Klane surveyed the arena carefully as the morning sun rose behind the low hills. A handful of townsfolk already occupied the slopes on the opposite side of a roughly circular plot of levelled ground where the games would soon begin. More of Ironhope’s residents were beginning to arrive at the same time as the Rider competitors and spectators. He caught sight of Clara and her son who gave him a wave, but the blacksmith has not yet joined his family. Gillan was still conferring with Ethan and his men. The irregular edges of the competition area were marked at wide intervals by a number of large boulders set into the ground. Long distance circuit races, required the runners to touch each one as they passed. In the central areas of the field, there were various pieces of simply crafted structures designed for the games; a sandpit, some wooden poles lashed together, straw bale targets and towers, netting and ropes. On this first day the sports were all about human endeavours. The feats of horsemanship which were the pride of Rider culture would take place on the second and final day.