Free This Battle Lord's Quest by Linda Mooney Page A

if we proportion it sparingly, even with the vegetables, it won’t feed all
of us through the winter.”
    “I’m not arguing the fact that we need more meat,”
Fortune snapped. “I’m against you traipsing off on your own to pursue your
hunches.”
    “She won’t have to be alone,” Paxton interrupted.
    “I’m in, too,” said Renken.
    Smiling slightly, Atty tilted her head toward the
man who had been her father’s best friend, and who had adopted her when she’d
been orphaned. “If we leave in the morning, we could be out and back in less
than a week. Come on, Fortune. There is game out there. The pines are
proof enough. We just have to figure out where it is! Besides, you know that
eventually we’ll have to send out another scouting party, and soon. This is the
time of year when the animals are stocking up against the coming cold. If we
wait much longer, we could lose that advantage.” Leaning over, she stared
directly into his eyes. “And you know what it’s like when a compound has to go
into starvation mode,” she reminded him.
    Vashayn spoke up. “Fortune, what if—”
    “ No! ” Fortune turned on him, face reddening.
“You all are to accompany me back to Alta Novis. I need every one of you to
help with the travois. Plus, I gave my word to the Battle Lord. Am I clear?”
    Vashayn and Meesel nodded, while the other two
Mutah hunters remained silent.
    “And as for you, young lady.”
    Atty remained stone-faced but silently dared the
man to order her to stay.
    Fortune paused, then sighed deeply as he shook his
head. “What am I going to tell Yulen?”
    “You tell him what he’ll already suspect,” Paxton
answered. “That his head-strong wife was concerned about the welfare of the
compound, and took off in search of more food...along with two of his
soldiers.”
    Lifting a hand to his face, Fortune rubbed his
eyes. “I hope he doesn’t kill me for what I’m about to agree to. Atty, promise
me something?”
    “Depends,” she quipped. The man knew, as well as
everyone else, that she never gave her word lightly. But first, she needed to
know what he wanted.
    “Promise me that once you find more game, if you
find more, you’ll bring back what you kill and not track any more.” The man
looked sternly at her. “Promise me you’ll return to Alta Novis as soon as you
find more game.”
    Atty got down on her knees and placed her hands in
his, giving them a squeeze. “I promise, Fortune. Once we bag more meat, we’ll
all return immediately to the compound.”
    Nodding, Fortune pressed a kiss to her forehead to
seal the deal. “All right. It’s getting late. Dawn will be here before you know
it. Let’s all try to get some sleep. Atty, if you’re gone before we awaken,
good hunting.”
    “Thank you, Fortune.” She got to her feet and
brushed off her pants before heading for her bedroll. Paxton and Renken each
gave the Mutah hunter a nod, and rose to follow her.
     

Chapter
Nine
    Coon
     
     
    They left long before the others awoke and set a
course due south, using Renken’s compass to help guide the way as the clouds kept
the stars hidden from view. Atty led the way, with the two men alternating
positions to watch their rear. The going was slow, but the small hand torches
they carried helped to light the way.
    Once they were what Atty estimated was a mile away,
they turned east again. Almost immediately, they noticed a difference in their
surroundings.
    “Tell me I have nothing to fear,” Paxton commented
softly. He motioned at the glowing eyes peering at them from the brush.
    “Unless it rushes out and tries to bite you, you
have nothing to fear,” Atty told him.
    Renken chuckled. “Relax,” the man added. “So far,
most of what we’re looking at is the best news we’ve ever seen this trip.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “He means we’re seeing a lot of smaller animals,”
Atty explained. “Smaller animals means dinner to bigger game. The more we see,
the greater the chance