A Slave to the Servants Ch. 26

"Go in," she instructed, "and be calm."

Walking into the main room like a dazedrobot,I moved toward our leather drape. Before I'd made it, I was swarmed by Damien and his Brothers. Strong hands pulled me inside and inspected me. Kennedy was pulled away as Christof checked her over. They must have been worried sick waiting for us to come back.

"You are wet," Evan chided touching my breasts through my damp outfit. "When is the last time you fed the little one?"

He was right. My breasts were leakingmilkand swollen. I couldn't recall the last time I'd stopped to nurse Kennedy.

"The child must be fed regularly," Damien scolded. "It is important you stop to feed her at the intervals we have discussed. She must grow big and strong."

My wet and ruined dress was pulled from me and Kennedy was settled in my arms to nurse in front of the fire. Bane wiped the stickiness away as Kein draped a blanket over my back and around Kennedy. I heard Evan fixing me something to drink as he fussed about my inability to keep to a schedule.

Damien and his Brothers scolded me for several long moments as I stared dully at them. Suddenly the room was quiet except for Kennedy's insistent sucking sounds. I looked down to see her hands buried in the soft tissue, hanging on. They were right, she had been hungry.

Christof was in my face suddenly. His concern was evident as he looked back at his Brothers.

"This room is a mess," Damien said casually pointing at the pad I had been reading that morning.

The noxious little device sat on a chair in the sitting area. Evan picked it up and walked it out front quietly. Once he returned the men encouraged me to rise and we went into our bed chamber.

Once we were safely inside Christof whispered in my ear. He wanted to know what happened. The men didn't know why we were on lockdown and they didn't know why I was acting odd. They had a feeling the two things were related, though.

We huddled on the bed and I whispered in Christof's ear. He didn't move a muscle as I explained Hannah's plea, the men's escape, and Tosu's statement. By the time I was done Kennedy had finished both breasts and was sleeping in my arms.

Damien's face was indescribable. He looked like he couldn't decide what to feel. The other Brothers looked the same way. The thought crossed my mind, I'd take their punishment. The men I'd saved deserved to live.

Christof finally broke the silence. His mouth brushed my ear it was so close.

"You endangered my offspring and yourself," he said simply. "I know it would scare you, but I want to see Damien stripe you."

I looked in his eyes, but didn't see the rage I anticipated.

"You also did something very brave," he continued with a sigh. "You could not bear to see the death of another when you could prevent it. We are proud of you."

"Next time," Bane threatened softly, "we may not feel so. Don't endanger the little one again."

There was a rumble through the men, but I was glad to see their faces did not look angry, only worried.

We sat in the bedroom for a long time. Eventually I laid next to Kennedy and tried to relax. The men were lost deep in an internal conversation. They occasionally stopped to ask for clarification, but otherwise considered what had happened today silently.

I drifted to sleep beside Kennedy mumbling thanks as the men dragged a cover over us. The day had been stressful and exhausting. Surrounded by the family in our safe haven, I relaxed completely and slept.

Angry voices woke me from my sleep and I bolted out of bed.

Damien was speaking harshly to Hannah and she was answering him in the same tone. Neither was loud, it was more like angry whispering. They both sounded furious.

"Show us," Damien demanded, "we will protect her-"

Hannah growled before she answered, "You don't even know what to protect her from. Be patient. There isn't a place that is safe enough for her yet-"

Bane cursed and I heard Evan's snort of disgust. Pushing back the leather cover to the bedchamber I walked out into the main room.

Kein saw me first and stalked toward me. "Go put something on," he ordered. "It is too cold without your dress."

"And where is Kennedy?" Evan snapped crossing his arms.

I was startled by the level of malevolence in the room and stepped back. Hannah and Damien were staring daggers at one another. The rest of the men looked ready to fight. Ra stood by the main door and looked furious. I had no idea what was going on.

"Mama,"Hannah sighed looking over at me, "Kein's right, go put something on. The mountains are a cold place."

Not like I had any choice. Kein took my arm and led me to the room with our clothing. He muttered fierce curses as he sorted through several dresses. Much like the start of our relationship he chose a dress and put me in it.

"Hey," I whispered stroking his arm as he pulled out a pair of my long boots, "what's going on that's got you so upset?"

Kein turned fiery eyes on me and then went back to his task.

"Hannah knows how we could get out of the mountain, but refuses to show us. She says there is no place beyond the hills you would be safe enough. The places the free men and women live are not stable enough to protect a human. One day, she'll take us," he growled looking at me, "just not today."

I had not even thought about it when I released the men. It had not occurred to me to remember how to get to the escape tunnels.

I picked up Kennedy and wrapped her as we stepped back into the main room. She was waking up in my arms and watched the family drama unfold with me. We stood quietly just inside the main room. I took in the attitudes around us. The men's faces had become resigned. Hannah was evidently not budging from her position.

"The communities now," Hannah said softly, "are not strong enough. The women can only just manage to protect the men.Mamawould be dead in a lunar cycle."

Damien placed a hand on Hannah's arm and pleaded with her. "We can protect yourMama,"he said. "You must show us the way out. We cannot live this way. Nu-reeh tortures her with our seed. It is not right."

Hannah shook her head sadly and met my eyes as she spoke.

"You do not know the beasts that exist beyond these mountains, Daddy. This world is fierce and wild. I do not doubt your strength, but you are without knowledge. Give me time to find a place thatMamawill be safe. We need time to build larger settlements. I swear to you I will take you away, but right now I cannot."

The men hated weakness and believed themselves above such things. I saw them coming to a consensus rapidly. This wasn't over yet.

"Teach us," Damien whispered, "you say there are things we do not understand. You are our eyes to the world. Tell us what you have seen. Make us strong enough to escape this life."

"Of course,Daddy," Hannah sighed, "just don't ask us to give you freedom, yet. It breaks my heart to see my family kept this way. We are working as hard and fast as we can."

******************

The women that lived in the mountain here spent five days looking for the escaped men before they gave up. Hannah and Ra stayed with us all five days.

"We are too young to search for men," Hannah told us. "Nu-reeh will let us stay, as long as, we are out of the way. She told us we could stay with you."

During the hunt, the men in the mountains were kept on lockdown. Two men from each family went to the eating area and collected food for the day. Otherwise the men were confined to their quarters. If it wasn't for Hannah and Ra it would have been a boring five days.

Damien invited both Stayne's and Basin's families to come and listen to Hannah. We would move the listening pad far away as we sat and Hannah taught us. She and Ra told us everything they could.

Damien never told the other men about the escape. He never said we were going to escape one day. Eventually he would trust Basin and Stayne with the knowledge, but not yet. Right now they would just unknowingly learn so they could leave with us. All three families were loyal friends and they would eventually accompany us. There would be strength in numbers.

Ra and Hannah were good teachers. They sat with all of us and told us what they'd seen and done. The men were fascinated by it. Stayne's and Basin's families seemed hesitant to ask questions of the females, though.

As the days passed the other families got more comfortable with Hannah and Ra. They would ask simple questions and cringe waiting for the rebuke. It never came. My girls were open and friendly. They had no ill will when it came to curious men.

Kennedy started to walk while Hannah was here. She'd use the furniture or her fathers to steady herself as she moved around. The other families were shocked at the familiarity Damien and his Brothers had with the little girl.

"Time to eat," Evan said to Kennedy the fourth day as she tried to take two steps in a row without falling. She had not managed it yet.

She refused. Kennedy wanted to figure out how to walk. Her determination was interfering with the feeding schedule my men knew she should have. They wanted her to be a strong girl and that would only happen if she kept gaining weight.

"Eat and then walk," Bane demanded scooping her up and bringing her to me. "YourMamais leakingmilkit has been so long. Stop being stubborn," he commanded.

Kennedy fought him and wiggled. If she ate, she'd get tired and go to sleep.

"I want to walk!" she hissed up at him.

Bane wasn't deterred, "You'll be strong enough to defy us soon enough, Little One. Eat, sleep, and then walk. That's what you'll do now."

Basin's family looked shocked. They watched absolutely astonished as Bane handed me my angry daughter. She tried to wiggle out of my arms and Christof told her to stop.

"Feed," he encouraged, "you'll be walking in no time. You are cranky because you are hungry and tired."

Kennedy didn't often scream and cry, but when she did it was hard to miss. Now she threw a little tantrum in my arms. Stayne's family stood and backed into the wall. Basin's family looked wary and sat quietly. They weren't sure what to do and Kennedy would not stop.

Damien shook his head and stroked Kennedy's head and back soothingly. Christof talked softly to her and Kein literallymilkedmy breast to tempt her to eat. It worked, not surprisingly. Kennedy took the rich, warm fluid on her tongue and cried as she clung to me.

"She's exhausted," Christof said motioning Stayne's family to sit. "We can't let her go so long without food and rest. She needs to sleep some in the day."

Choking sobs were intermixed with sucking sounds as Kennedy slowly settled down in my arms.

"You distract us well, Hannah," Damien joked standing to pat Hannah's shoulder. "This female offspring is not like you. You would not miss a meal for anything."

My family laughed remembering Hannah's unstoppable appetite. Ra told them a few stories from their more recent escapades regarding Hannah's need to feed. My family laughed and the other men just looked confused.

I sat and nursed Kennedy and realized the other men had no comparison for Damien's relationship with Hannah or Kennedy. Unlike the other women here, Hannah and Ra viewed the men as equals. They respected their intelligence and questions. It was the opposite of what the men were used to.

Kennedy calmed and quieted in my arms. As she relaxed Christof passed a hand over her back and stroked her wings. The little spans of flesh twittered and then settled under his touch. He moved the right wing to fold it more comfortably on her back before putting a blanket over her.

"Touching of the wings is considered a very personal act," Ra commented. "A woman allows her Sisters to touch them. Men should touch them with the reverence you have shown. It is good you interact with the young one this way. She will fit in well...with us and our friends."

Basin spoke then. He had touched women's wings to bind them. Many times he'd suffered the sharp barbs at the tips. No one had ever encouraged him to revere a woman's wings.

"We have learned the true history," Ra told him sadly. "In the past you would have been family with women, as well as, your Brothers. You would have respected them and they would have respected you.

"Those relationships now are built on pain and fear. The women believe they are superior because they are stronger. You have talents and so you are an asset. But, you and your Brothers have the right to grow and flourish without dread. All sentient creatures should have that right."

The girls let the statement hang and didn't push the issue further. Damien passed a hand down my arm and smiled at me.

"We have found great happiness that way," he said simply. "Freedom makes the family strong."

Basin and Stayne didn't like this conversation. It upset their way of looking at the world. Basin brusquely asked Hannah to continue to explain about animals that flew in the air. He was obviously changing the subject. The girls respected the request and obliged with information.

On the sixth day the men were sent back to their jobs. Tosu had quietly told Damien the escaped men were not found. She congratulated him on training me to be strong in the face of Nu-reeh's wrath. He had politely thanked her, but found the interaction odd.

Hannah and Ra had spent the five days cooped up in our little area. They were getting restless.

"We love you,Mama," Hannah told me softly, "but we need to fly. This space is too contained."

"There are also things we need to check out," Ra said softly.

I knew what they needed. The men I'd rescued were friends and the girls wanted to check on them.

With a heavy heart I watched the girls leave through the skylight. They were so carefree and wild. The entire world was their playground. Listening to them I almost felt like I had been there with them, learning and exploring. It had almost made me feel free.

Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I smiled down at my daughter. Her fur was just starting to grow and I petted the thick tufts lovingly. Her skin had been white, but the fur almost appeared striped. I traced the patterns as I smiled at her.

"I could pluck it," she told me seriously and I was shocked.

"Absolutely not," I scoffed, "your fur, and later your hair, will protect you from wind and cold. Hannah used her hair to hide injuries from me. You need it. Don't ever talk about losing it."

I walked with Kennedy back into our apartment and sighed. All three families had huddled in here for five days to listen to Hannah and Ra. The main room was a mess.

I settled Kennedy with some toy puzzle pieces and started to clean. She wasn't done with our conversation though.

"It would make me more like you, if I didn't have fur," she said. "The jelly creatures could probably be paid to remove my hair. I'd just have to wear clothes like you andDad."

Pausing in my picking up, I glared at her.

"You cannot weaken yourself for any reason," I argued. "The fur is a strategic advantage. This is a tough world. You know what I've read and you heard your sister-"

"I'm getting rid of it as soon as I can," she said decisively.

Kennedy was dead set on removing her fur and hair. She didn't like it and it wasn't pretty. I couldn't say anything she would believe. By the time the men came I was frantic and they found that a little silly.

"It isn't like she'll do it right now," Kein reminded me. "What's she going to do? Shave?"

"Maybe we should lock up the knives again," Evan joked and they all found that funny.

Christof did sit and have a serious talk with her though. The rest went and brought back food as he discussed the importance of maintaining her natural defenses with her. The fur was permanent clothing that kept her warm. It was a layer of protection against sharp objects aimed at her skin. He could convince her in ways I could not.

"I likeMama'sskin," Kennedy told him sadly. "You likeMama'sskin, too. I want to be pretty likeMama."

I was horrified listening to her talk. She was confusing human beauty with beauty here. Kennedy would never look human. The Paterian genes had overridden mine in most ways. This was going to be a disaster for her.

Christof considered Kennedy for a moment and then sat back.

"Dinah," he said softly, "is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Each time we had to mate I hoped it was her that would take me. You know I feel that way. I admire her strength and speed. When I was younger, I even found her temper attractive."

I did not know that about Christof. Of course we'd never talked about who his favorite woman was. It just had not come up.

"YourMama," he continued, "is special and so very different. It wasn't until she explained the Earth concept of beauty to us that I understood. We just don't think of beauty the same way. You do not have to alter yourself to be lovely. The men you breed with will find you beautiful."

"Not too soon, though," I interjected hurriedly. "You don't have to worry about that for a long while."

Both of them laughed at my obvious concern. It wasn't like a man could force her. My worry was comical to them.

Still, how I wished everything in her life would take a long while.

It was not to be. Kennedy grew fast, much quicker than Hannah. I knew the steps now and watched them happen sadly. She flew and her wing tips were hardened. Unlike her older Sister she accepted the paint on the barbs graciously. When her talons grew I nearly spent the day in tears. I knew what came next.

Rose and Fuji did their best to comfort me. Rose understood my sadness, Fuji did not.

"We keep our children on Earth," she told Fuji repeatedly. "The freedom they have here would be unheard of at home."

Fuji could not comprehend, but she did her best to help me. She taught me a dance they did on her native planet. It was one to celebrate new beginnings. I found the activity distracting and focused on that when the sadness struck. Being active seemed to stave off the sadness, so I moved as much as I could.

The day Kennedy's teeth started to come in Hannah happened to be around. We sat and talked as my youngest sucked on the cold stalks. Hannah was thrilled Kennedy could soon join her and learn the world. I did my best to be happy for them and not mourn my loss.

Within fifteen days of her teeth fully erupting, my second daughter left our dwelling. Seeing her fly off with Hannah was more comforting than seeing Hannah do it all alone. Still, I cried on Christof's chest for most of the night.

My breastmilkwas dried up with a liquid that I drank daily for four days. It wasn't as quick as the shot had been, but I guess it didn't hamper my fertility. I could not believe I was expected to reproduce so soon.

My family and I, along with Basin's and Stayne's families were moved back to the compound after Kennedy was gone. They were happy to get out of the mountains. I just felt numb.

The trip from the mountains to the compound was a haze for me. It seemed my world was held in a permanently fog. I couldn't seem to lift myself out of it.

My first day back at the Keepers for the Administrators was something I dreaded. Last time I'd been here Vesa and her friends had attacked me. I feared finding out what had happened to them and I wondered if they would still hate me. It wasn't like I had the energy to fight with them.

Damien walked me into the Keepers that first morning and took me all the way into the hall we worked in. He found my seat next to Rose and settled me. Leaving a hand on my shoulder he talked to the Keepers and insured I'd have everything I needed for the morning.