A Slave to the Servants Ch. 35

I shook my head and stroked Mycah's arm as he slept. He sighed and his fingers found my skirt. Little fingers gripped the fabric tightly, reinforcing his bond to his extended family.

"What good is wealth when you have to give up your children?" I asked sadly.

"That is the truth," the woman with one wing said watching me. I looked up at her and she smiled as she introduced herself to me.

"Rysell from the T'yonin Mountains," she said formally.

"Ciara, from Earth," I replied with a grin.

I was very glad to see these women coming to our way of thinking.

"They need protection!" the woman with the neck wound spit out from her bound position. "You should be protecting them now! They need you to go fight for them!"

Kana and her Sister weren't perturbed.

"My Sister and I are good teachers," Rysell said calmly from her spot on the floor. "The Administrators from the camp asked us to provide what the men they left in this hall needed. We have cousins that are physically protecting this room from the outside. If things changed, our jobs would change."

"Doubtful the camp would need us to protect them from the aliens," Kana mused watching the door. "The real danger here seems to be you, cousin. You cannot stay locked in the old ways."

Beyond the males questioning the Paterian women, I noted the former slaves and felt that I had shirked my duty. They stood as a group. They had been listening to Kana talk, also. Abram's family and several other cooks stood with them, diligently surrounding them. The healthy, young Paterian females left with them last night were probably assisting the men outside.

The former slaves seemed to be a touch better than they had been the day before. Many of them were looking around and several were attempting to talk to their guardians. Speaking to men under the control of The Great Harmonious Spirit was a difficult endeavor, though. I wanted to tell them that.

I caught Molly's eye as I sat staring at the women. She looked around and then confidently crossed the room. She watched Kana and Rysell warily, but they just smiled at her and introduced themselves. Molly responded, but her voice was still small and unsure. It would take time for her to feel comfortable.

"Come sit with me," I offered patting the slab beside me.

Molly hesitated before she sat with me. The old training was hard to break. Humans knelt on Pateria, we didn't sit.

We watched as Kana and Rysell moved away, saying they were worried their discussion was causing unnecessary disruption to those receiving healing. An area was cleared on the far side of the infirmary for Kana and Rysell to continue the men's education.

"One of these is your boy?" Molly asked quietly.

I stroked Jonathan's head and smiled at her. "My brave little boy, Jonathan, and his Brother Aiden found the aliens hiding in our bathing pool. It attacked them, but they fought back. They have some bites and scratches, but the Healers said they just needed rest."

"Branden liked to fight, too," Molly smiled. "He was so active I feared for him sometimes."

I laughed and remembered Jonathan's early days and his obsession with our pool.

Molly and I sat and talked as the boys slept. She wanted to stay on this planet with her boy, but she wasn't sure how it would be possible. Other than the men who had owned her, she had no one to help her. We just mulled it over between the two of us as Mycah's family continued to slumber.

"It was the drink," a high voice intoned suddenly from beside us. "You could have just told us it was the drink that kept us from carrying their children."

I wanted to roll my eyes and curse out loud. Vesa and her friends stood less than five paces away. They wore borrowed clothing from the camp, but they still managed to look haughty. Vesa had managed to be just as annoying as she always had been.

If I hadn't been so irritated with her very presence I might have been impressed with her ability to pull it off. Less than a day ago Vesa had been a broken mess. Thanks to our Healers, she stood in all her usual glory, despite the ragged, mismatched attire. The rebound was actually quite stunning.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know, now," I said forcing a polite smile. "I was a slave and so were you back then. There were things I just couldn't say."

Vesa almost ignored what I said as her eyes raked over my body. "Not like I'd want to be breeding with them anyhow," she said. "You can't seem to stop..."

The woman's tone was aggressive and so was her stance. I got the impression she wanted to hurt me for whatever reason. This was a place of healing and rest, though. I sought to defuse the situation promptly.

"My children are very important to my family and me," I said as calmly as I could. "We enjoy being surrounded by our offspring."

Vesa snorted and her friends did, too. She took a step toward me and felt myself tense as she spoke. "They say you STAYED with your slavers. How ridiculous is that?! You must have no sense of self-respect. You are an insult to the freedom we've had returned!"

There was no use arguing with her. In fact, there wasn't even a point to it. We just did not get along with one another and probably never would. I didn't even validate her comment with a response. I was currently in no position to fight and that's what had happened last time.

"So, will you be taking the portals back home to Earth?" I asked instead trying to ease any potential conflict. "I was told that was an option."

"Perhaps," she sneered and looked derisively around the room.

Evidently this whole place was beneath her. I really felt like introducing her to Rue and his Brothers. They'd probably get along wonderfully.

"Come on, girls," Vesa said to her comrades suddenly, "let's not spend anymore time here."

Molly and I sat and watched them retreat. Molly raised her eyebrow as she turned back to me.

"Nasty," she said simply.

I patted my large stomach and grinned. "Last time we disagreed I broke her nose, but I don't think I'm in any shape to be playing games like that now."

Molly agreed and laid a hand on my belly.

"You are very large, Ciara," she commented with a slight tinge of worry. "I hope this won't be a difficult birth for you."

Molly was right and I'd forgotten about it with everything else going on. My pregnant belly had gotten massive. It was bigger than even it had been when I carried Kennedy to term.

Tyle's voice calling my name broke me out of my thoughts as he and his Brothers approached quickly. Immediately, Aryn's hand was touching my shoulder as he placed the other on my belly. He looked into my eyes as though seeking an answer to a question.

"Is there a problem with our cousin you carry?" he asked finally. "Is there an issue with that former slave that just walked away? You look concerned."

"My baby is big is all," I said as his Brothers surrounded us. "The human and I have had...a confrontation before. We just don't get along. There is nothing to worry about."

Tyle's family relaxed a little at the statement and looked at Molly and me.

"We saw your faces while the other girl was talking to you. Neither of you looked pleased and Ciara had her hand on her gun. We have all been watching you. Is that human dangerous?" Tyle asked quietly.

I was surprised to find I had a hand laying over my weapon. It had been an automatic response and had evidently alarmed the men in the hall. The Great Harmonious Spirit had them very alert right now.

Vesa and her friends were standing and talking, but every man around them seemed to be watching them closely. If those former slaves were somehow dangerous the men would be ready. However, I didn't want to see Vesa and her friends beaten to death just because I didn't like them.

"We don't get along, Aryn," I pleaded, trying to relax my features. "She's just an unpleasant human is all."

Tyle's family looked at me and then at Vesa. I'd laid a hand on my weapon. Their instincts told them I wouldn't do that unless I felt threatened and the camp protected it's own. This situation had to be resolved quickly.

"She's nasty," I said directing the comment to Molly, "not dangerous, just mean. We fought before, but I doubt she'd do that now. She's just out of sorts now. I don't like her and she dislikes me. She's hard to get along with."

Molly spoke softly and wouldn't meet Tyle's eyes, but she agreed with me.

"That girl is all talk. She doesn't feel confident enough here to attack anyone. For her it is all about looks and she is trying to look like she understands. None of us have been able to tolerate her attitude," Molly said while staring at the stone at her feet.

Tyle's family was hardly sensitive to human needs, but it was obvious Molly was frightened of them. Had they not been surrounding us, I'm sure she would have attempted to run away.

"Relax, human," Tyle soothed in a low voice, "I am Tyle rescued from the Caras compound. My Brothers and I will not harm you. Ciara is mate bonded family to my Brother's male breeder. We are not like the men you knew from the compound. We know that slavery is wrong. My family and I will not cause you any pain or harm."

Tyle's Brothers all introduced themselves and encouraged Molly to look at them. She did slowly and the boys seemed pleased. They encouraged her progress with gentle words.

"It's been very stressful," Molly said softly. "The girls I am with are so agitated and there are so many men here..."

"Good men," Tyle reassured, "these men from the camp will not harm you. We will teach the men from the mountains and compounds. This is not a place you should have fear. If it is too bad, you can leave. Our women will arrange portals. They have promised this. You are not trapped here."

Molly looked cautiously at Tyle as she spoke. I saw her flinch with every other word, but she was determined to overcome her fear.

"I have a child on this world," she told the Brothers. "I don't want to leave him. There are no offspring from me on Earth. I shall...I must find a way to live here."

The young men looked at Molly for a moment as though having a deep internal conversation. Knowing The Great Spirit it could have been a much larger conversation than even I guessed.

"Stay with us then," Tyle announced and his Brothers all smiled. "We will share our lodgings with you and since we stay near Ciara's family, you can be near Ciara. My Brothers and I will help you learn freedom as you prepare to meet your male offspring again."

Molly's mouth fell open and mine did, too. She stumbled over a few words, but couldn't seem to decide what to say. I saw her hand drift over the closure to the pants she wore and I understood suddenly what she feared they wanted from her.

"Female humans are used to be being used for sex on this planet," I said bluntly, there was really no other way when talking to men controlled by The Great Harmonious Spirit. "Molly might think you want to have sex with her."

Tyle frowned and looked back and forth between us. "We are not old enough to breed, yet. My Brothers and I will not be of age for at least two more turns of the sun. Rhane and his family have discussed it with us. Beside that, you know we would not force sex with anyone, Ciara. Our family creates honorable men."

"She was a slave used for sex and breeding, Tyle," I reminded him gently, as I laid a hand on his arm. "You have to be very clear about what your intentions are."

The young men seemed to accept the answer. All they wanted was to help Molly learn to be free on Pateria. No one shared their lodgings with them right now and she was welcome to join them. They could give her a safe, quiet home. Tyle's family had a strong sense of duty when it came to anyone in the camp.

"You could have a job," Aryn offered hopefully. "We are training with the Healers. It is well known humans are good Healers. Would you like to learn with us or perhaps teach us some of what you know?"

I had to grin at the sentiment. The reputation Rose and I had unwittingly earned humans would hopefully help other former slaves. Having a job did make you feel like part of the camp.

Molly smiled and sat a little straighter. "I was a Healer or at least a Healer's assistant on Earth," she said quietly. "I was what we called a nurse. I used to love my job."

Tyle's family was thrilled and demanded that Molly come with them. They were all Healer's assistants now. There was much to be done here and they could use more help.

"The former slaves?" I asked looking over at the women that still stood as a group, "I was supposed to watch them..."

"Others care for them, now," Tyle told me decisively. "You, now, have this family to watch. We will care for the former slaves. The camp will share the chore."

Molly followed the young family as they made their rounds and I was left with my sleeping boys.