A Slave to the Servants Ch. 31

"I will wait," the woman said politely, "but my Sister will try, she is older than me."

The Administrators wished them well and recorded the information. The group of men walked out with the women casually touching and caressing them. They were all pleased they could try to produce a child. The two families were entirely focused on one another as they left.

The next group was five men. They wanted to discuss growing a new type of crop. The men had been doing a good bit of studying and thought this new starch would be beneficial. It would easily grow in the soil here.

"We grow all our own food," Gunth explained to Rose, Fuji, and me. "We have hidden farms spread throughout the forest. Men go each day to monitor them."

"Women like Nu-reeh don't see your fields?" I asked curiously.

Gunth laughed quietly, "We hide our fields in plain sight and cover them with the false vision you already saw on the mountain side. They have not seen us yet."

The Administrators at the head of the room took the information from the family and thanked them.

"Let us study it," the lead male Administrator said, "we will put it to a vote."

The men thanked the Administrators and turned to leave. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw us.

These men looked different from Warriors in the compound. Their clothes were all leather, scuffed and patched. They were lanky, like shopkeepers, and with prominent stripes. I saw the thick callouses on their hands. They worked hard at whatever they did.

"Introduce yourself, Arik," Gunth said gruffly. "Do not stare."

"I am Arik from the T'rale Mountains," the man said. "It is a pleasure to meet a human."

I responded the way I had been taught by Gunth and the man just continued to stare at me as his Brothers introduced themselves.

"Is there more Arik or are you and your Brothers done?" Gunth asked gruffly.

"Would you join us for the evening meal?" Arik asked quickly. "I have many questions about Earth. We work to grow the food that is on the tables every meal. We enjoy watching plants grow. There is a plant from Earth we have been growing and you may come see it if you like."

I looked at Rose and she was staring at the ground, there would be no help from her.

"I don't know," I finally answered the man.

"Are you willing to have a meal with this man at your table?" Gunth asked patiently.

"I want to eat with Damien and his Brothers," I said feeling stupid and scared.

"That is not an option," Gunth said firmly. "Would you like to have a meal with this man and his family?"

"Yes," I answered hesitantly.

I thought perhaps if I played along, they'd let me see Damien. Whatever they wanted, I should provide. Getting on their good side was probably the quickest way to getting what I wanted. That's how it always had worked before.

Gunth seemed pleased and told me when it came time for the evening meal I should meet Arik and his Brothers outside the dining hall.

"Now, Gunth," the one of the women at the head of the hall interjected, "we have not even determined if these females wish to stay or return to their places of origin."

My terror doubled as I looked into her fanged face. "I don't wish to leave my family, Ma'am. I want to see my offspring grow. I wish to be with Damien's family."

"My name," the great woman said, "is Hassar. I am from the T'stelvic Mountains. You do not need to address me as Ma'am. If you wish to stay on this world for your offspring, we will not remove you. We must keep you away from Damien and his Brothers, though."

"Please," I begged, "I need them and I care for them-"

Hassar was patient, but firm. Damien and his Brothers had enslaved me. They had trained me with punishment until I believed that only they could be trusted. That part of my life was over now.

"I am Reed, Hassar's Sister, of the T'stelvic Mountains," the other women interjected. "We have spent a great deal of time studying slavery and its effects. You must learn to think again, if you wish to stay."

"I wish to stay," I whispered as tears ran down my cheeks.

The Administrators asked Rose to introduce herself and asked her if she wanted to stay next.

"My name is Rose," she said quietly while staring at the floor. "I was from Earth and I do not wish to go through the portals. I understand they are dangerous and unstable. I want to be with Basin and his Broth....."

Gunth interrupted to explain "Rose" was the name the slavers gave her.

The women looked patiently at us, but gave Rose the same answer they'd given me. Her reeducation would not include the men who had enslaved her.

When it was Fuji's turn she just refused to speak. She watched the floor listlessly and another lock of her hair fell out. Reed sighed and came forward.

"I own you now, slave from Batra. You are in my charge and I will protect you from harm. I am the leader here and the men who took you did so at my command. Tell me the name you have been given," she said stopping in front of Fuji.

Gunth gasped as did several others in the room. Reed and her Sister were not fazed by the obvious horror on the faces around them.

"I am Fuji, named by my last Masters, what would you have me do?" Fuji asked brightly.

Rose and I just stared at her looking stunned. She sounded pleased and relaxed.

"You will learn many things while you are here. These Paterians," Reed said pointing around, "are my agents and will instruct you. However, one of the first things I need to do is to remove your old Master's insignia from your body,"

Fuji didn't flinch as Reed removed her collar and cuffs. "You must look around and meet the eyes of those around you," Reed instructed. "I like the name you were given. You may use it when you are greeted. I wish that you speak with any that speak to you. I wish you to start at least three conversations a day. You may chose who to start those conversations with."

Gunth sputtered and made a sound that resembled a foul curse Bane had taught me. It wasn't a set of words Damien really liked me to say. Reed just flashed a toothy smile at Gunth and handed the metal to another man.

"You expect too much, too soon, my friend," she said simply. "My Sister and I have studied every culture, every species of slave, the slavers brought to this planet. It is apparent different species need different...assistance."

"Fuji, you stay with my Sister and me," Reed stated. "We will teach you what we wish you to do."

Reed stepped in front of Rose and looked down at her.

"It is time to lose those signs of slavery," she said reaching for Rose's collar.

"NO!" Rose shouted backing away. "My name is Rose. I want to keep this on. I want Basin, please. I am not safe here. They need me and I need them!"

"You will not live in a free society bearing the brand of a slave," Reed explained.

Rose crumpled to the floor sobbing. Reed just tugged gently at her extremities until all of her metal cuffs were off. Gunth helped her. They even removed Rose's boots to take off her metal ankle cuffs. He slid the leather back over her slender feet after the bands were removed.

I watched the big woman and knew I could not fight her. She reached to remove my metal and I stood stoically. Gunth knelt and slipped the boots off to remove my ankle cuffs and I cooperated, raising my feet, one by one.

"You don't fight, Rachel," Gunth commented. "You are learning."

"Yes," I answered looking at him as he stood, "I know my position. I will do as you say when you say. I will go by whatever name you tell me I have to. I will associate with only those you permit me to."

My answer was offensive to everyone present.

"Rachel," Gunth said, "your name is important. Your outlook is important..."

My eyes blazed as I fixed them on Gunth. "Do you know why my female breeder called me Rachel?" I asked hotly. "She was out of her mind on medicine for pain after my birth. The woman tending her, who she had never met before, was named Rachel. My female breeder had them put that name on the ledger recording my birth, because she couldn't remember any other names."

I was panting I was so angry and I couldn't stop. "Damien and his Brothers chose a series of sounds that were pleasing. They chose a beautiful name for me and I LIKE IT. I could choose to be Rachel, but it is not a name I have enjoyed. I enjoy the name Ciara. As Ciara, I am a female breeder with wonderful offspring and a loved member of my family. It is my name."

"I chose my own name," Rose said softly. "Basin and his Brothers asked for the most beautiful thing on my home planet and used that as my name. I adore roses, I always have. They are lovely flowers. Kennedy is even named after me. Her female breeder named her after the Kennedy tea rose. It reminds Ciara and me of Earth."

The Administrators around us were all silent for a long moment.

"You are free now," Hassar said. "If these are the names you want, you may keep them. They have meaning to you. However, we will not allow you to be kept as slaves to the families you have served. You will not have contact with them and you will learn to be free humans."

The rest of the conversation was pleasant, at least between the Administrators. They had lodgings set up for Rose and me already. We would live free in the camp and learn freedom that way.

Reed and Hassar would handle Fuji personally. They had long studied this issue and thought they could fix what had been done. It would take intensive retraining, though, and it had to start gently.

Armant's wish was fulfilled. Rose liked to sew and so did I. It was a skill we had, so when they asked what we wanted to do, I said that. The Administrators were pleased we'd made this decision. To me, it just seemed a safe place to go.

"Come," Gunth instructed, "we will go see your new lodgings and then have a midday meal. We will do more this afternoon."

We turned to leave and the males of our families stood silently in the hall. I started to take a step toward Damien and Gunth got in my way. Rose ran for Basin and Reed stopped her.

"The women you have previously enslaved are free now," I heard Hassar's voice boom behind me. "If you wish to stay in our camp, you must renounce your love of slavery and stay away from these women."

"I have no love of slavery and find it abhorrent," Damien said clearly.

Gunth turned to watch Damien speak, so I was able to look around him.

"My Brothers and I feel great remorse," Damien continued. "We have done horrible things in the name of training. None of us wish to see this female bound in any way."

I couldn't stop the cry that rose from my very depths, "Damien, I love you and your Brothers! Please, tell them we are family now. Don't let them separate us!"

Damien's face remained impassive, but I saw the flicker of feeling fly across Christof's face and I knew what they were doing.

"We do consider this female family. It has been explained to us that this arrangement is not accepted here. My Brothers and I mourn for our loss, but understand why you do not trust our words or motives. We love this female deeply. We hope that if you allow us to stay, you will see we are changed men."

I heard the promise whispered through Damien's words. Hearing him talk calmed me, they weren't giving up. If they stayed and I stayed, we might be together again.

Basin spoke next. He agreed with Damien. Slavery was wrong and his actions in the past had been reprehensible. Much like Damien, Basin professed a deep love for Rose. She added sweetness and light to the family. Her loss cut them deeply. Both families agreed to take punishment for their prior misdeeds.

Basin and his Brothers offered to take as many beatings as the Administrators thought fit. Damien seconded the idea and said he would receive his punishment gladly. He asked where the family could go to receive the well earned whippings or beatings.

In a surprising act, Evan spoke up and offered to cut his own hair as punishment. He'd never suffered like that before, but he had never done anything this bad either. The Brothers would do whatever they could to atone.

The Administrators all sought to silence the men. They weren't pleased with the solutions Damien's or Basin's families were coming up with. Several male Administrators in the hall harshly rebuked Gunth for not educating our men sooner.

"Just because they were slavers doesn't mean you do not have to retrain them!" a man working at one of the tables called out. "It is even more important with them!"

Several men agreed loudly and Gunth raised his hand as though accepting the rebuke.

"This is a free society," Hassar said, acknowledging Damien and Basin's families and speaking more kindly. "We will not beat you or hurt you to teach you. Those ways of thinking must be left now that you are here. You will learn, but not through physical violence. We respect one another in this place. You and your Brothers must learn to trust your campmates and depend on them. We do not want you to fear us."

I saw the confusion on the men's faces and felt for them. This was different for all of us.

Reed continued the strange lesson and asked our families not to be violent to their comrades here. The way they'd been trained in the compound was not acceptable here. We didn't inflict violence on one another. Physical strength was appreciated, but so were other forms of strength. If someone had a weakness, we did not exploit it. The camp protected its own.

"We discuss our problems," Gunth said in a calm voice. "When members of the camp cannot come to an agreement on their own, they come to us. We assist the camp members in coming to reasonable solutions. That is how decisions are made."

Our men all looked at Gunth quizzically and he continued to educate them.

"If I wished to punish you for something, I would sanction your family. Perhaps I would assign you work you do not like or forbid you some activity you enjoy. In this camp you will rarely find physical punishment acceptable. That is not in keeping with the Great Harmonious Spirit."

Damien and Basin looked very confused but, they agreed to the rule and thanked the Administrators for the information.

"We will teach you The Great Harmonious Spirit," Gunth said. "You will learn it from me as all men we rescue from the camps do. I know you do not understand this yet. It will be important to you, though."

My family and Rose's family thanked Gunth. All of our men were aware there were things they didn't know.

Fuji's owners seemed strangely quiet while all this went on. They made no grand claims to change and did not openly agree with Basin and Damien. I got the feeling this reaction was not lost on the Administrators.

"Stayne, you and your Brothers will stay and learn our ways. Your female breeders are old and powerful females. They have joined the rebellion openly and fear their new allegiance would have caused harm to come to you. One day soon you will meet them and then you will understand," Gunth said looking slightly annoyed at Fuji's old Masters.

The men answered politely, but it was obvious they were not happy about this turn of events.

Gunth lead Rose and me away, but I made a point to lock eyes with each member of my family. As I passed, each of them they broke eye contact to pass their left arm over their chest and bow their head. It was an apology and a sincere one at that.

I would get them back, I swore to myself. It may take time and I'd have to do whatever the Administrators wanted, but this wasn't over yet. My family wanted me and I wanted them. There had to be a place on this world we could be together and free.

Rose and I were led out the archway and away from the Administrative area toward a set of steps. We were still in the heart of this cave system. From here I could see the entrance to the dining room and Armant's small shop. Gunth climbed a set of stairs and let us to a small cave on the second floor. It was six entrances from the stairs I noted.

"We will carve your names here," Gunth said pointing to the left side of the door.

Gunth pulled the thick drape aside and allowed us to enter before following us. Once the drape dropped closed the busy area outside was almost entirely muted. A single torch cast a soft glow on the small sitting area. Gunth showed us where other torches sat in the room and how to use them. We could light them when we liked, but should extinguish them when we left.

The main room had simple elevated cushions to sit on. They reminded me of beanbag chairs. In the center of the room was a large fire pit. Gunth helped us light it for the first time. The whole area looked like a comfortable place to rest after a long day.

In a basket beside one of the chairs I saw knitting needles and something that resembled yarn. My girls knew how much I liked to knit. One of them had obviously left this for me. The small parcel was not the only thing in the room, though.

Behind the fire along the wall was a large tub. Gunth told us it could be filled with water and we could bathe in our rooms. There were pots by the fire to heat the water in. I eyed the heavy looking bathing tub and Gunth reassured me.

Strong men would gladly help us dump it when we were done. Our physical weakness was not a disability. There were certainly things we would be superior at. The camp would use whatever attributes we had.

"Hannah and Kennedy explained to us humans would want to have privacy. We realize this is something you have been denied for a long time," Gunth said pointing to two drape covered openings in the rock wall.

Gunth led us to inspect the smaller drapes along the back of the cave. Behind them were individual sleeping areas. A torch was present just inside. A narrow, low bed was in each room. Simple brown sheets and a quilt covered the beds. There was also some shelving carved into the wall itself.

I inspected the shelving and was surprised. There was a towel for drying, a hair brush, and what appeared to be a toothbrush. Several ties were also present, they looked like the ones Evan used to bind his hair.

"You and Rose may make yourselves another outfit," Gunth explained, "or you may ask one of the tailors to make something you would like. It is your choice. Your clothing pieces can be folded and stored here when you are not using them."

I stood in the middle of the first bedroom with Rose and I noted how small and lonely it was. The tears tried to come, but I swallowed them. Now was the time to figure this place out, not break down.

Placing a hand on the cool stone shelving I remembered what Gunth had said. We could have another outfit.

"How would we acquire outfits?" I asked. "We have no... way to pay..."

Gunth smiled gently and motioned us out of the tiny room and into the main area.

"Sit with me," he said, "and I will explain."

Rose and I sat together on one of the larger cushions. It felt like it was filled with small seeds and molded around us as we sat. The chair was remarkably comfortable.

Gunth was quite informative. Everything in this camp was shared. The food was grown and distributed equally. Housing was provided by the women, who dug it out for us. Beds were put together by woodworkers. Cloth was made and used by the tailors to make clothing. Weapons were made and distributed by the smiths. When we needed something, we only had to ask.

Greed was not well tolerated here. If we had more clothes than anyone else, our requests for more would be ignored. If we hoarded food and another went hungry, the Administrators would sanction us. Resources were to be respected.

I looked down at my skirt and was too numb to think of any questions. Rose had a more level head than I did. I felt her tense as she spoke to Gunth. It was a big step for her.

"How do we wash? Where is the water?" she asked tentatively. "How do we clean our clothes?"