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

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Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html the unwritten convention of a polyglot army. They also had no way of knowing what family she'd come from and how she'd joined her present one, to laugh at that behind her back or to her face. For the most part they did what no one had done in her life on meeting her: took her as she was. Another unwritten convention was sharing the wineskin.I feel boneless , she thought, stretching her legs out in the grass by the campfire, throwing on another log and watching pin-bright stars flicker where the stream of heat rippled them. Shkai'ra's Slaughterers (she couldn't imaginekhyd-hird hadn't had at least a hand in conceiving the name—it had her stamp) sat around now with wine and pork-fat dribbling down chins bearded or naked, Provisional Second Bukangkt and some other Lakan playing a game with black and white stones, others dicing, others plain lazing. Then, bringing down her eyes to pass on the wine, she saw. That cute Yeoli. Heislooking at me. It really isn't chance, it's been too much for chance. He's looking at me . He'd stood out from the start, his the freshest male face among the Slaughterers, flawless and too young for a beard, framed by a curly halo of gold-brown hair that was just long enough at the sides to form short ringlets. A warrior, not a squire; he wore the wristlets. In the heat he'd taken off his shirt, and she'd found herself all but unable to take her eyes off the line of his youthfully lanky but hard shoulders. About a year before she'd suddenly found herself oddly fascinated with boys, although she'd found them nothing but distasteful before; in a household where such things were spoken of freely, she'd soon learned why. But in F'talezon, her origin known and herzight reckoned accordingly, she'd found precious few friends, let alone opportunities to admire boys in any way but from afar. Such a handsome creature as this would never so much as look at her, hard experience had taught, so she was resigned to casting furtive, happy glances. But now—hewas looking at her. O mine Gott, she thought.Whaddoido ? Blush. So it seemed, anyway; her face was determined to do that, burningly, she found, whether she wanted it to or not. Not only her face, but her neck, too, and lower. OmineGott what do I look like? Instantly, she was horribly aware that she hadn't brushed her hair since before she d arrived here, the painful pimple beside her nose was the size of a thumbnail and blood-red, her eyes were too close together, her ears too big, her chin too weak, and her arms and shoulders too thick.What man would ever look at a woman built like a greathound ? Of course, the thought crept into her head, Yeoli women could be fighters; their men must have nothing against muscular curves. Her heart pounded like before a fight; but while that was a sick fear, this was shivery, sparkly. Whaddoido? Act nonchalant, of course. Look everywhere but at him. The stars, the fire, the trees, her left foot; everywhere her eyes looked, the place where he sat seemed to etch into her mind like an ember, an ember with hawsers attached to her eyes, irresistibly pulling them towards him.I'll risk a glance. Just one glance. Just a moment . She did. He was looking straight at her. Their gaze collided. OmineGottmineGott, he saw, mineGott… Can he see me blush? Dear Gott let it be too dark in the firelight . Maybe, she thought,he's feeling all the same things I am. Could it be? Is it possible, outside a dream? Naaaahhh, don't be a fool. Thane-brat . She glanced again; this time he smiled at her. Her heart felt as if it would burst out through her ribs and fly into his lap, dripping.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html Calm. Collect yourself. What do I do? What wouldkhyd-hirddo? Stomp up to him and say, "Let's fuck." No, I don't think that's quite my style. What am I saying, I don't havea style yet… but whatever it's going to be, it's not that. O Gotth-excuse my language-umml . The man next to the Yeoli nudged him with a loud, "Har har har." He answered so sharply she heard it, Yeoli words, one of them "kyash," shit.They're saying rude things to him, the stupid old insensitive assholes, how couldthey —poor oppressed prince—whatcouldthey be saying? He doesn'tdeserve it. OmineGott I'm staring at him. Nonchalant, nonchalant, nonchalant … Then the Yeoli got up, and was gone. Oh, no. Where'd he go? Why now? Ohhhhhhh… Calm. He might just have gone off to the latrine. He'll be back in a moment. He was: right behind her. She nearly fell off her log. "Nye'yingi," he said. "Uh… hi."O Gott what a stupid thing to say. He must think I'm a complete imbecile. Is this really happening ? "Um… what are you doing here?"O Gott I didn't think it was possible but I just said something even morestupid ! "Slowerrr, if it you please?" he said, with an entrancing smile. In his musical Yeoli accent every word seemed the profoundest magic. "My Enchi-yahn naht so good." "Um… what… are… you… doing… here?"The stupidest thing in the world to say and I repeatit ! "Oh… tsosebarayel , how you say, stranchers, tsey naht good smell, I choose be ove' hyere. Isserrhe space?" Oh, yes, make space on the log for someone who comes, that's polite, he shouldn't have had to ask—oh no, does he think I'm gauche?! She moved over, hastily enough to show politeness, but nonchalantly. As best she could, cramped on either side; she managed to make half a space, and that with people beside her grumbling. Thenkhyd-hird happened to get up, stretching, enabling everyone between them to move down one.That was lucky. Now maybe if I'm reallylucky, she'll go away . "Well," said Shkai'ra, as if on cue, "I'm off to find my kh'eeredo."If she tells me it's my bedtime … but she didn't, just made her farewells and disappeared into the night. The Yeoli squeezed in. His side, pressed against hers, was hard and warm; she smelled him, hot and musky-sweet with maleness.Do I smell all right ? She couldn't sniff herself now.I washed yesterday. Can he feel my heart thudding ? "I Echera-e Lemana," he rattled off. "Whaht name yourrh?" "Sova. Called Far-traveller."What was that? Eshcher, Shcheryi, Cherry? Yeolis, you call them by their first names, don't you ? She hoped so; she'd forgotten the second. "I'm pleased to meet you." "I you too." That beautiful wide smile again; Sova's heart felt like wax melting. He was missing a tooth. Oh, poor prince; but you bear it so bravely . … "I think you arrhe, how you say? Homely. No, no!—Comely,comely , I mean. I sorrhy. Mean cahmp… comp… saynice thing, I mean, I sorrhy." "You know," said Sova, trying not to be too breathless, "you can practice your Enchian with me any time; I'll help you with it. And I should learn some Yeoli, really; would you help me?"
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