Stardancer by Ariel Macarran

Author:Ariel Macarran [MacArran, Ariel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780615898728
Amazon: B00FW0HQG4
Barnesnoble: B00FW0HQG4
Publisher: Here Be Dragons
Published: 2013-10-14T04:00:00+00:00

“Aidar?”

With their appearance before the Elders rapidly approaching, they couldn’t play in the city all day. Sitting beside her, shaded from the afternoon sun by the flowering trees in the garden, Aidar looked up from the datapad he held between them displaying the history of the early clans.

“I heard one of the women say Lianna of the Otan spoke to the Tellarans.”

He frowned. “Hers is a lesser clan than ours and it was not well done of her.”

“Yeah, I get that,” she said quickly. “But I don’t understand why Lianna’s actions mean that her mother won’t do well in Council.”

“Baruta is powerful in the War Council but she may lose status because of Lianna’s actions.”

Kinara blinked. “I thought only men were involved in war. I haven’t seen any female warriors.”

He burst out laughing.

Kinara scowled. “Don’t you think women can fight?”

Aidar shook his head, still chuckling. “It is so that women can fight. They fight within the Councils.”

“You mean there’s more than one?”

“How could there be but one? There is the War Council, the Council for Trade, the Council for Food and the—”

“Wait, you mean there’s a Council for everything the Az-kye do?” He gave a half shrug. Okay, pretty much everything. “Who decides who goes on which one? I mean some must have more power than others.”

“You learn quickly.”

“Hardly, but I will learn so help me,” she grumbled. “So how do they decide who gets on what Council?”

“The women decide.”

“Yeah, okay. But how?”

“A woman puts herself forward does she have the status and the support.”

Kinara frowned. “So if someone starts talking about Lianna’s bad behavior, then someone else who wants Baruta’s job will say she’s incompetent because she can’t get her daughter to behave. And if that woman has enough friends she can push Baruta out and take her spot. Is that right?”

He nodded.

“And someone who wants Baruta to stay where she is will do something to shut the others up, if she can.”

“But if this cannot be done, Baruta may fall in influence and power.”

“How does everyone know? I mean, does someone announce that Baruta goofed?”

His brow furrowed. “Goofed?”

“Made a mistake. Lost influence.”

“Ah,” he nodded. “Seating within the arena is done by status. If Baruta has goofed –" Kinara bit her lip to keep from giggling at the way he mangled the Tellaran word. "Then the woman next in status will have moved to her chair and Baruta will have to sit farther back.”

Kinara looked at her hands. “I overheard about someone who called for clan war over that. Is — Is that why you said you didn’t have a family? Is that what happened to them?”

“No,” he said hoarsely. “That is not what happened.”

He was silent so long she finally looked up.

His face was pained. “I was the youngest of eight children, did you know it so, Cy’atta?”

“Eight? I thought you didn’t have brothers or sisters. I mean, you said – ”

"Dead. All of them." He shook his head. “I cannot believe it is so long ago now."

Her heartbeat sped up at the flash of pain in his eyes.

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