"You've been in the water the whole time?” I asked as the rest of the family walked up the stone steps toward us, followed by Basin's and Stayne's families.

Rose ran to Basin and hugged him tight. I did the same thing and clung to my damp family one at a time as they dried themselves.

“Yes," Christof said pulling on his pants, “I have been attempting to tell Basin and his Brothers that humans can clean themselves."

I didn't have an answer to that and watched Basin check Rose over. Christof made him stop.

“She is free cousin," Christof said forcibly. "Free creatures bathe themselves and take care of their own bodies. We have to understand this."

Basin argued. Rose had cried the entire time. She didn't want to do it herself. My best friend needed her family. They should be caring for her physical self, she obviously couldn't do it.

“She needs you because you trained her that way," Christof said softly.

“Humans take care of their own needs on Earth, my offspring, Kennedy, has talked to us about this. The human women did not like it when we took this chore away from them. It caused them distress."

Basin didn't Like what Christof was saying. Rose was free, he argued, but she still needed them. I looked at Damien and knew instantly that he agreed with Basin. Christof obviously did not and I saw the pain it was causing my family. Rose and I being here was very upsetting.

“We have to go," I said abruptly, surprising everyone.

“If Rose and I are caught with you, you all will be sent back. We need to leave now and you should wait a moment before you walk out."

Basin stared at me and I raised my chin to stare back at him. I felt like a quivering mass of jello on the inside, but I hoped it didn't show. This was not a time to show weakness.

Basin spoke in a low tone and I knew I should drop my eyes, but I did not. "You dare tell us where to go and what to do?" he asked.

“It's for your own good," I answered reaching out for Rose's hand.

“If we stay with you here, we will be caught. Come on Rose, we absolutely must go."

The looks I was getting from the men were a mix of furious and amazed. Only in Christof's eyes did I see pride reflected. They had never seen me act this way.

"Go," Basin finally said pushing Rose away, “go with your friend.” Once I had Rose I grabbed our underthings off the line and headed quickly for the exit. We each bundled our underwear into a ball and shoved them in our pockets. Just before we exited the damp cave we slowed our gait and walked slowly back toward our rooms.

The hallways were getting busier with men now. Several stopped to greet us and introduce themselves. One family was piling the fire pits with fuel and lighting the torches. Those men even stopped what they were doing to be friendly.

I walked with Rose back to the second floor and our private Lacquered pots.

“You have to wipe yourself when you are done using the Lacquered pot,” I whispered to her.

“It's not clean what you've been doing."

Rose nodded to me, but didn't speak before she turned into her stall. She still looked shocked. In truth, I still felt shocked. I couldn't believe I had stood up to a man on this world. It seemed impossible.