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I have just scra platforrabs one of the practice ribbons tied there Inarsis is halfway up the ladder below hienial curses whose crude nature makes me blush

Lord Thynos scans the obstacles to findrun alwayselse I never reveal at holy, but in truth I have done better than I expected

He does not wave back

I have nothing to be asha shelter while sending the other adversaries onto the course to train, I drag my feet Just as I feared, Lord Thynos and Inarsis join me They pepper me with questions

"Who trained you?"

"Why did you go to Rivers instead of Traps after you finished Trees?"

"Do you have a strategy for solving the maze?"

"Which was the hardest task in this trial? Which was easiest? Where did you falter?"

"My concentration," I say "I got distracted several times"

Tana appears Lord Thynos and Inarsis rise

"She needs specifically to work on strength in addition to her regular training," Lord Thynos says to Tana

The round, leavingfor me to realize I have passedin a stable

I sit there withthat my shoulders start to stiffen up My whole life has been turned upside down, all the bad and the good churned together Thoughts muddle around in my mind: Mother’s tears; the feel of the victor’s ribbon clutched in my hand; Amaya’s lovely cat mask that she threw in the fla I have said or done