Jon's plans to further question Tyrion the next day are put on hold by the arrival of Cersei's men. Over two dozen ships appear on the horizon come morning, their sails prominently displaying the Lannister Lion. If one knows what to look for, the signet is clear even at this distance. Jon might have been expecting this to happen, but that doesn't stop disappointment for rising. He'd hoped to have more time before they needed to leave. He also worries. How will Daenerys Targaryen react to Cersei's men?
She reacts by going out to meet them. Or rather, she tries to go out. As soon as she announces her intentions, her people burst into protestations. The mixture of languages makes it difficult to understand what they're saying, but Jon believes them to be protesting Daenerys' lack of attire. Once again, she's wearing only jewels, skirt and boots. He's proven right when Daenerys, resigned and long suffering, gives in to their demands.
The moment she agrees, the protestations die down, and a woman the same height and build as Daenerys promptly starts taking off her armor. Daenerys strides forward and starts putting it on. When she catches him watching, she gives him a look of exasperation belied by the fondness curving her lips.
"They think me reckless."
Jon thinks of her jumping off a cliff without bothering to see if her Dragons were there to catch her, thinks of her easy threats and her just as casual willingness to enter battle with him while he was fully armored and she wore nothing but boots and skirt.
"I can't imagine why."
Daenerys' grins, and some of her people react to his words with amusement as well. Others give him assessing looks.
Daenerys finishes putting on her borrowed armor. Despite the fact that it shouldn't be, the sight is an odd one. Jon hasn't exactly gotten used to her state of undress, but he's come to expect it. Seeing her covered up feels a little like seeing a normal woman undressed.
Drogon, who once again came without Daenerys calling for him out loud, impatiently waits for her to come over. When she does, he wastes no time in taking off and flying towards Cersei's ships. Who are being kept at bay by Rhaegal and Viserion, also without Daenerys ordering them to do so. They've drawn boundaries between both Daenerys' ships and Dragonstone Isle with a spectacular display of fire. Wisely, the ships are heeding their warning.
Jon wonders why none of Daenerys' people go with her. He asks.
"There's no need," the curly haired Missandei tells him. "Our Captain's children will keep her safe."
Part of Jon takes note of the fact that Missandei refers to Daenerys' Dragons as her children with seeming sincerity. Most of him worries.
"She's not invulnerable." Not something he would worry about under normal circumstances, but right now he's imagining Cersei's men getting in a lucky shot and ruining everything.
"Which is why she wears armor," Missandei says as though it didn't take a flood of arguments for Daenerys to deign wearing even the most basic of protection. Yes, she has her Dragons, but it only takes one well placed arrow for that to become meaningless.
Which is why Jon tenses up further when Drogon drapes himself over the side of the flagship, his wings covering most of the deck and his tail hovering over the water. Rhaegal and Viserion have moved closer as well, circling over Cersei's ships in clear warning.
Jon really wishes he could see what exactly Daenerys was doing on that ship.
"I first met our Captain's children when they were so little she could hold them with ease."
Missandei's statement draws his attention back to her. She spoke the words calmly, and her expression is cool and collected, but her eyes are intent, fierce in a way that's at odds with the rest of her composure. When she continues speaking, Jon can't decide whether her words are a warning or a threat.
"They are no longer little."
No, they aren't. For the first time Jon wonders just what Daenerys' Dragons would do should she die. These wonderings aren't pleasant in the slightest.
Fortunately, none of his fears come true. Drogon lifts off from the ship, and Rhaegal and Viserion resume guarding the borders they drew. Drogon lands on the beach and Jon feels a rush of relief when Daenerys jumps off him with the same ease as always. She's unharmed.
Despite Missandei's faith, she visibly relaxes as well. All of Daenerys' people do in fact.
All aside from Tyrion. Instead Tyrion is running towards Daenerys with clear panic. Barristan Selmy follows at a more sedate pace, but there's a tension to him as well.
"What happened?" Tyrion demands.
"No war was declared," Daenerys tells him with a teasing smile, taking off her borrowed armor. Tyrion glares, not appeased in the slightest. Jon is expecting anger, yet when Tyrion speaks, it's a plea.
"Captain, please."
"There really is nothing to worry about, Tyrion," Daenerys says more gently than before. Then she recounts what happened during her meeting.
In essence, Daenerys Stormborn told Cersei's men that she has no intention of taking the Iron Throne, no intention of coming to King's Landing, and no intention of remaining in the Crownlands. The commander in charge of Cersei's forces, a noble who's House rings a faint bell but whose exact reputation escapes him, argued that these claims are hard to believe, given her current occupation of Dragonstone Isle. Daenerys countered that they will simply have to take her word for it. The commander didn't like it, but he agreed to leave her and hers alone until they depart. The reason for his agreement is obvious of course.
"He didn't seem eager to engage my children," Daenerys says with a pleased grin and a proud look at Drogon. Drogon, seated a relatively small distance away, lets out an equally proud roar.
Despite the fear of her Dragons, the commander made clear that if Daenerys breaks her word and makes a move towards King's Landing, they will retaliate. Jon isn't entirely sure whether the commander will make good on his threat or not should Daenerys indeed break her word, but if all goes well, that shouldn't be a problem.
"We have no intention of remaining here after all," she tells him like it's an inside joke. Jon might have been amused under different circumstances, but Cersei's involvement makes that impossible. He can't afford to break the fragile cease fire that exists between them.
He can't afford to abandon the dragonglass either.
"Did you reveal our presence?" he demands, only realizing how accusing he sounds after already having spoken. To his relief, Daenerys takes no offense. She does lose her smile, though.
"I didn't. You made clear you wish to keep yourselves hidden from the Queen's forces."
Relief rushes through him.
"My thanks for your consideration," he says, glad when it makes Daenerys regain her smile. His gratitude grows when Daenerys tells him her Dragons will continue keeping the ships at bay. They can continue gathering dragonglass.
"Without additional charges, even," Daenerys says with a flirtatious smile.
"Your generosity knows no bounds," he returns with quirked lips of his own, still relieved by how well things went. Daenerys is pleased.
The threat remains of course. The commander Cersei send over might be rational, but Cersei is anything but. She could easily provoke Daenerys into starting a war. This worry is shared by Tyrion, for after Daenerys finishes telling him she kept their presence hidden, Tyrion, Barristan Selmy and Missandei continue discussing matters with Daenerys. A soldier joins them as well, and while Jon believes it to be for protection first, he's surprised to see the soldier join in the conversation. The soldiers aren't mute, he knows that much, but he can count on one hand the times he's seen them talk.
The group has moved a fair distance away, giving themselves some privacy. Even without being able to hear them, Tyrion's worry remains clear. Fortunately, it lessens as the discussion continues, though it doesn't disappear entirely. Jon feels the same way. Still, even with Cersei's men here, Jon is cautiously optimistic. They need but a few more days before they'll have all the dragonglass they can carry. It doesn't seem an impossible goal. Even less so as the day passes and Cersei's men make no move to approach. Morning dawns with them still in the same position as before, and with Daenerys assuring him none used the cover of darkness to send a small force by boat either. They tried, but Daenerys' Dragons warned them away with fire again. Given that Jon was woken only once in response to a Dragon suddenly breathing fire, he's assuming the boat meekly went back to their ship.
It's the only hostile move Cersei's men make. Reinforcements might be coming, but Jon's cautious hope that they'll be able to gather all the dragonglass they can carry before leaving grows stronger.
And then the raven from Winterfell arrives.
Arya and Bran are alive. They're at Winterfell, they're with Sansa.
Jon needs to go home. Now.
"Don't be rash, Your Grace," Davos says in that reasonable way of his, worry clear in the lines of his face. "We'll never be able to come back here, not after Daenerys Targaryen's arrival."
"I'm aware of that." He is. Now that Daenerys had made land here, now that she's come this close to King's Landing, Cersei won't allow Dragonstone to remain unguarded. She had before because the war was focused South and East, with Dorne, The Reach and The Iron Islands assaulting her by land and sea. While Dragonstone does offer an enormous tactical advantage when launching an invasion on King's Landing, the island itself is difficult to hold. There's not enough sustenance on it to feed any significant force for long, requiring trade with the mainland to be truly viable. Given that Cersei felt secure in the knowledge that her enemies were incapable of reaching it in any significant numbers without her notice, she didn't want to waste the resources needed to station a permanent force here. It was a risk to leave the isle unguarded but a manageable one.
It no longer is. The moment they leave, Cersei will occupy the island, lack of sustenance be damned. Jon knows he'll never again be able to gain access to the dragonglass mines.
He still has to go home.
"Davos, I cannot remain."
"It's only a few more days, Your Grace. Leaving now or then won't make any difference."
Jon knows that. He knows leaving now will be a mistake he'll come to regret later.
He still has to go. He can't remain here when Arya and Bran are alive.
He can't remain here when all he can see is Rickon. See him run, see him come so close only for him to die right before Jon reached him...
"Please don't ask this of me, Davos." Not when he keeps seeing Rickon, keeps seeing his terror, the arrow, the blood. Keeps seeing the light leave his brother's eyes.
Arya and Bran are alive. Jon refuses to lose them as he lost Rickon. As he lost Robb and their father.
Davos attempts to change his mind a little longer, but his heart isn't in it. Jon knows he understands why he needs to go. Knows Davos is thinking of his own son and of Princess Shireen.
Doesn't stop Davos from pointing out that they can't leave here without Daenerys. Jon responds by approaching her to inform her of his change in plans. When he does, she tilts her head with Dragon like curiosity.
"I thought the dragonglass was important to you," she says.
"Not as important as my family." It should be, the dragonglass will protect his family as surely as it will protect his people. Jon is aware of that.
He still has to go home.
He can't without Daenerys. Without her bringing the dragonglass they've already gathered. Part of Jon is hoping she'll refuse, that she'll declare they'll remain here until her stores are full. That part of him is being sensible.
Most of him is praying she'll leave as soon as possible.
Daenerys lets out a pensive hum.
"Then we set sail today."
Jon breath catches before it rushes out of him in a harsh sigh of relief. It isn't the answer he should have hoped for, isn't the answer duty demands he should want.
He can't find it within himself to be disappointed by his own reaction. He can only feel relief.
He's going home.
"I'm in your debt, Lady Daenerys."
"You can repay me by keeping me company during our voyage," Daenerys quips and Jon can't help but chuckle, feeling lighter than he has since the raven arrived.
Arya and Bran are alive. Arya and Bran are alive, and Jon is going home.
He's going to see his family again.
They don't set out right away of course. Both of them need to break up camp, and even with the experience Daenerys' people have, that does require time. It requires time for him and his men as well of course, but given the difference in size of their camp, they'll be finished far sooner than Daenerys' people. Jon takes the opportunity to send the raven back to Winterfell, informing Sansa of his estimated arrival in White Harbor. Somewhere between two to three weeks depending on the weather. He knows she won't come to White Harbor herself to greet him, there's still far too much to do in Winterfell, but that doesn't stop him from hoping that he'll be proven wrong.
Even knowing his family won't be there when he arrives, Jon is still overcome by joy. He's not just informing Sansa of his arrival, he's informing her, Arya and Bran.
Arya and Bran are alive. The wonder of that is finally hitting him in full.
What do they look like? It's been so long since he last saw them, and both Arya and Bran were mere children then. They'll be grown now. What has changed? What has remained the same?
Will he still be able to recognize them?
Yes, he will.
He recognized Rickon as well.
Jon busies himself with breaking up camp. Davos makes a final attempt to change his mind, but when it becomes clear that's impossible, he joins Jon in breaking up camp.
Then Daenerys comes to his aid yet again.
"Must the caves remain intact?" she asks, catching him off guard.
"The Sanctuary has to," he answers. The idea of destroying that piece of history makes everything inside him rebel.
"What about the entrance?"
"Why do you ask?" he returns, his curiosity roused. What is the purpose of these questions?
"Because if you don't mind the entrance being destroyed, we can gather more dragonglass before we leave."
His surprise is immediately followed by realization.
"You want to use your Dragons."
Daenerys inclines her head in confirmation.
"They cannot mine with precision of course, but they should be able to gather some more before we leave."
Jon would have to be a complete fool to refuse an offer such as this.
The result of his acceptance is another awe inspiring display of raw power. Drogon and Rhaegal continue to guard against Cersei's ships, but Viserion lands in front of the caves and, after Jon has checked multiple times to ensure none are still inside, he starts tearing apart the entrance. Viserion is the smallest of the three Dragons but even he cannot fit inside entirely.
He doesn't need to. Great claws rake over stone and tear it apart as though it's made of parchment. Viserion reaches veins their own tools had no hope of reaching, massive blocks torn free. It's not the pure dragonglass they gathered before, containing as much stone as precious material. But they can refine it later. Just having the raw material is more than he dared hope for.
The entrance eventually caves in, though it takes a surprisingly long time. Viserion is careful to keep the structure intact for as long as possible. Another sign of his intelligence.
They don't gather as much dragonglass as they would have had they remained. But the amount comes close.
It's another gift Jon has no idea how to repay. Daenerys has aided his people in their fight against the dead more than any but the Free Folk have. And unlike the Free Folk, she did it without requiring any arguments or persuasions. Part of Jon fears what she'll demand in return, but he won't sully her generosity by letting his suspicion show. He might not be the most tactful of people but even he knows basic courtesy.
After the dragonglass has been gathered and camp has been broken up, the Dragons carry both supplies and dragonglass to her ships. Only one issue remains.
The ship Jon and his men came in. They laid down anchor in a bay hidden from sight, to avoid the notice of patrols. If they leave in it, all their efforts to keep their presence hidden from Cersei will have been in vain. The figure their ship cuts is distinct. There's no way of hiding it among the foreign ships belonging to Daenerys. Neither can they simply abandon it, Cersei's men finding it will reveal their presence just as well. It would also reveal that they traveled with Daenerys, meaning Cersei will undoubtedly be convinced that they've entered an alliance. That is Jon's hope of course, but he'd rather avoid Cersei hearing about even the potential for it for as long as possible. She won't allow the North to remain neutral if she believes Daenerys Targaryen to be allied with them.
Fortunately, there's a solution for this as well.
"We could burn it," Daenerys suggest as though it's the most obvious thing in the world. There seems to be no end to the use of her Dragons.
"We'll need to gather our things first," Jon says.
They set out for their ship by foot and use the slope they'd hidden to reach it. Daenerys waits for them to gather everything of importance before she shows just how lethal Dragon Fire is. Drogon, hovering over the ship, takes a deep breath and lets out a wave of fire that makes the blasts he used in his spar seem like firecrackers.
The ship is obliterated. The sheer force of Drogon's fire is a physical blow, wood shattering into tinder. With but a single attack, the ship is no more. Drogon doesn't stop there though. He focuses on the burning wreckage and sets about turning every single piece into ash, destroying all traces of there ever having been a ship here in the first place.
Jon imagines this power being used against the dead and feels his heart beat even faster. He'd already realized that having Dragons on their side would be a priceless advantage, but seeing Drogon unleash his fire in full...
For the first time, Jon truly believes that if they can gain the aid of these Dragons, emerging victorious from the Great War might be truly possible after all.
AN: In honor of the final season launching, I present, a continuation of the fic. And great news! I've finished the first draft for this entire story! Still need to type it down and do some final revisions, but the story is done. Expect regular updates until the very end.
Fair warning, I'm taking some liberties with the timeline to make this story work. Specifically, I'm taking liberties with the Stark side of things. Accept it and move on.
Hope you enjoyed! As always, I'd love to hear what you thought of it.