As my hands were Lowered from the posts I stifled a scream, moving was unthinkable. I partly walked


    and partly was dragged back down the ramp.


    Hands held me under my arms. I just prayed they wouldn’t touch my back.


    The hands supporting me dropped me into a kneeling position on a pad. I sat there dazed, as the tears


    and snot were cleaned off my face. My whole body was wet with sweat and they also attempted to


    clean some of that.


    I heard Rose’s voice in my mind and I tried to regain someposure through breathing. It worked


    somewhat. The pain was still near unbearable, but at Least I could focus on what was going on around


    me.


    I heard Master Damien call my name and I looked blearily up at him. He was standing several feet


    away looking imposing with his arms crossed.


    All I could think was how grateful I was to him for stopping the General.


    “Yes, Master Damien,” I croaked out. My voice was hoarse and cracked.


    “Come here, Ciara,” he ordered.


    It took a minute to organize my limbs, but with some assistance I got up and took three shaky steps


    toward him. I came to rest in front of him. lere those difficult steps Ciara?” he asked me.


    “No, Master Damien,” I said.


    “Were the nineshes you took to your back difficult?” he asked looking at me pointedly.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    I didn’t have to think about that at all, “Yes, Master Damien.”


    “Next time I tell you toe to me, I suggest you just take the steps toward me and not thesh. Do


    you understand?” he asked.


    “Yes, Master Damien.”


    I knew I’d take theshing again, I’d do it for my friend. There was absolutely no way I was going to tell


    Master Damien that though.


    ninjanovel


    Master Evan Laid my kneeling ce down and I sank back into it. Master Kein put a jug of water to my


    lips and I drank. Other Warriors wandered over and stood talking to my owners. I stayed silent and tried


    to steady my breathing.


    Someonemented it had taken six throws for me to start screaming.


    Several of the Warriors hadid money on when I would start making noise. A lot of them had lost their


    bets. After watching me at the posts they thought I would have cried out sooner. I’d have to give Rose


    credit for that.


    When the Warriors with ves came over the ves knelt in front of me. The ones I knew took my


    hands. We never said anything. Rose came over andid her cheek on mine. She Looked Like she had


    been crying, so I hugged her. We sat like that until her owners took her away.


    The fire in my back had muted somewhat to a dull burn and an ache.


    Absently, I wondered if the marks would scar or if I was bleeding.


    Without thinking I turned my head to look at my back. The movement re-ignited the fire over one side


    and I flinched. ncing at the shoulder I could see thin Lines of blood. Some of the shes had left


    shallow open wounds.


    They had marked me and I would scar. Honestly, I was in too much pain to give it much more thought


    than that. I just stared at the dirt in front of me and tried to escape the pain.