The Other Sorrengail

The Parapet

Chapter 1
The Parapet

Lily stood leaning against the wall of her mother's office as Mira fought with General Sorrengail about Violet joining the Dragon Riders. Lily was athletic built, just standing at 5,6". Lily's hair was silver unlike her twin who had blonde and silver towards the bottom. Lily refused to cut it and it was braided into a bun at the back of her head. She was dressed in one of the Rider outfits, curtesy of Mira, with her new boots that wouldn't let her slip off the parapet. Her sword was strapped to her back with two daggers on her hips and one in her boot. Lily's brown eyes watched the fight with full dislike. Mira and Lily both didn't like the idea of Violet being forced to join Lily in the Riders Quadrent. Lily was allowed to help train her sister the last six months to be ready. Lily's rucksack sat near Lily's foot as she watched the argument.

"Mira. I tried talking to her about it and it fell on deaf ears like yours are. She's to hardheaded." Lily said, crossing her leg. General Sorringail shot her daughter a death glare and Lily gave her a stern look that was almost the same as her mothers. Lily felt like a black sheep of the family. She could hold her ground against her mother unlike her siblings. She was her dad's favorite next to Violet, even though Lily wanted to be a Dragon Rider.

"Not helping, Lily." Mira growled, shooting a glare at Lily. Lily rolled her eyes as Mira turned back to their mother. "You're sending her to die. She doesn't stand a chance." The door opened and Lily barely has time to catch Violet as Violet nearly falls in. Their mother curses, getting a glare from Lily.

"Damnit mom, she can't even handle her rucksack." Lily said.

"I'm fine." Violet said, checks reddening as she stood upright.

"Oh, Violet." Mira said, coming over, worry in her eyes.

"Hi, Mira." Violet said. Mira turns on the General. "You can't do this."

"It's already done." General said. Lily glares.

"Then undo it." Mira said. Anger coursing through the words. "She's spent here whole life training to become a scribe. She wasn't raised to be a rider like Lily was."

"Well, she certainly isn't you or Lily, is she, Lieutenant Sorrengail?" General said, leaning across the desk with narrowed eyes. The General looks at the difference. Lily and Mira were built like her. The feaver that their mother got when she was pregnant with the twins didn't hit Lily as hard as Violet, but Lily got silver hair. Their mother gets up and walks over to Violet. She picks up the braid of Violet's hair. The twins had decided to not cut their long hair.

"Pale skin, pale eyes, pale hair." Lily had to hold down a snarl. "It's like that fever stole all your coloring along with your strength. Your lucky your twin got more of me in her." Mira had to hold out a hand to Lily before she lost her temper. Lily bit her bottom lip from saying what she would like to say. "I told him not to keep you in that library."

"I love that library." Violet said. Their mother's eyes harden.

"Spoken like the daughter of a scribe." Their mothers says quietly and Lily sees the guards go down that were there when their father was alive. Lily missed it at times.

"I am the daughter of a scribe." Violet said, letting her rucksack fall to the floor. The General blinks and the softness disappears.

"You're the daughter of a rider, you are twenty years old, and today is Consription Day. I let you finish your tutoring, but like I told you last spring, I will not watch one of my children enter the Scribe Quadrant, Violet." The General said.

"Because scribes are so far beneath riders?" Lily snapped, not holding in her anger. The General glares at Lily.

"Yes!" The General said. She looked at Violet. "And if you dare walk into the tunnel towards the Scribe Quadrant today, I will rip you out by that ridiculous braid and put you on the parapet myself."