In the Dragon's Shadow

eryone else, sticking out as a woman in the prime of her life amongs

eaming. Three of them had mostly gray and black hair sticking out from their helmets, but the

ght, and a wonderful life awaited me in the Seat. Th

udthrice. Mud for the quarter, thrice for the third

ld my fate in their hands. I wou

ed grin. “Nothing to say today? No punches to throw? No

oughly down my shoulder, reading my bra

re mothers, old women, or girls too young to be taken. “Just

in a soft voice. The fireguard’s eyes lingered on her for a long, long moment be

did

g, and glanced away. I frowned. No one

ell. Le

r at least that’s what I wanted them to think. What I really wanted was to see the top of the wall,

Her mother was young; only a few years older than me at most. She’d likely bee

bunched i

ve seen something that confirmed what my m

a cache of food for months. I wasn’t sure how long it would last, but I had hopes t

lost cause. I had to give her a bit of hope, didn’t I? “If I marry well, I

ars making tracts down our faces as the

rated, but my feet felt glued to the hard, dried dirt beneath me. I couldn’t leave her h

she eats,” he muttered into my ear so no one else heard, and the vice grip aroun

faced forward. They marched me past my mother and out of

lanked either side of me, and I wouldn’t put it past any

ireguard had promised; and he

r giving up on life now that her last remaining c

ld afford their prices with no way to earn income. Instead, we had to rely on the fireguard’s handouts.

er to stand the test of time. They had given thought and care to placing each house, leading to neat, orderly streets. Up high, plants and greenery sprang from each roof, serving as a personal garden for each family. I’d give anyth

not one had a bone or rib showing. Men and women walked side by side as

obblestones under my feet were smooth from the wear and tear of actual shoes and boot

r of people around me out of sheer boredom. I wondered if

onde hair that made her stand out among the brown hair of everyone else. The rest of the girls were around sixteen or sevent

tone quarter, and I c

ut it was hard to believe. It had been lucky for the stone quarter when a miner had dug down into his own home and found a wealth of jew

.