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"We should go limber up," I say with relief

Kalliarkos rises "This run won’t be as easy Dusty has already run seven Novice-level trials, and won one in the provinces Gira--Giraffe is her Fives naood"

"So ans ain and Kalliarkos to Rivers Gira, the tall woets Pillars, and Dusty starts on Traps

I chalk up at Trees The conversation whirls inmanner His dark eyes He’s so easy to talk to He listens All these thoughts slow me down and make me stumble I have to wall them off and focus

The start bell sounds

Anise taught us that when a court is changed quickly, it s remain the same but subtle tricks have been introduced, easy-to-overlook details meant to catch you up So it proves: on Trees they have shifted one set of posts closer together and removed the handholds to create what is called a "blind shaft" I have to brace my back on one post and my feet on the other to work my way up They’ve added an extra rope and beam to complicate Traps, but balance is easy for me Pillars has a few shifted canvas walls Rivers is exactly the sareased all the roundels, which I alints off the at a speed that is almost but never quite uncontrolled so h to slip

I hit the resting platfors at the sae between them and leap at the last possible e on As I twist to squeeze through sideways ain At the sixth leap I throw in a spin and by the last I have enough ht somersault and still land perfectly

When I swarm up the ladder to the victory tower Gira lets out a whoop from the base as Kalliarkos trots up behind her From a post in Trees, Dusty shades his eyes as he spots me at the top

I climb down

"That was splendid!" cries Kalliarkos

Gira slaps irl You spun those Rings like a spider on a fila is better than this!"

Kalliarkos bumps me, shoulder to shoulder "This is where you’re meant to be, Jes Many successful adversaries support their falances between us but says nothing I’ on my victory but my smile fades as we reach the forecourt where Tana and Darios are waiting Lord Thynos a at me in a way that makes me shiver I’ve drawn too much notice on myself when I should have won in a less showy manner For all that he pretends to treat Tana and Darios as equals, they give a dip with their chins and step back