"You wanted me, you've got me."  The healer sighs happily and drowsily enjoys the gentle fingers stroking her face.  Not a maternal touch, but a caring one.<br/><br/>"I was a slave."  Aeryn confirms, and quickly stirs in alarm at the anger she senses in Xen.<em>Angry at me? </em>Some people get odd reactions when she talks about her recent past.<em>No, she's angry for me</em>.  "Well, I certainly don't like them either!"  Her tone goes distant "A slave ship last year,"  Her voice her face are utterly blank of expression "There was a revolt, a shaman who wasn't identified as such led it, he didn't have a spell supressing collar on. They broke free, killed most of the crew, ran the ship aground.  they got away, all of them.  Healing the surviving slavers was a hard thing to do.  But I did it.  Anybody who comes to me for help will get it.  But sometimes I give it with gritted teeth."<br/><br/>Aeryn is going to sleep.  The rush of energy from their lovemaking has faded, the warm glow remains, Xen is holding her close, the human snuggles in more tightly "They did something to my mind. I can't remember much of anything before I was taken.  I remember the stench of rotting blood, the coldest hand you can imagine pulling my head back, two sharp little pains in my throat.  Free.  My body is free now, but will I ever regain my mind?"<br/><br/>She wakes up slightly when the barbarian lays on her breast and smiles "Thank you.  I want you to stay.  I will stay with the fort as long as I am needed, but then, well.  Safety is overrated."  Her smile turns somewhat bitter. " I was very safe as a slave in some ways.  When I wasn't being Loaned out to one of my former master's friends, I suppose I have never been safer."   She gives the elf an odd look then says "Let me show you something."  She scans the wall by the bed and pulls down a small dagger from its' mount.  A quick precise movement and a drop of blood wells from her fingertip.  She rubs thumb and fingertogether to wipe away the blood.'.and the small cut closes as Xen watches.  "I heal very quickly.  Even without conscious effort on my part small hurts like this just, just go away.  When you found me on that beach, had I any sunburn, fish bites, abrasions, bruises?  No."  She cups Xen's cheek and continues "Anything that no more than marks my skin, within a day it's as if it never happened.  That made me very very popular with those whose tastes run to, to damaging their partners."<br/><br/>She isn't smiling at all now and her eyes are as empty as the dark between the stars.  "Don't hurt me, Xen.  I'll do anything you want, anything at all, because I want to not because I have to.  But pain, no.  I'm not talking about a little nip here and there, nails down the back,  that's just good dirty fun."  A small spark of humor returns to her eyes, but fades almost at once. "You know what I mean.  I see it in your eyes."  Sleep is surging through her once more, and this time it will not be denied.  She is out in seconds, a soft buzzing snore escapes her from time to time.