A/N: Thank you all for the great reviews! And here are the answers to 2 different questions I got:
Dark Alana: Yes, I think this chapter will show how Ino plays into the story ;)
Ethiriel: He calls her "little moon of my life". I think sometimes that whole name just didn't fit into the dialogue or seemed a little awkward in a sentence. For me its like him calling her "sweetie" vs. "sweetheart". Hope its not too annoying for ya :)
Chapter 2
The Horse, the Maegi and the Hot spring
In the dark, Ino walked out of the khal's hut- completely content; if he didn't pull out the stitches, he should be completely healed within the next few weeks. Nothing made her happier than saving people's lives. She was nervous however, about sleeping in Rakharo's hut with him. Whispering a prayer to the Great Shepherd, Ino entered the blood rider's tent.
In the warm light of the tent, Ino could see that Rakharo was sitting on the fur covered bed, sharpening his arakh when she walked in. She noted that his hut looked remarkably different from the khal's; it was much more…masculine. Ino smiled to herself, no doubt the khaleesi had redecorated their hut.
"The khaleesi told me you were sleeping here tonight," Rakharo explained slowly in common tongue, jarring the witch out of her thoughts. She looked to him, surprised. "No, I do not speak much common tongue. But I am learning."
Ino deflated; it was silly of her to believe this night wasn't going to be awkward, "oh, well thank you for the tent."
Rakharo understood everything except for 'thank you', but he got the idea and smiled briefly at her before scooting over to one half of the bed. Ino stared at the open space before meeting the blood rider's expectant gaze. Did this technically make her impure? Could she no longer be a god's wife after tonight?
"What are you?" Rakharo asked bluntly, seeing that she was hesitant to get in to bed, even though he gave her more than half of it. Ino rolled her shoulders back and stood proudly in her ragged dress.
"I am Ino, I am a god's wife."
Rakharo nodded in understanding and tried to look her up and down without frightening her. She was pretty; tall, very lean with prominent cheek bones, dark brown eyes and black hair. It was interesting how her features clashed with her ivory skin. Ino crossed her arms and glared at him.
"It is late, you must go to bed. We get up early tomorrow," Rakharo explained non-confrontationally. Stifling a yawn, Ino hesitantly moved to the low bed and curled up in a protective ball. She could hear the blood rider laugh as he too got into bed and fell asleep on the soft furs.
By the time Ino had woken up, Rakharo was gone. Rising quickly, she combed through her hair with her fingers and used the water in the basin near the bed to wash her face.
"Come," Rakharo requested as he popped into the tent, startling Ino and causing her to jump. He laughed.
Outside, she winced at the brightness of early morning compared to the hut's darkness. Once her eyes adjusted, Ino saw a small, buckskin mare standing calmly. Rakharo turned to look back at Ino as he patted the horse lovingly, "the khaleesi says you may ride, here is your horse."
Ino would have been flattered, the mare was pretty and someone obviously took the time to brush her golden coat until it gleamed- if she wasn't terrified of horses, "I cannot ride."
The blood rider stopped patting the mare and gave her a shocked expression, "you are hurt?"
"No, I do not know how to ride," Ino explained lamely. Not bothering to say that the reason she didn't know how was because of her fear of the large animals. Rakharo stared at her for a minute, as if he was waiting for her to laugh and say it was a joke. But when the mare stepped forward to smell Ino, and she jumped backwards, he knew that she was afraid.
The blood rider handed Ino the reins, "this is Eos. She will walk with you today," he explained, the mare sniffing Ino cautiously. She cringed but accepted the reins.
"Okay," Ino squeaked, patting Eos lightly on the nose, Rakharo smiled.
"She will not hurt you," he assured her, giving the mare one last pat, Rakharo walked off. Ino and Eos walked to where the Lhazareen women were camped; as she walked through the camp, Ino found it oddly comforting to see children playing, dogs running and people doing mundane tasks. It was so strange to think about, but the feared Dothraki were people too, just with different values. It seemed as if the Lhazareen women had all begun to try and fit in with Dothraki culture, wearing different clothing and hairstyles. Ino was thrilled to see some of the Dothraki women sitting and showing them how to do things outside of the huts.
"The blood has not yet dried on the dirt and you parade past us with a gift from your new master?"
She stopped, startling Eos and giving the mare a reassuring touch on the side. Mirri Maz Duur sat tied to a pole, her face bloody and her clothing torn. She glared up at Ino.
"I have no master. It was a gift for saving the great rider's life. Believe it or not, I don't think you would have gotten one if our places were reversed," she spat at the older woman.
"If the roles were reversed, I would have avenged our dead, the women who were raped and the men taken as slaves. I would have done the Great Shepherd's will," Mirri retorted angrily. Ino shook her head in disbelief.
"Wasn't it you who taught me that the Great Shepherd loves everyone equally? No matter where they are from, or what they have done? Wasn't it you who taught me that a healer's only joy should be giving life back to those who are losing it? Or has the black magic clouded your mind so completely that you cannot remember your own teachings?" Ino asked hatefully. Mirri lapsed into silence and Ino led the mare away.
"Run, Ino. Dothraki whore! Do you see what they do to us? The destroy our families, our lives and then they give gifts! They are trying to turn us away from the Great Shepherd and into their pagan, barbarian slaves!" Mirri shouted so all the Lhazareen women could hear. A few women walked up to her.
"What can we do?" One woman asked. The witch smiled.
"We must call upon the deep magic."
The hoard began its journey to the mountain village of Silt early that morning.
"You wanted me?" Ser Jorah asked as he rode up beside Drogo. The khal turned to find Daenerys, seeing her farther back laughing with some women.
"Explain to me a marriage ceremony in the Westeros," Drogo told him, keeping his eyes forward on the dirt path and his face a mask of indifference. The knight was thrown off by the question coming from the most feared man in Essos.
"Well khal, they are much like they are here. You have a ceremony where the actual marriage takes place- called a "ring ceremony" where a priest blessed the bride and groom. Then a party is thrown for the couple; this includes a feast, dancing, gift giving, and entertainment," Jorah explained, hoping he did an adequate job. Drogo nodded thoughtfully but said nothing. The only sound was the rhythmic pounding of hooves and the distant buzz of voices from the khalasar.
"Why is it called a 'ring ceremony'?" He asked after a moment's pause, still not divulging any emotion.
"Because the groom gives the bride a ring that she wears as a symbol of their unity. She will wear the ring whenever she goes out, to show that she is taken," Jorah told him, stifling his urge to ask the khal why he wanted to know.
"A specific ring?" Drogo asked, still staring straight ahead, Jorah smiled slightly.
"No khal, whatever ring the groom wants."
"Is there something I can help you with, Khal Drogo?" One blood rider, Tawak asked; seeing his leader sitting on the dirt floor in the hut where the gold, silver and jewels were kept. He noticed a large box sitting in front of the khal.
"No. Go enjoy the feast," Drogo told him with a half smile. The blood rider nodded and exited.
Drogo opened the chest which held all the jewelry the khalasar owned. Most of it was solid gold; large, heavy pieces meant more for trading than for wearing. Throwing all of the necklaces, chains, headpieces and bracelets out of it and on to the floor, the khal began to pick out each of the rings that were covering the bottom of the box. To Drogo's dismay, most were like the other pieces of jewelry; huge and heavy. After going through over 50 rings, he finally managed to see the velvet lined bottom of the chest; one tiny ring caught his attention. Holding it up in the firelight, the khal first saw the clear, round ruby in the center; but quickly noticed the band. In the gold, a dragon was carved, going all around it; his head near the stone to give the impression of breathing fire. The little dragon had a tiny pink stone for an eye and Drogo put the ring on his pinky finger; it was snug, almost not going all the way down and he immediately knew it would fit Daenerys perfectly. Keeping the ring on his finger for safe keeping, he put all the jewelry back and exited the hut into the darkness to find the khaleesi.
"Khaleesi, what's wrong?" Doreah asked, panicking as she ran into Daenerys' hut after hearing a scream.
"Sorry, Doreah. I have had this horrible back ache all day and now I wake up with stomach pains," Daenerys explained, holding her bulging stomach lovingly. The servant looked at her mistress, she was pale with dark circles under her normally radiant eyes.
Doreah sighed, sitting on the fur bed with the khaleesi. "There is a hot spring nearby, perhaps a nice hot bath would calm little Rhaego into letting you sleep."
Daenerys smiled at the thought of a hot spring, she had not seen one since she left the Westeros 10 years ago, "come, show it to me."
Doreah smiled and led the khaleesi out and into the night.
Once Doreah had left and Daenerys was alone in the rocky clearing, she took off her robe and slipped into the warm water. Closing her eyes, the khaleesi sighed and tried to relax as a wave of nausea passed over her; the Dothraki camp was surrounding the pool, and she could hear the occasional laughter of a blood rider sitting around the campfire.
"What if you were a girl, little Rhaego?" Daenerys mused, talking to her stomach, "what would your father say?"
That caused her to stop, what would Drogo do if Rhaego was really Rhaea? Daenerys' brow furrowed. He would love her the same, wouldn't he? The khaleesi wasn't sure of the answer, Drogo seemed to love her; but what if he blamed her for it? Daenerys shook her head clear of such foolish thoughts. No matter if their baby was Rhaego or Rhaea, Drogo would love whoever they created.
Daenerys was so deep in her upsetting thoughts, that she didn't notice someone else get into the spring with her.
"Doreah tells me you don't feel well."
The khaleesi jumped in fright and turned to face the deep voice, smiling at the welcomed sight. Drogo stood in the chest high water; his long hair plastered away from his face, floating freely in the water and the kohl from his eyes running down his cheeks. He grinned impishly at her and waded closer, immediately Daenerys knew he was up to something.
"She speaks the truth, my sun-and-stars. I have felt very sick all day," she admitted sadly. The water felt good on her cramps and back ache, but the nausea hadn't passed.
"And how about now?" Drogo pressed, giving her a peck on the lips. Daenerys sighed smiling, he was definitely up to something.
"A little nauseous, but I would feel infinitely better if you would tell me what you are up to," the khaleesi replied jokingly, wiping the smudge marks from his face.
Drogo paused for a moment, as if he suddenly became nervous. "It has been almost a year since we married and Jorah told me that in the Westeros, the groom gives the bride a ring to wear. After going through all of the treasure, I found this ring and I thought you would like it."
Drogo handed her the ring and Daenerys smiled happily, almost forgetting how sick she felt. As she admired the ring, she realized what she was looking at.
"This was my mother's wedding ring! My father told me he would give it to me once I married! Viserys must have used it in the dowry," the khaleesi explained, amazed that Drogo had accidentally found something so important to her. She slipped it onto her ring finger and turned her hand to show it to him; the khal smiled warmly.
"I will never take it off. My sun-and-stars, where would I be now without you?" Daenerys asked rhetorically, grabbing Drogo around the neck and kissing him.
The sentiment was short lived as a horrible dizzy spell came over her. Groaning, the khaleesi rested her heavy head on his shoulder. Leaning his head on hers, Drogo massaged the back of Daenerys' neck.
"Come little moon, let's go to bed," he told her after a few minutes. The breathing he felt on his neck was slow and even. She mumbled something incoherent and nuzzled his shoulder.
Drogo laughed quietly, "you need rest."
Daenerys begrudgingly sat up straight and he got out of the water. As Drogo walked to go get his pants, the khaleesi stared admiringly at his backside. He walked like a wildcat, a fluid gait that showed the rippling muscles of his legs; his thick long hair covering up his entire back. Daenerys couldn't help but frown when he came back to her fully dressed. Drogo held her robe, giving her an expectant look until she finally got out of the warm water. The air felt freezing on her exposed skin.
Putting her clothes on quickly caused Daenerys' nausea to return full force; her surroundings had begun to spin as well. She put her hand on Drogo's arm to steady herself. She wasn't sure if she wanted to walk all the way back to camp, which seemed miles away now. As if he read her thoughts, the khal gently scooped her up; Daenerys sighed sleepily. Wrapping her arms around Drogo's neck, she buried her face in the crook of his neck as he walked them back to the khalasar.
Ino hardly noticed how late it was. Sitting around the fire with the Lhazareen and Dothraki women she had been surprised to hear some of the Dothraki women speaking the common tongue. Many of them had been adopted from other tribes that were raided and each had an interesting story to tell.
One girl, Vandana, from a tribe near the free cities had been explaining the Dothraki language to Ino, excited to teach the maegi who had saved the khal's life. The talking and laughing suddenly ceased and Vandana nudged her until she turned to look back at what everyone was staring at. Rakharo stood on the outskirts of the mini camp they had created, the buckskin mare next to him. Ino rose from her seat by the fire, giving the other women a reassuring smile before walking over to meet him.
Ignoring the girl's stares, she approached Rakharo with a smile, "I can stay in one of their tents tonight, you can sleep in peace."
The blood rider laughed quietly, "I think it is time you learn to ride," he told her; Ino blanched at the thought, looking at Eos. Walking with the mare was one thing, she was actually nice to walk beside; but riding was a whole new thing.
"I swear on the Mother of the Mountains, no harm will come to you," Rakharo swore in all seriousness, although he couldn't contain his grin by the end of his sentence. Ino rolled her eyes and followed the blood rider away from camp.
A/N: I think Rhaego is coming next chapter! This story is gonna be fuckin intense. The whole thing came to me as I walked home yesterday lol
I'm working on another story too… so if you want an update, you gotta review :D