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the fireplace. As they took
their seats, Atty continued their conversation. “How long are you staying?
Please tell me you’re not going back tomorrow!”
                Laughing, Tory took her hand and
patted it. “We’re here for as long as you need us, Atty,” she told the young
woman.
                Atty blinked. “Really? But what
about Memnon?”
                “He’s a big boy,” Fortune answered.
“He can take care of himself until we get back.”
                “You just don’t know,” Tory smiled,
shaking her head. “We were stunned when Mastin arrived with the extra wagons of
supplies. But then, when he just casually mentioned that you were expecting a
baby, well! Talk about knocking the lot of us over with a feather!” She
laughed, remembering how the entire compound had gone totally silent for nearly
a minute as the news sunk in. Their Atty, the tomboyish girl hunter who’d once
vowed never to physically know a man. It had been a severe shock when they’d
learned she’d taken a Normal—and a Battle Lord, no less—to husband. Now, the
additional news of her expecting a child had become the talk of the compound.
“I told Fortune that night that you needed us. You needed another person you
trusted to be with you at this time, in case...”   Tory stopped and chewed her lower lip.   Atty immediately knew what she’d meant to say, and finished the
sentence for her.
                “In case I lost the baby?”
                “I’m sorry,” Tory hastily whispered,
squeezing the woman’s hand. “Forgive us, Atty, but there’s always the chance—”
                “Tory, have you spoken with Gilter
since Mastin arrived?” Atty interrupted.
                The Mutah woman shook her head. “No.
Why?” To her surprise, Atty laughed.
                “Ohhhh, boy, do we have a lot to
talk about!” Turning to Fortune, she grinned. “So, how hard did she have to
twist your arm before you agreed to come here?”
                “Not much.”
                The food arrived just then, and Tory
and Fortune began to fill her in with the latest news as Atty dove into the
stew. At one point, she apologized for her appetite. “I can’t seem to get
enough to eat. I know I’ll be as big as a horse by the time this baby’s ready.”
She paused slightly, then told them, “It’s going to be a boy.”
                Tory squealed with glee and wrapped
her arms about the woman. At the other tables, the soldiers saw the commotion
but ignored it. They were used to Atty’s mood swings.   And apparently, they surmised, such erratic behavior was common
among other Mutah women.
                It wasn’t much later when the
buzzing in the room shifted noticeably, and the entire focus turned to the man
walking purposefully down the aisle toward the head table.   The three people sitting near the fireplace
looked up to see the Battle Lord coming their way. By this time Atty had
finished eating, and they had been conversing over steaming mugs of hot cider.
Tory’s experienced eyes noticed how the Battle Lord stopped a few feet away
from his wife, and a small smile creased her face. Somehow she needed to get
the man aside and have a talk with him. The sooner, the better.
                “I’ve had Tory and Fortune’s things
moved to the new lodge. I hope you don’t mind,” he told her softly.
                As he knew she would, Atty screwed
up her forehead in confusion. “To the new lodge? Is it ready?”
                “It’s more than ready, my love.”
Looking to the couple, he grinned. “If you don’t mind I’m absconding with her
for a few minutes. This surprise has been on hold for many months. It’s now
time for me to show my wife our new home. You’re welcome to come view it as
well, if you want, since you’ll be staying