Page 19

"Each team will navigate a raft through these rapids to the fjord at the river's end."Maven gestured downstream."Some of you will need rescue, but if you are strong, you’ll make it through on your own."

Luna, standing a few paces from Thalia, raised her hand."Instructor, don't we get a demonstration first?Or at least some instruction?"

Maven's laugh was as sharp as the rocks in the river."You think the Isle Wardens will give you a demonstration before they try to kill you?"She pointed to a row of rough-hewn wooden rafts pulled up on the shore."Four to a raft.Teams will be assigned now."

Thalia waited, breath held, as Maven read names from her clipboard.For once, luck was with her and she found herself assigned with Roran.Her relief at seeing his familiar face was momentarily eclipsed by her curiosity about their other teammates: Levi, a quiet boy from Verdant Port who rarely spoke in class, and a girl named Rose she recognized from the dining hall but had never officially met.

"Hey," Rose said, extending a gloved hand as they gathered near their assigned raft.Her pale blonde hair was pulled back in a severe braid, and her gray eyes held a determined glint."Rose Frostfield.From the Reaches.I’m hoping one of you Southerners has been on a raft before.Where I come from, the water never thaws."

“I haven’t, but I’ve seen plenty of vessels in the harbor.”Thalia shook her hand."Thalia Greenspire."

"The herb girl," Rose said, nodding."I've heard you're good in metallurgy."

Before Thalia could respond, Roran joined them, his wild black curls barely contained in a loose knot at the nape of his neck."So we're river-mates, huh?"His easy smile broke some of the tension."Anyone ever rafted before?Or been on any sort of boat?"

Levi stepped up beside them, completing their quartet."My father took me paddling once," he offered, his voice so soft Thalia had to lean in to hear it over the river's roar.He was shorter than Roran but broader across the shoulders, with a serious face and light brown hair cut close to his scalp.

"That's something, at least," Roran said, clapping Levi on the shoulder.

“What about you?”Thalia asked.

“My father was a merchant,” Roran replied.“I’ve spent plenty of time on the water.”

Maven's whistle pierced the air."Gear up!Vests are in the supply crates.Anyone who ditches their vest will fail this course and the next three.Anyone who loses their paddle gets no replacement.You sink, you swim.You fall behind, you stay behind."

The team gathered their equipment — thick life vests that smelled of mildew and wooden paddles worn smooth from use.Thalia pulled the vest over her head, cinching the straps tight.The added bulk felt reassuring, though she doubted how much protection it would truly offer against the frigid water.

"Shall we?"Roran gestured toward their raft.The wooden craft looked far too flimsy for what lay ahead — nothing more than roughly hewn logs lashed together, with crude crossbeams for seats.

Together, they dragged the raft to the river's edge.The wood scraped against the rocky shore, the sound grating against Thalia's already frayed nerves.The moment the raft hit the water, the current tugged at it hungrily.

"Everyone in, quick," Roran directed, steadying the craft."Levi at the front, Rose and Thalia in the middle, I'll take the back."

Thalia climbed aboard, her boots slipping slightly on the wet wood.The raft dipped beneath her weight, and for a sickening moment, she thought it might flip.She found her balance and settled onto the crossbeam, gripping her paddle with white knuckles.

Once all four were aboard, the current immediately caught them, pulling them away from shore.The raft spun lazily once, twice, before Roran's paddle bit into the water, steadying their course.

"Everyone paddle!"he called."We need to build momentum before the first drop!"

Thalia dug her paddle into the icy water, feeling the resistance as she pulled.The cold bit into her hands despite her gloves, numbing her fingers.Ahead, she could see where the relatively calm water gave way to white froth as the river narrowed and dropped.

"Forward strong, three strokes!"Roran commanded from the back.

They complied, the raft picking up speed.

"Now starboard only — sorry, that’s the right side.Thalia and me!"

Thalia responded, surprised by the authority in Roran's voice.Her arms strained as she pulled the paddle through the water, helping to angle the raft toward the center of the approaching rapids.

The first drop came suddenly.The raft tipped forward, and Thalia's stomach lurched as they plunged.Cold spray drenched her face.The raft bucked beneath them, and she clung to her seat with one hand, paddle with the other.

"Keep paddling!"Roran shouted over the water's roar."Left side now!"

Rose and Levi dug in, and the raft veered away from a half-submerged boulder that would have shattered their craft.Thalia's heart hammered against her ribs, but she couldn't deny the exhilaration that came with each successful maneuver.

Roran called directions continuously, his voice somehow carrying over the chaos.Under his guidance, they slalomed through obstacles that sent other rafts spinning.Twice, they passed teams who had capsized, their members struggling in the frigid current.Maven's assistants, posted along the shores, threw ropes to the floundering students.

"Hard left ahead!"Roran warned."There's a drop and then a sharp turn!"