A Slave to the Servants Ch. 29

"Halil?" he finally asked quietly.

"Gone for now," I whispered, "you are here with your Brother."

Mentioning Jonathan distracted the boy and he grinned at his new playmate. I sat them on the cushions together and they seemed happy. The rest of the room didn't exist as far as they were concerned.

Jonathan seemed weaker and more tired than he had when we got here. He sat with Aiden on the cushion next to me and played calmly with the toys. Mysonwas usually wild, Aiden's condition was slowing them both down.

I sat with the two boys for the remainder of the day. Food was brought for me and I fed the boys whenever they wanted. New little ones arrived throughout the afternoon. My two boys didn't pay any attention to the other children for the most part. They just sat and attended to one another.

Tosu approached late in the afternoon and crouched beside us.

"They still feed from the breast, so they will stay with you. If their other Brothers come the women may force you to stay in this area with us," she said stroking Aiden's head. "Their Brothers may be so young their mothers will not bring them yet. If that is so, we will have another gathering like this one in another lunar cycle."

Tosu guided me and we walked back toward the incline. Jonathan walked with me, but Aiden had to be carried by Tosu. He didn't want to leave the great hall we'd been in, though.

"Halil?" he continued to question Tosu.

"Your Brother is here," Tosu told him softly. "Halil has gone to The Great Harmonious Spirit. She brought you to your Brother."

The answer did not satisfy the little boy completely, but it moved his focus to Jonathan.

"He calls her by her name," I said absently as we approached the incline.

Tosu laughed lightly. "The answer I wish to give you is 'Of course he does', but I understand you humans have titles for your male and female breeders. Nu-reeh was quite surprised when Hannah referred to you asMama.She thought your name had been changed."

"On Earth, it's what they would have called me," I said picking up Jonathan.

I propped Jonathan on my hip. He was usually rambunctious and impulsive. I didn't want him jumping off the incline. Aiden's presence calmed him, but I wasn't sure by how much.

"You could go back to Earth," she said quietly and I stopped walking I was so surprised. "It is not impossible. Think about what you want," she finished turning to face me.

My mind swam with the possibility of going home. No more monsters and no more forced breedings. I could go back to school and get training as a teacher.

Jonathan yawned in my arms and stretched, laying his head against my shoulder. "He couldn't go with me," I said sadly watching my boy, neither could Hannah or Kennedy.

My children would be alien monsters on Earth. They didn't look human and could never pass for it. I thought of the movie, "Starman", where the government had hunted down and killed the first ambassador from another civilization. My children could not even claim diplomatic immunity. They'd be poked and prodded and kept in cages. Their freedom would be much more limited than mine was here.

Damien and his Brothers obviously couldn't go either, they would be treated as foreign invaders. If I left, I did so without my family.

"Think on it, Rachel," Tosu said softly. "One day you will be given the option."

Clattering talons announced Dinah had come to help Tosu move me and the two little ones down the incline. I composed my features and allowed myself to be lifted and moved down.

Once we were on the ground Jonathan was curious again. He only got to come out here when Evan showed him the moons. He scrambled out of my arms and walked with us, exploring everything.

The women did not let me walk unescorted to the quarters I shared with my friends and family. Tosu and Dinah walked us all to the cave entrance.

"We will come for you tomorrow," Tosu advised me, "after the little ones have fed after moon set move them out into the room with the pool. We will come for you all after that."

Tosu handed me Aiden and I carried him into the large outer room. Jonathan gripped my skirt and walked beside us. He babbled amicably to Aiden until he saw the pool.

"Mama, 'wim!" he demanded loudly pulling insistently on my outfit.

My men must have heard him and came out to greet us. They stood still when they saw I carried another little boy.

"Baby, it's late and Aiden is tired. Come and have an evening meal. We will swim later," I coaxed.

Jonathan threw a tantrum and sat down on the floor. He screamed and his stripes became dark and prominent. The upset seemed to spur the same emotion in his Brother. The little boy I held started to fuss and wiggle, suddenly finding the energy.

Damien took control when it became apparent what was happening.

"Enough, young ones," he said firmly, "we will eat our meal and then you may play in the water."

The firm male voice soothed both boys and they looked up at the older man expectantly.

Evan followed Damien and picked up a disgruntled Jonathan. "Evidently," he said quietly, "you have much to tell us, Sister."

I was so glad that Jonathan could eat some solid food. He nursed a bit, but was satisfied easily with mashed up things from our plates and messy sips from hisDaddy'scup. Aiden had obviously never eaten solid food and he nursed me dry.

My family was enthralled as I told them about the process of finding Brothers and Halil's death. None of them really remembered finding one another. They had foggy memories of the time before they were together, but their first solid memories were at the Child Keepers.

"It has always been just us, together," Bane said patting Kein's back. "I do not remember a time when you were not with me."

"It has always been us," Christof said looking fondly at his Brothers, "just us, together."

"Except the other," Damien said looking pointedly at Evan, "there is someone else, isn't there?"

I looked curiously around the table and Evan was deep in thought.

"It makes sense now, though," he said suddenly, as he fed Jonathan bits of soft bread he had dipped into his cup. "I have always sensed...another. It is someone important, as important as my Brothers. This one is not near, though, and the sensation fades almost completely sometimes."

Aiden rested in my arms and I placed a gentlekisson his forehead. He was sleepy as I dried a littlemilkfrom the edge of his mouth.

"Your female breeder," I realized out loud.

Of course, Evan had tasted her. He'd fed from her daily for many moons.

"It has been a constant in our lives," Evan said checking Jonathan'sdiaper. "I always have this sense. It is so normal we don't even notice it anymore."

"Your female breeder," Kein mused stretching out his legs, "do you think she feels you?"

The pleasant conversation lasted and I was caught in my internal musing. Would Jonathan always feel me? If we were in the same compound, would he seek me out?

" I wan 'wim,Daddy," Jonathan demanded suddenly standing on Evan's lap.

Aiden had been getting near to sleeping, but his Brother's energy flowed into him. He sat up on my lap and looked at Evan, too.

"Wha 'wim?" he asked.

Jonathan turned and saw the question in his Brother's eyes. He started to explain in simple, childlike terms swimming. Aiden got more and more excited as he talked. The looks between them got more animated as Aiden silently watched a now quiet Jonathan. I got the feeling Jonathan was "showing" Aiden swimming through their bond. Now we had two of them demanding to swim.

When we got to the pool Basin's family and Stayne's family were already there soaking. All the men tried to talk casually as we introduced Aiden to swimming. It was obvious he'd never done this before. The men watched carefully as Aiden tried to do what came so naturally to Jonathan.

"Watch him," one of them would warn when Aiden floundered in the water.

Someone's hands always were there in a moment to keep him afloat. No one in the pool was interested in anything other than the two young ones. For having never beenfathersI found the mens' reactions to children telling. They were markedly protective of the young.

Aiden stayed with us for a full lunar cycle. He asked for Halil and Rynal almost every day. I assumed Rynal was his male breeder and I had no answer to that. I started to tell him what Tosu had said about Halil. The Great Harmonious Spirit had her and he was here with his Brother. I could only assume The Great Harmonious Spirit was God, but it wasn't a religion my men knew anything about.

The only time Aiden had issues was at night. I did not know how the Paterian women slept, but it must have been with their young male offspring at their side. At least, considering how we slept, I assumed that's what Halil had done.

Aiden discovered my hair on the first night. Even with Jonathan he was restless and anxious, wiggling all over the bed. As I lay on my side, he maneuvered up by my head and his hands sunk into my hair. I was woken from a near sleep as he pulled my hair tight against my scalp. Aiden wound the long strands around his little fists and burrowed into it. I heard him sigh and finally settle down.

For the first time all night, Aiden was comfortable. Jonathan lay at my back against his Brother's legs and they finally fell asleep. It felt strange to have my head used as asecurity blanket,but I was exhausted and drifted off myself after a few moments.

It became a pattern and we tried to break Aiden of his habit. He found comfort with his hands wound in my hair at night. I assumed he'd clung to hismother'sfur in the darkness and this sensation was familiar. He just couldn't sleep unless he was wrapped around my head.

After a few days we gave up trying to change him. For being an orphan Aiden was adapting very well. If he needed to sleep that way at night, I would not begrudge him. Evan just used a brush and detangled my hair every morning as I nursed the boys. The solution was simple enough.

It took a moon for the boys teeth to come in. For that one moon they were mine to care for full time. My entire world revolved around their needs and they were absolutely consuming. I wasMamaand they were mine. The time seemed to blur for me and went by much too quickly.

At the next gathering I felt myself tearing apart inside when my boys found their three Brothers the first day. It took all my strength and fortitude not to break down screaming. Jonathan and Aiden seemed thrilled to be playing with these other children. If I acted upset I was sure it would be disconcerting to my young ones and they meant everything to me. I stood stoically and buried my nails into my palms to distract from the mental anguish.

The women watched them during the gathering. They were fierce boys who liked rough play and movement. Nu-reeh commented they would never be content in a shop all day. Despite my weakness, my little boy was a Warrior like his father. That's how he would be raised.

The design for the tattoo was created by a group of women. There was far more information in those marks than even Runen and his brothers understood. A woman finding a lost man would know exactly who he was when she saw his mark.

I watched solemnly as the boys were tattooed. The women took them into a room and distracted them as they marked the children's skin. One Brother at a time received the distinctive tattoo. The pain was spread out, so the little ones barely noticed.

The next step was for the family to choose their colors. This was important, it was a point of pride to decorate their lodgings distinctly. The women knew the men liked this and let it be the boys' choice.

The women had pages and pages of colors. The mothers each picked several colors they liked and pasted the colors to different balls. They sat the balls down and watched the boys.

Jonathan's lead Brother liked a deep red color, but something about the light blue appealed to my son. The other boys had no real opinion. I saw them deciding which ball to play with.

I almost cried when I saw them choose the blue. Oursonhad chosen something like hisfather'scolors. He'd been raised in a room full of blue, no wonder that shade called to him. No matter what happened I was happy he would always be reminded, in a small way, of Evan and his home with us.

After all that was done we all walked into a smaller room. I was to be permitted to be present for this as long as I made no trouble. My tears dripped silently down my face, but I made no sound. Nu-reeh had been clear that she would not tolerate outbursts from me. It was an honor to see my son sold and I should appreciate it.

The sales floor was a place the women gathered and discussed the boys. Nu-reeh and her cousins sold my son and his family as Warriors. They would be raised to be fighters.

Their new owner's name was Trenal and she looked powerful. Tosu informed me quietly she lived in mountains not that far from here. Jonathan's compound would be the one we associated with the red mountains. Not that it mattered, I felt like I would never see mysonagain.

We left the sales floor and walked out to a large opening in the mountain. The boys were all wrapped warmly in coats and matching mittens. I noted that Jonathan's was made of that strange fabric my coat was made of. He would be safe and warm for the trip.

Transports were lined up waiting to take the children. The men driving were all armed and obviously Warriors. Tosu explained the transports took the children most of the way. Trenal would "leave them" with the Child Keepers, once they were close. That is how it was always done.

Looking at the children as they were herded I realized there were so many of them, but still so few.

In my jumbled state even I knew this was not enough children to populate an entire planet. Something was very wrong. The community hospital at home had delivered more children than this in a week.

Jonathan didn't really notice as we parted ways for the last time. He was fascinated with his Brothers. I watched his shiny, blonde head leaving as Trenal walked the boys toward a transport. She carried the lead Brother and the rest just followed obediently.

I wrapped my warm coat around me as I shivered in mental anguish. I wanted to scream and cry, but I could only imagine what that would do to my little boys. Our last meeting should not leave them confused or upset. The image of Jonathan burned into my brain and I swore never to forget him. Sweet, difficult child that he was, I would miss him unbearably.

Only once did Jonathan note he was leaving me. I saw him turn and look toward me with the question on his face.

"Good-bye, my love," I called to him waving with a false smile and fighting for a steady voice, "enjoy being with your Brothers."

He answered me in a jumbled English and Paterian. He did not understand this was good-bye forever and told me he wanted to swim tonight. Jonathan asked ifDaddywould take him and his Brothers to swim.

"Perhaps," I called, my voice finally breaking, as they loaded him on the transport, "it will be a busy night. You have much to do and a long way to travel."

The pull of the new family was too strong. He couldn't stay interested in something they weren't worried about. His attention quickly went back to his lead Brother, who was placed beside him.

The transport was driven by a man and he herded the children to the center. It raised up and began to move forward. Seeing Jonathan leaving me tore my heart, but I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He had never been on a transport and squealed with delight as it moved. My boy took joy in every new experience.

"She is a good woman," Nu-reeh said, "powerful. She and her Sisters own many Administrators. They run their compounds well."

"Thank you, Mistress," I whispered hoarsely as the transport got smaller and smaller in the distance.

I prayed as I watched him. He would be happy and safe now, I hoped. It was all I could do.