“They didn't seem to be the ones that needed protecting,” she retorted. My eyebrows raised at the slightly inflammatory comment, but our Administrator was correct. The men had complete control of the situation. In fact, they could have handled many more aggressive women without an issue. There were just so many men and they worked so well together. The women just weren't cohesive Like that.

It wasn't Like the men had been without their female cohorts, though. I looked up and saw women standing just inside the caves all over above our heads. They had taken Hassar's lead and stayed away, but they had never abandoned their male campmates. The women had merely let the men handle this the way they wanted to.

Several families came forward and grabbed the bags the women had brought and dropped on the floor. It took two men to Lift each bag onto a transport. ALL six bags were flown toward the dining hall.

Nu-reeh and Dinah watched the men and then walked back toward their ship. Several of our transports followed them, partially to watch them and partially to get the food they had brought. The men would not waste the bounty these women had delivered.

I felt The Great Harmonious Spirit shift. Not everyone was necessary to keep a watch on the slaving women. Most of the men were released to go about the jobs they had been doing. A contingent of men was assigned to stay vigilant in case the women tried something.

Quickly as I could I walked back to where Mycah and his Brothers were. They would have gone from calm to wild in an instant and I knew that. With only Rose to watch them, who knew what trouble they could stir up.

Some of the men gave me a Look when I returned to the Children's Hall, but no one said anything. The camp was respectful of my rights to do as I wished, even in they didn't understand the incentive. I had to appreciate their silence on the matter of my wandering off.

ALL in all I had to admit that training the children would not be as difficult as I'd thought. The men who Kept the children had a curriculum and we all loosely followed the same one. As the boys aged the things they did and Learned changed, but there was a fairly standard set of things we taught them. The only difference would be who taught the boys.

Rose and I both felt that this was a job we could excel at. Our boys would not suffer from having us as teachers. When we had more dangerous lessons, like the ones outside, there would always be others there to help us protect our families. This was a very workable solution for both of us.

We sat and talked and I didn't notice Basin and his Brothers until they were standing less than five hand spans away. Edas' little family was busy wrestling on the floor. They didn't look up as the men stood and stared at them.

“They are...ours?" Basin asked quietly.

He seemed stunned. I suppose he'd never thought about his family having children. The women had used him and his Brothers frequently while they were at the compound. No one had ever told him there was this outcome, though. Seeing the physical proof of a mating was evidently amazing him.

Rose called the little boys over and the men introduced themselves. Edas and his Brothers didn't feel any particular attachment to the five large men in Basin's family, but they weren't afraid of them either. I saw their confusion when Basin told them they'd be staying with him and his Brothers at night.

“We stay with them," Edas said clearly, pointing at Hyun and his Brothers.

I watched the anger flash in Basin‘s eyes as he looked up at Hyun. His instincts to care for this family were strong. He and his Brothers had watched my family with Jonathan, apparently they wanted that, too.

“Basin and his Brother are good men and they are going to Keep you,” Hyun told the Little ones as he stepped closer. "Rose stays with Basin and his Brothers. You will go with them tonight."

Edas and his Brothers liked Rose, a lot. She talked to them and played with them. She'd made them the center of her attention. At lunch she'd given them treats. The idea of leaving with her was very acceptable to the young boys.

Basin and his Brothers knelt and touched the little boys. They straightened their clothing and brushed their hair back. Edas and his Brothers didn't understand, but they wanted to see the weapons Basin's family carried, so the nearness was fine. The big men sat on the floor and let the boys examine their heavy swords, although they kept little fingers away from the sharp edges.

I had to admit watching this was odd. In all the time I'd known Rose and her family, I'd rarely seen her men Look surprised and definitely not like this. The big men were sitting on the floor and talking gently to the young boys. They encouraged Edas and his Brothers and answered the simple, childish questions patiently. I would not have guessed they could be Like this.

“The camp encourages us to revere the young. They are the future of The Great Spirit," Damien whispered in my ear.

“The other men teach us how to treat children. It was part of what we learned while we were separated from you."

I turned to see my family a moment before Mycah and his Brothers saw them. I smiled at the contented faces my men had. They were enjoying watching their boys practice wrestling on the floor. Our Little ones were strong and fierce. They would thrive in the world.