Yulen remained on alert the entire trip back to the compound. One thing he was grateful for was that he knew he didn’t have to worry for his life. As long as these men accepted him as their battle lord, he’d remain safe. His main worry was wondering when they’d discover the truth.
He kept his distance during most of the trip, which wasn’t difficult. They were accustomed to him wanting his solitude. But there was one heart-stopping moment the night they set up camp, when Karv came up to where he was sitting, dropped onto the ground a few feet away, and used a stick to poke at the fire in front of them. After a moment, he spoke to him. “Yulen?” He drew a line down the side of his own face. “Where did you get the scar?”
Yulen’s first instinct was to feign surprise and touch his cheek. At th
