I recognized the men that were my fake Masters. They Lay listlessly on pallets beside one another.


    They reeked and weren’t moving.


    Master Kein approached the men and waved a hand in front of their open eyes. The men on the pallets


    didn’t seem to notice him. They justy silently, staring straight ahead.


    It wasn’t safe to talk here, so the internal conversation took over. We weren’t friends with these men.


    They had been useful, but we were angry at how they had used our Ciara. No one wanted to fix them.


    “Nu-reeh said to,” I said out Loud and Master Damien ced a finger over my lips.


    We didn’t know how to fix their bond. Damien’s family was not a family of Healers, we were Warriors.


    These men were not friends with us, we didn’t know anything about them.


    “I know them,” I told Master Damien and he looked harshly at me, “and I know they need to be cleaned


    up.”


    Master Evan was irritated with my persistence. None of us knew how to fix someone else’s bond. Had


    it been friends we would try, but these men were not friends.


    “She said to,” I argued out loud and Master Evan stared hard at me.


    If I couldn’t learn to agree, they had stronger ways to teach me, but I wouldn’t let minor pain dissuade


    me. I was fairly certain Nu-reeh was capable of much worse. The men needed to be cleaned up. We


    could figure out how to fix them next.


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    Master Evan stalked up and got right in my face.


    Ang’s Library


    “We do not know how to fix them,” he whispered. “We cannot do it.”


    Resolve not to be punished by Nu-reeh steeled my faltering determination and I stepped closer to him.


    “I say we can.”


    We stood toe to toe staring at one another for several moments.


    “Is it a wager?” Master Bane whispered, now we had his attentionpletely.


    “I say Ciara wins,” Christof said.


    Master Kein took Master Evan’s side as did Master Damien. Master Bane stood undecided for a


    moment looking between Master Evan and me. Master Bane loved an underdog, it was more


    interesting when they won the wager. He bet on me.


    “They need clean pallets and we need to wash them,” I insisted.


    Fine, was the internal consent. We would do what I said, if only to prove how mistaken I was.


    Master Evan went to find water and rags to clean them. Master Bane left to get fresh pallets. I stood


    staring at the five men in front of me. Master Evan silently gloated as I pondered how to help them. I


    wasn’t sure how to do this.


    My men had gotten better when I forced them to gather around me. They loved me and wanted to stay


    with me. I wondered what these men Loved and would rally around.


    Master Evan returned and we started to work. We stripped them of their ruined clothes and bathed


    them. Master Bane returned with fresh ces toy and we started to move them.


    “Where is their transport?” I asked Master Damien as we washed the men.


    He Looked at me questioningly for a moment. “In thepound, probably. I imagine the women went


    and got them and carried them back.”