I didn't bathe with the men that morning. We hugged and kissed, promising to meet like this every day. We were family and family does not separate.

Over the next moon, my men Learned and the relationship changed, which was good, because all sorts of things were happening.

Rose and I both got callouses on our fingers from the hard work with Armant's family and the time we spent outside working. The rough patches on our hands were a point of concern at first. Our families realized the patches weren't hurting us and it was normal.

As time went on we got more callouses, so it was good the men understood. Hannah, when she was around, insisted we become proficient with weapons. Rose and I carried our swords and were taught to use them. Much like the rest of the camp, we would be responsible for ourselves in case of attack.

Ratru's family taught us to fight and to use the swords they had made for us. The men were surprised and impressed I already knew some of the drills and moves. That Damien's family had actually trained me seemed to startle them. It gave them a tad bit more respect for the men they still called "slavers".

Rue and his Brothers, much to their dismay, were instructed to teach Rose and me about the guns. Much Like everyone else, Rose and I should be fully armed. No one was surprised by Rue's treatment of us. Apparently Rue treated everyone horrid, not just humans. They were good teachers though and I Learned to use the weapons they'd made.

As time went on, I was getting braver and braver. While everyone else was indifferent to Rue's subtle underhanded remarks, they finally put me in a mood. Even in the middle of many families I felt my temper flare. We were standing in the “training range" where we learned to fire the weapons when I exploded.

Rue had explained in an exaggerated fashion how to aim the weapons, since I had missed, which was actually unusual for me. His Brothers laughed as he repeated his instructions. They commented about how slow and stupid I was. I heard the remarks and couldn't resist.

"So," I asked loudly, "will you lock me in a box overnight for this? Perhaps there is another punishment you would like to inflict on me KEEPER?"

The training ground was suddenly silent as the men around us registered the comment.

“Why do you call these men Keeper?" a man asked from the side. He was a rescued man from the Barnas compound. That word had meaning to him.

I crossed my arms and stared at Rue with open malevolence.

“Didn't you tell them how you used to keep slaves in exchange for stones? Aren't you proud of your role in supporting slavery in the compounds?"

“For stones!" Rue's Brother said loudly, "We never used you for your purpose or showed any interest in you."

“Slavery is an abomination," a man said loudly to our left and I grinned.

“You participated,” I said to Rue smugly.

“Really, what kind of men does that make you?"

I turned and stalked away, leaving Rue and his Brothers to deal with whatever mess I'd stirred up. Some part of me wanted to feel guilty, but I didn't. I deserved a little payback for all those nights locked in that little vault. Odds were the Administrators would sanction the other men, but in my opinion it was worth it.

The men weren't supposed to fight and usually they behaved. I heard the scuffle begin behind me and grinned knowing what it meant as I walked out. A little payback wasn't a terrible thing.

I saw Fuji rarely in this new life, but when I did the differences were striking. The more freedom Reed and Hassar insisted she take, the better she looked. Her skin practically glowed and when her hair started to grow in, it looked like I'd never seen it before. It was an extraordinary difference.

Instead of the thin mangy look her red hair had always had, it was now thick and Lush on her head. A strip of it even ran down her back along her spine. She Looked truly magnificent and wild.

Fuji's favorite activity was hunting and the women encouraged her to do that. She roamed the outside world and brought back meat for many of our meals. I'd see her sometimes on the mountainside beyond the protected perimeter. She was fast and they'd taught her how to fight. My friend had become a brutally efficient hunter. Everyone respected her skill at it.