A Battle Lord’s Heart Read online

  “Physically I’ll be one hundred percent within a few days.” Somehow he managed a weak grin. “The mental part, ehhh, that may take longer.”

  She snorted softly and gave him a warm smile, then turned to the Second. “Are the men taken care of?”

  “Yes. There’s about a dozen of them who’ll need to stay abed for a few days. But for the most part they were lucky.”

  “Damn lucky,” Paxton added.

  “That’s because you’ve been trained well,” she complimented them. “Those two weeks every year that Yulen takes you into the woods to track and hunt and struggle to survive has paid off. So don’t ever let me hear the men bitch about the sabbatical again.” One corner of her mouth lifted. “At least, not without a smile on their faces.”

  She ran a blood-stained hand through her closely cropped hair. “God, I’m tired.”

  “Have you eaten anything?” Mastin inquired.

  “Yeah. A couple of bites. I’m too nauseous for anything heavy. I don’t know if my stomach’s upset because of the baby, or because of the circumstances we’re in.” Atty stretched her legs out toward the fire.

  They watched the fire lap at the logs until Atty softly said, “Do you know why I called you here?” When she didn’t get an answer, she looked up to see the two men studying her. “Last night I claimed the right to the Three Laws of Equality. Do you know what those are?” When she got blank looks from the soldiers, she gave a little chuckle and turned her attention back to the fireplace. “No. Of course not. You wouldn’t because you’re not Mutah. The Three Laws are quite simple. When a man or woman, a Mutah, seeks help from another compound, he is able to guarantee his entry into the compound by calling for and adhering to those laws.” Wiping her nose with the cuff of her tunic, Atty continued. “Food, shelter, and aid. That’s all.”

  “Dr. MaGrath said something about making sure the men understood that if they harmed anyone, that you would be the one to suffer,” Mastin said.

  Atty nodded. “Yeah. That’s right. The laws are simple but... precise. We will be given all the food we need to survive, just as long as we don’t take more than our fair share. We will be given shelter as long as we don’t take shelter away from others.”

  “And we’ll be given aid and medical help so long as we don’t harm others while we’re here?” asked Paxton.

  “Yeah. Basically, that’s it. No one in this compound will hurt us while we are staying under the rights granted by the laws. But, by the same token, we can’t injure or hurt, or in any way accidentally cause harm to any of the inhabitants. Understand?”

  “But if something should happen, and it’s our fault, they’ll punish you for it?” Mastin clarified. He looked confused and increasingly angry. “Why? When you weren’t the person directly responsible?”

  “Cole, you should know the answer to that already,” she admonished him with a tired but warm look. “I’m the one who brought you here. I’m directly responsible for putting this compound in the position it’s in.”

  Paxton shook his head. “I can’t see them laying a finger on you in your condition,” he argued. “Not after all I’ve heard about how Mutah bless and care for every birth.” To his surprise Atty leaned over and laid a hand on his knee. In the partial light he could see her expression was clear and unworried.

  “Just be sure the men know about the laws and respect them. I don’t know how long we’re going to have to stay here. Yulen keeps sliding toward death, and it’s taking everything in me to prevent it from happening. I know some of the men may chafe after we’ve been here a few weeks, but I have faith you two will find a way to manage. Warren?”

  “Yes, Madam?”

  For once Atty didn’t seem perturbed by the title. “For the last few months the soldiers have been calling me the Battle Lady. But Berta told me the title was simply ‘Lady’, as in the Battle Lord’s Lady. Or Lady Atty. Is that right?”

  “Technically, yes,” Mastin answered.

  “Then why do they call me the Battle Lady? Because I fight alongside my husband?”

  Paxton chuckled. “You have to admit, Atty. Someone of your ability is... rare.”

  The remark got a chuckle out of her. “So, what you’re saying is that I’m the first Lady that you know of with the title of Battle Lady?”

  “Yeah. Pretty much,” the Lieutenant told her.

  Mastin added, “Of all the Ladies I’ve known or heard of, they’ve all been like Madigan. Very strong-willed women, and powerful in their own right. But none of them have been like you.”

  “Then it wouldn’t surprise anyone if I took up the armor?”

  “You already have,” Mastin admitted.

  “Then if I’m equal to my husband in sending out commands... and I’m equal to my husband on the battlefield...”

  Her voice was teasing although they knew she was serious. “Out with it, Atty,” Mastin grinned.

  “Then I’m going to need my own Second, don’t you think?”

  Both men were stunned. “Your own Second?” they almost chorused.

  Before they could object, she pointed at Mastin to state the obvious. “You’re Yulen’s Second. You help him with his strategies. Well, I need someone who can help me the same. I need someone who has the know-how when it comes to fighting and actual warfare. I need you, Warren. I want you to be my Second.”

  Paxton tried to find his voice to reply, but Atty continued. “I’m making you a true Second. Cole, get me Yulen’s sword.” She motioned toward a corner of the room where the men noticed for the first time the blood-encrusted blade propped in the corner. Mastin got up to fetch it as Atty slowly got to her feet.

  “No, Warren. Stay seated,” she gently ordered as she took the weapon in both hands. Hefting it over the man’s bowed head, she tapped each shoulder. “Co-captain of the guard, Warren Paxton. You and Cole will work in tandem. That won’t be a problem, will it?”

  “No, Madam,” both men answered simultaneously. Their sudden stoicism made her smile.

  “I didn’t think it would.” She handed her husband’s sword to her new Second. “Your first official order is to clean and polish Yulen’s sword, and get it back to me when you’re done. I also want a daily report on the injured. Cole, I’m placing you in charge of the uninjured. Keep them at battle ready just in case there’s another army of Bloods out there we didn’t know about. We’ll defend this compound the same way we defended Wallis.”

  “Do you honestly believe there could still be more of them out there?” Paxton asked.

  Atty tilted her head as she reached inside herself for the answer. “I don’t know, Warren. Right now all I can focus on is Yulen. But it would be wise if we didn’t tempt fate, don’t you agree?”

  Both men nodded in unison.

  “Also, we need to start paying our way. West Crestin isn’t a big compound, and with our troops, we’ve probably doubled the population. If we stay any amount of time, our men are going to quickly deplete the stores. Cole, get a dozen of our best hunters and seek out the caste here. Offer to help with the hunting.”

  “Think they will?” Mastin asked.

  Atty gave a slight nod. “They will if you tell them you will follow their rules, and let our men know those rules are absolute. So be sure you pick only those men you can trust.”

  She sniffed again, finally becoming aware of her bloodied state. “I need a bath and a few hours of rest. Warren, please tell Liam I’m going to go lie down for a while so he’ll know where I am in case Yulen starts to fail again.” Flashing them a weary but sincere smile, Atty added, “Thank you for your friendship and loyalty, gentlemen. I will never forget it.” Giving them a final warm look, the Battle Lady slowly walked into the back rooms to rest.

  Mastin and Paxton let themselves out, closing the door to the little apartment firmly behind them. It was snowing again. All the signs pointed toward harsh, early winter. But once again they were safe, thanks to the generosity of people they once considered little better than wild animal
s.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Slow Recovery

  MaGrath walked into the clinic, dusting the snow off of his jacket before going over to the medicine cabinet to extract the syrup he planned to administer. Walking through the little interconnecting doorway, he glanced up at the patient bed to see a pair of blue-gray eyes calmly watching him enter the room. MaGrath nearly dropped the bottle in surprise.

  “Dear God! Yulen! How long have you been awake?”

  “I have no idea.” His eyes searched the room for something to jog his memory, but nothing clung. “Where am I? This isn’t Alta Novis, is it?”

  “We’re in West Crestin.”

  “West Crestin? Who all...how long...”

  Laying a hand over the man’s parched and peeling lips, the physician chuckled and proceeded to uncork the bottle, extracting a spoon from his coat pocket before pouring a portion of medicine into the bowl. “Take this first.”

  To his amazement, the Battle Lord obediently opened his mouth for the medicine. Before he could completely screw up his nose at the taste, MaGrath offered him a glass of water from the jug on the bedside table.

  “What the hell was that?” Yulen objected as the physician helped ease him back down on the pillow. The water had helped. His voice sounded stronger.

  “Well, it’s easy to see you’re feeling better. It’s an elixir to help your body replenish itself. You know the good stuff is always the worse-tasting stuff.”

  “And it’s definitely worse.”

  “Worse than lemon verbossa?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” Yulen relented with a crooked grin.

  MaGrath threw back his head and laughed. He looked down at his patient, and a ribbon of almost fatherly love suddenly tied around his heart. “It’s good to have you back,” he honestly admitted.

  “That bad, huh?”

  “Excruciating. How much do you remember?” He pulled a three-legged stool out from under the bed and parked himself on it.

  “Damn little.”

  “I wouldn’t doubt it. I think your mind’s blocked out a large part of it. Do you remember any of the fall of Bearinger?”

  Yulen gave him a blank stare. “I know it’s been burned to the ground. I don’t know how I know, but I just do. I get vague images of the forest. I keep seeing this big, giant snake getting right up into my face, but that’s about all. Want to fill me in on the rest of it?”

  A past memory found its way into the present, and before the man could answer his previous question, he gave the physician a scowl. “Did you say West Crestin? That’s a Mutah compound.”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  “What the hell are we doing in a Mutah compound? Wallis I can und—”

  Looking like a man who’d just had all the air knocked out of him, Yulen threw his head back onto the pillow, his eyes drilling into the ceiling. “Oh, God, if you’re here, who’s watching after Atty and the baby? Liam, how’s Atty? Who’s taking care of her at the compound?”

  “Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

  “What?”

  Getting to his feet, MaGrath reached over and took one of the man’s hands between his own. “Listen carefully to me, Yulen. Don’t interrupt. Don’t even think about starting an argument with me until I’m finished. Okay?”

  The man nodded silently.

  “I’m going to take this nice and slow. You left to go rescue Bearinger from a Blood attack. Let me know at which point you lose track, Yulen.”

  “I will.”

  Giving himself a second to mentally prepare, MaGrath gave Yulen’s hand a quick squeeze. “All right. We got word Bearinger had fallen. So Atty called for a Code Four—”

  “Atty? She what?”

  “Just shut up and listen. Atty called for a Code Four. We left for Bearinger with about—”

  “Who all is ‘we’?”

  “Am I going to have to surgically stitch your lips together before you let me get through this?” MaGrath glared at him.

  Yulen backed down silently.

  “We went to Bearinger and found...we found it completely gone. Burned to the ground. Not a living soul. Not a body left in one piece. Blood running in rivers on the ground. We...we were devastated. We thought you were somewhere underneath all those body parts, especially after Atty found your sword. It wasn’t until after the Blood attacked her—”

  “She was attacked?”

  “Dammit, Yulen! Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe you’re not ready to hear all this.” The physician angrily got to his feet and turned as if to leave. But when he heard none of the pleading for him to come back, he abruptly stopped and looked around to find the man with his hands over his face. The broad shoulders moved slightly. Shaking. Uttering a vulgarity, MaGrath rushed back over to gather the man into his arms. Psychology had never been his strong point, and he knew it was very dangerous, very risky ground he was treading upon by telling the man the details of his rescue this soon after regaining consciousness. Even knowing that the only way to completely heal both body and mind was to get the raw truth out into the open, it tore at his soul to have this man who was the son he never had weeping against his chest.

  “Just...just tell me she’s okay,” a trembling voice begged.

  “You have my word. She and the baby are doing fine. She’s getting fatter, and a day doesn’t go by that I don’t get reamed out about her discomfort.”

  This last statement earned him a watery chuckle. Gradually, Yulen drew away and accepted the man’s handkerchief. Seeing that the man was more in control, MaGrath sighed loudly and sat on the edge of the bed to continue.

  “A wounded Blood we didn’t know was still around grabbed Atty, but she managed to kill it by swinging your sword and planting the damn thing in its head. But, between the attack and the belief you were gone, Atty went into shock. I had to dose her to calm her down while we searched for enough body parts to identify you. We found your armor and your sword, and what was left of your horse, but nothing else.

  “It was at that time Atty came around and sensed you were still alive. She was connected to you, Yulen. She directed us into the woods to rescue you and the rest of the men. Yeah, nearly a hundred survivors,” MaGrath answered the unspoken question in the man’s reddened eyes.

  “Atty stayed in touch with you through that connection. I’d never heard of such a thing before, but Fortune told us stories of people in the past, about other Mutah who... I’m getting off the story. Sorry.

  “She could sense things you were seeing, Yulen. Things you were feeling. The Bloods were herding the rest of your men and you to be used as food to help them through the winter. They took special delight in torturing you in front of your men. They meant to break your spirit and keep the others cowed. Damn near worked, too, except for one very special, very unique attribute they never suspected.”

  “Atty.” Yulen’s voice was soft, the two syllables caressed.

  MaGrath shook his head. “Not so much Atty, but the love between you two. Yulen, without that love, Atty wouldn’t have been able to keep track of you, or show us how to get to you. That snake face you said you see in your dreams? That was the Blood who tortured you.”

  “What happened to the thing?”

  The man shrugged. “Vulture poop by now, more than likely. Atty marked him for personal execution. From the story Renken told me, what she did to that thing made Karv’s death look like target practice.”

  He paused to let this much sink in, closely watching Yulen’s face for any sign of emotional trauma. The man closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. Presently he opened his eyes, and MaGrath was relieved to see them clear and free of demons for the moment.

  “Mastin led the attack after Paxton and Atty freed you.”

  Yulen suddenly stuck an index finger in the air. MaGrath paused for his query.

  “Renken? Who’s Renken?”

  “The ex-mercenary.”

  Yulen blinked as he recalled the man. Nodding, the physician added, “
The man’s been invaluable. He’s earned Atty’s trust. Mine as well.”

  Sniffing, the Battle Lord said, “Go on.”

  “It started snowing. Hard. You were dying. The nearest compound around that I knew of was Alta Novis, but she was a good week, if not further, away. But Fortune and Atty knew this place existed, and it was close. Real close by. A couple of hours, thank God. If you would have had to have been carried any further without proper medical attention...” MaGrath’s voice trailed off. Rubbing his eyes with his sleeve, he continued.

  “You did die, Yulen. But for the miracle of Mutah medicine and that damn connection you and Atty have, you wouldn’t be here now. She brought you back. She fought for you, and...dammit...they’re still talking about it around the compound.”

  “How long have I been here, Liam?”

  The physician thought. “A little over two months now.”

  “Two months? What day is this?”

  “The sixth. Of March.”

  It was a while before Yulen could fully grasp the reality of the moment.

  “We couldn’t move you. You were critically injured, Yulen. Besides, Mother Nature’s been pretty uncooperative. We were socked in by that blizzard for almost five weeks. It’s been snowing on and off since then.”

  “How have the men been getting along with the inhabitants?”

  “Very well. Better than that, actually. A small group of our soldiers have been unofficially adopted by this compound’s hunter caste. They’ve been helping with keeping the compound in meat while we’ve been here. And I know of at least two men who’ve found sweethearts here.”

  That last remark brought a weary grin to the Battle Lord’s face.

  The sound of creaking came to them. MaGrath realized that was how Yulen knew he’d come into the clinic. The hinges on the front door needed greasing.

  A beloved figure padded slowly through the doorway. She was wearing a full-length coat, but the increased swelling of her belly was profoundly evident. Apparently she’d been awakened from a nap. She was still yawning and rubbing her eyes.