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38

Once we were home the men all stripped down. I was placed in the bed between Master Kein and

Master Bane. I just managed to thank them for not letting Andre touch me before they fell asleep.

I stared at the out the window for a long while just thinking. The main moon here had rings around

it. I watched it making a lazy perusal of the sky. I was curious about Andre, worried about their

bond, and more worried about dancing for them. They were my owners, not my lovers, but I

desperately wanted to please them.

At the Keepers the next day I was in a tizzy. My owners had seen me do everything, literally.

Somehow the idea of dancing seductively for them had me really nervous though. I paced while

Rose and Fuji laughed at me.

"What if they think I look stupid?” I asked plaintively.

"You look beautiful when you dance Ciara, your owners will love it. Now stop pacing. Please tell me,

what are you wearing that smells so wonderful?" Rose asked.

"I do like the smell also," Fuji commented pressing her cool face against my neck.

Touching my neck I remembered the stuff Master Damien had put there. I still smelled it, too. It did

smell really good. I'd never known perfume to last that long.

"My owners put something on my neck after they bathed me,” I shrugged, "I don't know what it

was."

"Well, you're very lucky," said Rose. "Perfume is really expensive here. It lasts for a long time at least.

My owners put some on me when I've made them really happy. What did you do to make them so

happy with you?" she asked knowingly.

I groaned and told her. Both women were thrilled to hear the bond was being fixed. They said their

owners had been concerned about Master Damien and his brothers for a long while. Feeling like a

big mouth I begged them again not to tell their owners what was going on.

"Ciara," Fuji said looking confused, "my owners already know the bond is being repaired. The way

your Warriors fought with Andre and his brothers last night proved it. They haven't worked together

like that in a long time. Everyone noticed, it's not a secret.”

I felt better knowing I wasn't spreading rumors around. We practiced dancing the rest of the

morning. I worked on my belly rolls until my stomach was tired. Despite the humor my friends

exuded I was still really nervous about tonight.

When the lunch bell rang I was hungry. My little resting place was in the main dining room. I waited

patiently expecting anyone but Christof. I was surprised when he took a seat in front of me. He fed

me and talked to other Warriors around us.

As per normal, I was full quickly. I took the bites from him slower and slower.

"Ciara," he whispered in my ear, "no games today. Eat what I have for you or I will ask the Keepers to

help me feed you," he threatened.

I looked up at him and didn't see the look of my friend. His face had no humor in it at all, he was

seriously irked.

"Yes, Christof," I said dejectedly.

"Address me as you address my brothers, Ciara," he warned into my ear.

"Yes, Master Christof," I responded feeling even more depressed

I assumed that Master Damien had gotten on him. There was no other excuse for his behavior.

Eventually it would be nice if we could be friends again.

I didn't stay on the beach with my friends after the mid day meal. I quietly swam out the little grate

and explored. I noticed the current had changed a little, it was stripping off vegetation higher up the

wall. Careful to stay above it, I explored until the Keepers brought us in.

Out of the water I was nervous about my evening again. The girls tried to comfort me on the way to

the Keeper's courtyard. I knelt down waiting anxiously on my pad for my owners.

They would hate my dancing; I was sure of it. In my head I could hear them laughing at me and

begging me never to dance again.

I was sure they were all very well coordinated, they had to be to be Warriors. I had never been

accused of having that ability. Tonight would just display for the world how much less than them I

was.

Another horrible thought tormented me, what if they didn't want a slave with no talent. Master

Christof wouldn't stick up for me anymore, so I'd be sold.

"CIARA!" Master Evan boomed standing right in front of me.

I bounced up and nearly ran into Master Bane who had been leaning over behind me.

"Have you lost the ability to hear?" he asked sounding exasperated.

"It still has ears, brother,” Master Bane laughed, "I checked.”

Master Evan continued to glare at me until Master Kein patted him on the back, "It looks contrite

and quite afraid of you. Do not be cruel, brother."

Master Evan put a hand on either side of my face and kissed my forehead, which was an extremely

weird gesture for him. In all the time I'd known him he'd never kissed me like that. "Please pay

attention when we're speaking to you, Ciara," he said pleadingly.

"Yes, Master Evan. I'm sorry," I apologized.

We didn't go home first today. Master Damien had the transport pad drop us off at the bathhouse.

The men stripped themselves and then undressed me hurriedly. I bathed Master Damien, as normal,

but the rest of the men washed themselves. They had gathered their things and we were back in our

apartment before I could blink.

Right away I noticed a difference. There were more chairs in the sitting area and the table in the

eating area was expanded. My stomach fluttered with apprehension as I noted the chairs in the

sitting room arranged around an open area. Obviously that was where they expected me to dance.

"Will that be enough room Ciara?" Master Damien asked when he caught me staring at it.

I nodded mutely and he laughed at me. They were all in a wonderful mood. It was like they were

looking forward to this. I wished I could have shared their anticipation.

When they got redressed I asked them if I could wear something specific. They dressed me as I

requested. I asked them to tie a piece of fabric around my waist in addition to my panels.

When mom and I had taken the class we always wore what they called a hip scarf. The one I had at

home had coins on it that shook when I danced. I was so nervous I told my owners all about it.

I described the outfits the belly dancers wore in detail, right down to the finger cymbals or zills.

Nobody stopped me from talking; it seemed I was already entertaining them. Master Bane even

asked about why I did this dance at home. They found the entire story interesting.

The food arrived in volumes right before Fuji and her owners did. The men greeted each other

heartily and sat down to feast. I thought I'd be too nervous to eat, but the dinner was really good.

Master Damien and Master Evan fed me, but it was all from their plates. No bowls of worms were to

be seen on the table. If dancing meant no worms I had to think it was a good thing.

After dinner the men sat and talked. Fuji's owners obviously didn't know the "campaign" against the

women was a farce, because they wanted to discuss it. My owners debated strategy with them and

never let on. I wondered if that was hard for them to know the truth and have to lie about it. I

certainly wouldn't have enjoyed it.

Fuji and I kneeled in front of one another. She had specific songs she wanted me to play for her and

we had already discussed that. Again, she made me repeat them until she was positive I

remembered. Fuji knew I was nervous and she also knew humans forgot things when they got

nervous.

When the men got quiet I jumped behind the little drums Fuji had brought. Master Damien raised

an eyebrow at me, but didn't say anything. Fuji quickly placed our kneeling pads in front of our

respective owners. I thought that was an odd gesture. Fuji's owners called her to start dancing,

which she did with flourish.

I played the songs she had asked me to, in the order I was supposed to play them. It felt a little like

being back at a music competition. The exact same feelings were all there. All that time in band had

paid off, my brain was hard wired for music. This part of the evening I knew I wouldn't screw up.

Fuji writhed and dipped, doing the traditional dances of her people. She swung her hips and her

hair wildly. I relaxed as I played, I was used to watching Fuji dance.

My owners were not used to watching a female dance. They looked at her with mouthes agape as

she twisted and spun. Her knees went both forward and back, so she got herself in some positions I

never would be able to.

Once she had finished she kneeled on a pad in front of her owners. Apparently that was how I

should finish, I noted to myself.

Our owners let her rest for a moment and talked between themselves. I was right, Master Damien

and his brothers had never seen anyone dance. They were enthralled with Fuji's movements.