The Book of Ominiue: Starborn by D.M. Barnham

when he was not suffocating Shayne with questions.
    ‘I was just thinking,’ Kíe reasoned while focusing on the road before him. ‘It is a fair trade. I teach you our language and ways, and for you to teach me your language and ways, no?’
    ‘I do not see why not,’ Shayne replied. ‘The Federation will require ambassadors, which will require someone to learn English .’
    Kíe brightened. ‘And I am a prime candidate,’ he said with enthusiasm. ‘There are many Masters who would recommend me.’ Kíe beamed with pleasure and fidgeted with mounting excitement, which caused some of the riders to laugh.
    ‘You are still very young, journeyman.’ Pan’arden interjected. ‘Do not get me wrong, I think you would make a splendid ambassador to the star Ta’Orians, but you still have your journeyman’s obligation.’
    ‘That is true, but one can also request to become an apprentice of a Star Ta’Orian Scholar. I could live amongst the Ta’Orians and teach at a nearby village, or maybe even teach the Star Ta’Orians themselves!’ Pan’arden was still doubtful but Shayne interjected.
    ‘That is possible; we have many civilian Ta’Orians back at settlement who would give up their contracts for the opportunity. I too could teach you for I am educated in a field you have a basic understanding in. I could teach you at our level.’
    ‘You are a scholar!?’ Kíe looked surprised.
    ‘I am,’ replied Shayne. If he was not Starborn corrupted, he might have been offended by Kíe’s reaction. ‘I am a Professor ; I guess that is what you would call a master, and if I never caught the space sickness I would have been the UeShádarn [8] of the teaching college we will build here.’ All the lionmen were greatly impressed.
    ‘Well, that explains why you are such a bad horseman,’ Pan’arden joked.
    ‘Hey!’ interjected Kíe. ‘I am a good horseman and I am a teacher!’
    ‘One of the few,’ Pan’arden added, smiling at him.
    ‘You know what they say about journeymen?’ Madan’rah joined in. ‘The main purpose is not to educate the remote regions, but to teach them how to ride and fight.’
    ‘There is some truth in that,’ Kíe smiled proudly, ‘especially for those sent south. Only the strongest are sent down there.’
    ‘And here we are stuck with you,’ laughed Madan’rah. Kíe looked a little hurt at this comment, his usual carefree attitude momentarily faulted.
    ‘We are glad to have you in our country young Kíe,’ Pan’arden said when she saw his fleeting anguish. ‘I will tell you a secret known to only those in the middle kingdoms.’ Pan’arden paused briefly for effect before leaning across to the Journeyman in a mock whisper. ‘They never send Kérith-Árim’s best teachers south.’ Kíe smiled.
    ‘What is wrong with the south?’ Shayne asked, distracted by the unease the word brought and forgetting to translate to the Brigadier.
    ‘It is not the entire South,’ Madan’rah gladly jumped at the change of topic, ‘it is only a few nations, they are not really middle and north kingdom friendly. Some of the countries can be difficult. They resent us; they resent the power of Kéirth-Árim and they resent that it falls in the hands of the Fa’Orian.’
    ‘We have little disputes with them,’ Pan’arden corrected the captain. ‘They mostly fight amongst themselves and they often come to us to settle their disputes, but they are never truly happy with the rulings we make.’
    ‘Not all of them worship the Kéaran either,’ Kíe added to look up the road as he spoke. ‘In some places a journeyman needs to take precautions, and there are very few Fa’Orian’s down that way, they are usually the first to suffer when something does go wrong, not pleasant for our kind when it does happen.’
    ‘It does not sound pleasant.’ Shayne agreed, wondering why the south was different.
    ‘I do not believe it is so.’ Pan’arden felt compelled to be the neutral arbitrator. ‘I