“Where are they?” I asked the man, starting to panic. “Did you take Damien’s family and Basin’s family


    or just us? Didn’t my female offspring send someone for Rose’s family and mine?”


    “The vers,” Thom spat out, “were offered safety in our camp. They are being transported separately.


    Hannah and Kennedy are well respected or such a request would never have been honored.”


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    I stared at the man in the dim half light of the tunnels. He had referred to our men as “vers” and I


    had that sinking feeling again Free men would view men like Damien and his Brothers as no better


    than the women.


    “I am free with Damien and his Brothers,” I said quickly taking a step toward Thom.


    Ang’s Library


    “They said I was not a ve and made me family one night ‘long ago-“


    Thom snorted and his eyes shed, “They told you this? They told you one day you were family to


    them?’


    “Yes,” I said eagerly nodding my head, “they said I was family and not a ve. Damien and his


    Brothers decided on their own that very was wrong. I asked to be free and they made me family.”


    “That was their decision, was it?” Thom asked lowering his voice and sounding slightly menacing.


    “They told you what you would be and you epted it. It doesn’t sound to me as though it was a real


    choice.”


    I was startled by the statement and stared nkly at him. Thom just continued to speak, “You cannot


    make someone family, Rachel. Family between men and women is a choice. I don’t think you ever had


    the option of choosing another family. You were told where you belonged. This is no different from


    very.”


    The man’s words cut deep for some reason. Probably because there was a measure of truth in them. It


    wasn’t Like I had been offered the choice of Damien’s family, it was just the only option.


    “Drink, Ruth,” Thom said, “it is still a Long ride to our destination.”


    It took a several tries for Rose to finally Lift the canteen to her lips and take a tentative sip, then a


    couple of gulps. She Looked amazed as she handed me back the container. This had been a first on


    this for her.


    My friend and I rode hand in hand, silently for the most part. I wasn’t sure what to say. Freedom from


    Nu-reeh had been such an overriding goal, I hadn’t stopped to think what problems may lie ahead.


    It never had urred to me that my men would be judged harshly by their peers.


    The air was bitingly cold on my face when Light suddenly shone ahead of us. We passed out our


    narrow passage into a Larger cave. There appeared to be a t, ckke with arge circr ind


    in the middle. A series of big camp fires lit the ind and surrounding area. In the dim Light I could see


    small openings all around theke. It was like a hub with spokes running off from it.


    On the beach were several transports Like ours. I saw men milling around passing in and out of the


    Light.


    “We lost this bet, Brother,” one of the men on my transportughed.


    “They beat us.”


    Our transport came to rest next to another and settled down the with a slight crunch on the ground.


    Men were everywhere. The noisy engine cut off and men approached us talking happily to their friends.


    Looking to the side, the other transport that had been traveling behind us also came to rest on the


    beach. I could see the Lump that was Fujiying very still.


    Men approached and one leapt onto the other transport to examine my friend.


    “You bound a freed ve? Cousins, what were you thinking!?” the man’s voice asked angry and


    incredulous.


    Rose and I rushed toward the voice and Fuji. Shey listlessly on the transport as the man pulled off


    her bindings. The man undoing the ropes cursed our rescuers severely for their ipetence. His


    hands on Fuji were gentle as he removed the ropes, though. He seemed intent not to harm her.