Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...
Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...
Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...
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Generated <strong>by</strong> ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html<br />
sweat-soaked gambeson, pulled her shirt off while the girl put the equipment on its st<strong>and</strong>, drank thirstily<br />
<strong>and</strong> wiped herself down with a wet towel. She glanced around; nobody near, <strong>and</strong> nothing she need do<br />
urgently for the next little while.<br />
"Thanks," she said, pouring a final dipper over her own head. "Come on in, I want to talk to you for a<br />
minute." The Thane-girl followed. The inside of the tent was bare of anything but a scroll-rack <strong>and</strong> some<br />
cushions; Shkai'ra sank to one, kneeling back <strong>and</strong> resting her chin on her sword-hilt.<br />
"Sova," she said abruptly, after the girl had sat down. "Talking isn't my skill. Megan's better at it."<br />
Another silence. "But sometimes things must be said." Her copper brows knitted in a frown of<br />
concentration. "I never expected to… have a child in my care before I came to Brahvniki last year." A<br />
faint smile. "I got out of the habit of thinking far ahead, after I left my homel<strong>and</strong>. Now that I've got family<br />
responsibilities, I've got to get it back. Zoweitzum, I might get killed tomorrow, <strong>and</strong> there'd be all sorts of<br />
things I couldn't say, dead."<br />
Tomorrow. Little do you know. Zaik <strong>and</strong> Jaiwun, I'm not looking forward to sneaking into Arko.<br />
Give me a st<strong>and</strong>-up fight any day.<br />
Her face settled <strong>and</strong> went a little distant. "Sova, I don't know how you feel about your birth-parents.<br />
It's… private, eh?"<br />
The girl's pale eyes peered up at her from under her brows. "Mybirth-parents ?" Shkai'ra didn't make a<br />
habit of mentioning them, had never spoken of Sova's feelings about them. "With all due respect,<br />
khyd-hird ," she answered, after a time of thought, "what I feel about my birth-parents is none of your<br />
rucking business."<br />
Shkai'ra gave a short bark of laughter. "Megan will scorch my ears for teaching you bad speech."<br />
Grimly. "Now, as my daughter—"<br />
"I'm not your daughter."<br />
"By adoption, legalist!"<br />
"It's not the same."<br />
Shkai'ra blinked. "Didn't say it was. Doesn't make a difference to my obligations; when you come of age<br />
in two years, you can tell us to fuck off."<br />
"You said 'as my daughter.' But I'm not. And never will be."<br />
Shkai'ra sighed. "You're my daughter under the law. And Megan's, Rilla's, <strong>and</strong> Shyil's. You'll inherit our<br />
property equally with any other child, we have to see to your education, we're responsible to the<br />
authorities for you. Savvy?"<br />
"So say 'my daughter under the law.' It's not <strong>by</strong> blood." Sova lifted the dipper, took a long draught.<br />
"Consider it understood,' Shkai'ra said drily. 'What I wanted to talk about was your further education.<br />
You're getting old enough to start thinking about what you want to spend effort on, <strong>and</strong> what you have<br />
talent for. We've been giving you a general training—you're going to be rich, after all, you don't need to<br />
know how to weave or hoe turnips—<strong>and</strong> we've had enough time to know your aptitudes, a little. Megan<br />
says you're doing well on the books, very well for a late start. I'd say, <strong>and</strong> I should know, that you've got