Read Online The Battle Lord Saga 02 - Her Battle Lord's Desire by Linda Mooney - Free Book Online
Authors: Linda Mooney
Ads: Link
hungry.
What do you mean, ask me out to dinner?” She glanced around at the surrounding wood.
“Aren’t we ‘out’ already?”
Her husband got a funny look on his face, as if he was relishing a private joke he had no
plans on sharing with her. “That’s another problem with marrying someone. She tends to rub off
on you. I cooked tonight, and I need your expert opinion on whether the final result is palatable or not.”
Atty raised both eyebrows his way. “Oh, this ought to be good. You cooked?” Gesturing
down at the gore and the remains of the hog at her feet, she asked, “Do I have enough time to get
this buried?”
He held out an arm to her. “I’ll get one of the men to dispose of it. Come.”
Grabbing her water bag, Atty walked over to where he took her hand and began to lead
her toward the far end of the encampment, near the head of the line where she knew he liked to
bed down for the night. Unlike many Battle Lords who preferred for safety’s sake to bunk in the
midst of the soldiers in case of attack, Yulen preferred to be on the fringe, prepared to help
provide the first line of defense. It was one of the many idiosyncrasies she’d come to learn about
him, and one of a hundred reasons why she loved him.
After listening in night after night as Yulen’s men gathered in the main hall and talked as
they ate, she’d come to learn much about the man she’d fallen in love with—his preferences, his
habits, when it was time to run for cover when a particular look of anger came over his face, and
when it was okay to ease off a bit because he was in an unusually good mood. From what she
could tell, he was having a lot more of those good mood days than he’d ever had in the past few
years. Naturally, the soldiers all attributed the new warmth and brightness at Alta Novis to her,
although she normally shrugged it off with a wicked smile and said it was more likely due to the
fact that a satisfied spouse was very much a docile spouse, a remark which gained her a hearty
laugh and acceptance into their confidences.
Glancing upward, Atty noticed the unusual brightness in the stars, despite the number of
small campfires all around, whose lights normally dimmed the night sky. She suddenly shivered,
and Yulen whispered, “Cold?”
“Nights are getting chillier,” she admitted.
“Don’t worry. You’ll stay warm enough tonight,” he promised.
Atty cut him a look while biting her lower lip. This was going to harder than she thought.
A few soldiers bid them good evening as they passed by. Yulen signaled to one of the
newer recruits and ordered him to bury the pig’s remains to prevent other scavengers from
approaching the encampment. The young man nodded, repeated the order as required, and
hurried off.
“Did you enjoy yourself today?” Yulen casually asked her.
She smiled. “Yeah, I did,” she admitted, realizing she hadn’t been aware of how much she
missed going on the hunt. “It’s been a while since I worked in team. Anything happen while I
was gone?”
“No. Liam and I had a nice long talk, though.”
She looked at him. “About?”
“He’s wanting to hang up his saddle.”
Atty stopped, pulling on his hand so that he also stopped and turned to look at her. “He
doesn’t want to go out anymore?”
Yulen gave her a sad shake of his head. “He’s deserved the time to stay at the compound
and take care of the people. Alta Novis is growing, Atty, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed.” They resumed their walk. “I saw those pictures you’ve been
studying of late.”
“Diagrams. They’re diagrams and blueprints.”
“For what?”
He sighed loudly. “We’re going to be expanding the forest wall another five hundred
yards. That’ll give us enough room for more homes and shops. We’ve grown by another
hundred and twenty people in the past few months, quite a few of them from Bearinger. I’d
What do you mean, ask me out to dinner?” She glanced around at the surrounding wood.
“Aren’t we ‘out’ already?”
Her husband got a funny look on his face, as if he was relishing a private joke he had no
plans on sharing with her. “That’s another problem with marrying someone. She tends to rub off
on you. I cooked tonight, and I need your expert opinion on whether the final result is palatable or not.”
Atty raised both eyebrows his way. “Oh, this ought to be good. You cooked?” Gesturing
down at the gore and the remains of the hog at her feet, she asked, “Do I have enough time to get
this buried?”
He held out an arm to her. “I’ll get one of the men to dispose of it. Come.”
Grabbing her water bag, Atty walked over to where he took her hand and began to lead
her toward the far end of the encampment, near the head of the line where she knew he liked to
bed down for the night. Unlike many Battle Lords who preferred for safety’s sake to bunk in the
midst of the soldiers in case of attack, Yulen preferred to be on the fringe, prepared to help
provide the first line of defense. It was one of the many idiosyncrasies she’d come to learn about
him, and one of a hundred reasons why she loved him.
After listening in night after night as Yulen’s men gathered in the main hall and talked as
they ate, she’d come to learn much about the man she’d fallen in love with—his preferences, his
habits, when it was time to run for cover when a particular look of anger came over his face, and
when it was okay to ease off a bit because he was in an unusually good mood. From what she
could tell, he was having a lot more of those good mood days than he’d ever had in the past few
years. Naturally, the soldiers all attributed the new warmth and brightness at Alta Novis to her,
although she normally shrugged it off with a wicked smile and said it was more likely due to the
fact that a satisfied spouse was very much a docile spouse, a remark which gained her a hearty
laugh and acceptance into their confidences.
Glancing upward, Atty noticed the unusual brightness in the stars, despite the number of
small campfires all around, whose lights normally dimmed the night sky. She suddenly shivered,
and Yulen whispered, “Cold?”
“Nights are getting chillier,” she admitted.
“Don’t worry. You’ll stay warm enough tonight,” he promised.
Atty cut him a look while biting her lower lip. This was going to harder than she thought.
A few soldiers bid them good evening as they passed by. Yulen signaled to one of the
newer recruits and ordered him to bury the pig’s remains to prevent other scavengers from
approaching the encampment. The young man nodded, repeated the order as required, and
hurried off.
“Did you enjoy yourself today?” Yulen casually asked her.
She smiled. “Yeah, I did,” she admitted, realizing she hadn’t been aware of how much she
missed going on the hunt. “It’s been a while since I worked in team. Anything happen while I
was gone?”
“No. Liam and I had a nice long talk, though.”
She looked at him. “About?”
“He’s wanting to hang up his saddle.”
Atty stopped, pulling on his hand so that he also stopped and turned to look at her. “He
doesn’t want to go out anymore?”
Yulen gave her a sad shake of his head. “He’s deserved the time to stay at the compound
and take care of the people. Alta Novis is growing, Atty, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed.” They resumed their walk. “I saw those pictures you’ve been
studying of late.”
“Diagrams. They’re diagrams and blueprints.”
“For what?”
He sighed loudly. “We’re going to be expanding the forest wall another five hundred
yards. That’ll give us enough room for more homes and shops. We’ve grown by another
hundred and twenty people in the past few months, quite a few of them from Bearinger. I’d
Similar Books
