call for Leander's blessing. He began the course and did almost as well as Celos. Aleena shook her head as one after another of her fellow trainees ran through the course ahead of her. Seeing them do it made it so that it didn't look that hard, but she knew better. They were panting for breath and a few winced as they walked when they finished. Durak flashed his hand at her and smiled, showing how he'd torn the skin off his calluses at some point and was dripping blood on the ground.
"Aleena, it's your turn," Sir Amos called to her after everyone else had gone.
"Good luck," Durak whispered.
Celos gave her a nod when she looked at him. It wasn't much, but she returned it and bowed her head to call for Leander's blessing. So far, three of the recruits had completed the course after the sands ran out, guaranteeing they would fail the testing. She wouldn't be alone, at least!
Aleena took a deep breath and broke out in a run. Her foot slipped on the snowy ground but she caught herself before she fell to the ground. It served as a good warning to her when she came to the barrels. Knowing her f ooting would be treacherous, she slowed so she could make it around the barrels. She misjudged the second one and bounced off it, driving the breath from her lungs and bruising her hip. She bounced off and ran on, brushing against the barrels and slipping through until she made her way to the next obstacle.
Aleena cleared the first gates and then found herself sopping up the dirty slush beneath the next gates. She rose up, breathing hard and grinding her teeth against the cold. She grabbed the rope and tried to swing across to the box but her hand slipped and she fell off into what turned out to be a snow-covered pit.
She scrambled out of it, her cheeks and chest burning with heat enough to make her forget her sodden clothes. She grabbed the rope and tried again, wrapping it around her wrist once for extra support. She made the swing but stumbled on the box and ended up rolling off it.
She managed the net so well she thought she might have made up some time but the next obstacle stalled her. The wooden wall was easily ten feet up, so tall that she couldn't reach it even by jumping. She cast about, looking for something to use to help her gain a few inches she needed. There was only the wall. It wasn't fair; she was too short to reach it! How could they count that against her?
Aleena scowled and glanced at the gathered recruits and Sir Amos. Several of the trainees were shaking their heads or looking away. Only Durak and Celos were staring at her. She turned back to the wall and stared at it, and then decided to try something she'd seen her little brother do once when he was young and even shorter than she was.
Aleena back ed up and got a running start. Rather than leaping straight up when she reached the wall, she jumped at the wall and planted her foot against it. She pushed down, giving herself a boost and struggled to throw her hands as high as she could.
Her fingers cleared the top and gave her purchase enough to hang desperately. She struggled and tried to get her other hand over the lip but lost her tenuous grip before she could manage it. She fell and rolled away , knowing she had failed.
Aleena climbed to her feet and stared at the wall, and then shook her head in disgust and went around it. The remaining obstacles flew past her as though she was in a dream. All she saw was the wall. It angered her and drove her to push herself so that when she stopped in front of Sir Amos, she was gasping for breath and barely able to hold herself upright.
He showed her the hourglass. It had run out of sand. " You have failed."
Aleena gathered her breath to say, "Thank you for the opportunity, Sir Amos."
The priest started to turn away but he stopped and looked back at her. He regarded her silently for a moment, and then nodded and turned away. "Come, to the next stage of the testing."
They followed him back inside to where the wind and
"Aleena, it's your turn," Sir Amos called to her after everyone else had gone.
"Good luck," Durak whispered.
Celos gave her a nod when she looked at him. It wasn't much, but she returned it and bowed her head to call for Leander's blessing. So far, three of the recruits had completed the course after the sands ran out, guaranteeing they would fail the testing. She wouldn't be alone, at least!
Aleena took a deep breath and broke out in a run. Her foot slipped on the snowy ground but she caught herself before she fell to the ground. It served as a good warning to her when she came to the barrels. Knowing her f ooting would be treacherous, she slowed so she could make it around the barrels. She misjudged the second one and bounced off it, driving the breath from her lungs and bruising her hip. She bounced off and ran on, brushing against the barrels and slipping through until she made her way to the next obstacle.
Aleena cleared the first gates and then found herself sopping up the dirty slush beneath the next gates. She rose up, breathing hard and grinding her teeth against the cold. She grabbed the rope and tried to swing across to the box but her hand slipped and she fell off into what turned out to be a snow-covered pit.
She scrambled out of it, her cheeks and chest burning with heat enough to make her forget her sodden clothes. She grabbed the rope and tried again, wrapping it around her wrist once for extra support. She made the swing but stumbled on the box and ended up rolling off it.
She managed the net so well she thought she might have made up some time but the next obstacle stalled her. The wooden wall was easily ten feet up, so tall that she couldn't reach it even by jumping. She cast about, looking for something to use to help her gain a few inches she needed. There was only the wall. It wasn't fair; she was too short to reach it! How could they count that against her?
Aleena scowled and glanced at the gathered recruits and Sir Amos. Several of the trainees were shaking their heads or looking away. Only Durak and Celos were staring at her. She turned back to the wall and stared at it, and then decided to try something she'd seen her little brother do once when he was young and even shorter than she was.
Aleena back ed up and got a running start. Rather than leaping straight up when she reached the wall, she jumped at the wall and planted her foot against it. She pushed down, giving herself a boost and struggled to throw her hands as high as she could.
Her fingers cleared the top and gave her purchase enough to hang desperately. She struggled and tried to get her other hand over the lip but lost her tenuous grip before she could manage it. She fell and rolled away , knowing she had failed.
Aleena climbed to her feet and stared at the wall, and then shook her head in disgust and went around it. The remaining obstacles flew past her as though she was in a dream. All she saw was the wall. It angered her and drove her to push herself so that when she stopped in front of Sir Amos, she was gasping for breath and barely able to hold herself upright.
He showed her the hourglass. It had run out of sand. " You have failed."
Aleena gathered her breath to say, "Thank you for the opportunity, Sir Amos."
The priest started to turn away but he stopped and looked back at her. He regarded her silently for a moment, and then nodded and turned away. "Come, to the next stage of the testing."
They followed him back inside to where the wind and
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