Chapter 26: Changing Faces, New Faces

I make a fast run to the bath house for a quick rinse. After laying out in a field all night and excursions that lead up to that, I want to be clean and refreshed for moving these women. I realize that I don't even have names for them, they are like colorless photos of old relatives.

Godiva and I meet up outside the bulkhead of the women's dorm.

"Are you ready for this?" I give her hand a quick squeeze.

"No, but damnit, it's the right thing to do," her jaw shoots forward in determination.

"Alright then," I say as we descend into the darkness.

I have been visiting these women regularly, so I know where they are nesting. We bring lights with us and some clean robes that Godiva has gathered.

"Do not be too surprised," I touch her wrist in warning.

Even after my saying so she looks over their sad faces with pity.

"No," I hiss at her. "No pity, would you make then less than human. Are you less than human?"

"But I have family," she touches her chest in a gesture of anguish.

"So do they, we just need to find them."

"I see," she begins to see where my plans are leading. "Let's start."

Her moves are cautious and slow in order not to startle them.

"Hello. Do you remember me? I'm Diva. I brought you food. I want to take you home with me."

This seems to create more of a huddle.

"Diva, we are going to have to get pushy," I march in and grab one of the women by the arm.

"We are going now!" I command.

This at least gets them up and following me. Godiva frowns at my actions but she doesn't protest. We get the to the ladder.

"UP!" is my simple command.

They meekly climb. At the top the huddle together looking around and blinking. The Compound is so different from the prison that they had been trapped in. Grass and trees. A collection of cabins in the center. Out houses and storages buildings. People talking and singing. Children running under foot. The women look around in wonderment.

"Is this heaven?" One of them asks in a soft shy voice.

"Better," I say as I turn and give Godiva a hand up.

"This is the home of the Kindred," I add proudly.

The girl sits down and bursts into tears. I look over at Godiva and smile, she rolls her eyes at me and goes to comfort the girl. The other two look around like two thieves at night.

"Now if you will come with me?" I gesture to the cabins. They only look confused by my polite language. I take them by the wrists and pull them along.

"See you back at the ranch!" I yell over my should to Godiva.

I pull my two charges over to the bath house. It is generally empty at this time of day, and they reek.

"A hot bath, I say, is the best medicine," I tell them over my shoulder.

They only look more confused. It is possible that a hot bath was more of a luxury than they had ever had. In and to the left is the women's side I have been informed. I don't care but in the state these two are in, a man showing up naked might set me back. Instead of having them take off their clothes I just pull them all the way to the bath tubs.

"In," I command. This time they are fast to obey.

I pass out the soap. One of them snatches it out of my hand.

"Wash up and then ditch those rags you are wearing. Godiva, says she can furnish you with better."

I sit on the edge and watch. Slowly, layer by layer the grime comes out. One woman is revealed to be a pretty dark blond and the other a soft brown curls. Neither of them is too old either. Maybe a couple years younger then Maggie even.

"So you know my name," I start off. "Why not you tell me yours?"

"Alys," the brunette spits out.

"Brin," the blonde give out reluctantly.

"Ya in charge?" the one called Brin asks.

She is looking around, all sides of the bath house, looking for a way out. There is none, they must get past me.

"Worse," I give them an evil grin. "I am a healer."

The both draw back in shock and horror and I fall over in great peals of laughter.

"Do you have any idea what a Healer is?" they shake their heads no. I notice Alys gives a pause before shaking her head.

"I take care of people who are hurt or injured. I make them well if I can."

"If ya can't?" Brin asks.

"I put them to the sleep of death."

Now I have their attention. They are motivated to obey me for the time being.

"Here we are," Godiva's voice drift through the bath house.

"In the back, come on through, " I yell back.

She enters with her charge.

"Nosis, this is Nev," She introduces me.

"That is Alys and that is Brin." I point to the girls respectively.

"Nev, into the bath," Godiva says, copying my lead of just get them clean.

"What's gonna happen to us?" Nev asks.

"Well for one thing, We are not going to eat you."

They shriek at the idea. I laugh some more.

"No really. The Kin are civilized," Godiva explains, running over my joke of poor taste, with her own dignity. "We are not going to sell you or trade you, we are not going to make you cater to our men. We just want to see you home and safe like we are."