This Battle Lord's Quest Read Online Free PDF

to burn
yourself out.”
    Atty narrowed her eyes. “Did you come here to beat
me over the head until I came to my senses? Or was there another reason why
you’re not over at the north gate with Yulen?” Although she tried to sound
strict, she knew Mastin could see right through her. As she expected, the man
laughed and dropped his hand.
    “The hunters’ caste has asked to meet with him. He
wants you there.”
    “When? Now?”
    “Yeah. He’s holding up the talks until you can get
there.”
    “Are they meeting at the north gate?”
    “At the practice field.”
    Atty glanced down where Mattox was calmly sitting
on the ground and playing in the dirt with his toy horse and a twig.
    “Don’t worry. I have orders to take the Battle
Prince to Tory.”
    She flashed the man a relieved smile. “Thanks!”
    Leaving her son to his adopted uncle, she hastened
toward the rear of the compound.
     

Chapter
Four
    Plan
     
     
    Seven men were gathered in the field, near the
archery range. Atty recognized her husband first. He was easy to spot with his
red-gold hair blazing in the late summer sun. With him was Warren Paxton, her
personal Second, as well as Fortune and the other four men who were part of the
unique hunters caste for the compound. The men were sitting cross-legged on the
dry grass, but got to their feet when she approached.
    “Mastin will be along shortly,” she announced as
she joined them, taking her place in the empty spot next to her husband. “Oh,
and I have good news for you, Yulen. Your brother’s name is officially Iain
Stuart MaGrath.”
    Yulen smiled but lifted an eyebrow in surprise.
“What happened to Augustus?”
    “It was a ruse Liam used so Madigan would accept
the name he really wanted. Iain was his grandfather’s name.”
    “Stuart’s from Mother’s side,” he remembered, and
nodded. “We’ll be having the naming ceremony soon, then, I take it.”
    “I’m glad you called this meeting,” she directed at
the other men. “I spoke with Berta a few minutes ago. Does this have anything
to do with the lack of game coming out of the forest?”
    “It does,” Gerenth acknowledged. “And we think we
know why.”
    Vashayn continued. “It’s not just the growth of
this compound that’s contributing to the lack of game. We’ve been careful,
you’ve been careful, we’ve all been very careful to follow the laws of the
hunters caste.”
    “Not to overkill or decimate a single species,”
Yulen noted.
    Fortune nodded. “But we believe that a combination
of issues has caused this drought.”
    “The Bloods?” Atty ventured.
    “And the fire used to drive out Rafe D’Jacques and
his men,” Fortune added.
    Gerenth snorted. “When was the last time you heard
a wolfen howl during the night? If they’re not prowling around, you know game
is nonexistent.”
    “In addition, we’ve noticed others leaving the
compound to go hunting. These men are not members of the caste, so they don’t
follow our laws,” Dergus spoke out.
    “I can’t tell the people who live here they can’t
go outside the compound and search for food.” Yulen made himself clear up
front. “If a man’s family is hungry, he has the right to go looking for
something to put on the table.”
    Fortune nodded. “We understand that, Yulen, and
we’re not saying they don’t have that right. What we’re suggesting is that we
have a meeting of all hunters, and teach them our ways, our rules.”
    “I don’t see how that’s going to solve our immediate
problem,” Atty commented. “Even if we give classes to everyone in the compound,
we’re still facing a food shortage, and we’re heading into the winter months.”
    Yulen shifted over, moving closer to Atty to make
room for Mastin, who joined them. Her husband’s leg and thigh pressed against
hers, and his touch sent waves of delightful chills through her body. She
glanced sideways at the Battle Lord, who didn’t appear affected by the contact,
although she thought she