Secrets of the Starrs

Chapter 2

Sam, Elody and I left the workshop and headed to the opposite tower where our barracks were. Elody still looked annoyed, and Sam dreamy.
The General approached us just as we reached the tower. He was a tall and skinny man with a stern face and piercing green eyes. His brown hair was clipped short and he was dressed for battle too, in armour and a cloak to keep the chill off. It was the end of April, yet the wind was bitter.
"Well, well if it isn't the Starr family,"he said, sneering slightly. "Senior Warriors as of tomorrow, so I hear."
I had never liked the General. He tended to believe he was a lot more important than he really was.
"The boys are going to be, anyway,"said Elody. I was shocked. Elody had never spoken in that moody tone to anyone before.
"Yes, we're old and good enough now,"I said to the General. "You know we joined late."
"I do,"said the General, nodding. "Fourteen, weren't you Max, Sam?"
I nodded, motioning at Sam to keep his mouth shut as best as I could. "Yes sir. Elody was eleven. Even she joined two years late."
"So, are you not being promoted tomorrow, girl?"said the General to Elody. It was a tradition that Generals in this tribe couldn't call girls by their names. I'd always thought it was a stupid rule.
"No,"she replied. "I'm too young."
The General's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How old are you then, girl?"he said to her.
"My fifteenth birthday is next week,"Elody said to him. He raised his eyebrows.
"Fifteen next week? Too young indeed then."
"I'm good though!"protested Elody. The General guffawed with laughter. "No girl can be good at this trade."
Sparks seemed to fly from Elody's eyes. "We'll see about that."
And she stalked off, Sam and I following in her wake.