Keeper of the Flame: Second in Command Series - Orrick

by Rose, Elizabeth

  “I love you,” he said, laughing, picking her up and spinning her around.

  She laughed, too, still not quite understanding his actions. “I love you, too, Orrick. But why aren’t you angry with me?”

  “I’m just happy that it wasn’t Noah who stole it. I’m not thrilled about what you did, but at least you ended up telling me the truth. The short time I lived without being the Keeper was like a breath of fresh air in my life. It let me remember what it felt like to be mortal, and I discovered that I miss it. I’m also grateful that it didn’t get into the wrong hands. Like the hands of that wretched Lord Irwin.”

  He put her down and looked at her, suddenly seeming concerned. “Hope, where did you hide the flame? I hope it isn’t somewhere that Lord Irwin could have found it.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that,” she told him, heading over to the hearth. “I hid it in the safest spot there was. I put it right back here in your own hearth.”

  “Wonderful,” he said, walking over to the fire. “Now all I need to do is transfer the fire from the hearth and I again will be the Keeper of the Flame.”

  He looked around and picked up a candle lying on a shelf. Then he poked the taper into the hearth and lit it.

  “Is it done?” she asked, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest.

  “I think so,” he said, looking down to his hand. “Let’s find out for sure.” With his free hand, he pulled off the bandage. But when he did, his mouth turned down into a frown.

  “What’s the matter?” asked Hope.

  “I’m not healing. I always used to heal immediately before. I don’t understand this.”

  “Mayhap it takes a while. Or mayhap you didn’t get enough of the flame,” she suggested. “Try it again.”

  “All right,” he said, sticking the taper back into the fire. He looked at his wounds again but to Hope’s dismay, they weren’t healing. “It’s not working,” he spat. “Something is wrong.” He blew out the candle and it did not relight. Then he went over to the flame and stuck his hand into the fire on the heath, letting out a groan and pulling his hand back quickly.

  “Arrrrgh,” he moaned. “I’m not immune to the fire. The Eternal Flame is not coming to me.” He turned and looked at her. “Stick your hand in the fire and see if you get burned.”

  “What?” she gasped, holding her arms around her. “Nay, I don’t want to do that.”

  “Hope, we have to know if the Eternal Flame is still in the hearth or not.”

  “Then I’ll show you how to find out and it is far from purposely sticking my hand in fire.” She hurried over to the washbasin, coming back with water and throwing it onto the fire. The fire smoked and, to her horror, the flame extinguished.

  “God’s eyes, this cannot be happening.” Orrick ran his hand through his hair and paced the room.

  “So what does this mean?” she asked.

  “It means that while we were out, someone snuck into my room and stole the Eternal Flame.”

  “Nay, it cannot mean that,” she said, smiling and shaking her head. “No one knew where I put it.”

  “No one?” he asked with a raised brow. “Are you sure?”

  “Well, I did mention it to Grace, but she wouldn’t tell anyone.”

  “You didn’t.” He looked angrier than a mad wildcat now, pacing the room back and forth. “You have no idea what you’ve done,” he shouted.

  “Stop yelling at me. I’m still the Keeper and I’ll prove it.” She walked over and pulled his dagger from his waist belt.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, looking at her through narrowed eyes.

  “I’m going to test it out. If I drag this blade across my hand and the cut heals, then that will prove to you that I am still the Keeper and there is nothing to worry about.”

  “That’s addlepated,” he spat. “We already know by the way the flame extinguished that you are no longer the Keeper.”

  “Well, I don’t believe it. Besides, we need to be sure.” She moved the edge of the dagger closer to her hand.

  “Hope, stop it! You’re being stupid and you’re going to hurt yourself.”

  “I have to know.” She dragged the sharp edge of the blade across her hand, immediately feeling the pain. The skin parted and blood leaked out. “Ow!” she cried, dropping the blade to the ground, holding one hand over her wound.

  “I told you, but you wouldn’t listen.”

  Orrick walked over to his shelf, choosing a bottle and coming back to her. “Hold out your hand.”

  “What are you going to do?” she asked.

  “Just do it.”

  “All right,” she said, trusting him. She held out her hand, palm upward, and the blood continued to ooze out. It felt like a thousand bees stinging her at once. She now regretted doing such a stupid thing.

  He poured a liquid on her hand, making her flinch from the burn.

  “Hold still,” he said, reciting some foreign language and waving his hand over hers. She instantly felt relief. The pain was gone and the bleeding slowed. Then he went over to another shelf and picked up a strip of cloth, wrapping it around her hand.

  “Now we have matching wounds,” he grumbled. “Are you all right?”

  “Besides my pride being wounded, I’m fine,” she admitted. “But tell me, what did you do?”

  “I used a spell to slow down the bleeding and take away your pain.”

  “I didn’t know you could do that.”

  “I’m a sorcerer, of course I can. It won’t totally heal the wound, but it will speed up the process.”

  “Thank you, Orrick,” she said, reaching up and giving him a peck on the cheek. “What do we do now?”

  “Well, now we need to find out who stole the flame and just where it is.” He walked over and picked up a crystal orb from the shelf and set it down on the table atop a small pillow. With a wave of his hand, he effortlessly relit the hearth across the room.

  “What are you going to do?” she asked.

  “I’m going to scry.”

  “Scry? Do you mean you can find the thief by looking into the crystal?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never done it before, but I think so.”

  “Why didn’t you do that the first time the flame went missing?”

  “Because I thought I knew who took it, that’s why.”

  Orrick sat down and she settled herself across from him. He placed his hands around the crystal orb and released a deep breath, gazing into it. He stared at it for quite a while. She was starting to wonder if it wasn’t working when he pulled his hands away and slowly stood.

  “What is it, Orrick? Did you see who stole the flame?”

  “I did,” he answered softly.

  “Who is it? Was it Lord Irwin?”

  “It was,” he mumbled, walking over and gathering a few things from the shelf. “But that’s not the worst part.”

  “It isn’t?” She ran over to stand next to him, watching him load potions and odd objects into a leather bag and then slipping the strap over his shoulder. “What do you mean? How can it be any worse?”

  “Lord Irwin not only stole the Eternal Flame, but he has hurt your sister and kidnapped Noah.”

  Chapter 18

  “Grace!” shouted Hope as they made their way down the stairs toward the great hall. Hope’s sister came staggering into the keep, crying and holding her hand over her eye. Her clothes were dirty and her bodice torn. “My God, what has he done to you?”

  Hope gathered Grace into her arms, trying to calm her down. A crowd of people started to gather around them.

  “Let me see,” said Orrick, making his way to the girl, taking a look at her eye. “Did he – touch you in any other way?” Orrick pulled an herbal potion out of his bag and rubbed some on her swollen face, holding his hand over her and whispering a spell like he did to Hope to help ease the pain.

  “Oh, Hope, I am so sorry,” cried Grace.

  “Tell me what happened,” said Hope, hugging her sister and smoot
hing back her hair.

  “Lord Irwin tricked me. Before I knew what was happening, he was kissing me and asking me where you hid the Eternal Flame.”

  “That wretched man!” spat Hope. “Grace, he didn’t . . . he didn’t . . .”

  “Nay, he didn’t assault me in that way, Sister. He only wanted to find the flame. When I discovered he meant to steal it and use it for himself, I fought him and that is how my gown got ripped.”

  “What about the boy?” asked Orrick. “Is Noah harmed at all?”

  “Nay, Noah is not harmed,” she told them. “Lord Irwin held a knife to the boy’s throat to make sure he got to the stable and out of here without anyone stopping him.”

  “Where is he?” asked Orrick.

  “I’m not sure but I think they went to the cave.”

  “Sir Rick,” called out Corbett, bolting into the keep. “My men just informed me that Lord Irwin has taken Noah at knifepoint and left the castle.”

  “Aye,” said Orrick, putting the potion back into his bag. “Get us some horses, because we’re going after them.”

  “Me, too,” said Hope, following them out of the keep.

  “Nay.” Orrick turned around and stopped her. “It’s too dangerous, Hope. Irwin is immortal now and unstoppable. I won’t allow your life to be in danger.”

  “But this is all my fault. If anything happens to Noah, or even you, I’ll never forgive myself.”

  “Stay here with your sister.” Orrick reached over and kissed her atop the head. “Grace needs you.”

  “But what about you and Lord Corbett?” she asked.

  “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve that might distract the man long enough to be able to steal the flame back.”

  “Please be careful, Orrick,” she said, calling him by his true name in front of everyone even though he was in the image of Sir Rick. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” he told her, turning and hurrying off to the stable. As Hope watched him go, she could only pray that he wouldn’t be killed now that he was no longer immortal.

  * * *

  Orrick and Lord Corbett rode up to the cave with a dozen soldiers following them.

  “Here it is,” said Orrick, leading the way, stopping just outside the entrance. He spotted a horse tied up in the thicket and knew Lord Irwin was inside.

  “Men, stay here,” commanded Corbett, holding his hand in the air. “Sir Rick and I will enter the cave by ourselves. And be warned. If you see Lord Irwin, protect yourselves. He is immortal now and cannot be killed.”

  “Then how are you going to stop him?” asked one of the men.

  Corbett looked over to Orrick, most likely wondering the same thing.

  “I will enter the cave by myself,” said Orrick.

  “Nay,” protested Corbett, getting off his horse. “It’s too dangerous.” He pulled his sword from the sheath. “I’m responsible for Noah and I won’t just sit here and do nothing to save him. He is like a grandson to me.”

  “All right,” said Orrick in a low voice. “But stay behind me and keep to the shadows. And stay out of the way. I’m most likely going to have to use my magic to fight him.”

  “Is that necessary?” asked Corbett, looking distressed. “Noah is in there and I don’t want him caught in the crossfire.”

  “All right. I’ll do whatever I can to fight Irwin without using magic. But I will resort to it if there is no other choice.”

  The men entered the cave and Orrick stopped, holding up a hand to Corbett, listening. Further inside the cave, they could hear two people talking.

  “What are you going to do with the Eternal Flame?” asked Noah.

  “I’m going to use it to fight my enemies and build a strong army. I figure if I’m immortal now, mayhap I can use it to make the rest of my army immortal as well.” Irwin chuckled. “With this kind of power, no one will be able to stop us. I might even conquer the king and take the crown as my own.”

  “You’re not supposed to use the flame for bad things.”

  “What do you care? You’re just a ragpicker so mind your own business.”

  “Bad things will happen to you. You can’t be the Keeper of the Flame,” said Noah. “You don’t have magic.”

  “That’s Noah,” Orrick whispered to Corbett as they crept forward, stopping in the shadows, able to see Irwin and Noah now.

  “Don’t have magic?” asked Irwin with a chuckle. “I’m invincible and immortal now. That’s the best kind of magic. Just look at this.” He purposely used his dagger to slice his arm. The wound bled for a second, then closed up and healed instantly. That made Irwin laugh even more. “This is too good to be true.”

  “If I were a sorcerer, I’d turn you into a toad using my magic,” said Noah, waving the wooden wand in the air that Orrick had given him.

  Irwin got a laugh out of that. “You go right ahead and try,” said the man, sticking the torch that held the Eternal Flame into a holder in the wall.

  “What are you going to do with me?” asked the little boy.

  “You’re my ticket out of here. As soon as I’m out of danger of Lord Corbett’s men coming after me, I’ll dump you.”

  “Dump me?” asked the boy, sounding very sad. “You mean that you’re going to leave me on the church stairs like my parents did?”

  “Church? Hell no. I’m going to leave you in the hills. And if you give me trouble, I might push you off a cliff, so you’d better behave. Do you hear me?”

  “You’ll not harm a hair on the boy’s head,” warned Orrick, stepping from the shadows with his sword drawn.

  “Sir Rick, so nice to see you,” snarled Irwin, unsheathing his sword as well. “Or perhaps I should call you Orrick the sorcerer. After all, I know that is who you really are.”

  “Give me the flame, Irwin,” said Orrick, walking closer. “You can’t handle the power. It wasn’t meant for someone like you.”

  “Oh, so you want to fight me with your sword again?” asked Irwin, amused by Orrick’s action. “Haven’t you had enough of losing in the practice yard to me?” With his sword outstretched, he stepped forward.

  “You hurt an innocent woman and kidnapped a little boy. You are despicable and I won’t let you get away with it,” warned Orrick.

  “Neither will I,” said Corbett, stepping out into the light.

  Irwin chuckled and shook his head. “I’m immortal now, or have you two forgotten? I’ll kill you both before you even know what happened and I’ll walk away unharmed.”

  “Not without a fight you won’t.” Orrick’s sword slashed out only to meet with Lord Irwin’s. They sparred, and when Lord Corbett stepped in, Irwin fought them both. Even though they stabbed him several times, the man couldn’t be stopped. Something about being the Keeper of the Flame seemed to call out the darkness inside him, making him fight like a madman.

  “Noah, get out of the cave,” shouted Corbett, looking over to the little boy. In that mere second, Irwin struck Corbett, stabbing his shoulder. Corbett’s blade fell to the ground and his body followed. Instead of leaving the cave, Noah disappeared into the shadows.

  “Damn it,” spat Corbett. “Use your magic, Orrick. I think it’s time.”

  “I agree.” Orrick threw down the sword, blasting energy from his hand, propelling Irwin backward. Anger blazed in Irwin’s eyes and he ran with his sword extended right at Orrick. Orrick pulled a potion from his bag, throwing it down in front of Irwin, causing a fog to fill the cave.

  “I can’t see anything,” cried Irwin.

  “Corbett, get out of here,” said Orrick in a low voice. “I’ll get the boy and the flame and join you in a minute.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Corbett.

  “Go,” commanded Orrick, making his way over to the flame before the smoke cleared. But before he could reach out and take it, Irwin called out to him.

  “Don’t touch the flame or the boy dies, Sorcerer.”

  The smoke cleared and to Orrick’s horror, he saw Irwin holding a dagger
to Noah’s throat. He held the boy tightly up against him. Noah still clung to his wand, looking at Orrick with wide eyes. For a six year old, he didn’t even seem scared.

  “Don’t hurt him,” said Orrick, holding his hands up in the air. His eyes darted to the torch and then back to them. If Noah’s life weren’t at stake, Orrick would grab the flame and then kill Irwin since the man would no longer be immortal. But he couldn’t risk it, because he didn’t want the boy harmed.

  “Back away from the flame,” warned Irwin, dragging the boy toward the wall that held the torch. Orrick didn’t have a choice. He had to step away.

  “You’re never going to get away with this,” Orrick told him.

  “Oh, on the contrary, I think I will,” snapped Irwin.

  “As soon as you step outside the cave, you’re going to be met with an angry army.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong.” Irwin shimmied over to the torch. Holding his blade and the boy in one hand, he took the torch off the wall with the other. “You see, Orrick, through my travels, I discovered there is an exit at the other end of this cave that nobody knows about.”

  Orrick knew it was true. It was a hidden exit that he’d only just discovered in the past few years from outside the cave. It was hard to see, and a narrow passage, but it opened up to a stable of horses from a neighboring lord on the other side. It would be easy for him to make his way through the cave and steal a horse and make his escape. It was a straight shot, and he’d make it through quickly. It would take longer for Lord Corbett and his men to ride around the cliff and, by then, he’d be gone.

  “Then go,” said Orrick. “Take the flame, I don’t want it. Just leave the boy here, unharmed.”

  “What kind of a fool do you take me for, Orrick?” Irwin headed through the passageway in the cracks that would lead him out the other side. “This boy is mine now,” Orrick heard him say as he disappeared with Noah.

  “Nay!” cried Orrick, running after them, not having time to go out and tell Corbett what had transpired. Orrick was about to use his magic on Irwin again to stop him, but as he raised his hand, little Noah came walking toward him from between the rocks with his wand gripped tightly in his hand. Orrick looked up to see the torch lying on the ground, still burning, but he didn’t see Irwin anywhere.