The Battle Lord Saga 02 - Her Battle Lord's Desire (22 page)

plates. She was flushed from the heat of the coals over which the elk was roasting.

“You know, I’ve brought in I don’t know how many kills, and all that time I’ve never

claimed my portion. Well, by golly, I did this time!” she beamed.

“Claimed your portion?” her husband questioned curiously.

“The choicest piece. The one who brings in the kill has the right to claim the best cut of

the meat for himself,” explained Twoson. He gestured toward the two trenchers she’d set down.

“Got the back strap, did you, Atty?”

“You bet your chubby cheeks, Twoson,” she smiled, taking her seat between her husband

and Mastin, who had to shift over a bit on the bench and move his sword out her way. “Boy, you

cleaned up nicely, my love,” she complimented him brightly.

Yulen was quick to realize this was the first time since they’d arrived in Wallis that they

were finally having a meal together, including the entire compound with both Normals and

Mutahs, gathered together like a regular community. He ate in silence as Atty kept up a continual

stream of chatter with the Councilman and his wife, along with Mastin’s occasional comments and

questions, and the odd grunt from MaGrath. There was an exciting warmth along his thigh

where her leg pressed against his, and every so often when she would punctuate something she

said with a gesture, her arm or shoulder would gently bump his.

She was close enough for him to smell her uniquely feminine scent. Despite the

overwhelming odor of food, especially the roasted meat permeating the courtyard, he was

excruciatingly aware of her. At one point, unable to resist the temptation any longer, Yulen dove

a hand into her warm hair behind her neck. His fingers began to massage her neck and shoulder

muscles, and she paused to close her eyes as she relished his touch. Not an eye in the compound

missed their interaction.

Behind them the music stopped as the musicians broke for a quick supper. No longer

having to compete with the noise, conversation at the tables resumed more normal levels.

“Hey, D’Jacques. If we agree to these improvements, how long do you think they’ll take

to complete?” Twoson brought up.

“Depends mostly on the weather. With winter coming, it’s going to take longer than I’d

like. The outer walls alone will eat up a good six months.”

“What if we divide up the men? Put half on the wall and half on the other projects we

discussed. It would take longer, but we’d get it all finished at about the same time.”

“No.” Yulen shook his head, putting down his mug of beer. “I want all of the men to

concentrate on one project at a time. The wall has top priority.” He looked at Atty as she got to

her feet to remove their plates from the table. She paused, seeing his unspoken signal, and waited

for him to finally make the announcement only she had been privy to know before this moment.

“I’m taking Wallis under my banner,” he told the Council leader.

Around them all movement ceased as the importance of his declaration sunk in. It was

Collier Vogel, seated at the next table over, who spoke first.

“You’re
taking
Wallis?” he reiterated in a louder voice. This time the entire courtyard

quieted as every eye focused on the head table.

“Yes. He’s taking Wallis,” Atty said in a low, firm voice. Her gaze raked over everyone

seated and standing. To show her support, she moved behind her husband and laid her hands on

his shoulders. “By flying the banner of Alta Novis, all who come here will know this compound is

under our protection. By flying our banner, you are guaranteed never to be in want of food or

supplies or help. By flying our banner, all of you will be afforded every advantage allowed,

including trade.”

“What if we refuse you?” Twoson asked. His demeanor was calm but clearly cautious.

Despite the Battle Lord’s coming to their defense, despite the fact that he had married one of their

own, and despite the unquestionably sincere desire the man had to help them, the Mutah knew

relations between them remained perilous.

“If you refuse me,” Yulen answered, “then our work here is done. Tomorrow morning we

will leave to return to Alta Novis, and you will never have to worry about dealing with us again.

If you come to Alta Novis, you’ll be treated as a guest, but nothing more. And do not ever ask

for our help again. Do not request anything of us. I answered your plea this time for Atty’s sake.

It was not her decision or her choice. It was mine. So what is your answer, Twoson Pike? Or do

you wish more time to meet with your fellow Councilmen and discuss this?”

Twoson turned his attention to the woman standing behind the Battle Lord. “Have you

turned your back on us, Atty? Your own kind?”

“My own kind was prepared to deny me my life, my happiness, my very existence,” she

bitterly replied. “Yulen may have forgiven you, but he’s only had to deal with the nightmares.

I’m the one who fights waking up and thinking I’m still lying in a bed in Fortune’s back room,

dying from Borash poisoning, and believing that these past few months have been nothing more

than fevered dreams.”

Her fingernails dug into his shoulders as she tried to contain her pain. Yulen reached up

and took her hands in his. “You have until noon tomorrow to decide. Until then, we will

continue to guard you and provide for you,” he said.

“Let me get this straight.” Vogel stood to address the Battle Lord directly. “If we say no,

you’ll just pack up and leave? No force? No coercion? No threats?”

“None of that. We’ll simply leave. The old treaty will remain in effect, such as it is.”

“You would abandon us?” Twoson asked Atty, looking her in the eyes.

Slowly she nodded. “There is nothing here for me anymore,” she told him, holding tightly

onto her husband for support. “My real family is gone. The home I had here is no longer mine.

Yulen is my family now. He is my home.”

To everyone’s surprise, Tory Kalich got to her feet and loudly called for their attention,

pounding the table adamantly with her fist.

“
Enough
of this!
Enough
, Twoson!
Enough
, Collier! I for one am sick and tired of the Council, with their insufferable male pride, making life or death decisions for us when we have no

say in them! Time and again D’Jacques has come to us with hand outstretched, and every time

you’ve slapped it away. You throw the fact that Atty is Mutah in her face, then you take away all

her rights and freedom to be one. Together they promise us a future. A future with hope. A

future not just for ourselves, but for our children as well. A future without fear or hunger...and

you’re actually
considering
turning it
down?
”

She waved an arm in Atty’s direction. “We’ve known Atty all her life. To your

knowledge, has she ever lied to us? Has she ever not followed through with a promise?”

Total silence answered her. Slowly, she raised her hand overhead. “All of you who are

willing to live under the banner of Alta Novis...all of you who are willing...D’Jacques, if after

some time has passed and we decide we no longer wish to honor your pledge, can you remove the

banner, even if it means also losing your support?”

Although the request was not something he had expected, Yulen nodded. The

compromise was very feasible. “If, after six months, you find our arrangement inadequate or

unwanted, I will release Wallis from its obligation. However, if after six months there are no

further arguments, the banner will remain permanently. Permanently, with no chance to appeal.

That’s my offer. My only offer. And this will be the only time I will present it to you, to all of the

compound.”

Tony smiled. “Fair enough. All of you who are willing to agree to D’Jacques’s

conditions, raise your hand.”

Steadily, almost as one, nearly every hand went up to show their support and willingness.

Beside Twoson, Vallina glared at her husband and also raised her hand. Shrugging his immense

shoulders, the Councilman lifted his hand overhead and grinned at the Battle Lord.

Yulen looked at his wife, who leaned down and gave him a hug around the neck.

Tory beamed with relief. “Okay. Now that we got that out of the way, don’t you think

we
really
have something to celebrate?”

A chorus of cheers went up. Yulen looked over to see MaGrath with a huge smile on his

face. The physician winked to show his approval. Atty also saw the wink and tugged on her

husband’s shoulders.

“Come! Let’s go to the bonfire! Come on, Yulen! Hurry!”

Laughing, the Battle Lord got to his feet and followed his Lady to where the musicians

were scrambling back to their instruments. Now there was a bigger, better reason to celebrate.

The night was just beginning, but for the compound of Wallis, it would become the first

night in their nearly three-hundred-year history where they would never again have to worry

about what tomorrow would bring.

The music was quick and upbeat. Around the roaring bonfire people were dancing

joyously. Here and there people peeled off in small groups to talk or dare each other in games of

chance. A few of the tables already had card games going. A little further on some of the soldiers

had set up a game of horseshoes.

Not too far away Diad Murphy had set up a small stand with a barrel of his deadly, if not

toxic, lemon verbossa. Yulen chuckled to see MaGrath already over there with mug in hand.

“What’s so funny?” Atty whispered. They were leaning against one of the huge pecan

trees ringing the courtyard. Yulen had his back to the large trunk, with Atty comfortably in his

arms. From their vantage point they could see most of what was going on, while remaining

somewhat discreetly out of sight.

He motioned toward the physician with his head. Atty glanced over at the knot of men

gathered around the keg. Her groan turned into a giggle. “Liam has no idea what he’s getting

himself into.”

“To be honest, my love, I’m rather curious to know what kind of kick it has.”

She smiled at him. “Why not go over and get some, then? I’m curious to see what you’re

like when you’re tipsy.”

Yulen shook his head. “Liam says I get quiet and deadly, like a feral stalking prey.”

“You clam up? Or you become a mean drunk?”

“To be honest, I don’t remember for sure. But Liam swore to me that one time I actually

had the men fall out for a complete surprise dress inspection at four in the morning.”

“Ooooh,” she snickered. “You’re a mean and
crafty
drunk!”

“Am not!” he laughed softly, giving her waist a squeeze where his arms encircled her.

Atty lifted her face, pressing her head back against his shoulder, waiting for his lips. She didn’t

have to wait long.

As his hands slid up her waist to cup her breasts, Atty turned around to lay at an angle

along his body, unaware that their mutual breathing was becoming quicker, shallower. Their

kisses slowly becoming more intense. Demanding.

Beside the keg, MaGrath’s eye caught the couple hidden in the shadows under the tree. In

the dark all he could see were their outlines dimly silhouetted by the bonfire’s light, but he didn’t

have to guess what they were doing.

“But we wouldn’t have had to agree to the new treaty if the Bloods hadn’t shown up,”

one of the men enjoying the brew nearby argued.

“It wasn’t just the Bloods, and you know that,” another man with a second set of thumbs

on his hands challenged him. “We’ve been fighting a losing battle for generations now. It was

just a matter of time before we were totally overrun or defeated.”

“Yeah,” mumbled Diad, lifting his mug in salute. “The Council should feel damn lucky

D’Jacques took us under his wing. At least now we have a chance at a future, a
real
future.

Right, MaGrath?”

The physician smiled wistfully. “I’ve known Yulen since he was born. If his father

instilled anything in him, it was integrity. The man does nothing unless it’s with a singleness of

purpose. He honestly thinks he can make a difference in the alliances between Normals and

Mutah, but he has no fantasy that it will be accomplished in his lifetime. He just wants to make

certain that he gets the wheels initially spinning, and when his time on this earth is over, he hopes

what he’s started will continue.”

He lifted his mug in the direction of the tree-shaded lovers. “But if you want to know the

real reason why we’re here, or why Yulen chose to ally himself with your people, there’s your

answer right there. Gaze upon it, gentlemen, but don’t interrupt it. And don’t ever do anything

to try and come between them. Because if it weren’t for their love, this day would not have

happened. Plain and simple.” Giving them a smart salute, the physician left to find a seat nearer

the musicians. He was fond of a good song, and it had been a while since he’d enjoyed a concert.

The men around the barrel glanced in the direction the man had indicated, and noticed the

shadows beneath the huge tree. Although they couldn’t see any distinct shapes, there was no

doubt what the couple was doing.

“The doctor said not to interrupt them,” one of the men commented.