Finding the place to start the climb was easy enough. The mountain was rough and jagged enough for foot and hand holds beneath the snow. Mark climbed up first, dusting off the little ledges to expose the rock for Sean. Something Sean appreciated since he had no gloves, and the rock was already cold enough. Mark made it look easy. He'd climbed rocks for exercise in real life... but Sean this was Sean's first time. His only advantage was that he had wings that helped propel him up a little whenever his hands got too tired to pull him up. Every few feet they stopped and let their stamina bar refill. They only benefit to this was that after so many feet, their stamina bars increased from the consistent workout. However, the higher up they went, the harder it was for Sean's stamina bar to recover. With the weight of the fur coat and the growing strength of the icy wind, combined with his need to keep climbing... his stamina was barely able to reach the halfway mark before draining rapidly back to a sliver.

Stopping on his own to recover his stamina, Sean called up to Mark. "This is getting bad... Mark, I don't think I can reach the top." Glancing down at him, Mark asked in a worried voice. "How is your stamina looking?" Panting heavily, Sean looked at it and became disheartened. The bar was struggling to recover. Every second that he recovered; the cold wind chipped away. Staying very still, Sean answered grimly. "Mark... my race wasn't designed for cold... I'm not going to make it..." Mark glanced around the snow-covered wall before steadily climbing back down to him. Resting beside him, Mark whispered to him. "I'll stay with you then. I won't let you fall." Shaking his head, Sean told him through a sniffle. "It won't matter. Mark, I'm sorry..." Adjusting beside him, Mark blocked the cold wind from hitting him and asked curiously. "If I block it... does it help?" Sean glanced up, noticing that it did a little. Giving him a nod, he quickly added. "It does, but it won't matter. My stamina is hindered under the weight and climbing is..."

Putting a hand on his shoulder, Mark told him warmly. "Sean, you can do it. I'll help you. You set the pace. I don't care how long it takes." Sean rolled his eyes but smiled. Taking his time, he started to move again. Mark moved with him, keeping the wind off him as much as he could. Reaching a difficult section, Mark moved lower to help push him up. While Sean tried to reach for the next hand hold, his foot suddenly slipped off the hold under him. A sharp scream left him as he fell, but Mark's arm caught his thigh, and he slammed Sean against the mountain with his shoulder to pin him there. Shakily grabbing the wall again, Sean clung to it and tried to remember how to breathe normally. His heart was racing so fast. Moving up behind him, Mark leaned against his back with a leg nestled between Sean's legs for support. Resting his warm head against his exposed cold cheek, Mark whispered to him calmly. "You're ok. I got you." Shaking his head, Sean mumbled out. "No. It's not. I'm terrified of heights, and you made me climb a mountain."

A deep throaty chuckle left Mark, making Sean feel strangely calmer for a moment. Kissing his cheek, Mark purred into his ear. "It's not a completely straight down mountain. You can look down and just see the mountain's curves. You're ok." Sniffling, Sean strained out. "Why is it that I have wings... but YOU are better at this." Mark brushed a tear off Sean's cheek with his lips before it could freeze and told him so beautifully. "Because right now my stats are all in strength and stamina. I have you for the other stuff." Mark's attention drifted to Sean's fingers, noticing how red they were from the cold and how his nails were trying to sink into the stone. Meeting his eyes, Mark told him so confidently. "I'd throw you over my shoulder, but then you really would be looking down. You can do this. I'm right behind you." Taking a deep breath, Sean started to climb again until he reached the same spot where he fell. This time, he didn't reach for it. It was too high for him.

Coming up behind him, Mark wedged his shoulder between Sean's legs and told him clearly. "I'll give you a boost. Reach for it." Sean shakily lifted his hand, then inhaled sharply as Mark hefted his legs off the mountain to push him up. Reaching it, Mark stayed still until Sean got his footing again, then moved back up beside him to block the wind more. The night fell upon them before too long, leaving them at the mercy of the moonlight to guide their way. To which Sean rather liked. The show reflected the bright moonlight, making the dark seem bright and soothing in its glimmering silvery light. Excitement began to fill Sean when he could see the top just ahead. They were almost there! Yet, this far up, his stamina was making him crawl to the top. He barely had five slivers of movement and had to keep stopping. His fingers were so cold that he couldn't feel them, but they were still working. Despite the warm fur, the cold up here was beginning to creep inside it. Reaching his ears and wings with a bitterness that was almost painful.

Every breath was freezing to his lungs, chilling him inside like a spreading virus. Staying next to him as they rested, Mark told him encouragingly. "We will stop at the top. Just a bit more before..." Mark's voice trailed off, prompting Sean to look at him. He was staring up at the top with a worried expression. Shivering, Sean asked him anxiously. "What is it? Did you see something?" Mark shook his head but said nothing. Although, his guarded expression was a bit telling. Jerking his own head up to look, he tried to see through the large snowflakes that blew in thick sheets along the mountain but saw nothing. Nudging him to move, Mark told him seriously. "It was nothing. Keep going." Sean didn't trust him but decided that if something was up there that it was better to fight it up there. With Mark's help, he barely reached the top. Grasping at anything to hold onto, he started to pull himself up, but stopped as a sharp shrill cry echoed over the top.

Below him, Mark asked nervously. "What is it?" Shrugging, Sean looked down to inform him. "Sounds like an eagle. Are eagles winter birds in the U.S.?" Mark snorted and Sean looked up seconds before something VERY large dropped onto the ground in front of him. It's long sharp beak thrusting out at his face in another sharp threatening cry. Jerking back, Sean slipped and started to fall with a scream. Mark slipped as Sean fell on him, but he managed to catch Sean's arm and stopped them both from falling further. Panting wildly, Sean yelled out. "What the fuck was that?!" Mark started to ask what he saw, but stopped as the shrill cry came from just overhead. The massive beast was circling them now. As they stared up at the beast, they took in its strange form. The front half looked like a stunning beautiful white and black spotted eagle with pointed feathery ears, while its back half was similar to a white lion complete with a tail. Its massive white wings cast a dark shadow over them as it circled. It's solid black eyes staring down at them with a predatory gaze. As they stared up, the beast's health bar popped up and revealed its species. A snowy griffin!

Mark cursed as he observed it, then tried to pull Sean back up to the side of the mountain as he rushed out. "Great! We've got to move!" Sean only just got his footing, when the Griffin let out a mangled screeching roar and dived toward them with its sharp bird talons extended out before it. Grabbing Sean by the waist, Mark yanked him away from the wall and into his arms mere seconds before the Griffin's body slammed into the rocks! Its talons pierced and crushed the stones, while its powerful lion hind legs dented the mountain side and scratched it up and it leapt off to take back to the air again. Staring at the crumbled mountainside, Sean panted out. "Holy fuck! What level is that thing?!" Mark panted but didn't answer. He was too focused on how to climb up now. Sean's breath caught in his throat as he saw the griffin take a wide turn in order to head straight for them. Hitting Mark's side, Sean finally screamed out his name. Quickly, Mark yelled out to him. "Grab me!"

Sean wrapped his arms around Mark's neck, allowing Mark to drop his arm to draw his sword. Holding it out at the approaching Griffin, Mark let out a war cry of his own. The griffin let out a sharp squeak as it tried to pull back from the blade. Its talons tinged loudly off the steel as it arched back and tried to retreat. Causing its hide legs to kick out at the mountainside to help propel it away. The powerful lion feet dented the mountain on either side of them, missing them by inches. However, the impact shook the mountainside and Mark barely held on with his one hand. While Sean lost his grip entirely. His stamina just couldn't hold anymore. Screaming, Sean fell away from Mark. Mark's distressed scream cut through the air, but there was no way to help him. He was falling too fast. Everything felt slow and Sean's brain couldn't process what was going to happen to him. He could only stare up at Mark through the sheets of billowing snowflakes.

Kicking and clawing at the vast open air, Sean screamed until all the air was knocked from his lungs. A sudden piercing sensation in his side caused him to buckle up and scream louder. The griffin had snatched him and was now soaring up to the top of the mountain. The snowflakes hit his face like tiny icy needles as the griffin flew through the air. Then as it reached a peak, it let him go. Unable to scream through his pain, he hit the ground and let out a wail of agony. His health was down to half now and still regressing from blood loss. Barely processing where he was, he sat up and swallowed. Three young griffins stood staring at him with wide hungry eyes. They looked far too old to still be in the nest, but here they were. Clattering their beaks, they hunched up like cats and started toward him with hissing sounds. Sean kicked out at one and tried to remove his weapon from under his coat to strike another but didn't make it in time. They sprang on him. Their becks tearing into the coat to reach his flesh.

As they got mouth fulls of thick fur, Sean screamed from the how they pinched his skin or pierced it with their talons as they fought over him. He couldn't crawl away, and he couldn't defend himself! They had him right where they wanted him. He screamed for Mark. Watching his health jerk down faster and faster. Just as he was a hit away from death, a silver arrow struck one of the griffins in the chest. It screamed fear, prompting the others to take flight. Crashing to the ground, the griffin thrashed and snapped weakly. Sean stared just as weakly at the silver arrow that appeared to be made entirely of ice. Finally turning his head, he saw a billowing white coat of soft fur and silver stitching move into his limited view. The person bent low to remove the arrow and stroked the griffin as it took its last breaths. It was strangely... comforting. Closing the griffin's eyes, the person moved toward him. The person's white furry boots crunching in the packed snow that made up the nest.

Kneeling, the person set down a silvery white bow and whispered to him in a beautiful feminine voice. "A Ljosalfar. And so very far from home. What drove you this far north, I wonder." The person's soft hand touched his cheek, turning his head to look at her. She was so gorgeous that Sean thought he might cry. Her skin was as flawless and as pale as winter snow with freckles that sparkled like silver. Her long white hair was braided down one shoulder and upon her head was a headdress of white antlers. Very eyes were so blue that glinted like gems and her blue lips curled into a motherly warm smile. Cradling him up into her arms, she brought her lips closer to his and whispered lovingly. "You are cold. Let me warm you." Leaning in, she very lightly pressed her lips to his and instantly Sean felt warmth spread through his whole body. All the tension left his limbs. He felt safe and... sleepy. So, he helplessly fell asleep in her arms.

Just a few feet from them, Mark staggered toward them with an icy fear gripping his heart. His blood was covered in griffin blood that stained the snow as he walked grimly toward them. Sean didn't appear to be alive. Had he been too late. Reaching the strange woman, Mark asked her in a dead voice. "What did you do?" The woman pried her lips off Sean's, looking fearlessly up at Mark as she answered without hesitation. "I'm saving him." Pointing his blade at her, Mark growled out darkly. "Who are you?" The woman slowly got to her feet, revealing that she was a giantess that towered over him, with Sean limply cradled in her arms. Staring Mark down, she told him with a voice that echoed around them in the icy wind. "I am Skadi. The Jotunn of winter and the hunt." Her attention drifted to a large white wolf that was practically invisible in the snow. The wolf stood just off to Mark's left, staring him down with predatory eyes but it made no sound.

Skadi smiled at the wolf,telling it casually. "Ruttisdir, collectthe kills. Tonight, we don't feast alone." To Be Continued...