We got in the water and I started to rub down Damien. He was tense and not loosening under my


    hands. Finally I walked around the little bench he was on and Looked questioningly into his face.


    “What’s wrong?” I asked softly touching a bruise on his chin.


    He hadn’t Looked injured from the fighting, but perhaps he was in pain. Not that being in pain had ever


    affected him before. Damien just seemed disgruntled.


    “The General could have asked our reasoning,” he said tightly. “The other men should know what they


    think is wrong. No one will ask us about our choice now. It will make it more difficult to make the men


    see reason.”


    I stood shocked and staring at Damien. Their desire for me to not look like a ve was intended to


    garner attention. Damien wanted to show the other men a new way to think. He wanted to guide them.


    “You are a General, aren’t you?” I sighed sitting on hisp.


    Ang’s Library


    “Nu-reeh was correct.”


    My statement infuriated him and his stripes darkened. Christof understood what I meant. He exined


    it was very much like Damien to want to mentor the other men. Damien did a fine job leading his own


    family.


    “Was that what you intended to say?” Damien asked me as I pulled the cloth across his chest.


    I answered affirmatively and continued to bathe him. The answer seemed to console him for the time


    being.


    We moved upstairs and the men dressed in their linen shifts and put mine on me. I realized, that I had


    been wearing it for days without noticing. We didn’t have clothing for me in the mountains. Not like the


    light cloth would have been warm enough anyway. The ornamentation I wore up there was necessary


    for myfort.


    I thought of the mountains and my daughters. The dangers Hannah had discussed terrified me and I


    worried for Kennedy. She was leaner than Hannah, but heavier. We’d discussed it and it seemed the


    human bone structure was actually heavier than the Paterian. Kennedy was fast on the ground and


    slower in the air. I fretted over her.


    I sat staring into the fire after dinner and was surprised when a knock sounded at the door. Basin


    entered with his family and Rose. She came right to me and Looked into my eyes.


    “I have seen many humans broken by this,” Rose said with great authority Looking over my


    shoulder.


    “The ones that survive seem to stay active. I have given this much thought. Ciara must be kept very


    active in mind and body.”


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    It was back, I realized. My face felt ck and I had no memories of what we’d done for dinner. I was


    slipping in and out of some weird depression.


    “You could have just asked me,” I said suddenly furious at them for calling Rose.


    “Every time I seem off you don’t have to go call HER.”


    I stood up and paced the room. Rose was such a damned know it all. A free, know it all my inner voice


    reminded me. She was not a ve to anyone. She couldn’t breed, so the women did not care about her


    and her men considered her family. It would’ve felt good to have just pulled back and slugged her.


    The violence in my own thoughts shocked me and I unclenched my hands. I became aware of the two


    families watching me and felt embarrassed. Unbidden a tear crested my eye and I fell apart.


    Christof caught me before I crumpled to the ground. I sobbed in his arms as he carried me to a chair.


    We sat together as the conversation Wrapped around us.


    Rose told them this sort of thing had happened often at the Keepers. The ves would hide it and


    comfort their own. The depression could be manifested with anger, sadness, acting out, or drawing in


    as I had been doing. She had seen it on Earth and she had seen it here. It was something that


    happened to humans