February 22, 2004

 

“Peace, sweetie I’m going to take you to see a friend of mine so that she can make sure that no one has been missing you and that if that’s the case then I will adopt you alright.” The child nodded, and said

“No leave me?”

“No sweetie I’m not going to leave you I’m going to help you. Now how about you get your clothing on.” She sat there staring at me for a moment; I forgot that she still really doesn’t know how to dress herself.  After helping her, I wrapped her in a blanket as well as her coat and took her to the barn, putting her in the seat I told her that Cyanne was also coming so she would feel better too. She nodded as the black and white child climbed into the wagon. The two sat in the front with me.  It wasn’t long before Peace had to climb into my lap; some of the scars were still visible. That’s when I noted that she was well a little damp, finding out that she hadn’t learned anything before coming to me I had started her on the older kid diaper things for

While trying to get her to learn the other way.

“Alright little one I understand,” I told her as I took care of that. She stared at me for a moment,

“Don’t worry I’m not going to do anything to you,”

 

“Mamma, who this Ulisa?” Cyanne asked

“Remember the one that came and seen you when you first came to my home?”

“The one who helped kick the tails on those,…” I shushed her and said

“Yes that’s her. We had agreed that we would meet at her home in the next dimension instead of going into town. 

She greeted me at the door,

Ulisa smiled as she opened the door.

"Hey there. Did you bring your newest addition to meet me?" her eyes shined like dark emeralds. Above all else, Ulisa loved children. One of her many Barbic children, Honur stuck her head around her waist, anxious to see yet too nervous to act.

“I sure did, Ulisa this is Peace, I pointed to the one in sleeping in my arms. And you remember this one right?” I pointed to the one beside me.

“That’s one of the triplets”

Ulisa led Selena and the children into her main hall, a room monstrous in size. She invited them to sit down at the couch. Honur stayed close, still eyeing the fellow Barbic cub with an air of awe and fear. She said nothing. Ulisa started,

"So, you just wanna bring me up to date?" She pulled out a folder from her cabinets, with the name Selena on the front. Inside, she had the records of all of Selena's children, both officially and unofficially adopted. Pulling out a blank sheet, she looked at Selena

“well I was putting laundry outside the other day and Joy called over telling me to come and see what I found, when I picked her up she was very hungry ate like she had never seen food before ,she was in clothing that looked like they were nothing. And when I had Joy go get me a blanket, she fell a sleep and stayed that way for awhile like she hadn’t even slept in days. Cyanne said that she was in her unit in that slave camp were we freed all those other children,”

Ulisa nodded, jotting this down, her knuckles white at the mere memory of the slave camp. She still couldn't believe that someone could do that to children. "Okay...got her stats? Name, age, anything else I need to know?”

“Well she says her name is Peace, and she’s nine, but I’m finding that she’s delayed several years, her mental and physical development are way behind,” Just then the child stirred and opened her eyes and looked around. Then back at me,

“Hi Peace you wake up?” She nodded and smiled at me but then her face fell and she turned her head,

“OH! Alright I understand what your saying, Ulisa she needs the restroom.”

Ulisa smiles, "No problem." setting the notebook down, she started to lead them into a large room to the side. Turning to Selena's remaining children, she called, "I have juice and fruit on the table if you want some." opening the door, the three emerged into a circular room made of marble, silver and glass. Ulisa blushed a bit at Selena's face, "I usually leave this bathroom for guests."

Cyanne shook her head,

“I want play.” I followed Peace in to help her. When we came out

“That’s the other part that she doesn’t know yet she’s never been potty trained, she’s starting to get the hang of it already though. And reminded Cy to play quietly.

“Yes Mamma.”

 Ulisa smiled, "You need some help?"

“No thanks I think we’ve got it, she seems to get the hang of it I think at that moment Pease let out a whimper and raised her arms back so that I’d pick her up.

“She really doesn’t like to be down a lot wish I understand. She then looked at me then to Ulisa and stretched her arms to her.

“Me” the child said to her

Honur took a piece of fruit and just sat, watching Cyanne play. The girl's attitude reminded her a bit of her father. That always made her sad but she didn't want to bother Ulisa. So, she just curled up and watched the girl dart around the room, which thankfully, was devoid of breakables.

Peace climbed into my friends arms and stared at her a moment then looked back at me and grinned. Then leaned back into Ulisa again,

“Her, me.”

“I see that you like that don’t you?” The child nodded and grinned more.

“I believe her speech is also a bit delayed, to me it seems as if her level's back at about 1 years of age. We no nothing about her birth parents she says that she doesn’t remember them. So I believe she’s been in that place awhile.”

Ulisa nodded, "makes sense. That would explain the delays. With no parents to guide her along, she probably took on the instinctive "survive" tactic." She smiled at Peace. "But you are a sweet little thing." She tickled her under her chin briefly. The girl smiled, giggled just a bit. Ulisa smiled. "There should be supplies in there. I'm trying to start Lizzi on potty training." She grimaced, "trying being the key word

“I understand that one, I’ve got one that I’ll be starting that with myself before too long,” I told her as we winced at a crash.

“I sorry Mamma, I knocked that down.” I knelt to Cyanne’s level,

“Are you alright?” She nodded and stood back up then yelled,

“I haven’t lost the battle yet! They’ve got another thing coming!" I laughed a bit and told the child to take it easy.  I turned to Ulisa

“Sorry about that she gets a little wild at times.” I told her setting the stand back up

Ulisa just laughed, "Don't worry about it. I raised six Barbic children and only _one_ wasn't like that. Heck, Kati acted like that and she was born blind. It's a Barbic thing.” Cyanne ran back over to us,

“We stay longer I having fun! Well Cy, Ulisa’s got most the information that she needs so I don’t think it will be long.” Walks over to Ulisa,

“I stay for a while and play? She asked her looking at her with her blue eyes shinning and her white patch visible. “You and Mamma just talk and let me play here!”

Ulisa chuckled, "I don't mind Selena. My kids'll be glad to at least meet her. They're finishing up their school lessons upstairs.

Cyanne made a face and looked at her at hearing that

“School yuk!”

“Cyanne hates to school for the fact she has to stay still”

“I fighter no school!” then motioned for Ulisa to kneel down for a minute.

Ulisa did so, her warrior guard up instantaneously, from instinct. Cyanne wrapped her arms around her,

“Thank you. You nice.” Then ran out into the main part of the room and started to act out an entire battle by herself. I had to laugh 

“I know she can wear you out fast.”

Ulisa gave Selena a raised eyebrow look, "this? My friend...she's easy...now _Kati_ was hard.

“That’s only cause Peace is here, and a good threat of something else, she’s normally trying to attack anything and anything that comes near her.” Just then Cyanne ram out of the room and darted back,

“Mamma she got strange box in that room with buttons.”

Ulisa looked at Selena, "Again, I say....she's easy...you shoulda seen Kati. I might bring her to meet you one day." Gazing at Cyanne, she smiled, "oh, the TV?"

I nodded agreeing that would be good.

Cyanne looked at Ulisa,

“What a TV? Why you have that?” Cyanne walked back in looking at it a little bit touching it

Ulisa smiled, "A TV's a little machine that tells stories with pictures and sound. My kids sometimes will watch it briefly, for about thirty minutes, before they go to bed or go out to play.” Cyanne just looked at her confused and then at me.

“I never see this before. She ran her fingers along the buttons, turning it on by mistake; Cyanne jumped and flew behind us.

“Make it go away! Mamma make it go away! It’s going to get me! The monster going to get me! That thing I no like.”

Ulisa quickly snapped it off. "<Little one, it won't get you...it's not real. It's a machine, just like a stove or spinning wheel.>" Ulisa smiled, trying to be reassuring. "And you don't have to like it...not all my kids like it." On cue, Neari came flying down the stairs, decked in animal hide and waving around a miniature version of a metal sword

Cyanne peeked around slowly, glaring at the thing then, then at the child coming down

“You got sword? I like swords too, I see? “Just then Peace called out

“Me.”

“You wanting to play Peace?” She shook her head no, “Me!” She cried out. I stood trying to figure out what she was telling me. I looked at Ulisa to see if she could figure it out

 Ulisa blinked, remembering a similar reaction from Honur, "Peace...do you want me to have them take those things away?" she nodded whimpering reaching back for me again, her eyes widened.

“Me, ME, Me,” She cried out more burring her face. Revealing a large scar along the back of her neck.

Ulisa turned to Neari, "Neari, if you and Chyanne want to play with those, go play outside. Peace doesn't like them" Neari nods and gestures Cyanne to follow her

Cyanne stopped a moment,

“I Cyanne, Chyanne’s my sister.” Then ran out behind.  Peace kept her face hidden enough that when Ulisa turned back she could see the horrible scar.

Ulisa sighs, "sorry...I can't tell you apart!" and she turned back to Peace. Looking the scar over, she raised her eyes to Selena, "Sword scar...not old but not fresh either...probably given to her in the camp"

“Probably why she’s so scared of it.” I looked down to see that she was gazing back and forth at us. And don’t worry. I get those three mixed up all the time. Then turned to the child.

“Can Mamma show her the other scars?” Peace slowly sits up so I can lift the back up there revealed several other slashes and scars. Some more fresh then others though

Ulisa said softly, "Peace, can I touch them...I promise I won't hurt you but I won't touch them unless you say I can. Can I?" Peace just stares for a moment then slowly goes to her, nodding,

“There’s more on her legs too, mostly the backs. There’s also what look like old burn scars there as well. From what I couldn’t tell you

 

Peace looked like she wanted to cry as one of them were being touched.

Ulisa nodded as she gently ran her fingers over the scars. Doing so, she muttered, "sword...about 3 years old, dagger, about 1 year, sword...sword...sword. These last three are fresh, probably not even a week old." Kneeling down, she gently looked over the burns, "these were made with a torch. This one with a hot coal." Catching Selena's look, she said, "Part of a Barbic warrior's training." Looking up at Peace, she asked, "does that hurt still, she nodded then spoke

“Me go to new old go bye bye. I bad. They hurt.” I looked up at Ulisa,

“You mean there are more of these camps?” My heart was racing. A mile a minute.

“I want to check on the rest of my kids, and tell the older ones to keep the younger ones inside so that they don’t fall to that can I use the communicator?”

Ulisa nodded, "By all means." turning to Peace, she said gently, "Sweetie, do you want me to fix those up for you...so they don't hurt anymore?" She nodded but turned seeing me head out the door, and let out an ear piercing cry,

“Peace, Mamma’s just going in the other room a minute, I just want to tell Darcy something really quick. The child’s screams kept going. I turned to Ulisa,

“Go ahead and do what you need to with those, I’ll be there in a second.”

 Ulisa nods and picked the child up and whispered to her, "Your Mama is just gonna check on the other children. Let's get those wounds fixed up." Trying an old tactic, she started to gently rub the cub's temples, praying that the tactic worked on this child

Slowly the child put her pinky in he mouth and closed her eyes. Whimpering a bit. Everything’s fine Darcy knows what to do, if there's any trouble she’s going to get a hold of me right away.

You need help with her? Should I hold her or anything?”

 Ulisa smiles and says, "Just hold her hand. Tell her that this'll sting just a little but then when the sting goes away the pain'll be gone.

Doing that I also added in

I’m sorry I wish I could have protected you little one, those guys will never hurt you again. As I spoke to he the Peace woke and let out screams like mad and started to kick and squirm a bit,

“I know Peace, I know I told her trying to comfort her the best I could. She cried as hard as she could while the stuff was being put on. I tried smoothing her hair down and talking to her some more and then starting singing to her as I did the others when they were either sick or injured. I looked at Ulisa to see how things were going

Thinking for a second I got an idea, Ulisa I’ve got an idea how to get her to hold still, hold on a minute

Ulisa smiled, "almost done. The worst is over. Trust me, I know how that stuff stings. I need to put some stitches in some of these wounds."

“Let me go get Cyanne, she’s got this calming effect on Peace let me get her before you do that”

“Okay”

Cyanne walked over to the girl and sure enough the fighting stopped, she looked at the child and they started talking using words that neither one of us understood,

“I think it's their own thing, they do this all the time and Peace will settle and let anything happen

As if to prove it, the child relaxed enough and never made a noise while the stitches were being put in.

Ulisa added colorful bandages, to keep the stitches from being ripped out and said, "That should do it"

Thanking her I told her that I really didn’t feel to comfortable leaving the other children alone like that right now knowing that those things are out there, and that we should be heading back.

Mamma we have to? I having fun” Cyanne looked at Ulisa to see what she'd say Ulisa smiled, "Sorry sweetie but your Mama's right. We don't want any of you other kids have to go through this either again or for the first time. But maybe your Mama can arrange for you all to come over sometime

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she glared at me.

“No Fair! I want to stay!”

Cyanne, I’m sorry now get your stuff and come on.” I told her picking up a sleeping Peace. She shook her head

No!”

“Cyanne, please don’t start this, get out to the wagon.”  She shook her head and ran out of the room,

“Can you hold this one a second; I have to get the other

Ulisa nodded, taking the child gently, knowing first hand how trying children could be

 Taking hold of a now sniffling Cyanne in one hand, I headed back to Ulisa to gather Peace back into my arms, telling Cyanne to stay here; she glared at me but followed as I walked out. I place Peace on my side for a moment and started to head for Cyanne again who started running again.

Cyanne Walker you get back here right now, and get in there.”

“Me” Peace started to whimper at the same time,” I looked to both my daughters, trying to figure out what to do. Ulisa walked out, looked at Cyanne and said, not unkindly but sternly, "Cyanne, listen to your mother. Part of the training of a Barbic solider is to listen

“I want to stay here and play”

“Cyanne, if you do not back here right now you aren’t going to come with me when I go somewhere for awhile, and you’ll get another spanking. Now Come on!” Cyanne shook her head and ran behind Ulisa saying, "No I stay here." Ulisa looked down at Cyanne, giving her a glance quite similar to Ursa's. No Barbic cub she knew dared challenge that glance and Cyanne was no different. "You can come and play some other time." but I want to play Ulisa, mamma mean she make me go home early I gave Ulisa the go head nod as I was calming Peace.

 I know you want to play but think of it this way: if I know when you're coming back then we can have more fun because I have more time to plan. And if you're good for you Mama I might train you a bit when you come back, how's that?

Really?

If you're good and that means listening to your Mama. I do that, I guess. Timmy get to go train with Ursa, mamma won't let me do that, says I'm too little but I'm big enough but I go now I gave her that how do you do that look 

She never listens to me... What?”

I see that's why that seemed familiar then, "Well we better get going, I'll talk to you later, You coming our way to get her stitches removed?”

I will thanks, I said clicking to the horses in front of me Thanks again.

Ulisa smiled and waved after them, "no problem..."

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