With a grunt of effort, the prone warrior turned his head to the side in order to see the source of the excited voice. Upon seeing the small girl, he smiled faintly, then moved his hand to touch whatever part of his new mistress that he could reach.<br/><br/>His voice was harsh, gravely, and weak when he spoke, but his words were clear and gentle, "No. Milady... she needn't be sent away. Exposure will breed experience, and thus understanding. With understanding, she will have no desire to disobey your orders. If it is your will to banish her, then please, do so at your convenience. But if it is on my account that you send the child away, I pray thee let her stay. She is no trouble, and perhaps can take some amount of knowledge from the experience."<br/><br/>He would have turned to the child to address her directly, but knew that with his former mistress, such an act would get him flogged. Instead, he simply remained silent and waited for her consent before doing so. He was unable to see her face from where he lay, so he went still, focusing on restraining the pain and controlling his posture.