44. Assess and Overcome
~ GRACE ~
I still felt Voski’s gaze on my cheek like fingers on my skin, but I couldn’t turn to look. I just prayed I’d get the later tasks done more quickly. No doubt he was embarrassed that I hadn’t managed this faster.
‘I need to do better,’ I sent to Koa. ‘Faster.’
‘You do well,’ she chided me. ‘Kham says yes.’
I was pretty sure she meant that he agreed with her and thought I’d done well. But there was no time to ask, because Ronen had raised his voice.
“The good news is, Harle can now fly without sending his leathers to the laundry after, so instead, let’s focus on how much slower he was than Grace.”
Laughter rose in a cloud—except for Harle, who folded his arms and scowled.
I giggled, but I’d instinctively lifted my hand to cover my mouth because I didn’t want to hurt his feelings—and that threw off my balance.
I took a stutter-step, pinwheeled, and tipped over, bouncing with a shriek, before I caught the net in clawed fingers.
My lower-body lifted off the net as the dragons flapped and the momentum of my bounce sent me higher, but I didn’t let go, and a moment later, I could position my feet to stand again.
“Return to your feet, then nod for your next instruction,” Ronen called.
“Yes, sir! I’ll get it. I just lost my balance. I won’t be long!”
And I was faster that time, but it was still embarrassing that they all watched while I wobbled and bounced like a toddler until I got to my feet again. Then I nodded emphatically.
“Well done,” Ronen chuckled.
He was being nice, but I appreciated it. “Sir. Yes, sir!”
No one said anything, so I wasn’t sure it was the right reply. But Ronen continued.
“This is the beginning of your true test, Flameborne. From this point forward, you continue in the task until it is complete, no matter how long it takes. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Very good. Now, as quickly as you can, walk to the front of the net. If you fall, steady yourself as you’ve just done, then begin again from the point where you fell.
Do not crawl. Don’t move at all unless you’re on your feet.
Lean into the wind and let its power take some of your weight as you shift from foot to foot. ”
I swallowed hard. Walk? Every time I lifted a foot, the net moved with me, which meant any step would have be taken high-kneed, and as my other foot sank underneath me. I was going to fall several times. “If I fall—”
“Assess and overcome, Flameborne. It’s a test. Meet it with the best of your ability. Just don’t use your hands to move you forward. Stand where you fall, find your balance again, then keep moving. When you reach the front of the net, I’ll give you your next instruction.”
I nodded—which made me wobble. One of the men laughed. I grimaced, embarrassed, but then had to focus.
The front of the net was only ten or fifteen feet ahead of me.
But after the first few minutes, with the hot rake of Voski’s gaze on the side of my face, I wanted to weep with frustration.
The same thing happened over and over. First, I lifted a foot and tried to bring it forward, only to have the net sink under my greater weight placed on the other foot.
That, in turn, shifted my weight and sent me stumbling sideways.
After the fourth try, without making any progress, I wanted to swear.
The next time I ended up on my knees it was so tempting to pull myself forward with my hands, even a few inches, I actually shook fighting the urge.
‘Do not surrender, Firebird,’ Koa sent kindly. ‘Kham says… Voski says eyes high… smaller steps. Less moving.’
I frowned and blinked back the tears, glancing at Voski as I pushed to my feet again. He was trying to help? At least I was faster at getting to my feet. But then I looked down and caught sight of the booming waves below and my chest quavered.
“You can do it, Grace!”
“You got this!”
“Keep your head up, eyes on the horizon!”
Several voices called and cheered, all of them offering different tips. But I remembered Voski’s advice.
Eyes high. Smaller steps.
Chewing my lip, I locked my eyes on the horizon, kept my arms out at my sides, and lifted my foot once more—only this time, instead of trying to clear the net entirely and take a full pace, I waited until the net began to sink on the other side, and put my foot down again.
I’d only gained half a pace, and my arms pinwheeled. But I did it without falling for the first time.
A whoop went up from the men, and Bren whistled. I couldn’t help smiling.
So, I tried it with the other foot. I only managed a couple of inches that time—one cross-strand on the net. But I didn’t fall.
“Lean into the wind!” Ronen called.
My cheeks went hot—he’d told me that the first time, and I forgot.
Bending at the waist just a little, hunching, I leaned forward until I felt the wind pressing me back, then I moved the first foot again—and made half a pace again. I wobbled, but I’d stepped out slightly as well, and discovered that also helped me remain upright.
Then the clapping and cheers and advice came in a flood.
Keep the knees half-bent, not locked, just like Voski told me before I cast off Kham’s back.
Arms out and hands cupped to catch more of the wind as I leaned into it to take some of my weight.
Wider stance.
And sure enough, one by one—only falling twice more—I finally made it to the front of the net.
The entire squad cheered for the last two steps, and my cheeks warmed out of thrill this time.
I forgot myself when I reached the edge—the net sank under my weight, so there was a steep foot of netting to the thick, supporting rope that made its frame.
Koa flew directly below that point, and she crowed at me, whistling and flapping quickly, throwing her nose up, sending me her feelings of elation.
I managed to turn my head and look at Ronen. He was clapping also, and beaming a smile at me as he nodded. “Well done, Grace! Very well done!”
The compliment stunned me and I looked at Bren who whooped her encouragement and pumped her fist.
For a moment, I felt as if I was one of them. Their delight seemed very real.
A pang jolted through my chest, and instinctively, I looked at Voski. In the blink before I overbalanced, I saw his blank face.
But he was clapping.
I frowned, but because my weight was forward on that side, turning had shifted my weight again, and I almost tipped over the front of the net.
Bren shrieked, and a couple of the men shouted, Whoa! But I caught myself on the thick rope and steadied myself before straightening upright again.
“Sorry, sir!” I called frantically to Ronen without looking aside. “I won’t touch it again.”
“You can always touch the net when you fall, Grace,” Ronen called. “Be safe. Just don’t use it to your advantage.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Prepare yourself, Flameborne: Just to your left, you’ll see a thick, leather strap hanging from the net. Pull it up, clip it to your belt, then stand and await instructions.”
I looked down and found the strap just as he’d said.
It took a couple of careful, shuffling steps sideways until it was immediately in front of me, but I managed it without falling, and there was more cheering.
My name rose more than once as I stared at the strap, four inches thick, and riveted to the rope.
I bent over to reach for it, but when the net rippled, it felt like I’d tip forward over the edge of the net. I heard several gasps and a few calls, but I steadied myself, then took another approach, bending my knees so I squatted and could reach the rope while keeping my weight on my heels.
The problem was, the strap was thick, solid leather, and many feet long.
Easily as long as a mounting strap on a dragon harness—but wider, and heavier.
Because when I got both hands around it and tried to lift, the weight of its length was so great, and its end fixed on the rope between my knees, I couldn’t lift it.
I tried lacing my fingers and letting it slip through my hands as I leaned back, but it bent too sharply and wouldn’t slide, so I only leaned against it, without gaining any more of its length.
Then I tried to pull it to the side, but I couldn’t get a grip on it low enough to pull it aside, and the couple of inches below the rope that I could reach stopped me from moving my feet far enough sideways to heave it up.
Frustrated, I fought with it for a few minutes, muttering and wishing I could curse, while all around me, the men and Bren clapped and urged me on. But I made no progress.
Eventually, I was still standing there, my palms smarting from the rough back of the leather, but no progress made.
“Don’t give up, Grace!”
“You can do it!”
“Assess and overcome, Flameborne!” Ronen called.
I carefully lifted a hand to wipe the sweat from my brow, looking at the long strap dangling below and blowing back in the wind of our passage. That was half the problem. The strap’s weight, pulled it in the opposite direction that I needed it to travel.
If only I could get a grip on it lower down, I could pull it up, and there would be less weight below. The more of it I gathered, the easier it would be. But this was the most difficult part.
And then I remembered the way I used to climb up and down the ropes to get out of my parents’ manor house.
If I could get down onto the strap, I could loop it around my ankle, and use that to brace my weight, lower myself down and get to the end with the clip.
Then I’d be clipped in and safe and could climb back up if I needed to.
I knew these straps could be trusted to hold my weight.
I’d already learned that launching off Kham.
It was just a matter of getting to the end of it to clip in. I nodded to myself, sending Koa an image of the plan. She whistled.
‘Will you catch me if I fall, Koa?’
‘Yes. I am here. You are safe.’
I smiled and thanked her. Then leaned forward to grasp the rope and brace while I turned my lower-body around so my legs dangled down the strap.
“No, that’s not—Stop!” Ronen barked.
I gasped, instinctively lifting my hands, remembering too late that I wasn’t supposed to hold onto anything except the strap itself—but my body was already halfway off the net, and as the weight of my legs was caught in the wind, I pivoted around the rope at my belly.
I grabbed for the net again—too late. My fingers scraped along the harsh twine, hooked on the rope edge, but I didn’t have a strong enough grip. When my body weight hit the extension of my arm, my fingers opened and I spiraled into the air, screaming.
‘Grace—NO!’