One Battle Lord’s Fate Read Online Free Page B

sound.
    “First blood, Renken,” Avery announced.
    As shouts and applause erupted from the crowd, Yulen tossed his sword to the ground and went to gather up his weapons belt. Renken strode over to where the Battle Lord hurried to redress. “What’s wrong? Why did you call a hold?” he asked angrily.
    “I saw Atty running for the compound.” Another image came to him, and Yulen turned to stare into the distance. Tory had Mattox.
    “Will you be needing any help?” the man automatically offered.
    Yulen shook his head. “No. But I need to go find her and see what’s up.” He started to leave when Renken grabbed his arm. He saw the man’s eyes widen as he stared first at the Battle Lord’s weapons belt, then up at his face.
    “Wait a minute! You belt your sword on your right side? Damn! Why hadn’t I noticed it before now?"
    “Your point, Renken?”
    “You’re left-handed! Yet you fought me with your right!” The man clenched his teeth. “That’s why you made all those awkward moves. I demand a rematch, D’Jacques. A fair one, with equal standing.”
    Yulen grinned. “You’ll get it, Renken. Just not today. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
    He left Renken staring after him as he jogged toward the compound wall. After a moment, the man realized he still gripped his own wooden sword and angrily threw it on the ground before going back to the circle to retrieve his shirt and weapons belt.
    Yulen had almost reached the compound wall when he caught sight of Mastin and Paxton running to intercept him. He stopped to catch his breath and waited for the men to catch up.
    “Stand down, you two. There’s no emergency,” he tried to assure them, seeing the worried looks on their faces.
    “I saw Atty running for the compound,” Paxton said.
    “Yes, but this is a personal matter,” Yulen told them. Without waiting for their reply, he turned and hurried through the sentry door.
     
    * * *
     
    Atty raced straight for the clinic. By the time she got to the back side of the main lodge, she was surprised to find herself out of breath. That meant she was also out of shape. She stopped to gasp for air, angry at her weakness. If having a baby was going to take this much out of her, she needed to get her strength back as quickly as possible. It wouldn’t do for a hunter of her caliber to be seen this weak. Atty frowned. She hadn’t been out on a hunt since they’d returned from West Crestin. It would seem she was long overdue.
    She hurried into the clinic, ignoring the inquisitive looks from the two people waiting in the outer room and entered the back examination area. “Liam?”
    “Atty?” The physician came out from one of the back rooms. His expert eyes immediately scanned her for some sign of injury. “Atty, what’s wrong?”
    “I want you to check me out,” she blurted.
    “What?”
    “Check me out. Now,” she insisted.
    Liam chewed over her request, then pointed toward an empty room. Atty hurried inside. By the time he closed the door, she was already seated on the examination table and had started unlacing her boots to remove them.
    “Whoa, bluebell, hold on. Now, tell me what’s going on. Did you hurt yourself?”
    To his astonishment, she raised a tear-stained face. “Can you check me out now? Instead of next week? Please?”
    “Check you out?” Liam repeated again, when the look on his face revealed it suddenly all becoming very clear to him. “How do you feel?”
    “Damn it, why is everyone asking me how I feel? I feel fine! I feel good! I feel just peachy!” She raised a shaky hand to her face and wiped away the tears. Suddenly her shoulders slumped as she shook her head. “No. That’s not true. I feel miserable, all right?” Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself, blowing at a stray lock of hair that had flipped into her eyes. The look she gave him bespoke her misery.
    “Miserable physically? Or emotionally?” A warm hand reached out and brushed the dark blue lock out of her