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“How do you know that?”Rose yelped, her voice strained with effort.

Howdoeshe know that?The river wound past an outcropping of rock, obscuring the route ahead; it was as if Roran had somehow sensed the direction of the water.Thalia stole a glance at Roran as she paddled.His face was alive with focus, eyes scanning the rapids with practiced precision.His curls had come loose from their knot, whipping around his face in the wind, but he seemed not to notice.He moved with the raft as though he and the craft were one entity, his body instinctively shifting to counter each movement of the frothing water.

They hit the drop he'd warned about, and the world went briefly vertical.Thalia's paddle lost contact with the water as they fell, her stomach rising into her throat.Then they crashed back down, water sluicing over the raft's edge, drenching them all.

"Hard to port!I mean, left!Hard on the left!"Roran shouted.

Thalia and Rose responded, driving their paddles deep into the churning water.The raft began to turn, but not quickly enough.A massive rock loomed directly in their path, the water splitting around it in twin torrents of white foam.

"We're not going to make it!"Rose cried.

Roran shifted his weight dramatically to the rear corner of the raft, using his body as a counterbalance.At the same time, he thrust his paddle into the water at a precise angle.The combined effect swung the raft around with startling efficiency, missing the rock by a handspan.

"Keep paddling!"he urged, already repositioning himself."Strong strokes!"

They shot through the next series of rapids with remarkable control, Roran calling commands with increasing complexity."Cross draw on the right!Sweep left!Pivot turn coming up!"

When they finally emerged into the calmer waters of the fjord, Thalia let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.Her arms trembled with exertion, and her clothing clung to her skin, soaked through with icy water.But they had made it, their raft intact.

"That was..."she began, turning to Roran.

"Amazing!"Rose finished, laughing with relief."Where did you learn to navigate waters like that?"

Roran shrugged, his easy smile returning now that the danger had passed."Just got a feel for it, I guess."

Levi said nothing, but Thalia caught him studying Roran with an unreadable expression.

They paddled to the shore of the fjord, joining the handful of teams that had successfully completed the course.The stark beauty of the landscape stretched before them — towering cliffs framing the placid waters of the fjord, which opened to the distant sea.Behind them, the river continued to churn and roar, disgorging more rafts into the relative safety of the deep waters.

Not all had fared as well as Thalia's team.One raft arrived with only three paddlers, and another was being towed by Maven's assistants.A few students stumbled ashore alone, having swum the final distance after their rafts were destroyed.

Maven appeared along the shoreline, stride purposeful as always.She surveyed the bedraggled students with her single eye, expression unchanged.

"Congratulations on not dying," she announced when the last of the rafts had arrived or been accounted for."Unfortunately, your task isn't complete."

A collective groan rose from the group.What more could Maven possibly demand after such an ordeal?

“Soldiers don’t complain,” Maven snapped."You brought these rafts down, now you'll carry them back up.Along the river's edge.Back to where we started."

Thalia stared at the steep, rocky path that wound along the riverside back to their starting point.It had to be at least two miles, all uphill, over treacherous terrain.

"Teams of four, same as before," Maven instructed."You finish last, you do an extra lap tomorrow."She blew her whistle."Begin."

With resigned sighs, Thalia's team hoisted their raft overhead.The waterlogged wood was even heavier than it had been when it was dry, and the awkward shape made it difficult to balance.Thalia's muscles screamed in protest as they began the arduous journey upriver.

The path was narrow and uneven, forcing them to walk single file in places, the raft preciously balanced between them.Roran took the lead, setting a steady pace that kept them moving without exhausting them completely.

They had covered perhaps half a mile when shouts erupted behind them.Thalia craned her neck to see a team struggling with their raft, a girl having slipped on loose rocks.

"Hold here," Roran said, carefully extracting himself from beneath the raft."I'll be right back."

Grateful for the respite, Thalia, Levi, and Rose lowered their burden to the ground.Thalia massaged her aching shoulders, watching as Roran ran back to assist the fallen team.

"He's good with the water," Levi said quietly, eyes fixed on Roran's retreating form.

Thalia nodded."He saved us from crashing back there."

"Didn't you think it was strange?"Levi's voice dropped even lower, forcing Thalia and Rose to lean in."The way he handled the raft?"