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The warning bell rings
As I face the entry gate a sliver of hope lightens the dreary round like the heart of the Fives court speaking to me It reminds me that I don’t have to lose I don’t have to cheat myself here, and if I pass muster, they ant s
Energy pulses through ives way as I shove it aside Soht up the posts of Trees and pick a path as they go, but that is not what Anise taught us: Sailors chart shoals and currents, so must you chart your path before you set sail Seek the most efficient route, not the shortest one
The configuration is a basic course set for speed and strength Because I a as the ility to create h posts and across gaps between clusters of posts
I a
The world narrows to the grain of wood beneath ainst a post as I shove into a leap, the ih me as I catch the next post and steadyplatforht to be but that is likely because I was eating only bread for three days
A murmur of voices rises froe of the Fives is the choices you have to ates, one for each obstacle, and only one center obstacle, each adversary has a choice when she successfully coo next The choice here can
The gate to Trees is always sited facing the southeast, Rivers to the northeast, Pillars to the northwest, and Traps to the southwest I must choose either Rivers or Traps next I don’t want to chance that I ht pass Kalliarkos where he started on Rivers because it would e a canvas tunnel that leads to Traps
No sooner do I ring the gate bell and dart through the canvas than I see one of the fledglings fighting to maintain his balance on a slack rope In the tiuration of Traps holds no h every basic sort of balance and trap, the lad falls He catches hiood two-footed release, then runs back to the beginning because if your foot touches the ground you have to start over fro incline
My heart is centered; this is my joy andthe taut rope weave, and relax into the slack rope The bridges and traps are so si platfor urations When I was sitting up on the terrace in theI charted this Pillars course and e it while we napped?
Given the nu of sand I decide that if they haven’t even raked it then they likely have not changed its course or added any couess that I
Counting branching corridors keeps inner where he has paused trying to decide whether to go left or right Without a word I dodge past hiht behindplatform
He says, "How did you coer than I a Soldians, sailors whose homeland lies far to the east
I offer hi him as an equal
"Kiss off, Adversary," I say
His startled smile flashes in answer as I juuration is dead easy, hopping fro tiny roundel of wood to the next It’s just balance and ti actually just stands on the shore to watchplatforPleasure flames my cheeks at the imitation
A foot scrapes the ladder below Kalliarkos cli the floor as he catches his breath He glances at ’s version used for basic training Rather than the usual upper and lower paths, its twelve large wooden rings are arranged to make a circular path around the victory tower A hidden mechanism turns each at a different speed All you have to do is jule to leap to the next