nking feeling.
"Oh. The Scarring. I won't have the recovery time Hovan planned for
me, then." The Scarring, by tradition, took place early the second day
after the last of the other Ordeal segments--which was almost never
wilderness survival.

Having spent most of the last several years in the controlled
environment of his ship, Tarlac was no longer used to any exposure to
the elements. Even though his wilderness trek had been a fairly mild
test, and he was in good shape for someone who'd spent eight days
living off the land, he was not ready for the most physically demanding
part of the Ordeal.

"No, ruesten, it will not be easy." Yarra's evident concern gave
Tarlac the impression of a worried frown, an expression few Traiti
could manage physically. "It never is, even when the candidate is
rested and at his full strength, which you are not." She looked past
Steve. "Speaker, do you know why his Ordeal is being compressed so?"

Darya looked thoughtful, then shook her head. "I do not know,
Ka'ruchaya. I could try to guess."

"Guess, then."

"It could be that his Ordeal is scaled as much as possible to human
tolerances, and humans handle change more readily than we do. Also,
Steve himself has mentioned often enough that he has no desire to waste
time or lives." She turned to the Ranger. "I do not ask you to speak
of your Decision, since Hovan says you cannot yet do so in honor. But
I may ask, as Speaker: does it require speed of you for another
reason?"

Tarlac took time to think out his answer. "You might say it does,
indirectly. I have to tell you all something I found out from the
Vision, and what it means. It'll be easier for you to hear it from a
Cor'naya, Hovan says. Humans would believe a Ranger, but you don't
have that kind of trust in me yet."

"I cannot argue, ruesten," Yarra said calmly. "I do trust you, but
truly not as I trust one who has earned Honor scars."

Tarlac traded glances with Hovan, remembering the precaution he'd taken
against failure. It might work, it might not. He had to hold onto the
First Speaker's promise from the Lords that his survival of the Ordeal
would bring an honorable peace, and hope the death he still saw as
inevitable wouldn't bring disaster.

Hovan felt certain of Steve's survival, but had made his promise
because it was necessary to his ruhar's state of mind. Part of a
sponsor's responsibility was easing any stress outside of the Ordeal
itself, and