Master Christof filled the bathing pool with water and I stepped into it. The warm water swirled against my thighs and I sunk down. I sshed the water up over my shoulders and enjoyed feeling it flowing off. My eyes drifted closed and I rxed in the water.


    Strong hands smoothed over my back and I leaned into them. When a second set ran over my front, I opened my eyes. Everyone had silently entered the bathtub.


    Master Christof took the lead, but they shared the task of bathing me. They also continued to ask questions. It was working, I thought, they seemed to like the new way to look at things.


    Again and again over the next five days, we had simr conversations. They kept wanting topare their position to mine, but I kept pointing out the differences. I insisted they were not ves.


    “So,” Master Bane said on the fourth day, “we are not ves, but we do not wish to be in the mountains. We want to go back to thepound and have our ve back.”


    “I want that, too, Masters,” I told him softly looking down.


    I couldn’t say what I wanted something slightly different. Just like them, I would like to be free. They wanted me back, but as a ve. Some tiny part of me had hoped they would want me as something more, but that was not to be.


    Still, I would make the best of it and take what I could from this strange rtionship. I loved my owners deeply. In their own way, they loved me, although I was certain they didn’t understand it. It was the most I could hope for on this world, so I would take it.


    “I wish you coulde with us in the mountains,” Master Bane said running his hand over my hip.


    I smiled at him, liking the fact they had thought of me.


    “Nu-reeh refused to let us have you near us in the mountains,” Christof told me sadly.


    “She said a ve’s weakness would not be tolerated in the mountains by the women there,” Kein said staring off into space.


    They were getting depressed again and I couldn’t bear it.


    “But we have this,” I said hopefully.


    “Yes,” Damien smiled, his face brightening, “we still have this.”


    My owners consoled themselves and me. They would see that we were able to be together. These stolen days would be repeated as often as they could.


    On the fifth day, I was prepared to go back to thepound. They removed my ornamentation and left me nude before the fire.


    They sat and I knelt in silence for a while as I stared down at the ground. Suddenly I heard Master Bane make a sound. The rest agreed with him and Master Damien spoke to me.


    “You are right, Ciara,” he said sounding pleased. “You always wear our mark. Whether you have a cor or not, you may look at us.”


    I looked up at the men and smiled. My hand drifted to the motif that sat so strange and proud on my stomach. No matter what, I was theirs. It pleased me to know they had finally realized that.


    Unlike my fake Masters, my real Masters did not leave me once I was stripped. They waited with me beside the fire until the other men arrived.


    The men greeted each other and Master Damien gave my fake Masters arge bag of the stones as payment. They talked briefly before I was put back into my green and gold outfit. After I was ornamented entirely, my fake Masters wrapped me in two brownyers. Once all was ready, we loaded on the transport. I snuck ast look at Master Damien and his Brothers; it had to be enough to sustain me for who knew how long.


    We flew home and I stared out over the distance. The men that surrounded me acted like I wasn’t even present. They talked about which women they had liked the most and the ces they would return next time. As they talked, I thought about Master Damien and his Brothers.


    I hoped I had given my owners the right mindset. Perhaps thinking of things a different way would make them happier. If they continued to fight, there were only two oues and neither was good.


    If the men physically fought the women, I feared the women would kill them. The men were obviously weaker. ording to Master Kein the men were also outnumbered. I couldn’t imagine it would be much of a battle.


    The other option I saw also led to death for my Masters. When they got too upset their bond was damaged. The men didn’t do well when they weren’t connected to one another. If they were left unconnected, I feared what would be of them.


    Of course, I wished they could win a fight with the women and have their freedom. Except for Fuji, I didn’t know anyone that wanted to be owned and controlled. Freedom seemed to be the keystone of happiness for the sentient beings I knew.


    Looking at my fake Masters I knew that was true. They lived where and how they were told to live, but they still maintained individuality. Some choices had been taken away, but not all. Binding a creature like either one of us in forced servitude bent our spirit to near breaking.


    Why couldn’t the women see that? I wondered. Why couldn’t Master Damien and his Brothers see that?


    I shook my self from the thoughts. It was not going to happen. I was weak and they were strong. ording to them I could not care for myself. The men believed I needed them. They would never see it the way I did.


    By the time we made it back to thepound I had chased the foolish dreams from my head. Wishing would only depress me, best to focus on the good things I had when I had them. Life would not change just because I wanted it to.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    My fake Masters took me inside their dwelling when we got back to thepound. They stripped me and demanded I clean. They sat at their table and counted out the stones Damien had given them. As I washed the apartment they earmarked each stone for a different endeavor.


    As I worked I made up my mind to count the day cycles this time. I wanted to know what the length of time was between my meetings with my real Masters. I didn’t understand how the different moons turned here and I couldn’t use them to track time. The days I could track, so I decided to do that.