and about what he’d seen Brown and the woman doing.
He had seen a half-naked Brown pressing his face to the woman’s, and there had been moaning and a few imperceptible words. He looked at his companion.
With his long hair and now soft gray eyes, Raphael did appear slightly like a woman. Gunther leaned over, pressing a kiss softly upon his friend. Raphael felt his blood run cold as his eyes widened. The warrior’s head felt lighter as he found all blood drain downward. Of all the stupid things the boy could have done, why kiss him full on the mouth?
Raising his eyes heavenward, he implored those who would hear him to make being a pubescent ignorant young child a sin.
Chapter 16
Brown whistled the next morning as he sauntered down the hall. Pausing, he listened at the door of the other warrior’s room.
Opening the door slowly lest the hinges creak, he peered inside. Raphael caught the man’s eye as foremost in interest.
Tunic, shirt, belt, and headband strewn over the bed end, dark hair fell haphazardly about his calm face. Brown cocked his head to the side slightly, finding the man’s body strangely smooth. It took him a moment to realize that the warrior’s body, from what he could see, was hairless.
God on High, he looks a woman! A small flush appeared on the man’s face. His eyes followed the course of the warrior’s muscular sword arm, finding it was currently occupied with the young squire. The fingers twined in the boy’s splayed hair, the other arm pressing the boy’s forehead to his breast.
Gunther lay wrapped in his brown jerkin, tunic and—were those his pants?—yes, his pants, and shoes, thrown carelessly about the stone floor.
Skirting the bedside, the knight reached out a hand toward the boy’s possessions.
A soft groan made him freeze.
Brown’s eyes locked upon the tossing sleeper, Gunther turning slowly in the older man’s arms and staring at the pillow through long, black lashes. Though slightly ajar, the eyes were glazed still with sleep. He spooned his back against the other sleeper, hands curling around the pillow before him.
Sweat beading his brow, the bearded man looked at the meager amount of items attached to the leather belt. A small skin pouch with thin cotton drawstrings held a farthing and a few sixpence. Between the leather bands was the prize the knight’s eyes sought.
His trembling hand slid about the obsidian hilt.
“Watch yourself.” Brown froze. Raphael had been in the same position as when the man entered, not batting a lash, not missing an even breath as he viewed the knight’s movements.
Gunther stirred.
“Sir Brown?” Hazy cerulean orbs battled the remnants of sleep. “What are you doing?”
Raphael pushed himself to a sit upon an elbow. Brown stared at the man’s face, watching as its appearance changed as he looked between squire and knight. From soft upon Gunther to aggravated upon Brown.
Rising from the bed, he crossed the distance between himself and the other man in three swift strides. Taking the sword, he turned, grasping his clothing as he made to exit the room.
“I’ll ready the horses.” He looked back at them at the threshold. “We ride for the Temple.”
Brown shuddered as the man’s back disappeared. Gunther sighed tiredly, yawning as he took the pillow once again into his lap and began stroking it.
Small clods of mud leapt from the horses’ hooves as the three rode toward the great, ancient bridge that led to the giant many towered structure that rose from the very earth—the Temple.
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