After rescuing us from the kurku, Castor temporarily left the team he'd been working with, which was going around looking for survivors, to escort us to the highest point in the city where a few buildings survived. This was the Gathering Place. Everyone left alive came here. The injured came here for help, the starving found their way here in the hopes of finding food, orphans came looking for loved ones, and so on it went.

At the Gathering Place there were no slaves or freeborns. All were just survivors. And many of them were barely doing that. The number of the sick and injured grew every hour Castor told us, as did the number of those who suffered hunger or were orphaned. It was a pitiful place and my heart went out to every sad and lost face we encountered along the way.

Castor brought us to a large auditorium. The roof was gone, but the interior was swept clean, and there were stations all around the extensive room. These stations included a place where one could register and look for relatives, a spot to get fresh water to drink, a line where a person could get a little food, and there were several stations dedicated to dealing with minor injuries.

Castor pointed all these things out to our small group, and then told me explicitly that there were makeshift infirmaries all over the city for those who were on death's door or badly injured. However, he would have to get me permission before I could go into them and do any good. So, while the others were here at the auditorium sorting themselves out, he was going to take me to the Council Room, where we could get permission for me to enter the infirmaries. 

"This is the end of the road for us?" Asa asked at my side. She sounded sad and a little anxious.

"Yes," Castor said clearly and loudly. "You all go your way, find your families, do what you need to do. Hashy, you come with me."

I nodded at Castor. I was thrilled that our time together didn't have to end just yet. I knew it would. He seemed set on helping rebuild the city, which I thought was a very worthy endeavour,  and I, of course, had to find a ship and set sail for the Bitter Isles just as soon as I could. But, until that time came, I hoped to remain as long as I could with Castor.

Asa, still standing at my side, spoke up again and asked, "Do you want to go with him, Dhuuni?" Her voice was laced with concern.

"That's right," Kai said suddenly as he came around to face me, Castor and Asa. "You can stay with us. You don't have to go with him." He smiled at me reassuringly, but gave Castor a cool look.

I put my hands up and waved them gently in front of myself. "No, no, you have it all wrong," I confessed. "I know Castor. We use to serve the same master. He's like family to me, and I'm very glad to go with him."

He wasn't actually like family, not really, but he was the closest thing I had to something akin to family, and, even though I survived a harrowing ordeal with these six strangers who were now reluctant to let me go, I didn't want to stay with them. I wanted to be with Castor, who I felt a bond with - a bond that went back to my youth.

Turning my attention to Asa, for she seemed the most genuinely concerned for my welfare, I spoke softly saying, "Go in and register your name Asa. Maybe your family is here waiting for you."

Her face lit up with hope and her eyes filled with tears as she gave me a quick hug and then walked off. To the others, I encouraged them to do the same. One by one they hugged me or shook my hand and then walked off. I was not sad to see them go. I was glad for them. I prayed to Kinabuhi that they would all be reunited with family in some capacity.

I didn't need to register. I had no family to come looking for me. My mother would be dead four years when my next birthday rolled around. The thought made me melancholy and I pushed it away. And, the only other person who would search for me was Master Bangkai. If that were the case, I was better off not registering here or anywhere. I hoped to disappear across the sea before she ever made it back to the White City.

Takai hesitated in front of me. He looked from me to Castor and then back to me again. With a sigh he leaned down and took up my hand, holding it gently in his while he said, "I'm your friend Dhuuni. I will always be your friend. You can come find me in ten minutes, ten hours, ten months or ten years and I will always welcome you. Do you understand?"

I gave him a small smile and nodded my head, then Castor grabbed my arm and pulled my hand out of Kai's gentle grip as he said briskly to the both of us, "We've got to get going."

Kai gave him a cool look, but he wiggled his eyebrows in a playful manner at me. I laughed a little  as I turned and walked away with Castor. Castor's life force spiked and I could feel the excess power roll off of him and wash over me. It had been such a long time since I had experienced this feeling that I almost felt transported back in time. It was a pleasant feeling and brought back good memories. So, I was content to just let him pull me along.

Without saying a word to me he led me by the arm to the Council Room. There were a group of people inside, who had made themselves responsible for the welfare of anyone who survived. As we entered the open room, everyone looked up in unison and the room fell quiet.

A young woman with auburn hair acknowledge Castor with a curt. I kept my eyes to the ground for the most part. It was my habit for twenty one years. In my eyes, these were freeborns and I was just a slave. Castor, who had been born free, had no trouble walking with his head held high no matter where we went. But I, I still struggled even with the collar gone. In fact, I felt naked and exposed without the collar.

Without waiting to be summoned or given express permission to speak, Castor spoke directly to the woman with the auburn hair, "I've brought a healer, but we'll need permission to enter the infirmaries."

"What kind of healer?" an older woman asked.

Castor gave me a little prod and I answered, "I'm a Dhuuni."

The older woman looked me over from head to foot. She frowned. "You look frail," she observed. "The work in the infirmary is strenuous and the hours are impossibly long. Are you strong enough for this work?"

The woman with the auburn hair came over and asked, "May I take your pulse?"

"Are you a physician?" I asked as I offered up my wrist.

She smiled, like physicians do, and nodded her head as she felt my pulse. It only took her a moment before she turned a smiling face at the older woman and said, "She's got strong vital signs. She may look frail but she is strong."

"I don't think you understand," I said quietly to the two women who were scrutinizing me. "I don't heal with my strength. I'm a healer. I heal with the gift."

The auburn haired woman frowned a little. "I hear that is hard on the body."

"Not for me, not anymore," I assured her. "Shall I demonstrate?" I asked her.

"Go for it," the older woman said with a little laugh.

I wasn't sure if she was delighted at the idea or laughing at my audacity. I looked to Castor but he just flicked his head at me as if to say, 'get on with it.' So, I did. Without touching a soul, I rubbed my two hands together and the gift began to flow. With a finger I directed it at the two women. They were subsequently engulfed in the yellow and green mist. A second later the mist dissipated and the women were healed of their ailments.

Like Castor before them, they looked down at themselves for a moment seemingly shocked by the sudden transformation. I caught Castor grinning openly at the two as they stared back at us. He had a look on his face that said, 'I told you so'.

I hid a small smile of delight. It was fun healing people with Castor around.

"What was that?" the younger woman said with amazement.

"That," Castor said with a smirk, "Is a Dhuuni."

One demonstration on two women was all it took and we had permission to enter every single infirmary in the city. Well, I had permission and Castor was welcome to come as well if he wanted. Since he was already committed to the group that was going around the city looking for survivors, he declined to be my escort. I was not surprised. Rescuing people was a much more valuable pursuit than escorting me from infirmary to infirmary. However, I did feel sad knowing we were going to have to part.

He did some talking with the Council Room members and then came to me where I sat patiently waiting for someone to tell me what to do. I looked up and smiled when I sensed him returning to my side of the room.

"It's settled," he said matter-of-factually. "Castilla will escort you around. That way there wont be any issues. You'll be able to get in and get out quickly with her around."

"Which one is that?" I asked quietly as I looked around him to the room full of people who were coming and going.

"The red-haired physician," he explained. "The one who took your pulse."

I nodded with understanding.

"You don't need to be afraid, Hashy," he said unexpectedly.

I looked up at him with surprise and tried to blink back the instant tears that threatened to spill down my face. My throat constricted with emotions and all I could do was nod at him.

"You are free now," he said with conviction as he placed his hands on my shoulders and gave them a squeeze. "In this place no one will treat you like a slave. No one has that power. Not anymore.

"Besides," he said with a genuine smile, "These people don't know you as anything or anyone but Hashy, the healer. They don't see you as a slave. That doctor, Castilla, when she looks at you, all she sees is a miraculous healer. That's just who and what you are - a Dhuuni."

The little speech touched my heart deeply and spoke to my very soul. I didn't move a muscle as I stared wide eyed at Castor and drank it all in. My eyes filled with tears that broke through my lashes and slid down my cheeks, but I never made a move to wipe them away. I just remained still and absorbed every heartfelt word.

Being with Castor, was like being with Det. He gave me such confidence and purpose. I wished, in that moment, that we didn't have to be parted. I would feel so much more courageous if I could go around the to each infirmary with him at my side. But, he had a job to do and that was that. Realizing his speech was over, I wiped at my tears and smiled warmly up at him.

"I understand," I told him.

From the corner of my eyes I saw Castilla approaching and realized my time with Castor was up. Desperate to hold on to him a minute  more, I flung my arms around him and hugged him tight. But, as soon as I felt fresh tears coming, I let him go and brushed past him to meet Castilla.

"Lets get going," she said to me as soon as my eyes met hers.

I nodded and followed her right out the door. I never once looked back at Castor. I wasn't sure if I'd ever see him again and the thought made me feel a little ill. I hadn't been with him for more than a few hours at this point and I felt more attached to him than any other human being in my life, save my mother. Maybe it was the old bond that drew me or the fact that he had just rescued me from a watery grave that day. In any event, I felt miserable parting with him and prayed to Kinabuhi that she would keep him safe until we met up again.