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Chapter 16

The journey back home was a silent one. From the moment we emerged from the alley onward, we hardly spoke. At first I feared that she was somehow angry with me for acting the way I had, but whenever we stopped for a traffic light or to simply get our bearings, I felt her lean against me and purr softly. At this I felt relieved; the last thing I wanted was for her to have no one to turn to, especially after a night like this one had been.

We'd found one of those all-night clinics a few blocks from the alley, and within an hour her ear had been repaired. The dermal regenerator had worked wonders on knitting the flesh of her ear back together, but the fur that had been torn our would take a few days to grow back. Until then, three bald lines on her ear reminded both of us of what had once been there...and how they'd been removed.

While she'd been getting her ear tended to, I had taken over one of the restrooms and tried to wash the blood off my hands and shirt. It had worked to some extent; the shirt wasn't completely clean but it was wearable, even without the tiger's jacket I'd taken. My hands came clean rather quickly, and I remember marvelling at how many tooth fragments had been caught in the fur there. Had I not been so overwhelmed with shame at what I'd done, I would have laughed.

Before long we were on a transit shuttle headed for our home. The moment we were seated she leaned up against me and closed her eyes. I wrapped my arms around her and gently stroked behind the ear that hadn't been damaged. It wasn't long before her breathing fell into a regular, shallow pattern, indicating that she'd fallen asleep. I had to admit, it was hard for me to keep my own eyes open, but I couldn't give in just yet. We'd be home soon, and then we could just curl up together and do our best to let this night pass into our memories.

Or so I thought...

* * *

I woke her up moments before our stop. She stretched briefly before we both stepped off the shuttle and into the cool night air. The moons were all full this night, which helped light our way across the field to the treeline. We walked slowly, hand in hand, not saying anything. Any time I looked over at her, Te'Ki's face was a mask of pure determination. She rarely blinked, and never once turned her head from the path we walked. She did squeeze my hand reassuringly though...another reminder that whatever was going through her head, I wasn't the cause of it.

After several more minutes of walking we finally arrived at the clearing. I'd never been so happy to see that place as I had that night. The exhaustion of beating the tar out of those four packlas was finally catching up to me, and I knew I'd barely have my clothes off before I collapsed onto our 'bed' and fell asleep. I moved towards the door, but suddenly felt myself being pulled in the opposite direction. I looked over and saw Te'Ki moving towards the woodpile and grabbing as much wood as she could carry. I was surprised at first, but then figured she probably wanted a nice warm fire to sleep by. Ever the gentleman, I scooped up several cut pieces as well, enough for tonight and the morning.

She surprised me again, however, by heading towards the back of the dwelling. I followed, and watched as she dropped the wood inside a ring of stones we'd made a while ago. Some night we would stay out here, enjoying both the warmth of the fire and each other's company. On the occasional night, we would make love by the fire, falling asleep in each other's arms afterwards. As much as I loved her, I began to wonder just what she was doing now.

I watched her quickly arrange the wood in the centre of the ring and moments later had a small fire going. It didn't take long for the rest of the wood to catch, and soon the fire burned bright and hot before us. I had to take a step back from the quick, intense heat that washed over me. I dropped my load of wood on the outside of the ring, figuring I could always feed the fire later.

Te'Ki's movements caught my eye once more, and I was shocked to see her stripping out of her dress and everything else. What further surprised me was when she took her bundled clothes...and threw them atop the blazing fire. It didn't take long before the flames had all but consumed the flimsy garments, reducing them to mere ash to be blown away on the wind.

"You might want to do the same," she said, snapping me back into reality. I looked in her direction only to see her disappear into the darkness beyond the firelight's reach. Quickly I followed suit, stripping down to the fur and tossing my clothes into the fire. I winced as I saw the flames first lick over the clothes, then begin to consume them. I rather liked how I'd looked dressed in those clothes. It seemed almost a waste, really.

I followed where Te'Ki had gone, and soon found myself standing on the edge of the pool. She turned to face me and I slipped in, accepting her wordless invitation. The water felt as warm as a blanket to me, and again it was hard for me to keep my eyes open. I leaned back against the edge of the pool, and she moved toward me. She leaned against me, and I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her close. Gently I kissed the top of her head and was rewarded by a soft sigh from her. I silently thanked every god I knew that she...no...we...were all right.

"You deserve the truth, Dalan," she finally said. "The truth about my past, how I got here...you should hear it all." I could feel her begin to shake slightly, and I drew her in closer. "I'm just...scared that after you hear it you'll...you'll hate me."

"I could never hate you, Te'Ki," I said softly, kissing the back of her head. "Whatever happened to you...whatever it was with those four...none of that matters to me. All that matters is that you're here...now...with me."

"You might not think so after what I have to say," she said softly. Then, with another deep breath, she told me her story.

* * *

I used to think life was cheap in the Clans. Compared to the tribal ways of the Tanayans, Clan life is is pathetically complacent. Even the Shatlia, known for their acts of brutality against exiles are nothing compared to a sect of Tanayan tribesmen known only as the Hunters. Their mission is a simple one: Find any exiles you can, and eliminate them any way you see fit.

Exiles are typically given a few days to leave the tribe lands before the Hunters are sent out. The length of this 'head start' depends largely on the person being exiled, and how much time they deserve to escape before being hunted down. In Te'Ki's case, she'd been given only three days to run before being pursued. Luckily, she'd managed to leave the tribe lands by the second day, and was in the capital city of Kolareth by the third.

There was no support group like the Foundation in Tanaya, so Te'Ki was forced to fend for herself. She eventually found a place â€" a tavern â€" that would let her stay in one of the vacant rooms at night in exchange for her work. She served drinks, cleaned tables, and endured more than a few insults and advances. However, she was relatively safe from the Hunters, who would think twice about attacking her in the city.

She worked at the tavern for about a month, and was slowly beginning to enjoy herself when he walked in. Originally she'd paid him no mind and served him like any other customer. Her curiosity rose, though, when she noticed the size of the tips he was leaving her. They were generous enough that on days when she dared, she was more than able to buy the things she needed to survive, as well as indulge herself a bit. Normally used to the strict ways of the tribes, with enough money in her pocket the world seemed to open itself up to Te'Ki...to show her that there was a life outside that of the tribes...a good, comfortable life that didn't require a daily sacrifice of body and soul. Thanks to her mysterious benefactor, she had gotten a taste of urban living, and by the gods, she liked it.

Another month passed in this blissful state for her. Every few days, the mystery man...well...jaguar...would show up either alone or with a couple of friends, and on those nights Te'Ki knew she was in for a windfall. She would even take some time and chat him up when she could. She really didn't learn that much about him, save he was a businessman from Karalla City, and that he was in Kolareth on business. Of course, she'd said very little about herself, but he didn't seem to mind. He was a rather charming individual, and Te'Ki couldn't help feeling a little infatuated with him.

One night, the jaguar came to the tavern alone, and the moment Te'Ki put his first drink on the table, he made her an offer...the offer. He admitted to being impressed with her waitressing skills, and knew of many places in Karalla that could pay up to ten times what he figured she was making in this place. He promised her he'd help her find one of those perfect jobs if she'd just come with him. She really didn't have anything to lose, and she also knew it wouldn't be long before one of the Hunters discovered her here. Still, Karalla was a long way from home...away from the life she knew. Was it worth the risk to leave? She really didn't know this man that well, but if she stayed she risked death.

So, with a nod, she agreed to follow this jaguar to Karalla City and to a new life. She ran to her back room, grabbed her things and met the jaguar outside by his chauffeur-driven skimmer. With a smile, the jaguar helped usher Te'Ki into the back seat, then entered the vehicle as well. The moment that door closed, however, Te'Ki's dream of a new life was shattered...replaced by a nightmare.

* * *

The jaguar and his three cohorts had been relentless. Before they'd even made it out of the tavern's parking lot she had been stripped of all her clothing and was crying at the jaguar's brutal invasion of her. She would have screamed, had one of the cohorts â€" the lion â€" been forcing his own manhood down her throat. The other two, the cheetah and the tiger, waited patiently for her to be nicely broken in before they could have their turns with her.

By the time they reached the spaceport and their private hangar, Te'Ki was little more than a bundle of shivering fur on the floor of the skimmer. She barely remembered being picked up by the tiger and carried into the transport that would take her from this hellish experience to one even more nightmarish. She took some solace in that for the entire trip, no one laid a hand on her. They'd apparently gotten what they wanted from her, and now they were merely delivering her to someone else.

The transport landed a few hours later, and again the tiger carried her to a waiting vehicle. Like in the transport, she had been left alone by her kidnappers, and wasn't touched until they'd reached their destination. This time, instead of being carried, she was dragged into what looked like a fairly large building. It was night time, so she couldn't really make out the shape of it, or even where it was located...not that it would have made any real difference to her.

She was led down a hallway, and eventually shoved into a small room. It was a small one, with only a bed and a nightstand. She could see another opening on the far end, which she later learned was a small bathroom. The bed looked large enough to hold her and perhaps one other person, and the moment she made that observation the clarity of her situation hit her with the force of a slap to the muzzle.

She heard the door close and lock behind her, and she collapsed on the bed. Her sobs and screams echoed through the room. She pounded at the door, clawed at the walls. She hurled curse after curse at the gods, the jaguar...anyone who'd had a hand in bringing her to this place. Eventually, though, the despair overwhelmed her, and she huddled herself into a corner of the room, shivering and whimpering. There was no way out of this now...this was her fate...this was her curse.

This was where she was going to die.

* * *

Time lost all meaning to her. The next thing she remembered, an elderly female panther had come into the room and explained her situation. She was what many people called a 'Closet Kitten.' Basically, she would never leave this room, and would only be visited by those she was expected to 'service.' Whatever the client wanted, she was expected to deliver. If she didn't, she would suffer the consequences. The door had a two-way lock, accessible by a key card on either side. The client was given one when they paid for their time, and were expected to return it upon completion. It was at that point that they would let this pantheress know if they'd enjoyed themselves or not.

If Te'Ki was a 'good little kitten' and did her job properly, there would be some rewards for her. Extra food, better clothes, and even some time outside if she was considered an 'outstanding employee.'Â However, if she was found to be uncooperative or incompetent in the eyes of her clients, the tiger who'd raped her in that skimmer would show up, and he would be the last person she saw.

She thought about the skimmer...about how brutal the tiger had been to her. It was no great stretch of her imagination to envision him beating a defenceless girl to death. Fierce as her Tanayan heritage had made her, she was no match for him. She looked at the pantheress, the bed, and finally the door. The revelation welled up in her and it took everything she had not to vomit on the pantheress. There was no escape for her. This was her life from now on. She had been cursed by the High Priest, and now she was finally realizing it.

The pantheress said nothing more and walked out of the room. Te'Ki fell on the bed and surrendered to the sobs she had been holding back. She pounded on the mattress, roars of defiance interspersed with her sobs. Ancient curses flowed from her mouth...pleas to the gods to spare her this hellish existence.

The gods, however, had remained seemingly silent.

* * *

She didn't know how much time had passed; there were no windows in this room. She slept when she was tired, and was often stirred awake by the sound of her door opening. Sometimes it was the pantheress bringing food or clothing, but more often than not it was another client coming to have his or her way with her.

Her body was used, abused, and violated so many times she lost count. However, heeding the warning from her apparent mistress, she did her best to at least appear like she was enjoying what was being done to her. She knew the right moves, the right sounds, and the right words to say to ensure her continued survival. That's all it was to her: Survival. There was no emotional involvement for her, save a continuously simmering revulsion for every one of her abusers. Her responses were mechanical in nature...a mere show aimed at getting her through another hellish day.

Her abductors had become regulars too. The jaguar â€" Daro â€" and the others would often show up either on their own or in a group and force her to re-live that first horrific encounter in the skimmer. Those were the times she was truly afraid for her life. They were always brutal, forcing her do to things none of the others would ever dream of. Whenever she showed reluctance or revulsion, the tiger would give her a small reminder of her fate should she be considered uncooperative.

For what felt like days later she would simply lie there, covered in whatever they left on her...unable to move. They were thorough; they made sure they got all they could from her before leaving her alone. The pantheress would come in some time later and help her into the shower, doing her best to clean off what she could. If only the strong-smelling shampoo and conditioner could help cleanse her memories too. But it never works like that, does it? No...the body can heal with time. Healing the mind and soul? That's something else.

Life became and endless cycle of food, sleep and sex for her. There was no pattern...no schedule. Food came when it came...customers showed up when they did, and she performed for them as expected. The randomness of it all made it impossible for her to focus...to find some kind of pattern. It was exactly how they wanted it: Give the mind nothing to concentrate on, and eventually all you can do is react. Before long you're a vegetable; a slave to the whims of your environment. Lucidity fades...and soon all you are is a chunk of meat...a slave.

Sometimes, though, just when that light is about to fade...just when the last sliver of light prepares to surrender to the darkness...something happens. Once in a while, Fate decides you've suffered enough, and sends you an opportunity. It might not be much of an opportunity, and more often than not it demands something of you, but it's an opportunity nonetheless.

One of Te'Ki's customers â€" one she'd learned to recognize â€" was a leopard...a very old leopard. She found out later that he was a prominent businessman, and a wealthy one at that. His needs were simple and consistent. He would show up at what she believed to be regular intervals, looking for her to pleasure him with her mouth. While he wasn't overly old, he was paying the price for a life of extravagance, abuse, and far too many indulgences in his youth. He would hobble in on his cane, sit on the bed while Te'Ki dropped to her knees and did what was demanded of her.

As he finished this latest time, Te'Ki noticed that his breathing was growing ragged...more so than before. She felt him begin to shake, and as he exploded inside her mouth he began to fall back on the bed. She pulled off of him and stared into his wide, fear-filled eyes. He was clutching at his chest desperately, as though by doing so he could ease whatever it was that was causing him so much pain. Untrained in any kind of medical assistance, Te'Ki could only stand over him, horrified as he succumbed to the heart attack and died.

Panic filled her. What would she do now? The pantheress would be in soon, wouldn't she? She'd discover the body and send the tiger in after her. This would be her last night alive unless...unless...

Gingerly she reached for the old man. She began going through the pockets of his business suit found credit chits, identification, and the keycard to this room. Her body trembled with anticipation as she got dressed, stuffed the money into her pockets, and made for the door. She had no idea what lay beyond it, but the way she saw it, there was nothing to lose. If she stayed, she was dead. If she was caught, she was dead. But if she somehow made it out of here, there was a chance, though slim, shat she could survive.

She waved the card in front of the door's reader. Her heart skipped a beat as she heard the distinctive click of the bolt unlocking. She pushed open the door slowly and peered out into what appeared to be a hallway. As she stepped out into it, she noticed that each door had a marking of some kind on it, and the one on her door matched what was on the keycard she now held.

At one end of the hallway she could see a staircase leading down. At the other end, she could see a window...and unguarded window. Whoever was in charge of this operation must have been rather confident in his or her methods. Such confidence was probably justified, though; after all, if your mind is broken to the point of being a mere shell of a person, would you honestly recognize a genuine opportunity to escape is presented to you?

Te'Ki was no shell yet, and she seized that opportunity with a savage lust. She made for the window, opening it with trembling hands and peering outside. She took in two deep breaths of the cool night air before assessing her situation. She was on what appeared to be the second floor of a building â€" about twenty feet up. The ground below looked soft enough, and given her height, her feet would only have to drop about 14 or 15 feet. It wasn't much of an advantage, but she'd take what she could.

She slipped through the window, lowered herself as much as she dared and, with a silent prayer to the gods, let go. The wind came up in a rush around her. She was falling too fast. This had been a mistake. She would break something the moment she hit the ground and they'd find her. They'd find her and torture her for trying to escape. This was all so wrong, so...

The moment her feet touched the ground she tucked into a roll in order to deflect her momentum. Pure instinct took over from that as she unfolded herself, found her feet, and bolted towards the darkness. There were no fences or gates in her way, no sensors or alarms. She thought she heard a few shouts behind her, but they were far too distant for them to be any threat to her. Within minutes she was away from it all...the house, the pantheress, her abductors...the darkness of the night had swallowed her up, shielding her from their half-hearted attempts to find her.

At long last...she was free.

* * *

"I'd been in there over a year," she said finally. "I used the money from the old man to stay alive until I found the Foundation. Silas told me the place was safe from guys like Daro, so I stayed there. I never even went outside, scared they were waiting there to take me back to that place." I felt her begin to shiver, and I closed my arms in around her a bit more. "Until you came," she said, "I never had...the courage to leave that place. But...but something told me that I had to follow you that night." She sighed then, and I felt her slump a bit in my arms. "Of course, I guess now you must hate me," she muttered.

"Why would I hate you?" I asked.

She turned to face me, and I could see that same look of shame in her eyes that she'd had in the alleyway. "Because I wasn't honest with you from the start," she said. "Because tonight...it was my fault. If I'd told you the truth, maybe we wouldn't have gone out...maybe...m...maybe..."

"Shh," I said, kissing the top of her forehead. "Te'Ki, what happened tonight...it wasn't your fault."

"But it was," she insisted. "I thought they'd given up looking for me, but they've never stopped. I've put you in danger just by being around you. How can you not hate me?"

"Te'Ki," I said. "I can't hate you for what they did to you. You didn't choose to become a...a..."

"A whore?"

"No...a slave."Â I lifted her gaze to meet mine. "Te'Ki, those people...those animals...they forced you into it. It's their fault, not yours."

"But..."

"No," I said finally. "Te'Ki, I love you, and I swear that no one...no one will ever harm you like that again...ever." I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her gently. "I swear," I whispered.

"D...Dalan," she choked. "I..." She wrapped her arms around me tightly moments before the sobs came. I enveloped her in my embrace and let her ride out the volcano of emotions erupting inside of her. She held nothing back, crying...roaring...screaming...the events of the night all seemed to hit her at once, and despite her best efforts she was no longer able to hold it in.

She cried for what felt like hours. The water around us was warm, but she wouldn't stop shivering, nor would she let me go. I planted gentle kisses on the top of her head, constantly telling her things were all right now, and that no one would ever hurt her again. I meant it too. If Daro and his associates ever came near her again, I wouldn't stop at a mere pounding like they got this night. No...our next confrontation would end with their lifeless bodies littering the ground. Broken monuments to the folly of harming the love of a L'au Tari.

Her cries eventually faded, replaced by soft whimpers and sniffles. She finally gazed up at me, a somewhat relieved look in her eyes. Her lips twisted into an almost innocent looking smile, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice still hoarse from all the crying. "I love you."

"I love you too," I said back softly. We kissed tenderly, both of us too spent from the night's excitement to do much else. After a time we finally climbed out of the pool and, after letting the dying fire dry us somewhat, we returned to the dwelling, hand in hand. I decided to call in sick for next day's shift, but I knew I couldn't beg off my impending retreat. Te'Ki understood this and assured me she would be all right. She also assured me that she would stay around the dwelling for her own safety until I returned.

I managed to stay awake long enough to watch her fall asleep. I watched as her body finally relaxed and her breathing became normal...peaceful...calm. I couldn't have felt more relieved at that moment...relieved that she had found peace here. After running for so long, her tortured soul could finally have some refuge within these walls, and I would always be there to protect her.

Always...