Elfhild was awakened by a hand gently shaking her shoulder. Blinking her eyes into focus, she beheld the smiling face of Su-a, one of the servants who had assisted her in bathing and dressing the previous evening. Elfhild groaned and raised a hand to clutch her brow. The sun might have risen but she was not yet ready to meet the day. Her head ached and felt like a pillow stuffed with too much down, and although she had slept for hours, her limbs felt heavy, as though a leaden blanket had been spread over her body.

"It is dawn, Mistress," Su-a exclaimed in a voice that was much too loud and cheery for Elfhild's liking. "Time to wake up so that we may wash your hair and comb the dead vermin from your lovely tresses. You must remember that this treatment needs to be repeated in two weeks to kill any nits that might hatch. Now if you will just go over there and take a seat..." The girl gestured towards the same spot where the tub had been the previous night. In its place were two stools, two empty pottery bowls and four water-filled buckets. "Everything is in readiness for you."

Yawning, Elfhild sat up halfway, resting her weight on her elbows. She leaned forward and placed her hands on her aching skull, kneading the scalp with her fingertips. She glanced over to Elffled, who had just awakened and was rising to her feet. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Elffled gave her sister a bright smile before yawning and stretching her slumber-stiffened body. Elfhild noted that she appeared to have enjoyed a thoroughly refreshing and satisfying sleep. Evidently her rest had not been interrupted by the amorous nocturnal noises of Esarhaddon and the two Gondorian prostitutes.

"Mistresses, you must hurry!" implored Su-a, who was the more authoritative of the two servants. "There is not much time to care for your hair and then dress you before your breakfast will be served. Everything must be done quickly, for the great Shakh is impatient to be leaving!"

Elfhild struggled to a sitting position, wincing as she felt the ache of the many injuries which she had received over the past few days. Gingerly hugging her chest, she looked over to the slaver's couch and found that the bed had been made up, the maroon coverlet once again spread over it. Esarhaddon was already gone. "Where is the slaver?" she mumbled.

"Oh, the great lord was up long before the dawn," Su-a informed her. "He breakfasts now with Lord Awidan, but that is no concern of ours. Hurry now; take your places on the stools so that we may tend to your hair."

Elfhild sleepily watched the cheerful and smiling servants as they assisted Elffled in undressing and then wrapped a long towel about her body. Although she knew that she was probably being uncharitable, even petty, Elfhild could not help but wonder whether Su-a and Su-din would be this pleasant had they not been given orders to treat them in the most solicitous of manners. Since being captured months ago, Elfhild's naturally trusting nature had begun gradually eroding away, and she wondered if the only one she could truly trust was her sister. And then a gentle memory stepped into her mind - the tall, thin irascible old man whose gruff expression could turn in an instant to a beaming smile. Alas, they had been given little time to mourn for Tarlanc - only a few moments by his grave ere it was filled!

A lump rose in Elfhild's throat as she remembered his face - the spider webs at the corners of his eyes and how they crinkled when his clear eyes, undimmed with age, drew up in amusement; the translucent skin which looked as fragile as a scribe's parchment; and the impish smile he had when he thought no one was looking at him. Although his life had been a sad one - he had lost the love of his life when he was young and then had been forced to say farewell forever to his family at the beginning of the war - still he always had a joke, a story, a song or a tale to tell to lift their spirits. When he had first come upon them as they were looting his cottage, Elfhild had judged him a demented old curmudgeon whom age and woe had rendered insane. She had been afraid of him at first, suspecting that he had lascivious designs on them both, or if not that, then that he planned to turn them over to the slavers for a reward.

How wrong she had been! Although he was not pleased that they had robbed his house, he had treated them kindly, even removing the collars from their necks and hiding those hated things forever beneath the waters of the mill pond. A kind old rascal, it did not matter to the old miller whether they were happy or angry with him. Even when they frowned and railed, were cross and out of sorts, he would never become angry, but would scold them in good-natured kindness, much like a grandfather.

If he had allowed the Southern slave traders to take them away back into bondage, he could have reaped a rich reward, but not Tarlanc! Not that brave and honorable old gentleman! He had tried to help them in every way that he could, even planning the escape back to Rohan, but death had been his only reward. Grief at his loss surged over Elfhild, but that emotion was mixed with one equally strong - black, bitter guilt. She was the cause of his death. If she had never accepted his offer to lead them back to Rohan, the kind, dear old gentleman would still be alive!

How strange were the workings of fate! She, a polite, well-mannered girl, the daughter of a poor but respectable family, was directly responsible for the death of an orc, and indirectly responsible for the deaths of a man, a dog, two horses, and two more orcs. Oh, how evil would be the final judgment of the deeds of her life? Would, perhaps, the Gods forgive her for Tarlanc's death, considering that she had helped rid the world of three despicable orcs?

"Mistress?" Su-a's slightly irritated voice shook Elfhild from her reverie. "Are you going to come now and sit on the stool so that I may groom your hair? Su-din has almost finished with your sister." Her head cocked to one side, Su-a waited beside one of the stools, her foot tapping up and down impatiently.

"Oh! I am sorry. Forgive me! I must have dozed off again," Elfhild mumbled, rising unsteadily to her feet. As she walked over to the stool, she felt light-headed, so much so that when she sat down, she had to grasp both sides of the seat to steady herself. Elffled, who was seated on a nearby stool while Su-din combed through her long, wet hair for lice, placed a steadying hand upon Elfhild's shoulder.

Su-a smiled sympathetically at Elfhild as she stripped her of her robe and gave her a towel to clutch about herself. "Oh, Mistress, I understand. How exhausted you must still be from your long journey, and I have heard that you are just recovering from an illness. Please realize that there is not much time for us to get you prepared. Your master will be angry with Su-din and me if you are not ready by the time he and his men leave. Now please hold this bowl on your lap and lean forward while I comb the excess oil and dead nits from your hair," Su-a instructed as she unwound the towel from Elfhild's head and then handed her the ceramic bowl.

While Su-a ran the many-toothed ivory comb through Elfhild's hair, Su-din lathered up Elffled's tresses, scrubbing diligently to remove the oil and debris. Then she poured one of the pails of water over Elffled's head, rinsing and combing through the hair again. She kept the slave boys constantly moving on a repetitious circuit to take the dirty water out and return with clean water. As they were clad only in towels wrapped around their bodies, the twins felt awkward in the presence of the boys, but Su-a and Su-din assured them that the boys were eunuchs and would not lust for them. When Su-din was satisfied that she had successfully scrubbed out all the oil and any lice which she had missed previously, she dried Elffled's hair and wrapped it with a towel, winding the soft, thick material about her head like a turban. Leaving the clutter and mess of the shampooing to the servant boys, Su-din led Elffled to a trunk at the western side of the tent.

As Su-din opened the chest and showed Elffled the clothing inside, Elfhild noticed that her sister was frowning in disappointment. A few minutes later, she saw the reason for her long face as Elffled stepped into a pair of stark white cotton breeches with legs that fell slightly above her knees. Next came a simple short white under-tunic which had been embroidered with strange tiny runes sewn over the approximate location of each vital organ. Over the undergarments came a long outer tunic of drab green and a pair of baggy tan pantaloons. After Su-din had wrapped an orange and brown stripped sash several times about Elffled's waist, she pronounced the costume nearly complete. Bringing one of the stools over to the carpeted area, Su-din instructed Elffled to sit while she helped her don a pair of short, serviceable riding boots. Su-din was quick to inform both of them that they had also been provided with fine woolen burnooses.

"I had hoped that I might be given women's clothing, something on the order of that lovely robe I wore last night," Elffled remarked dejectedly. "I did not really want to wear men's breeches again..." Dressing up as boys had brought her and her sister so much trouble with Sharapul and Âmbalfîm, and she shuddered at the memories.

"Breeches?" Su-din asked, tilting her head slightly in puzzlement.

"These." Elffled pointed to the tan trousers.

"Oh, pantaloons!" Su-din exclaimed, understanding dawning on her face. "While those are indeed boy's pantaloons, you should realize that both men and women wear such garments in the South and East. This clothing will stand you in good stead, for you will be riding astride over harsh and rough country. The pantaloons will protect your legs from briars and thorns; the under tunic has been embroidered with powerful spells that will protect you from enemies; and the burnoose and its hood will shield you from the sun and wind. The great Shakh was only looking after your welfare when he directed that you should wear this clothing. He surely cannot provide you a palanquin for your comfort!"

"Then I am in his debt," Elffled remarked softly.

While Su-a finished combing the dead nits from Elfhild's hair, Su-din called for a servant boy to fetch Elffled a glass of tea and some sesame cakes. As Elffled drank her tea, Su-din rubbed a drop of aromatic oil through her hair, for all of the washing had stripped it of its natural moisture and left it tangled and squeaky to the touch. After smoothing Elffled's damp tresses, Su-din began combing them so they lay against her back straight as stalks of wheat.

"I am sorry, but you do not have any choice in how you will wear your hair. The master specified that it was to be braided, but he will allow you to choose the style of braid."

"Just a single braid down the back, please," Elffled replied, uncertain of the styles of the South.

As the two slave girls worked, they chattered away in their soft voices, discussing the latest titillating gossip of the camp. "Oh, Su-din," Su-a stifled a yawn, "I am so sleepy! The noises of the camp kept me up all night, and I was not able to sleep for more than a few seconds. Did you have trouble sleeping because of all the commotion?"

"I could barely sleep all night," Su-din replied as she searched through the contents of the chest for something suitable to braid in Elffled's hair. "The guards came for the blacksmith sometime around eight o'clock last evening, and as they led him away, the man was sobbing and begging for mercy. Rumor has it that he even befouled his pantaloons! Then when they locked him in the stocks and took the cane to his feet, he screamed the loudest of all of the miscreants. Everyone could hear him weeping and moaning as though he were being killed. It is told that they beat his feet until they bled, but that is common when the bastinado is applied." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Finally he was moved from the tent where he was housed because his wailing was keeping many in the camp awake - or so I heard."

"They should have gagged him throughout the whole thing. That would have kept that repulsive pig from squealing and allowed us to sleep!" Su-a giggled, a malicious gleam in her dark brown eyes. "I wish I could have seen him squirm!"

"At least his four guards took their punishment like soldiers and did not whimper like cowards," Su-din opined knowingly.

"If anyone deserved punishment, it was those crude men," Elffled remarked in a dour undertone, resentfully looking down at the floor. "They took liberties with my sister and me, and would have had their way with us if they could have." Though it was cruel of her, she felt a sense of satisfaction that the blacksmith and the guards had been punished for their lechery.

Lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, Su-din confided, "The blacksmith vowed that two wanton slave girls had tried to seduce him, and when he refused as a matter of honor, they told their master that he and the guards had tried to force themselves upon them. One of our lord's slave boys reported that as he was walking by the tent after the canings, he overheard the blacksmith swear that he would take his revenge upon the girls and kill both of them."

"Oh, that is horrible!" Elfhild exclaimed, blanching with horror.

Elffled lifted her head defiantly. "If those were indeed the blacksmith's words, then I wish they had whipped him to death! I know that I would shed no tears for his passing!"

"Elffled!" Elfhild exclaimed in dismay. "You should never wish the death of another person!"

Elffled turned blazing eyes upon her sister. "That filthy old lecher lied about us! Hmph!"

Su-a raised a scornful eyebrow. "Nothing but foolish talk, the braying of a jackass. You should ignore it. The only ones who will believe his outlandish tale are his own vile friends. You need not worry about your lives, either. The man is so fat and lazy that he would not make the effort to kill anyone."

"Too cowardly, you mean," Su-din interjected. "Only a fool would threaten the property of the great Shakh Esarhaddon uHuzziya!"

Reaching down to the small box where she kept her supplies, Su-a took out a jar of soap and began massaging the creamy, fragrant liquid into Elfhild's hair. "Now, mistresses, whatever the blacksmith has threatened, you should not worry; he will never carry through with any of it," she quietly reassured them.

"From what I understand, the boorish blacksmith, his disgusting little assistant, and those lecherous guards will be leaving the service of Shakh Esarhaddon," Su-din exclaimed triumphantly, smiling as she looked up from braiding Elffled's hair, which she had momentarily forgotten. "Never again will they touch any woman who belongs to Shakh Esarhaddon!"

The four girls fell into silence while the two servants finished the twins' toilette. After cleansing and combing Elfhild's hair and rubbing a smoothing oil through the strands, Su-a assisted her in dressing. The clothing that Elfhild was given was similar to that which her sister wore, the pantaloons and long tunic of a young man of the South. Soon their breakfast arrived, and the twins ate hungrily as they listened to Su-a and Su-din share camp gossip. Though they did not understand everything that the two girls said, the twins found the conversation pleasant and felt grateful at being included. This was their first time being around women from Harad, and the twins were curious about how their culture and customs differed from those of Rohan. Perhaps if other Southrons and Easterlings were this kind to them, then being a slave would not be so bad.