This Battle Lord's Quest (4 page)

“Don’t worry. I have orders to take the Battle
Prince to Tory.”

She flashed the man a relieved smile. “Thanks!”

Leaving her son to his adopted uncle, she hastened
toward the rear of the compound.

Chapter
Four

Plan

Seven men were gathered in the field, near the
archery range. Atty recognized her husband first. He was easy to spot with his
red-gold hair blazing in the late summer sun. With him was Warren Paxton, her
personal Second, as well as Fortune and the other four men who were part of the
unique hunters caste for the compound. The men were sitting cross-legged on the
dry grass, but got to their feet when she approached.

“Mastin will be along shortly,” she announced as
she joined them, taking her place in the empty spot next to her husband. “Oh,
and I have good news for you, Yulen. Your brother’s name is officially Iain
Stuart MaGrath.”

Yulen smiled but lifted an eyebrow in surprise.
“What happened to Augustus?”

“It was a ruse Liam used so Madigan would accept
the name he really wanted. Iain was his grandfather’s name.”

“Stuart’s from Mother’s side,” he remembered, and
nodded. “We’ll be having the naming ceremony soon, then, I take it.”

“I’m glad you called this meeting,” she directed at
the other men. “I spoke with Berta a few minutes ago. Does this have anything
to do with the lack of game coming out of the forest?”

“It does,” Gerenth acknowledged. “And we think we
know why.”

Vashayn continued. “It’s not just the growth of
this compound that’s contributing to the lack of game. We’ve been careful,
you’ve been careful, we’ve all been very careful to follow the laws of the
hunters caste.”

“Not to overkill or decimate a single species,”
Yulen noted.

Fortune nodded. “But we believe that a combination
of issues has caused this drought.”

“The Bloods?” Atty ventured.

“And the fire used to drive out Rafe D’Jacques and
his men,” Fortune added.

Gerenth snorted. “When was the last time you heard
a wolfen howl during the night? If they’re not prowling around, you know game
is nonexistent.”

“In addition, we’ve noticed others leaving the
compound to go hunting. These men are not members of the caste, so they don’t
follow our laws,” Dergus spoke out.

“I can’t tell the people who live here they can’t
go outside the compound and search for food.” Yulen made himself clear up
front. “If a man’s family is hungry, he has the right to go looking for
something to put on the table.”

Fortune nodded. “We understand that, Yulen, and
we’re not saying they don’t have that right. What we’re suggesting is that we
have a meeting of all hunters, and teach them our ways, our rules.”

“I don’t see how that’s going to solve our immediate
problem,” Atty commented. “Even if we give classes to everyone in the compound,
we’re still facing a food shortage, and we’re heading into the winter months.”

Yulen shifted over, moving closer to Atty to make
room for Mastin, who joined them. Her husband’s leg and thigh pressed against
hers, and his touch sent waves of delightful chills through her body. She
glanced sideways at the Battle Lord, who didn’t appear affected by the contact,
although she thought she noted movement in the crotch of his pants.

It had been late when they had left the clinic last
night to return to their lodge. Yulen had taken a late bath and joined an
already sleeping Atty in their bed. In the morning, she’d been awakened by a
toy horse clip-clopping across her arm, and a son plaintively crying he was
hungry. The child still wore his father’s old tunic he insisted on wearing to
sleep in, leaving Atty to wonder if the baby had left the Kalich apartment and
wandered home on his own after spending the night with Granma Tory and Granpa
Fortune. He had tried that same stunt in the past, but had gotten lost along
the way. After a frantic search, they’d found him happily playing at swords
with one of the guards, who hadn’t known the child was missing.

A clunking sound coming from downstairs was her
clue the front door was wide open, as Mattox hadn’t closed it when he’d come
in. Since the other side of the bed was empty, it meant Yulen had arisen
earlier and was already gone, which was why the door had been unlocked in the
first place. Her husband’s absence also meant any chance for some early morning
sex was nil. The memory of last night in the kitchen, and that moment that
nearly escalated into ecstasy, would have to remain unfulfilled for a while
longer.

Yulen’s remark drew her from her reverie, but did
nothing to stop the sizzling want growing hotter and wetter between her thighs.

“Fortune, I know you wouldn’t call us together to
discuss this issue unless you have a plan.”

The Mutah nodded at the Battle Lord. “We would like
to call in all members of the hunters caste from the surrounding Mutah
communities, and those from Foster City. We will split into eight groups, and
each of us take a compass point, north, northeast, east, southeast, south, and
so forth. Travel two days out, two days back, and report on what they found.”

“Is that to include bringing back prey?” Atty
questioned.

“Definitely.”

“Is two days enough to give you a clear grasp of
what’s available?” Mastin wondered. “Why not three days? Or a week?”

“We feel that two days will suffice,” Dergus
answered. “Any further, and we could encroach upon the lands hunted by other
compounds.”

“It would also provide us with current information
for the map makers,” Vashayn added.

Atty agreed. “However, we’re all aware that the
majority of the population growth is coming from the north to settle in the
south and west. For all we know, the east is mostly barren and unexplored. Why
not send a larger force to investigate what lies east?”

Gerenth shook both of his heads. “It’s too risky.
Too dangerous. We’ll only send our most experienced hunters in that direction.”
He looked at Yulen pointedly. “If the Battle Lord agrees to our plan.”

But Atty refused to have her idea so easily
dismissed. “Why are you balking? How is it too risky and dangerous? Is it
because
it’s largely unexplored?”

“Too many big animals roam there,” Dergus told her.
“Dangerous animals, most of them highly mutated creatures.”

“How do you know that?”

Fortune stepped in. “Because we’ve had hunters in
the past go in that direction, and those who survived returned to tell us
accounts of nature gone amok. Ants the size of cows. Vultures with thirty-foot
wingspans.”

“I see your point,” Yulen agreed.

“So do I. I remember hearing those tales when I was
growing up. However, there’s still a very important point to be made.” Atty
noticed she had everyone’s attention and curiosity lit. “If there are creatures
out there of those proportions, who’s to say none of them are edible? We all
know that, with few exceptions, nearly every living thing is palatable.” She
caught Fortune and Yulen exchanging glances, and smiled. “Furthermore, animals
don’t grow to those extremes unless they have plenty to eat themselves.
So...what are they feeding on? Each other? If there are so many of those
animals roaming about, why don’t we focus solely on heading east, instead of
dividing our resources?”

“It’s too dangerous,” Vashayn muttered.

“Bullshit. You’re just too scared,” she countered
hotly.

The Mutah growled, the furred stripes covering his
body almost bristling in anger. “I have never backed down in fear!”

“Then come with me.
I’ll
go east,” Atty
challenged. “I’m not afraid to face whatever nature has created. Or have you
all forgotten what I’ve already fought and defeated?”

She sensed Yulen’s amusement. In addition, much to
her satisfaction, the others appeared properly chastised. Undaunted by their
refusal, she made up her mind. Getting to her feet, she placed her hands on her
hips.

“All right. If you all are too scared to go, I’ll take
a group east with me. When do we leave?”

“Sit down, Atty. It hasn’t been decided yet if
we’re even going to go through with the plan,” Vashayn ordered her.

Yulen casually stood and took his place next to his
wife, silently showing the men his absolute support. “On the contrary, Vashayn.
I think the plan’s very doable. And given the circumstances, the sooner it’s
put into play, the better. Fortune, prepare the notices for the messengers to
deliver to the compounds. How long do you anticipate it’ll take before we
receive their replies?”

“A little over a week. Give or take some delays,
perhaps ten days. Our furthest call will be delivered to New Bearinger, and
that’s four days away.”

“Perfect,” Atty smiled. “That’ll give us plenty of
time to get supplies and weapons ready. Since we’ve come to a decision, please
excuse me. I have a few details to settle.” She gave them all a curt nod and a
smile, then hurried back toward the compound.

Her heart was beating furiously, and it had little
to do with her announcement to travel east in search of food. It was because
she had grown increasingly aware of his arousal and his heat, and the way he
kept brushing up against her. Each touch, each moment of contact, had sparked
the deep hunger inside her that hadn’t been satisfied in weeks. A hunger that
nearly overtook her last night in the kitchen, but regrettably wasn’t
satisfied.

She planned to fetch her bow and arrows, and get in
some long overdue practice on the field. Hopefully, it would help to take her
mind off the burning need between her legs. As she stepped through the gate and
into the inner courtyard, a glance over her shoulder revealed an empty field
where the meeting had taken place. She looked around to see if she could spot
where Yulen had gone, without any luck. A twinge of sadness went through her,
although she couldn’t explain why. Maybe she had been wishing Yulen was behind
her, following her, perhaps planning on ambushing her in some remote, out of
the way location where they could have their fill of each other.

Now you’re daydreaming, Atty. Those days are long
over. Once you became a mother, those times of carefree and uninhibited
exploration vanished like mist on a sunny morning. The best you can hope for
now are those stolen moments when Mattox is asleep, and you’re both not too
exhausted from the day’s events to find a little pleasure.

“Madam?”

Atty jumped, startled by the voice interrupting her
thoughts. She laughed nervously. “Goodness, Warren! You surprised me!”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I saw you were
preoccupied in your thoughts, but I need to deliver this message and be off.”

“What message is that?”

“The Battle Lord says he needs to see you over at
the granary immediately.”

“Did he say why?”

“No, Madam. You know I don’t question his orders.”
The Second appeared to be a bit offended by her remark. Atty placed a hand on
his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Warren. I have a million things on my
mind at the moment. You know I didn’t mean to imply anything.”

“No harm, Madam, but I think his request might have
something to do with the low stores for the winter.” He gave her a wink, then
hurried off. She took off for the opposite end of the compound where Yulen had
ordered a series of storage bins built at the southeast corner of the new
courtyard.

The bins were Batuset’s suggestion. Several of his
Mutah residents had brought the idea to the Battle Lord of Foster City, who had
incorporated the idea by having several built the year before, to help store
supplies for the winter. It was a simple design, but Batuset swore the
structures allowed him to stretch their foodstuffs for a longer period of time.
This would be the first winter they would try them in Alta Novis, but if Yulen
was already worried about the lack of supplies, then the purpose of having the
bins in the first place would be obsolete.

She slowed as she reached the first of the conical
structures. There was no sign of him after quick look around.

“Yulen?”

“Number three,” he called from somewhere ahead of
her.

Atty hurried around the bin until she found the
door. Above it was the painted number four. Left or right?

“Yulen?”

He laughed. “This way!”

Right.

The bins weren’t lined up, but clustered in a
corner between the new compound wall and where the old outer wall stood. She
didn’t understand the reasoning behind that decision, but figured it wasn’t
worth puzzling over.

“Did you know this place is like a maze?” she
laughed, following the wide path between the bins. “You really ought to think
about having them painted different colors to tell them apart. Or maybe have
their numbers placed at the top where they’re easier to re—”

An arm reached out in front of her, grabbed her by
her tunic, and dragged her inside. Warm lips clamped down over hers as somewhere
in the distance she heard the door close behind them, plunging the interior
into darkness. He pressed her against the inner wall and rubbed himself up and
down her trembling body. The bulge of his erection slid teasingly into the
depression between her thighs, and she could feel herself growing wetter.