“No one is hurting her and she’s dressed, Masters,” I finally said confused. “She’s not even bound in a


    way that would be painful. I don’t understand.”


    They all stood Looking at me for a moment before Master Christof leaned in and spoke in my ear.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    “That ve would not find being stretched out between the posts ufortable at all. Being covered in


    that smock means its skin is too hideous to be seen. You’ve seen how the flesh glitters in the light,


    correct?”


    I nodded and he understood me.


    “Its owners put that on it to ent its natural glow. On its the only creatures to cover up are ill


    and embarrassed by their skin.


    Its owners are saying it is too hideous to look at. They are putting it out here for us to mock.”


    ninjanovel


    “WiLL you touch her and hurt her?” I whispered.


    “No, that kind does not feel pain the way you do. It would take the de of a knife to make the skin


    suffer and that would leave a permanent scar,” Master Christof told me.


    I watched, with my peripherals as a group walked by andmented how ugly the ve was. The men


    wondered who would im such a horrid thing. They continued to talk until Fuji screamed her master’s


    names, begging them to im her.


    I heard one of Fuji’s owners say to the other men to move on and then he left. Letting my hair fall


    forward I Looked through it and saw her owners sitting in a small tent behind her. They were sipping on


    drinks and talking.


    “Ciara,” Master Damien warned pushing back my hair, “you know you aren’t supposed to do that.”


    “I’m sorry, Master Damien, I just didn’t understand where their voices came from,” I admitted to him.


    “Will you say things to make Fuji upset?” I asked to change the subject.


    “No, we keep this ve, we will not be part of punishing it,” Master Evan said and grabbed my chin so I


    Looked at him. “Do not look at other men, Ciara, only us.”


    “I only want to look at you, Master, I just was curious where the men watched from,” I said beginning to


    fear they would put me up there also.


    “Ciara, when you are curious, ask us and we will tell you,” Master Christof sighed. “Do not do things


    that you know will get you in trouble.”


    “I apologize, Masters,” I said in a pleading voice hoping they would let this go.


    “Follow me, Ciara,” Master Damien said, “and keep your eyes where they belong.”


    Master Damien and his Brothers went to talk to Fuji’s owners. I knelt on a pad in the Little tent and


    waited while they talked. They were discussing the hunt for the men that had been taken. I had never


    been in the mountains, but it sounded really intense.


    As we sat there one of those stupid silver bugs Landed on my thigh. I hated those bugs and swatted at


    it viciously. I struck my thigh with an open palm and left a hand print, but the bug got away. I felt a tickle


    on my arm and thought it was another bug. I swung, but several sets of hands stopped me.


    “Ciara!” Master Damien said pulling me up, “Do not punish yourself! You are forgiven!”


    “We will bind your hands if you continue to strike yourself,” Master Evan threatened. “You cannot be


    injured.”


    “I wasn’t,” I started to say and stopped; they looked upset. “I won’t hit myself anymore, but honestly,


    that kind of a hit won’t cause permanent damage,” I told them. “I was pping at a bug.”


    They stared angrily at the red handprint on my thigh, so I rubbed at it.