We must have sat for an hour, Sula on my lap as I sipped my water. Since Sula's birth I had reduced the amount of aqivi I consumed. Del sat beside me, drumming delicate Northern fingers on the coarse wood of the table. Sula sat on my lap, staring at the sand swirling around the street.

"Papa," Sula said, staring wide-eyed at the doorway. "That blue man is here again."

All of us snapped our eyes to the door. The Metri stood in the doorway, flanked by Prima and Nikho Blue-head. Alric and Nayyib rose to their feet, each menacing in his stance. But the trio that approached did not reach for weapons, but advanced slowly.

"Sandtiger," the metri said softly. "It has been quite awhile." She glanced to Del, and a bit of a smile played at the corners of mouth. "I see you kept your woman, surprisingly. I didn't tag you as one to stick around."

It was meant to sting me. It didn't. "Delilah is my family. I will always stick by her," I replied. It was meant to sting her. It did. "Metri, allow me to introduce my family. Alric, friend, and sword-mate, and his wife, Lena, and their girls. Treylan, my newest student. Delilah, wife, and friend. My son, Nayyib, and my daughter, Sula." The Metri's eyes grew wide. "Sula, this is the metri."

Little Sula's blue eyes raked the woman up and down as Del had taught her, assessing her threat. Finally, my little girl said softly, "Mama can take her, Papa." I smiled. "But shouldn't we talk first?"

A smile played on Del's lips as she stroked Sula's little hand. "There will be no dance today, my sandtiger cub. But when we return home, your brother will give you a lesson," Del said.

"Sit, Metri," I spoke directly to her, "And we'll talk, now that you've descend from heaven." The metri glared at me, but sat down at the far end of the rectangular table, still flanked by Prima Rhannet and Nikho Blue-head. "What did you travel all the way here for?" I asked, taking a sip of my water.

The old woman frowned at me, and said, "I need an heir."

I laughed bitterly. "You denounced me as heir. I am not your grandson. Your daughter was pregnant after I was born. I cannot help you," I responded, brushing Sula's hair away from my face. "You've wasted your time."

"Nikholara told me your birthmark. Your kerakus. You are Stessoi," The metri replied, staring at me. "Your son bears one on his arm, and your daughter has one on her shoulder." Sula glanced to her right shoulder, where her birthmark stained her flesh, then glanced back to the metri. "They are Stessoi," the old woman finished.

It was not my voice that spoke, but it may as well have been. Nayyib's voice echoed the anger I felt at such a claim. "I am born of Sandtiger blood, given life by the sandstorm. I am not Stessoi. I am Nayyib, son of the Sandtiger, greatest sword-dancer to ever live. And you are an old woman, longing for a truth that will never be."

Finally, I found my voice. "Metri, I don't care about your troubles. All I want is to live my life with the only family I have. I will raise my daughter, and hopefully have some more. I will wake up with my wife in the only part of the South that green, and I will die happy. But in order for this to happen, you must get on your ship and go away. Go back to Skandi, and leave my family in peace."

No one moved. Nikho Blue-head stared down the table, eyeing Alric's sword handle. Prima Rhannet stared down the table, eyeing Del, while the metri met my angered gaze. "You are god's descended, Sandtiger," the old woman said. "Who else could conjure a beast from childhood fantasies? Who else could go from slave to legend? You are Stessa, by blood."

"By blood, I am Northerner," Del's voice said from beside me. "Yet I choose a life here, because I love those around me. I offer myself to them, as they offer themselves to me. That is family. We are Tiger's family. It isn't a choice we make, it is a destiny we live."

I smile my charismatic smile, and finished, "This conversation is over." Without another word, we rose from the table and marched from the café.

I had not been in a village since before Sula was born, certainly not Haziz. Since I killed Abu, I had pretty much decided to wait for sword dancers to come to me. Now, standing in a crowded street, I felt foreign. Over the years, Del, Sula, Alric, Lena, Nayyib and I had developed our own language, comprised of Northerner, Southron, and Borderer. The aketni adopted some of the words, and more often the not, I used this dialect. Throughout my entire conversation with the metri, I had managed all Southron, because I was angry. But as I walked through the streets with my family, I mingled terms together.

From out of nowhere, a voice I hadn't heard in a long time called to me. "Sandtiger!" he called, waving his arms. I recognized him immediately. His name was Antan, a man I schooled with at Alimat. He only made it to the third level, before losing three of his fingers to Abu. He made his way through the crowd, a smile on his face. "I heard you had opened a school," he said, glancing at all the swords in sheathes around him. "Well, not you, exactly. I heard that an Alimat trained borjorni had earned back his title by defeating Bensir with only eight fingers. I supposed it was you. Only you would be that crazy!"

I smiled at him. "Antan, how is the desert treating you?" I asked. Last I saw of him had been at an oasis, just before Del strolled into my life, with her Northern magic.

"Well enough. Who are your companions?" Antan asked, glancing over the crowd. Sula sat in Nayyib's arms where he stood beside me. Del stood behind me and to the left, Alric to the right, Treylan to the rear, and Lena and the girls beside Alric.

I grinned as I replied, "My family." Antan stared. "My wife, Delilah," Del smiled and shook his hand. "Our friend, Alric, and his wife Lena. This is Treylan, my newest student, and my children." I watched Antan's eyes widen as Nayyib nodded, and Sula waved. "My son, Nayyib, and my daughter, Sula."

"Well, Sandtiger," Antan replied, "You got your family."

Glancing back at the blue sailed ship, I smiled and wrapped my arm around Del's shoulders. "Yes, I did."