Page 155 of The Throne Seeker

She focused on keeping her body light and low, thankful for the friction between her skin and the sleipnir. The cheers from the crowd drowned out, leaving the starting line far behind them—just how far she didn’t know. She didn’t dare look.

Despite their weight advantage, they fell progressively behind, hanging back near the end of the pack. She wondered if perhaps the sleipnir had slowed down for her sake.

It is safer to stay back,the sleipnir explained, his nostrils taking in deep, controlled breaths.It gets dangerous if you stayclose. The other riders will attempt to throw you off if you do. It’s better to stay behind, but not too far, or you’ll never recover the lost time.

Within moments, the first obstacle appeared—a towering, steep hill inclining abruptly with a vast crevasse between the raceway, stretching somewhere between fifty to a hundred feet, if she had to guess. She didn’t know what she’d expected when she heard the word “jump,” but it wasn’t this. She attempted to take a breath, but the wind stole it before it could reach her lips.

Five riders were close by—two in front, and three not far behind. To her dismay, one of the riders ahead was Halmar, who kept throwing glances at the rider next to him, mounted on a tan sleipnir with brown hair. They looked at each other like bulls stuck together in a pen. She internally thanked her sleipnir for its wise decision to hang back.

As they neared the jump, her sleipnir accelerated. She raised herself higher, her legs holding on to the sleipnir’s body with all her might as they climbed, scaling the jump at top speed. Her vision blurred, eyes watering from the rushing wind. She couldn’t risk letting go to wipe her eyes. It was a miracle she could see Halmar ahead.

Without warning, Halmar veered his sleipnir straight into the rider beside him.

What happened next was a blur.

The hooves of the tan sleipnir somehow became tangled, forcing the rider to leap off, risking being trampled rather than crushed by the fall. The action sent his sleipnir right down the hill—headed straight for her.

Get down!her sleipnir commanded.

Rose crouched as low as possible, her chest flush with its back—fortunate because, despite her quick reflexes, the airborne sleipnir’s hoof flew inches from her head as it spiraled backward. Slowing down wasn’t an option; they were too close to the edgeto lose momentum. She did her best to reset her position for the jump.

Her sleipnir drove its hooves into the ground. With a mighty shove from its eight legs, it sprang into the sky. She kept her chest open, just as he had instructed, and for a few fleeting seconds, it felt as if they were flying, gravity holding no bounds.

Then, just like that, they were falling back to the ground.

The free fall caught her stomach. Her eyes squinted for the other side—the edge was too far. Perhaps they had miscalculated. Or maybe Halmar’s intervention had done its work.

Her life flashed before her eyes.

But her sleipnir had calculated its projection skillfully—stretching its legs forward just enough to reach the edge. Its hooves struck the track with a resounding thud, dislodging a clump of rocks and dirt that tumbled into the ravine below.

Rose had braced for the landing, but her chest still smacked against the sleipnir’s neck, the collision knocking the wind out of her. She gasped for air, but by some miracle, she hadn’t broken a rib, and what’s more, she’d managed to stay on the sleipnir.

That was very good,the sleipnir praised.That fall was an intentional move. We’ll have to be careful—he insists on staying close to us no matter what I do.

Of course he does,she spat spitefully, glaring up ahead at Halmar, who didn’t look happy they had made it over the ravine.

They were amid the riders now, the leaders of the pack still going strong. Rose’s beast increased his speed on the long, flat terrain stretches, but he remained wary of the aggressive riders.

Shortly after, they reached the tree line, smack into the middle of the track, and the designated path vanished.

It’s our next obstacle,the sleipnir explained.We’ll have to weave through the trees. Keep yourself low and watch forbranches. You’ll need to pay close attention or you’ll lose a limb—or worse, your head.

Rose grimaced, tightening her grip on the sleipnir as she tucked her knees against his torso. The riders ahead disappeared into the trees one by one until it was their turn.

Trees and branches were a blur. No matter which way she ducked or swerved, the branches followed. She swore the branches themselves were…moving. Even the roots beneath them seemed to stir. It could have been just a trick of the eye. But as they continued, it become undeniable. She had heard of places like this—places that still possessed their own magic, even in Cathan, where it had all but disappeared. This forest apparently, was one of them.

Her heart lodged within her throat. The sleipnir had failed to mention the forest wasalive. It was hard enough to avoid branches when they were still, let aloneattackingthem.

Her sleipnir had slowed down considerably, jumping and dodging the different levels of limbs and roots coming at them. She was forced to crouch, lean, and dodge much quicker than she could keep up with, almost earning a fatal blow from a branch she didn’t see until it was nearly too late. The outcome left a deep gash on her shoulder, tearing both her dress and skin.

Terror gripped her as she winced, clutching her shoulder. She couldn’t do this. They were coming at her too fast.

Trust yourself, the sleipnir coached, sensing her fear.Listen to your instincts, your body—they’ll tell you what to do.

Rose scrounged up every scrap of courage she had and narrowed her eyes into pure will. The sleipnir was right. She had come too far to give up now. She let go of the control and listened to the trees—every leaf flutter, every branch groan, the air in between. She let her body take over, letting it act on its own.

After she got the hang of it, she did well.