At dawn near Draithus, Brennan announces riders and fliers will ascend the narrow Medaro Pass on foot to foster trust, with dragons flying patrols. Syrena underscores the risk to gryphons, reframing the climb as their “parapet.” Violet, wary of endurance and tensions, is paired with Cat’s drift while Tairn promises to stay close.

Hours into the ascent, Violet climbs with Sloane, Maren, and Maren’s gryphon Dajalair amid awkward silence that softens into conversation about bonding, Cat, and Liam. A triggered boulder trap thunders down; Tairn pulverizes it with his tail, saving the line. Maren explains flier selection—jumping to bond—contrasting riders’ lethal Parapet. Mid-climb, Violet and others feel a surge as an Aretian hatchling emerges, shifting the valley’s magic.

As fog thickens and altitude sickens fliers and gryphons, Dain appears ahead, warning of a pressure-triggered arrow trap marked by a rope. Cibbelair leaps it first and sags against the cliff. To help smaller, winded cadets cross, Ridoc hammers Dain’s shortsword into a rock crack to serve as a swinging handhold, then demonstrates the move.

Violet swings across and lands, then coaches Luella. Luella’s grip slips; she swings and lands just before the rope, panics, and dives into Violet, toppling Violet into Visia toward the cliff’s edge. Violet catches both, dislocating her shoulder. Cibbelair snatches Visia up to safety while Luella dangles from Violet’s grasp.

As Ridoc rushes to help, the trap fires; arrows slam into his side. Bleeding and staggering, he insists he’s “all right.” With chaos on the ledge and lives at risk, Violet screams for Brennan.