by Linda Mooney
The Mutah warrior sighed heavily and slowly shook his head. “I’m not certain, but I believe we’ve passed Barkertonville, and we might be close to Good Choice.”
“And Good Choice is, what? Half a day’s journey from Foster City, correct?”
“Correct.”
“So we’re approximately two days away from Alta Novis,” Mastin noted. “A lot can happen in two days.”
“Yulen, is there the possibility Atty will catch up with us before then?” Batuset questioned.
“I don’t know, Zane. I honestly can’t tell you. I know she’s not far behind us, but she’s following us blind. All she has to bring us together is our connection, and it’s hazy at best.” Yulen ran a hand through his hair. He was met with dried clods of mud and other debris, which he managed to comb out with his fingers. He’d used the mud to coat himself. It was meager protection against the dropping temperature, but it was better than nothing.
He started to say more when there came a definite disturbance. Bloods began moving about in what appeared to be disarray. Fires were doused, plunging everyone into darkness until their eyes could adjust to the gibbous moon.
Several Bloods rushed toward them, jerking them to their feet. Yulen winced against the treatment, against the abuse his body and muscles had taken. He and the others were re-tied together in single file, then roped to the back of his Palomino. A Blood tried to take the saddle but the stallion reared, refusing to allow the creature on it. Eventually, the Blood took the horse’s reins and led it back into formation.
“Guess beddy-bye is over,” Renken remarked loud enough for the others to hear.
“Any idea why we’re back on the trail?” Mastin asked.
“Isn’t it clear?” Balinkar answered. “I’m betting Atty’s getting too damn close for comfort.”
Reaching inside himself, Yulen sought that connection with his wife. In answer, a sweet warmth curled into his stomach, sending tendrils of comfort and hope through his body.
It was enough to give him the strength to continue onward.
Chapter 26
Demand
The hours that followed became a blur filled with unrelenting cold, pain, and growing numbness. At some point Mastin gave Yulen his socks to provide at least a meager amount of warmth and protection against the icy ground. The Bloods quickly stripped the Battle Lord of them, although they allowed him to keep the layer of mud he’d spread over his naked body. The few times they briefly stopped, his men huddled close to share as much of their own warmth as they could. Regardless, Yulen lost all feeling in his feet, and worse, in his hands as frostbite took over.
The Bloods also continued to deprive Yulen and his men of water and food, in addition to making them walk behind their own horses, instead of riding. So far, there hadn’t been any more of those brutal beatings imposed on him or the others, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be. It was clear Mink didn’t care how damaged her prisoners were, as long as they were alive when they arrived at Alta Novis. Because once Yulen turned over control to her, and allowed her and the Blood army to assume command, she’d have them killed.
They stopped again, and the men circled him as they huddled on the ground. Yulen noticed how Perrault was staring over the Battle Lord’s shoulder, off into the distance. His breath came out in misty clouds, miniature droplets of frozen ice clinging to the man’s beard and moustache. For the few minutes they were allowed to rest, Yulen studied the man’s expressions. There was something there. Observations, thoughts, planning—Yulen had seen those same silent mannerisms cross Atty’s face, as well as Fortune’s. He glanced over at Balinkar, who appeared to be gazing outward as well. When the men were forced to rejoin the line, Yulen found a way to maneuver himself next to the flat-faced Mutah.
“Your man, Perrault. He’s the quiet sort.”
A slow nod. “He makes up for it in other ways.”
“I noticed you and him watching something.”
Balinkar checked behind him before answering. “Something’s not right.”
“What do you mean?”
A slight shrug. “I can’t explain. Wish I could, but it’s too nebulous right now.”
“Is it dangerous?”
“Don’t know. Wait.”
Yulen stumbled. A Blood impatiently jerked on his ropes, and a groan involuntarily escaped Yulen’s throat. He was aware of his men’s worried stares but didn’t comment. He couldn’t let them know how much he was suffering. There was very little sustaining him at that moment, but that tiny amount had a name.
Atty.
Mastin suddenly jerked his head up. He seemed to study the area, then looked to Yulen. “Does this place look familiar to you?”
Yulen tried to focus on where they were, attempting to find a landmark or something he could relate to, but his mind was too fuzzed. “What are you saying, Cole?”
The second started to reply when the caravan came to another stop. But instead of spreading out as they usually did, everyone remained in line. Within moments, several Bloods rushed toward them and untied them from the horses. Yulen and the others were pulled further into the woods, or so he believed until he noticed a definite thinning. A couple of minutes later, they emerged from the forest to face a familiar structure several hundred meters away.
Although they were too far away to see individual people, he could tell the compound was already aware of their presence. From the corner of his eye, Yulen caught some movement. Looking to his left, he saw more Bloods lining along the edge of the forest like a long, inhuman fence. The same thing was happening to his right. It was a well-known and still effective tactic—make the enemy think the approaching force was bigger than it really was. From the compound, his soldiers wouldn’t know how deep into the woods the Bloods army was gathered. And there was no way he could tell them that every man in Mink’s battalion was standing plainly in front of them.
Or could he?
Another movement a few meters away came from the bushes, and a large litter emerged. Eight Bloods carried it on their shoulders. They stopped once they cleared the trees and lowered the covered cubicle. The dark curtains parted, and Mink emerged from its interior.
Eight Bloods. Yulen had never seen a litter carried by more than four men. It made him wonder how heavy the Blood leader was that required it to be hoisted by twice that number.
The woman proceeded to advance toward the compound, making her way slowly over the cleared ground. She gave a signal with one hand, and the Bloods surrounding Yulen and his men lowered their spears, prodding them in the back and buttocks. For a second Yulen debated grabbing one of the spears and turning it on the Bloods. The others would follow suit if he made the attempt, but in their weakened condition he knew they wouldn’t stand a chance. He would be subdued and allowed to live, however briefly, because Mink needed him to remain alive long enough to cede the fortress over to her. But the Bloods would have no compunction about killing the others outright, now that they’d finally reached Alta Novis.
Somehow, Yulen had to figure out a way to prevent him and his men from being killed. Neither could he forfeit his compound to the woman. Unable to fight the cold numbness in his body and mind, the only option he had left was to wait. He had always been good at making spur of the moment decisions. He prayed he was still capable of doing that.
They were pushed along to follow Mink as she drew closer to the compound. Yulen silently watched as their distance narrowed. They should be challenged soon. On top of the walls he noticed some of the men pointing their way. It wasn’t the Bloods that was causing the increase in activity. It was the sight of their Battle Lord and the others in his wake.
“Ho! Stop and identify!” a guard finally called out.
Mink motioned for Yulen and his men to be brought forward, then she took a stance behind them. Yulen bowed his head to keep her from noticing his amusement. If she thought she could use them as a shield to keep herself from being targeted, she was making a serious mistake. Atty had per
sonally trained the archers, and from what he’d observed, they were damn good.
“Open your gates and allow us to enter!” Mink’s voice carried clear in the winter air.
The guard responded immediately. “Identify yourself!”
“I am Mink. I am the Supreme Leader of the New People. Open your gates and allow us to enter!”
A voice Yulen identified as Basal Roth’s replied, “Your request is denied!”
Yulen was shoved forward, making him stand out. “This is your Battle Lord! Allow him to enter!”
Roth saw who Yulen was with. He saw their current state and the fact that they were prisoners. He also noticed Atty wasn’t with him. If Yulen had been presented dead, Roth would have announced a Code Blue, and the Bloods would have been shot on sight. But with the Battle Lord still alive, that left the man in charge of Alta Novis with exactly two possibilities. Yulen waited for his cue to give the command.
“We no longer recognize Yulen D’Jacques as our Battle Lord!” Roth proclaimed.
Mink hesitated. She hadn’t been prepared to hear that declaration, and it left her momentarily flustered. “Allow us entry, or we will begin killing our prisoners!” she called out.
“We do not allow entry for any enemy!” Roth shouted, calling her bluff.
“My people!” Mink moved between Yulen and Renken, holding out her arms as if presenting herself to the world. “My people, hear me! Hear me and take action now! Take command of this fortress in the name of your goddess!”
In that split second, Yulen realized she had changed the entire dynamics of this power play. His men were about to be attacked from within by people they’d thought were Mutah, and he had no idea how many that could entail.
“Code Blue! Code Blue, men! Roth, status Code Blue!” he managed to scream at the top of his voice before a heavy blow struck him across his shoulders and the side of his head. Yulen dropped to the ground just as four Bloods grabbed Dardin Tabb, dragged the struggling man off to the side, and proceeded to stab him to death with their spears.
Chapter 27
Surrender
Yulen fought to remain conscious. Faintly, he heard Batuset’s cries of anguish as Tabb’s screams grew fainter. When the Bloods were finished with the second, they calmly walked away from the body without a second glance.
He heard fighting on the ramparts as the Bloods which had infiltrated the ranks of his military battled against his trained soldiers. It soon became apparent that the skirmish would not last long. The Bloods were not capable of beating down men who had honed their skills for years. But he also had to acknowledge that he had no clue as to how many Bloods had insinuated themselves inside the compound. And given their ferocity, their smaller numbers could prevail.
He tried to find where Mink was standing. If he could make his way over to the woman, he hoped she would try to use him as a shield, thus singling her out for one of his archers to take out. Instead, he was met with a rush of Bloods as they dashed for the compound’s walls. The woman’s plan was apparent. She was taking advantage of the confusion going on inside the fortress to scale the battlements. But she was making a grave miscalculation. She expected her people to overwhelm his, and swiftly accomplish this coup, and it wasn’t turning out the way she’d planned. When Yulen finally caught sight of her, he could tell by the expression on her face that she was becoming aware of that fact.
Hands grabbed his arms, and someone began tugging on his ropes. Within seconds he was free of his restraints. Renken shoved a spear into his unfeeling hands. “Yulen, take this!” Somehow he managed to grasp it as the others worked their hands free and grabbed the closest weapon they could find to fight back.
In the distance he saw Mink being hoisted by several Bloods. She was fleeing the site, protecting her own hide by taking a position far away from the field of battle to watch the conclusion. Gritting his teeth, he hoisted the spear and tried to throw it, but his aim was way off, and it sailed harmlessly over the woman’s head. She turned to see where the weapon had come from and spotted him. Pointing at him, she screamed a command. He couldn’t hear what she said over the din, but he didn’t have to.
He barely managed to step aside as something whizzed by his head. Another spear missed him and fell onto the ground nearby. Yulen retrieved it just as a Blood with a sword tried to chop him down, swinging the heavy blade at a slant with both hands. Throwing up his arms, he blocked the weapon with the spear’s shaft, pivoted, and jammed the tip of the weapon into the creature’s chest. The impact jarred the spear out of his hands, but the force was enough to bring down the Blood.
Someone ran up behind him. Instinctively, he rolled onto the ground and reached for the spear, bringing it up in front of him. Mastin came to a sudden stop and grinned.
“Here. Thought you could use this.” He tossed a sword at Yulen. It hit the ground next to his head. It was the Battle Lord’s sword.
Mastin held out a hand to help him to his feet. Yulen managed to heft his weapon when he heard someone yell his name. Several feet away, Renken was pointing off to the side, in the direction of the compound. Yulen barely heard the ex-mercenary cry out, “They’re opening the gates!”, when another Blood rushed him. He swung his sword underhand in a last second attempt to ward the creature away. There was no strength behind it, but it connected, carving into the thing’s upper thigh. The Blood screeched, dropping its own short sword to reach for the blade still embedded in its leg. It grabbed the weapon, and a tug of war ensued. It was a brief struggle as the sharp blade sliced through several of its fingers. The Blood fell over, writhing in pain.
Del Ray ran past him, catching his attention. Yulen stared as the compound’s huge wooden doors slowly parted. His men would not have opened them. It was the first step every fortress took to keep it secured. A glance upward showed no one standing on the parapets, which meant his soldiers had all retreated down behind the walls to quell the uprising.
Yulen tried to run to the opening. If he could get inside, there was the chance he could get the gates closed. But his strength was draining away. His legs would no longer support him. His sword was nothing more than a hunk of metal weighing him down. With no food for the past two or three days, having to walk almost continuously for miles, and with the cold sapping all the heat from his naked body, he was on the verge of collapse. And he could not hide or deny it. If another Blood came after him, he wondered if he would even be able to defend himself from the attack.
The doors appeared to stop partway. Several figures ran from the compound and headed straight to where Mink and her group had paused. Yulen noticed them exchange words, then two of the creatures dashed back inside the fortress. He tried to make it to the gate before they could reach it, took two wobbly steps, and fell to the icy ground. Kneeling, his head bowed, Yulen fought the dizziness overtaking him.
How long he remained there was uncertain. The fighting continued around him. An attempt to spot Mastin, Renken, or any of the others failed. It was too difficult trying to remain conscious.
A shriek came from overhead. It was followed by a long, shrill scream, then a roar of laughter.
“Battle Lord D’Jacques!” a voice bellowed down to him. It was followed by another cry of fear, yet there was something about that cry that struck a chord of fear deep within his belly.
Yulen glanced up and over to find two figures standing at the wall. One of them held a small, struggling child over its head. A child that screamed again to be let go.
Mattox! They had Mattox.
“Mattox!” Yulen tried to get to his feet, but his legs refused to move. Helpless, he watched as several Bloods ran to the side of the wall and positioned themselves directly beneath the men standing on the wall. They held the tips of their weapons pointed upward. It was clear they planned to impale the child before he hit the dirt.
“Battle Lord D’Jacques!” This time it was Mink calling out to him. He managed to turn his head to see her slowly advancing toward him, a sickening smile on her
face. Yulen glanced around to find most of her battalion lying dead or dying on the ground. Mastin and the others had paused where they were scattered to watch the events unfolding, hesitant to proceed to overtake the woman for fear of what could happen.
“Battle Lord D’Jacques! I have possession of your son!”
“Let him go!” Yulen roared with what little strength he had left.
“I will let him go on one condition!” The woman smirked. “Give me your compound.”
Yulen glanced up to see Mattox staring down at him. The child’s unique eyes were dark red with anger and frustration. At the same time, the little boy appeared to be quaking in the Blood’s grip as they held him precariously over the side of the wall. If Yulen challenged Mink, she would order the boy to be thrown the thirty foot down to the hard-packed earth where the Bloods would do the same to Mattox as they’d done to Dardin Tabb, and stab him to death with their spears.
He looked over to where Mastin stood. The man was heaving from the exertion. They may have won the battle outside the compound, but they were far from winning the war.
Atty. Her face floated inside his head. If he could hang on long enough for Atty to help him rally the troops, there was the chance their son and Alta Novis could be saved. Mink knew she’d found his Achilles’ heel by using Mattox as her main bargaining chip.
Taking his sword, he shoved it point-down into the ground and used the weapon to help lever himself into a standing position. Facing the compound, he lifted his face to the Bloods holding his son.
“I, Yulen D’Jacques, do hereby cede this compound to Mink and her troops!”
For a split-second Yulen wondered if the Bloods would go ahead and drop Mattox. It would not be beyond their nature to do so. He trembled as he continued to stare up at the young boy who no longer struggled, and prayed.
Just as his legs were about to give way again, the Bloods took Mattox back over the side of the wall and retreated. Several Bloods scurried out of the gates and quickly took Yulen and his men prisoners again before marching them inside the compound.