The Battle Lord Saga 02 - Her Battle Lord's Desire (13 page)

sat her next to the brazier before disappearing into the back momentarily. He soon returned with

a dry towel and began to briskly rub the circulation back into her body.

Silently he removed her tunic and dried her off, finally wrapping her in the towel’s

warmth. Next he began to undo the buttons on her pants. Atty lay back and quietly allowed him

to minister to her as she shivered from the cold. She couldn’t speak, not when her teeth chattered

so loudly.

Sliding her pants off, he drew up a blanket and pulled it around her. When she was tucked

in, he strode back to the rear of the tent and returned with another towel. This time he began to

dry himself off.

Atty watched him strip. She drank in the sight of his naked body, something she hadn’t

studied in a long time. He had a beautiful body, with strong, muscular arms and a wide chest.

Fine golden-red hairs covered his chest, and a thin line of them ran down past his navel before

spreading in an amber gold halo around his penis that, even when not aroused, was impressive.

His thighs were equally muscular, his legs long. It was easy to see he got his height from his legs.

There were several small, whitish scars along his ribcage, and a few longer ones on his

thighs and upper arms. Not to mention the really ugly one on his lower back. Battle wounds,

now healed and almost forgotten. Yulen had once told her his proudest scars were the ones she

gave him whenever her nails dug into his back. At first she’d been taken aback at the realization

she’d drawn blood during their most passionate moments. Later he had made her promise never

to hold back on his account.

When he finished drying off, he crawled underneath the blankets with her and drew her

into his embrace to share body heat. Quietly she rested with her head in the hollow of his

shoulder until her shivering abated and she could no longer keep her eyes open.

Vaguely she could feel his breathing slow. It gave her hope, knowing he was staying the

night with her. Touching her. Holding her. Caring for her.

No sound from outside the tent permeated their sanctum. The lanterns’ lights above them

had been dimmed to where she felt like she was suspended in a warm, gentle bath. The sound of

his beating heart gave her a sense of security she hadn’t felt in days.

Nuzzling his throat, she kissed it tenderly as she sank into sleep. But not before she heard

him murmur huskily against her temple, “I believe you.”

It was all she needed to hear.

Dimly she could sense his fingers combing through her hair, untangling the knots left in it

from the night before. The feel of his gentle ministrations lifted her from the depths of sleep, and

Atty reveled in the cocoon of warmth surrounding her. Smiling wistfully, she stretched against his

length, and realized he had buffered himself from her with one of the soft blankets.

His fingers continued to play with her tresses. Atty gave a little purr of pleasure.

“The sooner we get on the road, the sooner we can reach Wallis,” he whispered, adding a

tender kiss to the tip of her nose. It tickled, making her giggle.

“I embarrassed you last night, didn’t I?” she asked him in a small voice. “I’m sorry.”

“Actually, I think you embarrassed my men more than me. I know for a fact Fortune and

Bertrand looked dumbstruck.”

Opening her eyes, she saw the face of her husband less than a foot away. He was lying on

his side, resting his head in the propped-up palm of his hand. In the single lantern light remaining,

his eyes were almost silver in color.

Lifting his hand from her hair, he traced the contours of her face with the back of his

fingers. “Will you tell me soon what’s been going on, Atrilan?”

She nodded, licking her lips. “I promise. Soon.”

Her answer satisfied him. Leaning over, he teased her lips with his, forcing her to roll

over closer in order to claim their first good morning kiss in days. Sighing contentedly, she

watched him kick off the coverings and get to his feet. As usual, a clean set of clothes was sitting

just inside the door flap. Tossing hers on the warm spot he’d just vacated, he began to dress.

“I’m going to order the tent razed the moment I step outside,” he warned her with a grin.

“You wouldn’t!” she dared, eyes widening. However, by the tilt of his head and the

twinkle in his eye, she knew he was serious. Scrambling out from beneath the blankets, she

hurried to get ready.

Yulen chuckled and left the tent, emerging into what promised to be a bright fall day. Not

far away, MaGrath was tying his bedroll over the back of his saddle. The physician glanced his

way.

“No need to thank me,” he wryly smiled. “Just wait ‘till you get my bill.”

“I’m going to pick up the pace a bit. I want there to be enough daylight left for the guard

of honor when we finally reach Wallis.”

MaGrath nodded. “Is Atty emotionally ready for this?”

“Try me,” she dared him, coming up behind her husband. “Is there any coffee left?”

Observing the direction of the physician’s pointing finger, she went to fetch a cup, waving

a hand in acknowledgment when Yulen called to her to bring him a cup as well.

“Yulen?”

MaGrath waited for the man to drag his eyes away from the figure walking away and give

him his full attention. “Word’s gotten around the camp about Atty’s little speech last night. Want

to know what the men are saying?”

“Right now, Liam, I don’t give a damn what they’re saying.” He finished buckling on his

weapons belt and adjusted it about his waist. Making it clear that that part of their conversation

was over, Yulen signaled for Mastin to send his men over to strike the tent as all around them

preparations were being made to get them back on the road as quickly as possible. He was up in

his saddle, watching to see how long it would take them to finish breaking down the camp this

time around when Atty brought him his cup and an apple. Along with a shy smile. Giving her a

smile in return, he took his breakfast from her so she could mount her horse and join him.

Mastin had done his job well. Yulen made a mental note to thank his Second for the

vastly improved time as he raised his arm and signaled for them to pull out. Once he was certain

they were on their way, he left the head of the line to run his usual check, leaving Atty and

MaGrath at point.

Atty watched him go as she tried to weave her unruly locks into a halfway decent braid. A

few dozen feet behind, Fortune and Bertrand rode with their weapons at ready, knowing they

were growing closer to Wallis. They gave her a look she couldn’t read, but it sent a shiver of

anticipation through her. Without conscious thought, she pulled her bow and quiver from where

she normally kept them tied to the side of her saddle and set them across her shoulders in

preparation. MaGrath saw her get ready.

“We’re going to meet up with more of those things, aren’t we?” he asked her.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” She cast another look down the road where her husband had

disappeared. “Maybe the sight of our forces will frighten them away. I don’t know so I can’t say

for certain.”

Pulling back on the reins, she waited for her fellow caste hunters to catch up. They

seemed to know her question before she voiced it.

“We have no idea how many there are, or where they could be,” Bertrand told her. “So

far they’ve only struck during the night. Sometimes right after dusk, sometimes around midnight.

Twice in the wee hours.”

“But not in the daylight?” she queried.

Fortune shook his head. “So far, no. Not this time, anyway. Of course, that may have all

changed since we managed to sneak out to come to Alta Novis.”

Atty bit her lips in thought. Wheeling her horse around, she began to trot toward the end

of the line. Normally the soldiers rode side-by-side in twos in a caravan, the wagons in the line

taking up the same width as two mounted horses. This morning was no different, except for one

very important detail.

Yulen was near the end of the line, talking to his men there, when he heard the horse

coming quickly toward him. Seeing it was his wife, he backed off and waited for her to join him.

“Have the men keep their weapons at ready,” she told him once she was near enough to be

heard.

Immediately his eyes swept the road and surrounding forest. “Do you sense something?”

“Not quite. More of an uneasiness. I can’t explain it, but I’d feel a lot safer with the men

prepared.”

He had noticed her wearing her own weapons. Nodding, he gave the command, sending it

up the ranks to the head of the line. Yulen never questioned her judgment, never doubted her

sixth sense. It had saved them too many times in the past. Drawing his sword, he galloped back

to the front of the line and gave the signal to increase their speed.

As they progressed closer to the compound, Yulen was acutely aware of how Atty and the

other two Mutah hunters patrolled the perimeter of the caravan, moving up and down, and back

and forth, watching the forest and roadside with an intensity that was almost hypnotic to watch.

He made the decision not to stop at noon, but ordered the men to eat in shifts on their

horses. As expected, the day grew warmer, forcing him to finally call a halt for a brief rest and

water break at a hidden springs Atty pointed out to him.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been this way,” MaGrath commented, coming up behind

where the Battle Lord was standing in the shade of a large oak. “Does any of this look familiar

yet to you? Bring back any memories?”

“Plenty,” Yulen told him cryptically, taking another swig from his water bag. “Some

pleasant, some not-so-pleasant.” His attention was on the three hunters standing in a row beside

the road, facing the forest. It appeared as if they were listening for something. Their unusual

behavior had not gone unnoticed by the physician.

“What are they doing?”

“I don’t know,” Yulen admitted. His eyes were riveted on Atty, on the way she was

concentrating, using her entire body to sense, to feel, to see, and to hear. Her knuckles were

white where she gripped the longbow she held at her side.

They remained that way for an extremely long time. Although Yulen wanted to get back

on the road, he hesitated to break their concentration. He trusted Atty’s instincts even above his

own. When she was satisfied it was safe enough to resume, she’d let him know.

Suddenly, as if someone had given a signal, all three Mutah relaxed and stepped back.

Fortune bent over, his hands on his knees, and drew deep, gasping breaths. Bertrand dropped to

the ground and lowered his head, looking drained and partially unconscious.

Atty walked over to where he stood to wrap her arms around his waist and lay her head

against his chest. White stress lines paled around her eyes and mouth. Her skin felt cold and

clammy. Silently he held her until she was ready to pull away on her own. Nearby, Mastin and his

two lieutenants patiently waited for the Battle Lord’s command to mount up. It was clear to all

that the hunters’ surveillance was over, and it had taken an enormous toll on them.

For several minutes Yulen held his tongue. At last Atty raised her face, keeping her cheek

on his tunic. “They’re gone,” she whispered.

“Gone?”

“Moved on,” she added softly.

“South,” Fortune informed the Battle Lord as he and Bertrand came over to join them.

“Big mass. Maybe four, five hundred all total.”

Yulen fought not to reveal his sudden fear. “You’re sure?” He could feel Atty’s arms

tighten around his waist. Normally he wouldn’t question her, but with the enormity of what they

were telling him, he needed to hear it again to believe it.

“They’ve left the area. More than likely the siege has been lifted,” she told her husband.

Yulen glanced up to catch Mastin’s nod. The order would go out immediately for the men

to stand down. “Why didn’t they attack us?” he wondered aloud.

“Because we were quiet,” Fortune informed him. “You have great instincts, D’Jacques.

You ordered your men to cease movement at the most critical moment. Because you called a

break, we weren’t moving on the road, or they would’ve known we were here.” He shuddered.

“We narrowly avoided a massacre by minutes. Our own.”

Over their shoulders he could see MaGrath and Mastin pale at the news. Word would

reach all the men of their narrow escape before they were back on the road. Yulen involuntarily

held Atty tighter. “Is it safe to continue?”

“Yes. But it would be wise if Fortune and I watched your back. We’ve never heard of

Bloods backtracking, but we never knew they would lay siege, either.” Bertrand scratched the

small, horn-like protrusions above his eyebrows. “I’m ready to be home.”

Holding out a hand, Yulen offered to shake theirs. “I extend my thanks to you both for

your services. You’ve proven yourself invaluable.”

Fortune grew flushed. “Our thanks go out to you, D’Jacques. I wouldn’t doubt that the

biggest reason the Bloods have moved on is because they’ve gotten wind of our approach. Even

though they had the numbers and probably could easily have overwhelmed us, your trained

warriors might have been enough to turn the tide in our favor.”