Every Battle Lord's Nightmare

by Linda Mooney

  Yulen made a face. “He learned his craft from Manderly Saxon, who also taught Liam. Liam’s mixtures I’ve taken, and they taste like dried crap mixed with water. Why would I believe any differently about what Fergus would have me take?”

  Atty laughed. “Point taken.”

  They watched the orangey-yellow glow for another moment or two, until Yulen gave her shoulder a little squeeze. “The others are waiting for us.”

  Silently, they left the road and went to their tent. Inside, their close circle of confidants were scattered about, sitting on rugs or pillows. Atty took a seat on a cushion she and Yulen often shared at night, next to the small brazier that kept the encroaching cold at bay. The battle lord remained standing. As she warmed her hands over the open flame, she glanced up at him and saw the leather envelope in his hand.

  “Tomorrow we’ll ride into Oka City. I don’t know who runs it. I haven’t been here in over a decade.”

  Batuset raised his hand for the floor, but aimed his words at the others. “I was telling Yulen earlier that I haven’t been this way in quite some time, either. Last I heard, Don LeGreen was the battle lord. I don’t know if he still is. But one thing I do need to mention to you all is that LeGreen is strongly anti-Mutah. You’ve got to be aware of yourselves at all times.”

  Fortune raised a hand. “Then why are we going in if there’s a chance we could be accosted? Why not go around the compound?”

  Yulen pulled a piece of paper from the envelope. Atty noticed it was a different color than the one he’d previously shown her. The one with the invitation.

  “The directions I received on how to reach Rocky Gorge state that a squad of armed soldiers will meet each arriving battle lord at Oka City. From there, they will escort him and his entourage to Corado.”

  “A squad of armed soldiers?” Renken spoke up. Almost as an afterthought, he raised a hand for attention. “Armed to protect us? Or to keep us in line?”

  “That’s an excellent question,” Yulen noted. “That’s what I was wondering, as well.”

  “If the answer is the former, I fully trust our armed battalion can keep us safe,” Fortune continued. “But if the answer is the latter, I still say we try to go it alone.”

  “Yes, but how do we know where this Rocky Gorge compound is?” Mastin brought up. He looked directly at Atty. “Let’s say we go into Oka City. Won’t your Mutah instincts warn us if there’s anything potentially dangerous?” The second finished his question with a quick glance over at where Fortune and Twoson sat together.

  Twoson gave a slight nod. “Most likely. But if they have us surrounded, what good would it do?”

  “If we sense it, and can’t do anything at the moment, we stay mum,” Atty answered. “It seems pretty clear to me that someone’s planned this summit to include keeping the compound’s location secret, or very difficult to reach if the traveler isn’t sure how to get there.”

  “Why?” Paxton asked the one word on everyone’s mind. “Why go to all the trouble? Is life out there that dangerous?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Yulen replied. “We have no choice but to go into Oka City. Fortune, Twoson, if either of you get any negative vibes, let me know, either directly or passed through the lines. But whatever you do, don’t let the outsiders know you’re aware. Don’t give anything away. Like Atty said, stay mum. Let them think it’s business as usual, but keep your eyes and ears open. If we appear to be unaware of anything, chances are they’ll give us just enough slack that could give us the upper hand.”

  “I agree,” Fortune said. “They think we’re here for the summit. They expect us to have our minds on that, and not on what’s going on around us.” He waved toward the paper in Yulen’s hand. “Most battle lords would follow those instructions without question. So would you, Yulen. And you would, too, Batuset. Three, four years ago, neither of you would have questioned them, or suspect that LeGreen had any ulterior motive. But that was then. Since then, you’ve both changed. You found out that, despite outward appearances, there’s very little difference between Normals and Mutah, and you’ve accepted that.”

  “What’s your point?” Renken challenged.

  “My point is, you’ve gotten protective of Mutah. That’s why you’re not approaching this summit with blinders on.” Fortune pointed a forefinger at Yulen. “When you held that summit last year at Alta Novis, you called all the shots. It was your compound, your men, your rules. But I take it you don’t think LeGreen’s had the same kind of epiphany as you did. It’s his compound, his men, and his rules. And because you don’t know if the man has changed, we have to assume the worst, right? Am I right?”

  “D’Jacques?”

  Yulen turned his attention to the Mutah council member.

  “How far are we going to go before you determine it’s too dangerous to pursue this any further?” Twoson questioned.

  “I don’t know. That depends.”

  “On what?”

  “On what your instincts tell you. On what you, Fortune, and Atty feel as we go in. Until you give me a good reason not to continue, I’m hoping to make a difference at this summit. If I can change one battle lord’s mind, just one, that’s one less yearly cleaning mission, and God knows how many lives saved. One,” Yulen repeated. “One battle lord at a time. One compound at a time. It may not seem like a lot to most of you, or worth the effort, but I’ll accept any advancement I can get. As long as it puts another mark in the win column.”

  The tent grew quiet as everyone mulled over the battle lord’s comment. It was Paxton who broke the silence.

  “So…we’re going in using the isolation formation?”

  “What’s that?” Renken asked.

  Yulen grinned. “Don’t worry. You’re a smart man. You’ll catch on quickly. Yes. The isolation formation. All right, people. Let’s try to get a good night’s sleep because we may need the energy tomorrow.”

  The tent quickly emptied as everyone exited to their own and bedrolls. Atty remained sitting on the cushions and watched as her husband placed a spare sword and dagger next to the pallet where they would rest. Once he undressed, he would add his weapons belt. He caught her perusal and smiled.

  “You want to comment about something that was said tonight?”

  “No.”

  “Then why the intent look?”

  She gave him a loving smile. “Have you always been this hardheaded and determined to get your way, regardless of the odds?”

  “I thought Mother already filled you in on my younger years.”

  “Oh, she has. You still manage to surprise me.”

  An unexpected twinge of pain in her belly made her clutch her abdomen. Yulen moved to go over to her, but she held up a hand to show she was all right.

  “I think our daughter is a bit more rambunctious than Mattox ever was.”

  “More rambunctious. Heaven help us.” He chuckled, then grew serious. “Are you sure you’re okay? This is a long, rough ride.”

  “I’ll be fine. If I need to rest, I’ll go take a nap on the armory wagon. If you don’t believe me, ask Renken. Speaking of needing…” She got to her feet and headed for the rear of the tent where the chamber pot was located.

  Yulen snickered. “I’m going to check on the men and take one last look around. I expect to find you in bed when I return.”

  “All right,” she called from the rear enclosure. “But I can’t promise I’ll be awake.”

  She never saw his smile as the battle lord left the tent, nor the fact that as soon as he stepped out of the enclosure, his expression changed.

  Hardened.

  And darkened.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Fog

  A cold morning mist blanketed the ground, making it difficult to see the road more than a dozen feet ahead of them. Atty lifted the hood on her coat, but her face remained exposed to the biting chill. Her breath was a thick white cloud in front of her mouth, and her skin felt numb from the exposure. She sniffed, but didn’t smell an
y impending snow or sleet, which was good. There was no telling how close they were to the compound, or to the outer boundary where the battle lord’s sentries were posted.

  A muffled cough caught her attention. She glanced at her husband beside her. During the night he’d developed what sounded like rough congestion, sometimes waking her when a coughing fit overcame him. Already his voice was a bit hoarse, like it was edged with grit. Despite her concern, he blamed his allergies again and dismissed her worry. That alone bothered her more. She braked her mare and started to pull away when he turned to her.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To talk to Paas.”

  He immediately raised a fist to halt the convoy. Every man stopped simultaneously. Bringing his stallion around to face them, the battle lord stood in his stirrups. She heard him struggle to be heard all the way to the last man. “From here we travel in threes. Twoson, you, Atty, and Paas go to the center of the phalanx. We’re placing you in isolation and keeping you there until I say differently.” He glanced at Atty. “I want you closest. If you sense anything, anything, you know what to do.”

  She nodded. Clutching the reins, she remained where she was as Yulen gave the signal to continue forward, and the soldiers passed by on both sides of her. It wasn’t until someone gently slapped her horse’s rump that she started moving again.

  Not surprisingly, she discovered Fortune was to her left. Renken took point directly in front of her. Paxton guarded her right. The men ahead of her flanking the ex-mercenary were Yulen’s troops, as were the men to her rear. Turning around, she noticed Paas a row behind her. The woman didn’t look happy as she took in the new arrangement.

  “I take it this the isolation formation I heard about last night,” Paas remarked.

  “Yep. Three in front and back, with a guard on both sides, and you in the middle.”

  “And what if I need to stop to pee? Or go after something for dinner?” the warrior woman asked.

  “Tell one of the men. You’ll be assigned a detail to watch over you,” Atty informed her.

  “Oh, great. An audience while I wet the bushes.” Clearly, Paas wasn’t satisfied with the arrangement.

  Atty chuckled. “Join the club, dear friend.” She sniffed, pulling her kerchief from her pocket to wipe her nose, when something in the cloudbank caught her attention. She sniffed again, testing the moist air.

  Paas glanced around them. “What is it, Atty?”

  “I smell…smoke. Fortune?” She glanced over to her fellow hunter, who was also testing the air. “Do you smell that?”

  “Yeah.”

  “From campfires?” Renken inquired. He also sniffed, trying to find what they were smelling, but gave up after a few tries.

  Fortune shook his head, voicing Atty’s own thoughts. “No. It’s too…thick, although I do think I smell some kind of meat cooking.”

  “Think we should tell Yulen? See if a few of us should check it out?” Paas suggested.

  “This fog is deceptive. There’s no telling which direction the smoke’s coming from,” Atty told her. “Besides, we’re already pressed for time. I vote we keep going.”

  “So do I,” Fortune agreed.

  They continued on as the fog continued to hamper them visually. After another mile or two, the smell of smoke dissipated. As the troops continued traveling at their quick pace, the movement, plus the heat generated by the densely-packed animals, kept her from growing too cold. Every so often, Mastin would move down the line to join Paas, taking the soldier’s place beside her. The sight of the two conversing softly sparked a memory.

  “What ‘cha thinking of?” Paxton asked, seeing her expression.

  “Those two.” She threw a thumb over her shoulder. “It feels familiar.”

  “It should. The last time we put you in isolation was on our way home from Foster City, when you saved us from being attacked by Bloods. Do you remember?”

  “Vaguely,” she admitted. Although most of her memories had returned since her nearly devastating head injuries that had robbed her of everything, including her identity, bits and pieces continued to elude her. MaGrath admitted she might not regain all of them, and she’d accepted that possibility. But the past episodes she missed the most were the blank spots that dotted individual thoughts and emotions. Scenes from her past, and especially those involving Yulen when they first met and fell in love, were riddled with holes.

  He started to say more, when she caught the sound of Yulen coughing. Pressing her lips together, she looked at Fortune. “Do me a favor?”

  “Anything.”

  “Trade places with Dr. Gus, please. I need to speak with him.”

  A flash of worry crossed the Mutah’s face, but Atty quickly squelched his concern. “I’m all right. I need to talk to him about Yulen’s cough.”

  Nodding, Fortune pulled away. His spot was quickly taken by another soldier, who remained there until the physician arrived.

  “What’s up, Atty?”

  “Yulen’s developed a cough, on top of his runny nose.”

  Thrasher nodded. “I know. I’ve already talked to him about it.”

  “And?”

  The man shrugged. “There’s not much I can do. Liam and I packed for just about any emergency you could think of. Broken bones, lacerations, blood loss, heart and lung failure. But nothing for a cold or allergies. The best I could offer him would be some pain killers, but that won’t help. I’m hoping once we reach the compound, I can contact their doctor and see if he has anything to offer. With luck, he might have some antibiotics.” His comment was punctuated by a sneeze coming from the front of the line. “Is there anything else you needed to see me about?”

  “How’s the soldier who was attacked by the bat?”

  “He’s recovering. Riding along with us, in fact. He suffered some bruising about the ribs, but otherwise he’s okay. He was lucky the creature didn’t bite him. Bats are known carriers of rabies.”

  A shudder went through her at the mention of the word. Atty flashed him a quick smile. “Thanks, Fergus. That’s basically all I need to speak with you about.”

  His eyes dropped to her belly. “Well, while I’m here, how are you doing? Any increased signs of activity?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Her smile broadened. “She’s a feisty one.”

  Thrasher shook his head. “I’m still amazed at how you Mutah can already tell the gender of your unborn. I wish Normals had that ability.”

  “Just chalk it up as another thing that makes us unique. That, and our—”

  “Halt and identify!”

  The battalion froze in their tracks. Atty jerked around to stare out into the mist-shrouded landscape. Apparently they had reached the outer perimeter of the compound, and were being challenged by the sentry.

  Yulen looked to the side of the road. “I am Yulen D’Jacques, Battle Lord of Alta Novis. I’m here to attend the summit at Rocky Gorge, and I request entry into Oka City.”

  She realized his voice had been reduced to a growl during the past hour. The sound of it made her wince as she noted the painful resonance.

  “Pass and welcome, battle lord,” the sentry replied. A second later, a loud blat rent the air to notify the compound of an incoming visitor. The noise was answered with another one that was similar to the first, but coming from in front of them. A hundred yards away, Atty guessed, but no farther. As Yulen gestured to the troops, his signal was repeated down the line so that those in the back would receive it. She looked over to the doctor, but found he’d been replace by Fortune.

  “You ready?” he softly inquired.

  She gripped her bow where she’d placed it across her shoulder. The feel of the smooth wood shaft was comforting. “Yeah. I’m ready,” she answered. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Oka City

  The wet roadway curved slightly to the right, making Oka City appear to be sitting directly on top of the route. The compound’s walls loomed out of the foggy bank like a ghostly
presence. Constructed out of huge earthen bricks mortared together with red clay dirt, the perimeter looked resilient and imposing. Atty stared upward, trying to spot the parapet, but it remained shrouded in white mist.

  The immense metal double doors were already open by the time they reached the entrance. As they moved inside, she noticed the walls were at least six feet thick. Given the fact that she lost sight of the topmost battlement after twenty or so yards up, she was already impressed by the compound’s size.

  A squadron of soldiers dressed in form-fitting, gold-trimmed, dark gray uniforms stood in front of the portals. Their swords were drawn but pointed downward. She had seen Yulen’s troops use the same posture. It was meant to show they were prepared to use their weapons if they were provoked, but the visitors were welcome to enter as long as they didn’t cause any trouble. The battle lord here meant to make a statement before anyone entered his domain.

  Once they were within the compound’s interior, she gasped at their surroundings. The buildings were also made out of the same large earthen bricks. Furthermore, the structures rose upward, giant towers stacked skyward that boasted windows and ledges. If she was to assume that every row of windows was a different story, most of the buildings were five to seven stories tall.

  “Impressive,” a voice murmured to her left.

  “And imposing,” she responded.

  “Atty.”

  She tore her gaze away from the view and looked over at her second.

  “Sense anything?” he whispered under his breath.

  “No, but that doesn’t mean I feel at ease.”

  He threw her a concerned glance. “What do you mean?”

  She waved vaguely in the direction of the buildings. “This is very strange to me. That alone makes me uncomfortable.”

  Paxton looked over his shoulder, and she knew why. He was referring to Paas.

  “When you went east, and Paas found you, didn’t her village make you uncomfortable? Cole told me about what Yulen found there when he went searching for you. He told me how…different it was.” He leaned closer. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it. I mean, when you felt like talking.”