“Lor!” I hear him in the distance and alter my course, heading towards the sound.

A narrow bridge over a churning river crosses my path. From a distance, I can see it’s barely held together by a wish and a few pieces of fraying rope. My stride doesn’t waver. All I can do is hope I’m fast enough.

When I leap onto the bridge, it shudders ominously under my weight. Refusing to second-guess myself, I run as fast as I can when I feel a jerk behind me. Peering over my shoulder, I see it tear loose from its mooring.

Still running, I leap just as the entire thing collapses under me, and I hit the far edge. My legs dangle over the gap as I cling to my weapons before tossing them in the dirt and hauling myself up.

Then I’m running again. No doubts. No hesitation. Every moment I waste is another opportunity for Nadir to die.

I barrel down a path packed tightly with trees, obscuring anything beyond them. “Nadir!” I scream as my chest and thighs burn with adrenaline. Finally, I emerge to find a wide-open plain dotted with scrub and sparse, spindly trees.

Nadir stands chest high in a patch of sand. Herric must have dumped him right into it.

“Don’t move,” I scream, looking around for something to help. Trees, short grass, and rocks surround me, but not much else.

Rope. I need rope. The bridge. “I’ll be right back.”

I don’t wait for him to answer as I drop everything but the dagger and sprint back the way I came. My surroundings melt into a blur. I feel nothing as a branch scrapes my cheek, and my chest aches with leaden breaths. I can’t think. I can’t stop. The crowd screams and cheers, their judgment and cruelty knocking around the inside of my skull.

Lor!

I’m coming! Hang on!

Returning to where half the bridge dangles from the ledge, I skid to my knees and heave up the rotting planks. With my teeth gritted, I let out a roar and pull with all of my strength, dragging them up, hand over hand. When I have a pile gathered at my feet, I hack away at one end and then unwind a length of rope, moving as fast as I can, my fingers trembling and numb.

I don’t realize I’m crying until I taste salt on my lips.

“I’m coming!” I scream, even though I don’t know if he can hear me. “I’m coming!”

When I think I have enough, I loop it around my arm, and I’m up again. My thighs hurt as I skim through the narrow pathways and emerge back on the other side, finding only the top of Nadir’s head visible.

“Nadir!” I scream.