It was time to bring Michelle into the situation.

“Michelle, please go put the pendant around her neck and help comfort her.”

“You should do that,” she replied.

“No, I need to stay back during many parts of this. She needs support from women. You’ll understand when she tells you the story tonight, as part of her treatment.”

Michelle just looked at me.

“Look, it’s really sad and you’ll be furious after you hear it. I need your help, please. That pendant represents her lost baby’s grave marker,” I said gently.

Michelle’s eyes widened and she nodded her head. She walked slowly behind Mary, took the pendant from her hands, and tied the ribbon around Mary’s neck. The pendant hung down to just below her collarbone and really looked quite elegant.

Michelle then carefully slid the pendant down inside of Mary’s tunic and gently patted it. “Your baby is always close to your heart now,” she said, as she helped Mary to her feet.

Mary placed one hand over the pendant and wiped her eyes with the others. She looked around for a moment, then rushed over to me and gave me a huge hug saying, “Thank you, thank you,” over and over again.

I simply held her for a moment and then gently said “See? Now you don’t look for her marker at night any more; she’s always with you. No more tying you up so you can sleep.”

She just smiled happily.

“Go down to the stream and wash up quickly,” I instructed, “we still have much to do today.”

“But you’ll still give me my treatment tonight, please?” Mary asked in a pleading tone.

“Yes, Mary, you can still have your treatment.” Well I couldn’t get lucky with everything. Mary made her way down to the running water and washed up.

Michelle sidled up next to me and quietly asked, “Treatment?”

“Oh, you’re gonna love this,” I flatly replied, and headed back to camp.

**** ****

First thing I did when I got back, was to stow my weapons and take a shower. God, how I needed that shower! Little pleasures that are so important in our lives. Cleaned up and with clean clothes, I felt like a much different man.

Holder had arrived with all of our gear from the Landing, and the ladies were busy setting up tents in the waning afternoon light. I sat Holder and Amos down at the table and thanked them for keeping things safe while I was gone. I strongly reinforced how proud I was of them. I told them I’d talk more with each of them in the morning, when things calmed down. And, yes, I’d start telling the story of my adventure tomorrow at supper.

Setting them off to handle evening chores, I grabbed Michelle and Mouse and headed over to visit with Lunch. I had missed the big guy and wanted to let him know that I was back. I had sent Mary to shadow Sonya for a while, and Banshee was fully involved with Matilda. There seemed to be a connection there of some sort, probably psychosis.

I didn’t say a word during our walk out to the corral. Frankly I couldn’t even begin to understand how I was going to resolve the sleeping problem. After visiting with the horses for a bit, I finally just decided to throw it out there and see what they had to say. In the end, they needed to create a relationship and they would also probably decide the sleeping arrangements. I was under no illusion that somehow I would be in charge of that part of my life.

They started talking.

And talking.

And talking.

I left back for camp and they didn’t seem to notice. They were talking.

I chased down Sonya, better to suffer the wrath now, than later.

She started scolding me about Mary. I listened in silence until Mary jumped in.

“That’s not right, Sonya,” she insisted after the umpteenth insult, “he saved me and keeps me safe.”

She pointed at the ribbons around her wrists and ankles and insisted, “See, I belong to him and nobody will touch me or hurt me now!”

Wow, Mary had a temper.

“But you said he bought you and he was your master…” Sonya argued.

“I was sleeping with the dogs and sharing food scraps with them. Any man who wanted to use me, used me, and any person who wanted to beat me, would beat me,” came the firm reply.

Sonya just stared with her mouth hanging open.

“He bought me and gave me coffee and a home. I get to stay with him and be safe. I need a HOME!”

Well, fuck, Sonya, you really stepped in it.

I grabbed Mary, gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead, and suggested she go find Mouse.

“Sonya, we need to talk,” I said flatly.

Sonya was still shell-shocked and just nodded.

“I wanted to catch you before that happened. You just don’t know the story and you’re not going to like it,” I reassured her. “I hoped to fill you in before you spent any time with her.”

“But…” Sonya stammered out.

I cut her off, “You’re about to learn the definition of horrendous and I need you to listen closely when she tells you her story tonight. It’s important that you know how to support her. Can you hold on til later and just be nice to her?”

Sonya nodded.

“I’m only going to make her tell the story once so you just need to listen quietly while she tells it. Most importantly, you can’t feel sorry for Mary. I need to you be strong and positive to help her heal. She needs friends, women friends,” I instructed firmly.

“Sonya, I do not use her, but some parts of her ‘treatment’ are odd. Trust me, she needs it. Thankfully, she needs it less and less every day, and with your support, she may not need it any more eventually.

“Look, I don’t have sex with her. And now that she is here, she is no longer a slave. She’s just another one of us,” I finished.

Sonya finally responded, “I’ll try, I’ll trust you and try.”

“That’s all I can ask.”

Off we went to find Mary, Michelle, and Mouse. I could hear the supper bell ringing and the evening was about to start.