New Beginning, Bound And Chained 2
By: V. L. Marquette
Lightly edited by: Ravyn
(Authors Note) This is a work of fiction, nothing more. Any resemblance
to anyone, alive or dead is purely coincidental. But, honestly folks, this
takes place on another planet. So this little warning is kind of silly don't ya
think?
*****WARNING***** (NO ONE, AND I DO MEAN NO ONE.) Under the age of 18,
or who lives in an area that this sort of material is illegal, should not read
any farther.
CHAPTER 5
Kaj woke to the sound of the Temple bells. She was up at once. The
bells could only mean one thing. The Priestesses had made it back with their
precious cargo. "Come on you three, don't you hear the bells?" She was
fighting to pull her tunic and pants on as quickly as possible.
"I am going to be needed to be seen out there Mistress. Some of these
children they have to be scared near to death." Rook was pulling his clothes on
as fast as Kaj was. "They know me. Of all of my family, Miri and I were seen
most often by the younger ones the ones that were alone and abandoned. We used
to do what we could to get enough food and blankets out to them in the winter."
He looked down. "Miri couldn't go out for fear of being taken like Emily was,
but I would bring as many of them as I could to help her to help them." There
were tears in his dark blue eyes. "Some times we could help them, or at least
for a little while, but mostly." He leaned against her. "I was twelve when I
had my first baby die in my arms."
She held him tight. "It won't happen this time. It wasn't just you and
your twin trying to battle death, but the greatest Healers on this world who
were guided by the Mother to save these children. Now, let's go and see what we
can do about adopting as many as we can for our house."
Caytin touched her arm. "Kaj, are you going to allow the bedwarmers to
adopt as well? This is the only chance they will have at being father's."
Kaj gave him a firm look. "Fertile or bedwarmer, it doesn't matter. If
they are over the age of fifteen, they are considered men in my house, and have
as much right to offer these poor little ones their love as anyone, up to and
including you and I."
Kaj almost ran right into her sister as she stepped out of her door.
"So you heard?"
"Yes, the bell is very distinctive. It is a summons, there is not a
woman in the city that won't hear it." Jerrick was behind her, Steffon as
holding to his arm, Drav was close, and looked very worried.
The women of Kaj's house, the men as well poured out of every door that
led outside. All in a single-minded goal to save as many of the children and
infants that could be saved.
Kaylin met Kaj as she passed her front gate. "Chieftess, I have two
things I need you to see to." The Priestess didn't mix words. The tiny newborn
in her arms mewed softly, not a cry, but not a, happy noise ether. "This little
one, he was born on the return trip. And his mother died. I tried to save
her, but she only asked that I see to her son, I promised that I would see him
placed in the safest place outside of the Temple, and then she asked to die."
She pushed the covers off the infants face, pale skin, silver eyes and hair,
spoke volumes of the child's paternity. "The child was a product of rape. The
poor girl would not kill it in her womb, but after he was born, she had no more
desire to live." She handed the child to Kaj. "You have, or so I have been
told, four of them in your house already. So surely you can see to his care."
Kaj took the infant boy from her. "Thank you Mother. Now you said that
there were two things. Is there another like him, a little half-breed that
needs a home?"
Kaylin shook her head, a look of supreme rage on her face. So very
little phased Kaj's oldest friend that it took her by complete surprise.
"Hand your new son to one of your other consorts Kaj, you will need to
restrain your first." She advised.
Fain took the baby from her, a frightened look on his face. "I have him
Mistress."
A cold knot of fear filled Kaj as she gently took Caytin into her arms.
"Is it Tallin?"
The Priestess shook her head. "No, your son and his mate made it home
safely, but the young guardswoman Finna. She made it in time to stop a while
sale slaughter. And was on her way home when she was attacked. The young woman
did her mother proud, but there were too many for her to win. We found her in
the pits of the castle, barely alive. She, Kaj, I have never seen creatures
like what was attacking her, hurting her. It took all that I had to keep the
young woman from seeking the peace of the Dark Mother." She led them to the
back of a wagon, where Finna lay, not aware of anything around her but, not,
asleep. "She has been like this for the last moon. I would have started to
heal her mind, but I had so many other things to do, than to put the saving of
life aside to work on her."
Caytin pulled at Kaj's hold as the horror flowed from her to him. "I
did this, I might as well have given her to these monsters." He was hysterical.
"No, Cay, look at me." Kaj grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to
look at her. "She is alive. She will be healed. Don't beat yourself my love.
How were we to know? She should have stayed with the troops and not tried to
make it back alone. No blame, I will not allow any to place blame that includes
you."
"But her mother, she is going to want to skin me alive, and I will stand
for it. She was a maid before me. If I had not done what I did, she would not
be like that."
Kaj spun him around to watch the wagons full of the refugees from the
Catimine's roll into her city. "And had you not done what was needed. Those
wagons would not be here. Finna will heal. It is a horrible thing that
happened. But no more horrible than what those four in my house had to live
through. She will heal." She stroked his hair as he wept against her. "Now,
come on love. There are so many of the little ones that need our help. Let
Mother Kaylin see to her." She looked back to Kaylin. "Priestess Just as soon
as the young woman is healed she can see her mother, but not until."
Kaylin nodded.
All around them, adults, women and men alike were trying to coax
frightened children into the light of the full moon.
"Listen to me, love, gather up all that you think you can take on, I am
taking this little one and heading home, It isn't quite summer yet, and the air
is still a bit cool for someone his age." Kaj kissed him as she took her new
son from Fain. "You too green eyes, It is totally up to you how many of these
little ones you think you can see to. Raising the little ones is a man's job
after all. She kissed him on the cheek. "But this one, I think I am going to
be stingy with for a while, he is so very pretty, and his mother is forever gone
from him. So it is to me that goes the honor of seeing to it that he grows up
in a home full of love." She moved off towards the house, where she knew that
there was warmth and a home for this little orphan.
By one's and two's the children were collected, some coming willingly,
others crying as they were picked up. And all around the area of the wagon's a
litany of soft words, promises and assurances of home and love from the men as
they gathered them.
Caytin still feeling bad for what had happened to Finna and his belief
that had he not taken her from a maid to a young woman, she would not be in the
shape she was in looked around. Seeking those he felt would come with him and
be his children if not gladly, at least not with the tears he was hearing from
so many.
He saw two, a little girl and an even smaller boy, huddling together.
Well, it was a place to start. "Hello little ones." He moved to kneel so that
he was nearer their height.
The little boy squealed and threw himself at Caytin. "Da."
The girl looked at him warily, reaching to try to pull the boy back away
from him. "No, Jorry, he's not out daddy." She tried to pull the boy away, but
the little one was having no part of it.
"Da!" Jorry was stubbornly holding onto Caytin.
The girl was near tears. "He's not our daddy Jorry. Our daddy did like
our mommy and left us." She looked up at Caytin. "Please, he don't mean to be
like this."
Caytin just held the boy. "What is your name dear?"
"Tisha."
"And his is Jorry, correct?"
She nodded. "Tell him you aren't his Da. We don't have a Da anymore.
He left us."
Caytin just smiled shaking his head. "If your parents left you, then
that was very bad on their part. But if he wants, if you both want, I can and
will be your papa. I have raised scores of children, daughters and sons alike.
Why is it do you think you were brought here?"
"They didn't tell us. Only to get into the wagon, and that they would
take us somewhere that we would be safe." She looked at him closely. "Are you
safe?"
Caytin met her eyes with his own. "If you are afraid that I will hurt
you or your, brother?" She nodded. "Then put that out of your head Tisha. I
am far safer, than any you have met other than the priestesses that brought you
here. I am a man and real men do not abuse and harm any as little and innocent
as you are. The very thought is bad to me." He was trying to convey meanings
he was very worried were beyond either of these children. "Let me take you
home. Let me be your papa, let me love you. Your new mother is the Chieftess
of this city, like the King. So you all will be special." Actually other than
Rhea and Tallin, there was no rank, but it was something they understood, and
they would finally learn the way of things here later. But for now, he wanted
to get them into a safe place.
Ern walked around not at all sure what to do. He was now a full-fledged
consort, and his mistress had sent him out to get at least one if not more to
raise. He was still having problems accepting his new life, but to be a father.
He wasn't sure if he was going to keep from failing on that task.
A movement from the shadows of one of the wagons caught his attention.
There was someone there, someone small. "Hello," he put on his most friendly
face.
The little shadow pulled back farther into the darkness. "Hey, it's
okay. I am not gonna hurt you. No one here is. You can come on out. I might
not be the greatest father material in the world, but I don't beat up on kids."
The small figure moved slowly forward, not fully coming out of hiding,
but not pulling back so much anymore either. "You're not one of the bad men are
you?" A clear, very feminine voice from the shadows.
'Great, she's a girl. Oh fuck'. He thought to himself. "No, baby, I'm
not one of the bad men. My mistress would have killed me by now if she had
thought I was. So come on out here so I can get a good look at you. We're out
here, gathering up as many as we can take home and adopt. You would like that
wouldn't you?"
She moved towards him, her fingers working on the lacings of her
tattered top. "I won't fight you sir, just don't hurt me."
Ern reached out quickly and stopped her. "No, I don't do that girl. No
man here will." He looked around looking for someone to help him. Eyes
stopping on Caytin who was still talking to two younger kids. "Come on kid, I
have someone I want you to meet." He all but dragged her across the space
between him and Caytin "Caytin, I think, no I know. I need your help here."
Caytin looked up, smiling. "Ah, Ern, she is a very sweet looking little
girl. Your mistress is going to be so pleased."
Ern all but threw the girl at him shaking his head. "No, anyone but me.
I'm sorry Cay, but I can't." He didn't know if the Head Consort would
understand, or if he would be in trouble. "She's been raped, someone had kept
her so that she knows what to do now. Cay, I'm only nineteen. I don't have a
clue what to do for her. Please, master, help her, help me." Ern was near
tears. He knew that he should be able to face the problem and take it on. But
the fact that this little girl had offered her body to him, thinking that that
was what he wanted from her. He had a little sister that couldn't be much older
than this one was. "Please Cay, I got a kid sister that is her age. And when I
look at her, and think of Cally." There were no other words.
The look of irritation on Caytin's face went quickly to compassion then
to outrage. "It's okay Ern. Of course at your age, with a sister as young as
she, when faced with the ugliness that was done to a child such as she. No one
can expect you to be able to take it on." He turned his attention to the girl.
"Hello, precious, Ern here seems to think I am the one best suited to stand as
you papa." He reached out to touch her cheek. "What is your name, or because
of your past few cycles, you no longer remember it?"
The filthy little waif looked up at him a look of, not quite, disgust on
her face. "I'm eight, not stupid. After my daddy and momma died. I, was,
taken by the bad men. But they never could take my name away from me." She
looked very proud of herself. "My name is Kit."
Caytin only allowed himself a brief smile. He knew if he laughed at her
bravado, the odds of the girl taking it wrong were just too high. "Well Kit, I
do believe if I take you home to raise with my mistress, I as your papa, and she
as your momma, this inner strength you have will be nurtured and allowed to
blossom into a strong and confident young woman one day." He looked up at Ern.
"Tisha and Jorry need to be taken to the house and put into the hands of what
ever bedwarmers that are not out here seeking their one chance of fatherhood.
Take my 'new' daughter here to see her momma and then first to a bath, and then
to a hot meal. I believe my Mistress is going to be as impressed with her and
her inner strength as I am." He never once talked to or about the young girl in
any way that was a slight to her self-esteem. He was amazed with all that he
was picking up from her that she was still as strong as she was. And he would
rather loose an arm than take that from her.
Kit looked from Caytin to Ern and then back again. "Please, what are
you going to do to me? The ladies in the blue robes told me that they were
bringing me to where the bad men could never find me. What happens next?"
Caytin dropped to a knee in front of her. Reaching up to cup her chin.
"The priestesses were telling the truth Kit. There are no bad men, or bad
women, for that matter. Here, you have been brought to us to be given a home,
love and a family. And that is exactly what you will get, no more no, less."
He looked up at Ern. "Take her and my other two children and get them home. I
have things I need to do."
Slowly but surely, the children were collected. It was not only Kaj's
house that rushed to aid them, but also every house in the city. By light, all
but a few had been gathered and given a home. The priestesses knew that those
houses outside of the city would collect the few left long before nightfall.
"Steff," Drav's voice was soft in Steffon's ear. "There is a little
girl, standing alone by one of the wagon's. She is very pretty and also looks
very scared. Trinna has instructed us to gather at least one each so she can
help us raise them. Do you wish to go and meet this little one?"
Steffon looked up at the sound of his voice. "I didn't think she had
meant me too. But I guess what with the fact that sooner or later my sight will
be returned to me, yeah. So tell me, what does she look like, not that it
matters any. But I would like to have a good picture in my head."
"She is about as tall as my knee, which would be your upper thigh. I
think, once we get her home and get her a bath. Her hair is going to be blonde.
I have no idea what color her eyes are, Steff. It is too dark." The three men
had taken just a quick moment to agree that for this night, while they were
seeing to seeing what they could do to help give so many families, that there
would be no master or slave.
"How old would you say she is? I am going to have a hard enough time
convincing a little kid to listen to me. But one of the older ones, I will have
to get Jerrick to convince them that just because I am blind, doesn't mean I'm
feeble in the head."
Drav looked the girl over, who was starring back at him and Steffon with
a confused but frightened look. "Two, maybe three at the most. And she is
looking at us in one of those none too sure about this look's"
"If only I could make the little girl understand, I'm all too aware of
that feeling." Steffon held on to Drav's arm as they approached the little
girl.
Drav stopped just a few feet away from the girl. "She's about three or
four feet ahead of us."
"Thanks." He, whispered, under his breath as he gave the small girl the
biggest smile he could muster. Or at least he hoped it was a smile. "Hello
honey. It's a little late for you to be running around out here in the cold.
My Lady told me that she would be momma to any babies I brought home that called
me papa." He figured he was doing this all wrong, but he had no experience in
this sort of thing, just a little over a moon ago, he was still a virgin and
figured he would stay that way for the rest of his life.
But the little girl was too young to consider anything but the key words
in his ramble. He would take her to a place, she would have a momma, she had
never had a momma. And he would be her papa. "Papa?" Her little arms rose,
fingers clasping and un-clasping.
"Steff," Drav whispered in his ear again. "I think the little one wants
you to pick her up."
"Oh, okay." He went to his knee, holding out his arms, hoping that his
new daughter was bright enough to just come on forward. He didn't want to seem
completely helpless, but if he had to have Drav help him to find her, the jig
was going to be up. "That's right honey. I'm your Papa."
Drav watched on as the little girl moved carefully and climbed into
Steffon's arms. "Any thoughts of a name?" He figured with as young as this one
was, if she had had one, it was probably long since forgotten.
Steffon looked up towards where Drav's voice had been. "A name? I
hadn't thought of that." His hand reached out to touch the child's face. He
was going to have to come up with a name for what was now, by Danite law, his
daughter. "Well, I guess, I can always call her what before I came here, I
didn't have."
"And that would be?"
"Hope," he smiled a slightly silly look on his face. "Before coming
here, I was doomed to spend the rest of my life blind, and a virgin, if I was
lucky. Or taken by one of the less reputable brothels if I wasn't. Jerrick was
willing to step in front of me, and protect me when no one else was willing to
see that I was blind and couldn't move as quickly as they wanted. He gave me
hope, and then Trinna. There is not a man alive that is happier than I am. I
have her, I have Jerrick, I have you, and now it would seem I have this little
gift from god as my little girl. So I am naming her Hope."
Jerrick looked up as Drav led Steffon, who had a tiny little girl in his
arms. "So, and who is this one, baby?"
"Hope, Jerrick." He grinned. "Drav was the one that pointed my girl
out to me. She's young enough that the accepting of Trinna and I as her
parents, isn't going to be a hard one."
"Well, she might as well get used to the idea of three papa's. Just
like my boy's here."
"Boy's Jerrick?" There was surprise in his voice.
"Yeah, twin's, they look just alike, so I figure they're identical." He
squeezed the little boy on his knee. "This is Dowan," then he squeezed the
other lad just as tightly. "And his brother Koran. I figure them to be about
two or three, tops."
"They're very pretty Jerrick, you suddenly developing tastes like
Caytin?" Drav joked.
"Look at Steff, hell boy, go take a good look in the mirror soon.
Beginning, nothing, I was never really that interested in little boy's before
coming here, but I often told Mer how damned lucky he was. And I figured what
the hell. I got about another thirteen cycles to come to terms with what is
going to happen. Just do me a favor Drav. Try a little girl. We don't touch
them, thank God."
Drav just laughed. "I'll see what I can do, but the little girls are
beginning to disappear at a surprising rate."
"Then I would suggest you hall your butt out there and see what you can
do about helping one or two of these kids." He turned his attention back on the
two in his arms. "He's going to go out and get you both a little brother or
sister soon, and look. See your pretty, new, little sister that your mamma's
and my second consort found us." Jerrick looked up to where Steffon still
stood. "Baby, why don't you set your girl there down for a minute and come over
here, just follow my voice, the ground is level underneath you." Jerrick looked
at the frightened little girl that held on to Steffon's leg. "It's okay Hope.
You're papa can't see anything right now, so I just didn't want him to stumble
while he was carrying you." He smiled at the little girl. "But don't you worry
none. The nice ladies in the blue robes are going to fix him soon enough, and
until they do, Drav and I will see to helping him take care of you." Jerrick
might never had been a father before, but he had spent most of his adult life
working with boys, some as young as twelve and thirteen. Helping them to learn
to be soldiers, in a war that there was no chance of winning. So he had all the
practice he needed on calming the young.
Drav looked around, trying to find another little one, a child that was
young enough not to know what he was. He was all too aware of how many of the
older children were looking at him in fear. 'Curse my uncle'. Drav wanted to
scream. His whole race had become monsters to these children.
"She's like him." A young male voice full of hate and pain. And the
following cry of pain as a stone was thrown at a small girl. Hair and face were
filthy, but the dirt couldn't cover the silver of her hair or the grace of her
tiny body.
"No!" Drav reacted without thinking and threw himself between the child
and her attackers. "What are you doing? She's just a baby." He held the child
close as he looked up at the boy who had thrown the stone.
The boy threw another stone, hitting Drav on the shoulder. "You're
kind, they killed my papa, took my mum." He was in tears as he threw another
stone, this one striking Drav across the side of the head. "You all should die,
just like my folks did."
Drav looked up with pain filled eyes. "Master!" There was nothing else
he could do, forgetting the agreement that he. Steffon and Jerrick had made.
His arms tightened around the child in his arms. If being stoned were what was
to happen, it would happen. But he was not gong to let anyone else hurt this
little one.
Both Steffon and Jerrick looked up at the panicked voice sounding out in
the night. "Drav!" Steffon tried to get to his feet as fast as he could.
"Hold it, Steff, you sit here with our kids, I'll go take care of this."
Jerrick's voice was tight. There was no place for the pain and fear that he was
hearing in Drav's voice. He swore to himself that if the boy weren't in serious
trouble, he would be soon enough.
What he saw as he came around one of the many wagons made his blood
freeze. Drav and a tiny little girl were huddled in the center of a crowd of
children that were throwing rocks at them. "Here now, what is this?" He
grabbed one of the boy's arms before the child had a chance to throw another
rock. "What the hell do you think you are doing?"
The boy tried to pull away from Jerrick. "They killed my folks, all our
folks." They child was in tears.
"Did Drav, or that little girl hurt you? He held up a hand. "I'm not
talking about his race, boy. But did he or that baby there, did either of them
ever hurt you?"
"No, but their kind, they killed and hurt my folks, all our folks." The
boy was not going to back down. He believed that the thing huddled there with
that little baby was both monsters and needed to die.
Jerrick shook his head. "So, you're telling me that just because it was
some of their people that did the wrong, they should pay for it?"
"Yes," his voice was pure hate. A hate, that, a child his age should
never have to feel.
He nodded. "So, you think that just because some of a race does bad
things, that each and every member of it should die?" The boy nodded. "Then
kid, you shouldn't be alive right now. True, we would have never even dreamed
of committing the crimes that the Ruling members of the Catimine's have, but we
are far from innocent." He let the boy's hand go. "Think on that, all of you.
Think what it would mean, if your parents had committed the grievous sin's that
a small part of the Catimine people did, and the victims expected you to die
along with the guilty, all because you were a member of their family." The boy
broke down into heart wrenching sobs. "It's okay boy. Believe me, I understand
how you feel. I felt the same way just a little over a moon ago, before I got
to know the true story." He squeezed the youth gently. "You see that one,
right there? The one, that, you and your little mob were in the middle of
stoning? He is the true prince of the Catimine's. His uncle invaded his city
twelve cycles ago, and killed off most of the ruling family. So the one's you
should hate, and not really the Calamine's but the Taberon. The Catimine's
broke away from their original race, when the Taberon's began to become
something less than human. And that little girl there, she can't be more than
what six or seven at the most. What possible harm could she have done any of
you? Do you understand me boy? The lot of you were trying to kill an innocent
man, and a little girl that isn't much more than a baby." He dropped to a knee
before the boy. "Am I getting through to you lad?"
"I, I'm sorry." There were tears in his eyes as he sniffled. "I didn't
know. All the Calamine's I ever saw were the ones that were killing and raping
my papa and mum. And after they raped her, they killed her too."
Jerrick's arms tightened around the sobbing boy. "I know. It has to be
a very hard thing for someone your age to live though, but you did. And now, if
it wasn't for the fact that I have my hands full with not only a pair of twins,
but the little ones that my other two consorts are collecting, I would take you
home and show you what a family is again. But you just hold on for a bit, I am
sure that if I can't locate one from my house to come and collect you to be his
and his ladies son, one of the other men from another house will soon enough."
Kerfan grabbed Jerrick's arm as he moved to go help Drav with the child
he had protected. "What in the Mother's name is going on here?"
"Bad memories." Jerrick lay a hand on the boy's shoulder. "This lad,
he has had a lot taken from him, at a very early age, hell all of these kids
have, but his reaction to pain was a little more direct than we had expected.
His father was killed. His mother was raped, and then killed. And when the boy
saw my consort there, and that baby of his people, he and some of the other
boy's here, started to stone them. I stopped it, and took the time to explain
to the boy that his enemy wasn't Drav, or that little girl, not really the
Catimine's. But rather the Taberon, the boy didn't know the difference. Up
until last moon, I didn't know the difference." Jerrick kept looking over his
shoulder at where Drav still huddled, not moving, arms around the girl. "Excuse
me, Sir."
He knelt by where Drav almost lay. "Are you hurt, honey?"
"I can't move anything but my neck, Master." There was terror is his
voice. "Twelve cycles of abuse, all to be paralyzed by a rock thrown by a
child." He was crying. "The 'shin mee', she isn't hurt is she Master, please,
if I am to lose my body, tell me she's okay."
Jerrick looked over the child that was clinging to Drav, terror in her
eyes. "Yeah, love, she is just time. And you are not going to lose the use of
your body. I'll get you home and Trin will either fix you, or get someone who
can." He looked up at Kerfan. "I need a back support stretcher, Sir. Drav
can't move anything past his neck."
"You stay with him, I'll go get my daughter. He doesn't need to be
moved at all right now." He quickly pulled up the little boy that he had just
claimed as his and Shern's son, and headed for his house.
Jerrick spared the boy a quick look. "Kid, what's your name?"
The boy bit his bottom lip. "Trent," the boy looked at Drav is absolute
horror at what he had done. "I'm sorry." He was crying now.
Drav looked up at the boy, smiling weakly. "I don't blame you 'shin
mee'. It has only been in the last moon that my siblings and I have been able
to get word out that the Catimine people are not the ones that are doing this."
He looked up at Jerrick. Where is my master, Master"
"Waiting just behind that wagon there, hold on. I'll see about getting
him and our kids." He looked at the boy, who was still standing there looking
so bad. "Trent, son, I need you to do something for me. It's probably not
going to be easy for someone as small as you are, but Steff, my ladies and my
second consort is sitting on the other side of that wagon. My two boy's names
are Dowan and Koran. Steff and his little girl Hope, could you go and lead them
here. Steff is blind. That is why I warned you it might not be an easy task
for you. You have to make sure that he doesn't stumble or fall."
"What if he won't listen to me? I'm just a boy, no body listens to
boy's."
If it weren't such a bad situation, Jerrick would have probably laughed.
"You go and tell him that Jerrick asked you to bring him and our kids. Trust me
son, he will be more than happy to follow you anywhere you lead."
The boy nodded just once. "Yes sir," before he hurried off. The rest
of the mob that had been throwing stones, including the one that paralyzed Drav
had taken to vanishing when Jerrick had stopped them.
Steffon looked up at the sound of running feet. "Yes?" He wasn't
worried anymore about being blind. The whole city knew he was blind, and took
it in stride, as they waited for the Mother Priestess to return and see him put
to rights.
The boy stopped, looking at the blind man and the three kids with him.
"You're Steff, right? And those are his kids, Dowan and Koran, and she is
Hope?"
"Yes, and you are?"
The boy broke down into tears again. "I'm sorry, I didn't know, I
thought that it was the Catimine's that did all the bad things, didn't know
about no body called Taberon. The man, his name is Jerrick, he told me to come
and get you and the babies, he's with the other one, the Catimine." He was
babbling. "He can't move anymore, and it's all my fault."
Steffon was on his feet instantly. "I don't have time to listen to your
bear your soul to me right now, my Lover has been hurt. Please, if you can,
lead me to him." He took Hope's little hand in his. "Come on Dowan, you too
Koran. You papa needs to see you right now."
Trent led then back around the wagon moving as fast as he dared with the
blind man's hand on his shoulder.
Trinna and Kerfan almost ran over the boy who was guiding Steffon to
where Jerrick knelt.
"What, my having to dance with the Dark Mother to save your hide once,
not enough love?" Her hands, went, at once to seek out and knit the vertebrae
that were injured. "Goddess Drav, what am I going to do with you?"
"I will not say I'm sorry Mistress, those children were stoning my new
daughter. What would you have me do, stand back and let them?" His eyes never
once lowered. "She is one of my people. They would see her dead because of it.
See us both dead."
"I don't expect you to apologize for saving the little girl, nor am I
unhappy that you have made me a mother." She looked around at the other three.
"All of these babies?" She smiled patting him on the back. "You're fine now.
Kerfan was right in not moving you, had you been moved, it would have made the
work much harder."
"You got four in one night, and another on the way, love." Jerrick was
so very relieved. In the past weeks, he had actually become very fond of Drav,
much to his surprise. He had been worried there for a while, that he would say
something mean or cruel to the boy and end up being punished again, and that
would have been a very bad thing. Steffon, was his Lover, as well as second
consort. The boy because of his lack of sight didn't know how much he loved
when either his mistress or his master chose to toy with him. Well fortunately
soon enough, that would be over. Steffon would be able to see again, and with
his sight returned, at last able to watch as he was played with. He was growing
anxious for the Healer to do just that with his boy.
"So, I see. So tell me mate. Which of these three darlings are you
father of? I know that the little one that is still clinging to Drav, is
without a doubt his child. But what of you and Steff?"
Jerrick looked to where Steffon stood, his little girl's hand closed
within his. "You go on, baby, show off Hope. Trust me Steff, she is just sweet
enough looking to eat."
Steffon bent over to talk to the girl. "Hope, honey, remember what I
said when I offered to be your papa? About you getting a momma too. That is my
lady, and your mother. She's a Healer. And will one-day real soon, take her
final vows and become on of the Mother's of the Temple. So she should have no
problems being yours."
Hope looked up at Trinna. Eyes full of wonder. "Mommy?"
Trinna held out her hands to the little girl. "Yes, precious, that's
right. I'm your mommy." She looked up at Steffon as she gathered the little
girl close. "She is simply wonderful, love. Thank you for your trust in me to
see that our daughter is cared for as any child of the Danes should be."
"Hold up Trin, the surprises are just starting. You have met Hope, and
obviously your, little one with Drav. Now I would like you to meet my son's.
Dowan and Koran, I got a matched set."
Trinna laughed as she reached out to gather them to her as well.
"Jerrick, they are darling. I have no words to tell you all what this means to
me. I mate, become with child, and now I have four with one on the way." Tears
sparkled in her eyes. "Thank you, all of you."
Drav had tried a few words in his language, seeing if the little one
that was now his daughter understood him, but the little one only looked at him
confused. "How old are you 'shin mee'?"
Again the little one just looked at him confused. Shaking her head.
"Bad girl, evil," her soft voice was barely more than a whisper.
"No." Drav pulled her close. "You are not evil. You are the most
beautiful thing I have ever seen." He stroked her hair as he held her. "You
are 'Winnafinde mee', my bright shining one. But I do think I will just call
you Winna for short. They seem to have a hard time here with proper names."
"Goddess, another one." Kerfan shook his head at the tone in Drav's
voice. "Well, I hope that my son," he looked to where Trent stood to one side,
looking lost and confused. After the initial burst of anger and hate had left
him. He was nothing more than just a little lost child. "Or should I say
son's. Both have names that they can remember, or Shern is going to be at me to
try to wrap my mind around another one of their mind twisting idea's of a name."
He held out his hand to the boy. "Come on child. I have one son already, will
you make it two?"
Trent looked up at him. "You want me? I was the one that threw the
first rock, and you still want me?"
Kerfan squeezed his shoulder lightly. "You didn't know the truth, so
yes, if you wish to call me papa, and Shern as well, yes we want you."