The west became familiar slowly, which was worse than if it had happened all at once.
At first it was only the hills. Then the trees changed, and the road stopped being somewhere I had never been and started reminding me of places I had. Not the same places. Close enough.
I sat against Dream Haven and watched through the window, while the others pretended not to notice I had been awake for nearly an hour. Nobody commented. I appreciated the restraint.
Outside, the road climbed between two low ridges of thin grass and scattered trees, and my legs began to ache from memory. I frowned.
[Nothing is wrong with your legs.]
'I know.'
[Then why did you check them?]
'Trauma.'
[...]
'Training trauma.'
The System considered this. [Master Valerian made you run up hills.]
'Repeatedly.'
[You survived.]
'Physically.'
