Six paragraphs from OUR BATTLE LORD'S RANSOM,
Book 10 of The Battle Lord
Saga
A Sci-Fi/Futuristic/Post-Apocalyptic
Romance
1. “Only when we’re certain they won’t be used
against us, and even that’s questionable.” Giving a nod, Yulen tapped the table
in front of him. “If we figure we’d be better off sending them on their way,
we’ll do so in reverse. Return their possessions and weapons to their wagons
first, then usher them outside the gates.” He glanced around at three of his
most trusted friends. “Any questions or concerns? No? Well, you know what to do
if something comes up.” He turned for the door. “Let’s go find out why the hell
they’re here.”
2. “They returned to their wagons and hitched up their horses. They started to move out. Nobody thought anything of it until one of the wagons began backing up. It stopped less than ten yards away from the main gate, and that’s when Gunther called up to the guards. He said he was going to give us one more chance to be hospitable, and he gave us a list of items he demanded we bring outside.”
3. “He came into the kitchen and asked if he could have another one of those figgy pastries. I went to get him one from the pan I’d just pulled from the oven so he wouldn’t burn himself. About that time, a strange lady came to the kitchen door and asked if she could have some of those pastries, too, to take with her. Winnie told me she was with that caravan, and since the battle lord ordered us to stock them with food, I told her she could have the rest of them. By the time I finished loading them into a sack, Mattox had finished his and asked her if he could have one of hers. The woman said he could, and they walked out of the kitchen with the sack. I saw her lay the sack on a table out in the dining hall and reach inside for one. The boy, he sat on the bench and waited so patiently until she finally gave one to him.” Berta shook her head. “I didn’t see anything wrong. The woman didn’t seem to be a danger or anything, not like those men she was with.”
4. Atty took aim, drew as far back as she could, and fired at one of the cubs. The arrow pierced it through one of its eyes, and the animal fell back, squalling in pain. A few feet away, Yulen and a couple of soldiers tried to beat back the second cub. She nocked another arrow and was about to shoot when someone’s horse crashed into her mare’s rump. Her arrow went wide as she struggled to stay in the saddle, but the mare bucked in fear, throwing her onto the ground.
5. Removing his weapons belt, he laid it on the ground beside the pallet. He started to crawl underneath the down-filled coverlet when his nostrils were filled with her scent. It sent an invisible fist down into his pants where it pounded into his groin. His breath caught in his throat, and he briefly closed his eyes to relish the beautiful agony.
6. “Don’t be so eager to ride up on them,” a voice called from behind. Dr. Thrasher strode up with something glinting in his hand. Going over to the battle lord, he threw what he carried onto the ground. “Quinton found this in one of the storage bins. It was the only one in there. Guess they accidentally left it behind or forgot it was there. I can’t guarantee there are others still hidden throughout the wagons, but we might want to consider the possibility that there were.” The doctor grimly pointed to the silvery gun lying in the mud. “Feldon and his people are armed. I know it, and now you know it, and we have to be prepared when we finally accost them.”
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