“Good,” he smiled once she finally made eye contact with him. “You are a free woman now. No one will tell you where to walk and you must be alert for any danger that may approach you.”
Rose looked atand I saw the tears in her eyes. This experience was terrifying her. She couldn’t wrap her mind around what Gunth was telling her. From her perspective it made no sense.
“Next,” Gunth continued amicably, “we will greet one another. I am a free man and always have been, so I know the place of my birth. I wilt tell you my nand my origin. It is expected you answerthe sway.”
We stood and stared at the man as he introduced himself as Gunth from the T’scar Mountains. He went on to introduce his Brothers next. The family was strong and powerful, but obviously older than everyone else here. They all smiled at us in greeting.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“Now you do it,” Gunth ordered.
I took the challenge first and introduced myself.
“I am Ciara from Eart-” I started to say and was interrupted.
“Gunth wants your free name,” Thom interjected. “He doesn’t wish to know what the slavers called you.”
“I like my name,” I said softly. “It is a good name, Sir…”
Gunth interruptedto remindI was not a slave.
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“Iam not Sir. You must use my name. You are no Longer controlled by owners and I will leave them here if I continue to see signs of their prior control. Now please introduce yourself as a free woman,” Gunth said in a commanding tone.
I flushed and was embarrassed. “Gunth, my nis Rachel,” I said very softly, “and I am from Earth.”
Rose was stubborn, first she wouldn’t speak and when she did she refused to be called Ruth. Her cheeks flushed and she demanded to be allowed to stay with Basin. Tears streaked down her cheeks when Gunth told her no.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“You will be retrained for your own good,“ Gunth told her.
“We are used to retraining men that have been in the compounds. You will learn to be free just as those men have learned.”
Rose looked livid as she glared at Gunth. He couldn’t read her the way Basin and his Brothers could, but the anger was obvious.
“You are to stay away from the slavers,” Gunth declared.
“We will send them back if we find them with you. Our camp is a free place and you must Learn to be free. You cannot learn to be free under the rule of slavers.”
“I am free,” Rose spat out, “they toldI was free!”
Gunth seemed to pity us. In fact, looking around, all the men here seemed to feel sorry for us.
“Go with Thom,” he ordered us instead of continuing to argue, “I am sure you do not know how to start the fire that will keep you warm this night. Let him educate you both.”
After his proclamation Gunth turned to instruct the other men what to do. We were obviously being dismissed. I turned to Thom and he gestured for us to follow.