Slightly the Dragon Queen moved her hips around in the saddle. The last few days have been torture, but a Khaleesi of course would never openly admit that. Still her bottom and legs were bruised of the long ride they underwent to hopefully meet the "Lost Sister" of the Onthari family. Daenerys thought she should be used to traveling like this, on horseback for weeks, but this time, it was different. Even her horse, her beloved snow-white mare, seemed to lose endurance every day they moved higher into the mountains. The mountains. Daenerys lifted her head up to examine the massive rocks miles in front of her, towering up like dark shadows over her traveling party.
"They most certainly are impressive, aren't they, your Grace?" Jorah Mormont drove his horse next to hers. The poor animal was already covered in dried sweat all over. Dany suddenly felt the urge to call the men in for a short break. "How much longer to you think it will take?"
Jorah scrached his neck. "If young Lord Onthar's directions are correct - And I want to believe they are - we should arrive at the White Passage before sundown." The Khaleesi threw a gaze back to the men that swore to follow her where ever she wanted them to. Their faces were disorted by pain and exhaustion. Mountains definetly are no place for a Khalasar. The horse couldn't trust the stones under their hooves and both humans and animals suffered of the thin air surrounding them. "I hope your right. The men deserve a break after this ride." Suddenly her horse lost her balance on a loose stone and Daenerys was thrown to the side, frantically trying to keep her balance. The white mare let out a startled cry as her front legs crushed onto the hard ground. Human outcrys raised behin them as the soldiers noticed their queen in distress, but Jorah Mormont quickly secured Dany with a strong arm, while her horse managed to get back up. Still taken by surprise the Khaleesi only gave him a thankful nod in return and grabbed the reins once again. "We better watch out where we're going from now on. The path probably only gets worse from here."
She slowed down the gait of her mare, fearing a second fall, and let Jorah take over the lead. He directed his horse around a pile of broken stones, his brows furrowed. "No wonder nobody ever wants to visit if you almost end up dead before you even saw a glimpse of the castle walls."
If that was just the only reason the Onthars had to neglect their sister up here, everything would be a lot easier. But Daenerys knew the truth, or at least part of it, and with every step they got closer to the passage her doubts rose. Maybe she should have kept Drogon near her for this after all.
"Rekke anna was save! Laz yeri hear anna?" ( There it was again! Can you hear it?) The Dothraki soldier pointed to the rutted stone walls that towered up on both sides of the narrow path they had to cross. Dany followed his gesture, but she couldn't spot anything odd. Frustrated she turned back to the way in front of her. The men got more tense with every step and the density of their path didn't really help this at all. As if dealing with a bunch of nervous Dothraki and their spooking horses wasn't enough there was this sharp tweet that followed them since they entered the narrow mountains. The Dragon Queen threw a gaze to her adviser and cought him staring at her. Ser Mormont's face was speaking more than any word. He knew as well as his Queen that this chirps didn't come from a bird. That would be very odd following the fact that they didn't see one single bird since they left the last trees behind them.
The White Passage must be near and its protectors already knew that they were coming. Still Daenerys admired the fact that they had scouts throughout the passage. They seemed to be cautious, even though there wasn't one current incident that would justify that. If Lord Cosmo spoke the truth his siblings gave up the mountains after the first try, when their sister disastrous defeated their army.
If Dany now thought of meeting this woman, she couldn't decide what emotion was more prominent: Hopefulness and confidence, that she would agree to the alliance? Or nervousness and anxiety of what could happen if she didn't?
Out of a sudden screaming started behind her. The Khaleesi reacted fast enough to prevent her spooking mare from running into the group of riders behind her. Provoked neighs followed and one of the Dothraki men fought to stop his stallion from rearing.
"Anna is a qosarvenikh!" - "Khaleesi, fini hash kisha hash?" (It's a trap! - Khaleesi, what do we do?) As good as possible Daenerys Targaryen righted up in her saddle and set up a serious face. She turned to her men. "Hash ki show athrokhar, vosma stand zohhe." (Don't show fear, but stand down.") Then she rushed her mare forward, forcing her into a faster trot. She confidently glanced up to the scouts that suddenly appeared a few feets upon them on a hidden ledge. If they were surprised by her sudden move forward, they at least knew how to hide it very well. Or she just couldn't see their mimics because of the dark paint that covered their face entirely. No wonder they were so well hidden, with those dark faces and the grey and black clothes they almost blended in with the stones around them. By now the foreign scouts were vanished around a sharp corner in the path and Daenerys' Khalasar had managed to close up to her after calming their nerves and horses.
A short whistle echoed from the walls around them, the same they previously heard on their journey. Jorah called her out from behind a few Dothrakis. "They came out of their coverage, my Queen. They didn't seem hostile, but they were armed." His horse pushed through the wall of Dothrakis causing one of them to crash his leg into the massive stone next to them. The soldier disgruntled clenched his fist. Ser Mormont calmingly gestured him his apologies before turning to his queen. The rider still wasn't very pleased and grumbled. "Chiftik!" (a Dothraki insult)
Jorah attentive scanned the walls over them for more scouts. "Do you really think it is wise to advance this confidently? They may see it as a threat and -" "If they thought of us as a threat, they would have used a more urgent sounding chirp sound." Daenerys shut down his advise, before he could end it. These narrow walls frightened her more than she would admit and if these strangly painted people wanted a fight, her party would have not the glimpse of a chance. Dothrakis were made for the open, wide fields, not the mountains. Their horses could hardly keep on their feet as it was. Even her dragons wouldn't be much help here, they couldn't fit through these cracks in the stone to reach them on the bottom. And dragon fire would only turn this passage into a realization of hell on earth, not only the enemy, but also her own people. So the only hope Daenerys had was to advance further and reach wider grounds.
"Soroh!" (Halt!), the guard in front harshly pulled on his horses' reins and it threw its head into the air. The Khaleesi wisely followed him and brought her mare to a stop, in a much more gentle way. What she saw now, let her eyes darken in concern. Behind the last turn they took, the path broadened up a bit and the monotonous grey of the stones now was mingled with pale clay on the floor and dark green vines that trailed up the walls on both sides.
Although this chance of environment was very much a reason to cheer up, the constellation in front of the Mother of Dragons once again caused her warriors to tense up. "Shield your queen!", Ser Jorah clasped the hilt of his sword and immediatly three Dothraki men drew their weapons and turned their horses in front of Daenerys. In response the soldiers in front of them also aimed their bows. The white mare beneath the Khaleesi nervously moved her ears back and forth.
Now she had to react quickly before the situation got out of hand. Dany examined her surrounding. In front of them a stone arch of impressive height, even with horses double the normal size you could easily fit through. There was no gate or bars, nothing that would prevent them from tracking through if there weren't those guards. Two up on the arch with bows in their hands, another half a dozen of archers lined up on both sides of Daenerys men, but still out of their reach as they stood on invisible plateaus in the stone feet above. Lastly two guards with speers beneath the arch, these two seemed to be the most tense.
Daenerys gave Jorah a glare. "Weapons down." The knight opened his eyes wide. "But-" "I said back down. Ei ki yeri!" (All of you!)
Slowly the Dothraki followed her orders, but they didn't stop to shield her with their own bodies. Daenerys appreciated the thought, but what use has protection in front if the danger is above you? She glanced up to the archers on the walls, they still held their bows tight, but at least the arrows weren't at the ready anymore. The mother of dragons took a deep breath to secure a steady voice and spoke out.
"I am Daenerys of the House Targaryen, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea and Mother of Dragons. I came here to seek the help of your Lady Roan Onthar. Me and my men mean no harm to your people, I ensure you that.
Daenerys noticed the archers throwing glances back to the arch. She guessed, that their leader must be up there. But nothing else happened. The warriors behind her became more and more nervous, they weren't used to constricted situations like this with no way to fight out. She focussed on the two guards in front on her, narrowed her eyes to hold the eye contact despite the painful light sunset behind the arch.
"I wouldn't have traveled through these mountains for weeks, endangered the men I took with me and those I left behind, if it wasn't urgent. Lord Cosmo himself promised us we wouldn't be sent away without at least an audience."
Jorah and Dany exchanged a triumphing smile as the guards on the arch started to move. They weren't sure what part of the Targaryen's speech exactly convinced them, but with a whistle of the left archer all the others put their bows back down and relaxed. The two on the ground held their speers loose and backed of.
"I count on your word, that you won't be trouble! You and your men can pass." Again it was the left guard on the arch, that gestured them to move forward. Daenerys was surprised to hear a female voice echo from the stonewalls, but then again she criticized herself for that. Why couldn't be a woman in charge? She of all people shouldn't be surprised by that.
Following her soldiers who were very pleased to escape the narrowness of the passage the Khaleesi urged her horse forward, impressed inspecting the stone arch while passing by. It seemed rather old, over and over vegetated with moss and other small vines, but behind it Daenerys found herself in a round yard in the middle of an good in shape outpost. The mountains seemed to spread out into a small alley here, making place for a two-storied watchtower on one side and stables on the other side.
From this stone tower now approaching over the hard-packed dirt yard were a slim looking archer girl followed by an bearded man clothed in stiff leather. Jorah had already dismounted his horse and was now holding the reins of his queen's mare. Worthy the rank of Khaleesi Daenerys elegantly slipped of the horseback and turned around to greet their hosts. The archer girl was already arrived and nodded her head as a welcoming gesture. Dany furrowed her brows. Is this the way to greet a queen? But she couldn't bear her disapproval for long, because something else was very odd about this girl.
She was dressed in black leather pants with a wide linen shirt tucked into. Her arms and shoulders were covered in armour of brown leather, seamed by light fur that mingled with her long blonde, almost white, hair. The bow on her back finally let her look like a skilled huntsman, but Daenerys just couldn't deal with her face. It was the face of a child, a girl, not of somebody who you were supposed to let guard your land.
"Is there something wrong with my face?" Maybe Daenerys stared a little bit too obviously, because now an amused smirk appeared on the girl's pale lips. "Selen! Have you completely lost your manners?", her companion stepped behind her, abrasively crossing his armes. He topped the Mother of Dragon with almost two feet in height, but somehow she felt more threatened by this dainty girl than him. With his approach to the group two Dothraki men came forward, their hands resting on the sword hilts. The beared guard seemed to feel the tension and relaxed his position. "My apologies, your Grace. We aren't used to visitors, especially not such of your significance."
Daenerys gracefully intervined her fingers. A small smile spread across his face causing the braids his beard was in to jiggle. "My name is Ser Weylyn Greene and this is Selen Xyrrieth, the commander of this outpost." The archer girl based her hands on her hips and her vigilant grey eyes skimmed over the strangers in front of her before she stopped her gaze on the queen herself. "Your grace. You said you want an audience with Lady Onthar, may I ask why?"
Surprised by such straightforwardness Dany speechless opened her mouth, but Jorah already covered for her. "With all respect, Mylady, this is nothing to be discussed in the yard of an guarding outpost." Selen furrowed her brows, obviously displeased with the answer. "Well then. We can't accompany you to the proper place for disccussions like this anymore today." Her melodic voice got deeper now, dripping with temper. "The sky grows darker with every minute, your field horses won't make it up there without broken legs in the night. We'll leave tomorrow at sunrise, if that pleases your highness." It was meant as a question, but the commander didn't wait for an answer, but turned on her heels after indicating a bow at the Khaleesi. As fast as she came she vanished on the walls of the passage, the silver hair flowing behind her.
"Please, excuse her temper...", Ser Weylyn embarrassed asked for Daenerys forgiveness. "You are indeed very welcome, but Selen is right, your men don't seem used to the mountain areas. We provide you shelter and a meal for the night and your horses will have plenty of hay." The Khaleesi nodded her head, giving the knight the indication of a smile. "That is very thoughtful of you, Ser Greene, thank you." Gladly he waved a few men of his nearer and gave them instructions to look after the needs of the Dothraki soldiers and their horses.
Watching the mountain guards rushing over the yard to make their guests comfortable Jorah and Dany followed Weylyn Greene into the chambers above the stables. "We are of course nothing compared to the residences you must use to find shelter in, but I hope you find some rest for the night after all." He opened a wooden door and invited the Khaleesi in with a bow. "I'm going to send a servant to watch after your needs, your Grace."
Dany entered the small room after she sent the knight and Jorah away. Some alone time was exactly what she needed now. The furnishing reduced to the fulfil human's basic needs: One single window gave sight to the stony environment outside the outpost and the last light of the day spreaded across a narrow bed. Everything in these lands seemed to be narrow after all. At least the ruged sheets didn't smell bad beside of a whiff of horse stable.
Daenerys sat down and for a while she just stared into the flickering light of the candle next to her on the wall. Tomorrow would decide wether the whole trip proved to be a waste of time or give her a good advantage after all.
A slight knock on the door let her look up in alert. A muffled voice sounde from the other side. "Ahm..your Grace? I...I was instructed to bring you dinner." Daenerys smiled at the nervous stutter the boy had. "Come in!" With an annoying squeak the door swang open and revealed a young blonde stable boy in the same leather armour most of the guards outside had worn. He balanced a tablet with food and a carafe on one hand and closed the door with the other one. Dany saw the dark liquid spill a little because of his swift movements and she raised from her bed. "Here, let me help you."
"No, it's fine, I-" The boy stopped mid-sentence, caught at his lie by the fact that Daenerys already catched the falling goblin before it could hit the floor. He glared at the floor and mumbled. "I'm much better with a bow than with this..." He looked back up. "Thank you...your Grace." He had the same silverish hair the commander had, but his eyes were of a warm blue. His face had stronger features than Selen's, but it was of the same irritating youth as hers. Pale, rosè skin, without any imperfections, even eyes and lips. Only his nose bone was a little bit crooked, probably broken once.
"What's your name?", Daenerys turned around and gestured him to place the food on a table in the corner. "Inchel, your Grace. But everybody calls me Ino." He placed the plate in front of her, not entirely sure what to do now. "Ino..May I ask, how hold are you?" He let out a small chuckle and gratefully took Dany grabbing the goblin as an invitation to fill it up for her. They must have told him to serve her, he most certainly didn't look or act like a servant. His upright statue made the Khaleesi think that he most likely was another one of the passage guards. "I had my eightteenth name day this year."
He noticed her stunned silence and added "I get this question a lot. Most people think I'm years younger than that. The curse of being an elf, I guess." Daenerys almost swallow up on her wine and let out a repressed cough. Ino helplessly stared at her, not daring to touch. "Your Grace?..Everything alright? Should I get help?" She stopped his rambeling with a wave of her hands, took a few deep breaths to gather herself and rose from the chair. "What do you mean by 'being an elf'?"
Ino backed off a step, suddenly uncertain. "I thought you knew..After you met with Selen-" "Are you telling me you are an elf? Those only exist in fairy tales and legends." The Khaleesi may have rose her voice a little to high, because now from outside the door an uneasy Dothraki guard snapped "Khaleesi, tat yer zigereo rhellaya?" (Do you need help?) The servant boy backed off even more now, anxiously glancing between her and the door. "Anha zin davra!" (I'm fine!), Daenerys turned back to Ino and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"I certainly hope you are not lying to me." He swiftly shook his head and stroked his silver hair back behind his ears as prove. The Mother of Dragons couldn't help but fascinated approach the boy who was now showing of a slender ear with an incredibly long tip. She almost came to touch it, but restained herself in the last moment. She withdrew her hand from his side and noticed him releasing a relieved breath. Dany invited him to return to the table with her. "I am sorry, I shouldn't have react so harshly. But..how is this possible? How does it come I never heard of elves existing in these lands?"
Ino slumped down on the other chair and leaned back, a dark shadow manifested on his face. "Because nobody knows. The people think the rotted us out centuries back, but we've always been good at not being seen."
"You are a soldier of Lady Onthar..If this is your strategy of hiding, I don't think it is working very well." - "I am a guard of the White Passage!", the boy proudly straigtened up. "I was tired of hiding all the time, what kind of life is that? That's why I joined Lady Onthar a few years back after-" He stopped and pressed his lips together. "Well, that's not important."
Daenerys nodded in understandment. She wasn't about to force him into talking, but she still wanted to learn more. "So Lady Onthar gave you shelter?" Ino nodded and strains of his hair fell back into his face. "She gave me a reason. To protect the realm of the Banned and Unwanted." Dany knitted her brows at this statement. "What to you mean by that?"
Ino watched her expression intently, then he smirked lightly. "Does your Grace really not know of this? Why else would you come here than to see the Banned Witch and her army of witches and warlocks, elves, halfbloods and dwarfs, and all the other trash the other Lords and Ladies don't want inside their walls?" His blue eyes sparkled keen. "These mountains are a refugee camp for everybody who has nowhere else to go. And they are still a pretty good hiding place...normally at least. We don't really have guests here."
He glanced at the untouched food on the table. "Which reminds me, I've been a terrible host. If you wish I fetch you something new to eat, your Grace. This roast most definetely is cold by now." Daenerys followed his eyes and sighed. "No, it's alright. I enjoyed talking to you, Ino, but now I need to rest and prepare for tomorrow." He took a bow and grabbed the empty holster of where his sword must be used to be. "My pleasure, your Grace, and welcome again in our home."He subtly closed the door behind himself.
Daenerys slumped down in her seat. The realm of the Banned and Unwanted. What did she get herself into? Hopefully the next day would provide her with answers to all this. She would have loved to keep this elf boy a little longer, but Ino unfortunately realized to soon that he was very talkative with a complete stranger after all. His dismissal could almost be seen as rude, but he kept his manners at least. Maybe she could catch him tomorrow to end this conversation with a little bit more answers than questions. But for now, Daenerys would allow herself the rest she needed after a journey like theirs.