Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
that's… injurious to the self, if nothing else, I've learned that. I was under obligation; I'd taken you from
your home, such as it was, and for your brother's sake, who died like azolda , a hero—he was in my
care, so itwas in a way, as you said, my fault."
"Sova called Far-Traveller." The girl blinked, to hear herself named so formally. "If you feel I still owe
your honor a debt, I will pay any sum within reason, if that will settle accounts; you can break my sword
or strike me in public, if you wish."
Sova's jaw dropped, her eyes showing white all around the pupils; the red on her cheeks deepened.
"Break your sword? Break yoursword ?"
Always in excess, my love, Megan thought.Fighting, making love, paying for goods, honoring
debts .
Shkai'ra inclined her head. "Whatever you wish. When you decide, I will abide by it."
The girl went on staring, anger and amazement and shame and fear fighting it out in her eyes. "I… I have
to think about this. Excuse me." She sprang up, whirled, and darted away to the other side of the ship.
She lay in her berth, her mind a storm of thoughts, but her insides full of a strange, huge peace. Ican't
believe I said all that , she thought, for the hundredth time. Ican't believe I did it . Then it came to her.
That's what I chased them to the war for. I chased them to say that .
Papa hits Mooti, Mooti hits 'Talia, Franc and I hit Piatr, khyd-hirdhits me …
She'd had one big brother before—never two little ones. At first, on the trip, they'd been unnaturally
well-behaved, fearing, it turned out, that Ardas would get put off at some port if they were bad. But
they'd slowly come to realize—partly from Sova's own reassurances—that no such thing would happen,
that the full-Arkan boy would be publicly adopted as she had been.
So now, she thought,they run like little hellions all over the ship, pestering the crew, talking back,
playing pranks. It's because they have nothing to do . It hadn't escaped her notice, that they weren't
being made to do pushups or sword-drill or fetch and carry much for Shkai'ra. Iknow why , she thought.
Because Lixand really isa child of the blood, and zhymata'sfiguring it wouldn't be fair to make
Ardas do it as well . Though whenever Shkai'radid make one of them fetch and carry, it was always
Ardas, she'd noticed. He was always happily willing.Ya. He knows where hisbread's buttered, too .
Impact, low, from behind. Shrieking little-boy laughter. She whirled around. They were playing tag, and
Ardas had blundered into her. She grabbed him by the collar, drew back her hand.Maybe you don't
know quite well enoughwhere you're bread's buttered, Arkan brat, and you need to learn some
more. I'll get some of my own back …
She froze. The boy had flinched and thrown his hands over his head; now his bright blue eyes peeked
between tiny shielding fingers, terror-stricken. She saw tears brimming, caught in the sunlight.
Papa hits Mooti, Mooti hits 'Talia, Franc and I hit Piatr, khyd-hirdhits me …