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 />
start looking. We might never have known what happened to you, whether you were dead, alive or in<br />
chains somewhere, some pederast's slave…"<br />
Sova drew up, with a hardness Megan had never seen before; the girl had acquired it, it seemed, on this<br />
trip.<br />
"It would have been my choice. You're angry because you don't like me making my own choices.<br />
Besides, nothingdid happen to me. I did far riskier things to help you in the fight up the river, <strong>and</strong> you<br />
didn't mind."<br />
Megan closed her lips on a sharp answer. "Your choice to risk your life <strong>and</strong> health, when I <strong>and</strong> your<br />
other parents have before law agreed to protect you to the best of our ability till your age of adulthood?"<br />
she said levelly. "I could hit you, but that wouldn't be fair. I'd be hitting you because I was scared <strong>and</strong><br />
angry. But I want you to promise me something."<br />
"What's that?" Sova said, more amenably. Shkai'ra came back with a bucket <strong>and</strong> plunked it down next<br />
to their hearthrocks, took out her tinderbox <strong>and</strong> struck sparks on the shavings, listening.<br />
"Think of what might happen. No one can stop you if you really decide to do something, but if you get<br />
into trouble, I'd like to be in a position to help you."<br />
"All right," Sova said breezily.<br />
"And first thing, you are going to write a letter home to Rilla <strong>and</strong> Shyu, apologizing. I'll put it in the<br />
packet I'm sending home."<br />
"I already wrote, I told you. I wrote, 'Sorry but it's something I have to do.'"<br />
Megan pursed her lips. "All right. But you're going to write to them saying you got here safely." To that<br />
the girl agreed. "Come on then, there's work to do before we march. Whatever possessed you to come<br />
at this hour?"<br />
"I only heard where you were when Sinanayi came in. She was on duty until now <strong>and</strong> I didn't want to<br />
have to try <strong>and</strong> find you on the march."<br />
"Good enough," said Megan, wondering who in Halya Sinanayi was. Shkai'ra had dug out the frying pan,<br />
a filch of smoked bacon, some eggs they'd bought from a farmer yesterday but hadn't had time to cook;<br />
most of them were unbroken. Another disciplined thing in this army: no stripping the country if you could<br />
pay.<br />
She started blowing at the kindling, then looked up.<br />
"Two hours to dawn," she said, then looked at Sova. "Megan said it better than I could," she said.<br />
"Nobody your age thinks they can get hurt until they do. A burned h<strong>and</strong> teaches more caution than a<br />
thous<strong>and</strong> words. You're going to see war here, look carefully."<br />
She shoved the stone a little closer to the fire, putting the pan across their surface, dropped in some lard<br />
from the jar <strong>and</strong> began slicing onions into it. "The way you managed was part luck, Sova; you only get so<br />
much good luck, don't use it when you don't have to. I want you to outlive me, <strong>and</strong> to see your children<br />
before I die. This is a war-camp, under discipline. If you break orders again, Iwill hit you, perhaps even<br />
flog you; that's the customary punishment here. For the same reason I've walloped you at weapons drill