Every Battle Lord's Nightmare (7 page)

            “I'm placing my faith, and those of Wallis, in your hands. When do we leave?”

            Yulen looked to Atty, who shook her head.

            “If we may camp here tonight, at first light tomorrow.”

            Twoson nodded. “You are welcome. Now...
who's up for a celebration?
”

Chapter Nine

Smell

            “This place knows how to throw a party.” Thrasher walked over to where the battle lord stood near a large tree. “I just have one question.”

            “Shoot.”

            “What are we celebrating?”

            Yulen snorted. “Our arrival was reason enough. But I'd like to think they're trying to put a good luck whammy on the possibility of more treaties.”

            Thrasher mused over the comment. “I hope you're right.” He gave a glance at the contents of the mug the man held in his hand. “Is that beer?”

            “It's lemon verbossa.”

            “Verbossa? Never heard of such a thing. Any good?”

            “It'll knock you on your ass after two sips. Half a mug will throw you under the table.”

            The doctor grinned. “And what happens after you finish a full mug?”

            Yulen shrugged, keeping a straight face. “I have no memory of what I did afterwards.”

            Thrasher laughed aloud. “Sounds like my kind of brew. Are you able to point me in the direction where I can get some?”

            Yulen gestured toward a small knot of men near the outdoor tables where they'd been served their meal. The physician thanked him and ambled off.

            “D'Jacques?”

            Yulen turned around to find Berris Dullay studying him. With darkness fallen, and the Mutah's back to the large bonfire where a wild pig had been roasted for dinner, it was difficult to read the man's face. Dullay took a few steps toward him. He suddenly paused, averted his head to hawk and spit, wiped his mouth on his coat sleeve, then held out a hand to shake.

            “I don't want you think I have any hard feelings about my vote today,” the man told him.

            “You have the right to your opinion. Just like I have the right to know you're wrong. Mind if I ask you a question?”

            “You want to know why I objected to attending the summit.”

            “Actually, I'd like to know where you're from.”

            Now that the Mutah was close enough to observe, Yulan caught his surprised expression.

            “I'm from Denam. It's in the Oka territory.”

            Yulen made an appreciative face. “That's quite a ways. What brought you to Wallis?”

            Dullay's eyes narrowed. “Is this an interrogation?” The man's unexpected switch from cordiality to apprehensiveness put the battle lord on alert.

            “No. Just a friendly question. I didn't recall seeing you during my past visits. I figured you were new to the compound.”

            Dullay retreated a little, but his guard remained up. “I moved down here last month.”

            “Last month, eh? Well, welcome to Wallis.”

            The man suddenly turned and walked away without a goodbye, leaving Yulen with more questions than answers. The sound of someone sniffing behind him caught his attention.

            “He smells.” A loving figure moved up next to him, draping an arm about his coat at waist level.

            “That's not all that smells,” Yulen muttered.

            Atty wrinkled her nose. “That's not what I meant. He's putting out a sickly odor.”

            “Maybe he just needs a good hosing down.”

            “No. I'm telling you, it's not that kind. It's not body odor. It's something else, but I can't put my finger on it.”

            “The man has a head cold.” Yulen glanced at his hand that had shaken Dullay's. As a precautionary measure, he poured a little of the verbossa over it, hoping the high alcoholic content of the drink would kill any germs the man may have transferred to him.

            “What did he say to you? He didn't look too happy.”

            “Actually, he started out being quite pleasant. He apologized for his decision not to attend the summit, and for the way it swayed the other members of council.”

            “He started out?”

            He nodded. “Then I asked him where he was from. He acted as if I'd questioned his integrity.”

            “Oh? Did he tell you where he's from?”

            “The Oka territory. A month ago.”

            He waited for her reaction. He wasn't disappointed. Atty's eyes widened, and she stared in the distance at the figure gradually disappearing into the evening shadows.

            “And he's a council member?” she remarked.

            “Correct me if I'm wrong, my love, but to be a council member here who wasn't voted in by the local populace, wouldn't he need to be a council member at his old compound?”

            “Of course. At least, I think so.” She nodded her head emphatically. “But...he's only been here a month? A
month
?”

            “Is that a problem?” He had his own speculations, but he wanted first to see if their thoughts were on the same road.

            “If he's a council member up there, why did he move down here? Most council members I've known have waited years for the honor. And once they've achieved it...” She glanced up at him. “I wonder how Twoson verified his claim.”

            “Guess we'll have to ask Twoson. As you've probably noticed, Dullay was very reticent about answering any further questions from me.”

            “Speaking of, I got another question for you.”

            “Ask away.”

            “Earlier, I heard you mention something to Zane about Paas. When we were entering the meeting lodge.”

            “It was because of something Twoson said to Paas.”

            He watched her search her memory. “You fit right in. He told her she could fit in with us here. I guess because of her tattoos and hair color and all.” Atty bit her lower lip in that way that made him want to kiss her. Instead, Yulen took a last swallow of what was left of the verbossa in his mug. Although the drink was chilly going down, it managed to warm his insides.

            “I told him we'd have to be extra careful about Paas when we reached Corado. Fortune can pass as Normal, now that his tail’s been docked. But you, Paas, and now Twoson will need additional protection.”

            “But Paas isn't Mutah.”

            “I know that. But at first glance, do you think others would think so?”

            She had to agree with him.

            “I'll have a talk with Cole and Fortune before we leave in the morning,” he added.

            “Okay. I'll speak with Warren and Garet.”

            Thrasher walked up to them, his nose buried in his mug of verbossa. His gate was already somewhat unsteady.

            “That's some good drink,” he grinned, peering one-eyed into his mug. “I spilled a little on my pants. Hope it doesn't burn a hole through the fabric.”

            “You were warned,” the battle lord wryly remarked.

            “Fergus?”

            “Yes, m'lady?” The physician gave Atty his best undivided attention.

            “The council member named Berris Dullay.”

            “The gentleman with the rooster comb on his head?”

            “Yes. Him. Would you do me a favor and check him out?” Atty requested.

            “You have to be more specific, Atty. Check him out as in how? You want me to give him a physical, or what?”

            “He smells.”

            Thrasher stared at her. “And?”

            “I think there's something wrong with him,” she insisted.

            “He has a cough. He's been sneezing. And he has the sweats,” Yulen added.

            “Sounds like a cold, but it could also be an allergy.” The physician nodded. “Can never be too careful these days. Unfortunately, I have no jurisdiction in this compound to request that he come see me. Much less order him to remove his clothing so I can poke and prod him.”

            Yulen corrected him. “Actually, you do. Wallis is flying my banner, which gives me ultimate control if I wish. For the safety of these people, including their health, I can have anyone I feel might pose a threat quarantined until they've been diagnosed. If Atty says he smells, then maybe it's worth checking out.”

            Atty put a hand on her husband's arm. “Considering how he refused to answer your questions, he may balk if he thinks he's being given a command.”

            “Good point.”

            She turned to the doctor. “Why not check with Gilter? He's our physician here in the compound. Let him know your concern, and see if he can examine Dullay. The man may not object if the compound's doctor makes the request. In the meantime...” Atty returned to Yulen. “You can grill Twoson once we're back on the road.”

            “Which won't be soon enough,” the battle lord admitted, glancing up at the evening sky. “The verbossa is already affecting my thinking processes. Either I hit the hay now with the intent of sleeping it off, or I can pass out heaven knows where until someone finds me and wakes me up.”

            Atty laughed, her breath misting in the night air, and took his free hand. “This way, husband. You can do both in my tent. Goodnight, Fergus. And watch yourself with the drink.” She giggled again as she led Yulen toward the blue and silver structure erected near the tall oak tree located at the opposite end of the compound.

            As he was being pulled away, the battle lord shoved his empty mug in the physician's hands. “Daybreak,” he reminded the man, and happily followed his wife to bed.

Chapter Ten

Wrong

            They were nearly a mile away from Wallis before Thrasher trotted his horse up to where Yulen and Atty were riding together. Yulen paused his discussion to give the man his attention.

            “I wanted to let you know I spoke with Gilter. He says he'll examine Dullay. Then he'll check the rest of the compound to see if anyone else could be showing any similar symptoms. He told me to tell you there's word a strain of the flu is making its way through the compounds. He thanks you for pointing out a possible carrier.”

            “Wasn't Gilter at the meeting yesterday? Why didn't he notice Dullay's condition then?” Atty wondered aloud.

            “Gilter was setting a broken leg while the rest of us were at the lodge,” the physician explained. “He said several people had already come to him with the sniffles, but nothing serious enough to concern him.” Thrasher nodded at Atty. “I told him what you said about the man smelling sick, and he said he'd get right on it today.”

            “Thank you,” Yulen said.

            The doctor gave the battle lord a little salute, turned his horse around, and returned to center of the ranks.

            “I need to run a quick inspection. Try to stay out of trouble,” Yulen told her.

            She mimicked Thrasher's salute, making her husband chuckle as he whirled the palomino about and left her. His spot was immediately filled by Renken. She noticed the partial grin creasing one side of his face.

            “Okay. Give.”

            “Give what?” he answered.

            “What did you steal this time?”

            He gave her an innocent look. “Who, me? Steal something? Madam, I'm crushed that you would think—”

            “Stuff it, Garet.” She chuckled. “If it's not Berta's jellies, it's Amelia's cookies, or muffins, or those little sugar plum confections Diksie was making around the holidays.”

            “What? Wait a minute! What sugar plums?” He narrowed his eyes at her in an accusing manner, making her laugh aloud. “
Aha!
So who's the little thief now?”

            “All right.” She raised a hand in surrender. “I confess, but I'm blaming my pregnancy on my weakness. What's your excuse? And what did you get into?”

            “Me?”

            “Come on. Tit for tat.”

            His cheeks reddened slightly. “A couple of lemons.”

            Atty gasped. “No! Oh, please tell me you didn't take some lemons off those trees! Diad protects that grove for the verbossa!”

            “I just took two.”

            She glared at him.

            “All right. Three. I like them with salt. What can I say?”

            Atty rolled her eyes. “If you'd been caught, they would have flayed you alive, Garet Renken. Well, not really. But, trust me, you don't want a taste of Mutah justice.”

            “Noted and filed for future reference.”

            They continued along the road in silence. Behind them Atty could hear the muffled conversation of the men as they told stories and jokes to help pass the time. A quick glimpse to the rear revealed both seconds in deep discussion. Paas rode ahead and to the side, separate from them to give them privacy.

            “What caught your eye?” Renken asked.

            “Paas. She's the only other female here besides me.”

            “Being an outsider like you once were,” he remarked. “Maybe you should dawdle a bit to let her catch up. Talk over female stuff, and all that.”

            Atty leaned over and playfully backhanded him on the knee. “Our female stuff includes hunting methods, including gutting and trapping. Don't put me in a box, Mr. Renken. You should know better by n—”

            She froze, her hands automatically pulling up on the reins. Almost immediately, the whole brigade came to a grinding standstill. She was vaguely aware of Yulen galloping to the head of the line to check out why the sudden stop, but she couldn't answer. A red haze continued to roll across her vision like an advancing fog. Warning her. Forcing her Mutah instincts into sending her alarm signals.

            Somewhere in the distance, Yulen called out to her.