Today’s reading was on the mountains we were currently in. For some odd reason the women had


    different names for things. While the men referred to this range as the blue mountains, the women


    called them the T’aran Mountains.


    Soon I understood why the women had different names. The men’s term harkened back to the way the


    hills reflected blue in certain light. That could happen to many different ranges, though. The men only


    knew the one range, the women knew the whole.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Rose knitted and I read. Every so often she stopped me and quizzed me on the information. When I


    didn’t know the answers we went back and I found them.


    Some of the information wasplex and hard to understand. Other parts were difficult for me to


    remember. Rose made up mnemonics with me and helped me use the tool to get more out of the


    reading. She was a very good teacher.


    We barely noticed as ttering talons announced Tosu’s appearance. Fuji, Rose and I stood silently to


    greet her. She took in the surroundings and walked toward us slowly.


    “You have been reading out loud,“ she said when she reached us.


    “Why is that?”


    “I was not concentrating well, Mistress,” I told her honestly. “Reading to Rose forces me to concentrate


    and not be…distracted. She has been helping me learn.”


    They must have been watching the monitors, I thought or they had the pad’s Listening function turned


    on. Either way it was creepy to be observed like that.


    Compared to Nu-reeh this woman seemed so calm. I just did not trust her to stay that way. The men


    were d it was her, though. Although they’d seen her angry, it was much Less frequent than they’d


    seen Nu-reeh that way.


    “Tell me about what you learned,” she finally said settling before us. I repeated what I remembered to


    her as calmly as I could. In my mind was Christof’s presence encouraging me. Allowing the stress of


    this situation to master me would be dishonorable to the family. I had learned well. My instructions were


    to maintain decorum and do as I was asked.


    Tosu listened carefully and when I was done she coached me. I had missed things she wanted me to


    know and concentrated on things she found irrelevant. She was stern, but I believed more forgiving


    than Nu-reeh would have been.


    As we finished a secondrge woman entered and Rose reached out gripping my hand. It wasn’t Nu-


    reeh or Dinah and I had no idea who it was. Tosu greeted the new woman and told her Rose had be


    assisting me. Apparently, my human friend helped me Learn.


    ninjanovel


    “Do not upset my men when you Learn things,” she barked out focusing on Rose.


    “It is your job to make sure that one,” she pointed to me, “Learns.”


    “Yes, Mistress Canta,” Rose said in a trembling voice.


    It made sense to me now. The tall sinewy woman must own Basin and his Brothers. She reminded me


    of Nu-reeh in a Lot of ways.


    “Swim yourps after the midday meal, humans,” Tosu said indicating the pool.


    “Yes, Mistress,” we all answered.


    The women left with the one named Cantaining about what a ridiculous way to breed this was.


    She seemed like she was trying to convince Tosu that Nu-reeh’s numbers would go up without me. I


    was such a waste.


    “Oh my,” Rose sighed putting a hand over her heart and keeping a death grip on my fingers, “that


    woman terrifies me. How do you stand it, Ciara? You stay so calm when you speak to them. I cannot


    even make a sentence.”


    “I was here before,” I said evasively. “I suppose I am just used to them.”