Heroes Adrift by Moira J. Moore

be worshipped as a god.
    People were wandering close to watch. Wasn’t that just lovely?
    Then Atara raised her eyebrows at me. That let me know she was impatient for me to get started. I walked over to where the men crouched with two rather beaten and cracked bars and assumed the start stance, standing as though I had two benches beneath my feet.
    The men looked at Leverett rather than me for the cue to start. Which would have been normal in a competition but worried me right then. Fortunately, they started with the bars low and they moved them tentatively. They were afraid of hurting their hands as they smacked the bars together. Lifting my feet out of danger was easy enough, but predicting the movement of the bars was impossible.
    â€œYou need to move to a beat, gentlemen,” I reminded them. If I couldn’t predict where the bars were going to be, I couldn’t dance.
    They improved immediately, moving with the music. Which wasn’t exactly how it was supposed to work, but I wasn’t going to complain about having both the aural and visual cues.
    It was nice to stretch out and work the muscles. Leverett was a good drummer, and the movement of the bars was so slow and low I could close my eyes for brief snatches and just feel the gorgeous rolls against the surface of drum.
    It would be too easy to let things continue at this easy pace. It wouldn’t impress Atara. “Could we speed things up, gentlemen?” I called out. “Raise the bars just a little higher.”
    Leverett obligingly segued into a gorgeous allegro. The other men raised the bars, but not by much, and moved them with the music.
    That was better. Muscles moved into well-remembered patterns. The drumming, unfamiliar to me but effective nonetheless, coiled through my blood. Very good. Strength I had forgotten in the course of our journey jolted through me and I found myself grinning with the pleasure of it.
    All I lacked was an opponent.
    And then it stopped. It took me a few steps to realize the bars had been dropped. I glanced at the handlers, and then the drummer, who had also ceased. Everyone looked all right, so what was going on?
    I looked to Karish. It appeared he hadn’t been watching, his gaze directed off to one side and his back angled a little toward me.
    â€œThat will work,” said Atara, rubbing her hands together. “That will do.”
    â€œBut I can do better.” And I’d just been getting into it.
    â€œI am looking for pretty, not athletic. Though a little of that is good, too.” She was looking me up and down again. “No silver. Just copper. Maybe we can find some gold. Yes, everything orange, yellow, gold. The Flame Dancer.”
    The Flame Dancer? Was she serious? I didn’t dare look at Karish, who was no doubt snickering and would start me off.
    â€œDunleavy is no good.”
    I’d be sure to tell my parents they’d chosen an inadequate name.
    â€œLeavy. Leavy the Flame Dancer.”
    Oh my good gods. How could I possibly face anyone carrying a name like that? “I fear such a title would be more appropriate for someone more flamboyant.”
    â€œYou can learn to be flamboyant.”
    Oh aye. As simple as that, was it? “I’m a Shield, ma’am. It’s the nature of a Shield to be sedate.”
    â€œBy inclination or training?”
    â€œA little of both.”
    â€œInclination can be overcome. And if you can be trained to be sedate, you can be trained to be flamboyant. Everyone!” She clapped her hands twice, and I realized there were even more people watching than I remembered. “This is Leavy and Shintaro. They will be joining us for a while. They are good omens, and a guide for our next path.” The fact that no one found this announcement startling disturbed me. “They have nothing. I think they will bring us much. We will provide them with what they need. We’re leaving tomorrow.”
    Not much of a speech