A Slave to the Servants Ch. 22

Damien found my obsession with the General killing slaves ridiculous.

"Has he ever killed a slave that you've seen?" Bane asked. "Why the sudden obsession with death?"

Kein mumbled under his breath still cursing my own death wish. I had become unduly interested in things dying. It did not make them happy at all.

The men were busily packing up bags, we were taking a trip today. I stood and watched them. All of them were grumbling about my new fixation. It got them really irritated and they were soon nearly throwing things into the containers.

"I'm not obsessed with death!" I fumed. "The only way to ensure silence is to kill her. You saw the General, how angry he was. Would Basin and his Brothers protect Rose the way you protect me? Unless they are willing to fight the General for her, he's going to kill her."

The stupid tears started again and I dropped my gaze to the floor.

Christof took my face in his hands and pulled it up so I was looking at him. He smiled down at me with calm benevolence.

"Basin and his Brothers," Christof said not releasing my face, "would be more upset if their slave was taken. They adore the girl you call Rose. It would be a tremendous blow to them to lose her. Since they are already doing badly, the General will not risk their health."

I nodded and smiled wanly up at him.

"We do not like this preoccupation you have developed with death. It concerns us," Christof said dropping his hands to stroke my shoulders. "You must concentrate on living. Do you understand me?"

I answered him affirmatively. He hugged me and held tight.

As we flew toward our destination on the transport I thought about what Christof had said. The General wasn't going to hurt his men. If losing Rose would hurt them, he wouldn't do it. I just hoped he had another option.

We went to a small cabin that was a short ride from the compound. It wasn't a place Warriors used all the time, so the men weren't worried about detection. Also, the cabin sat on a small rise, we'd see men coming long before they reached us.

The inside of the place was sparse. Christof explained this was a place you could stop and take lunch. Some men used it to rest during night patrols. The men were supposed to pick up after themselves. It wasn't dirty, just worn looking.

I was changed into my pants and shirt with the small sword strapped to my waist. We marched outside to do a little training before the midday meal. The men enjoyed my training and were looking forward to this.

My mind was stuck on my friends. Fretting about them was what I wanted to do, but I remembered the stinging slaps Bane liked to deliver. I had no urge to feel more pain in addition to what I'd felt the night before.

My sword tutor was relentless this morning. I'd proved to them I listened when they'd trained me, so now they were more insistent. Dodge, parry, and strike over and over again.

When Kein shouted a warning about approaching Warriors, I was relieved. Evan picked me up and bolted inside with me slung over his shoulder. He stood me in the sleeping room and pulled the cover closed behind us.

"Are you going to change my outfit?" I asked him as he stood watching me.

"Not yet," he answered stepping out of the room and leaving the cabin.

I gripped at the handle of the small sword I carried. It was a sliver of metal compared to the wicked, long weapons they had. The training was fun, but I knew the truth. Trained or not, I was no match for the men of this world. I'd hold my ground with the sword if I had to, but it would merely be a gesture.

I heard the transport settle outside, but there weren't any other sounds until the main door opened. Evan called me to come to him. He was waiting at the main door.

We walked outside and I jerked my head down. I had not realized we had company. Basin and his Brothers stood quietly with my owners. Rose was with them, bundled up in a brown cover.

"You dressed it," Basin said quietly. "You gave it a sword...that is how it knew to attack our cousin..."

Damien spoke slowly and calmly. He told the other men they like to see me fight. Training me at swordplay had been fun. It was a sport the whole family enjoyed.

Basin reached over and pulled the covering off Rose's head. She kept her eyes down until Basin demanded she look up.

"Our Rose was not meant to fight," he said simply.

She reached her gloved hand out and stroked his arm. His face softened as he looked at her. When he turned back to Damien his face was hard.

"Who is our Mistress?" Basin asked. "To what woman do we owe our existence?"

Damien didn't know. It might be Nu-reeh and her Sisters, they seemed to have a lot of families. None of us could be sure.

Basin went from looking forlorn to looking angry. One of his Brothers already looked furious. Christof told me to go back inside. After a moment, Basin told Rose to do the same thing.

As soon as the door closed, Basin started to yell at Damien. The stone and wood of the place we were in muffled the loud conversation, but we could still hear it. Basin accused Damien's family of being the lowest of all men.

We stripped Rose of her brown outfit and undid her kneeling place from her waist. A clingy wrap of fabric wound over her breasts and around her hips. As usual she looked lovely and delicate.

Rose laid the kneeling place on the floor by the fire and stoically took her spot. The men had not brought me a kneeling place, so I sat on the floor next to Rose. We rested quietly for a moment.

My friend looked awful. Her features were pale and drawn. The stress of Basin's family was weighing heavily on her.

Outside I could hear the sounds of fighting. The disagreement was no longer just verbal. I didn't hear clashing metal which made me feel better. The walls occasionally shook as a body was tossed into it though.

Rose and I sat close on the floor quietly listening.

"They won't send us back to our Keepers," she said suddenly, "or Fuji."

Uncertainty stabbed at me as I gripped her hand.

"We will all go to the Keepers for the Administrators. The slaves there...are permitted to understand things. The Administrators speak freely in front of their slaves," she told me. "I've never met the slaves the Administrators keep...I hope they will like us," she finished in a whisper.

I couldn't believe the insecurity I was getting from Rose. However, I remembered how long her life had been like it was. Any change at this point must be terrifying.

The sounds of fighting died down as I reassured Rose. We'd do fine at the new Keepers. The three of us were friendly. Besides that there was three of us, it wasn't like we'd be alone.

"You will leave us if it is a girl," she said quietly. "You told us they would take you back to the mountains quickly if it is female."

We sat and listened as the men spoke harshly to one another. The fight seemed to be revving back up.

"How will they know if it is female?" she asked looking into my eyes.

"I don't know," I lied. "They somehow knew last time and they were right. I would assume they will know again," I shrugged.

"You aren't telling the truth," she said simply.

I sat and watched her closely. There wasn't malice in her features, just concern.

"I am not permitted to speak to you anymore," I told her simply.

Our conversation was interrupted as a brown bundle was thrust through the doorway. The other slave pulled off her head cover and I smiled seeing Fuji.

"Hello, friends!" Fuji greeted us. "My owners were concerned because Rose's wanted to fight...Why are you wearing pants, Ciara? Is this how your men punish you?"

I laughed and rose to help Fuji with her brown cover. As we stripped her I explained the men thought it was fun to teach me to fight. That was an utterly foreign concept to Fuji and she insisted they must be punishing me.

A body being slammed into the outside wall of the cabin made us all stop talking and look up.

"I've never seen them like this," Rose said while watching the door with trepidation. "Damien and his Brothers were their best friends. They have protected each other for a very long time. Basin and his Brothers feel betrayed."

Fuji joined Rose and me by the fire. Her owners had come to help keep the peace. She hoped they were doing what they intended to do. From the sounds outside they had joined the battle, not stopped it.

Hesitantly I asked Fuji why she'd not told us she was sharing my experience with her men. Smiling pleasantly Fuji told me she wasn't permitted to discuss that. Her owners had been very specific in the things she was allowed to talk about. My friend saw absolutely nothing wrong with the way she had acted.

"Humans enjoy talking," Fuji informed Rose and me solemnly. "My owners did not wish the hassle. They bought me because they knew I would be good and obedient when they saw me."

Rose smiled a little and so did I at the statement. As much as I didn't want to admit it, Fuji's owners had pegged it. Humans liked to talk and gossip. Obviously we were all here because I couldn't control my big mouth.

Eventually it was quiet outside. No more yelling and no more bodies thrown against the walls. I had horrible images in my head of two times I'd seen broken families.

Were all of our beloved men laying on the ground, their bonds or bodies broken? I had to check.

Rose and especially Fuji were both against the idea. The men would come get us when they wanted to. We did not have permission to go looking for them.

Much to my friend's dismay I walked over to the door. Taking a deep breath, I cracked it open and looked outside. I closed it quickly after peeking out and went to sit with my friends.

"They are talking," I said quietly. "Some of them are sitting on the ground and some are standing. None of them look broken."

Fuji groused, irritated by my failure to follow directions. Rose looked relieved.

"You won't tell us anything anymore will you?" she asked instead staring at the wall.

"No, not unless they tell me I can."

I felt bad holding back from her. Friends should be able to share everything. This wasn't a normal friendship,though. Rose was a slave to her men and I was a slave to Nu-reeh. Neither of us had the luxury of doing as we wished.

We talked about what we could. It was depressing to think my days would now be filled with only polite conversation. I enjoyed talking to Rose and Fuji. When the outside door opened we all looked down and waited.

The room was soon filled with the sounds of men. They noted I had no kneeling place. Damien told them they didn't like me to kneel; I used the furniture. He couldn't understand why I was currently sitting on the floor.

Bane pulled me to stand and sat me on a chair next to Rose. The room was utterly silent for a moment. I kept my gaze on Rose's head and tried to remember to breath.

No one asked about my seating arrangement. They had killed something and were busy making it into an edible meal. I felt the silent looks and the questioning stares though.

When Evan handed me a plate to eat the other men had suffered enough of this strange behavior. All the men wanted to know what was wrong with Damien and his Brothers. They were treating me incorrectly.

Christof informed his friends that slavery was wrong. Keeping a sentient creature and using it for your own needs was inappropriate. I liked to feed myself and I liked to sit on the furniture. Fuji, Rose, and I had innate rights to our own opinions about how to spend our lives.

Fuji screamed like a cat and wrapped herself around one of her owner's legs. She didn't like this conversation, it upset her. Looking up at her men she begged them not to get rid of her.

The men shushed her and stroked her head. One of them set her kneeling place right beside him and told her to stay close. That seemed to make her feel better.

Basin knelt next to Rose and tilted her face up to his. He stroked her cheek and looked at Christof.

"We care for what is ours. These slaves were too weak to survive alone. They require us to help them," he said standing.

Christof disagreed politely. We would have done fine on our home worlds. Slavery was wrong. The taking and degrading of a creature such as a human was not honorable.

Basin wasn't swayed by Christof's argument. Rose had been delivered to them injured. It had taken them many turns of the small moon to heal her. The creatures slavers captured needed the care of strong, benevolent Masters.

I watched Rose and she watched the floor. Later I would ask Rose what Basin was talking about. For now we sat quietly as the men held a polite debate on the issue.

Lunch was handed around. The conversation got back to the women and mountains. As we ate Damien and his Brothers explained the mountains and the rules to their friends.

Even when I was connected to them there were things I didn't know or wouldn't have thought to tell the girls. The men talked calmly and answered all the questions their cousins had. They were completely honest and open, holding nothing back.

After lunch the men went outside and I sat with Rose and Fuji. None of us were in a talkative mood. Fuji was upset, Rose was quiet, and I felt guilty. When the men reappeared and asked us to come outside we did quickly.

Basin's Brother was curious what watching me fight would be like. Damien relented, so in front of the three families and my two best friends Bane continued my training.

I was weak and slow compared to Bane. He seemed to be using just a tiny bit of strength to train with me. In sharp contrast I was huffing and puffing doing everything I could to keep up with him.

The men noticed every nuance and every misstep. There was a man in Rose's family that apparently liked to teach. He helped Bane point out every mistake and wouldn't stop until it was corrected.

The man in Rose's family asked about getting me a shield. It seemed wrong to train without one. As Bane taught me I heard the man talking to Damien, he thought they should have one made for me.

Bane made a few changes to his training regimen. In front of his friends he didn't slap me with his blade. Instead when I got distracted by the audience he'd reach forward and push me. Before I learned to anticipate the shoves I landed on my backside several times.

"It's like watching you try to train a shopkeeper child," someone laughed as I tried to do what Bane told me.

I redoubled my efforts and that made them laugh harder. Even my family found it humorous and started to tease me. Let them laugh, I decided.

When Bane was adequately distracted I managed to just nick him with my blade. I saw Rose smirk at the relentless laughter that earned Bane. How humiliating for him to be harmed by someone like me, they taunted. He wasn't embarrassed; he just pushed harder and forced me to work more.

Bane told me if I'd managed to get the best of him, I must be learning. He'd teach me as much as he could today, he'd said happily. I groaned at the implication.

The sun was low in the sky when the men had enough entertainment. I was absolutely exhausted, which is probably why it wasn't fun to watch anymore.

During the afternoon the process of forgiveness seemed to have been started, which I was glad to see. Basin talked casually with Damien and the men were all relaxed. Other than Bane and I, no one was fighting.

Once we were finally done, Evan brought me inside and stripped me of my dirty, sweaty clothes. He washed me efficiently. While we stood in the shower he praised me for learning. The other Warriors didn't think a human could learn as fast as I did. He was proud of me.

I was changed into my ornamentation and brown cover. We flew back to the compound as the sun settled along the horizon. The other families had left some time before, so it was just us.

"I don't think they believed you," I told Christof.

We were still in rough countryside, so I didn't think it would be wrong to talk right now.

Christof shrugged and grinned. "They invaded our private family time to fight with us. They stayed and asked us for the truth. It's their own fault if they didn't like it."

He wasn't alone in that opinion and the rest of the family agreed. If they didn't like Damien's opinion, they should not have asked for it.

I shook my head and what I said came out sounding like a scolding.

"If you upset them, it will make the General angry. You can't advertise an opinion that different without catching some sort of grief for it-"

Evan interrupted to bark a laugh. They would tell their two groups of friends the truth from now on. If the other men didn't like it, that was their problem.

I saw an opportunity, an opening if you will, so I took it.

"I like to tell my friends the truth, too," I said to the group. "Rose and Fuji are loyal friends. May I still speak honestly with just them?"

Silence met my request. I looked up to see the men deep in thought. They were lost for a moment in the internal conversation.

"Only," Damien said, "if you inform us of what you are telling them and only if their owners do not mind. We do not like surprises from our cousins."

That seemed fair, really fair in fact. "I would never tell them I was bonded to you when I was pregnant," I promised. "I won't say anything that may harm you all."

"How would that harm us?" Kein asked from behind the control panel.

I stammered out an answer. It would be rude to discuss their personal thoughts and feelings with anyone. That type of thing should be kept private. They had a right to their privacy.

They roared with laughter at that. It seemed ridiculous to them. Basically, I didn't want to discuss Kein's love for the green stalks, but I'd freely share the biggest secret on the planet.

"Humans," Christof finally said shrugging.

The very next day I was ornamented and taken to a different Keeper's compound. It was right next to the old Keeper's compound, I noted. We were separated from them by perhaps several hundred yards and a couple of walls. The small forest I frequently walked in separated the two areas.

Much like our other compound Damien approached the wall and a door slid open. I followed him inside. The short man inside greeted Damien and asked him what my talents were.

For once, I saw Damien speechless. He asked why my talents would be important. The Keeper explained that during the morning Administrator's slaves did projects, we had our afternoons to relax. Damien was confused and his other Brothers joined him.

"The slaves," the short man said, "must work as we work. It is understandable they rest in the afternoon to be ready to entertain you. The Administrators require everyone be used to their highest potential, though. I'm sure you are used to the indulgent way Warriors treat slaves. However, the Administrators have found many uses for the idle hands of their sex slaves."

Damien and his Brothers continued to stare at the man in disbelief.

The short man seemed to be getting irritated with the slow progression of the conversation. "The slaves are not harmed and do not usually do manual labor, but many are talented. Some can be trained in letters or numbers. Others help us maintain the delicate equipment that run the transports, for instance."

Christof spoke finally. He told the man I knew how to read and write. The tutors in the mountains had also taught me numbers. I had basic math training from my home world that augmented that.

"Good, good," the short man smiled, "what else does your slave know about this world?"

I knew animals and plants in the mountains, Kein explained. Nu-reeh had trained me in mountain survival. I was quite knowledgeable about the dangers in the mountains.

That thrilled the man. Had I been trained on my home world, he wanted to know? What usable skills would I bring to him from that.