Page 29 of Lucie
Chapter Fourteen
Truce
Johnakept them moving at a steady pace. Every so often she’d warn them of a tree or other obstacle they’d have to step around, but otherwise she seemed to stay on a direct path.
“How far are you taking us?”
“It’s not much farther.” A pause. “If you feel better keeping your sword drawn, by all means.”
Her remark indicated thatYulenhad his free hand occupied. The same for Lucien, who continued to wield his brother’s dagger.
The one namedPhillokept close behind. SinceJohnaheld both his andYulen’shands, Lucien had to assumePhillocarried her weapon.
“There’s a drop-off up a few hundred yards up ahead. It goes down to a small stream where we’ve set up camp. Youcan warm yourselves by the fire when we get there.” She no longer spoke in a hushed whisper, but neither did she raise her voice in order to warn the others ahead of them.
Lucien sniffed. He was unable to detect any smoke, but if their fires were on the opposite side of the small bluff, it was possible the smoke would be downwind from them.
“You said you’ve come a longway. Where are you from?” the battle lord inquired.
“Hobronwill explain everything,” she countered, then suddenly came to a halt. “Hold,” she ordered, and released their hands. She made a soft trilling noise that Lucien had heard before. It was one his mother often made to notify others she was in the vicinity whenever she went out into the woods.Attycalled it a hunter’s call.
They stood in the dark, waiting. It wasn’t very long before Lucien heard a swish of branches but no footsteps. These were seasonedMutahhunters coming to meet them.
“Luc?”Yulensoftly questioned. Either he’d heard them, which wasn’t likely, or he suspected they were approaching.
“They’re surrounding us,” he told his father.
“All is well,”Johnasaid aloud. “I have brought the Battle Lord of AltaNovisand his son, the battle prince, with me to seeHobron.”
Someone scoffed. “Nice joke,Johna.”
“No! Really! That’s who he says he is!”Philloargued.
“And you believed him?” the same voice challenged.
“He’s a Normal. And I’ve seen the scar on his face,”Johnacontinued. “The battleprince is half-Mutah. Why would they lie about such a thing?”
A light suddenly flared, cutting through the darkness like a golden knife. Lucien threw up a hand to block it until his eyes could adjust.
The person holding the lantern approachedYulenand held it up to examine the battle lord.Yulenpulled off his helmet to meet the man eye-to-eye. “He has the scar, likeshe said,” the man remarked.
“Why are you here?” the gruff voice demanded. The person it belonged to had a snout that reminded Lucien of a wild hog.
“Are youHobron?”Yulenasked in an almost dismissive tone. “I need to speak to your head of council.”
“You can speak to me.”
Lucien eyed thesnoutishman. They’d come to a standoff, but he knewthe next step would be up to his father. He looked forward to see how the battle lord was going to proceed. If it was anything like he’d witnessed in the past…
“Why is the pup smiling?” the gruff man asked, not caring to mask his anger.
Yulendidn’t turn to verify if his son was smiling or not. It wasn’t necessary.
“Do you think this is funny, pup?” theman almost yelled. “Wipe it off your face, Normal, beforeIdo!”
Realizing how this was probably going to turn out, Lucien did his best to hide his amusement, but it wasn’t good enough for the man, who started to stride toward him, an arm raised as if he meant to physically punish Lucien for his insolence.
“Assist!”Yulencalled out, and swung his sword in a high arc.The man was not anticipating the battle lord’s action. Or, if he did, he had no idea how to counteract against it other than to raise his makeshift sword to ward off the blow.
