Dany was surrounded by darkness, as though the winter moon and night's countless stars had burned out. She touched the place beside her where Jon had been, but there was only cold hard earth. The fresh cry of a babe pierced the silence and echoed around her. A familiar cry that called to her, but it was not Aemon.
She moved slowly through the gloom when the ground under her feet began to tremble. Voices began to rise in the dark, screams, and wails and battle cries, resounding around her so loudly she covered her ears and sank to her knees. There was an eruption of movement all around her, the thunder of steel and the hacking of flesh. She screamed from deep in her belly.
Then it all went quiet.
She sat still as a statue, breath held and arms wrapped around her knees. Taking courage, she pulled herself to her feet and moved blindly in the dark. Jon's voice whispered her name in the void like a prayer and her heart jumped inside her breast. She tried to call back, but the words that spilled from her lips did not reach her ears.
As she moved toward his voice, a devastating light, as harsh as the hottest days in Essos stopped her in her tracks and she shielded her eyes.
Dawn.
When her eyes adjusted, she was standing in the middle of a richly furnished chamber. Moonlight glowed through an open balcony and a summer breeze moved peaceably through the curtains. There was a muffled cry, and it was then she noticed a lone figure sitting at the edge of a magnificent bed. He was slumped forward, his face hidden in his hands, but she would know him anywhere. An empty pit burned in her stomach when she realized he was weeping. Had she ever seen him weep before?
Jon, she tried to call but no sound would come. The cry of a babe turned her attention to a pair of cradles. She had an all consuming urge to go to the child but her feet would not move. She was helpless as Jon wiped his eyes and crossed the room to the source of the cries. Her eyes stung with tears as he took a small babe in his arms, and rocked around the room.
"I'm sorry," she heard him whisper to the child, "I'm so sorry."
Real tears were warm on her cheeks when she awoke in the early morning hour, and her heart lightened to feel Jon's warmth beside her. She faced him then, finding his eyes closed and relaxed in sleep, and she held him close.
The evening sun cast a pale yellow glow on the horizon, glimmering delicately through the barren branches of the oak trees. Jon could see the Milkwater off in the distance, snow capped soldier pines reflecting off its glassy surface. It had been three days since their encounter with the dead, and they travelled on horseback down the giant's stair with the free folk; a temporary escort of sorts as the large band of people slipped through the Frostfangs as quickly as they could.
Jon made himself useful chopping firewood, calmed by the repetition of the task: breathe, swing, strike. The free folk were a spirited people, hearty and hardworking, but also scattered and short tempered. The nights among them had not been dull.
Dany was in his peripheral, sitting at an already roaring fire with her hood up and cloak pulled tightly around her. The chilly climate was becoming too much for her, though she'd never admit it. She'd been acting strangely since the confrontation with the army of the dead. Quiet... and sad. Perhaps she was shaken by the harrowing sight of an unending sea of walking deadmen. That would be sensible… but there was something more. Something she wasn't telling him.
They'd been gone from little Aemon for far too long. The quick glimpses through Ghost's garnet eyes would not be enough for much longer. Nothing would make him happier than to bring Dany back to him. If only she weren't so damn stubborn.
As the axe came down with a satisfying whack, a tall shadow fell over him and he glimpsed a shock of red hair.
Jon sank his blade into the stump. "Good evening, Tormund."
"Tormund Gianstsbane," he answered , "Also Breaker of Ice, Thunderfist, Horn-blower and Husband to Bears."
Jon searched for a response. "Impressive titles," he said.
"You've been with us for a few days now, dragon rider," Tormund said. "Do you plan to stay with us until we reach the Wall?"
"Another day or two at least," Jon said, " to make sure the dead are off your trail, and then we'll be on our way."
"You can never be sure of where the dead lurk or when they will strike," Tormund said dispiritedly. "I thought our only hope would be to get through that Wall of yours, but after seeing you and your dragon-wife burning scores of them, I think there might be hope to defeat them yet."
"Our son is back at Castle Black," Jon told him remorsefully, "I would see him reunited with his mother."
Tormund glanced at Dany over her shoulder. "Your wife doesn't look well. The North is too harsh for southern women," he commented as Dany began rubbing her hands together for warmth, "and a mother desires to be with her babe."
Tormund looked back to Jon. "Perhaps you'll return to us after. I'd like to say we can handle ourselves, but we've children and mothers of our own to look after, and many of them would be dead if it weren't for those dragons of yours."
Jon returned his gaze to Dany staring miserably into the fire. "Once my family is settled, I'll return," Jon promised. He didn't want to be separated from them, but Dany would understand.
Tormund Giantsbane grinned and clapped Jon on the back roughly. "If you want to keep that silver wife of yours warm, I'll show you a place you can take her."
Impossibly, the cold had become more merciless since the battle with the dead and riding horseback did nothing to warm her the way riding on Dreamfyre did. She searched the skies above for his familiar black and crimson scales, but there was nothing but a scattering of clouds in the fading light. They must be hunting.
More than cold, she was weary and heartsick, but it wasn't coming face to face with living death that caused her heart to ache. It was the dreadful dream she'd had that same night, the one that had haunted her since.
Jon's cries still echoed in her mind, along with the babe she didn't yet know, the one she must be carrying now. Would she get to meet them? How long did she have left to watch Aemon grow? She needed to get back to him straight away so she could hold him and never let him go. She would tell Jon tonight, she had to get back to him.
Jon. Her stomach turned. Her death would shatter him. She knew this because being bereft of him would destroy her too. Every challenge they had planned to face together he would now have to do alone. He would blame himself, she simply knew it, and their children would be motherless afterall. Tears were forming in her eyes, and she quieted her mind, watching the tendrils of smoke climb up from the fire and touch the treetops.
Jon filled the space beside her, bringing an enticing warmth and without a word, she rested against him. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly.
"Yes," she lied. She hadn't told him of her dream, and she didn't plan to. What good would it do? It wouldn't change anything. If they had any hope of defeating the dead, she would have to fight the same as him. And if they did not defeat the dead, they would both join them. "But it's awfully cold," she told him. Jon wrapped his cloak around her so that it covered them both.
Mance and Dalla settled across the fire from them. Dalla's belly was as round as could be imagined as she held onto Mance's arm while carefully taking her seat. Dany felt for her. Running from the dead to an uncertain future so close to her time.
Mance picked up his lute while Dany watched with mild interest. Sometimes he played bawdy songs which were a welcome distraction and occasionally, he crooned a mournful tune that accentuated her pain.
"A southern song for the Mother of Dragons," Mance said to Dany from across the flames.
Dany forced herself to smile, but her heart sank as he began to strum the somber chords of Jenny's Song.
"High in the halls of the kings who are gone," Mance sang sadly, "Jenny would dance with her ghosts. The ones she had lost and the ones she had found, and the ones who had loved her the most."
Dany clutched Jon's arm tighter as the song continued, a single tear rolling down her cheek as Mance sang, "she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave." Jon kissed her temple.
As Mance strummed the last chord, Jon whispered in her ear, "Come on. I've something to show you." Letting him lead her by the hand without bothering to ask where they were going, she was assaulted by the icy air as they strode away from the fire.
"Do you know the last time I heard that song? " Dany asked. "It was the night Jamie Lannister lost his hand."
"Jamie Lannister," Jon said his name bitterly, as though the reminder had transported him back to that fateful night. "When I dream of that night, I take his head. Every time."
"Perhaps you will yet," Dany said, and then there was a knot in her chest. If you do, will I be there to see it? She shook the thought away. "I'm so cold."
"I know," Jon replied, taking her hand, "Tormund showed me somewhere we can get warm."
They gathered torches and he led her away from the bustle of camp. Snow crunched under their feet, echoing around them in the eerie quiet of the wood. The trees broke away to reveal a rocky hill and the black mouth of a cave.
The entrance was low, and they were met by a damp warmth as they ducked inside. Jon took scrupulous steps ahead of her, surrounded by the orange glow of torchlight.
"Here it is," he said, laying his torch on the ground. Steam rose out of a pool, the water appearing black in the dark.
"A hot spring?" she asked with pleasant surprise.
"A bath," he answered, taking her torch and laying it down near his. He toed off his boots and gently laid his cloak on the ground, and Dany mirrored his actions. "Nothing will warm you faster," he said.
They helped each other to undress and then eased themselves into the hot pool. Dany hummed happily, the chill in her bones gradually dissipating, the heat rejuvenating her and making her whole. Gods, it had been so long since she'd been so warm.
Jon pulled her close. "That's better, isn't it?"
"Yes," she answered, draping her arms over his shoulders.
"Good," he said tenderly, "now, tell me what troubles you." His dark eyes pleaded with her, and her resolve faltered. How did she ever hope to keep anything from him?
"I don't know what you mean," she replied, with wavering conviction. His eyes continued to search hers, unconvinced.
"The last two days you've seemed…"
Dany swallowed a lump in her throat. "Seemed what?"
Jon's eyes softened. "Terribly sad. You're keeping something from me," he said dismally. Dany turned away, as emotion began to build in her throat, and she struggled to meet his gaze.
"I miss Aemon… I wish to return to him."
"Then we'll leave at first light," he said decisively.
Dany nodded, some of her discomfort mollified.
"That isn't all though, is it?" he continued.
She could only stare at him, trapped under his scrutiny.
"After everything we've gone through," he told her, "you must know there's nothing you ever need hide from me."
A sob escaped her before she could stop it, and then she was swiftly surrounded by his arms.
"I don't deserve you, Jon," she cried against his shoulder.
"What are you talking about?" he asked uneasily.
"I have been keeping something from you," she said, forcing herself to face him. "I… am with child."
His eyes grew wide for a moment, and then he grinned. "I knew it."
Dany was slightly affronted. "How did you know?" she demanded.
Jon laughed. "It's easy to tell when you turn green over your breakfast every morning."
A smile pulled at her lips. Her hopes were soaring, and she began to wonder why she'd not told him of her condition sooner. But then the memory of her dream rolled back over her like a storm cloud, and once more she began to weep. He didn't ask her for an explanation, but took her back into his embrace.
"If I could, I would take you away from all of this," he said softly.
"I know."
"Do you remember that night in Illyrio's garden the day we first met?"
She wiped her eyes. "How could I ever forget?"
He smiled at her wistfully. "You seemed so lonely and sad, up on your balcony, looking up to the heavens for help."
"I was only a young girl. I knew so little."
"I was no better. Only a boy fumbling through the world, thinking I'd rescue a princess. Little did I know she'd be the one to save us both."
"You're not a boy anymore." She brushed the puckered red line the hawk left him above his brow. "Everyday you become more like my dream lover." They both laughed. "You did save me," she told him, "I'd never have found the courage until I met you."
He kissed her cheek. "I never wanted for courage then. It was easy to be brave when I had nothing to live for. Now, I find myself constantly terrified."
Her mood darkened once again. "I'm scared too."
His expression hardened. "I don't know how to defeat the army of the dead or how to give you the Red Keep, but I do know I will protect you," he said sincerely. "If nothing else, I will keep you safe."
Jon shot up in the dark. It was ominously quiet as his eyes searched the camp for what had startled him out of sleep. A blessedly full moon allowed him to see the sleeping forms of his sister and Edd near the dying fire, but the space just beside him was empty.
Dany.
The pale glow of her hair caught his attention just as she faded out of sight, wandering into the forest of tangled dark trees. Jumping to his feet, he grabbed Longclaw and followed after her.
Just as he was about to reach her, she broke into a run. It was difficult to keep up, moving through the thick trees. Her white cloak flowed behind her like diaphanous wings, and the pace she was able to keep caught him off guard.
When he was finally able to take hold of her arm, camp was no longer in sight. They stood in a clearing, illuminated by the moon and a night sky bursting with stars.
"Dany!" he cried out. Turning her around to face him, she only stared at him vacantly. "What are you doing?" he asked anxiously.
She blinked in surprise, and she surveyed the forest with wide eyed fear. "I don't know," she answered meekly.
Jon blew out a breath. "Another dream?"
"I don't remember-"
The plodding of hooves and the crack of a branch had Jon whirling around. Keeping Dany behind him, he drew his sword as a dark figure appeared on horseback.
"Who are you?" Jon demanded.
Jon gripped his blade as the rider dismounted wordlessly. "Stay back!" he shouted.
The tall man stopped a few paces ahead and pulled down his hood, revealing a familiar face and blue-gray eyes.
"Uncle Benjen?" Jon said in astonishment.
His uncle smiled at him with a familiar fondness, and Jon resheathed his sword and embraced him. To his surprise, his uncle was cold, and when he looked at him more closely, he noted a bluish tint to his skin.
Jon drew back. "What happened to you, uncle?"
"The Other's happened," he said grimly, "but the Children stopped their magic before they could turn me entirely."
Jon noticed then the moldering skin of his horse, and a breaking down of flesh on its muzzle, revealing its great white teeth. The sight put him on edge. "How did you find us?"
"A pair of dragons aren't so hard to track," he replied, and then looked to Dany. "This must be your lovely wife I've been hearing about."
Dany came alongside Jon and took his hand.
Jon swelled with pride, never imagining he'd be able to introduce her to his beloved uncle. "This is Daenerys Targaryen,"
"I'm very happy to meet you, Lord Stark," Dany said affably, "Jon speaks highly of you."
"I've heard you're a father now too," Benjen said with warmth in his eyes. "Didn't I tell you you might feel different? If you knew what it meant?"
"Aye, you had the right of it," Jon admitted cheerfully, "I cannot wait for you to meet him."
"Would that I could, Jon," Benjen said regretfully, "but I'm no longer fully human, and magic prevents me from crossing the Wall."
Jon's heart sank, and he couldn't help but feel cheated.
"I'm sorry for keeping everything from you," Benjen told him earnestly, "there were so many times I wanted to tell you. Ned and I, we only wanted to protect you."
An old wave of bitterness surfaced briefly and then faded back into the past. "I know that now," Jon said.
Benjen laid a cold hand on Jon's shoulder. "Your mother would be proud to see you now."
"Thank you, uncle Benjen."
His uncle smiled kindly and then his expression turned serious. "It happens I've come on other business. Your brother, Bran."
Jon gaped at him. "Bran? You've seen him? Is he alright?"
"He lives," his uncle revealed to Jon's relief. "But he is changed. He urges you to come to the Cave of the Three-eyed Raven."
"What is the Three-eyed Raven? And why is Bran there?" Jon asked.
"You'll find your answers there," Benjen replied, and he told them where to look North of the Haunted Forest.
"Will you come back with us to camp, Uncle?" Jon asked hopefully, "Arya will want to see you."
"It's better that I don't," Benjen said cheerlessly. "Take care of yourself, Jon, and your family." He clapped his arms around Jon once more, and offered Dany a polite bow before returning to his horse and disappearing into the dense forest.
"I'm sorry," Dany said, squeezing his hand.
"It's alright," Jon replied, "at least I got to see him again."
"I think Bran's the boy in the tree I've been dreaming of."
A shiver went up his spine. "I'm not looking forward to finding that cave," Jon said through a sigh, "I'd be happy to see you back to Castle Black before setting out."
"As tempting as that sounds, I ought to go with you."
Dawn came quickly. A gentle light that cast an iridescent sheen over the icy surfaces around them. Beautiful as it was, Dany yearned to return to the skies, to be with her dragons, and face one last adventure Beyond the Wall so she could return to her son.
She did not envy Jon as he tried to explain the previous night's events to his sister.
Sleep was still heavy in Arya's eyes when Jon told her of Uncle Benjen visit and their new plans to go to the Cave of the Three-eyed Raven to meet her brother Bran.
"Uncle Benjen? You should have woken me!" Arya cried.
"I'm sorry, little sister," Jon told her truly, "he couldn't stay."
Jon and Arya's relationship was a wonder. So unlike her own relationship with Viserys. Arya would always be there for her brother, and that at least was a comfort.
Arya nodded with weary acceptance, and then perked up. "Let's go find Bran," she said.
Edd did not question or complain about their change in plans, seeming tacitly resigned to whatever might come. They bid farewell to Mance and his party.
"Thank you, dragonlords," Mance told them, "the free folk will not forget what you did for them."
"I will return as soon as I can," Jon promised to Dany's surprise, "and see you the rest of the way safely."
As they readied the dragons for their departure, Dany pulled him aside. "So you plan to return? And you didn't think to discuss this with me?"
Jon gave her an apologetic look. "It's not what I want, but how can we do otherwise?"
"And what about me? What about what I want?"
"Do you want to come with me?"
Yes.. and no. "You know I want to return to Aemon."
"I know, and so do I," he said, and then took both of her hands in his. "We set out to make a truce with the free folk and we've done what we can on this end, now we need to work on the Northern Lords. That's where you come in. You can be with Aemon while you try to convince those that need convincing about what's coming and what needs to be done."
"Alright," she agreed dejectedly. She could not deny that he was right.
They flew through the morning, out of the Frostfangs and back over the crumbling fortress of the Fist of the First Men, and finally over the northern reach of the haunted forest. From the sky, they searched for a cleft in a wooded hillside with a lone and magnificent weirwood.
Dany's stomach grumbled, urging her to stop, but they pushed forward doggedly, sure they were about to find it any moment.
She was ready to signal to Jon that they needed to stop when the blood red leaves of a great weirwood appeared below. Dreamfyre landed at the base of a tree with a grumble, and Rhaegal with a screech. The mouth of the cave could be seen below the bone white trunk and the world around them was quiet and still. Jon and Dany exchanged a look before they began to climb down.
Approaching the entrance together, a tiny figure appeared there and waved them in, and the hair stood up on the back of Dany's neck.
"What's that?" Arya whispered.
"A child of the forest," Dany murmured, thinking of Ash at Greywater Watch.
As they drew closer, Dany could see she had the same dappled nutbrown skin, and large cat eyes as Ash but her hair was a tangle of autumn colors, red, brown and gold, with withered flowers intertwined.
"Come," the child said with a voice high and sweet, "they wait for you." She wore a cloak of leaves that rustled pleasantly as she led them into the entrance. The tunnel was dark and cramped by the roots of the weirwood, and Jon offered Dany his arm as they descended deep into the earth.
The tunnel was devoid of natural light and torches lit their path. Eventually, the narrow passage opened up into a great room, nearly as large as the great hall at Winterfell and at the end of the room sat a boy, a girl, a large man and a direwolf. The young girl and great man stood politely in greeting while the boy remained seated. The great silver grey wolf loped toward them.
"Bran!" Arya cried, dashing forward.
Jon followed after her, offering the wolf a pat on the head as he passed.
"Mother has been so worried!" Arya told him. "Why didn't you tell anyone where you were going?"
The boy had auburn hair and blue eyes like Catelyn, and a face Dany found familiar.
"If I had told anyone, they would not have let me go," Bran replied flatly. "This is Meera Reed."
The girl was short and thin with long brown hair knotted behind her head.
"My Lady," Jon greeted her. "I had the privilege of meeting your father when we were crossing the Neck, and I will forever be in-debted to him."
They exchanged greetings with the great man with the white beard, and curiously, his only reply was only hodor.
"Did you bring your dragons?" Bran asked with a hint of enthusiasm.
"Yes!" answered Arya before anyone else could, "and we've been riding them!"
Jon laughed, and held out his hand for Dany to join him. "This is my wife, Daenerys and my friend of the Night's Watch, Edd Tollett."
"Hello Bran Stark," Dany said.
"We've met before," he said soberly. "In your dreams."
"I remember now," Dany replied.
Jon knelt beside his brother. "Uncle Benjen told us we'd find you here. What is going on? Why are you here?"
"I had to come," he said matter of factly, "to learn to see. And to fly."
Arya wrinkled her nose. "What does that mean?"
A voice rose up from another part of the dark room, so soft she had to strain to hear. "Your brother is a powerful greenseer and skinchanger," the voice said. "I've been waiting here for him a long time."
When Dany located the source of the voice she practically jumped out of her skin. Something like a man appeared to be hanging on the wall of the cave, supported by the roots of the tree. He had thin white hair, so long the ends swept against the dirt floor. He was missing an eye and the one that remained was an unnerving red.
Jon stepped ahead of her. "Who are you?" he asked.
"Now I am known as the Three-eyed Raven, but my mother called me Brynden," the man in the tree said, "and I was best known as Lord Bloodraven."
Dany put her hand over her heart. "Your father was Aegon IV," she said in stunned realization. "You were a knight, Master of Whisperers, Hand of the King, and Lord Commander of the Night's Watch."
His eerie gaze made Dany regret speaking. "And you are carrying my sword," he said not unkindly.
"Maester Aemon gave it to me when I came to the Wall," said Jon.
"I left it with him before I went on my final ranging," said Bloodraven, "I did not intend to return, and I always preferred my bow anyway."
"What has all this been about?" Dany asked him, "the dreams, the visions? Why are we here?"
"To bring the dawn," he said plainly.
"We've been told as much," Jon said with exasperation, "but what exactly are we meant to do?"
"You must defeat the Night King, and by doing so, defeat the Army of the Dead before he can cover all the land with winter and death."
"The Night King?" Dany asked.
"You saw him the night you protected the wildings from their attack," Bloodraven said.
Determination colored Jon's expression. "How can he be killed?"
"We do not know how he can be killed," admitted Bloodraven, "only that he must be."
"And you think Jon and I must be the ones to do it?" Dany asked.
The child who had welcomed them to the cave, moved to Bloodraven's side. "The dragon queen and dragon king will bring the dawn," she said.
"The Night King and his army will breach the Wall and when they do," Bloodraven told them, "they will come for everything that draws breath, and bring a winter night that never ends."
"What must we do?" Jon asked.
"I do not have all the answers, but I've had much time to watch," Bloodraven said. "Bring the free folk past the Wall, and gather the strength of Westeros at the Neck. The magic of the Crannogmen will help you, and Greywater Watch can protect you."
"And what does Bran have to do with all of this?" Jon asked.
"Bran Stark will have a part to play," the Three-eyed Raven replied. "His powers of greensight and skinchanging will be invaluable during the long night."
After their encounter with the Three-eyed Raven, the child whom they learned was called Leaf, led them to another room, smaller but spacious enough. They were fed a meal of mushrooms and strange meat. It might have turned Dany's stomach were she not so hungry from the journey.
Though their answers were few, it was encouraging to have some semblance of a plan, vague though it may be. Bran would stay behind at the cave as he continued his training with Bloodraven.
No one seemed to have any answers of when the Night King could strike, but Bran would contact them when his training was complete and Jon and Dany would fly back and bring Bran and his friends back across the Wall.
The lack of light was disorienting, but the cave was warm. Whether it was day or night, they didn't know for sure, but settled down for bed with the rough spun bedding they were provided.
Dany laid curled beside Jon who was staring up at the mangled roots that made up the ceiling. "Today was… unexpected," she said.
Jon's eyebrows rose on his forehead. "Robb may murder me when he learns I didn't drag Bran with me back to Castle Black."
Dany looked about to see if anyone was around. "Can you believe that's Bloodraven?" she whispered.
"What's left of him," Jon hushed back, "he's more tree than man."
Dany pushed herself up on her arms. "It's said his lover was his half-sister, Shiera Seastar," she told Jon excitedly as though she were sharing a secret. "He was deeply in love with her, but she refused to marry him, preferring to keep him jealous of her affection."
"I'm sure he can hear everything we're saying," Jon said, scanning the empty room.
"And even if he can't, he has the ability to see whatever he wants," Dany added.
"Bran is… different," Jon said.
"He seemed... reserved."
"That's not like him," Jon replied, looking uncomfortable. "I don't understand what has happened to him. Perhaps he'll get better once we get him back to Winterfell."
"Yes," Dany comforted him, "I'm sure he will."
"I'm going to check on Aemon," Jon said abruptly.
Dany rested her head against his chest while Jon's eyes rolled into the back of his head. There was a time when seeing him in such a state frightened her, but now it might be as normal as breathing.
Jon bolted up. "We have to go back," he said.
Dany's heart began to race. "Is it Aemon? Is he alright?"
"He's alright, he's asleep," Jon assured her, "but someone else has arrived at Castle Black."
"Who?"
"Stannis Baratheon and his red priestess," Jon said with a growl.
Dany recalled their encounter with the red woman in the forests near Harrenhal. "What can they be doing there?"
"I don't know, but we're leaving at first light," Jon said definitively. "Ser Barristan and Ghost will protect him," he added, trying to convince himself as much as her.
Dany lay awake after Jon had fallen asleep. Her mind raced from worries about Aemon to worries about the wars to come, and how her growing family would fare after.
She sat up leisurely, and looked about the room. Arya, Edd, Meera and Hodor were also finding sleep at different parts of the room. Only Bran and Summer were missing.
Dany rose to her feet slowly, careful not to wake Jon or the others, and travelled back up the familiar path to the great room with the Three-eyed Raven. The place had a strange feeling; unearthly and unsettling and yet pleasant and welcoming.
Bran was laying against the tangled root wall near the Three-eyed Raven. Summer lay faithfully at Bran's side, and he raised his head as Dany entered the room. Seeming to decide that Dany was not a threat, Summer lay back down and all was quiet as a crypt.
It felt as though she was intruding on something intimate and personal and yet her curiosity got the better of her. She willed her feet forward, and as she made her way nearer, she could see the white of Bran's eyes showing as he lay motionless, the same way Jon did when he warged into Ghost.
They must both be in some trance. Off in some memory in some time and place.
Bloodraven's soft and airy voice shattered the silence. "Good evening, Daenerys Targaryen."
Dany gasped. "Forgive me, Lord Brynden, I didn't mean to disturb you."
"Is there something you would ask of me?"
"Yes," Dany admitted, fidgeting with her hands. "Most of my life I've had dreams of the future."
"There have always been Targaryens who dreamed of things to come."
"I believe I've dreamed of my death," she confided. Saying the words out loud made her nauseous.
He looked at her with his one red eye. "If you are asking me if I can look into the future to find if your vision will come to pass, I cannot. If you want to ask whether or not you can change this outcome, you already know the answer. Just as Daenys and her family heeded her visions to flee the doom, so can you try to use your visions to avoid a terrible fate."
Dany sighed in relief. "You cannot see the future, but you can see the present and past? I was gifted a poisoned dress from a person unknown while I was at Winterfell, and a young girl died. Can you see who sent it?"
"All of my time has been spent in the past and present, and I am not without my own human desires," said the Three-eyed Raven, "I have kept an eye on the descendants of House Targaryen. It was Cersei Lannister who sent you the dress. She blames you for crippling her brother Jamie and suspects you will try to take back your throne and destroy her family."
"That wretched woman," Dany lamented through gritted teeth, and a familiar fire burned through her veins. "What is going on at the capitol? What strength do our enemies have?"
"They have strong armies, well armored mercenaries from across the narrow sea, and while the usurper Robert Baratheon put the crown into great debt, the Lannisters do not want for gold."
"They are well positioned," Dany admitted begrudgingly.
"Not like they were," said Bloodraven, "the usurper, Joffrey, is an incompetent child, unrully and cruel. With Lord Tywin rotting in a Winterfell dungeon, there is no one who can control him. He is horribly cruel to his Frey wife and his people starve, living in sickness and filth. They are everyday on the brink of riot."
"They don't have the love of the people."
"No, they do not, but you aren't asking the right questions, Daenerys. You have not asked me how they are planning to deal with you."
"Tell me… please."
"A conspiracy has been set in motion," he began.
"The Lannisters and Freys?"
"Not only them-" Lord Bloodraven stopped suddenly and turned his red gaze to the tunnel leading out of the cave. Summer rose to his feet and began to growl.
Dany's lips parted in a question when Jon's voice rang out in alarm. "Dany!" He ran into the room, eyes wild and sword drawn. "The dead are here!" he said hastily.
He rushed past her to where Bran was still in a white-eyed trance. Securing his blade quickly, he picked up his brother up and threw him over his shoulder. "There's another way out, but we have to run!"
The ground beneath her began to shake, and a horrible shriek echoed in the silence, first one and then many until it was a chorus of screams that made her want to cover her ears.
"What about him?" Dany asked of Bloodraven, hanging helplessly on the wall.
"I've been ready to die a long time," the Three-eyed Raven stated, "you must take Brandon Stark. Go!"
As they raced down the tunnel, the sounds of the dead grew louder and more unpleasant, filling Dany with terror. When they came to the place where their companions were waiting for them, Jon gave Bran to Hodor and they followed Leaf down a twisting path, moving deeper and deeper into the earth.
Skulls and other bones began to litter the passage. Dany kept her eyes forward, refusing to look back even as the sounds intensified.
"They're gaining on us!" Arya cried.
"Keep going!" Jon yelled.
"We have to get to the dragons!" Dany shouted. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment to reach out to Dreamfyre. The dragons off somewhere in the forest hunting and even if they were not, they would nest near the cave entrance, not whatever exit they were barreling towards now.
All of a sudden, Dany's foot caught on some unseen branch or bone and she was hurtling forward, hitting the ground hard. The sounds around her dulled, and time slowed. A flash of silver fur flew past her and then Jon was pulling her to her feet. There was an explosion like a shock of thunder behind her and a flash of heat, and then finally, a great oak door came into view.
Dany cast a horrified glance over her shoulder to see a wall of grotesque creatures, gnashing and clawing toward them. We cannot outrun them.
Jon and Edd threw themselves against the door, but it did not budge. Dany held Arya's hand as the otherworldly sounds of the dead came closer. Hodor set Bran down, and joined Jon and Edd at the door until it finally creaked open to fresh air and a dusting of snow.
Jon hoisted Bran back over his shoulders as they darted through the door and out into the night, while Hodor heaved the door closed again. Instead of joining them, he stayed at the door, holding the dead inside.
Jon took her by the arm and they raced out frantically into the night. Black and green scales filled the sky like an answered prayer, landing with protective shrieks.
Dany's heart was still beating wildly when they were in the safety of the sky, the Cave of the Three-eyed Raven fading behind them. In a matter of minutes, the army of the dead had infiltrated the cave, and very likely killed every living creature inside. What chance did they really stand should they breach the Wall?
Arya sniffled from where she sat between Dany and Edd. "Poor Hodor."
"I'm sorry, Arya," was all Dany could think to say.
