Page 37 of Lucie
“Trust me, I don’t think either of them will mind if they haveto ride together.”
They crab-crawled to the edge of the road before getting to their feet to join the others.Yulenmade sure to get his son’s attention before he andAttyvanished behind the tree line. Although his wife didn’t say anything further about Lucien and the girl, he knew she was thinking about them.Attydidn’t appear concerned about theMutahwoman, which gave him peace of mind.He valuedAtty’sintuition more than anyone else’s, including his own. If she was willing to trust the stranger with their son, then so should he.
At least it was one less thing for him to worry about.
* * *
“What happened to you?”
Lucien glanced over his shoulder whereJohnakept pace with his long-legged stride. After notifyingPrudeauthat the battlelord needed him, he’d gone to fetch his horse to take back to the ridge.Johnawalked behind him as they made their way through the thick brush. He started to ask her what she meant when he remembered the wound on the back of his head, and reached up to touch it with his fingertips. Feeling the cold wetness, he made a mental note to get Iain to replace it.
“I was attacked by a bat.”
“It looks fresh. The padding is bloodstained. How long ago were you bit?”
Was it his imagination, or did she sound apprehensive? “I wasn’t bit. I was scratched. And it happened last night.”
“Scratched. Bit. Either way you could have been infected.”
He felt her tug on his arm, and stopped, turning to face her. In the faint moonlight, the pupilsof her eyes took on a strange glow. She seemed to study his face.
“You don’t have a fever. You were very lucky.”
“It may be too early to say that. No one knows how a half-Mutahwill react, if at all.”
“True. It also explains why your parents seem so concerned about you.”
He snorted. “They’ve been that way all my life. It’s nothing new.”He started to tell her about his birth, but held off. This was not the time or place.
Memory of a slice of advice his older brother shared once came to him.“If you want to keep a girl’s attention, ask her about herself. Women love to talk about themselves.”Johnawas halfMutahlike him, which meant they had that much in common.
“Mind if I ask you a question?”
Her face was unreadable. “What do you want to know?”
“You said you’re halfMutahlike me. Which parent isMutah?”
“Was. My mother wasMutah. My father was… Look, can we talk about this some other time?” She sounded both uneasy and angry.
“Sure. No problem.” He wouldn’t push it, but his curiosity was working overtime.
They reachedthe edge of the bluff. Lucien took his horse over to where others had been tied to a rope, and added his gelding to the herd.Johnawas waiting for him to join her before descending to the stream.
“Are you hungry? When was the last time you ate?”
“It’s been a while. We haven’t stopped since we left NewBearingerbefore dawn.”
“We fixed some badger stew.You’re welcome to have some.”
“I need to check with my parents first.” At her surprised look, he chuckled. “To see if they have any further orders for me. I may be the battle prince, but I’m still under the command of the battle lord and lady like all the other soldiers.”
“Mind if I tag along?”
“Tell you what. Why don’t I come join you by the fire whenI’m done?”
She glanced over at the pit and the men gathered around it. As he suspected, the big one who’d threatened him was among the group. Watching them for a moment, he noticed how they kept their heads bowed, occasionally checking to see where the battle lord or any of his men were located. It was clear they were talking about the newcomers. By associating herself with theNormals, Lucien got the impressionJohnawas putting herself at risk for retaliation.
“On second thought, why don’t you stick with me?” he amended.
The relief that came over her was unmistakable, but he made no comment about it. Flashing her a smile, he went in search of his parents.
