Every Battle Lord's Nightmare (28 page)

            The battle lord grinned. “Better, they approached me. Their thinking is, as long as we’re here, why not go ahead and hold the conference?”

            “I don’t know, Zane. I must deal first with assuming this compound and taking care of its people. Perhaps it would be better if the summit was cancelled or postponed for a later time.”

            Mastin placed a hand on Yulen’s shoulder. “I know you have a lot on your plate right now. And I agree. Assuming a compound is a major undertaking in of itself. But I think you’d be making a serious error if you didn’t take this opportunity provided to you and hold the summit here and now. Warren and I will handle dismantling operations until you’re done.”

            Yulen started reply when another strong twinge zipped through him. This time, Atty bent over with a soft moan. He dropped beside her, wrapping her in his arms.

            “Yul…” She tried to say more, when a warm wetness suddenly flowed across the bench. It dripped down her pants legs and onto the floor. Atty moaned again. “My water broke. I’m in labor. Go fetch Fergus.”

            Mastin dashed for the front doors to get the physician as Yulen helped her to her feet. It was too soon after his own long illness, and he was unable to lift her into his arms to carry her to a more private location. He glanced at Keelor, who clung to Atty’s arm.

            “Where’s the nearest bedroom? Or some place with a fire where she can be warm?”

            Keelor pointed to the back of the lodge. “The battle lord’s private residence is this way. Come!”

            She grabbed the nearest lantern and led them into what normally would have been the kitchen area in most other compounds. Instead, the narrow hall stopped in front of a large wooden door. Keelor tried the latch. “It’s locked.”

            “No problem. I have a key,” Renken replied. With one hard kick along the edge of the frame, the wood splintered, and the door swung open.

            The men remained in the hallway as Yulen helped Atty over to the bed. As he jerked off her coat, Keelor set the lantern on the bedside table and pulled back the coverlet. Once Atty was spread out, he removed her boots and pants, and Keelor draped a quilt over her.

            Several moments passed as he stared down at his wife’s pale face. At the sweat already beading her skin every time she was hit with a contraction. Memories returned of the near-disaster during her first delivery. Images of her lying unconscious as MaGrath fought to save her transposed over the figure writhing on the blankets, and the cold hand of fear clutched his heart.

            Yulen sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand, holding it between his own, and kissed her thumb. He remained there, watching her as he fed her what strength he could to help her through the birthing process.

            “Atty, talk to me. It’s too soon for the baby to come, isn’t it?”

            She turned her head to face him, her breath coming in little gasps as she tried to relax between contractions. “I don’t want to be…another burden for you to…worry about. Yulen, take the summit. It’s what we’ve…worked…so hard to accomplish. The compound will…take care of itself until it’s over. Trust me. People will resume their day-to-day living…until you’re ready.” She smiled weakly but lovingly at him, when another bout of pain pushed through her.

            His attention was diverted by what sounded like a blade striking flint. Glancing over his shoulder, he finally noticed the fireplace in the opposite wall. Keelor was bent over the logs on the grate, hitting the objects together, until sparks flared, catching the dry tender. Within seconds, a fire crackled, providing warmth and light. With that done, the Mutah woman stood up and disappeared into an adjoining room, reappearing a few seconds later with a large bowl and a pitcher. Setting the objects on the floor, she poured a little water from the pitcher into the bowl where she’d tossed in a rag. Wringing water from the rag, she wiped her sister’s face before laying the compress on Atty’s forehead.

“How can there be a fireplace inside a mountain?” Yulen asked.

“It’s not. Not really.” Keelor pointed upward. “This room runs along the outer wall. The rear of the fireplace does, too.”

He nodded, getting a grasp on the architecture. “They dug a hole in the side of the cliff face to accommodate space to run the chimney.”

“It’s that way for all the lodgings in the cliff,” she informed him. “Every apartment shares a fireplace with the people on the other side. Except for a few of the more important officials, who get to have their own.”

Atty’s fingers gripped his with another spasm. Yulen yelled at the door. “Where’s Fergus?”

A figure burst into the room in answer. “How far apart are the contractions?”

“I don’t know,” Yulen told him.

The doctor shooed him away and took his place on the bed next to her. “All right, Atty. Looks like your daughter’s decided to make her grand appearance earlier than scheduled, but it should be okay.” He spoke in soothing tones as he checked her belly and lifted her knees. Atty gritted her teeth but didn’t reply.

Glancing up, Thrasher noticed the woman standing nearby. “Have you ever assisted in a birth?” At Keelor’s nod, he continued. “Then get me some warm water and clean towels. Be prepared to wash this infant when I hand her to you. And make sure you wrap her up tightly to keep her from getting cold.” Keelor nodded and vanished back inside the other room to fetch what he needed. “Yulen, have someone find me a jug of alcohol. I don’t care if it’s whiskey or verbossa or the local rotgut. No, I don’t want a drink. I need it to sterilize with.”

Yulen strode to the door and threw it open to find several people standing out in the hallway. “Someone get me a jug of liquor. The stronger the better!”

He started to close the door when someone yelled, “Here!” As if by magic, a water bag made its way through the small crowd and was thrust into Yulen’s hand. Shutting the door, he handed it to the physician. Thrasher uncorked it and took a whiff. His reaction was almost explosive as he jerked his face away from the bag.

“Christ! If this doesn’t kill germs, nothing will.” Rolling up his sleeves, the doctor liberally doused his arms and hands with the liquid. From where he stood, Yulen could smell the fumes.

Atty continued to struggle with each contraction, reminding him of what Mattox’s birth had been like. As he watched her fighting to remain conscious, Keelor emerged from the back room with an armload of clean items, mostly towels and shirts, and laid them at the foot of the bed. Next she brought in the bowl, this time containing warm water, and placed it on the floor next to the doctor as he shifted Atty closer to the edge of the mattress.

“All right, Atty. Take it easy. When I say push, you give it all you got, understand?”

She reached out to Yulen, who took her hand and knelt next to her. “It’s going to be fine, my love,” she whispered. “Quit looking at me like it’s your last. This isn’t going to be like the time I had Mattox.”

“I can’t help but worry.”

“I know.”

“Here we go, Atty. I can see the head crowning. Get a good grip on her, Yulen. Okay. Push!”

She groaned, the cords in her neck standing out as she strained.

“Good, good. Okay. Again, Atty. Push!”

Yulen tried to ignore the pain caused when her nails dug into his hand. Instead, he focused on her face. On the look of pure love reflected in her eyes as she stared up at him.

On the miracle happening at that moment.

For a brief span of time, the birth of their daughter allowed him to forget the terror of the past few hours. Forget, but not permanently. He knew he would never be able to completely erase the emotional agony he’d suffered when he had thought he and Atty were to die at the hands of Highcliff’s men. Neither did he believe he’d ever discover how or why he’d been given the gift of foretelling. Or if he’d manage to do it again.

But for now, at this moment, it no longer mattered. The acquisition of another compound, the battle lords waiting to gather for a summit — none of it was as important to him right now as the birth of their child. Their daughter.

“Keep going, Atty! Almost there! Almost!”

Although he was tempted to glance over at where the blanket was draped across her hips, he found greater happiness watching her face. Waiting to see her expression when their daughter took her first breath.

A loud, lusty yell came from behind him. Atty lifted her head and gave a little exhausted laugh when Thrasher held up the infant. Yulen stood to watch as Keelor bathed the child. He peered closely at the baby, studying it.

“Yulen, is she…” Atty struggled to see.

Yulen paused. “Fergus, what’s with her feet?”

“Feet?” Atty echoed.

Keelor wrapped a towel around the baby and handed her to Yulen. Taking their daughter over to Atty, he pulled aside the towel to show her the child’s mark.

“She has one toe on each foot.”

Thrasher came up to peer over Yulen’s shoulder. “Actually, it looks more to me like a hoof.”

“A hoof?” Atty lifted one tiny leg with the single digit at the end. Yulen had to agree with the doctor. The nail did appear to be larger than what a normal toenail should be.

“What about her eyes?” he asked the doctor.

Thrasher shrugged. “We won’t know until she opens them.”

Atty quickly examined the rest of the infant, but there appeared to be no other distinguishing abnormalities. Smiling, she ran her fingers through the short, dense fuzz on the baby’s head. “Yulen, she has your hair.”

She was right. The baby’s hair was a pale, slightly reddish color. If it remained that shade, their daughter would be a strawberry blonde like her father.

He placed the baby in her arms. “How do you feel?”

“Yulen, I’m fine,” she reassured him. “I could do with some rest. But I told you, this wasn’t like it was with Mattox. For all we’ve been through today, this was a blessing.”

“So, have you decided yet on a name for her?” Thrasher asked, drying his hands after washing them off.

Yulen shook his head. “We’re still deciding.”

“Keelor?” Atty held out a hand to her sister, who’d remained silent as she stood by the fire. “Come, Auntie Keelor. Come say hello to your niece.”

The young woman sat on the edge of the bed next to her. Atty lifted the baby to place in her arms, but she declined. “No. You hold her. I can wait.”

Getting to his feet, Yulen leaned over and kissed Atty on the forehead. “Rest, my love. I’m going outside to let everyone know we have a daughter. Then I’m going to inform the battle lords the summit will resume tomorrow morning.”

“And after that?” Atty smiled. Her eyelids drooped. Keelor reached over to take the infant.

“And after that, I’m going to come back here and hold my baby girl for a while. You rest, beloved.”

At the sight of her beautiful face relaxing as she gently sunk into sleep, he waited for her to doze off before he and Thrasher left the room. Leaving Keelor to watch over her sister until his return.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Mistelle

            Atty was right. The compound was going about its normal day to day business. Once the news had gotten out about Highcliff’s death, and that the ban on attending the faire had been lifted, the people in the compound readily accepted the change in regime, and life continued.

            The faire’s vendors were discovered huddling in their tents at the far western end of the compound. After some questioning, it was found that Highcliff was the one who had given the orders to serve poisoned dishes to Mutah clientele. Any vendor who didn’t faced severe punishment. With the old battle lord dead, that threat was gone, and the vendors were eager to go back to their jobs.

            In the distance, the smoking remains of the two funeral pyres wafted upward into a clear morning sky. The sun was warm. Most of the snow had already melted. Spring was coming.

            Yulen was aware of someone approaching from behind him, but he felt no fear. Crossing his arms over his chest, he smiled. “I could certainly use Tory’s expertise right about now.”

            Fortune snorted and took a stance beside him. “How’d you know it was me?”

            “There are only two people I know of who can move that silently, and one of them is currently nursing our new daughter.” Yulen rolled his head around his shoulders to ease the tension. “What’s on your mind?”

            “Well, for starters, have you thought about getting some rest yourself? You’re not completely over that sickness yet. You’re pushing yourself into another bout of bedridden days.”

            Yulen snorted. “I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. Did Liam tap you to be my surrogate father in his stead?”

            “Hey, someone has to say it.”

            Yulen glanced over to see the Mutah hunter eyeing him. “The summit is tomorrow. Before then, I have a brand new compound to examine and track.”

            “And you have a brand new baby daughter, too. Whale of a set of priorities, there.”

            “What’s your point, Fortune?”

            “No point. Just saying. By the way, do you realize both of your children have been born in compounds outside Alta Novis?”

            He hadn’t thought of it that way, but it made for an amusing fact.

            “Actually,” Fortune continued. “I did have an ulterior motive for coming up here on top of this building.” The man glanced around. “It reminds me of Wallis. The way we also have ladders leading up to the rooftops of our buildings. Have you ever thought about initiating a similar measure at Alta Novis? It would give your archers more vantage points in case the enemy managed to breach your defenses.”

            Yulen mused over the comment. “You make a very valid point. I can envision Atty standing on top of our lodge, decimating the enemy. I like the idea. Remind me when we get back to Alta Novis. Better yet, write it down and pin it to me with one of your throwing knives so I don’t forget.” He grinned at the last part, knowing the man would realize he was joking.