In the Dragon's Shadow

w the fireguards, I

n line with my older brother and everyone on my street, his red and gold armor flashing like liquid fire in the sunlight. He had made a

amed for days afte

ich women were the most beautiful, the most fit, the most likely to bear many children ... and which ones weren't. In addition, they were looking for which boys would make suitable pupils for the Seat, and which ones would be condemned to stay forever in the mud quarter. The girls deemed not good enough had to stay here for the rest of their lives, prey to the fireguards that roamed the alleys and the men who hadn't been deemed g

irty streets that made up the mud quarter, the girls whi

who wore jewels and ate so mu

f, and went to sleep each night

s of the queen and got t

d the

top to allow the fireguards to patrol at all hours. There was only a small gap above their heads before the great dome started-our e

f us as the oldest girl with the longest legs. Shava was tough and kept our little gang of girls safe. I'

their kids. They didn't hide away in a mud hut, huddled into corners. And y

me, but water always rose from the ground, occasionally turning the alleys into dangerous cesspits of mud and muck. It covered everyon

If I didn't get there in time, there wouldn't be any food. Mother didn't ca

e they'd taken my brother. It

h time to spare. I was

the little flo

stribution for today. He was older, but he was always kind to me and called me 'f

bread and fruit. Mud girls weren't allowed to talk to the

t today?" he asked quietly s

t be able to get as much of the other food

wo pieces of fruit," he proclaimed loudly, and a younge

last for almost a week if my mom and I were careful! I took off running down the streets, my prizes in hand. I wished I was a boy. The

y. Then they were stuck in the mud quarter with no other choices than joining a gang. My mother had broken the day they'd forced my brother from her. At least, that's what the other gi

back so that meant h

r worth

the fireguards who fed us and protected us, and the

and my run home was safe. I had a feast of food in my arms, but Mother didn'

y girl 'flower,' and that I was just another dirty mud rat like her. She said I wasn't special. When I started crying, she relented

ight. 'Flower' was a stupid name, anyway. Why c

laimed the royal family had an entire garden of them up at the castle, just for l

.

cont