"Tonight," Yamina repeated, though whether it was an admonition to Hiro to settle down or an affirmation of her desire to lay with him was not completely clear.  "Sometimes the rewards of duty are sweet," she added, looking back over her shoulder and gave Hiro a barely perceptible twitch of her butt.<br/><br/>The children were clustered together in three cabins, though the exact sleeping arrangements had been left open.  Yamina would not be surprised to find many of them seeking to sleep in the same bunks for the comfort of physical contact in the absence of their parents.  They were as yet too young for Yamina to be worried about any improper behavior.  "We need to get them more blankets and pillows from stores," she told Hiro and made a note to herself.  They'd been able to bring sufficient clothing so that at least was not a problem.  "And I want to talk to the mess and see if they can't provide some familiar food.  Comfort food," she added.<br/><br/>Generally, things were okay.  The older children had taken over, seeing to the younger as they perceived it their duty, but there were many long and apprehensive faces.  This Yamina knew all too well and her heart opened anew to them.  She was sympathetic, but knew there was only so much she could do.  The one thing Yamina would not do to these children was make promises that would not be kept.  Better to say no than to become merely one more adult in their life who failed them.<br/><br/>Yamina spent the next several hours with them, laughing and being laughed at, playing silly games and having equally earnest talks.  There was much physical contact, something the Kuritan children were not entirely used to but accepted if a bit stiffly.  Culture aside, children were still children and needed hugs and touches to calm them and soothe their minds.<br/><br/>As they left, Yamina walked close to Hiro and once, in the corridor where no one was looking, put her hand in his, fingers intertwined.  She broke the contact when they came back into a more public space.<br/><br/>"We should visit the others," she told Hiro.  "Now that time enough has passed for the initial emotions and reactions to cool.  Do you agree?"