Scarlett's POV
The river water was still dripping from my clothes, making me shiver as the wind picked up. We stood at the edge of the Deep Woods—the part of the forest where the trees grew so thick that the sun barely touched the ground.
The Elder stepped forward, holding a stack of black silk blindfolds. "Twenty pairs finished the climb. Ten pairs finished the river. Now, we test the soul. The fourth trial is the Scent-Trail."
My heart hammered. This was the event I feared most.
"The males will be taken deep into the woods," the Elder explained. "They will be placed at different points. The females will be blindfolded. You must find your partner using only your nose. If you touch the wrong male, you are out. If you do not find him before the time is up, you are out."
