“Why do you make tears, Ciara?” Master Damien asked. miss my family, my mother and my uncles,“ I


    told him honestly.


    “They did not make you happy when you were there, Ciara,” Master Kein said. “I do not understand


    why you miss them.”


    “How do you know that?” I sniffled.


    I’d never told Master Kein about my family.


    “We share what we know with one another. You have spoken to both Christof and Damien. You told my


    brothers they beat you and did not feed you. They often left you no good ce to sleep. How is it you


    miss these other humans?” he asked.


    It was a hard concept to try to exin to him, but I did the best I could. As a group we talked a Long


    time about family. Surprisingly, it was an interesting discussion and distracted me from being sad.


    When the sun started to set the men dressed me back in my dull brown outfit. I stood silently watching


    the sun set over the horizon as we waited for the transport pad. The sun setting over the water was


    beautiful, but the men didn’t seem to notice. I chuckled a little at that, when did men ever notice things


    Like a sunset?


    ninjanovel


    Master Evan pulled the head covering off of me and watched my face. My smile faded quickly. I hadn’t


    meant to get their attention.


    “What’s so funny?” Master Kein asked from my other side.


    I rambled out an answer that sort of made sense, “The sun setting is pretty and you didn’t notice. Men


    from Earth never notice things like that either and I wasughing because you don’t watch things like


    that.”


    “We have seen the sunset many times, Ciara,” Master Damien said, “almost every day, actually. It is


    hard to miss.”


    “Yes, Master Damien,” I answered quietly as Master Evan reced my hood.


    I still disagreed with Master Damien, but I wasn’t stupid enough to tell him. It’s one thing to see


    something, it’s another thing entirely to appreciate it. They didn’t seem to get esoteric ideas like that.


    After trying to exin feelings to them, I figured I’d leave that discussion for another day.


    As we rode back to the Warrior’spound I watched the scenery. This really was an amazing.


    It was harsh and the Landscape was certainly unforgiving, but it had a certain beauty. I would dly


    experience it, as long as I wasn’t left naked and to fend for myself.


    A nudge at my mittened hand surprised me. Master Damien wrapped my hand in his as he looked out


    over the Land. On the other side Master Bane did the same thing. We rode back to thepound Like


    that and I wasn’t really sure what to think about it.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    A huge sign etched into rock suddenly got my attention. I had not seen it on the way to the inlet. It was


    an arrow, actually two arrows with a symbol carved in the rock between them. We were going in the


    direction on the arrows.


    I craned my neck to watch the sign as we flew past it. Master Damien noticed my attention and leaned


    close to me.


    “You saw the travel sign?” he asked and I nodded.


    “Signs Like that tell men that travel these routes that they are protected by Warriors from our


    compound. It also reminds them the correct direction to thepound,” he said.


    I wasn’t sure I should speak in my brown outfit, so I just nodded again and Master Damien Looked


    away.


    I wondered what type of men would travel to thepound. Perhaps traveling salesmen I thought, but


    I could not be sure.


    When we got back home the men undressed me and we walked down to the bathhouse. I walked


    confidently into the water and cleaned Master Damien like I was supposed to. He made me go


    underwater to wash his feet and I didn’t have any trouble with it.