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Master Damien fed me throughout, but made our lunch into a training session. It was fun like

Christof and I used to have. He laughed heartily at my approximation of a Warrior, but helped me

get a little better at the fundamentals.

At one point he handed me the bowl and told me to feed myself while I watched him. I ate heartily

and watched him demonstrate some of their moves. He made a really impressive site.

When lunch was over he walked me back to the compound along the sheltered trail. I was

absolutely stunned when he reached down and took my hand. Suddenly he stopped and looked

down at me. His other hand cupped my face in a gentle gesture.

"We were very unhappy when you were in the village, Ciara. It bothered us a great deal, more than

we thought it would," he told me looking uncomfortable.

"It was awful, Master Damien. I won't do that again. I promise I wasn't trying to escape,” I pleaded

my case again.

Master Damien chuckled softly and pressed our lips together. It wasn't a short peck, which I had

expected. He nibbled my bottom lip and teased my mouth open with his tongue. My legs felt weak

as he expertly kissed me senseless in the middle of the forest. Despite my shock, I responded in

kind.

Breaking the kiss he pulled my ear to his mouth and breathed heavy for a moment, as though

composing his thoughts. "We miss this,” he said finally, "when you are not here. This is important to

us."

I was confused as he hugged me close. Master Damien had never come into the forest with me,

only Master Christof had. They were bonded now, though, I suddenly realized. Whatever that

strange attachment was, it must affect all of them.

Hugging Master Damien, I whispered words of love to him. It was what I would have done with

Christof. He responded and it floored me.

"So soft, so sweet, and so curious,” he murmured into my ear, "you are so important to us. You must

not leave us like that again.”

It was a generous sentiment; a personal and heartfelt plea. I never expected to hear something like

that from Master Damien. Pulling back I looked deeply into his eyes and he smiled ruffling my hair.

"Come," he commanded, back in the no nonsense tone I anticipated, "you must get back, so I can

be on time to my post.”

In the afternoon I sat with Rose and Fuji on the beach. There was a new grate that rose above the

water line protecting the inlet. Despite the added barrier, a chain was attached to my collar.

The new Keepers informed me I could swim all the way to the grate, but no farther. My lead was

attached to a metal ring sunk into the sand right by the water line. When I sat on the beach it kind

of made me a trip hazard.

I didn't really care about the chain, though. The water scared me; I didn't want to go into it today. I

told Rose that and she looked concerned.

"Your Warriors will be upset to know you fear something,” she said seriously. "They do not wish us

to be fearful creatures. They like us to have a little bit of attitude, even if it means occasional

punishment. They will not be happy if they know you fear water now."

I nodded to her and quickly changed the subject. "What happened to the old Keepers?" I asked

Rose instead.

"When you didn't surface at the bell one of them went to look for you. He came out of the water

screaming for his brothers. He had seen the hole in the grate and you weren't on the bottom inside

the cove. They thought something had come in and gotten you," she said shaking her head.

Fuji continued the story, "They had a transport pad at the compound. They just ignored us and

gathered up their things. Before the Warriors got here, they were gone. We got our kneeling places

and waited for our owners.”

"The Warriors showed up angry and yours already knew you were not here,” Rose said shaking her

head. "We told our owners what the Keepers had done and they were furious.”

Fuji continued the story, "Your owners must have known you were gone long before they got here.

A water transport arrived and they paid the man to take them to find you. We didn't know what

happened once your owners left until you told us.”

Rose interrupted her, "When the other Warriors realized which way you had gone it turned into a

hunt; lots of them joined the search.”

"That was nice of them," I mused.

"No, it wasn't nice," corrected Rose. "Whoever found you got to keep you or sell you, whatever they

wanted. You were a run away slave, your owners had no rights to you until they found you.”

I shivered and stared at my friends. This could have ended up much worse for me.

Rose and Fuji drifted off to a game being played on the beach. I was tired, so I lay down in the sand.

I liked the noises of the water, but I had not inclination to go into it. Eventually the Keepers woke

me and I walked back to the compound.

My owners came and picked me up as usual. I was still a little sleepy. Master Evan absently flicked

some sand off of my shoulder as he commented, "Your hair is dry."

"Yes, Master Evan,” I answered.

"Did you swim?" Master Bane asked.

"No, Master Bane.”

"Why not?" Master Christof asked curiously.

"I didn’t want to, Master Christof,” I said looking at my feet.

Nothing else was said until we arrived at our dwelling. I followed my owners obediently off the pad

and waited inside. They stripped off my little covering and took out my plug before we went down

to the bathhouse.

As we walked downstairs I started to think about that deep pool of water. It was always so busy. It

would be easy to miss a body floating at the bottom. My hands started to shake and I held them

together to make it stop.