Daring couldn't maintain her altitude for long, and the storm soon forced her back down into the tree's as she raced through the night. The blizzard was still howling around her, but the forest buffered it enough that below the canopy the weather was nearly bearable. The near constant cloud cover, however, meant that the already dim light of the stars above was all but completely blocked, leaving the world lit from an expected source.

Daring was sure why the spear was giving off a faint bluish light, but it was and while it left the forest around her bathed in a eerie glow, it was enough to navigate by so she didn't crash into any trees. The silhouette of the mountain and its ruined castle had vanished into the dark, and Daring was counting on the slope below her and the storm around her to keep her pointed in the right direction. As long as she could find that ridge on the other side of the woods, she could find their camp.

She needed to get back to Zap, get them back to the castle. She needed to end this.

She also hoped that the storm was doing a good job of blocking the light from her spear. The last thing she needed right now was to get dive-bombed by a griffin that spotted her because she was carrying the glow-stick of doom.

The storm, however, seemed to be keeping her well concealed for the moment as she finally managed to reach the semi-familiar ridge and quickly started down along it as she kept her eyes out for their camp's fire. As she flew along though, just above the snow covered ground, she saw no fire. “She must have put it out to hide.” Daring thought out loud as she pressed forward. Given the number of patrols that had been around earlier, she wouldn't have been surprised.

She ignored the small voice in the back of her head that was saying something was wrong.

As the ridge began to dip down and the ground leveled out though, that voice got louder. The terrain slowly became more and more familiar as Daring neared where they had set up camp. She followed the ridge as it veered closer to the tree's until she finally saw the familiar hump of their tent. “Zap!” Daring shouted as she bolted forward, “Zap, I'm back!” Daring shouted around the spear as she moved closer. The fire pit was cold, but their were ashes in it – the storm must have put the fire out, “Zap, where are you?” Daring moved around the fire pit until her hoof kicked into something solid.

It didn't feel like a rock.

Daring spat the spear out as she quickly started clearing the snow away, revealing a pale blue coat. “Zap!” Daring quickly cleared the rest of the snow from her friend, pulling her upright from where she had slumped over, “Come on, Zap – you can't sleep out here...” Daring gave her friend a soft shake, but the earth pony didn't stir, “Come on – jeez, you're freezing, why'd you go and let the fire go out...” Daring gave her friend another soft shake, but Zapapple gave no reply, “you..you idiot, you said...” Daring tried to ignore the tears that were starting form as she brushed a lose strand of mane from her friend's face, “you said you were going to have the fire going...” Daring gave her friend another shake as her voice began to crack, “come on – wake up. Please, wake up... we've got to go... we've...” Daring slumped to the ground as Zapapple slipped back to the ground, “...please, don't go...” Daring couldn't hold it back any longer, her tears freezing as they hit the ground as they flowed freely.

Her friend was gone.

“Such a shame.”

Daring's head shot up at the voice, a familiar purple figure stalking out of the tree's and into the dim light of the spear. “You know, this didn't have to happen,” Ahuizotl said as he stepped closer, “if you haven't left her alone-”

“Shut up!” Daring shouted as she lashed out with the only weapon in reach – the spear. A bolt of ice shot forward, but it didn't seem to phase Ahuizotl, as he simply side-stepped before lashing out with his tail. Daring and the spear parted ways as the tail struck her across the face, sending her crashing back and the spear fell into the snow with a soft thud. Daring tried to get her legs back under her, but they failed to obey her as she just flopped down onto her stomach, “damn...you...”

“Me?” Ahuizotl replied as he picked the spear up, “I am not the one who led my friend to the top of a frozen mountain. I am not the one who left my friend to die cold and alone,” he shrugged, “No matter – you will be joining her soon enough. goodbye, Miss Do – I don't expect to be seeing you again.”

And with that, he turned and left. No finishing blow, no coup de grace – and why would he bother? She was as good as dead anyway.
She'd failed. She'd lost everything, and she'd still failed.

Daring just wanted to curl up and die, right there. Let the mountain take her. Let Ahuizotl win.

'this is the stuff my dreams are made of.'

Daring grit her teeth as she got one hoof back under her. Then another.

She couldn't die here.

Slowly, she dragged herself onto her hooves before limping toward her friend. She tried to move her at first, but it seems her legs weren't up to the challenge at the moment. She was forced to settle with settling Zapapple into a more respectful state then sprawled out on the cold, frozen ground.

Daring leaned forward, hesitating briefly before placing a light kiss on her forehead. “Sorry I wasn't back sooner,” he apologized softly, tears once again starting to fall, “but I have to go again – I'll be back for you. I promise.” She paused for a moment before moving over to their tent – now collapsed, due to Ahuizotl or the storm she didn't know – digging around in it until she found one of their blankets. She dragged it back over to Zapapple, crapping it over her before tucking it in around her.

Like that, wrapped in a blanket next to the fire pit, she almost looked like she was sleeping.

Daring whispered a few last words to Celestia for her friends sake before turning and starting her way back toward the castle again. She winced with every step, but she didn't stop. “Get ready, Ahuizotl,” Daring muttered under her breath as she trudged through the snow, “I'm coming for you.”

Despite her boasting, Daring finally succumbed to her exhaustion in the middle of the woods, collapsing next to a tree, laying herself in amongst its massive roots. This deep in the woods, the storm the had enveloped the mountain was little more then a low whistle, the pounding snowfall slowed by the canopy overhead into a slow far.

It was surprisingly tranquil, given the chaos that raged around it.

“Come on Daring,” she muttered to herself, “no time to take a break...” she tried to get her hooves back under her, but barely made it off the ground before they gave out, “...okay, short break. Then kicking Ahuizotl's flank.” Celestia, she was tired. Hungry too. How long had they been on that mountain, anyway? Maybe a day? With little other idea, she started digging through the snow until she managed to reveal a burst of green amongst the sea of white. She leaned down toward the patch until she was close enough to nibble at the sparse greenery she managed to find.

It wasn't much, but it was something. At least she didn't have to eat the pine-cones she'd found while digging. She was thirsty, but she resisted the urge to eat some of the snow around her – she was pretty sure she remembered hearing that was bad. But if she could melt some, that would be alright, right?

Too bad she didn't have any canteen's on her. Or a fire.

With a sigh, she took another bite of the grass, thankful that it at least seemed moist. She cleared a little more snow from the ground as she continued grazing. She focused on eating, on plotting out her next move, on what she needed to do once she got the spear back.
She tried not to think about what she had just walked away from.

After a while though, she ran out of grass within easy reach and her legs no long felt quite as leaden. She pulled herself back on to her hooves and, once she was sure she was actually stable, started off again. “Okay,” She muttered to herself, “Now I'm coming to get you.”

It didn't take her too long to reach Ahuizotl's camp site, but apparently 'not too long' was still too long – the site had been cleared, leaving nothing but a cold fire pit and a collection of trash. Well, that wasn't a problem – she already knew where they were moving to.

Daring pressed on, past the empty camp and onward toward toward the ruins of the castle. Ahuizotl's goons must have had some prep time, since in the lulls of the storm she could see the orange glow of fires dotting its front, flickering occasionally in a distant breeze.

The trip back up to the castle was a slow one. The blizzard had deposited great dunes of snow across the mountain side, leaving the already perilous route almost impassable. Down drafts rolled down the side of the mountain, likely to leave her like the griffon's from before if she tried to fly against them. She wasn't sure how she'd missed them during her flight from the castle before, but then again maybe they just hadn't been there before.

Either way, they meant that Daring was effectively grounded for assent up the mountain this time - bar a few short hops over spots where small avalanches had covered the narrow path up, she was limited to hovering just above the surface of the snow as she made her way ever higher. She managed to make it half-way up to the castle before the first possible snag revealed its feathered head.

In the light of a flickering torch a lone griffon was standing at the edge of one of the switchbacks, a spear leaning against one shoulder as he rubbed his claws together in a vain attempt to warm himself up against the steady gust blowing down the mountain. Daring started to slowly ease her way past the griffon, pausing every time his shifted or moved before continuing on once she was sure he wasn't about to turn and lunge at her. She was half-way past him when something caught her eye and gave her pause.

Hanging from the griffon's hip, gleaming dully in the torchlight, was a brass compass that Daring recognized. It had been one of many items she and Zap had on them when they first climbed to the castle, and one of many items that had been taken when they'd been tied up and tossed in that trap room.

And now this griffon was walking around with it.

Daring found herself stalking toward the griffon's back before she could even consider it. She might not have any sort of training in how to fight, but years of flight training and the element of surprise cover a great multitude of short-comings.

For centuries, griffons had been the natural enemies of the pegasus. The griffon chased, and the pegasus ran. One ever on the offensive, the other the defensive.

This likely had to do with the level of surprise the griffon felt when a pair of hooves bucked him in the back hard enough knock the wind from him. He tried to twist around, but found a wing swinging around to hit him square in the face like a feather-coated sledgehammer.
The griffon reeled back with a squawk, claws coming up to cradle his face, as a second wing swung around from behind and socked him in the back of the head. Daring twisted out of of the way as she followed through on the swing, the griffon collapsing into the snow by her hooves. He twitched once before going still with a groan.

Daring stood there for a moment, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath as she looked down at the now comatose griffon. She rolled him over, brushing some of the snow from his face, before she leaned down and unhooked the compass from his side and tucked it into a shirt pocket. “That,” she said, as she stood back up, “isn't yours.”

She gave the griffon one final glance before continuing up the mountain. One griffon down, a few dozen to go. Yeah – this was going to be great.

The rest of the way up the mountain didn't require any further griffon take-downs, and soon she almost had the main entry of the castle in view. Daring pressed herself against the cliff side before slowly inching her way closer until she could peer around at the castle.
Their were four griffons standing around the front archway, and only one of them was standing at any sort of attention. The other three were huddled around a small bonfire, passing around a flask of something steaming as they shot glances toward the lone griffon standing across from them and chuckling.

As distracted as most of the griffon's were, Daring didn't think sneaking through the front door was particularly likely. So – on to plan B.
Once she came up with it.

Her first thought was to just do her prior departure in reverse and fly to a window, but with the winds the way they were it was just as likely that the rocks would take care of her for the griffons assuming she didn't get blown off the side of the mountain outright. Flying? Fun. Falling? Not so much.

Still, there was a window not far up one of the walls. Daring studied the ruin for a moment as she considered an idea. Yeah, that might work.
Daring gave the griffon's on watch one more look before backing down the path a little ways until she was around the first corner. The wind tugged at her mane as she glanced upward. This side of the fortress's main approach was abutted by a rocky outcroppings of stone, providing some cover from the winds that blustered around the mountain. Daring looked up at the snow-covered outcropping before taking wing as quietly as possible, staying low as she hovered over the snow until she reached the top of the rock structure, coming down to a gentle landing at the snow-cover summit. Down below, she could still make out the gathered griffons, the main group was still gathered around the fire to one side of the door, the loner on the other side still stalwartly maintaining a proper lookout on his own.

With the griffons still in place, Daring turned her attention to her actual goal. Centuries of weathering had ground away at the structure, forces that would have reduced lesser structures to dust. As impressive as the castle was though, time has still taken its toll – stone had been pitted away, some stones having fallen away and leaving behind big gaps in the rough gray surface as it stretched outward and upward. And, far above, was Daring's goal.

Daring spared the griffons below one final glance before leaping toward the wall, frantically scrambling at the side of the wall until she managed to get a hoof hold. Daring let out a sigh of relief as she arrested her fall before looking around to find the next hoof hold and leaping to it. The wind howled around her, whistling in her ears as Daring zigzagged her way up the castle wall, small sideways leaps taking her upward with painful slowness. Every step of the way, the wind threatened to tear her off the wall and smash her into the rocks.
Given how often it was cropping up as a potential hazard on her first real field outing, you'd think that 'death by horrible fall' would have come up in her archeology courses. That seemed like a serious short-fall, all things considered.

Grumbling about school curriculum aside, Daring was relieved to see her goal in sight. The narrow window sat just above her off to her right. She gave the rocks far, far below a quick glance before locking her eye on the window and with a nervous gulp threw herself toward the ledge.
For a brief moment, she thought it had gone flawlessly. Then reality hit.

Reality, in this case, was the stone ledge at the bottom of the window clipping her in the chin.

Daring couldn't suppress the cry of pain as she felt herself rebound off the ledge, one hoof reaching out in a vain attempt to grab hold. Instincts kicked in as she felt herself falling, her wings flaring out on reflex, only for the howling wind to grab hold and try and yank her down. Daring gritted her teeth as she forced one wing close against the force of the wind before reaching upward with the other and wrapping it over the ledge.

Her wing joint screamed as she jolted to a sudden stop, her grip threatening to give as fiery barbs of pain shot through her. She managed to bite back another cry and, slowly, the fire in her wing faded away until it was just a dull, manageable throbbing. With painful slowness, she managed to pull herself up until she could get a hoof over the ledge and, finally, hauled herself through the window.

Daring collapsed onto the stone floor below the window with a dull thud, but she was too tired to care. She simply laid there on the floor, her own heartbeat thundering in her ears now that she was out of the wind. Compared to out on the wall, the inside of the castle was as silent as a tomb, any ambient sounds lost to the sounds of her own breathing and heartbeat.

After a few minutes to catch her breath, Daring finally took a look around at where she had reached. As was standard with most pre-unifcation castles, the structure had combined the functions of fortress and temple into a single structure. A second-floor ambulatory circled around above the hall below, providing a expansive view down into the current griffon operation. Daring slowly edged closer to the balustrade, peering through the space between the worn stone columns and the scene below.

The camp that had been set up at the base of the mountain had now been moved indoors, sans tents. Rows of cots had been set up across one side of the chamber, while one corner near the front had become some sort of command center, complete with that absolutely fascinating magic table at center stage. Daring could also make out what looked to be a kitchen and tables in another corner and some sort of armory occupying the space near one wall. She could pick out the griffon commander from before, once again showing quite a bit of interest in that safe before stalking toward where a few other griffon were sparring and critiquing the stance of one of them.

Daring had to resist the urge to groan in frustration. This was even worse then at the camp – she couldn't even see Ahuizotl from up here.
Daring was out of ideas. Frankly, she was lucky to have gotten this far. But she as much of a chance of making it past the camp down there as somepony did of just walking in through the front door.

Which was, a moment later, exactly what somepony did.

Daring's eye's nearly bugged out of her head when she saw a very familiar looking unicorn mare walk in through the front door like she was stepping into the university library. “Good evening,” Tabula Rasa gave a polite curtsey to the griffons that had stopped to stare at her, “I am currently looking for two ponies – a tan pegasus and a blue earth pony. Have you seen them?”

The entire camp quickly went dead silent as several dozen armed and very dangerous griffons stared at the little librarian like she had just sprouted wings to go with her horn. “What in the moon-blasted-” A familiar accented voice carried out of one of the halls as Ahuizotl stepped into view, glancing around the chamber until they settled on the librarian. They went wide for a moment before narrowing, “Who are you?”

“Miss Tabula Rasa,” Tabula introduced herself with another curtsey, “I was wondering if you happened to have an information pertaining to the whereabouts of one Daring Do and one Zapapple Tock.”

Ahuizotl's face split into a predatory grin, “Sorry purple, they're dead.”

Tabula calmly adjusted her glasses as she met the creature's gaze. “For your sake, I hope you are mistaken.”

“Whatcha going to do, girl?” Ahuizotl replied, amused, “lecture me to death?”

“It's not me you should be worried about,” Tabula replied, “but my associates.” The last sentence was punctuated as a familiar looking griffon – Daring was certain it was the same poor bloke who had been the only one taking his job outside seriously – crashed into the ground with a heavy crash, a gray and purple blur riding him down. Whatever Tabula had been expecting, that hadn't been it as she reeled backwards as a cloud of dust kicked up from the landing.

The entire hall went dead silent as the dust billowed out before the soft clatter of hooves on stone echoed out. A familiar silhouette calmly strolled out of dust, the gray mare's purple mane still it its severe bun, seemingly unaffected by the decent. A long coat draped across her frame, the dark blue fabric flaring out around her hindlegs as she walked. Masra took a calm look around before locking eyes with Ahuizotl, “Good evening,” she gave shallow curtsy, eyes not leaving Ahuizotl's, “please return my ponies and I will not be forced to damage any more of your forces.”

“Kill them!” Ahuizotl shouted, and a split second later every griffon in the room sprung into motion.

“You have chosen...” Masra said as she lowered herself into some sort of combat stance, “...poorly,” The first three griffon's leapt at her and for a brief instant Daring was certain that her new boss had just died. A heartbeat later, the same three griffon's were flying back as a thin arc of crimson fanned out in front of them.

Daring blinked. What the buck just happened?

The answer was that the president had opened her coat. Clutched in her teeth now was double-edged straight sword, held with an ease that spoke of years of practice. The next griffon to approach at least had the forethought to bring a weapon of his own, though it did him little good in the end.

The griffon was easily twice Masra's size, a scar-covered ball of black and gray fur and feathers wielding a machete the size of Daring leg. He brought it down in a heavy over-head arc that looked like it could cleave a pony clean in two.

Masra gave a twist, and there was a shower of sparks as the machete slid down the president's blade toward the ground. Another flick and twist as Masra spun around, blade whirling through the air before an arc of crimson fanned from the griffon's wrist. There was a squawk of pain as blade clattered to the ground as Masra continued to turn before planting her forelegs and kicking out with a buck.

Hooves met beak with a sickening crack before the oversized griffon crashed back. The other griffon's froze, staring down at their comrade before looking up at Masra as she spun around the face them again, smiling at them around the sword held in her teeth.
Ahuizotl let out a groan, “Well, what are you waiting for?” he growled, “Get her!”

The griffon's charged again, with one cloak-wrapped griffon pulling out ahead before wheeling around. The second nearest griffon barely had enough time to ask him what he was thinking before a clenched claw smashed into his face. The second one barely had time to register what was going one before a steel tail lashed out from under the cloak, the griffon yowling in pain as the silver-gray appendage drew blood. A claw came up to through the cloak's hood back to revealing Storm Talon, beak clicking as he bellowed a challenge, “Alright, you sorry sacks of shit – you want a fight? Come and get some!”

The gathered griffon's were more then happy to take up the challenge, but it quickly became apparent that it would probably have been better for their health if they were decidedly less enthusiastic. Between the griffon and the president, the casualties quickly began to pile up and all decidedly on one side.

She was so busy watching her boss and her teacher mop the floor with the griffon's that she almost didn't notice that the one the president had just bucked skyward was arcing toward her until it was about to crash into her. “Gah!” Daring managed to duck down just in time, the flying mass of fur and feather's passing close enough to knock her hat off before crashing into the stone wall behind her. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she glanced at the griffon, but he didn't seem to be moving. Taking one last final breath, she started poking around for her hat until she found it pinned under the griffon. She hooked a hood under it and pulled, but it didn't get very far before a claw snapped out and pinned it.

Guess he wasn't as passed out as she thought. Darn.

Daring slowly back-stepped, dragging her hat with her as the griffon pulled itself back up, fixing a glare on Daring. Daring gulped nervously as the griffon stared her down. This was very much not good. This guy looked like he could break her in half.

But she couldn't run now. Not anymore.

Daring steeled herself, giving her hoof a flick and re-donning her hat. “Come on, big guy – I can take you.”

The griffon answered with a roar and a charge and Daring tensed. One way or another, this was going to be over in about ten seconds.

Daring kicked off, launching herself straight up before giving her wings a flick to drive her back down onto the griffon's back an instant before both of them careened over the edge. He tried to flare his wings out, but found them held in place by four equine limbs. Daring had no such limitation as she gave her wings another flick, twisting the two of them around before propelling them downward even faster.

The griffon crashed into the ground shoulder first, the force of the two bodies cratering the stone floor with an audible crack as the slates spiderwebbed. Daring pulled herself up as she gave her limbs a quick inventory. Two, three, four, five... yep, all six limbs miraculously intact. It was shaping up to be one of those days.

She was double-checking to make sure her tail was still attached – hard to fly without a tail – when she noticed another griffon charging her.
Yep. Definitely one of those days.

Then another griffon punch the griffon in the face and he fell like a sack of potatos. Storm gave the now comatose griffon a nudge before turning the Daring, “What are you doin' up her girl?”

“Trying to save Equestria!” Daring shouted over the din of fighting, “You?”

“Savin' you and Zap!” Storm shouted back, “Where is she!?”

“She-” Daring's voice dropped until it was almost lost in the chaos around them, “She didn't make it,” she couldn't meet Professor Talon's eyes as she spoke.

Daring was pretty sure he hadn't actually heard her, but her face must have told him enough as she felt herself pulled into a tight hug, “Come here, you...” Daring didn't bother pointing out this was probably ill-timed as she collapsed against the older griffon, “We'll get through this, don't worry.”

“I'm-” Daring was cut off as Storm Talon shoved her down before upper-cutting a griffon that had been charging at her back.

“Oi, asshole! Havin' a moment here,” Storm Talon shouted as he helped Daring back up. Around them, a few more griffons had joined their friends on the ground courtesy Masra. Talon's beak clicked softly in irritation as he surveyed those still standing, Daring to his back, “I know you prefer your lab work, sweetheart, so-”

“I can fight,” Daring replied firmly. Storm glanced over a shoulder to see her crouched low, a steely glare from the pegasus dancing between the still standing griffon's as her wings flexed and re-furled, “I'm not running any more,”

Storm Talon studied her for a moment before nodding and turning back to his own galley of would-be assailants, “Alright then – just don't do anything stupid.”

“Got it,” Daring gave a nod and then the pair charged off in opposite directions.

Between the three of them, the remaining griffon's fell in short order. In fact, Daring was fairly sure it was too fast... “They ran.” Daring announced as she did a quick count of the griffons laying around them.

“Well, good,” Storm Talon replied as he helped Tabula out of a corner she'd hidden herself in, “Now lets get the buck out of here.”

“Not yet,” Daring shouted as she started across the hall, “Come on!”

“Daring, where the buck are you going!?” Storm shouted after her.

“To save Equestria!” Daring shouted back as she vanished around a corner.

Masra and Storm Talon stared at where Daring had vanished before turning to each other, “Well, what are you waiting for?” Masra said calmly as she sheathed her sword and started across the hall, “Follow the pegasus.”