Their Battle Lord's Sacrifice (The Battle Lord Saga Book 7)
Page 2
“Bloods!”
They pushed their mounts as they tried to stay ahead of the grotesque mutants that were coming toward them through the trees perpendicular to the road the caravan was following. Yulen remained even with Atty as she protected their daughter. With both hands occupied, she was unable to draw her bow and arrow, leaving him to be her first line of defense.
The horses pounded the road. As Mastin veered off into the trees, the animals were given their heads to stampede after him. Limbs and leaves whipped their arms and legs, but the steeds never faltered. It wasn’t long before the outer wall of the Mutah compound came into view and more shouting could be heard coming from behind and above the buttresses. The two huge wooden doors slowly cranked open to let them in.
Yulen pulled away from the others to watch Atty vanish inside the fortress. Soldiers continued to fly past, leaping from their mounts and running toward the battlements to take a stance. The Battle Lord continued to remain at the side of the gates, sword at ready, and made sure everyone got inside safely. At the same time he kept his eyes peeled for signs of the horde, but never spotted any. The creatures seemed to have vanished into the trees. Mastin and Paxton swiftly joined him and also pointed out that fact.
“Where are they?”
“They’re out there. Somewhere,” Yulen swore.
When the last of the caravan disappeared inside the compound, the doors began to ponderously swing shut. Yulen and the two seconds slowly backed inside, still keeping a watch out for the enemy until the portals were firmly shut and secured.
Unexpectedly, the doors stopped moving with a jolt, swaying slightly. Jumping off his horse, Yulen rushed to see what was keeping them from closing. Mastin and Paxton, along with two Mutah sentries, also ran outside the gates to check out the problem.
“It’s the rope!” one of the sentries yelled from overhead. “The rope’s tangled!”
“Untie it from the anchor!” Yulen yelled back. He stared at the knot that had somehow been entangled in the thick hemp, keeping the cable from passing through the rings and allowing the doors to close. From where he stood, he couldn’t reach the obstruction and hack it apart to free the doors, but the sentry could. As the Mutah used his sword to cut the rope, Yulen and the two seconds stood inside the narrow opening.
Yulen remained tense, nervous. The hair stood up on his head. The woods before them were unusually quiet. Not even a bird made a sound, having fled the trees. Behind them came the heavy thunks of the sentry cutting through the thick cable.
Where are they? How far behind are they?
“They’re out there,” Paxton mentioned in a low voice. “I can almost feel them myself.”
“It’s done! The rope’s cut!”
Paxton and a sentry grabbed one door, Mastin and the other sentry took the other one, and together they started pushing on the doors to close them. Yulen remained outside until there was only enough room for him to slip inside.
Someone screamed from overhead. At the same time, nearly a dozen Bloods burst from the cover of the forest and rushed the front entrance. It was a massive, silent assault, bent on taking them by surprise.
Yulen raised his sword, prepared to fight the onslaught. One Blood in a dirty red vest came right at him, a tree limb in its hand. Without warning, the Blood dove into the dirt, face first, skidding several feet before coming to a stop. Two more Bloods scrambled to take its place when they also dropped to their knees unexpectedly. This time Yulen noticed the feathered tips of an arrow piercing each face. He braced himself for the next onslaught when hands grabbed him by the back of the shirt and pants, and literally jerked him backwards, through the narrowed opening just as the doors came together.
Breathing heavily, he glanced up at the catwalk to see Atty smiling down at him. She blew him a kiss, then turned her attention back to the attack to continue the fight. Yulen smiled and went to find the ladder to join her.
Chapter 3
Attempts
“Is it true this is the fifth time Bloods have approached the compound?” Twoson Pike inquired of the other two councilmen who were included in their meeting.
Veebrion nodded, his fleshy tentacles bouncing around his neck, and held up a seven-fingered hand with two fingers bent. “Five times, yes.”
“But they’ve never tried to breach the walls?” Yulen tried to clarify.
“No. They’ve come right up to it, but they haven’t tried to climb it or break through it.”
“What about your side gates? Those entrances your hunters use to exit and enter?”
“They’ve pounded on them. That’s about all,” Malso answered.
Atty shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense. Why would they continue to threaten to attack but never follow through?”
“There has to be an ulterior motive to this method,” Yulen remarked. “All that posturing must be a precursor to something bigger.”
“I agree,” Atty responded. “But the question is what? In all the times we’ve fought Bloods, when they’ve attacked, it’s been all-out. Sometimes they try little individual attacks, trying to seek out our weaknesses, but what just happened out there was nothing like that.”
Yulen nodded. “The question is, what are they planning? And they are planning something. I have no doubt about that. Twoson, do your men have any idea as to the size of this group?”
The Mutah councilman traded looks with the other two councilmen who were present. None of them appeared to have a clue.
“Do you know if any other compounds have been attacked?” Atty asked.
“No. We’ve tried to send runners out, but none of them have returned,” Veebrion replied.
Zane Batuset, Battle Lord of Foster City, spoke up. “When did the Bloods first appear? When was the first attack?”
“Sixteen days ago,” Malso told them.
“Same kind of attack?”
“Exactly the same kind,” Veebrion answered. “Our hunters noticed the eerie silence first and alerted our soldiers. Then the Bloods attacked, never screaming or yelling like they normally do.” A shudder went through him, sending the tentacles writhing again. “I’d rather hear them coming than have to endure this kind of sneak attack.”
Yulen scratched the scar on the side of his face. A quick side glance at his wife showed she was thinking the same thing as he was. Behind her, Keelor rocked Mistelle. The woman appeared to be mesmerized by the conversation. He also noticed Paxton standing strategically between Atty and her sister.
Atty shifted on the bench where she sat and bent over to rest her elbows on her knees as she addressed the councilmen. “When we were in Rocky Gorge, we became aware of a plot by the battle lord. He said he’d sent several sick and infected Mutah and Normals to outlying compounds, in the hope others would come down with illness. He planned to decimate their populations, especially the Mutah. I didn’t see a quarantine flag flying on your staff when we approached, yet we’re certain Wallis was targeted.”
“We were,” Malso revealed. “Several people came down with a flu-like condition. Fortunately, Gilter was able to inoculate us in time to prevent it from spreading.”
Twoson turned to Yulen. “Remember, we Mutah are a hardier bunch than Normals. We don’t get sick as often, and we heal faster.”
“As I well know,” Yulen agreed, glancing over at his wife. He sat up straighter. “I remember people coming down with what we believed were minor colds right before we left for Oka City. By the time we reached Rocky Gorge, several of us were ill, including myself. We were fortunate that Twoson arrived in time with Gilter’s medicants and instructions. Otherwise, neither I nor Atty, nor any others may have survived.”
Malso snorted. “Most Normals fail to realize how different our physique is. What may be a plague for Normals may be a relatively minor sickness to us, and vice versa.”
“So you suffered no casualties as a result of the infection?” he asked the councilman.
“No.”
“What about injurie
s due to the Bloods attacking?” Mastin interjected.
“Thankfully, only seven were wounded, one seriously, but Gilter says he should recover quickly,” Veebrion told him.
“They have spears. Real spears.”
Yulen blinked in surprise at Malso’s remark. “They have weapons?”
Atty held up her hands. “Wait a minute. Other than makeshift knives, Bloods don’t use anything more sophisticated than clubs and rocks.”
“Then someone’s taught them or convinced them to upgrade.”
Batuset turned to the Battle Lord. “Which means someone could be coordinating these attacks. Someone has to be behind their change in attack methods, including using more sophisticated weaponry.”
“Which means we have to find who is responsible,” Atty concluded.
“True, but my biggest concern right now is whether or not the Bloods have targeted, or are currently targeting other compounds. If whoever is behind this is able to strategize, then there’s the possibility he’s also formulating other plans.”
“We need to get back to Alta Novis with all speed,” Mastin remarked.
Atty laid a hand on Yulen’s arm to get his attention. Worry and fear creased her face. “Our men are well-trained, but we’re returning with fewer troops than when we left to go to the summit in Rocky Gorge. We have no idea how many Bloods are out there. Worse, we don’t know if the person behind these attacks has divided up his numbers to make us think there aren’t that many.”
“What are you talking about?” Malso asked.
“I counted around thirty, perhaps forty Bloods when they attempted to ambush us,” Atty explained. “In reality, there could be thousands out there. There could hundreds sent to surround and keep other compounds on guard. We. Don’t. Know.” She emphasized each word.
Twoson held out his hands. “And we have no way of finding out, other than to send out a scout, which we’ve done without success.”
“D’Jacques.” A voice broke into the discussion. Yulen glanced across the circle to where Renken sat. Instead of addressing the Battle Lord again, the man looked at Twoson. “You said you’ve sent a couple of runners to check out other compounds?”
The Mutah nodded. “Four to four separate compounds. None have returned.”
“How long ago? Maybe there hasn’t been enough time for them to get back,” Atty suggested.
Malso turned to her. “We sent Omaris nearly two weeks ago. Suraheff left two days later. Jaga left last week, and Puraldo the day before yesterday. But Omaris and Suraheff have had more than enough time to reach West Crestin and Delphine, and return.”
Atty lowered her head. “Then something’s happened to them,” she softly conceded.
“Frankly, I find this all too coincidental,” Renken drawled. “First we’re lured to a summit where several battle lords were planning to kill us in order to bring about the end to all the activity regarding the treaties between Mutah and Normals. Then old Highcliff sends germ-carrying people to the attending compounds to commit genocide. And then the Bloods begin attacking right about the time those fortresses should be at their weakest due to the proliferation of the sickness.”
Yulen blinked at the timeline as Batuset softly swore. “Apparently the scope of this is wider than we expected.”
“Yep. Someone’s been a busy little beaver getting everything coordinated,” the ex-mercenary quipped.
“Thank the heavens we’ve managed to dodge the worst of it,” Paxton remarked. “But the real question is, how long can we keep doing it? Sooner or later, we have to get abreast and on top of this if we have any chance of stopping it.”
Renken motioned to Yulen. “We can’t risk trying to get to Alta Novis with everyone. And sending one or two individuals on their own practically guarantees the same results as before. However, I think a small, well-armed and well-trained squadron might make it.”
Atty shot a look at Yulen that he immediately recognized. Her hackles were already rising at the thought that he could be considering leaving her here and going it alone. He held up a hand in an attempt to stay her protests, but failed.
“If we go, we all go,” she challenged him before he could speak. Her words were clipped, her face flushed.
Getting to his feet, he snagged her by the arm and led her several meters away from the others where they could talk in private. Atty jerked her arm away and took a stance in front of him that he recognized. She was going to stand her ground, no matter what he had to say. Knowing that telling her no would only enflame the issue, Yulen tried a different tactic.
“Atty, I want you to go with me. I would give anything if you could, but we have a daughter who needs you right now. She needs your milk. She needs your nurturing and your protection.” He pointed away from them, indicating outside the compound. “I cannot bear the thought of taking our daughter out of the safety of this fortress, and her possibly landing in the hands of those creatures. You know as well as I do what they would do to her, and more than likely do it in our presence where we can’t do a thing to stop them.” He shook his head vehemently and allowed her to see the tears rising in his eyes as his imagination played a scenario too horrendous to ignore. “You know I have to get to Alta Novis, if for no other reason than to make sure Mattox and the others are safe.”
Tears also rose in her eyes. One escaped to rest on the edge of her lashes. “Do you remember the last time we argued like this? Because you needed to leave to defend Bearinger? Do you remember what we went through because of that?”
He bowed his head, remembering how the Bloods had swarmed the compound, slaughtering nearly everyone there, then taking him and the few remaining survivors with them to torture, kill, and eat.
“You barely survived,” Atty continued in a soft voice. “I nearly lost you and our son.”
She spoke the truth. She’d been in the last trimester of her pregnancy with Mattox, and had gone into premature labor after rescuing her husband and his men.
“What do you suggest then? That I send several of my men without me? What kind of battle lord would I be? My men depend on me. They look to me for guidance and strength. If I bow out, what will that tell them? What will it do to their morale?”
Her eyes narrowed again. “Are you saying you think your men will think less of you if you stayed behind?”
“If I stayed behind, who would lead the squad? Cole? Warren? Someone of lesser rank? Atty, do you want to risk sending those men out there to face the Bloods on their own?”
“They’ve done it before. They’re excellent warriors.”
“Yes, they are, and they have. But say they reach Alta Novis and need to make decisions about protecting the compound. What if representatives are there from other compounds begging for help?”
“I trust both of them would make sound decisions.”
“So would I, but the point I’m trying to make is this. I am the Battle Lord. It is my duty to lead my men, no matter the circumstances, no matter the possible outcome. I have never, never shirked that duty, and I do not plan to start now.”
“You would leave me behind? Again?” Her voice was trembling.
Reaching up, he cupped her cheek, wiping away the tear that now trailed across her skin with his thumb. “If you remain here, you will be in charge of protecting Wallis. You are the Battle Lady. This compound is under our protection. I am leaving you here to keep this compound safe, to keep your people safe, and to keep our daughter safe while I go check on our son and home and friends. Will you do that for me, Atrilan? Will you keep those closest to my heart safe and secure so I won’t have to worry about them? So I can turn my full attention to what needs to be done?”
She sniffed as she blinked away more tears. After another moment or two, she turned her face to kiss his palm and pressed his hand closer. “Although we will be miles apart, I will know how you are. I will know if you fall beneath the Bloods. I will know. And when that happens—”
“If it happens,” he hurried to correct her.
>
“If it happens, nothing will stop me from coming for you, exactly as I did when they overtook Bearinger. That is my condition.”
Stepping closer to her, he took her face in both hands and kissed her. “I accept your condition,” he murmured against her moist lips.
When she reached up to draw him closer, Yulen gathered her within his arms to kiss her again, not caring what the others waiting and watching them thought. Atty’s word was one of the most precious things in this world, and with her promise he could now concentrate on what the coming days would bring.
Chapter 4
Fresh Start
Every torch was lit. The fire pit was aflame, radiating heat throughout the center of the compound as the scent of cooking meat filled the air. The musicians were tuning up their instruments to begin playing. A large section of ground had been cleared to one side of the stage to accommodate dancers. Diad Murphy had already set up his stand underneath one of the large oak trees to sell his potent lemon verbossa. People scurried to and from their houses as they got ready for the celebration.
Atty sat under one of the trees where her tent was erected and watched the preparations. Wallis had several reasons to rejoice. Along with Keelor’s return, and the birth of Atty and Yulen’s Mutah daughter, they delighted in having the Battle Lord and Lady back in their midst. With Yulen’s armed soldiers to help protect them, they could lower their level of fear and apprehension against further Blood attacks.
A movement in the distance drew her attention. She noticed that, in addition to the regular guards situated along the compound walls, Yulen had added his own soldiers, doubling the number on duty. At the moment everything looked to be under control, although they all knew the merrymaking could potentially draw the Bloods back to the compound.
Closing her eyes, Atty centered herself. She was aware of where her husband was in the general area. She could tell he was worried, and she knew why. Come morning he, Batuset, Mastin, and seven more hand-picked men would be leaving, hoping to make their way initially to Foster City. There they would reinforce their ranks with men from Batuset’s military before continuing on to Alta Novis.