All day I expected Pippa to catch me. Her name never appeared in the standings. I’d have liked to take her measure early on. A sizing up in the valley would have been preferable. Bravos never showed, either. It’s hard to imagine both of them made mistakes on day one. I’ll have to keep an eye out. Maybe they both decided to fall behind to avoid the fallout of the first night?

It’d be a surprising choice.

Their absence doesn’t change much. My plan is the same it’s been since the interview. Prepare for the worst. Fight through every night. Survive and advance.

With the sunlight failing, our phoenixes will die bold and bright. It’ll be nearly impossible to hide the fires from the riders behind me. Deaths never last longer than thirty seconds, but that’s more than enough time for trailing riders to figure out where I am.

As soon as they settle their own ashes, they’ll come for me.

It makes my decision easy. Instead of riding deeper into the course, I cut east along the raised mesas. Keeping my phoenix tight to the rocky formations, I use what little lead I have to push wide of the pursuit. Etzli will hit the open plain right after me, but I know she’ll see my horse’s tracks and head in the opposite direction. Always out of trouble.

It’s the pack behind her I’m worried about.

So I gallop along the towering rock faces, searching for clefts and clearings. I need a place that will shield my first fire from sight. A good place to put my back up against a wall and make a stand. The first cave I find is about perfect. Stone juts out before carving a neat opening in the side of the canyon. I take a good look at the spot before trotting my phoenix past. Two minutes later, I find a second one. Not nearly as big or nice, but secluded enough, and the fire of my phoenix will look vague in the growing light of the stars.

It takes a handful of minutes to unsaddle and put the horse down. I set my body in the entrance of the recess, shielding the light of the fire from prying eyes. When it finally burns its way to ash, I start creeping back along the canyon, following my own footsteps. I know I have just a handful of minutes to make this work and I know it’ll be lucky if it works at all.

Off to the west, there’s a second fire.

It’s as far in the other direction as possible. Definitely Etzli.

All around me, night noises. I stay hunched as I hustle back along the staggered stones, searching for the first recess. The stars and moon are out, washing everything in weak light.