Good Of The Wing

1

"Nami," My mother called to me from down stairs, "it's time to go. You'll be late. Your father will be very angry if you are late." Good thing I'd just finished tying my boots then.

"Yes mother. I'll be right down." I call down to her. Look around my room one last time, it's hard to believe that I'm about to enter the Rider's Quadrant. Kind of. I mean I will be, but I shouldn't be surprised when my father is General Melgren. As I reach for the handle I see the mirror on my wall out of the corner of my eye and just stare at myself for a second. My chest length red hair is in a tight braid down my back. My angular eyes are narrowed. My usually beautiful features are tight with tension. I've always gotten compliments about my hair. Mother always said it was my best feature. I look down at myself. If my father wasn't the General of all of Navarre's forces, I would have loved to be a dancer. I have a dancer's body. Or so my mother would say.

When the General told me I'd be entering the Rider's Quadrant, my mother broke down. She wanted me to marry someone of higher status. But no one argues with the General and lives. I can't even call him father. He forbade it when I was young. At least I have my mother. And I'll get to see Violet again. We've been friends for years given that both our parents are high ranking Generals.

"Nehemia Melgren, get down here now." A deep voice shouts from down stairs and I stiffen. The General is home. Shrugging on my pack, I open the door and head downstairs. Only to see my father, arms crossed over his chest, and my mother with tears in her eyes. "You will be late. Get moving, candidate."

"Yes. General." I nod to my father. "May I say goodbye to my mother before I leave?" I ask. His chin dips ever so slightly as if to say yes. I turn to her and wrap my arms around her. I won't be able to come home until I graduate. Unless the General calls me home for some reason. Gods I hope not. I can't wait to get out of this house. "Goodbye mother." I say as I kiss her cheek.

"Goodbye, little one." She says as she squeezes me tight. "Remember what I told you." She rests her forehead against mine for a minute before pulling away. I nod and head out the door. There is a carriage waiting for me. I roll my eyes. All this pomp and shit is annoying but soon it won't matter.

A few hours later the carriage arrives at the main campus of Basgieth War College and I exit it as soon as it stops. There are so many people around. So many no one notices. As I walk toward the turret that will lead me to the parapet to enter the Rider's Quadrant, I see Mira and Violet Sorrengail. I ran towards them. " Mira! Violet!" They turn when they hear their names and smile when they see me. Mira pulls me into a hug and then Violet does the same. "Long time no see." I say grinning at them.

"Nami! Where have you been? I would have thought you'd be the first in line." Mira playfully teases me. She's the older sister I never had and always wanted. She looks ready for a fight. Probably already had it with her mother. General Sorrengail is a tough, kind of heartless, bitch sometimes but she loves her kids. She just has a fucked up way of showing it.

"Yes, well the General had some last words he wanted to tell me." I roll my eyes. None of us liked my father. Kinda hard to like a man who doesn't know what kindness is. He's not even that kind to my mother. I vaguely remember a time when he was a loving father. I was really young. I don't know what happened but one day he changed into who he is now. A cold, unforgiving asshole.

"Next?" Captain Fitzgibbons calls the next person in line, which is Violet. When he looks up and sees Violet, his eyebrows shoot up to his hairline in surprise. "Violet Sorrengail?"

She nods and writes her name down. "Hello Captain Fitzgibbons."

"I thought you were going into the Scribes?"

"General Sorrengail thought otherwise." Mira mutters.

"Pity." He says solemnly. Then nods for them to head towards the stairs. "Next?" He looks up and sees me and smiles. "Nehemia Melgren." I nod. I write my name down and walk towards the sisters.