Valkyrie Rising ✓

Chapter Thirty

Shark promises to provide us with a very interesting double Force session when I arrive Wednesday morning. Twenty-six ropes dangle from the ceiling with thick rubber mats covering the floor beneath them. Ten more ropes extend from the front of the room, again cushioned below by the black mats. All but the front ten ropes have knots positioned every foot or so along their lengths.

Against the far side of the gym stands the wall I'd seen the Troods working on. I squeeze my eyes shut, forcing down the memory of Krishel, opening them only once I've gotten a handle on my emotions. Interspersed over the wooden base, seemingly at random, are divots, grooves, protruding boards, and clumps of concrete that look something like rocks.

First we will have to climb to the top of the rock wall, then maneuver our way across it. If we fall, we try again. Once we make it across the wall, we get to tackle the ropes.

Shark demonstrates on one of the unknotted ropes, scaling the cord with impressive ease. Our goal is to be able to climb the unknotted rope by the end of the session.

"You'll want to make it across the rock wall as quickly as possible," Shark says, "because you'll need all the upper body strength you can reserve for the ropes."

The rock wall, I find, is not so bad. I'm fifth to go, so I have time to watch a few people's attempts. It's as much leg and core strength as arm strength, which I have. There's also a touch of logic involved that usually isn't in Force activities. I'm pretty good at thinking a few steps ahead, and therefore I only fall once before crossing the wall on my second attempt.

My arms are trembling a little when I hop down the last few feet. The last thing I want to do is use mostly arm strength to pull myself completely vertical. I try shaking them out a bit to buy some time.

I make it up three knots before dropping to the mat under my rope. I lay there for a minute or two, catching my breath and trying to muster the strength for a second attempt.

"Taking a break, Nadia?" Shark calls from where he stands beside the rock wall.

"Just dying a little," I yell back before sighing and rolling to my feet.

I make it a bit farther before my grip slips. I try to catch myself, but my hands drag down the rope and bounce off the knot I'd just passed. Angry red streaks mark my palms, and my hands quiver.

My third attempt at the rope is painfully worse than the other two, even though I make it halfway up.

Tears of frustration gather in my eyes, but I refuse to cry. Shark is watching me intently now, arms crossed. Maybe his attention helps me—I manage to get far enough up the rope that Shark tells me I can come down.

I move too quickly down the knots, burning my hands further from the friction, but I'm too relieved to slow down. I wipe an escaped tear from my cheek with the back of my arm, then sit on the mat, trying to slow my heart rate.

"Take a minute or two to recoup, then you're going up the front rope." Shark goes back to supervising the recruits left at the rock wall.

I try not to get overwhelmed looking at the next challenge. It was hard enough with the knots for support. How could I hope to scale the unknotted rope? I clench my fists, squeezing the rope-burns.

The sooner I get this over with, the better.

I slide off almost immediately. After flexing my hands a few times, I try again. Using my momentum, I'm able to scamper up a few inches or so before my grip skids down the rope. I jump off before I burn myself even more.