"You don't have to stop," she said. "You were doing well." The boy seemed unsure how to respond and gazed at her, as did the others. "Or you can teach me a few things." His eyes widened, and the two smallest boys looked at each other.
"No, nishani," the eldest almost whispered.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Nishani, women do not fight," he answered. Three of the boys nodded vigorously in agreement.
"On my planet, women do fight," she said. There was no contradiction offered. If anything, she thought she was distressing the eldest boy.
"Please show me. You were doing so well," she said.
The boy blushed, appeared conflicted, and at last gave a stiff nod. The youngest skittered away in excitement, crowding each other and whispering a short distance away. The opponent of the eldest hesitated before handing her the weapon. It was light, a curved grey sword made of the same material as the beds and spaceships. Kiera hefted it and relaxed, cheered to be doing something other than thinking or pacing.
The youth showed her how to stand and hold the weapon while the eldest watched with a sharp eye. When set, the eldest demonstrated a simple strike and block, then corrected her form as she followed his example. After several attempts, the two older boys were satisfied and moved onto another strike and then another block.
She concentrated hard, intent on distracting herself as well as learning something new. She needed a workout; maybe she could learn to use a sword instead of kickboxing, which she'd been doing regularly for years. She stayed until she broke a healthy sweat. When the midmorning sun grew too hot, she lowered her weapon and handed it to the boy beside her.
"Thank you. You all are really good," she said. The boys all bowed and watched her walk back into the house, curious and excited. The exercise helped clear her head. She set about wandering the halls once more, pausing to look out of large windows onto expanses of grass.
"Nishani!" a female voice cried.
She turned. It was the first girl she met, the tall woman with a long face named Talal. Talal strode toward her, and Kiera waited.
"Nishani, we have-- "
"My name is Kiera," she corrected.
"Yes, nishani. Kiera, we have-- "
"Is there anywhere to get some water around here?"
"Yes, nishani." Talal motioned to a nearby door. Kiera waved her armband. A door to someone's private quarters slid open. She hesitated, but Talal entered and reappeared several moments later with a small bowl of water.