This Battle Lord's Quest by Linda Mooney

The last time Yulen spoke to her, Atty was heading east, along with Fortune Kalich and several other hunters. With the latest onslaught of Bloods gone, so was the game, until there was little left to hunt to feed the growing population of Alta Novis. Since very few hunters went east, they figured it might yield good results. She planned to be gone four or five days at the most, a week tops, and promised to return with good news.

That was, until Fortune returned without Atty. 

Worried and frightened, the Battle Lord, along with a handful of volunteers, go in search of the Battle Lady. They pray they'll find her alive. Either way, they are determined not to return to the compound without knowing the truth.

What they discover will change their world forever.