Laila, Spock's Granny (Book 1: Vulcan Gladiatoress and Klingon Slave)

Betrayed Again 2

There at the creek, we sat down on some stones on the bank. We were both silent. I knew I owed this one soul next to me an apology. It had bothered me since yesterday, but now in the quietness of the forest I had to get over my pride and come forward: "Mom, I have to apologize! I slapped you yesterday and that was not right!"

She said nothing and that probably was the biggest punishment possible. She could have slapped me back or even put me across her knee and spank me (even though I was sure, she would physically be too weak) and it would have hurt less.

I started to cry and sobbing I added: "I'm sorry!"

Then after another minute or so, she responded: "You know, my cheek burnt pretty badly, but you punched right into my heart at the same time and that hurt way more!"

I was still sobbing: "Sorry!"

She took me into her arms and I fell into her lap like I used to when I was a child.

Then after a few minutes, when the emotions had cooled down, I made my mom tell me how she spent the last 5 years at the farm in Hitora. We had time and peace and she provided me her story. The farmer there in Hitora, her owner, raised goats. My mom loved the goats, but they were a relentless bunch. She and another slave had to drive them out in the morning, so that the goats could feed. Now that farmer did not have a lot of meadows, so the goats had to be driven along the farm roads until they were sated. The problem was, that she and the other slave had to make sure, that the goats did not venture off into the fields of other farmers and feed there. Never mind, that the vegetables in those fields were way more attractive to a goat than the burnt grass on the roadside. The other problem was the burning heat on Hitora. Throughout the day, my mom and the other slave shepherded the goats in that heat. It was so hot in the middle of the day, every tiny piece of shade had been welcome.

However, there were also advantages. The biggest advantage of shepherding the goats was, that they could drink from their milk. The other advantage was, that they could go and drink at the water taps at the edge of the fields whenever they wanted. Ordinary farm slaves did not have the advantage of the extra protein and their foremen made sure they did not spend too much time at the taps. From all those Vulcans which had gotten enslaved on Katalek 5 years ago, not many were still alive. The life on the other farms was harder. Then there were the cold desert nights on Hitora. Again, another advantage was the hay, which was needed for the goats. My mom and the other slave could use that to cover themselves. On top, the goats gathered at night and laying between them, provided for some extra heat. She was astonished, how one could live with the most basic essentials and be happier than with a lot of riches. Every sunrise and every sundown, was an incredible extravagance. On Katalek, there were many things she worried about, but on Hitora, there was not much she had to worry about. As she was getting around within the farming peninsula of Hitora's desert continent, she became the messenger. Whenever someone wanted a message to be given to someone else on another farm, my mom acted as the postman. Due to that, she was well informed and those who wanted to hear the latest stories had to come to her. It had made her live exhilarating in a way. Once she had heard, that I had become a gladiator and lived in the gladiator school in Veng, she wanted to drive the goats there. With the goats it was a three days journey one way. It was only possible in the colder season, when the goats did not have young and did not have to get milked every day. On top, it was important to know all the natural wells on the way. Then however, when the colder season had arrived and she paid our school a visit, she met Surak, only to hear, that I had gotten sold to another school on another planet. It was so sad, we were so close and still did not see us back then. We had to embrace us all the more now.

So far, Mirih was occupied with all preps for the fight. Now she started to indulge her brain activity in obtaining our freedom. In reality, it was not her brain, it was mine. Meanwhile she had made more brainpower available to me and when I did not need it, she could occupy it. That said, there was ample of time, when I just needed like 10% brainpower and she could make the rest rattle for whatever purpose. At the very minimum, she required 10% of my brainpower, but I never felt like it imposed a problem. It was very interesting for me thought to see how two entities could share one body.