A Slave to the Servants Ch. 25

Christof sighed and I looked at him. I abhorred the look of pity I was getting so used to seeing on his face. He reached out and grabbed me before I could move away. The brief struggle in his arms was limited by his Brothers pressing against my back.

"Relax," he soothed stroking my arms, "Evan is not in real pain and this is not about him. You are tired and cranky today. Do the laps in the pool as Nu-reeh requested and then rest."

I didn't want to feel calm and sorry for myself, but I did. Christof knew I had not rested well the previous many nights, last night had not been an exception. My human body was just exhausted. After some sleep, I'd feel much better.

The men wouldn't leave until Rose and I were in the pool. Basin wasn't interested in leaving at all. He feared his Rose would drown. She had avoided this since she'd been here. With me now here they feared the women would watch us.

"Hold the side," I encouraged Rose, "and move yourself to the other end. I'll swim right next to you. If you slip, I'll catch you."

Basin didn't like that, neither did Damien. Some humans had a tendency to panic in the water. Rose was likely to drown me unintentionally. That would be an unheard of catastrophe for all of us.

Clattering talons got all of our attention as Canta and another woman entered the room.

The woman was harsh and to the point. She wanted to know why Basin and his Brothers weren't leaving to go to their work.

"Our slave cannot swim, Mistress," Basin answered. "We fear for it in the pool."

The large woman came to tower over Rose and I as we sat on a step in the water. She appraised Rose openly before turning her attention back to Basin.

"You have had this slave a long time," she said in almost a resigned fashion. "Your female breeders found it a good hobby for you and your Brothers. She has kept you out of trouble."

The men were confused and it showed on their faces. None of them understood how Basin's female breeder had kept them out of trouble. The woman chuckled at their confusion.

"Have you forgotten your fascination with women and mountains, my boys?" she asked playfully. "How many times did I have to pull you out of a young female's den before you got this slave? She has saved your hides more times than I can imagine. Teach her to swim. I will expect her in the pool with the other human by the next moon."

The confusion didn't leave Basin's face as the large woman and her companion left the room. They stared at her back and then down at Rose.

"Our Rose...is female?" one of the Brothers asked sounding confused.

Well, Duh, was my internal thought. That made Damien chuckle, before he answered politely.

"A female is a female. That slave is female as is the cool one that Stayne keeps. The women here must only allow us to buy female slaves," he said.

I watched Basin's face with trepidation. He looked at Rose and for a moment his lines darkened.

"We have lived," he said slowly, "with a female in our bed-"

Damien saw where this was going and protected my friend when I could not.

"Not any female, cousin. You have lived withyour female all this time. That is a female that trusts you, because you care for her," he said emphatically. "She is not female like the women here. She is weak and requires you for survival."

The opinion wasn't his only his, it was mine. I feared for Rose if they believed her to be female. I watched Basin's face as the lines relaxed and he calmed.

"Come," he said motioning her out of the pool, "we will teach you to swim, my Rose. Do not enter the water unless we are with you."

It relieved me to hear him call her that and speak that way. She scrambled out and nearly tipped back slipping on the stone edge.

"Be careful," another of them chided as he caught her, "you must not be fearful. We will teach you so you do not act this way. It is very unbecoming."

"Of course, Masters," she whispered holding close to the man who held her.

I watched as he slightly flinched at her touch and then relaxed into it. I was immensely worried these men might hurt Rose if they thought she was a woman. Shifting nervously in the water I turned imploring eyes on Damien.

He wouldn't have it and scolded me internally. Basin and his Brothers were honorable; they would not harm the girl. That would prove nothing. They were obviously stronger than her. I was degrading principled men and Damien would not hear of it.

I relaxed in the water and shook my head at my own foolishness.

"Swim," Bane said to me as Rose's men redressed her, "thirty-seven times and then you rest."

I swam my laps as quickly as I could. It wasn't nearly as interesting as swimming around the Keeper's inlet, but I made do. Once I was done I dried and dressed myself, much to Rose's shock, and went to lay down.

As I lay in the quiet bedroom my mind drifted to what the men were doing. Christof made a point to concentrate on things about the ore. That seemed to satisfy the little life inside of me. She was entertained by his cajoling and I rested comfortably the entire afternoon while they worked.

The men found me still sleeping on their bed when they got done. They were quiet as they disrobed for their shower. Evan was insistent I sleep as long as I could.

Damien permitted me to remove the punishment from Evan's ass before dinner. I was glad we did. He was obviously not meant to wear something like this. Poor man was bleeding a little. He swore not to make the same mistake that had led to this again.

The pregnancy wore on and settled into a predictable pattern. I read daily and sometimes nightly. My little girl was relentless in her quest for knowledge. Eventually the men found Christof could calm her if it needed to be done. When she had not let me rest for days, that was what had to happen.

We were lucky in a way, as my belly grew her schedule became more regimented. She knew to be curious in the morning and let me rest more at night. It was a good change and one I was thrilled to see.

Hannah visited regularly. Sometimes she gifted me with devotionals, sometimes not. The lack of a pattern stopped Nu-reeh from catching her. What my girl was doing would have infuriated Nu-reeh. If she found out what Hannah was doing, I was sure Nu-reeh would kill her.

My daughter gathered information for one of the lead female families that fought for freedom. Hannah and her Sister were not restricted and moved easily between the mountains. The mature women tracked them, but only somewhat.

I asked not to be given details, so I would not endanger anyone, but Hannah insisted I know what she was helping to do.

The stolen men were somehow removed from the mountains or compounds and delivered to safe places. There they were told the truth and allowed to make their own decisions. No one owned them and they mated at their discretion. A woman could ask, but no was an acceptable answer. Their rights were respected by the women around them.

In this new life the men were permitted to learn anything they wanted. Access to knowledge was no longer prohibited. They could think and study on any topic that was interesting to them. None of them were limited in what they could do.

"Warriors that act like Administrators,Mama," Hannah whispered to me one day. "Administrators building the weapons that fortify the homes they live in. The men are finding they can have many and varied interests."

The men were productive in the small, free societies. They worked and helped the women with every task. The goal was to eventually have all of them be mostly self sufficient. That would be the sign of true equality.

"We talk to them," Ra said. "They are friendly with us and invite us to dine with them. They touch us without fear."

My hackles raised at her last statement. "How exactly," I hissed, "do they touch you girls?"

Hannah was not old enough for that. I was sure Ra wasn't either. Both girls laughed at my concern.

"We cannot mate,Mama," Hannah soothed, "we are not old enough and have no interest. Ra means they touch our arms or brush along side us in tight places. Don't worry so much. I have much to do before I settle down to have my own children."

Ra cast a worried glance at Hannah and my daughter sighed. "If it is even possible for me," she amended.

"Women no longer conceive easily," Ra explained. "Breeding numbers are down and have been for so long, women fear for the survival of this species."

The little girl in my belly rolled then and stretched. Hannah and Ra both reached out a hand to feel her movements. She seemed to press into her sister's touch before she settled again.

"The way you breed," Ra stated, "is unheard of. They have tried it with several other Earth females."

Hannah growled and shook her head. Even Ra looked sad after her statement.

"Boys are easy," Ra said softly, "but girls..."

Hannah looked troubled and touched my face. "The girls break the families apart. The men cannot deal with the differing opinions. The Earth females cannot deal with the influx of stimulus. They are driven to madness and the pregnancies are lost with the deaths of the human slaves. The men, they barely survive."

A cool wind whipped through the deserted section of cave we sat in and I shivered.

Christof was in my head scolding me for not bringing something warmer to wrap in. He was leaving the sorting room and bringing me something right now. I had known where Hannah and Ra would hide with me to talk. They always took me on long deserted walks. Getting sick would get all of us in trouble, so he was coming to take care of me.

Hannah was snapping her fingers in my face when I realized where I was. It was hard not to be distracted by the voices in my head. Mydaughterfound my inability to concentrate quite annoying.

"You just stare off in space all the sudden," she huffed. "It's like having a conversation with aschizophrenic!"

I ignored her outburst and advised the girls Christof was already on his way, so they would not be surprised by him.

"It is what you had with Christof," Hannah said getting back to the conversation, "that saved all of us. He allowed his Brothers' thinking to bend without breaking."

"We will save him one day,Mama," Ra promised me. "We will save all of them."

I believed them, I had to. They were the physical manifestation of the hope I had clung to since I'd been brought here. Hannah and her Sister were tireless fighters for freedom. I knew what they did when they left and I saw the exhaustion it caused them. Neither seemed to care, they only wanted what was right.

Apparently everyone was going to continue jumping on the freedom bandwagon.

"What is awhale?" Evan asked one evening at dinner.

"No, no Brother," Kein amended, "abloated whale?"

I coughed and had to take a drink to avoid choking. I remembered the carcasses ofwhalesI had seen washed up on television. Their huge rotund bellies reminded me of my own.

Now many moons into this pregnancy my stomach had grown to enormous proportions. I realized how early I must have been with Hannah. The initial nausea and vomiting had probably stunted my growth, and hers, also. I was markedly larger this time.

I wasn't entirely sure where the men picked up the phrase, though.

"You thought of it today as you swam," Damien informed me. "We kept hearing the Earth words, but we did not wish to interrupt your exercise."

I laughed and stroked my stomach. It was a fitting analogy, I thought for a moment. I was big, fat, and swollen: a literal whale. Thank goodness for nomirrors. I'd hate to see how hideous I looked right now.

The mens' violent disagreement quickly dissuaded me of that idea.

"She is part of us," Christof said stroking a hand down my side and looking at his Brothers. "You are part of us also," he directed to me. "You are not ugly to us. This is more family, we are lucky men."

The little girl inside me pressed against the place Christof had been touching. Noticing it, he stroked her with loving fingers for several moments. His thoughts continued on the same lines as he touched me. Inside of me was something amazing.

Damien and the rest murmured agreement. My stomach and its contents were something we all were glad for. Hannah was wonderful and more family was welcome.

"I would like to see my feet, though," I said sipping the frothy drink and wiggling my toes.

When I looked down as we walked now I saw belly and very little else. It made walking to and from the eating area slightly precarious for me. Long ago I'd taken to holding someone's arm or hand to help steady me.

"It is foolish to walk the way you do," Evan said grabbing a second helping of meat and passing the platter to Kein. "You should look up."

Damien and Bane agreed. I really should look up when I walked. My eyes should observe anything I wished them to. No one should walk around looking at the floor.

"No," I answered them calmly, "I am only safe-"

Damien cut me off. "You will be safe if you walk with your head up. No man in this mountain would survive our wrath. Do you doubt us?" he asked incredulously.

I was stuck as I stared at him across the table. Obviously I couldn't doubt him. No one in the family doubted Damien's strength or ability. If the man said he could defend me, he could.

It wasn't an option anymore. As we left the dining hall my eyes were up. I tried to stare at the far wall to avoid eye contact, but Bane wouldn't have that. We met the eyes of men as we passed them and acknowledged them. Everyone in the family did that, I would, too.

Two families started to fight Damien over his slave's behavior, but were rapidly subdued. The other men looked at us with a mixture of open curiosity or animosity. I couldn't count which opinion seemed to be winning and no one else cared.

"Let them think what they want," Bane shrugged, "makes no difference."

We made our way out of the dining hall and into the near empty caves. The sun was still up, so we'd get glimpses of late afternoon light here and there. It cast the interior of the caverns in an almost warming glow.

Threading my arm under Bane's I enjoyed the quiet evening as we walked. This after dinner time was my favorite time of day. None of us had responsibilities and we could just relax together. Tonight we were headed for a chuke game.

Chuke was still my mens' favorite thing to do, next to me. Since I was indisposed in my current condition, they played a lot more chuke. Bane had even brought a comfortable chair and foot rest to the field for me. I could sit and knit while they showed the men in the mountains how it was done.

The game was very good tonight and I was enjoying it as the first ripple cut across my back and into my belly. Shifting in my chair, I sought a more comfortable position as the cramp ended. Just as I refocused on the game it came back.

Evan was scooping me up before another could hit. We'd made it back to our quarters before the fifth one tore through my body. Nu-reeh arrived before number fifteen.

The labor this time took longer. I imagined Hannah's violent entrance into the world would have been calmer if I had not been assaulted. This little girl came in her own good time. It was the middle of the night when my second daughter's screeching cries first echoed in the cave.

Laying on the warm stone I watched with abject terror as Nu-reeh inspected my child. I feared what Nu-reeh would do if the girl was not what she wanted. Tears leaked down my face because I knew I couldn't stop that horror if it happened.

The winged baby in Nu-reeh's grasp hissed and spit. She growled with a ferocity I'd never seen from Hannah. This girl was furious as the large woman checked her over.

"Feed her," Nu-reeh grunted tossing the little girl at me and leaving.

Catching the writing infant I tried to wrap and sooth her, but she refused to be tamed.

"Daddy!" she kept screaming inEnglish, pushing the covers away.

It wasn't hard to tell who she wanted. Every time Christof stepped in her line of sight she reached for him. I could see the family resemblance in her eyes and the long line of her legs. She just wanted herfather.

I rocked and coaxed her as I sat on the warm stone, but she wouldn't take the breast or calm down. She wanted Christof. The men started to look frantic as she continued to scream.

They tried to clean me off, but she kept trying to wiggle closer to Christof.

"I cannot touch you," Christof said softly. "I am not permitted to touch you. Please understand. Feed fromMamaand relax."

Ourdaughterwould not hear of it and screamed louder for him. Eventually we heard the clattering talons and Nu-reeh re-entered our dwelling.

"Why have you not fed her?" she demanded glaring down at my wild little girl and me.

Damien answered for me as he tried to talk over the child's cries. He informed Nu-reeh my daughter wanted her male breeder. The little girl was being insistent about it. She refused to feed.

Nu-reeh looked over all of us for a moment. The writhing bundle in my arms hissed and screamed at her, demanding Christof's attention. The look of disgust on Nu-reeh's face terrified me, but I couldn't silence our daughter.

Tosu entered and the room suddenly felt much too full. She took in everything going on and then spoke with Nu-reeh.

"The female is strong willed," she commented. "I sense this one will be defiant and she must eat. Give her what she wants."

Nu-reeh growled and shifted her gaze to Tosu, "So the men are to feed her? How do you propose they do that?"

Tosu sighed and motioned to Christof.

"Let the men hold her and touch her. It would be a waste to lose a healthy female over this. Just let them know what you will do if they harm her," she stated.

Nu-reeh was swayed by her Sister's opinion and gave Damien's family permission to touch Christof's daughter. She did warn them she'd remove their secondary teeth if anyone harmed the girl.

I handed Christof our baby and she was silent for the first time since she was born. Long fingers stroked away her tears as he cradled her. He touched her with obvious adoration.

Watching my friend hold our daughter did something to me and I couldn't tear my eyes away. I didn't even notice Nu-reeh leave. Christof holding his daughter was a mesmerizing experience.

Christof had never held a baby, but he'd seen me do it with Hannah. He supported her head and kept a hand under her back. Rocking her gently he shushed her as she shuddered in his arms.

Even through my own tears I could see her resemblance to her father. She had a lean build and brilliant eyes that reflected the light. They were lighter than Christof's, but still with that strange purple hue.

"She has no fur and no hair," Kein commented leaning close. "Guess that must just grow in on Ciara's girls. We need to keep her warm until then."

"Look at the wings, though," Bane pointed out, gingerly touching one as it hung loosely beneath her. "Much larger than Hannah's at this stage. Imagine how they'll look mature."

"Don't crush them," Evan warned his Brother, "remember how to fold them on her back."

Five fathers surrounded the little girl and fussed over her, wrapping her in an absorbent towel and a knitted blanket. They folded her wings just so and made her warm and comfortable in Christof's arms.

"She is sticky," Damien commented. "The little one needs a bath."

"In a bit, Brother," Bane said tucking the blanket where it had exposed her feet. "Let her rest first. She looks exhausted."

I suddenly noticed Tosu still in the room watching. Before she turned I swear I saw pride in her eyes. Almost inaudibly I heard her say, "This is how it should be."