The Other Sorrengail

Samara

Chapter 41

Samara

Violet and Lily reached Samara in eight hours with how fast their dragons flew. They land in a field outside the outpost. Lily dropped the bags to the ground before she slid down Lyssa. Lily came over to Tairn and Violet handed her down the bags.

'Be careful. It's known to be brutal as a first assignment.' Lyssa warned. Of course they send Xaden and Garrick here. Lily picked up the two bags as Violet grabbed the other two. They were gonna put them in Xaden's room. Garrick was to get them a private room while she was there. Violet and Lily walk towards the entrance to the mammoth fortress that rises before them. They walk up the ramp that leads to the portcullis, where two guards are stationed. A platoon passes by, heading out for a run. Lily felt a hum. 'It's the wards.' Lyssa explained.

'They seem strong here.' Lily said.

'Your sensitive to them now that your signet is strong.' Lyssa said. The guards stand taller when they take in the twins flight leathers, but stay quiet as they pass. They pass several platoons of infantry standing in formation.

"Where are the riders?" Violet asked.

"I don't know. Let's get our stuff to Xaden's room. I'll have you take them in and we'll go find the men." Lily said. Lily hoped she could get a nap in. She didn't sleep at all last night and was running on twenty-four hours of no sleep. Violet leads the way to Xaden's room. They reach Xaden's room. Violet entered taking the bags in and coming to grab Lily's bags. Lily opened her bond with Garrick and felt the pull downward. She decided to surprise him. Violet came out.

"Garrick is downstairs." Lily said.

"Let's go. Xaden is that way too." Violet said. The girls head down, following the tugging sensation. They head down staircase to a stone floor. Shouts and cheers come from down a corridor to the right, echoing off the walls and floor. Lily and Violet share looks and head in that direction. They enter a room. Lily raised an eyebrow.

More than a dozen riders stand along the sides of the square-shaped, windowless room that looks better suited for storage than occupation. THey're all leaning over a thick wooden railing, intently watchign something in the pit below. Lily and Violet take the empty space on teh rail directly ahead of them. Xaden was down below and another rider was down there, circling each other, like they were sparring.

The rider swings for Xaden's face and Xaden easily evades the punch, delivering one of his own to his opponent's ribs. The riders cheer and Lily saw money be exchanged.

"This is straight up fighting." Lily said.

"There you are." Lily turned and was in Garrick's arms. "Chradh just informed me you guys were here." Garrick kissed Lily on the lips and she melted into the kiss.

"Why are they..." Violet asked. Garrick looked at Xaden.

"There's only two passes for liutenants this weekend. I have one of them and Jarrett has the other. Xaden wants Jarrets. He won't try to take mine because of Lily." Garrick said.

"So they're fighting for it?" Violet looked at Garrick.

"Leave and pride. Liutenant Colonel Degrensi's rules. You want it? You fight for it. You want to keep it? You'd better be good enough to defend it." Garrick said. A flyer took over talking. "I'm glad your here." Xaden lands a solid hit to Jarrett's jaw.

"Same here. Though I been up 24 hours." Lily said as they watch the fight continue.

"I got you a room for the day. We can head there after this fight so you can sleep for a bit." Garrick said. Xaden looked up as a rider shouts to Violet's right. Xaden had a look of surprise when he sees the twins standing there. Lily flinched as Jarrett's fists slams into Xaden's jaw. "That's gonna leave a mark." Xaden staggers backward. Xaden looks up at Violet and there was a hint of a smile. Garrick chuckled as Xaden turned towards his opponent. Jarrett swings once, then twince, missing Xaden both times. Xaden strikes with two quick punches, puttting his full weight behind them, sending Jarrett to his hands and knees in the dirt.