Every Battle Lord's Nightmare (8 page)

            “It's no good. She seems to be in some sort of trance.” It was Renken.

            “Sir!” It was Mastin. His voice was urgent. “Sir, Fortune and Twoson have frozen in their tracks!”

            “So has Atty. Everyone! Sound the alarm! Abandon the road and take cover in the trees!”

            Someone grabbed her horse. The animal moved unsteadily as it was jerked forward.

            “Atty! What is it? What's wrong?”

            Yulen knew she wasn't hurt, but he was concerned. On the defensive and protective. A gloved hand squeezed hers.

            “Atty, what do you feel? What do you see?”

            “Shapes. Dark shapes. In the sky.”

            “Dark shapes? Like crows?”

            No. They didn't feel like crows. They felt...

            “Larger. Not crows,” she murmured.

            “Larger than crows?” Paxton echoed. “What the hell?”

            Someone pulled her from the saddle and onto the ground. A figure stood guard next to her, shielding her.

            “Cole, are all the men accounted for? Go check, and tell them the danger is above us,” the battle lord ordered. “Warren, check on the condition of Fortune and Twoson.”

            “But—”

            “Renken will protect Atty, although I'm sure Atty can take care of herself once she snaps out of this trance. Now go do what I said.”

            The redness was getting darker. Turning the world into a blanket of scarlet. The danger was coming closer. Atty blinked hard to clear her vision, but the crimson world only grew more menacing. Blindly, she reached out a hand. “Yulen?”

            A hand grasped hers. “It’s Garet. What do you need? Are you all right?”

            “My bow and quiver. Get them for me.”

            There was a flash of brightness as the ex-mercenary moved out of her line of sight to fetch her weapons from where they were strapped to the saddle. Atty stood and turned to face where the blood red light was emanating. Her hands grasped the long bow and quiver that were thrust into her hands, looping the container of arrows over her neck. Notching a shaft was automatic, done without thought until she realized she was armed and ready.

            “Are they coming from the north?”

            She pointed in the direction she was facing. “They're coming from there, Garet.”

            “That’s north and west. What's coming, Atty? What are they?”

            She swallowed hard. “I don't know, but they're wrong.”

            “Wrong? What do you mean, they're wrong?”

            “It means they're dangerous,” Yulen declared, striding toward her.

            She heard the sound of his sword being drawn from its scabbard. Then he took a stance to her left.

            “How far are they, Atty?” he whispered.

            A screech directly overhead was his answer.

Chapter Eleven

Bats

            Simultaneously, Atty and Yulen gave the signal for silence. An immense cloud of something darkened the morning sky, almost turning the day into night. They heard the sound of wings flapping. Huge, leathery-sounding wings rapidly beating a staccato tempo in the air like drums. Loud enough to force some of them to cover their ears. Even then, she felt the irregular rhythm all through her body. A thousand creatures with one massive heart struggling to find its cadence. Amid the pounding thunder of those wings came chirps and chitters from the creatures as they passed above the treetops.

            As the world around the troops grayed, a fetid stench overtook them, making several men gag. Atty buried her nose in her parka, but the foul odor permeated everything around them. It had the sharp reek of ammonia, making every breath she drew singe her airway and lungs. Tears streaked her face as her eyes burned.

            Something landed in the trees a few yards away. It paused momentarily, then lifted back again into the flock. She felt Yulen crouch down and tug on her coat to join him. Obediently, she dropped to one knee, keeping her weapon aimed upward.

            Less than a minute later, the danger had passed. The sun revealed itself once more like a second dawning. The air cleared and became breathable. Many of the men coughed, including her and Yulen.

            “Oh, dear God, what was that?” Paxton gasped.

            “Bats.” The word came from Renken and Atty at the same time. She turned to the man.

            “I've never seen them in such concentration before. Have you?”

            “Once, when I was in Newmex.” He gazed into the trees. “I didn't know they came this far east.”

            “Where do you think they were heading?”

            Yulen spoke up. “Are you sure they were bats? I thought bats were nocturnal.”

            “Some species still are,” Renken acknowledged. “But some, like the vampires, feed almost continuously.” He pointed up. “We were damn lucky we had cover.”

            “Vampires?” Paxton echoed.

            “How big do they get?” Yulen asked Atty.

            She shrugged. “I don't know. I've never seen a vampire before.”

            “I have,” Renken answered. “Some of those wingspans can top twenty feet, easily.”

            “Is it safe to resume?” The battle lord threw out the question. Both Atty and Renken nodded.

            “I don't sense them. I think they've moved on,” she assured him, although something continued to nag her. She glanced at the sun filtering through the tree limbs, wondering why.

            “They've headed off to feed, but that doesn't mean they won't come back this way when they're finished,” Renken added. “Bats aren't supposed to be migratory. At least, that's what I've been told. They may have a den or cave in the vicinity they'll return to once they're done with their hunt.”

            “Which means we need to get our butts out of range. Cole! Let's head back out. Get some distance between us and their pathway.”

            Atty found a hand at her elbow. With Yulen standing on the other side of her horse, she glanced behind her to find Renken offering her assistance. She gave him a quick smile and took her seat, but kept her bow at ready. That nagging feeling wouldn't leave her. Until it did, she'd keep herself armed.

            Yulen pulled up next to her, standing in his stirrups as he rounded up the men. Not far away, Batuset was calling out to his troops, when a scream of anguish came from beyond.

            “The road!” someone yelled.

            Yulen took off with Atty right behind him. They cleared the trees a handful of seconds later, in time to see a figure caught in the maw of a one of the huge winged beasts. The soldier struggled as the bat tried to fly away with him, making the animal bobble up and down as it fought to maintain its grip. The man's screams were fading as the creature hurried to catch up with the rest of the colony.

            Atty acted without thinking, raising her bow and letting the arrow fly. Two more shafts followed within the span of two heartbeats.

            They didn't see the arrows strike the target, but they saw the results. The bat suddenly lurched sideways, tilting to the right until it was almost vertical. It opened its mouth with a piercing squeal, and the man dropped into the forest on the opposite side of the roadway.

            Batuset's men rushed through the trees to try and recover their comrade. Atty remained on guard, listening, watching. Fortune moved up next to her, his leaf-bladed knives in his palms in the event he needed to use them. After another minute, Yulen pulled even with them.

            “Anything else?”

            She and Fortune shook their heads. “I'd heard one of them land near us in the trees earlier, but I thought it had taken off with the rest of them.” she admitted, and took a deep breath.

            Fortune gestured to a spot in the distance. “I think you hit something vital, Atty. The bat went down over there.” He glanced at the battle lord. “Want me to go check it out? Put it out of its misery if it's still alive?”

            “No,” Yulen firmly answered. “We don't have time to waste tracking it down. We need to keep moving. Zane?”

            Batuset looked over at them.

            “We need to keep moving.”

            The other battle lord nodded in agreement. “Go on,” he called out. “We'll catch up. I need to see to my man.”

            Yulen rose up in the stirrups and raised a hand in command. “Battalion! Formation and forward!”

            The troops quickly reassembled and resumed their ride, but at a slightly quicker pace to get them out of the area. No one spoke as they concentrated on keeping their eyes and ears peeled for any further signs of danger. It wasn't until they began to descend down a sloping hill that Atty felt safe enough to lower her weapon. Her actions were not lost on her husband.

            “Isn't there a Mutah compound somewhere nearby? Hopefully one large enough to contain our men? I would rather we take shelter tonight within some walls, rather than spend it out in the open, knowing those things could sweep over us again during the night.”

            “North Crestin,” Fortune answered. He motioned ahead of them. “Maybe another six, seven hours tops.”

            Yulen nodded. “Good. Lead us to it. I'll have Cole inform the men, and I'll let Zane know when he rejoins us. Atty?”

            She glanced over at him.

            “If you or Fortune sense anything, call out. All right?”

            “I'll do one better,” she promised. “I'll fire the first shot.”

Chapter Twelve

North Crestin

            After giving Yulen directions on how to get there, Fortune rode ahead to ready the Mutah compound for its visitors. The sun was in its final descent below the horizon when the troops reached the rock walls of the fortress. Yulen studied the immense structure, at the way the irregularly-shaped stones appeared to be stacked at nature’s whim, plastered together with a mixture of mud and twigs, making the wall appear to be a tall, earthy embankment. He nodded appreciatively as the thick oak doors rumbled open.

            At the end of the narrow avenue leading to a central courtyard stood Fortune, along with several others whom Yulen surmised were the compound's council members. One in particular, a gruff-looking man with a pronounced snout, was in the forefront.

            “Cole, stay outside with the men. The rest of you, follow me.” He glanced at Atty. “Recognize anyone?”

            She shook her head, letting her hair fly loose so that all could see its deep blue color. Normally she kept it tied back. But at this moment, she wanted the townspeople to notice her mark, distinguishing her as Mutah.

            Rather than ride into the courtyard, Yulen opted to get down out of the saddle and walk. He motioned for the others to remain on their horses. The villagers lined both sides of the walkway, anxious to view and listen to the newcomers. Yulen wondered if they had ever witnessed Normals within their compound. Normals who had no intention of harming them.

            Once he got within a few feet of the council, he stopped and dropped the reins to face them. “I seek the Three Laws of Equality.”

            The council head glared at him in undisguised shock. Yulen understood why. Only Mutah knew of the three laws. It would be unheard of, if not terrifying, for them to think that knowledge of those laws had been revealed to a Normal such as himself, and a battle lord. A man who, in many ways, was still an enemy.

            He hid his smile, keeping a calm expression on his face. Sooner or later, the council would come to understand that he and Atty had no secrets between them. There couldn’t be if their love, their marriage, and their lives depended on each other’s trust.

            The council member turned to the hunter standing next to him, but Fortune shook his head before the man could demand an explanation. Snuffling softly, the councilman faced Yulen.

            “We know of you, D'Jacques.” Golden eyes darted to Atty. “We know of the treaties you've forged. Fortune has informed us as to why you are here, but we don't have accommodations for all your men.”

            “All we seek is safety within your walls for the night,” Yulen responded, then lifted a hand in Atty's direction. “And a meeting with your council.”

            “For what purpose?” the snouted man asked gruffly. He was being defensive, which Yulen could understand. But he was also curious and more than a bit in awe of their presence, as were the rest of the inhabitants. Putting a reassuring smile on his face, Yulen stepped forward and held out a hand.

            “My name is Yulen D'Jacques, Battle Lord of Alta Novis. This is my wife, Atrilan D'Jacques, Battle Lady. We seek temporary asylum, and ask for the chance to bring peace and prosperity to your compound.”

            “You're wanting to add North Crestin to you list of conquests, is that it?” asked another council member standing behind the snouted man.

            Yulen faced the man. “Conquests come about when one entity dominates or overruns another. This is not a takeover. If you grant us the three laws, we’ll seek to repay you for your kindness.”

            “How? What can you offer that we don't already have?” the man insisted.

            “More trade, for one thing,” Atty spoke up. She climbed down off her horse, which allowed the crowd to notice her rounding belly. Murmurs passed among the townsfolk as the realization swept through the gathered masses. The sound swelled when she walked forward to stand beside her husband and openly clasped hands with him. In all aspects, she was showing them that she was his equal, and not relegated to standing behind him as they’d expected.

            Atty began to say more when the crowd grew more agitated. Yulen glanced over to see Twoson Pike striding toward them before taking his place on the other side of the battle lord. This show of solidarity was unheard of, forcing the head of the council to raise his hands for silence. Slowly, the noise subsided, but whispers continued to race among the people.