They jumped to the next pole and out of that obstacle, before racing toward the rest of their team. A set of swinging monkey bars was over another mud pit, leading to a separate platform that had steep metal sheeting to slide down on the other side. Audria had already landed after completing the swings and was waiting for the rest of them.

“Go,” Kerrigan yelled.

And they went.

Noda dropped into the mud with a scream when her hand slipped on one of the swings. She half-swam, half-flopped out of the mud as it tried to suck her back into the pit. Audria rushed over and dragged her out of the mess. Meanwhile, Fordham was already rushing across the swings, and Kerrigan was next. She ignored the pain in her left hand and swung across the mud pit. Thankfully she made it across with no difficulty.

The metal slide burned straight through her black uniform as she jumped down onto it. She hissed as she landed into loose rocks at the bottom. Roake landed next to her, and they hustled around the bend to a series of climbing walls. The first two had ropes that they scaled, which Kerrigan managed just fine until she reached the third one. A rope was suspended in front of her but far enough away from the wall that she couldn’t brace her feet for support.

“I’ll go first and grab you,” Fordham said.

He moved up the rope as if he’d been made for it. Kerrigan had been working out, but her upper body strength would never be his. She’d let him have this one. As soon as he was off the rope, she hefted herself up one armful at a time.

“Swing to me,” Fordham called.

She breathed out once and then swung the rope toward him. Back and forth. Back and forth. There was a moment of weightlessness, and in that moment, she released her hand. Fordham was there, latching onto her and towing her onto the wall. She stumbled into his body, wrapping her arms around him. Their eyes met for a brief moment. Then, she gulped and stepped back.

“Thanks.”

He grinned at her, forgetting where they were for a minute.

Then, they both looked down and froze. Between this wall and the next were a series of pikes, facing up toward them and no rope or swing or pole to jump from one to the other. Just open air.

“What in the gods’ names?” she breathed.

Audria landed next to them. Gratefully grabbing Fordham’s arm. “What are you …” She broke off as she saw the pit of death between them and the finish. “How are we supposed to do that?”

Roake and Noda landed safely on the wall beside them. All of them stared down at their failure. There was no way to finish this without impaling themselves.