Preparations were being made within the capital of the Northern Lands for the young heirs and the other younger age groups of the many families to come together.
It happened from time to time in order to promote unity or to settle old grudges through the games but to also provide a place where everyone could socialise and show off their abilities.
Sometimes it would be much simpler and it would be settled with a fist fight or a tug of war but there were much larger events that required more preparation.
When the event was much larger and had to be held outside of the capital, the location had to be looked over and prepared so that it was acceptable to be used for the games.
There would still be danger for those participating but it would have been reduced to the best of their abilities.
No matter what preparations and countermeasures were taken, there were always unknown variables that could cause major disruptions to each of those that would be participating in the games.
Each of them had left the capital through the main gate and headed towards the direction of the large snowy mountains in the distance.
Some travelled with an escort to protect them while others had chosen to travel alongside others so that there was better safety in numbers.
The journey was not that far from the capital so they were able to reach their destination after travelling towards and up the mountain slope using their own sleds and dogs.
The dogs howls were mixed in with the talking of each of them as they made their way towards the gathering spot where everything would begin.
There were several shelters that were already set up so that those watching or participating could warm themselves up and rest before, during or after the games had begun.
Some flags were placed on poles which seemed to be the starting and finishing line while there were others further ahead that signalled that a turn should be made before reaching that far.
Each sled that was being prepared had between four and ten dog harnesses being secured and checked over before being placed on the dogs.
The additional gear and things being carried on the sled were looked over briefly before everything was being confirmed to be in order.
There were more than ten sleds that were lined up on the starting line and among them was Ki who had secured Nova at the front of her own sled dogs.
Lumi and Rayleigh were standing in the crowd of those that would be watching over the beginning, middle and end of the games.
There would be someone or more than one person keeping track of who crossed the line after crossing through the mountain and coming back around then how many times they had done so until the games came to an end.
Other teams were being prepared at the side but they would only be used as emergency teams that would go to search for those that did not come back around in a long time and could have been in danger.
A man who looked around two years older than Ki had glared towards Ki while he was going over his preparations for the games. "Hmph."
Ki raised an eyebrow towards him before turning back to go over everything again. 'He should be the one that was behind that…'
Ki had recognised him from the coming of age ceremony that she had and remembered that he was among those that had gathered together and were against her.
She had picked up on some of their words which they were not so secretive about when they were in such a public place so Ki was able to identify him easily.
Even if he was not the ringleader, he could have been involved in some way and he seemed to still be looking down on her so she would not show him any respect or kindness either.
Those involved in the wolf incident had been punished by the royal family but it was just enough to be called a slap on the wrist and they were still able to go around like usual without being restricted.
His hostile gaze was not the only one that Ki had detected among those participating so she thought to herself. 'It really is difficult for me to just get along with everyone.'
Many seemed surprised that Ki was actively participating so they were having mixed feelings about whether it was worth getting to know her.
On one hand, Ki could be ignorant of their ways and would participate only to later make a fool of herself.
On the other hand, Ki could actually be well versed in their ways and may surprise them.
They did not know that Ki had made some trips around the borders of the Northern Lands on her dog sled with Nova leading the way each time so it helped her to gain more trust and experience with her dogs.
Her experience gained dog sledding over the years may not have let her be an expert in that field but it was enough to show that she was competent enough to handle the games that she was participating in.
The terrain was different to what she was used to and the overall location was unfamiliar to her but so long as she was careful then Ki would not need to worry about having any accidents.
After exchanging some words with Rayleigh and Lumi, Ki had got on the sled once the time had come for the games to begin.
Everyone else did the same while the other nobles watched on from the safety of the shelter or close by it.
One lone man was stood with a flag and raised it up before waving it downward. "Begin!"
Many loud calls came from the sides of Ki when the first group set off being pulled by their dogs.
"Hike!"
"Hike!"
"Hike! Come on move it!"
Once it was her own time to go, Nova pulled her forward and her own sled gradually sped up to chase behind those that went ahead of her.
The man that had been by her side and looked towards her in surprise once she slowly started to surpass him. "What?"
Ki showed a slight smirk towards him as Nova slowly helped to increase the distance between them.
More teams entered the race and made their way towards the first turn one after another until everyone was evenly spaced out and participating in the race without crashing into each other and getting tangled up.