The area we were in was different from the place I was accustomed to. There was a little more greenery here and it seemed to be getting thicker.

"Was it all Like this before the men developed the town?" I asked.

“There is so much plant life here, like just outside the Keeper's compound."

Christof told me the plants were growing because there was an underground water source here. The Lakes were sometimes shallow and sometimes very deep below the surface. The men didn‘t stay in this area because it made the ground above unstable.

"Oh," I said happily, "a sinkhole!"

The men didn't understand the Earth word and I felt deficient in describing one. From what I understood sinkholes happened in places with large underground Lakes, especially when the water Level fell. The conversation was entertaining for Christof. He thought it was interesting Earth had similar problems.

We stopped and had a midday meal before we got to the place we'd be staying. The men had some sort of a dried pouch of food. Apparently it would make me sick. I ate a bowl of a sticky rice like substance that was rolled into balls.

“It's sad," I said in between bites, “the other girls and their owners don't do fun things together. I feel bad for the other girls."

Damien answered me finally, but it was not helpful. He told me he had to arrange time to come out here. Although no one was stationed out here, someone used it frequently enough that you had to sign up to come. It had been the same with the other cabin we used.

After they finished eating Evan bounced up and started to pace. He was irritated with the slow pace of the rest of us. For some reason he was intent on getting where he was going.

"You're supposed to enjoy the ride, Evan," I chided him, “not just the destination."

He Looked at me for a moment before starting to pace again.

“Seen it here before," he said, "I want to get where we're going."

We loaded back on the transport and it took off a very short time later. I had forgotten how hard it could be to dismiss Evan's restless energy.

The wind whipped harder against us and the men all donned long jackets at some point. We were going parallel to the mountains. Long ago we'd stopped passing other Warriors, this area really was deserted.

The building broke the horizon and the men cheered. It looked to me like the place we'd stayed in after I'd been "recaptured". This must have been an outpost at one time.

Once Kein stopped the transport we all jumped down. I walked toward the building and was stopped.

"We have to check it," Bane told me drawing his swords.

Kein and Evan followed him inside while I waited with Damien and Christof.

“What are they Looking for, other Warriors?" I asked curiously.

“Scars, pests," Christof said concentrating on the dwelling. "This place is so isolated it could be infested.”

I shuddered thinking of the spider like creatures. Nu-reeh had showed me Scars in the mountain caves. The men had fed me one as a joke, but I'd forgotten they came down here.