aggravating it?” He chuckled at his own lame joke.
“Regardless, I’d feel better if Dr. Gus gave you a quick once-over to make sure it’s not something serious.”
“Trust me, Atty. With this summit looming, if I begin to suspect I’m coming down with something a lot more serious, I won’t hesitate to let Fergus prescribe one of his crappy-tasting concoctions.”
“How do you know how his concoctions taste if you’ve never taken one?”
Yulen made a face. “He learned his craft from Manderly Saxon, who also taught Liam. Liam’s mixtures I’ve taken, and they taste like dried crap mixed with water. Why would I believe any differently about what Fergus would have me take?”
Atty laughed. “Point taken.”
They watched the orangey-yellow glow for another moment or two, until Yulen gave her shoulder a little squeeze. “The others are waiting for us.”
Silently, they left the road and went to their tent. Inside, their close circle of confidants were scattered about, sitting on rugs or pillows. Atty took a seat on a cushion she and Yulen often shared at night, next to the small brazier that kept the encroaching cold at bay. The battle lord remained standing. As she warmed her hands over the open flame, she glanced up at him and saw the leather envelope in his hand.
“Tomorrow we’ll ride into Oka City. I don’t know who runs it. I haven’t been here in over a decade.”
Batuset raised his hand for the floor, but aimed his words at the others. “I was telling Yulen earlier that I haven’t been this way in quite some time, either. Last I heard, Don LeGreen was the battle lord. I don’t know if he still is. But one thing I do need to mention to you all is that LeGreen is strongly anti-Mutah. You’ve got to be aware of yourselves at all times.”
Fortune raised a hand. “Then why are we going in if there’s a chance we could be accosted? Why not go around the compound?”
Yulen pulled a piece of paper from the envelope. Atty noticed it was a different color than the one he’d previously shown her. The one with the invitation.
“The directions I received on how to reach Rocky Gorge state that a squad of armed soldiers will meet each arriving battle lord at Oka City. From there, they will escort him and his entourage to Corado.”
“A squad of armed soldiers?” Renken spoke up. Almost as an afterthought, he raised a hand for attention. “Armed to protect us? Or to keep us in line?”
“That’s an excellent question,” Yulen noted. “That’s what I was wondering, as well.”
“If the answer is the former, I fully trust our armed battalion can keep us safe,” Fortune continued. “But if the answer is the latter, I still say we try to go it alone.”
“Yes, but how do we know where this Rocky Gorge compound is?” Mastin brought up. He looked directly at Atty. “Let’s say we go into Oka City. Won’t your Mutah instincts warn us if there’s anything potentially dangerous?” The second finished his question with a quick glance over at where Fortune and Twoson sat together.
Twoson gave a slight nod. “Most likely. But if they have us surrounded, what good would it do?”
“If we sense it, and can’t do anything at the moment, we stay mum,” Atty answered. “It seems pretty clear to me that someone’s planned this summit to include keeping the compound’s location secret, or very difficult to reach if the traveler isn’t sure how to get there.”
“Why?” Paxton asked the one word on everyone’s mind. “Why go to all the trouble? Is life
“Regardless, I’d feel better if Dr. Gus gave you a quick once-over to make sure it’s not something serious.”
“Trust me, Atty. With this summit looming, if I begin to suspect I’m coming down with something a lot more serious, I won’t hesitate to let Fergus prescribe one of his crappy-tasting concoctions.”
“How do you know how his concoctions taste if you’ve never taken one?”
Yulen made a face. “He learned his craft from Manderly Saxon, who also taught Liam. Liam’s mixtures I’ve taken, and they taste like dried crap mixed with water. Why would I believe any differently about what Fergus would have me take?”
Atty laughed. “Point taken.”
They watched the orangey-yellow glow for another moment or two, until Yulen gave her shoulder a little squeeze. “The others are waiting for us.”
Silently, they left the road and went to their tent. Inside, their close circle of confidants were scattered about, sitting on rugs or pillows. Atty took a seat on a cushion she and Yulen often shared at night, next to the small brazier that kept the encroaching cold at bay. The battle lord remained standing. As she warmed her hands over the open flame, she glanced up at him and saw the leather envelope in his hand.
“Tomorrow we’ll ride into Oka City. I don’t know who runs it. I haven’t been here in over a decade.”
Batuset raised his hand for the floor, but aimed his words at the others. “I was telling Yulen earlier that I haven’t been this way in quite some time, either. Last I heard, Don LeGreen was the battle lord. I don’t know if he still is. But one thing I do need to mention to you all is that LeGreen is strongly anti-Mutah. You’ve got to be aware of yourselves at all times.”
Fortune raised a hand. “Then why are we going in if there’s a chance we could be accosted? Why not go around the compound?”
Yulen pulled a piece of paper from the envelope. Atty noticed it was a different color than the one he’d previously shown her. The one with the invitation.
“The directions I received on how to reach Rocky Gorge state that a squad of armed soldiers will meet each arriving battle lord at Oka City. From there, they will escort him and his entourage to Corado.”
“A squad of armed soldiers?” Renken spoke up. Almost as an afterthought, he raised a hand for attention. “Armed to protect us? Or to keep us in line?”
“That’s an excellent question,” Yulen noted. “That’s what I was wondering, as well.”
“If the answer is the former, I fully trust our armed battalion can keep us safe,” Fortune continued. “But if the answer is the latter, I still say we try to go it alone.”
“Yes, but how do we know where this Rocky Gorge compound is?” Mastin brought up. He looked directly at Atty. “Let’s say we go into Oka City. Won’t your Mutah instincts warn us if there’s anything potentially dangerous?” The second finished his question with a quick glance over at where Fortune and Twoson sat together.
Twoson gave a slight nod. “Most likely. But if they have us surrounded, what good would it do?”
“If we sense it, and can’t do anything at the moment, we stay mum,” Atty answered. “It seems pretty clear to me that someone’s planned this summit to include keeping the compound’s location secret, or very difficult to reach if the traveler isn’t sure how to get there.”
“Why?” Paxton asked the one word on everyone’s mind. “Why go to all the trouble? Is life
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