A Slave to the Servants Ch. 37

Nu-reeh and Dinah both looked too angry for words. I saw the venom start to sprout from their fangs and I felt intense fear. A single drop of that could kill the men. It was a deadly form of attack and it was intended for Tosu.

My campmates saw the women's rage start to boil out of control and they stepped back in unison. Weapons were drawn and the men stood innumerable and ready. Cannons from the armed transports were aimed before the men spoke again.

"You may not stay in our home if you threaten us with death. We have a right to be free and be together. Tosu has a right to heal and help us in the future. We will protect our rights," they said pointedly.

The women's tempers were reigned back in and I saw Nu-reeh's analytical mind start working. She wanted her men back and getting kicked out of here limited her ability to do that. The women both licked the venom away and put on peaceful faces.

"We only wish to help nourish you," Nu-reeh said as sweetly as I'd ever heard her. "My Sister and I have much more we have brought you all."

The men separated and opened the way back to the main entrance. I looked up and down the hall, but they'd already moved Tosu into the infirmary. Now it was just a long passageway dotted with fire pits and lined with men.

"You don't even attempt to protect them," Nu-reeh said cooly, addressing Reed and Hassar who still stood stoically on the stage.

Hassar didn't seem perturbed by the jab.

"They didn't seem to be the ones that needed protecting," she retorted.

My eyebrows raised at the slightly inflammatory comment, but our Administrator was correct. The men had complete control of the situation. In fact, they could have handled many more aggressive women without an issue. There were just so many men and they worked so well together. The women just weren't cohesive like that.

It wasn't like the men had been without their female cohorts, though. I looked up and saw women standing just inside the caves all over above our heads. They had taken Hassar's lead and stayed away, but they had never abandoned their male campmates. The women had merely let the men handle this the way they wanted to.

Several families came forward and grabbed the bags the women had brought and dropped on the floor. It took two men to lift each bag onto a transport. All six bags were flown toward the dining hall.

Nu-reeh and Dinah watched the men and then walked back toward their ship. Several of our transports followed them, partially to watch them and partially to get the food they had brought. The men would not waste the bounty these women had delivered.

I felt The Great Harmonious Spirit shift. Not everyone was necessary to keep a watch on the slaving women. Most of the men were released to go about the jobs they had been doing. A contingent of men was assigned to stay vigilant in case the women tried something.

Quickly as I could I walked back to where Mycah and his Brothers were. They would have gone from calm to wild in an instant and I knew that. With only Rose to watch them, who knew what trouble they could stir up.

Some of the men gave me a look when I returned to the Children's Hall, but no one said anything. The camp was respectful of my rights to do as I wished, even in they didn't understand the incentive. I had to appreciate their silence on the matter of my wandering off.

All in all I had to admit that training the children would not be as difficult as I'd thought. The men who Kept the children had a curriculum and we all loosely followed the same one. As the boys aged the things they did and learned changed, but there was a fairly standard set of things we taught them. The only difference would be who taught the boys.

Rose and I both felt that this was a job we could excel at. Our boys would not suffer from having us as teachers. When we had more dangerous lessons, like the ones outside, there would always be others there to help us protect our families. This was a very workable solution for both of us.

We sat and talked and I didn't notice Basin and his Brothers until they were standing less than five hand spans away. Edas' little family was busy wrestling on the floor. They didn't look up as the men stood and stared at them.

"They are...ours?" Basin asked quietly.

He seemed stunned. I suppose he'd never thought about his family having children. The women had used him and his Brothers frequently while they were at the compound. No one had ever told him there was this outcome, though. Seeing the physical proof of a mating was evidently amazing him.

Rose called the little boys over and the men introduced themselves. Edas and his Brothers didn't feel any particular attachment to the five large men in Basin's family, but they weren't afraid of them either. I saw their confusion when Basin told them they'd be staying with him and his Brothers at night.

"We stay with them," Edas said clearly, pointing at Hyun and his Brothers.

I watched the anger flash in Basin's eyes as he looked up at Hyun. His instincts to care for this family were strong. He and his Brothers had watched my family with Jonathan, apparently they wanted that, too.

"Basin and his Brother are good men and they are going to Keep you," Hyun told the little ones as he stepped closer. "Rose stays with Basin and his Brothers. You will go with them tonight."

Edas and his Brothers liked Rose, a lot. She talked to them and played with them. She'd made them the center of her attention. At lunch she'd given them treats. The idea of leaving with her was very acceptable to the young boys.

Basin and his Brothers knelt and touched the little boys. They straightened their clothing and brushed their hair back. Edas and his Brothers didn't understand, but they wanted to see the weapons Basin's family carried, so the nearness was fine. The big men sat on the floor and let the boys examine their heavy swords, although they kept little fingers away from the sharp edges.

I had to admit watching this was odd. In all the time I'd known Rose and her family, I'd rarely seen her men look surprised and definitely not like this. The big men were sitting on the floor and talking gently to the young boys. They encouraged Edas and his Brothers and answered the simple, childish questions patiently. I would not have guessed they could be like this.

"The camp encourages us to revere the young. They are the future of The Great Spirit," Damien whispered in my ear. "The other men teach us how to treat children. It was part of what we learned while we were separated from you."

I turned to see my family a moment before Mycah and his Brothers saw them. I smiled at the contented faces my men had. They were enjoying watching their boys practice wrestling on the floor. Our little ones were strong and fierce. They would thrive in the world.

I had just a moment to kiss each man hello before the boys were on them. They said their greetings and then they wanted to know where Hodlen and his Brothers were. Mycah's family was watching the door intently for their other family.

"An alien broke Kee's sword with one of those beams," Bane said ruefully shaking his head, it had been a fine strong blade, losing it had been a shame. "They went to see the smiths to check about a replacement. His family will meet us for the evening meal."

The casual comment had my attention and I was able to delve into their memories. The fighting that broke Kee's favorite weapon had been intense. In my opinion, they were lucky they'd only lost a sword to it. My men just grinned at the memory. The battle had been fun and necessary.

I was worried as I looked at them. Without my family, I would feel lost on this world. Something happening to them was unfathomable. Kein shook his head as I received gentle, comforting touches from the whole family.

"You would survive and we would go to The Great Harmonious Spirit," Kein said. "The boys would stay with you and our surviving extended family. We cannot hide from this battle, wife. The aliens would take everything we had if we let them."

He was right, I knew he was. It didn't mean I had to like the danger they put themselves into everyday.

"Better us than them," Christof said gesturing to Mycah's family who was back to wrestling with one another.

We watched as the boys practiced the simple moves Hyun and his Brothers had taught that afternoon. Aiden was very, very good. He'd never suffer in hand to hand combat, even my untrained eyes were sure of that. Jonathan and Rees both seemed to have a slight weight advantage, if they could figure out how to use it. Their human ancestry gave them heavier bones and a smaller stature. They both had a lower center of gravity. My men watched them all with critical eyes, knowing what we would have to do to train them to reach their full potential.

For everything the men had done today, all the excitement and battling, this was more important. The moment they stepped next to Mycah's family, the boys were the focus of their attention. Damien and his Brothers had not realized how good it would feel to be responsible for their young.

The halls were again crowded with men as we moved toward the eating area. I saw huge boxes of something stacked outside the dining hall. Bags the women had brought were also stacked there. Mycah's family tried to climb on them and Damien's family quickly told them no.

"That is our food," Damien said pulling Niah and Mycah back, "it isn't a place to play."

Abram's family was at one end inspecting a bag and they greeted us as we walked by. I noted Rue and his Brothers at another bag and saw Arik's family inspecting a crate further down. Other men I wasn't familiar with were loading the different items onto transports. The bags they loaded were all marked with symbols that meant "checked" or "clean", unmarked items were not touched.

"They tried to poison us?!" I said louder than I meant to.

Rue's family heard me and they all snorted before turning to look at me. My truce with them was tenuous, but my outburst gave them reason to act superior. Usually we were just polite and professional around one another.

"The human that suggested the food may have been tampered with told us this was how wars have been won on your own planet. Don't you know your own history?!" Rue asked in a mocking voice.

Rue kept his voice down, because he was being rude. He knew he was being inappropriate, but he apparently couldn't help himself.

Damien wanted to hit the man for being this way, but settled for just staring angrily. His arms crossed in a gesture I was very familiar with. We didn't want to create more conflict for the Administrators when so much else was going on, best to just walk away. My family would have kept moving, but I was curious.

"I seem to remember Tosu was part of the delivery group," I said defending my surprise. "I can't imagine she would have allowed them to hurt us."

Rue's puffed a little knowing something I hadn't known. The delivery was made by Nu-reeh, but it had been arranged by several groups of slaving women. Tosu seemed to think it possible the other slavers would not tell Nu-reeh what she was delivering, if it were tainted. Had Nu-reeh and Dinah been detained, there would have been no lie when they said the food was good.

Abram's family approached and heard the last of the conversation.

"It all appears to be fine so far," Abram said to Damien. "We'll go through everything and make sure it is safe for the camp. There's been nothing so far we've found that could be harmful. Still, I'm grateful to Rhonda for telling us it could be a risk."

My brow quirked and I realized I didn't know a Rhonda and that it was an Earth name.

"She likes to cook," Abram said gesturing inside. "She is working with our friends now, but she will stay with us as she relearns freedom. The portals seem too dangerous to her, but give her time."

Abram's Brothers agreed that the portals were a danger. None of them felt Rhonda had made a bad decision and they enjoyed her company. It pleased all of them to help her. When the Administrators had asked for their help, the whole family had felt a real sense of pride.

Listening to their conversation I got the impression being allowed to help with a slave's retraining was quite an honor. Personally, I felt Abram and his Brothers were perfect for the job. Their calm friendly demeanors would make anyone feel more relaxed.

"We will teach her freedom and how to survive here. If Rhonda wants contact with her former slavers," Abram said seriously, "it will be done in a controlled environment. All of her needs will be met as she regains her strengths."

I grunted a laugh and looked over to find my family appearing slightly sheepish. The camp knew we'd snuck around together. I guess the Administrators wanted to avoid having that happen again. While I'd enjoyed the absolute lack of structure, things could have ended badly if my men had not been able to change their outlook. This way was safer, to be sure.

Rue and his family had returned to their jobs when it became evident this was just a casual exchange. Damien and his Brothers reigned in the anger as we walked past. Those men were just not worth it. They were perpetually unpleasant. We walked our boys to dinner and just enjoyed the company of the family. There was enough fighting outside for now.

We wove our way to the cafeteria and I was surprised to see Mia standing outside with a group of men. In the shop at the village Mia had always been dressed in simple Paterian ornamentation. Now standing in the camp was a woman in a flowing multicolored gown with intricate designs. This had not been scavenged from the camp and I had no idea where it was from.

I stared at her until she turned and saw me. Mia walked toward me with a regal air and greeted me in a language I did not recognize. I had no idea what to say to her.

Mia had always had a certain confidence, but this was different. She acted like she'd never been a slave. I noted she wasn't with a family. Mia was alone and meeting everyone here on her own.

"I am E'rsan," she said distinctly. "The words I just used are a blessing, one I have thought each time I saw you breeding. I am a high priestess from a planet called Yallen. I was sold as a slave by my enemies."

Bane reminded me to close my mouth with a slight nudge. I was staring unabashedly at Mia...E'rsan. She seemed so different and in such a short time.

"The clothing you have...?" I stammered staring at the gown and the swirling pattern of gold thread all over it.

"I made it with found items," she said simply and her attention wandered to a group of men passing us. She offered them what sounded like another blessing and raised her hand with her fingers twisted in a strange gesture.

I thought back to the transport with the scared women and the room I'd been in just this morning. E'rsan had been in none of those places.

"Have you been here this whole time?" I asked.

"I was taken to another camp," E'rsan said waving her fingers as though casting a spell and murmuring a greeting to another group. "I wish to travel this world before I leave it. I must leave my blessing, so this world is not cursed by the ill thoughts I have had."

I wasn't sure what a high priestess of Yallen could do with ill thoughts, but she must think they were powerful. E'rsan's large oval eyes told me the sincerity of her words. She really believed she could hurt us.

"How did you get here?" Damien asked, clearly confused. The next closest camp was a three day transport ride away.

E'rsan turned to look at the lead Brother with a subtle grin. A moment later we were looking at the space she'd been in; it was empty. E'rsan was down the hall, almost out of sight, a moment later she was back in front of us. She moved like the wind.

"Slavery kept all of us from our true potential..." Kein said in awe.

E'rsan did not join us for the meal, she flitted about the camp and I heard she left later, traveling to the next camp as the second moon rose.

Life in the camp got stranger and stranger over the next several day cycles. Women, slaving women, appeared regularly. Some would bring gifts, some just demanded entrance; the camp didn't deny any of them. One group tried to grab some men doing patrols. The pathetic attempt was stopped quickly and the women reprimanded by Hassar. Considering the hold those women had prior, their lack of power now was shocking.

The formerly feared slavers were treated like they were a nuisance. Damien confidently informed me they were no danger to the men. The aliens were our main concern and the members of the camp worked hard to remove them from what we considered "our" territory. The slaving women were at this point nearly ignored, which I continued to find odd.

The main concern most all Paterians had revolved around the ore. Now that we were living openly, the men's opinions could be advertised. Kana had been right about how the free men viewed the sale of the ore. They'd had to stifle their objections to stay hidden. We weren't hiding now, though.

The free men were vocal and persistent. Women from the camps seemed to share this mindset. It didn't look like the sales would continue and that infuriated the slaving women.

Many of the slaving women had based their life's success on how much they earned from sale of the ore. Not that the proceeds had any worth or use, it was just a measure of how good a miner you were. The idea of stopping the sale was a big change for the women.

There were debates and talks amongst the various camps. Meetings that took place all over the planet indicated the same thing. Free Paterians didn't like the idea of selling the ore off the planet. That ore represented Paterian flesh and blood, or it had at some point. Selling it to aliens was offensive and had to stop.

I knew what it would mean and so did everyone else. We'd defeated the aliens that had come. All we were doing now was cleaning up the stragglers. If the ore stopped moving, the aliens would come back and in greater numbers. Any group that used the portals regularly would suffer the loss of Paterian ore. Our battle was far from over if this decision became planet wide and enforced.

Still, there was a more pressing threat at hand, in my opinion.

The slaving women continued to appear and it was obvious they were evaluating the camp's defenses. I wasn't stupid and I saw the looks they tried to so hard to conceal. Of course, some of the women relented and began to change their thinking, but not all of them. Many seemed to be waiting to take their men back.

Rose and I fretted about it, but the men were unconcerned. That didn't stop us from talking to one another about it at length and repeatedly. The two of us even talked to other women about it. None of us made any headway.

"The slaving women are going to try to take men," Rose said to me one day as we watched our boys run laps inside. "I know they are. You've seen the way they look at the men..."

Both our families found our concern unfathomable. They had linked up with The Spirit enough times that they shared the collective opinion. The slaving women would change their ways and join The Spirit. That was the accepted dogma.

"Tosu agrees with us," I told her quietly keeping my eyes on my young family.

I'd been to see Tosu on many occasions. We sat and talked as she rested in the infirmary. Her wing was healing very slowly and her leg had started to heal wrong. Those issues were keeping her in the sick area.

She would have preferred to be outside, but appreciated the help the camp offered her.

"I have cousins to talk to," she would tell me gesturing to Asper on the warm slab beside her.

Asper never spoke to me and only watched my interactions with Tosu. She usually lay there and stared at the ceiling when I came to visit. It seemed she was paying attention to everything. I was sure she was building to her final decision.