Read Online This Battle Lord's Quest by Linda Mooney - Free Book Online

the
men hit the ground to keep from becoming easy targets. Around them, a flurry of
quills embedded the trunks and surrounding vegetation with a series of
rapid-fire thunks!
    Atty nocked an arrow and fired blindly into the
thick of the prickle. A porcupine dropped in its tracks, the shaft protruding
from the back of its neck. From the corner of her eye, she caught Klodon rising
to one knee and aiming horizontally into the cluster. Realizing he was about to
make a serious, perhaps fatal, mistake, she screamed and aimed her next arrow
directly at his bow.
    “ No! ”
    The arrow knocked the bow from his grasp, but he
had already let fly. The small spear buried itself into one of the creature’s
ribs, and the animal automatically responded. A handful of quills were launched
directly at the Mutah hunter, who tried to duck and roll away. The man shrieked
and lay still, the hollow spines sunk deep into his back and arm.
    “ Shoo! Go! ”
    From somewhere, a length of wood swirled through
the air and landed in the middle of the herd. Then another piece followed it,
and then a broken branch. A yell went up, the blood cry of a warrior, and she
saw a flash of yellow pass between the trees as Fortune dashed around to the
opposite side, followed by Vashayn’s red jerkin.
    Up in the trees, Meesel launched another arrow,
catching a youngster through a rear hamstring, and pinning the animal to the
ground. The beast struggled as it violently launched more quills at its enemy
as it tried to free itself, but the Mutah hunter was too high for the barbs to
reach him.
    Atty glanced around to see Renken dragging the
unconscious Klodon out of sight, in case the porcupines tried to make a mad
dash into the open area. She searched for Paxton, but couldn’t find him in the
murky darkness.
    She and Meesel continued to fire into the pack
until all of the animals stilled. After another long minute or two, the forest
grew quiet once more. The porcupines ceased moving, and she caught a whiff of
the ripe scent of blood. Carefully, she descended to the ground and, nocking
another arrow, and advanced on the fallen lot. The other hunters also emerged
from behind the trees and brush, and slowly walked over to the dying and dead
animals.
    Dergus gave one of the beasts a tentative nudge
with the tip of his bow. The porcupine remained still. With the animals huddled
in a knot, their quills overlapping and tangled amid each other, it was
difficult to tell how many there were.
    Paxton ran up to join them. “Klodon’s still alive,
but we gotta get those barbs out of him.”
    “Those barbs have nasty tips,” Vashayn commented.
“It’ll take a while to remove all of them. Let’s just pray he doesn’t bleed out
before we get back to the compound.”
    “I agree,” Fortune announced. “This hunt’s now
officially over. Gerenth, here.” He tossed the man a large butcher knife. “I’m
going to start working on Klodon. The rest of you separate these pines, slit
‘em, and clean ‘em. Renken, you and Paxton lash together two travois. We’ll
carry Klodon on one and load the other with the meat. Let’s hurry, before the
scent of blood draws more unwanted guests.”
    “Fortune, I’ve removed porcupine barbs in the past.
I can assist.” Before Fortune could respond, Renken pulled up his left pants
leg to reveal three ragged scars above the knee.”
    Fortune’s eyes widened. “On yourself?”
    “By myself. Had no choice.”
    “Here.” The Mutah hunter pulled a slender knife
with a long, slim blade from his bandolier hanging across his chest. Expertly
flipping it around, he handed it hilt-first to the man. “Since you have the
experience, you do it. I’ll assist.”
    “I’ll help with the travois,” Dergus offered.
    Fortune thanked him, then hurried off with Renken
to work on the fallen man. Atty unsheathed her Ballock, then paused. Gerenth
noticed her hesitation.
    “We gotta wrap our hands before we tackle this,” he
voiced what she was thinking