I prowled in the darkness. Trees loomed over my head and moonlight illuminated through the trees, lighting up my pathway. I lifted my muzzle, inhaling deeply. Several scents flood into my nose. I flicked my ears upward as I heard the scuffling of a rabbit. I whirled around, catching sight of the rabbit nibbling on grass.

The I ran my tongue over my maw as I crouched, grass brushed my underbelly as I drew closer. The I let out a snarl, bursting at the rabbit. Shrieking, the rabbit darted away. My tongue lolled out as I gave chase to the rabbit. I leaped in front of the rabbit. The rabbit ran straight for my claws. Before it realized that it had made a mistake, the I clamped down my ivory enamels onto the rabbit's throat. Blood seeped into my mouth as the rabbit went limp. Satisfied with the kill, I picked up the carcass, returning to my den.

I was hoping something fresh would get my new pup to eat. The fleeting memory of losing my first born resurfaced with a great agonizing sorrow. It was gone as the familiar scent of a packmate reached my nose. A brown-furred female slightly tipped her head back and lowered her eyes as I walked passed, similar forms of greeting were given as more of my pack showed up around me.

When I had lost my first born they mourned with me, but all out all of us it hurt him the most. My mate slipped out of the rock structure that served as my new den, higher on hills. The new wound on his face was healing alright, it would scar but I was just pleased that he'd keep both of his red eyes, the furless creature called a humon's silver fang had gotten rather close to his eye. I brushed against his pure white coat as I slipped inside the den that smelt so strongly of him.

There were some pieces of prey my mate had brought my furless pup would not eat. My pup smelt of fear whenever my mate was nearby, maybe that was why he did not eat. With the rabbit still clamped in my jaw I walked deeper into the den. There was a large pile of pelts laid around the ground, my pack often stole them whenever a humon skinner would show up.

It the pile laid my furless pup, slumbering, in one of the front legs my furless pup held another of my lesser descents, a dog pup perhaps a day or two old. I dropped the rabbit on the ground, and padded over to my slumbering furless pup, reaching around him to grab the dog pup. It was a maternal instinct to keep the dog pup alive and fed I had the extra milk to spare, as I carefully wrapped the small dog pup in my maw I glanced at my furless pup's face, he looked rather peaceful when he was asleep. He looked a lot like...

"BENJEN!" Ravenna awoke as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water all over her. She sat up swiftly, jarring the woman sleeping beside her. The scream had the napping dragon at their feet awoken and snarling at her. A cool breeze brushed against her skin, reminding her that they no longer had the cover of the trees to guard them from the wind, there was only wide open plains, hills, and a few rock structures here and there. The sky was grey and cloudy, small flakes of snow were falling down on them and had covered them in a blanket of frost.

Ravenna continued to turn her head back and forth as she doubled and then triple checked their surroundings. There were no wolves the sizes of ponies, no den, no Ben. As her breathing returning to normal, she failed to notice what was wrong with Sintara. The blonde was covered as best her attire could get, bundle up as much as possible. However, her attire wasn't all that fitting for the North and seemed to constantly shivering and shaking uncontrollably. That wasn't the problem at the moment.

The heiress had both hands wrapped around the lower part of her leg, holding it rather tightly. If Ravenna had been able to see her face she would have had seen the tears that had sprung up with the pain she had caused her.

"Sintara? Are you alright?" Ravenna finally questioned as she scooted a little closer to the older woman.

After spending two weeks traveling together, the two had fallen into first name basis. Ravenna was constantly having to remind herself to not attach the princess part to it, though. Sintara slowly managed unclench her jaw and got some words out while fighting through the waves of pain washing over her leg.

"My leg. You kicked it when awakening like that."

After finding the cave that Balerion had led them to. They found the few things that Queen Rhaella had set with Sintara. A newly handcraft bow with arrows and a quiver that must have cost a fortune, a small pouch of jewels that Ravenna was sure that cost more the entire North owned, and that was it. They had stayed in the cave for two days, mostly to nurse Sintara's leg.

The first night Ravenna had done what she could to keep the blood from bleeding out, she had wanted to stay up and watch over Sintara but exhaustion had caught up with her. She had woken up by an enraged and concerned Balerion rather roughly with a harsh slap to the leg with his tail before the next morning. Ravenna had found Sintara alive, but her blood had been leaking out slowly through Ravenna's slumber.

After waking Sintara up, Ravenna pulled a rather risky move considering she had only seen this done once when she was eight. After getting Sintara a stick, fetching more water, and her blade, she had Sintara bit down on the stick without telling her what she was doing, and cleaned the dog bite as best she could. Then with very much pleading and several trial and error, before Sintara finally spoke valyerian and got Balerion to set the blade of her dagger on fire. From there she managed to cauterize the puncture wounds, Sintara had passed out from the pain but at least they stopped the bleeding.

A touch of guilt swelled up just underneath her breasts like a lump. She felt rather bad for unintentionally hurting Sintara, she had only had a handful of hours to recuperate in the cave before they had to get moving again. Ravenna had found Flicka two days into their walk, and had gotten some relief from carrying Sintara piggyback.

Horseback had quicken the trip immensely, and thanks to Balerion they never had to worry about going hungry at all. Still, Sintara hasn't been looking all that good since the temperature has dropped and has been eating less as well. Ravenna wasn't exactly sure what was wrong with her, and could only assume more often than not. Getting kicked in your injured leg probably hadn't helped at all.

"I am terribly sorry. Are you alright?" She knew she just asked that question, but couldn't be concerned about it.

The looks Balerion kept throwing her way were making her slightly uneasy. The dragon had gotten larger over the somewhat short journey, Sintara said she didn't notice anything, although, Ravenna swore that he was longer and a little taller. Balerion did not care for her much although understood that Ravenna was needed to help care for his sister and so tolerated her present.

"I'm fine, I just need to wait till the pain goes down." Sintara exhaled gently while clinging to her leg.

After five long minutes of silence, the pain had numbed itself enough for Sintara to let go of her leg. "Can we sit here? Just for a little while longer?" She was often asking if they could remain in one spot whenever they had to move and Ravenna would always give the same answer.

"We need to keep going, the castle's not too far I promise." Ravenna was stabbed with the memory of her mother's voice soothing her agitation on the way to King's Landing, Ravenna sounded just like her now.

'Mother, where are you?' Wherever Lyarra was she hoped she was safe and in better health than them. Sintara's body made a loud thumping sound as she dropped back down to the ground, curling up on herself to preserve heat. For the several time that day, Ravenna was going to ask if she was okay except the sound of hooves slamming into the earth made her rethink her question.

She shot to her feet as if struck by lighting, and Sintara had straightened up into an upright sitting position. There were riders coming over the next hill straight for them, Balerion had tensed and slithered over to Sintara to sit in front of her, both offering what heat his body produce to warm her and to guard her.

Sintara wrapped one arm underneath the dragon's neck, more to steady herself with than for anything else. These days it felt like her strength was getting sapped away. "Who is it?" She threw her voice as far as she could to reach Ravenna's ears for the Stark was already walking towards the approaching patrol.

Ravenna wasn't listening to her, she was too busy running towards the horses and their riders. Her hood was pulled down as she stopped allowing the horsemen to slow their mounts. She knew several faces, but the names were eluding her right now. They were guards from Winterfell and that all that matter. There were five riders in all, two stopped to talk to her and the other three went on behind her. She should have told them about Sintara and Balerion, but right now she so overjoyed to finally be home the pair skipped her mind for a moment.

"Lady Ravenna? Where is your Lady Mother and Lord Father?" The patrol leader looked worn out as if he had been working far too hard, making Ravenna frowned.

She had been hoping her mother had made it home before them. There was a high-pitched whinny of a horse as the sound of men screaming and cursing cut her off. She whipped around in time to see Balerion blowing a stream of blue fire at a skittish horse who bucked its rider off. He might have been attacked by the overly defensive dragon if Sintara had not been holding him. There were some words being yelled out in High Valyerian that went over Ravenna's head, she was too busy screaming at guards who had drawn their blades in fear.

"Stop! Put your blades down!" She was thankful that the guards were seasoned and not green otherwise, she wasn't so sure they would have listened to her.

Ravenna raced back over to the pair, Balerion was blowing thick black smoke out of his nostrils and she could see the powerful muscles underneath his body rippling with anxiety. He even snapped at Ravenna when she drew closer, something she's never seen him do before. It quickly reminded her that this wasn't some animal or dog, but a highly agitated dragon. She raised her hands quickly and took a step backward, Sintara was whispering something rapidly and softly in his ear and soon enough the dragon's body slowly fell lax.

"I'm fine." Sintara panted before Ravenna could ask anything. "The horses made him nervous, that's all." With that mouthful out of the way, Sintara abruptly turned her head away and vomited what little she had in her stomach onto the ground, feeding the earth.

That had everyone turning their heads towards her and really looking at her instead of her huffy dragon. She muttered a quiet apologize as questions started flying. There were several on Balerion and even more on why Ravenna brought a Targaryen home with her. The questions were ignored as the Stark was allowed to go pass Balerion to check on Sintara. Ravenna placed a hand on Sintara's forehead and found the blonde was almost as warm as her dragon.

"You're burning up," Ravenna observed with a shake of her head.

"Really? Then why am I so cold?" The heiress was truly confused on that topic, how could she be burning up and freezing at the same time?

"Help her up onto a horse, we need to get to the Maester immediately." The four men remained at a standstill still very weary of the dragon, especially the one who had lost his mount. Finally, the patrol leader forced his horse to move forwards, carefully to stay out of the path of the dragon as Ravenna pulled Sintara off the ground and helped her mount. Sintara appeared greatly distressed having to ride with a strange male, yet tried not to openly reveal that.

"What about...that?" One of the men pointed to Balerion who was trying to follow Sintara without spooking the horse. Sintara eyes slumped downwards to Balerion at the question.

"Sōvegon." The dragon hissed at the order, but ultimately expanded his leathery wings and with one gust took to the sky, flying overhead. If anything that made the horses more nervous and the men as well. "Let's go please, I really don't feel all that well." The comment had Ravenna mounting with another guard and together the party made their way back to Winterfell.