//------------------------------// // Chapter 7. On the Way to Eagle's Perch // Story: Daring Do and the Gryphon's Quest // by De Writer //------------------------------// Chapter 7. On the Way to Eagle's Perch The last of their expedition goods loaded onto a light two wheeled cart, Daring Do slid into the pulling harness. The three of them pacing along together, the expedition set out from Circle Lake Resort. Rahak, taking a turn in the harness, noticed the ease with which the cart was rolling up the Royal Road leading to the town of Eagle's Perch, the town closest to the western border of Equestria. He asked, “Doctor Do, I served in the Imperial Army. Ever since the battle of Shattered Claw Pass, the army has trained our troops in ground combat. In spite of our preference for aerial combat and attack, it was proved that ground warfare was necessary. We have supply carts and wagons in the army. None work as well as this one. Why is that?” Daring Do looked about at the darker pines taking over from the lower land hardwoods, up at the clouds as if they were of vast interest. She even looked at the fine, hard packed gravel of the road. The silence stretched out. At last she broke it. “This cart is a gift negotiated from Marchhare's Band of the Rom by Midnight and Tia. Those are the names that our Princesses use when they are visiting their family. The rumor is true, though many still want to deny it. Princess Luna and Princess Celestia join the Rom every chance that they get. “Rom carts, wagons, and caravans are unique. It has finally been found out that they have used adjustable and replaceable bearings in their wheels for as long as there have been Rom. That, and the fact that there are no joints or fasteners used in Rom woodwork, except for replaceable hinges and locks, make Rom caravans last for centuries. That is not an exaggeration. “The Rom still won't say how they do their amazing woodwork. That is why this cart works so well. The Rom replaceable bearings have revolutionized Equestrian devices of all kinds. That is why this cart works so well and why the Rom still say, “As bad as a pony made wheel,” for anything that is not up to their standards.” Grata's crest fluttered laughter as she said, “They kept those bearings a secret for almost a thousand years? Why?” Daring Do snickered as she replied, “At first, it was loyalty to the ancient kingdom of Gyptia, where they were a commercial secret. Later, after Gyptia fell, it was simply spite. The ponies treated them badly for being different and they returned the favor by not sharing how they did or do anything.” They paused while Grata assumed her place to take a turn in the harness. She craned her neck back to shoot a puzzled stare at Daring Do, who had just taken a quick fire rifle from the supplies cart. Rahak turned to scan the skies while Daring Do loaded a twenty round magazine of ammunition and chambered a round. Grata glanced back to the sky! She dropped her harness, diving for safety underneath the cart! The crossbow bolt slammed into the road where she had been! Its impact scattered fine gravel forcefully! Daring Do's rifle roared back! With a scream, one of the three aerial attackers plunged from the sky! Fluttering, barely able to control his plunge, he struck thick brush, somewhat cushioning his crash to earth! As Daring Do was bringing her rifle to bear a second time, she had to dodge! A second heavy crossbow bolt buried itself in road shoulder, throwing dirt in all directions! From her position on the ground, Daring Do got off her second shot! With a scream of agony and rage, a Gryphon fell, dropping his crossbow in his frantic effort to avoid the hard packed stone of the road! He struck with a bone breaking crunch, bounce and roll, just on the road edge. Rolling to her hooves, Daring Do took her time lining up her third shot. The rifle bellowed, the roar of it echoing off the nearby hills. Shattered parts of the crossbow hit the earth only slightly before the body of the last of the attackers! He fell limp, and hit a bush. His broken body did not move. His fallen comrade began to keen a cry of despair. Rahak went to the woods edge and pulled the wounded Twin Fires Gryphon from the brush. He was not gentle in bringing him to the wagon. Grata had been into her personal luggage. She had on a golden crest cap and formal ribbons of office, along with a big formal knife in its sheath. Rahak cast his prisoner at her feet. He demanded, “Grovel before the person of Grata, Left Wing of the Imperial Throne! She has the lawful power of life and death.” He brought over the one fallen by the road far more gently. He told that one, “Your injuries excuse you from groveling before Grata, Left Wing of the Imperial Throne. She has the power of life and death.” Daring Do was watching the whole scene with considerable interest ~ ~ And a loaded rifle. Grata sat before the wounded attackers. “You are both accused of the attempted assassination of the Left Wing of the Imperial Throne. You have brought military grade (if obsolete) weapons into the territory of Equestria, a friendly power, for that purpose. Further, you are accused of direct cowardice by your chosen method of attack. “Before I pass a judgment from which there is no appeal, I would hear your defense. I expect that I know what it will be, but hope that you can show me wrong.” “Puzzled, the leader of the attack, the one that had crashed in the woods, asked, “Why do you wish to be shown wrong? Is that not weakness?” Grata shrugged her wings. “Some might see it so. I do not. I hope to find some form of honor in what you have done. Even should you be given the Long Drop, I would prefer it known that Gryphons behaved with honor. That would allow your proper burial afterwards.” The one that had fallen by the road said, “We were told that you seek to destroy The Legends. That any means was proper to preserve The Legends.” Grata sighed, “That, sadly, is what I did expect to hear. I will tell you now that it is not true. We are passing through the Eagle's Vale into the Shattered Valleys beyond. We will be doing some studies in Eagle's Vale in the hope of finding an ancient supply road.” The leader demanded incredulously, “A supply road? What for?” Grata answered, “What Flight Commander Rahak found in the Shattered Valleys appears to be an Early Sunlord Temple. They would not have put one where the sunrise and sunset could not be observed without a pressing reason. “We think that it might be for the purpose of contacting Gryphons who lived in the region. They may have paid a tribute, sought advise, or both. It is to determine exactly what the complex is and what function it may have served is why Doctor of Antiquities Daring Do is along. “She is a world renowned expert in finding and interpreting things of Antiquity.” He spat derisively, “A Creature of Later Creation!” Grata nodded, “Correct. One who is willing to see if she really is one or not. She can face the TRUTH of our Legends. That her kind might not be the first created. Can you? I fear not.” His crest drooping, he inquired, “What if the thing that you find is not the temple that you hope it is? What then?” Grata shrugged both sets of shoulders at once, her crest held in a neutral pose. “Then we still have our Legends intact just as they are now.” Daring Do interposed, “We have good reason to think that your kind WERE influenced by the last Nightmare War. Weather was disrupted all over the whole world, bringing ruin to many civilizations and ways of life.” She gestured to the north. “The oldest known document by any Gryphon dates to just before 54 Post Nightmare Wars. It was found in a cave almost half way from here to the north end of the Sunset range. It does mention the earliest form of your Legends and it places the Gryphons East of the Eagles. That would be the Shattered Valleys. It mentions that they were seeking a safe land to raise their chicks. The Nightmare Wars did more than simply kill ponies.” She shook her head sadly, “It was the greatest error that ponies ever made and our deepest shame. Still, we remember it for the purpose of not making such an error again.” The leader ruminated, “Perhaps we did lose our honor with this. We did not understand that what you seek might put our Legends onto a more solid foundation. “I wish that I could lay my apology before the Throne and beg the forgiveness of the Empress.” Grata nodded briskly, crest up in approval. “You have sentenced yourself. I can message ahead that you are returning. Do all that can be done to save your comrade. Distort nor lie in any whit. With that, you will regain your honor, regardless of what the Empress may do. Your final fate will lie in her claws. “You did surprise me by being willing to listen and understand. For that, I will, in my message, recommend leniency.” The leader relaxed some, saying, “It is easy to see now why you are the strong Left Wing of the Throne. Should I remove this symbol of my failure of honor?” He pointed to his emblem of the Twin Flames. Grata shook her head, crest set negatively. “No. You were led into dishonor but not by your belief itself. You were tricked by those who twisted it to make you their tool. Wear the Flames now in true honor, nor ever let another lead you from it again.” Weeping in both relief and shame, the leader gathered his fallen comrade and set off down the road on foot. Grata stowed her regalia and suggested, “Shall we be on our way?” Daring Do put away her rifle, after clearing the action and cleaning it. As they set out, Grata taking her interrupted turn in harness, Daring Do said, “What about the dead Gryphon back there?” Without any concern, Grata stated, “He died without honor. Let the carrion creatures have his carcass.” Changing the topic, Daring Do offered, “That was a brilliant cover story! How did you two ever come up with all that detail?” Rahak shrugged his wings, as he paced alongside Grata. “After you mentioned the idea back at the Circle Lake station, we just filled in with the old ruin up in the Shattered Valleys that we use for a way marker when we do recon flights over the area. I assume that Grata saw it in our reports which all mention it if we are covering that area.” Grata nodded, crest up jauntily, “The rest was politics. I simply fed them a base that you gave us combined with the fulfillment of their own wishes.” Daring Do regarded the two intently. “There really IS a ruin up there in the Shattered Valleys?” Rahak, crest fluttering in laughter, snorted, “Well, our expedition just changed! I should have known better than to mention ruins to an Antiquarian!”