Melody had spent almost two hours supervising both the pillaging of the village and the distribution of the spoils. Her people were well disciplined and without even the slightest thought about filching for themselves a single coin, cloak, candlestick, and chamber pot delivered everything they collected to the space below a hastily erected, open sided tent. 

There, Melody's [i]Thesartar[/i] -- at Court they would call him the [i]treasurer[/i] -- went to work. He collected all of the coins and dropped them in Melody's chest. She typically kept about half of this loot for the Clan's treasury, disbursing the rest of it to the Officers and warriors as appropriate for their service and loyalty to her.

After that, the Thesartar -- under Melody's direction -- separated off other items of value for his Lady's personal use or future gift giving: clothing, art, intricately crafted weapons or jewelry. Once the Clan's leader had what she wanted, the remaining pile of pillage was open to perusing by the Officers; then by the Common Warriors; and then finally by the other men, women, and children of the Clan.

Melody had long left before the feeding frenzy had begun, leading a half dozen men with their hands full of [i]her[/i] spoils up to her tent. Inside, they piled the goods in one corner of the square tent before departing. It was only now when Melody recalled that she had requested the presence of one of the female captives. The Guard who had been keeping an eye on the woman hit Aea's upper arm with the flat side of his short sword, then nodded her attention toward his Mistress.

Melody began stripping away some of what she wore -- gloves, weapons belt, cloak, and leather armor -- as she walked a slow circle around the woman and gave her a good once over viewing. Aea was taller than she was herself, something Melody hadn't been able to notice when the girl was sitting in the mud. 

"Is it ready?" Melody asked one of the other slaves, a woman twice her age named Haanya. Melody nodded her head toward the bath, clarifying her inquiry, "Is it warm enough yet?"

"Nearly," the older woman said, hurrying over to the new slave and urging her back to her duties. "Just a few more pitchers of hot water, m'lady."

Melody continued undressing, shedding her woolen tunic; it was covered in soot from the conflagration, sending up a gray-black cloud as she pulled it loose. Underneath she wore a satin shift, but -- with Haanya helping with the buttons -- it came off as well. Melody was suddenly standing before the captured villager in only her boots and the socks hidden within them. She showed no concern that she was naked before the stranger, sitting on a stool to have the servant strip her feet until they were as bare as the rest of her.

She tested the warmth of the tub, told Haanya it needed more heat, and stepped into it. Melody sank down until the water was just reaching the lower curvatures of her young, firm, pert breasts.  She splashed some water on her bosom, wiping away some of the soot that had gotten into her wardrobe.

"What do you call yourself?" she asked the new slave. She waited for an answer, then asked, "The little girl who was cuddling up close to you in the mud ... she is family?"  Melody didn't know if the young woman would answer that question, but if the answer was yes, she would call to the guard outside the tent to fetch the girl and bring her here. In the meantime, Melody explained the young woman's new situation: "You are to be one of my [i]Shërbëtorë të dhomës së krevatit[/i]. Do you know what that means...? Do you speak the Old Language? It means ... Haanya, how would you translate--"

"You will serve your Lady's personal needs," the older servant said, "laundering her clothing, building her fire, fetching her water, serving her food and drink, emptying her [i]Enë dhome[/i] ... her chamber pot." 

It was easier Haanya thought to explain the duties than it was to translate the words in a literal sense. As she'd been talking, she'd moved to grasp the girl and move her around to behind [url=https://i.imgur.com/T65GHIC.jpg?1]Melody's head[/url]. Gesturing to the multitude of braids in her Lady's hair, she instructed, "Loose these, and be gentle ... do not pull her hair. Go, [i]go[/i]. Get started." 

Melody leaned back into the tub to make her head more easily reachable.