Chapter 9

Only one obstacle remained between the group and Eastport. The city was ringed by tall mountains. It kept the Grimm out, but it also made getting in difficult. That would entail climbing a steep and treacherous trail over the mountains and down the other side. It was the beginning of winter and parts of Vale were already seeing snowfall. At the higher altitudes the group would have to face, it would be downright frigid. Add to that the fact that the weather was entirely unpredictable. It was not unheard of for previously sunny skies to be blotted out by blizzard conditions in a matter of minutes. The journey over the mountains would also take more than one day, meaning the group would be forced to camp along the way.

They stayed in the village an extra day, doing odd jobs and manning the walls to make some money. Along with ammunition and general provisions, the group procured some climbing gear and tents to use along the way. Given the weather they would not be able to sleep in the open as they had done previously. They also picked up some cold-weather clothing, though they were warned that it would be entirely insufficient. Everyone in the village who found out what they were planning tried to dissuade them. No one crossed the mountains at this time of year. At least no sane person. Those who tried either quickly gave up and returned or pressed on and died. It was suicide. But those people were not Hunters, and they were not on a mission. Nothing was going to stop the group from completing their journey. Waiting until spring was simply not an option.

The climb into the mountains was initially tricky, but not really difficult. Their gear was good enough to get them up the steep and slippery path. It did not help them when they reached a section of path blanketed in deep snow. Only small poles poking up through the snow indicated where the path was, and the deep snow slowed their progress. It was cold as well, too cold for the clothing they had purchased. Still, their auras kept them warm enough. Their bodies were burning more energy to maintain the temperature and protective auras, but they had the food they would need. They reached the top of the first pass before the end of the first day. The second pass would be higher, but with them already at altitude, it would be less of a climb. As the sun began to set they found a relatively flat area to make camp for the night.

In the morning the group ate a large breakfast before heading out. Their trek took them down into a valley then back up the mountain on the other side. By now the path was entirely covered in snow, any bare spots far behind them. Their climb was slow and slick but they pressed on. After midday they finally reached the highest point of their trek. Here the path was narrow, only wide enough for about two people side-by-side, with a steep rock face on the right and a sheer cliff dropping off on the left. The weather worsened with snow and high winds. They clung to the side of the mountain as they made their way along. At this rate they were going to have to spend another night in the mountains, and at much higher altitude than the night before. They wanted to go faster, but they were exhausted, and a misstep made in haste could be deadly.

"What's that?" Yang asked. She squinted, struggling to see through the blowing snow. "I think there's someone ahead."

"Who would be crazy enough to be up here?" Weiss asked. "You must be hallucinating." But as she stepped up beside Yang she saw the figure too. The group began to approach cautiously as the figure remained motionless in the center of the path ahead. "Is that…"

"We meet again." The figure said.

"Adam!" Blake shouted. She immediately drew her weapon and the others followed.

"Miss me darling?" Adam laughed. "I've been a bit lonely myself since the others refused to follow me up here."

"He's alone." Yang said. "Now's our chance to take him out." Weiss agreed. The pair charged forward.

"Hold on, it could be a trap." Ren warned, chasing them.

"Very good." Adam said. He pulled a scroll from his pocket and tapped at it.

A series of thunderous explosions shook the path as explosives planted higher on the mountain detonated. In an instant snow and rock was tumbling down toward the group. Adam ducked into the cover of a rock outcrop. The group attempted to retreat but it was too late for some of them. Yang and Weiss were quickly swallowed up and carried off the cliff. Ren jabbed one of his weapons into the ground and held on while the others just escaped the torrent. Seeing Ren in danger, Nora turned around and headed toward him. Ren saw her coming. He did not want her to sacrifice herself for him. He closed his eyes and jerked his weapon free, allowing himself to be carried away.

Nora fell to her knees and screamed as Ren disappeared along with Weiss and Yang. A few seconds later the avalanche ended. Untouched, Adam remained where he had hidden at the start. Pyrrha took hold of Nora's shoulders and began to pull her back. Adam stood, a wicked smile on his face. "Shame, I had hoped it would kill more of you." He sighed. "No matter. I'll finish the job. Oh Blake, that's your cue to flee, my love." He began to draw his blade.

Just before Adam's blade left its scabbard Pyrrha reached out her hand and slammed it back into place with her semblance. "I think you're the one who should be running." Pyrrha threatened. She readied her weapons and edged forward. Adam stood still for a moment before deciding it was not the fight he wanted. His face contorted with rage and humiliation. He turned around and disappeared into the storm.

"Ren!" Nora sobbed. Blake quickly arrived to restrain Nora before she could throw herself off the edge after Ren. "I can't...I don't...Ren…" She collapsed and lay in the snow, crying inconsolably.

Ruby had not moved a muscle since the explosions. She stared straight ahead with tears streaming down her face. "They're...gone…" She said, almost at a whisper. "It's...all my fault. I just wanted to save the world and now...they're dead. First Penny and Jaune died because I wasn't fast enough, and now they're gone because I dragged us all out here on this stupid adventure."

Blake stepped up to Ruby and grabbed her by the shoulders, holding her at arm's length. "It's not your fault." She said. "None of it's your fault."

Pyrrha turned from her attempts to soothe Nora. "They're not dead." Pyrrha assured her. "If anyone could have survived that, it's them. Don't fall apart now."

"We need to go after them!" Nora shouted. She struggled to free herself from Pyrrha's grip, trying to get to the edge.

"It's too dangerous to just follow them." Pyrrha said. "The path ahead descends safely. They'll know that too and meet us."

"Or they won't, because they're dead." Ruby cried. "I may as well have killed them myself. I never wanted any of this to happen. I just wanted to be like the heroes in the storybooks. Now my sister's dead because I'm stupid and childish."

"Ruby, you can't give up." Blake insisted. "I haven't given up. You're the leader. You can still be a hero, but you need to lead us."

"But everything I try to do goes wrong." Ruby sobbed. "If you keep following me, you'll all end up dead too."

"No one is going to die." Pyrrha declared. "Now pull yourself together. If we're going to reach them before nightfall, we need to get moving."

"Just leave me behind." Ruby sighed. "It'll be better for everyone."

"I didn't want to do this." Pyrrha said. She swapped places with Blake, took a deep breath and slapped Ruby across the face. "It's not your fault. You're a great leader. You are going to be the hero and save the world. You just need to believe it." Ruby was stunned. "Was that too hard? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"No, I needed that." Ruby cut her off. "You're right. We need to get moving." Ruby was not convinced about the rest of what Pyrrha had said, but standing there would not do anyone any good. "We need to see if we can help them."

"Good." Pyrrha said with a gentle smile. "Let's get down there."

After the initial shock, Weiss had regained her bearings and used her glyphs to surf atop the wave of snow and rock until it settled into the bottom of the valley. It had been touch-and-go a few times as she darted between the trees, but she had made it unscathed. She knew she was not the only one who had gone over the edge. She would have to find the others. Ren was easy to spot. He had managed to hook a tree with his weapon on the way down and was still hanging from it, quite a distance off the ground. He was unhurt as well and dropped down to join Weiss. He had seen that Yang had been the only other one to fall, so he and Weiss set about searching for her.

Yang was similarly easy to find. Weiss and Ren found a glowing crater in the snow at the base of the valley. At the bottom Yang was laying on her back, engulfed in flame. Her cold-weather clothing had been entirely burned away, leaving only her fireproof everyday attire. "Can I get a little help?" She asked when she spotted the others. Her left arm was pinned beneath a sizable boulder. "I'd move it myself but it hurts...a lot." Ren and Weiss moved the boulder and found that Yang's arm was badly broken between her elbow and Ember Celica.

"We need to splint that." Ren advised. He retrieved an ice axe from his backpack and used some cloth to tie it around Yang's arm.

"It's going to take a long time to heal, isn't it?" Yang asked. She already knew. The fire surrounding her faded and her eyes returned to their normal purple.

"Even if your aura was at maximum strength, it could take over a week." Ren confirmed. "Given the current conditions and our state of exhaustion, it will take longer."

"Good thing I have this." Yang sighed as she flexed her prosthetic.

"I hope the others are alright." Weiss said, gazing up the mountain towards the spot from which they had fallen.

"Pyrrha's with them." Yang said. "They'll be fine."

"We should still try to meet up with them as soon as possible." Weiss suggested. "The path winds its way to a spot not too far from here. We can set up camp there."

"They have the tents." Ren reminded her.

"Then we'll have to use the human campfire to keep warm." Weiss said, looking at Yang.

"That's not good for her health." Ren warned.

"Then hopefully they'll get there soon." Yang said. She smacked the part of her arm that was broken, and grunted in pain. Her hair burst into flames and her eyes blazed red. "Let's go."

Nora had a grim determination as the quartet made their way down the icy path. Even in the deep snow she had almost skipped her way up the mountain, but now she stomped ahead, her perpetual smile replaced by a look of barely-checked aggression. Pyrrha was pretty sure Nora would be alright. At least as long as they found Ren alive. When it came to Ruby, Pyrrha was not so sure. There were few overt signs that Ruby was suffering, but the way she gazed off the towering drops that lined the path seemed to say she was ready to leap off. Pyrrha was sure to keep an eye on her and stay within arm's reach, just in case. If Blake was feeling anything she did not betray it in the slightest. As for Pyrrha herself, she was confident that her friends would be alright. Some snow and a little tumble off a cliff would not keep them down.

After over an hour of walking the sun was beginning to set. The four rounded another slick switchback and were greeted by a light further down the mountain. It looked like a fire. That was a very good sign. They had been trudging along, barely able to force their legs through the snow from exhaustion, but now they raced ahead, slipping and sliding along. "REN!" Nora shouted. He was standing by the fire, which turned out to be Yang. As Nora sped towards him he edged away from the others, knowing what was coming. He took a deep breath and put his arms up just as Nora leaped into him, sending the pair tumbling into the snow. "You're okay!"

"Yeah, I'm alright." Ren said with a shrug as he sat up. He and Nora smiled at each other for a moment before she wrapped him in a tight embrace.

"I see you took the easy way down." Blake said as she approached Weiss. "It looked like fun but I didn't bring my toboggan."

"I was worried about you too." Weiss said. She hugged Blake. "What happened to Adam?"

"Pyrrha showed off her semblance and he ran." Blake replied. "Seeing him run away was...satisfying."

"I'll bet." Weiss agreed. "I'm just glad you're alright."

"Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" Blake asked.

"Just shut up and kiss me." Weiss ordered.

"I knew a little tumble couldn't keep you down." Pyrrha said to Yang. "What happened to your arm?"

"Oh, I had a little run-in with a boulder." Yang sighed. "I've had worse, obviously. I am getting a little sick of Adam messing up my arms though. Were you worried about me?"

"Not really." Pyrrha admitted. "I know you can take a lot of punishment. Ruby was pretty concerned though."

Ruby stood nearby crying, her hands covering her mouth. She dropped her arms to her sides. "I thought you were dead." She cried.

"You should know better than that." Yang laughed. "I'll never just leave you like that." As the flames in her hair faded she walked over to Ruby and wrapped her in a one-arm hug.

"You're hurt because of me." Ruby sobbed. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not hurt because of you." Yang said.

"But I dragged you all along on this stupid adventure." Ruby protested. "None of this would have happened without me. I'm a bad leader."

"You didn't drag anyone anywhere." Yang said. "We came along because we wanted to. If you didn't decide to lead us out, one of the others would have done it. There was no way we could just keep sitting on Patch doing nothing. And you're a great leader, the best. We never would have made it this far without you, and now we're almost there! Don't give up now!"

"You're...you're right." Ruby said. She was less-than-convinced, but she had at least been pulled back from the brink.

"That's the spirit." Yang said. "Now let's set up camp. I'm freezing."

After a restless night spent fearing another attack - Adam was still out there - the group set out at dawn. They did not have far to go to get through the mountains. The path ahead was winding and undulating, but the worst was behind them. They emerged from the mountains in the afternoon, much to the shock of those living on the outskirts of Eastport. No one came through the mountains at that time of year. No one even tried. But there they were, weary but alive and triumphant. Some friendly residents fed them and a local doctor put a cast on Yang's arm. Then they headed for Eastport proper.

The city of Eastport was only a little smaller than Vale. It was less populated to be sure, but it was still a very large and relatively crowded city. The group sold their climbing gear. The extra cash would ease their passage to Mistral. They headed for the docks. An airship ride was still out of their price range, but a cargo ship was leaving the following day and the captain was happy to make a little extra cash to ferry the group to Mistral. Actually they would be sailing to Windy Shoals, a small port on the west coast of Mistral. It was not as good as a direct trip to the city of Mistral, but it would have to do. Once in Mistral they would have access to Pyrrha's wealth, and they could take an airship from the port directly to Haven. They even had a little money left over to rent a hotel room, allowing them to get some much needed rest.

Qrow was tremendously proud of his little army. They had faced obstacles even he had not anticipated and still been barely slowed down. They might just be the ones to save the world after all. At the very least they had passed the first test. He had considered stepping in to help with the Nevermore and then again after the avalanche, but he had restrained himself and his help had proved unnecessary. Now they were practically there. With Winter and Ironwood onboard, success was very nearly assured. Qrow decided to move on and get to Windy Shoals ahead of the group. From there he could begin coordinating with his allies and prepare for the final push. Rather than taking a ship, Qrow would fly, though his trip would be a little different.

As the group boarded the ship the following day, Pyrrha paused at the top of the gangplank. "What's wrong?" Yang asked.

"Something doesn't feel right." Pyrrha said. "I still feel like we're being watched."

"You think it's Adam?" Yang asked.

"No." Pyrrha replied. "I don't quite know how to explain it, but I'm pretty sure we've seen the last of him, at least for a while. I'm still getting the same feeling I've had from the beginning though. I'm so glad to be getting out of Vale. Maybe we can leave this behind."

"I certainly hope so." Yang said. "Are you looking forward to going home? I'm certainly looking forward to seeing Mistral."

"Not really." Pyrrha admitted. "I don't have the best of memories of Mistral, though Vale is infinitely worse. It will be nice to be back though. We'll finally be able to take advantage of my fortune and fame."

"I can't wait to get on an airship." Yang said. "Walking all this way has been a real hassle."

Pyrrha smiled. "That's something I think we can all agree on."