by Linda Mooney
A tall maple provided a perch for the night, but the wolfen never let him forget it was camped nearby. Unable to sleep except in fits and starts, the boy sat in a fork near the top of the tree, trembling from the cold and fear. All night long the wolfen howled at the half moon as it waited for its next meal to come back down to the ground.
Sometime before dawn, the animal had left. But he knew it wasn’t gone for good. Quickly, Case climbed down out of the tree and started running again. He hoped that this time his sense of direction hadn’t lied to him.
He used his head now, recalling little tricks he had overheard other soldiers and hunters discussing. Like peeing in a crop of bushes in a direction he wasn’t going so that the animal would spend valuable time searching the wrong trail. Then there was the stream bed, where he traversed in the water several hundred feet along the waterline before angling out on the opposite side. Unfortunately the wolfen had managed to catch wind of him with its sensitive nose, and for the last few minutes Case had heard it growling as it advanced on him.
There was no more fight left in him. He was hungry and in need of something to drink. His legs felt like pudding. It would be a miracle if he managed to hoist himself back up another tree, but then what would he do? The animal wouldn’t let him out of its sight this next time. It would stay until he either jumped out on his own, or fell out from exhaustion.
Each step was like dragging his feet through a soggy swamp. His lungs were on fire inside his chest, and his heart was hammering so hard the thunder of blood inside his ears was deafening.
Behind him the wolfen barked as it casually pursued him. It had become a simple game of letting the prey tire itself out before pouncing on it. Case knew the tactic as well as the animal did as he swatted aside a tier of tall ferns. There was no more stealth in his running. No use in trying to stay low or quiet. He was too far gone to take any more precautions. The wolfen had won, yet the boy was damned it he’d make it easy on the creature.
The toe of his boot caught a tree root sticking up through the soil. He lurched, then tumbled face-first into the loamy soil with a hard thud. Fingers scrabbled for the only weapon he had left, the thin knife laced at his hip. Dragging it out of its sheath, he managed to prop his elbows underneath him and slowly raised his head—
—to find a pair of boots bracing his shoulders.
Slowly he lifted his eyes, following the line of the leg in the stained gray pants. A curvy leg, his muddled mind managed to distinguish. Before he could find where the legs came together he caught the edge of a bow, its string pulled back so far that the edges were bent. Case blinked and opened his mouth to ask—
“Shh.”
His mouth suddenly closed with a snap.
“Don’t…move,” a soft voice barely whispered where he could hear it.
His overused muscles trembled. As relief washed over him, the boy buried his nose back into the loam and waited. Behind him he could hear the oncoming rush of the wolfen as it realized it was nearing its prey. Nearing the end of the hunt.
“When I say to, scoot through between my legs and run like hell. Can you do that?”
It was a woman’s voice. Unable to stop shaking, Case still was able to nod to show he understood, although he doubted if he had any strength left in order to do as he was told.
He opened his eyes and barely turned his head in both directions to see her feet. There was enough room for him to go between them if he angled slightly.
There was a movement of brush behind him. He could both see and sense the woman’s tightening of her stance.
“Whatever happens, Case, don’t look back and don’t stop until you reach the compound. Understand me?”
The boy took a gulp of air. It was Atty. Atty had come for him. And now she was going to stop the wolfen from taking him. He gave another nod.
“Stay south. You’re about a mile away. Lieutenant Paxton isn’t far away. He’ll guide you safely back to the compound.”
He could tell she was tensing. Behind him he could hear the animal breathing heavily, whuffing in loud puffs. A low growl rumbled in its throat like soft thunder.
“Go.”
He leaped forward, sliding between her legs before scrambling to his feet and taking off. The last sounds he heard was the twang of a bowstring and a shrill scream—whether from the wolfen or from Atty, he couldn’t tell, but he wasn’t going to stop and go back to investigate. The Battle Lady had told him to not stop. He wasn’t going to make her sacrifice worthless by disobeying her order.
Where the extra burst of strength came from, he had no idea. All he knew was that he was on his last reserves when he plowed through the thick brush and suddenly burst into a small clearing. A hand grabbed him by his vest and hauled him underneath a thicket of brambles.
“At-…Atty…” Case gulped for air as the soldier glared down at him.
“Where is she?” the man demanded, but not harshly.
“Wolf-…wolfen.”
Paxton understood immediately. “You were being stalked by a wolfen?” At the boy’s frantic nod, he added, “Atty’s taking on the wolfen by herself?”
Another nod.
Paxton hesitated, his indecision clearly etched on his face. At any moment, the man would either take him to the safety of the compound, or leave it up to Case to return alone while he went after the Battle Lady. Still shaking with fear, Case managed to stammer, “She said…you would take me…h-home.”
The man frowned. Although it was indirect, it was still a direct order from the Battle Lady. She needed her Second to make sure the child was safely returned to Alta Novis. But it didn’t make his final decision come easy.
“Come on. Can you walk?” Grabbing the boy by the scruff, Paxton lifted him to his feet and set out for the compound. But they had gone less than a dozen yards when Case collapsed in exhaustion. Wordlessly, Paxton lifted the boy into his arms and started running. The sooner he got the kid back home, the sooner he could go back into the woods to help Atty.
Forcing himself to keep a steady pace, Paxton soon broke out into the open. Alta Novis lay directly ahead of him. From this position he could see the practice fields to his left and the open gates to his right. A sharp pain in his side and shoulder reminded him of what he had endured from the Bloods after the Massacre at Bearinger, and let him know he was pushing himself to his own limits. If he wasn’t careful, he wouldn’t be of any use to Atty or the Battle Lord.
Lowering Case to his feet, Paxton helped him half-walk, half-stumble toward the compound. There was a shout from the guards walking the parapet. A minute later he could see several people running toward them. At that moment, the boy’s body went limp. The child’s legs would no longer hold him, and his feet would not take another step. Paxton reached for him as Case slumped to the ground, still conscious but totally drained.
“Oh, God! Case! Case! Talk to me! Are you all right? Oh, God!”
It was his mother, reaching him first while others ran toward them from the compound. Grabbing her son, she held him tightly against her as she rocked back and forth. Crying and saying his name over and over.
“I’m all right, Mom. Just tired,” he managed to muffle against her chest. The boy closed his eyes, knowing he was finally safe. Knowing it was okay to stop running. To stop being afraid.
Paxton backed away and bent over with his hands on his thighs as he dipped into an inner well, hoping for a few more bits of energy to go back in after Atty. A large hand grasped his shoulder, and he glanced up into the Battle Lord’s face.
“She’s still in there,” he managed.
Yulen turned to the child. “Case. Look at me.” It was an authoritative voice. One the boy knew well. The Battle Lord could see fear uncurling inside the young man as he lifted his face to see Yulen bending over him and his mother. “Case, did you see Atty?”
He nodded. “Uh-huh. Sh-she found me. She told me to run.”
Yulen glanced up at the place where they had emerged from the woods. “Wh
ere is she?”
Case shook his head. “A wolfen was chasing me. Almost got me, too. She was facing it down when she told me to run.”
A strange look came over the Battle Lord’s face. “Did you see her fire at it?” he asked in a tight voice.
“No, Sir. I heard her firing. And I heard something scream. But that was all. She told me not to look back, so I didn’t.”
Danna hugged her son more tightly. “I was so worried about you.”
“I’m fine now, Mom. But Atty’s still back there.” The boy looked up at the big man looking worriedly at the tree line. “She said the compound was south, about a mile away. I ran all the way until the Lieutenant found me.”
“A mile?” Yulen glanced at Paxton for verification.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Sir, I’m going back in to see if I can find her,” Paxton said.
The Battle Lord shook his head. His red-gold hair hung loose over his shoulders. A breeze blew it away from his face.
“No. Let’s give her a little while to make it back by herself.”
“But, Sir, what if she’s injured and needs our help?”
The look Yulen shot the man was enough to make Paxton take a step back in surprise. “One hour, Warren. If she hasn’t returned in one hour, we’ll take a squad in after her.” He looked down where Danna continued to clutch her son. “I’m glad to know you made it back in one piece, son,” he said softly. “Next time, though, take a buddy with you, or wait until you’re a bit older.”
“I’m sixteen, Sir,” Case snapped back peevishly.
A partial smile creased one corner of Yulen’s face. The side without the deep scar. “How well I remember my sixteenth year. But, trust me, Mr. Abalam. You’re not seasoned enough to go off hunting on your own so far from the compound, much less to the east. Heed my order. Take a buddy, or give it another couple of years.”
Making an abrupt about-face, Yulen headed back for the compound with the three soldiers following in his wake. Danna helped her son to his feet before they did the same.
Chapter Nine
Scratches
Half an hour had barely crawled by when Yulen decided not to wait any longer. It wasn’t like Atty to take this long to return to the compound, especially if she hadn’t gone out specifically to hunt. She had found the boy and sent him packing. Surely she would have followed him back as soon as she could to make sure he had made it.
He threw down his pencil and got up from the table where the paperwork he had been putting off lay scattered. He hadn’t taken a half dozen steps toward the big double doors of the main lodge when Paxton entered the room and spotted him. Yulen felt his skin tighten as if someone had stretched it over his bones when the Second hurried toward him.
“Atty?”
“Just cleared the barrier. I sent Mastin for Dr. MaGrath.”
Yulen was running at that news. Atty was back but injured. Otherwise Paxton wouldn’t have had a reason to send for the doctor.
His feet pounded the dry ground as he ran through the main street leading from the main dining hall to the front gates. Already he could see the agitation in his men as they learned the seriousness of what had happened. Gossip ran like lightning through the troops. Rumors spread like wildfire. Yulen would bet that every man knew of the Abalam boy’s rescue and Atty’s delayed return by now.
His first reaction was one of cautious relief when he saw her. She hadn’t come far into the clearing. She was less than a dozen yards from the forest edge, but his sixth sense immediately knew something was wrong. She was standing still and tilting slightly to the right. It was as if she was waiting for him to catch up. Splotches of blood covered her from head to foot. Yulen prayed it wasn’t hers. Several soldiers had already caught up with her but were waiting to the side, ringing her in a semi-circle of protection. They knew the Battle Lord would want to see to her personally. They were only there to provide backup.
“Atty? Are you okay?”
A thin smile creased her lips even though the rest of her face appeared separated from the expression. One blood-stained arm lifted to show him the long furry tail she had confiscated from her kill. “Give this to Case. He earned it.”
She started to reach out to give it to him, taking a step toward her husband, when her legs buckled. Yulen caught her before she hit the ground. A soft expletive passed her lips, and she closed her eyes. He could feel her muscles relax as she went totally limp.
A wetness covered his hands at the same time his fingers felt the shredded tunic. Her clothing was saturated in gore, but the stuff he was feeling was still warm. Too damn warm if she had killed the wolfen nearly an hour ago. Behind her he could see one of the solders blanch at the sight. Hoisting her into his arms, the Battle Lord rushed to take her back into the compound where the physician would be expecting them.
*
She could tell she was lying on a table. On her stomach, no less. Atty winced. Damn thing was too hard, especially with her right cheek mashed into the unyielding surface. Adding to her misery was the fact that her overly-full breasts were protesting like crazy, reminding her she was past due feeding Mattox.
She was tired. Way more tired that she thought she would be. But going after that wolfen had forced her to use muscles she had gotten lax in using. So she had no one to blame but herself. She needed to get back into shape, and soon, or else next time she wouldn’t be so lucky.
A blanket was draped over her. Actually, it was draped over her bottom. It’s softness felt comforting. She could wriggle her toes, meaning someone had undressed her. A nice cold compress was on her back, and more than likely one of Liam’s salves was slathered on it, too. Atty sighed at the lack of pain, knowing it was temporary.
At the sound of her sigh the physician was in her line of sight. The turned down corner of his mouth and the lowered eyebrows over his brown eyes were a sign of disapproval she was familiar with. “How do you feel?” he asked in a very business-like tone.
“Other than the fact that my boobs are about to burst and my back might look like raw hamburger, I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine, Atty,” he started to argue when another face blocked him from view. A face that loomed closer.
“What happened, Atty?”
Oh, great. Either she was going to get chewed out, or she was going to get a lecture. She might as well be unconscious. Briefly she wondered if she might be able to fake it.
“Don’t take that tone of voice with me, Yulen. I hurt and I don’t feel like listening to it. I thought the damn thing was dead and I turned my back on it, all right? My mind was on the boy. I was worried about him getting back safely.” Raising questioning eyes to her husband, Atty added, “He did get back okay, didn’t he?”
Yulen nodded. “Regardless, that was a stupid stunt, turning your back without finalizing the kill.”
“If it had been any other animal, it would have been dead. I’m sorry. You’re right. It was a stupid stunt. I’d stopped thinking like a hunter and started thinking like a mother.”
She watched as Yulen’s gaze roamed over her back. Gently he brushed her shoulder-length hair to one side, then lifted the edge of the poultice. She saw him wince.
“No backpacking for a while?”
“Atty, I ought to spank your butt. I don’t know whether to punish you, or get down on my knees and thank God you’re going to be okay.”
“I have a better idea.” Holding out a hand, she waited until he took it in his own warm, calloused hand. He pressed a quick kiss to her fingers, and the look of love and relief on his face made her heart do a somersault.
“What’s that?” he murmured.
“Bring me Mattox so I can nurse him. Then I’ll take whatever foul-tasting medicine I know Liam’s over there concocting for me.”
Rolling his eyes, Yulen yielded to the physician’s expertise. “When do you think she’ll be fit enough to be moved to the lodge?”
Walking over to the couple, the doctor made a face as he
thought. “I need to keep an eye on her overnight, just to make sure I cleaned out those scratches thoroughly. If I don’t see any signs of infection, I’ll turn her over to you in the morning.” He gave Atty a thinly-veiled look of irritation. “You’re not a teenager anymore, bluebell. You lost a lot of blood out there, and your body had just gotten over the loss you suffered when you had Mattox. Another incident like that, and you’re going to go into shock. If that happens, there’s no medicine, mine or Mutah, that will be able to help you.”
He leaned closer. “I don’t have to tell you this. You know from now on you’re going to need to take even greater precautions whenever you go out. It’s not just Yulen anymore who needs you.”
Closing her eyes, she nodded as she swallowed around the lump in her throat. It hadn’t taken her long to realize how out of touch with the forest she had become since her son’s birth. Her stamina had withered, not to mention her agility. The only thing that hadn’t been affected was her ability, thank heavens.
Or was it? She was beginning to doubt. The single shot to the wolfen’s brain through its eye should have put it down permanently. At least it appeared it had done its job when the animal thrashed and squirmed before finally coming to a weakened halt.
If only she hadn’t turned her back on it and just stood there as she thought about the boy. If only she had turned and started walking back to the compound instead of just standing there next to the body.
A shudder ran through her as memory reminded her of the black pain that had torn through her when the wolfen had swiped its paw across her back in one last desperate attempt to punish its executioner.
She felt a kiss on her cheekbone. Atty opened her eyes as Yulen released her hand and left to fetch their son. That left her with nothing but empty air to talk to, although she could hear the doctor somewhere behind her making rattling sounds.
“Liam?”
“Yeah?” He was at the other side of the table, but she didn’t have the energy at the moment to turn her head in the other direction.