Taelythenihel gathers the food on offer and hands it to Ossa. "We shall not stray far, and if we encounter trouble, we shall hasten back immediately," she says. She smiles ruefully. "I call her my servant, but it seems to me I spend more time looking after her particular needs than she does mine. Come along, Ossa. You may find privacy in the wood." The two walk a few yards further, then turn off the road.
After a few minutes, Taelythenihel emerges from behind a tree, with Ossa a step behind. The servant's hood is back, and for the first time, her face is visible. It is a hideous ruin, burned and mutilated, with patches of hair clinging to a scarred scalp. As she turns towards the wagons, she raises the hood, but stops in her tracks. She swiftly lifts her shield to hide her head and retreats from sight. Taelythenihel follows her, looking tense and sad.
In a minute, the pair return from the woods directly opposite the wagons, Taelythenihel pulling the rehooded Ossa by the hand. "Do not be upset, dear," she says. "You were not thinking. The others will not mind." She looks about, as though challenging anyone to comment.