Fourth Wing/X.R./ The forgotten one

Bittersweet Goodbye

Six Months Prior

Breathe in. Breathe out. Again. I can feel tears prickling my eyes as I glare down at the paper.

          Maiven Sorrengail

It is ensured that you will be attending Basgiath War College to live up to your fullest potential. I didn't raise a healer and I won't be viewed as weak. Every Sorrengail has been a rider and it will continue as such. Violet has  gotten the same letter and you two will start training immediately, don't disappoint. This is a great opportunity and I know you will try your hardest.

-General Sorrengail

no. 

I can feel the fresh tears falling down from my eyes as I read the letter over and over. "This can't be happening..." I whisper into my hollow room. The walls are suddenly constricting and I need to get out, the air feels colder and my hands are numb. I'm going to die. There's no way me or Violet could survive, Mira has told me some bedtime stories of what she had to go through when I was younger. We are way less prepared and even Mira had time to train before Conscription Day. My mom is sending me to my own death bed. Mira might become an only child.

Six Months Later/ Present Day

My heart is thumping wildly in my chest, anxiety racing through me like lightning in a storm. I can feel every beat as I lean over to tie my shoelaces, calm down. Breathe in. Air trickling into my lungs as I greedily take a deep breath. And out. Again. Todays the day, I'm going to die, and Mira might become an only child. There's a knock at my bedroom door, "Yes..?" calling out to whoever's there. 

"Hurry up, we've got to go."

"I'm coming!" huffing while I pick up my rucksack, I walk over and open the door. Only to reveal my small sister. We start walking towards the staircase, and I can already feel my thighs burning with the first few steps.

"You know, now that I think about it, you have got to work on your patience." I manage to heave out, she gives me a hard shove and I wince, almost losing my footing. "Go easy on me" 

"I wouldn't have shoved you if you weren't taking so long" I can feel my eyes roll to the back of my head. Everything starts burning with each step and I can feel each muscle contracting to keep myself moving. I've got to admit, i've been slacking with training these past few weeks.

We've reached the top after a long period of silence and I can hear both of our heaving breaths. Shit I think I might be dying already. Violet starts laughing and now I realize I probably said that out loud. We start making our way to the General Sorrengails door and I notice one particular guard that seems to be avoiding our figures, while others just simply glance, what a joke.

" You're sending them to die!" I immediately recognize that voice, not a second later I hear Violet gasp right next to me. That came from the generals thick wooden door, I don't waste any time to hear what the response was before Violet is rushing to open the door handle. Right when she forces the door open she starts falling face first and it's honestly so funny I could laugh, if only it wasn't for Mira's look of disdain, and the generals flash of disappointment that carrie's in waves against her slightly wrinkly face. I start to walk through the doorway.  

"Damn it, mom,  she can't even handle her rucksack," Mira spits, as she rushes towards Violet.

 "Well, Maiven seems to be doing just fine." 

"I'm fine!" she is definitely not fine.

The general still has a look of pure disappointment and I can't help but feel bad for Violet, I know she's been working so hard to make this work. Hell, even I tried to make it work but my mom took about every chance of freedom and happiness I had when I read that letter six months ago. There's no escaping this now.