Aden has not arrived yet, nor have any of the merchants. The four of us sit at the table and start playing rummy. Soon we are trading the lead, Emi is first, then Helen, then me, then Emi, then Sophia, each hand changing the leader. We are playing to one hundred and all have scores in the high nineties, battling for the win. We are concentrating so hard we haven't notice that Aden, the merchants and the Captain have arrived, all of them standing there watching. The way we are playing is fast, as quickly as a discard is made the next person is playing, with just seconds between discards. Finally Sophia announces,"Rummy," in a loud voice, and laying down her cards. Which raises a groan from the rest of us. This is when we realize that we have an audience, because the question start coming fast and furious.

What are those paper things? What are you doing? Where can I get some of those? Will teach me? What do the P,Q and K represent? Is this the only game you play using these 'cards'?

"Gentlemen, after supper I will explain the game 'Rummy' and other things that may interest you. Now be seated, I believe it's ready. Emi, Helen would you assist Tilly, please." They go to help Tilly, by setting the table and bringing out the food. I do wish the forks had been ready to use, maybe before they leave. I ask Aden about the harvest, it's ahead of schedule, tomorrow will be the last day of cutting and the first of threshing. I tell him I have the design for the cleaner finished, could he take the plans to the woodworkers in the morning. He looks at me then the merchants, raising an eyebrow, I mouth 'It's alright'.

The merchants are all ears, as we are talking. I can see the gears spitting out questions but they are holding their tongues. Their eyes are aglow with avarice, except for Mark who has eyes for Emi only. He has managed to sit beside her, now that she is helping with serving, he sits watching her. She is aware of him watching. Oh boy, are they ever twitterpated.

Tilly has gone all out on supper, two different meat dishes, several vegetables dishes, bread and butter of course, wine for the merchants and the Captain, tea for the me and my friends. The meal goes well, the merchants complementing the cook which made Tilly blush a bit.

When the meal is finished and the table has been cleared, we started teaching the merchants rummy. One merchant is exceptionally bad at playing, probably because he has had too much wine to drink. When he got too belligerent I banned him from the game, which he didn't take well. He was sitting a few places down the table, grumbling to himself as the rest of us played.

I am concentrating on the game when I hear a shriek. Looking around I see the belligerent one trying to get Helen to sit on his lap but she is having none of that. Within a second Kalvin has a knife at the mans throat, hissing in his ear, "Let her go, NOW." The man had gone pale, releasing Helen who flees to hide behind Sophia. Sophia looks like she will attack him, her hands balled in fists, her eyes bright, I swear they are glowing. I lay a hands on her arm, shaking my head,"Be calm, Sophia."

Walking over to the man,"You sir, are NOT welcome here, and by here I mean the island of Haven. Captain, please escort this man to your ship and do not allow him to leave it while you are in port. He may conduct business by messenger but if I catch him on the island again, Kalvin's knife will be the least of his worries." I turn to the man, "NOW BE GONE!", this last was shouted in the mans face, my anger showing. I turned to comfort my friend.

"Kalvin, please help the Captain. You," Aden turns to Mark and the other merchant, "should also leave. We will speak later, I assure you." He leads them all to the front door.

As he is saying this, Sophia, Emi, Tilly and I take Helen into the kitchen where we are in a group hug trying to comfort her. Once the man is out of sight she breaks down, crying and shaking, her adrenaline level having dropping, no longer being in flee or fight mode. I consult with Sophia, we decide to take Helen to Sophia's room where Sophia will care for her tonight, not letting her be alone. Tilly has made a cup of tea for Helen, who drinks it down, still crying a bit but calmer than she was. We escort her up stairs to Sophia's room, Emi detouring to fetch her chemise she uses as a night gown, while the rest of us take her clothes off. When Emi arrives with the chemise, it is slipped over her head and she is put on the bed, the tea already having an effect.

"Sophia, can you guard her dreams, so she knows she is safe and loved?" She gives me a nod. I lean down and kiss her on the forehead then saying,"Sleep well, sweetie." I move so the others can do the same if they wish. Emi ruffles her hair and kisses her forehead, murmuring something to her. I give Sophia a hug and smile as I leave with Emi and Tilly.

* * *

After Rufina and the others leave, Sophia watches Helen sleep for a while, thinking of what to do. Rufina's suggestion to watch her dreams indicated that Rufina thought Helen is in danger from her dreams but what danger? Sophia may be a god but it had been a while since she had interacted so closely with humans, had their knowledge increased to the point that they could predict the goings on in the mind of someone. Except for a handful of gods, the gods of Earth had fallen in disfavor, barely acknowledged by the humans.

She decides to monitor Helen in her sleep so stripped her clothes off and crawled into the bed next to her charge, snuggling up to her. She could feel Helen relax in her sleep, pressing gently against Sophia. Sophia slowly merges her mind with Helen's, watching the parts of her mind that had to do with dreams. She may have slept herself, but when Helen's dreaming mind screamed she was there in an instant, ah, this is what Rosa meant. Helen's mind was reliving the attack, the fear building toward terror, her mind not letting her flee, instead holding her there, having that man do things to her. Sophia's dream self steps up to the man and did what she had wanted to in real life, smash his face in, now dare he touch her without permission or tenderness. Her dream self gathered Helen in her arms comforting her, stroking her hair. Slowly Helen calms sinking into deeper sleep, leaving Sophia alone in the dream space.

She thought of what had happened, developing a plan. When she again heard Helen scream in dream space she is there in an instant, again punching that man in the face, she holds Helen once again but this time suggests to the dreaming Helen that they rid her of this boogeyman. She leads the dream Helen to the memory of the attack, where she can feel Helen quivering in fear, she tells her purge him, kick him where it hurts the most. She help her modify her memory of the attack, she no longer was a helpless victim having to be rescued by others but rescuing herself, bringing hurt upon him. She lost the fear of him, his grip on her is gone. After Sophia leads her back to the normal dream space, Helen again falls into a deeper sleep.

There are no more screams in dream space. Though there is something different. Sophia is in a meditative state when she hears Helen calling her, "Sophia where are you? Sophia?" She can hear her crying. She once again enters dream space, it is a barren void, with Helen sitting there crying, calling for Sophia.

"Why do you cry and call my name, little one?"

"Oh Sophia, you're here, you're here." She leaps up, hugging Sophia tightly, crying on her breasts. "I couldn't find you. Then you didn't come. I was lonely."

"But I am here now, little one. Please be happy, you make me so sad when you cry so." she caressed Helen's face, wiping her tears away. Helen reach up and caressed Sophia's cheek, then stood on tiptoe and kisses her, with passion, exploring her mouth with her tongue, soon Sophia is returning the kiss. Helen's hands started roaming over Sophia, touching her breasts, her stomach, her bottom and finally her crotch. Breaking the kiss she leaned down and started suckling like a young child, while still caressing Sophia's folds. Sophia's nipples hardened, her legs spread open slightly to give Helen access. Sophia's hands caressed Helen's back, then her breasts, until Helen sinks to the floor pulling Sophia with her. Helen places her face in Sophia crotch, licking and sucking. Her own crotch moved to hover near Sophia's mouth, inviting her to do the same, which she does. They were both approaching the edge when first Helen then Sophia awaken, to find themselves in the same positions they had been in dream space. They resume their actions, until they approach the edge again, this time going over, together. Once they recovered, they righted themselves, kissed each other as they snuggled together. Soon they returned to sleep.

It was near dawn when Sophia wakes. She lay there contented, not wishing to move but her bladder demands she move. After using the chamber pot and cleaning her self, she dressed in the clothes from the evening before then goes to the sitting room to meditate, waiting for the others to awaken.