Chapter Sixteen
Request
Lucien watched as Mastin was given orders to bring his troops over to the ridge and camp there. Paxton would also bring his group in, but to assign guard duty in shifts to make sure the road remained under watch. By moving everyone further into the woods and away from the road, the battle lord hoped they would less likely be discovered.
As the second hurried up the slope to return to the men, Yulen excused himself from the councilman’s company and gestured for Atty and Lucien to join him off to the side. Atty gave him an amused look as they went to stand by the stream, away from the others. “You do realize most of them will still be able to hear us,” she remarked.
“Doesn’t matter,” Yulen answered, and perched his hands on his hips. “Our first priority is to get to Green River and see if there are any survivors left. At this point, however, I’m doubtful there are any.”
“But we can’t be certain until we go there and find out for ourselves,” Atty noted.
“I agree. Which is why we need to find a way through that barricade as quickly as possible.”
“You said there’s a man claiming to be you?” Atty brought up.
“Yes. He says he’s on a mission of vengeance to wipe out every Mutah in every compound he encounters.”
“A mission of vengeance?”
“He says his wife Atty was killed by the virus, only they call it the madness disease. Thus his supposedly renewed hatred of all things Mutah,” Lucien supplied. “My guess is that he’s using the dead wife excuse to explain why she’s not with him.”
Atty frowned at her son. “What about the children?”
Yulen shook his head. “There was no mention of any children.”
Atty bit her lips. “If he wasn’t a Normal, I would swear he was a Damaged. He’s acting like one, and it would account for him assuming your identity and going on this tirade.”
“It would also explain what Hobron, the councilman sitting over there, told us about their weaponry. He said they weren’t wearing the kind of armor we have. And their weapons were much cruder, less refined,” Lucien told her.
Atty gave them a surprised look. “Cruder in what way?”
“We don’t know,” Yulen admitted, then gestured behind him with a shake of his head. “But if you examine what these people are using, I’m assuming they might be similar in construction.”
A thought came to Lucien. On impulse, he turned and gestured to Johna for her to join them. The huntress walked over, and she and his mother exchanged glances.
“Mom, this is Johna. Her mark gives her the ability to see things in a range our own eyes can’t. She’s also able to tell if someone has had the virus and survived. But, no, before you ask, she can’t tell if a Mutah who’s had the virus is Damaged.”
“What is the name of your compound?” Atty inquired of the young woman.
“Asa Valley. Have you heard of it?”
“No, but there are many I’m not familiar with. Is it far from here?”
“It’s many weeks away.”
“Johna?” Lucien gently touched her arm. The young woman turned her attention to him. “Did you happen to get a good look at the bogus D’Jacques when he attacked your compound?”
“No.”
“How about his troops?” Yulen asked.
She shook her head. “I wasn’t part of the enforcements. Even if I was, no one was allowed to get up on the walkway encircling the battlements after our guards were shot down.”
“So how did you communicate with the fake battle lord?” Atty inquired.
“We didn’t. One morning we woke up to find ourselves surrounded by his army. He yelled his demands through the front gate, and Hobron and other members of the council went out to see what he wanted.” She gave a wan smile. “After all, he claimed to be the Battle Lord of Alta Novis.” Her smile instantly vanished. “They attacked and killed the other councilmen. They wounded Hobron, but allowed him to live so he could return with their ultimatum.”
“That being?”
“To open the doors and allow them inside. If we refused, they would wait us out. They said they’d prevent us from going outside the compound to gather food, or to seek help. They said they didn’t care if we starved to death. That was their intent. To eventually kill us all.”
“Surely you attempted to come to some sort of compromise with him,” Lucien insisted.
“We tried, but they never answered. All they’d say is, ‘Open the doors. Open the doors.’ They’d chant it over and over and over, all during the day and night, until you almost went mad from the litany.”
Atty crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m guessing that, because of their armor, plus the fact that they kept mostly to the woods, if these were Mutah pretending to be Normals, that would have prevented anyone in your compound from discovering their ruse.”
“I agree. I’ve never encountered a battle lord with inferior weapons. Although I will admit that putting a compound on starvation watch used to be a common tactic used to defeat an enemy. Luc.” The battle lord turned his attention to his son. “Go fetch Prudeau.”
“What do you plan to do?” Atty questioned.
“I’m going to have him take a squad and escort these people to New Bearinger. Then return with fifty more men.”
“You intend for us to sit here and wait for them to get back with reinforcements?”
“No. By then I hope to be on the other side of Whiterock. The others can follow when they arrive.”
“Excuse me, Battle Lord,” Johna interjected. “Did you say you’re sending us to New Bearinger?”
“Yes.”
“Why? Why not Alta Novis?”
“It’s closer.” Yulen didn’t explain further, and gestured to his son to obey his orders. Lucien gave a quick nod and hurried toward the slope.
As he started to ascend, he sensed someone following him, and paused to check, knowing it wasn’t one of his parents. Johna hurried to catch up with him, giving him a pleading look when she joined him. “May I ask a favor? I know I have no right to, but—”
“What is it?”
“Don’t let the battle lord send me to New Bearinger. Allow me to accompany you to this Green River compound.”
Her request surprised and puzzled him. “Why?” As soon as the question was asked, he realized it made perfect sense to bring her along.
She checked back over her shoulder, not at where his father and mother were still in deep discussion, but where the others of her compound were gathered around the fire. When she turned around to face him again, her expression was almost pleading. “Please. Just…please. I promise not to get in the way. And I’m a good hunter. I can help supply your men with game while we’re on the road.”
“What about your own people? Don’t they need you to help supply them?” He could tell something was wrong. Well, not wrong, but off. Different. She wasn’t afraid, but she was very concerned.
“They are capable of finding enough food without my help.” She tried to make it sound like she either wasn’t needed, or…
Lucien stared at the Mutah still hunched over the fire pit. The one his father had knocked out was finally coming to, and a couple of men were helping him to sit up. Trusting his intuition, Lucien gave a nod. “Come with me. We’ll talk.”
Johna flashed him a grateful smile, relieved to know that he hadn’t outright denied her request, and followed him up the embankment. But he already had a very good idea the reason behind her plea. Someone in her own group had her so apprehensive, she was willing to face the unknown with people she barely knew. Gritting his teeth, Lucien knew he had to find out who it was, and why she felt she had to distance herself by abandoning the very people she’d known all her life.
As for asking his father and mother to include her on their mission, he’d already made that decision the moment he’d looked into her strange eyes. This woman intrigued him, and the fact that she could be a tremendous asset for them only sealed it for him.
Besides, he needed to know what color those unique eyes were when daylight came.