Page 20 of Keeper of the Flame: Orrick

“Me?” Orrick’s head snapped up. “Did you not see the man push his sharp blade between my ribs? If I wasn’t immortal, I’d be dead right now.”

“True. And I’m wondering how you are going to explain this to everyone on the morrow.”

“I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Of course you didn’t. But mayhap you should have.”

“I know what you can do.” Little Noah walked out from the shadows.

“Noah? What are you doing in here? I didn’t hear you come in.” Corbett turned and looked at the door but it was still closed.

“I was playing in here,” Noah admitted. “Please don’t be mad at me.”

“Leave,” said Corbett, pointing at the door.

“Wait,” said Orrick, getting up off the bed. “He’s already heard our conversation, so mayhap he can help us after all.” Orrick hunkered down and took Noah’s hands in his. “What was it you wanted to say, Boy?”

“I’ll wrap your wounds, Orrick.”

“It’s Sir Rick,” Orrick reminded him. “I’m not Orrick anymore. But mayhap you have a point.”

“What do you mean?” asked Corbett.

“I’ll wrap the wounds as if I am injured, and no one will know the difference,” Orrick told him.

“No one but Lord Irwin, Lady Hope, and her sister, Lady Grace,” said Corbett. “And who knows who else saw anything.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle them,” Orrick assured him.

“Like the way you handled Lord Irwin on the field today?” asked Corbett.

“A man like him doesn’t deserve to live,” spat Orrick. “I have seen his kind before.”

“What does that mean?” asked Noah, doing a somersault on the bed and landing on the floor on his rump with a loud thump.

“It means, I know exactly why Lord Irwin wants the Eternal Flame and it has nothing to do with helping the king or saving an army. Nay. The man wants it for himself, because he wants to be immortal.”

Chapter 6

Hope picked up her skirts and hurried up the spiral staircase, worried out of her mind about Sir Rick. She’d seen Lord Irwin stab him in the side and she needed to make sure he was all right. Even though Lord Corbett had told her and Grace to stay in the lists and not to enter the sorcerer’s tower chamber, she didn’t care. She hid in the shadows until she saw Lord Corbett heading back out to the practice field and then she made a beeline for the tower.

“My ladies, you are not allowed up in the tower,” said the steward, walking past and seeing Hope and Grace hurrying up the stairs.

“Sir Rick is injured and I need to tend to his wounds,” exclaimed Hope, continuing to climb.

“Come back here or I’ll be forced to stop you,” called out the heavy set, balding man. He pulled his blade from his sheath although Hope knew he wouldn’t really use it.

“Go ahead,” whispered Grace, looking up at her sister from a lower position on the stairs. She smiled and her hand went to the lacing on her bodice. “I’ll distract him so you can go check on Sir Rick.” With one tug, the lacing opened up and the tops of her breasts spilled forth. “Oh, I think I hurt my ankle,” she said, bending over to show off her cleavage, and hiking up the bottom of her gown to show her bare leg.

“Oh, Grace,” sighed Hope, shaking her head in disgust. However, she had to admit that it was a good distraction. And by the way the steward was eyeing up her legs, it worked! Turning, Hope ran up the stairs. She was about to burst into the room when she remember Lord Corbett telling her she had to knock first. Raising her fist to the thick, oaken door, she rapped quickly, then turned the knob and walked into the room.

“Lady Hope?” Sir Rick was reaching up, putting a jar on a shelf. But as soon as he saw her, he sat down in a chair. His hand went to his side and he moaned.

“You poor thing,” she said, feeling so sorry for him. Rushing into the room, she crossed the floor and sat down in a chair next to him, holding his hands. “I’m surprised you’re not dead after the blow you took from Lord Irwin’s sword on the practice field today.”

A giggle was heard from behind her and it sounded like it came from the bed. She walked over and ripped open the closed bed curtains to see Noah sitting on the bed, covering his mouth.

“Noah?” she asked. “What are you doing here and why are you laughing?”