Page 78 of Lucie
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Desertion
They ran from the dining hall to the front of the compound and climbed the wall to the parapets. As he hurried to keep up with his father, Lucien stopped one of the archers and confiscated the man’s sword. Feeling theheftof the weapon in his hand gave him a sense of security, even though he didn’t have any of his armor. At least, ifthey were forced into direct combat, he’d have something to protect himself with.
Renken, Echo, andPaaswere already up there whenYulen, Lucien, andMastinjoined them. The sun was still hidden behind the trees to their left, but it already gave out enough light to see the landscape before them.
Lucien paused to stare at the sight of the Bloods standing in a tightcluster about a hundred yards from the main gate. Glancing around, he could see evidence of spilled blood on the ground in front of the compound walls, and splattered over the rocks at the top of the barricade, but the bodies were gone. Carried off before daylight. Everyone knew Bloods ate their enemies, but no one knew if the same fate was dealt to their own kind.
“What’s happening?”Yulenwhispered as they joined the others.
“Don’t know, and can’t tell,” Echo replied. “It’s a whole different strategy.”
“You’ve never seen them do this?”Renkenquestioned his wife.
She gave a shake of her head in answer. Echo was never able to tell them much about Blood behavior, even though she’d spent several years as a slave of one of their leaders.Much of her lack of knowledge was due to the fact that she’d been kept within the tight-knit company of the woman named Mink, a self-confessed goddess who’d met her fate at Echo’s hand. Although she’d heard some of the woman’s discussions with other Bloods, much of it had been incomprehensible to her. And when the woman wasn’t looking, she spent that time hunting for something to eat.
“But I think they’re getting ready to leave.”
That last remark caught everyone’s attention.
“You sure?” Lucien asked.
She pointed to a spot farther away where more Bloods were gathering. This time everyone could see the creatures dragging something in their wake.Yulenplaced his hands on top of the wall and leaned forward, squinting his eyes. “Cananyone tell what they’re taking with them?”
“Horses and our wagons,” Lucien informed him. His father shot him a quizzical look but didn’t challenge him.Yulenknew his younger son had slightly better eyesight because of hisMutahhalf.
“Both wagons?”
“Yeah.” Lucien swallowed hard. “And they’ve piled them both up with dead bodies.”
Renkensnorted. “At least they’ve got enough supplies to last them for their long trek to wherever the hell they’re going.”
Lucien didn’t miss Echo’s amused grin directed at her husband, nor the wayMastinbowed his head to hide his smile. Yes, it was a sick joke, but he had to admit it was humorous, especially the wayRenkendelivered it.
However,Yulen’sface remained passive.“I wonder why they’re giving up.”
“They look like they’re deserting the cause,”Renkenobserved. “Almost like rats from a sinking ship.” The comparison reminded Lucien of the cockroaches scuttling back into the crack in the wall, and he shuddered.
“Sir?” A soldier Lucien recognized as one ofJarish’smen came up to join them. “CaptainJarishsaid to tell you we’ve hitwater.”
“Was it directly under the clinic?”
“Yes, sir. In fact, it’s an underground spring that flows underneath the main hall.”
“In which direction?”
“East to west, sir.”
Yulenlooked pleased. “Thank you. Cole, have your men fill their water bags, then tell Warren to have his do the same.”
“What does the spring’sdirection have to do with anything?” Lucien inquired, curious.
“It’s running parallel to the ridge. At some point in time, many years ago, it probably was a much bigger river that carved that gorge behind the compound.”
“At least we know now why this place was built here, and why all those other compounds were also erected almost in a direct line,”Paascommented.“That spring may have been every compound’s main water source.”
Yulenagreed. “It’s very possible.”
