Chapter 78

They did take away other things I cared about, though. One day, for no apparent reason, they told me I was not to swim at the Keepers. I was to stay in my ornamentation at all times outside of their care.

My new Masters didn't like to hear me speak. They liked to hear me argue even less. Breathing deep, I agreed to this new rule.

When I was angry, I always made a point to remind myself I was fed and allowed to sleep in a comfortable place. Even if I wasn't happy, I was't abused. So they took away one more thing from me, I still had much to be thankful for.

After they told me I couldn't swim, I did find one thing to be glad about. They stopped pulling the hair out of the mark on my stomach. Perhaps they had found the chore too annoying, I didn't know. I loved having it. Satisfied to feel one iota closer to Master Damien and his Brothers, I was grateful for the change.

One morning we walked onto the transport pad and I noticed it looked different. It was obvio