Every Battle Lord's Nightmare by Linda Mooney

needed to use them. After another minute, Yulen pulled even with them.
                “Anything else?”
                She and Fortune shook their heads. “I'd heard one of them land near us in the trees earlier, but I thought it had taken off with the rest of them.” she admitted, and took a deep breath.
                Fortune gestured to a spot in the distance. “I think you hit something vital, Atty. The bat went down over there.” He glanced at the battle lord. “Want me to go check it out? Put it out of its misery if it's still alive?”
                “No,” Yulen firmly answered. “We don't have time to waste tracking it down. We need to keep moving. Zane?”
                Batuset looked over at them.
                “We need to keep moving.”
                The other battle lord nodded in agreement. “Go on,” he called out. “We'll catch up. I need to see to my man.”
                Yulen rose up in the stirrups and raised a hand in command. “Battalion! Formation and forward!”
                The troops quickly reassembled and resumed their ride, but at a slightly quicker pace to get them out of the area. No one spoke as they concentrated on keeping their eyes and ears peeled for any further signs of danger. It wasn't until they began to descend down a sloping hill that Atty felt safe enough to lower her weapon. Her actions were not lost on her husband.
                “Isn't there a Mutah compound somewhere nearby? Hopefully one large enough to contain our men? I would rather we take shelter tonight within some walls, rather than spend it out in the open, knowing those things could sweep over us again during the night.”
                “North Crestin,” Fortune answered. He motioned ahead of them. “Maybe another six, seven hours tops.”
                Yulen nodded. “Good. Lead us to it. I'll have Cole inform the men, and I'll let Zane know when he rejoins us. Atty?”
                She glanced over at him.
                “If you or Fortune sense anything, call out. All right?”
                “I'll do one better,” she promised. “I'll fire the first shot.”
     

Chapter Twelve
    North Crestin
     
     
                After giving Yulen directions on how to get there, Fortune rode ahead to ready the Mutah compound for its visitors. The sun was in its final descent below the horizon when the troops reached the rock walls of the fortress. Yulen studied the immense structure, at the way the irregularly-shaped stones appeared to be stacked at nature’s whim, plastered together with a mixture of mud and twigs, making the wall appear to be a tall, earthy embankment. He nodded appreciatively as the thick oak doors rumbled open.
                At the end of the narrow avenue leading to a central courtyard stood Fortune, along with several others whom Yulen surmised were the compound's council members. One in particular, a gruff-looking man with a pronounced snout, was in the forefront.
                “Cole, stay outside with the men. The rest of you, follow me.” He glanced at Atty. “Recognize anyone?”
                She shook her head, letting her hair fly loose so that all could see its deep blue color. Normally she kept it tied back. But at this moment, she wanted the townspeople to notice her mark, distinguishing her as Mutah.
                Rather than ride into the courtyard, Yulen opted to get down out of the saddle and walk. He motioned for the others to remain on their horses. The villagers lined both sides of the walkway, anxious to view and listen to the newcomers. Yulen wondered if they had ever witnessed Normals within their compound. Normals who had no intention of harming them.
                Once he got within a few feet of the council, he stopped and dropped the reins to face