I hit the windfall that morning as Master and I passed back through the Hall of Song. There was discarded and leftover food scattered everywhere and only a few sober men sitting about. My mouth began to salivate at the sight and I had some difficulty not drooling. Would Master stop? Would he let me quietly eat up the scraps left here and there? I lagged behind him a bit as we entered the hall hoping he would hear my stomach growling and be merciful.

"What's keeping you?" he asked under his breath as he stopped to glare at me.

I grinned and rubbed my belly as I let my eyes fall on the discarded food. He was clever. I knew he'd understand. His face darkened with disgust as he looked around at the mess left behind by his patrons. He certainly would never deign to eat another man's left overs, but he knew I had no such qualms. As if on cue, my stomach grumbled loudly and Master frowned at me. With a disgusted sigh he whispered at me, "Go on then, eat up while I visit with my guests a moment."

Delighted, I gave him a bright smile and a little bow. He just rolled his eyes at me and walked to the other side of the hall - as far from me as he could get. I didn't hesitate a moment more and happily gorged myself on the delectable foods I found - even the things half eaten already. I ate until my belly was fully extended and could not get one more morsel down without bringing it all back up. Life was good.

Once my appetite was satiated, I remembered the girls in my room. The ones who had been rudely awakened in the wee hours of the morning by none other than myself and Master. Here was my chance to appease them a little because I knew I was not going to hear the end of it when they saw me again - Dhuuni or not. Looking about carefully, I snatched a linen from the table. It was already soiled and no one would miss it. With a self-satisfied grin I stuffed it with all kinds of food - meats, sweets and fruits too. Then I tied it up tightly and set it beside me on the wooden bench. I would sneak it to my room in plain sight. I would simply act as if I had a right to carry a soiled linen bundle. Who was to say I didn't? Who, but Master.

I was as sneaky as I could be about these sorts of things as often as I had the chance. Mother used to tell me it was just in my nature. She said it was the gift that made me fearless when every other slave-born around me was meek and mild as milk. I wasn't really fearless at all though. I was just a little foolish - more than the rest. Mother was so exasperated by my brazenness. She thought for sure it would get me and her both in deep trouble one day. I tried to curb it for her sake. I tried to act like the others, but it never lasted. And now, well, my mother wasn't here to reprimand me anymore, which meant I had few compelling reasons to constrain myself.

I wondered, for the millionth time since she was sold off, if she was well. But, there was no point on dwelling too long on such thoughts. I was never going to know the answer. And the truth was, her life was probably very harsh and very lonely. Mine was lonely without her.

My bright spirits dipped and suddenly I was feeling very tired. I needed to sleep. I always felt melancholy when I was excessively tired. I laid my head down on the table and rested while Master talked away to his guests. I couldn't afford to fall asleep here though. Master would be livid if he found me asleep and had to go to the trouble of waking me up in front of his guests. So, I just sat with my cheek pressed to the smooth wood table and looked straight down the surface of it until I could feel his life-force come near. Then I sat up, grabbed my linen bundle, and grinned at him to hide my somber mood.

I knew my Master well. He was a shrewd business man, to be certain, but he was not so miserly and mean-spirited that he would begrudge me a linen full of scraps. When he came to collect me, I stood with confidence while cradling my bundle. I didn't need to hide it from him - just from other servants. He glanced at it a moment and then turned away with a sudden look of distaste. Oh, how I wanted to laugh with amusement. One man's scraps were a slave's treasure, and the good ol' Master was not going to deprive me of my disgusting little bundle. It would be beneath him.

"Must you?" he asked me as he looked around the hall to see if anyone was observing us.

I only nodded.

"Fine," he grumbled. "But, keep it out of sight."

I was happy to comply and tucked the bundle at my side. He said no more and simply stalked out of the Hall. Grinning from ear to ear, I followed closely behind him as we exited the room, walked through the enormous courtyard, which was now bustling with people, and finally came to stop in front of the servant's quarters. Here the Master would go no further. Under the cover of night he ventured into the slave quarters without a care, but in the daylight he could only bring himself to even darken the entrance of the servant's quarters. I wondered that he bothered to escort me this far at all. However, I didn't question him. I just gave him a dutiful bow, a little smile, and departed from him with a skip in my step.

I couldn't wait to share my treasure with the other girls. I prayed they would be forgiving. However, the room was empty when I arrived. The others were at their morning duties, but I wouldn't have to wait long before they returned for a mid-morning break. Of course, there was no way I could keep my eyes open as I waited. So, with my little parcel tucked beside me and the smells of decadent meats, sweets and fruit filling my nostrils, I lay down on my cot and had a nap.

Yana, the meanest of the group I shared the room with, but also the easiest to please or win over with gifts, was the first to come in during the mid morning break. She dragged me by the ankle out of my bed while barking at me, "How dare you sleep! None of us got another wink of it after you made such a racket when you left with Master."

I was hardly awake enough to register her complaint. But, hearing her voice, I knew to untie my bundle of goodies and show them to her. "An apology and a peace-offering for you and the girls," I said sleepily.

She snatched it out of my hands and immediately devoured the choicest scraps. I hid a smile.

"What do you say, Yana? Will you forgive me?" I asked her as I got on my knees and bowed my head before her.

Slaves did this all the time to free-borns, to servants and to other slaves who were in any kind of superior position. It meant nothing to me to kneel, to grovel. I was sure she would forgive me. It was just a formality with Yana. She loved shows of respect because, of course, we never got them from anyone. We were the least of the least around here.

Usai came in, at that moment and let out a little squeal of delight. She was not delighted to see me, of course. She was excited about the linen full of scraps. As soon as she saw me kneeling in front of Yana she knew, if the look on her face was any indication, that I had come bearing a peace offering. And the smell of meats and sweets must have reached her at the door as soon as she stepped into our room because our room was very small. There was no where for the sweet and savory scents to go but straight to her nostrils the moment she entered.

Usai was very close to Yana. The two were nearly inseparable. And so, she was not the least bit afraid of Yana's temper, which meant she didn't have any trouble bounding into the room and snatching the linen right out from Yana's hand. She then bounded back to the door and stuffed a random handful of bits into her mouth before Yana could come and claim the linen again. I sent Usai a wink, which she returned along with a cheeky grin. But, there was a big purple welt on her face and my smile fell away.

"What happened, Usai?" I asked as I scrambled over the cots and came to stand beside her at the door where I could get a better look at her swollen face. Someone had taken a stick or a fire poker to her cheek. This was not the work of a simple slap to the face. I frowned as I reached out and gently touched her cheek - careful not to touch the welt at all.

"Don't do it there," Yana hissed at us. "Someone will see and tattle for sure," she said with resentment.

It was true. I was not permitted to heal slaves or servants without the express permission of Master Goren. And, if caught, we were both subject to being beaten. But, I never let a little thing like that stop me from healing the girls in my room. What was the point of having this gift if I could not use it to help improve their lives. As it was, I had become a bit clever about how I healed them. I often left the nasty looking bruises, lumps, cuts or breaks alone and just targeted the pain center. This way, they would walk around looking awful, but they wouldn't feel the pain anymore. And the free-born or the head servants who abused them wouldn't have a clue that they were not suffering anymore.

Usai stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. "Leave the welt," she reminded me with a little frown.

"I will," I told her with reassuring smile. She gave me a little nodded and I continued to apply my gift to her injury.

It was such a little thing, but, since I was still feeling drained, the effort to heal exhausted me entirely. Without another word to her or Yana, I crawled straight into my bed and fell directly asleep. I never heard another peep out of anyone until I was woken by the end of day dinner bell. When I woke, the room was empty and the linen gone. I wasn't sure that everyone in the room had gotten a taste of the Hall of Song scraps I'd brought back. It was possible that Yana and Usai stuffed their faces and never let the other girls know I'd brought them a peace offering. But it didn't really matter. As long as I had appeased the two most difficult girls to live with in our room, the better it was for all of us.

The other girls, if they ever found out, would understand. Yana and Usai were not known for being benevolent. Not even to each other. So, the others had little hope of getting in on this treat if they weren't there the moment I gave it over to Yana. Still, as I looked around the empty room, I felt satisfied. No one, besides Yana, disturbed my slumber all day, so that must have meant I'd been forgiven. Grinning to myself, I got up quickly and headed for the little hall where the slaves ate. If I didn't hurry, the slim pickings were going to be invisible pickings, and, the way my stomach was growling, invisible was not going to satisfy me at all that night.