3 - Seeking answers

When the soldiers left, Mowe rushed to the women on the floor and other women aided as well. They were surrounded and Mowe taught the other women how to retain the consciousness of the women on the floor as they were lying recumbent and wheezing, unable to talk.

"We stayed in the same camp. I know her. She is known for her medicinal gifts," Axena told the group of fighters who stood beside each other and all came forth to check out the women who were helplessly bound and laid on the bare floor as Mowe tried to ensure their consciousness. 

"Keep her close then. We may need her," Xylin said. "After this moment, we should spread out and converse with all. Find out who has a skill that could be helpful. We need them all."

"They will come again. What do we do?" a seeming teen said and began to weep. 

The fighters neglected. 

"Now that we know what we are up against we have to act fast. If we get picked out daily, it will finally come down to us and we would lose our feet and chance to fight once pregnant. We should do something," one of the fighters said. 

As they were debating, a teenage boy walked in. At his sight, the women drew backwards and watched while he took position before the cell and faced them all. He gulped down some mouthful of liquid and sighed. Axena could presume he wasn't like the others. He wasn't soldiery kitted with irons and helmet and sword like the ones that came earlier, he was in a piece of fabric and he held a bat in his hand. Axena could tell that he was doing all he could to avoid gazing at women of older age. 

While Axena watched fixedly, he changed position and turned towards the stairs that led to the upper region of the building whose architecture she knew not. Should she be free and decide to run, she knew not where to turn for now. All these she wanted to know before attempting an escape if there was a chance for one. 

"He is but a guard. He is not a soldier," Axena said softly to Xylin and she checked him out too. 

"So what? We grab him and get the keys?" Xylin said. 

"Nice. We draw him close and snap his neck," another said and Axena sighed.

"That we are rebels does not imply that we act rash. Snap his neck with bounded hands? Look at him, he doesn't have the keys. Do you think a guard with a bat could stop us all? They know what they're doing," Axena intoned. "I tell you he's a guard because he's weak and accessible. He can be of good use."

"So, smart cunt, get us all out. You seem to know more than us all," Xylin said and stepped forward. Axena did too. Their hands touched each other as they were bounded before them. The two stared at each other and the others watched. If they were not bound, a fight would ensue and none would try to stop them - that was their RebelHood code when it comes to the fight for superiority. 

"We do this my way."

"If we had done it your way in the first instance, you might be loaded with semen right now. You might be writhing on the floor unable to talk let alone wanting to snap a neck. You might be the girl that never returned. I need time to fix him and I'm not asking you," Axena said into Xylin's face. 

"Fix him, whichever way. Just ensure all leads to getting us all out of here," Xylin returned. 

"Well. Let's see," Axena said and with her eyes fixed on Xylin, she walked close to the bars and raised her hands to hold the bars. She could note the boy's reaction and she saw that he was uncomfortable with their nakedness. She decided to give him a closer look. 

"Hey boy," she called out and the boy looked in her direction and suddenly turned away. She smiled at the reaction and she paused. She smiled, out of her anonymous predicament whose end was unknown, she found something that initiated a smile in her. 

"Go back in," he said in a tiny voice, one that Axena would assign to a mid-teen. He spoke without looking in her direction. 

"I will. I need water," Axena said and cleared her throat. 

"Go back in, or I'll hit you," the boy said and walked close to Axena, hoisting the bat for her to see. She did not look at the bat that was hoisted and threatened to land on her head, instead, she was looking into his face. Again, she managed a smile. The first one was real, this was false.

"Some men came in a while ago and slept with some of us. Some that were untouched craved for their touch but we were not graced by the gods," Axena could see him giving a short span glance at her breast and she wanted it that way. She was sending some signals and she could see that he was receiving them. "When you came around I planned to step up and demand. But you're just there. Are you scared?"

Silence prevailed for a while and the boy huffed when he took a last glance below. He held his upper lip with his teeth and looked in the direction where he had come. Axena noticed a movement - the bat went down and stood and Axena followed it. It stood to conceal his pelvic region and Axena predicted that he was having a knock. Here she saw the need to press on. 

"All these for you," she pressed on and ensured that her breasts waggled left to right. In the respite that followed, Axena pressed them against the bars such that her nipples were forced to pump out. "You alone."

"I don't have the keys," he hurriedly voiced and wiped his face with his hands to clear off the beads of perspiration that were arising from his forehead. 

"Key? I am not after the keys but after your key. Unlock my gate down there. Kiss me. Let me taste your sweet juvenile lips," Axena said and pushed her lips forward. She was sure that the boy would accede but a distant iron door was banged as though it was forcefully opened. At the sound, the boy assumed his attentive post and looked ahead. As an afterthought, he put his hand into his pants and out he came after pressing his laps together. Axena read the action and guessed some of the rules she knew nothing about which was that the guard must not have a knock - she understood the reason and what she was about to do was one of them. She then forced he way through the moshpit that existed in the cell and went to the back line where the fighting group were. She had to push some of the women out of her way in the protective measures she had planned to activate to keep herself from the soldiers. She knew she had features that could pick her out. 

She stood with the group, at a point where she would see what was going on outside the cell and they all were expectant with their eyes set on the guard before them. Axena could tell that the women were scared. 

"Any luck?" Plinx asked and Axena nodded before she replied. 

"He's eating it. I need little time," she responded.

There came another guard dressed in the same attire and with his bat attached to his girdle. He held a big basket and placed it on the floor as he silently conversed with his colleague. At intervals, they both would stare at the women and shook their heads. They would giggle after a look at the women. 

The new guard then drew the basket close to the cell and found a lather that was lying in the cell and erected it. With the lather, he went up and opened a lid above the cell. Axena couldn't have discerned that one was there upon the thorough assessment she thought she had given to the cell. 

When the lid was opened, the women looked up to see and moulded flour then rained on them. The women hustled for it, pushing themselves and jostling for a meal. Some had two on their hands, some one, and some none. Some fought to get one. 

Mowe got two and gave one to Axena. When she perceived the odour from the flour meal, she could tell that it was unleavened. She was keen on getting information and her eyes were fixed on the guards. She waited till the guard with the food left. She resumed her initial position and held the bars.

"Why tell me you don't have the key when I am not inquiring freedom from you? I am the one offering you what men are after. All I need is that we talk," she said and had her breasts hanging out. 

The boy looked to the right and then walked to see the passage where his comrade had taken. He sighed and stood on one of his feet as he relaxed the other. He scratched his cheek with his finger, ruffled his hair, and dabbed his eyes with his hands. He was buying it - Axena could see.

"Talk? Just talk?" he inquired hurriedly. 

"Yes. For accepting, you get a kiss. For an answer that seemed like truth, you can touch me. If it's the truth, you can put it in," Axena said. She had decided to turn around and allow the boy an entry should he accept. It was better if she gave it than forcefully taken - was the idea behind the action.