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an original story by Andrej Koymasky


THE FORCEPS
MARK
CHAPTER 4
OLAF AND GUNTAR DECLARE THEIR LOVE

"Olaf, you conquered my Thunderbolt in half of the time it took me to do it. He obeys you as though you were me, his only master."

"Oh no, Sir. You told him to obey me when you put him in my care; that is why he listens to me."

"No, Olaf, Thunderbolt trusts you. Now you must learn to ride him properly. As of now, you look like you are sitting on a bench!" Guntar laughed

Fortunately, Olaf was a quick study and in a few days he was able to joust and vault on Thunderbolt as if he was his own. Guntar was pleased.

They also continued their training -- running, flexing, jumping, climbing, and then also how to fight with staves.

One night, in bed, Guntar said to Olaf: "You are doing well, Olaf! I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, sir." Olaf said rejoicing at the compliment.

Guntar continued: "And you are also becoming more handsome and skilled. I decided that, when this year of investiture service is over, I shall buy you a horse and make you my squire."

"Your squire? Me a squire? Oh, Sir!" Olaf exulted.

"Yes. That way you will always be at my side, even at the tourneys and in Court. Thus, starting tomorrow, we will train differently, so that you become the perfect squire."

"As you wish, Sir." the boy murmured gratefully.

Olaf was more and more in love with his knight. In his heart he had given up on the dream of their first days together of belonging physically to him, but his love for Guntar grew day by day. Olaf always waited with unchanged emotion for the moment when Guntar took his bath and he washed him. Touching his strong naked body, rubbing it with his soapy hands, scrubbing - touching it from head to toe for a long time, was Olaf's favorite duty. Olaf was excited by touching him, especially the few times he noticed that Guntar was also slightly aroused. The only thing that Guntar always washed by himself, was his crotch. Olaf was at once glad and sorry - glad because he was afraid if he put his hands there he would not to be able to hide his longing; sorry, because he wanted to touch him there for himself.

While he bathed Gunthar, Olaf always wore his drawers to hide his powerful erections. He would take his bath when Guntar had left the room so he would not see how aroused the boy was. While alone, he would masturbate to relieve the sweet emotions that caring for his master's body raised.

For Olaf, this intimacy was a kind of gentle torture he didn't want to escape. He wanted to kiss Guntar's body inch by inch; to give him pleasure and sensual ecstasy.

It seemed that Guntar didn't have any sex at all. The only hint of sexuality was the slight arousal that Olaf would notice every once in a while when he was washing him. He wondered if he masturbated when alone but he had no idea. At times Guntar told him how the knights courted the ladies, with songs, poems and flowers. He was sure Guntar liked women, much to his regret. Despite his belief, he was falling more and more in love with Guntar. The knight had a friendly mien towards Olaf, always treating him with kindness.

The long Winter came. Guntar taught to the boy how to sleep in the open, in the deep snow. One evening after they had prepared a hole in which they spread the fur mantle and they settled in, Guntar asked "Are you cold? Today is the coldest it has been."

"A little..."

"Then lay closer to me. We will keep each other warmer - come here, against me."

Olaf leaned against the strong body of the young man. Guntar embraced him pulling him more against himself. Olaf could feel the warm breath of his companion on his face. An arm of the knight girdled his shoulders, and his leg surrounded the boys legs. Olaf couldn't avoid to shuddering with excitement.

"Are you still cold?" Guntar asked then.

"No..."

"You are still trembling," the young man said trying to cover him better with his mantle edge, and pulling him more against his body.

All this did was increase Olaf's arousal. Fearing that Guntar could feel the turgidity growing between his legs, Olaf tried to push his pelvis back from him. But Guntar leaned more against him, and Olaf had no more space, in the narrow snow hole, to escape the intimate embrace.

"Do you feel better now, Olaf?" Guntar then asked with a gentle voice.

"Yes... yes, thank you, sir." the boy murmured huskily.

"What's up? What's happening to you, Olaf?" the knight asked.

"Nothing..." the boy almost moaned.

"Nothing?" Guntar insisted, holding him tightly and now Olaf felt his full erection pushing against him. He trembled, almost violently. Guntar caressed the nape of his neck and asked him with a sweet tone: "Really nothing? Why are you trembling..."

"Oh, sir..." the boy moaned, in confusion.

"Yes, Olaf? What's up?" Guntar whispered gently, his hand on the nape of the boy's neck. He brought his lips to Olaf's, brushing them lightly: "What's up, eh? Tell me Olaf, if it isn't the cold, why are you trembling so much?" he asked as his lips kissed the boys', soft and warm, he gently brushed against them. Now Olaf was all a shudder. The boy closed his eyes and emitted a light sigh. "Do you want to tell me what is going on? What makes you tremble so much?" the young knight whispered gently.

"It is... you..." the boy moaned dreamily.

"Me? How, me?" the man whispered intentionally pushing his strong erection against him.

"How you are... holding me... touching me..."

"And how?" Guntar insisted with deep and warm voice.

"You are strong... good... sweet... manly..." the boy said, full of emotion.

Guntar deeply kissed Olaf who welcomed the man's tongue with passion.

"I like you, Olaf. I like you so much!"

"Oh, yeeesss..." the boy moaned abandoning himself to the sensations he never thought he would be able to experience.

"You are the most handsome and gentle boy I ever met." the knight said, kissing him again with tender passion. "Do you know how much I want you?"

"I am yours, sir." Olaf murmured.

"Really?"

"Yes, all yours."

"Why mine?" the young man asked tenderly.

"Because..." Olaf started to say, but became shy and silent.

"Because?" Guntar insisted, caressing him.

"I love you." the boy whispered.

"Do you love me?"

"Yes..."

"Say it again..."

"I love you."

Guntar kissed him again for a long time, passionately holding him close to his body. "I love you, too, Olaf. I don't know when I started loving you but today I clearly understand it. Do you want really be mine?"

"Oh, yes, sir... please?"

"I want you... I'll make you mine... but not yet."

"Why?"

"Because... it all happened too fast. Just a short time ago you were just my faithful Olaf; now I feel that everything has changed. I don't want to mistake my lust with love. Before meeting you I desired, and had, other boys. But it was just sex. What I am feeling for you, is something different and new for me. I don't want you to be just another bed boy, I want to really understand - understand myself, I mean. I want you very much but this is more than just lust."

"No matter what, I am yours."

"You are sweet."

"I love you, sir, of that I am sure."

"What really means, to love?"

"That you, sir, come before me - you are the reason for my life. Without you, sir, I am less than nothing; I feel I was born just to belong to you, sir." Olaf said in one breath.

"It is a lot! That is what I need to understand first. To understand what you really are to me. Aside from being a wonderful and sweet boy who I desire. You are telling me that you love me, will make some things easier and others more difficult. Easy, because half of the way is done; difficult because of my responsibility to you. He who is in love is completely defenseless in front of his beloved. I do not want to harm you."

"Harm me? You, sir, harm me? It is not possible!"

"If my feelings for you were just lust and not true love, you would feel pain and I don't want that."

"But I would accept it."

"Because you love me, I know. Other boys just wanted pleasure with me, to amuse themselves. When it was over, there was no drama for any of us, do you understand? What if one day I told you that everything between us was over - how would you feel?"

"Like I have all these months - I'll continue to love you without hope, but be happy to be able to serve you."

"When did you know you are in love with me?"

"Since... since that day when you made me wear your colors, and cut my hair, do you remember, sir? Before that, I just wanted you. From that day, I really loved you, sir."

"And you never let me see that. You never did any thing to make me feel it, not even your desire."

"I could not. You are my master, I am nothing."

"But if I was one of your friends?"

"When I was washing you... I would have shown you the effect that touching your wonderful body had on me, and I would have touched you where you always wash by yourself..."

"It must have cost you so much, my poor Olaf."

"I would not have given it up, for anything in this world. Of all my duties, it is the one I love more."

"Why wasn't I aware that yours were real caresses, dictated by your love for me?"

"I did my best not to make you aware, sir."

"And yet, now, it seems so obvious."

"Will you let me to wash your body again?"

"Yes... but it will be different. Different for both of us, because we now know that I desire you, that you desire me."

"Would you please, sir, kiss me again?" the boy asked, full of hope, after a short silence charged with electricity.

Guntar caressed him and their lips met again in a long passionate kiss. Olaf abandoned himself to that kiss and savored it, happy and grateful. They parted, both hearts were beating hard and Guntar murmured: "But now, let's try to sleep."

"Yes, sir." Olaf said, grateful and happy to sleep against the body of the man he loved.

Come the morning they stood up, shook off the snow that fell during the night, and crawled out of the hole, the sun was bright and the sky was beautiful blue. They warmed up with some physical exercises. Olaf was pleased to notice the light that shined from Guntar's eyes when he looked at him. Something had profoundly changed between them. Remembering what they said each other in the night, of the sentiments that they had reveled in turn made them feel warm inside. Olaf felt that he could feel the young man's lips on his own.

They spent the day moving, training, sitting near a fire to eat and talking. That evening Guntar taught to Olaf how to set the embers along a fallen tree trunk, to make it smolder all night and enjoy its warmth, and they lay down, parallel to the trunk, in the fur cloak.

Guntar again embraced and caressed the boy: "Are you tired, Olaf?"

"No, sir, I feel fine."

"You are building remarkable physical strength. You are good. You are becoming a perfect squire."

"I love you, sir..."

"Yes, I know. I could feel it all long the day. It is wonderful to feel being loved."

"It is beautiful to love." the boy murmured leaning more tight and full of desire, against the young man.

Guntar caressed him: "I want you..."

"You know that I'm yours, sir. Why haven't you kissed me tonight?"

"Because I want you too much. If I kissed you, I would not be able to hold myself to that alone."

"I'm not asking for more..."

"A knight has to be able to control himself."

"Even in love?"

"Especially in love."

"Then, I would wish you weren't a knight!" Olaf murmured, then, quickly, apologized: "Forgive me, sir, I said a silly thing. Forgive me!"

Guntar smiled and caressed his cheek: "Everything is forgiven, to he who loves!"

"Did you have many boys before me, sir?"

"Some."

"And girls?"

"Some."

"Were you ever in love with a woman?"

"At Court, love gestures are exchanged, but it is just a Courtly game, nothing really deep. Not for me, at least. No, I hadn't felt love for anybody, before now. Real love, I mean."

"But one day, you will marry..."

"It is not said..."

"And... did you like boys or girls more?"

"I never asked myself that question. The ones and the others. But never a boy, or a girl, did attract me as much as you are attracting me, my boy. Possibly because I can feel how much you desire me, and yet you are able to restrain yourself, the way you would were you a real knight."

"It is not easy, sir, believe me."

"I know that very well. You are beautiful and desirable. I don't know how long I can resist to your appeal."

"No too longer, I hope." the boy whispered with a shy smile.

"There is beauty in feeling a desire, nourishing it and yet resisting it, my dear boy."

"Yes, I agree. But there is beauty also in giving himself completely to whom one loves. And I love you."

"I like to hear you saying it."

"I will say it to you, as long as you will allow me, sir."

They spent the next few days in a strict training, in the evening embracing each other while talking, feeling each others desire, but not allowing themselves anything more than a kiss. Once they washed in a stream and Guntar wanted to wash Olaf, while both, trembling with desire, touched in long caresses; this time the knight let Olaf touch his fully aroused genitals and succeeded nonetheless to not give in to the desire.

While they were dressing, Guntar said, "I didn't believe it would be so difficult. I love you, my boy."

"Are you sure, sir? Do you really love me?"

"Yes, I love you. And I want you at the same time."

"Then... why don't you have me, sir?"

"Because I decided that I will make you mine the day my investiture service is over. Resisting the desire I feel for you will be the real trial that will make me a Knight. It is the most difficult thing I will do in all my life, but it will also consecrate my love for you."

"How much do you love me, sir?"

"Enormously."

"More than you love... Thunderbolt?" the boy risked.

Guntar laughed: "Are you joking? Verily, I love you more than Thunderbolt!"

"That is enough, then." Olaf beamed.

"Thunderbolt, how precious and dear could be to me is an animal; there is no comparison. I love you more than my sword, more than my king. I love you more than life."

"Are you serious?"

"A true knight never lies!"

Olaf was overjoyed. To know he was loved gave him an unexpressable feeling of joy. To see love in the eyes of this man, gave him a profound emotion. To curry his beautiful horse, take care of his clothes and his armor made him proud. Killing an animal with his sling and then cooking it on the embers to give it to Guntar, made him feel proud. He lived, breathed, existed only for his man. But the best of times were sleeping in his arms and washing his strong and beautiful body. He began to count the days until the end of the investiture service year.

During early Spring they were crossing a mountain pass when Guntar suddenly reined in Thunderbolt and and lifted himself on the stirrups carefully looking around.

"What happens, sir?" Olaf asked, seeing the tense look on his face.

"Something strange. Some danger is here."

Olaf could hear nothing but the usual forest noises and the quiet murmur of small waterfalls in the distance. But, seeing how tense the knight was he took his middle sling and armed it with one of the river rocks he had gathered in his purse. He balanced the sling in his hand, keenly listening and scanning the area.

"Let's proceed with caution, this is an ideal place for an ambush. Stay ten paces from me." Guntar whispered quietly while letting Thunderbolt resume his way.

Olaf noticed that the horse had his ears tense, and barely moved, nervously, as though he was hearing strange sounds.

They advanced about a hundred paces, when, with a thundering crash a tree fell down to block their way and a band of men came out from the undergrowth waving axes, swords, clubs and pitchforks - bandits.

Guntar jumped down from Thunderbolt, giving him an order and with his sword in hand, hurled himself upon the most fearsome of his opponents. Olaf shot the stone from his sling and one of the bandits collapsed with a yell. The boy rearmed his sling readying it fire again.

Meanwhile, Thunderbolt charged one of the men armed with a club and with a sudden prance kicked another of the bandits. Guntar was fighting his powerful opponent and was getting the better of him. Olaf saw one of the bandits charge aiming a pitchfork at Guntar's back and let fly the next rock and killed him. He rearmed his sling and escaping another bandit armed with an ax attacking him.

Guntar lowered his sword on his opponent to block his assault while parrying the ax stroke of another bandit. Olaf knocked down his third man with another of his lethal sling shots while Thunderbolt was furiously kicking another man. Olaf scurried up a tree and from there shot his fourth deadly shot, while Guntar ran his sword through a bandit who was trying to cut the hocks of Thunderbolt with his scythe.

Suddenly it was silence - the eleven men lay on the ground, dead or dying. Guntar went to each of them, and pierced their hearts, one by one. Thunderbolt went near the knight, nickered lowly, while Olaf climbed down from the tree and put away his sling. The attack had lasted only a few minutes.

"Good, Thunderbolt... my thanks, Olaf. Without you I could never have overcome them. You alone, killed four men, Olaf. This is your initiation to war."

"It has been... too easy; I never killed a man before, just wild animals..."

"Bandits, are less than wild animals. Good, before we leave, we have right to the spoils. Let's see what those wretches had of value." Guntar said starting to search the corpses.

They took their leader's sword, a good and fine sword that Guntar recognized as having been made in King Oder's land, some gold objects with precious stones that they plundered from somebody, coins, and an exquisite finely worked, shining, stiletto.

Guntar gave the stiletto to Olaf: "Here, take it. When you become my squire, you will have the right to hang this from your belt. Let's go around that tree and continue on our way."

"We leave them here like that?" the boy asked, pointing at the eleven corpses.

"Wolves will take care of them... Let's go."

They resumed their way, wending down into the valley, they entered a small village made of a group of huts gathered 'round an age old tree. The villagers, when they saw the knight, come out. One of the men recognized the sword of the bandit's chief.

"Sir, you met the bandits, and killed them!" he said in awe.

"Yes, up at the pass. They were eleven."

"Yes, sir, they were right eleven."

"Did they pass from here?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did they rob you?"

"Oh, sir, we are poor people. They just ordered us to prepare them food and... they took advantage of our women. We are grateful to you for killing them."

"Did they come often, in this part of the kingdom?"

"No, sir, 'twas the first time we saw them. They had the accent of the People-of-the-north."

"I see. If you go up the pass, you can take their axes and a scythe - they will be of better use to you and they seemed to be well made."

"Oh, yes, sir. We will send our young men to get them. How can we thank you, sir, for avenging us?"

"It is not important, I simply did my duty."

"Please, accept a gift of a jug of beer and a loaf of salty bread..."

"With pleasure." Guntar said as he dismounted. The man gave a few orders and at once two stools and a small table were brought under the big tree, the beer, the salty bread and some other food.

While he was eating, Guntar asked: "This tree seems to be age old. Surely there is a story connected to such a powerful and venerable tree."

"Yes, sir, do you wish to learn it?"

"Yes, my good man."

"You may know the story. It is said that in the dawn of time, when the Gods still walked the Earth, the God Thor entrusted our land unto the God Niel, and he decided that he should marry his daughter, the Goddess Frieda, as a sign of his troth.

"The God Niel came here to see the land he was to rule. When he reached this valley he laid down upon Table-Rock, you see, the rock up there. There was a hut where the tree is now. Within there lived a woodsman who had two children, a beautiful daughter, Graeth and her twin brother Brett.

"It was on that day that Graeth went forth to pick berries when she saw the sleeping God and all at once fell hopelessly in love with him. She sat near the stranger, untying her tresses like a bride on her marriage night, to show that she belonged now and forever to the handsome stranger, be he prince or pauper, and none else. She awaited with great fear for him to wake. The sun was at his setting when Niel woke up, and the sun was shining behind Graeth's head, a golden halo, her soft, coppery hair burnished by the light.

"Niel awoke confused. He thought that she was the Goddess Fried saying, 'Hast thou arrived already? For me?'

"'Yes,' Graeth answered filled with joy never having the intention to cheat upon this handsome stranger . So Niel pulled her to him, and lying near him, and untied her tunic. He covered her with his body and took her innocence with great pleasure, overjoyed his wife was beautiful and loving. After their earth-shaking passion, they fell into a deep sleep in each other's arms.

"The God Thor waited for Niel to return from his journey. He went to look for him and found the couple still sleeping, naked with their arms entwined. He was enraged and threw a bolt that made sweet and gentle Graeth vanish into a cave inside Table-Rock.

"Niel woke up learned what had happened. He was furious with Thor: 'Thou hast stolen the life to a poor innocent girl, who paid for my error. I cannot forgive thee. This I swear, I shall never touch thy daughter Frieda!'

"'What wilst thou do; wilst thou remain a bachelor unto the end of times?' Thor scoffed.

"'No, I wilst make mine the first mortal I meet. I will never lie with a goddess; this I swear!' Niel said angrily.

"Thor decided should play a cruel joke. He made Brett wake up. The boy saw that his sister was not in their hut and he went forth to search for her. Thor led him towards the stone where Niel wept at the death of his beloved wife of a few hours and his being widowed. Brett, nearing the stranger heard his crying and was deeply moved, so he drew close and asked him: 'Why art thou weeping?' The God raised his eyes and in his grief thought he was seeing Graeth. He took Brett in his arms and kissed him.

"Brett, who had not known love, felt deep love and was fascinated by the stranger. He let himself fall into his arms. When Niel opened his tunic, he was amazed that he was a boy. He was bewildered. Then he heard Thor laugh, 'Thou hast sworn thou woust make love unto the first mortal thou did see? Art thou breaking thy oath?'

"'No!' Neil answered. He covered Brett with his body and did take him there with the same gentle passion he had done a ere these few hours. Neil made love to Brett all the night long, until the sun rose again. And the boy gave himself to Niel with all his youthful passion.

"Anon, the sun did rise and Niel dressed and was about to leave. Brett bade him farewell saying: 'My Love, now that thou hast made me thine, art thou leaving me?'

"'I must my beloved Brett... Thou hast in thee my essence, thou shalt have a long and happy life.'

"'My Lord,' said the boy who now saw him as the God he was, 'I am now consecrated to thee. I will live here for the rest of my days, awaiting thy return.'

"'Good, thou art holy to me. I will come back to thee, I swear, in the guise of a boy, on the day when thy hut sprouts green leaves." Thor, in his spite, threw another bolt at Brett's hut turning it to ashes.

"Brett lived in Table-Rock cavern for scores and scores of years. The seed of Niel inside him, gave him the gift of prescience, and people would come to ask advice of Brett. Near the round spot of black ashes, somebody started to build a hut that he could live near the holy man. When Brett was fifty years old, from the unscattering black ashes a shoot started to grow - the tree thou seeist here, and that was more than three times ten-hundred years ago.

"At that time did Niel entered in a youth, leaving his parents hut and went to give himself to Brett where he lived the rest of his days... Brett died when he was seven times ten and seven years old. The boy took his place as the Brett. Another boy from the village went up to give himself to the new Brett, and thus it has been into our times. This is the Brett's tree, Sire, and when a new shoot sprouts up from its base, the handsomest youth in the village is consecrated to the God Niel and sent to the Brett to be his love and to take his place when the time comes. Our Brett is famous in all the kingdom, also powerful people comes to consult him. It is said that even King Harold once came disguised as a poor passerby."

"And the Brett still lives in the cavern of the Table-Rock?" Guntar asked.

"Of course, he is there, Sir."

"May I meet him?"

"Thou may climb to the rock, Sir. If he has something to say to thee, he will wait for thee at the entrance of the cavern. If not, thou wilst not see him, and it would be useless to try and find him, don't even try to look for him."

"Would you like to come with me, Olaf?" Guntar asked, feeling curious.

"Yes, I am sure I would like that. Certainly," so they climbed up to the great rock.

A man with a long white beard and hair, was sitting on the threshold of a low stone arch at the base of the flat rock where the God Niel made love, first with Graeth then with Brett. Near him stood an handsome man.

"I was waiting for ye two." the venerable old man said.

"Dost thou know who we are?" Guntar asked surprised.

"Better than ye could know." the old man answered.

"And... do you have something to tell us?" Guntar asked with awe.


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