Chapter 9: The Dragons Command
Daenerys twirled her dagger in her right hand as she rode her Silver. Ever since Daemon taught her how to twirl a dagger properly she hasn't stopped. He has yet to teach her how to use it against anyone else.
They rode across the field of dead men and their horses. The hordes trampled the grass and blood stained the dirt below. They saw the routine the Dothraki kept after a battle. The Jaqqa Rhan rode around the field and mercifully ended any dying man with their long axes. Women collected arrows from the ground and bodies and put them in baskets.
The battle between Khalasars ended in their victory. Daemon convinced Drogo to let some of his screamers take the fifty elephants into battle. Khal Ogo's horde never stood a chance against eleven-foot tall elephants. With their tusks and trunks, they knocked over any rider foolish enough to try their luck. Archers were stationed on each of them and they shot true. Drogo wants to get more elephants.
The small town was put to the torch, pillars of smoke rose into the sky. Whenever a gust blew across the plains, smoke nearly consumed their party of Khas and handmaidens. When they entered the small town they saw many women and children of Ogo's Khalasar being herded like sheep in sullen silence. Daemon admired them to an extent. They showed no fear in the face of a life in chains. The townsfolk were a different sight, they stumbled and cried.
'This is what war looks like. Death and despair. Get used to it.' Daemon thought to himself. Blood will spill and lives will be lost when they reach Westeros.
"Prisoners." Jorah stated.
"Slaves." Daenerys corrected, "Where is Drogo?"
"He waits for his Khaleesi's in the center of the town." Jorah answered.
"And the slaves?" Daemon asked as he saw them being escorted to cages.
"To be sold at Slaver's Bay." Jorah answered, "To buy ships and the Unsullied will be expensive."
The week before Jorah told them Illyrio writes that a slaving caravan accidentally unleashed a plague on the slave cities so they will pay double for healthy young girls and boys to work the fields or the bedrooms. Daemon cringed at the memory of servicing decrepit old men and old crones alike. The snap of a whip made him jump. He saw a young boy younger than himself cry out as he was lashed. He looked away only to see a young girl forced on the ground.
Daenerys saw his shaken state, "Tell them to stop." She ordered Jorah.
"Khaleesi, I'd advise against the-"
Daemon quickly collected himself, "Do as she says." He said more sternly.
Daenerys turned to their Khas, "Jhogo, Quaro aid him. No more rape." The Khas looked baffled.
"My queen," Jorah gently began, "you and your brother have gentle hearts but this is how it's always been. They bled for their Khal and now they want their rewards."
They could still hear the screams and wails of the boy and girl.
"She is a lamb girl." Quaro stated, "She is nothing, Khaleesis. The riders honor her. The Lamb Men lay with sheep, it is known."
"It is known." Irri repeated and Jhogo after her.
Atop his grey stallion, Jhogo offered, "If her wailing offends you I will cut out her tongue."
"No harm will come to them." Daenerys demanded, "We claim them as ours. Do as I command, or Drogo will hear the reason why."
"Ai, Khaleesi." Jhogo nodded before riding ahead and the others followed his lead.
"Go with them." Daemon ordered Jorah.
"As you command." Jorah nodded before giving them a curious look, "You are your brother's blood, in truth."
"Viserys?" Daenerys assumed.
"No, my queen, Rhaegar." He stated before riding off.
They watched as Aggo, Jhogo, Rahkaro, Quaro, and Jorah ripped rapers from their prey. Any who opposed their actions were cut down. Some spat at them and glared or simply rode off. When Jorah ripped the man off the girl from before he tried to attack Jorah but Aggo shot an arrow through his throat.
"What would you us do with her Khaleesis?" Aggo asked.
"Doreah." Daenerys called, "You don't have the look of a Dothraki, aid her." The blonde nodded before she walked towards the girl.
They continued their ride through the town. Daenerys and Daemon claimed girls and boys for their own. "You cannot claim them all, Your Graces."
"We are the Khaleesi's, rightful rulers of Westeros and Blood of the Dragon." Daenerys reminded, "It is not for you to decide what we can't do."
"And should any object to our commands then they will face the blade." Daemon added.
They found Drogo sitting before a temple with mud walls with a bulbous dome. They saw the side of his body covered in blood. A short arrow stuck out of his arm. They both hurriedly dismounted and quickly walked towards him. Daenerys knelt down to him while Daemon looked into the wound from above.
"My sun and stars is wounded." She said worriedly.
The wound was no doubt from an arahk. The cut was wide but too deep, his left nipple had gone, a flap of flesh hanging from his chest. "We need to find a healer." Daemon states.
"Is scratch, moon of my life, my black sky. from arahk of one bloodrider to Khal Ogo." He said in his broken common tongue, "I kill him for that and Ogo too." He states as the wind blew and the bells in his hair rang, "That is Ogo you hear and Fogo, his Khalakka." The twins shared a satisfied smile.
Their tender moment was interrupted when a mounted screamer loudly approached. He dismounted and glared at the khaleesi's before he spoke to Haggo. They spoke fast and angry, too fast to understand. The bloodrider looked at them with a judgmental look before speaking to Drogo.
"This one is Mago, who rides in the Khas of Ko Jhaqo. He says the Khaleesis has taken his spoils, a daughter of the lambs who was his to mount." Haggo explained.
Drogo face grew hard but his eyes glow with intrigue, "Tell me the truth of this my Khaleesis." He commanded.
"This is war and they are our slaves to do with as we please and it pleases us to protect them." Daemon answered glaring at Mago with deadly eyes.
Daenerys showed just as much daring, "If your warriors would mount these woman, let them take them gently and keep them for wives. Give them places in the khalasar and let them bare your sons."
Qotho, the least pleasant of the bloodriders laughed, "Does the horse breed with the sheep?"
His condescending tone reminded them of how Viserys would talk down on them, "A dragon feeds on horse and sheep alike." Daenerys stated with a glare.
"Do well to remember that before you laugh." Daemon added standing next to her as he glared at the man as well.
Qotho glared at them as Drogo laughed, "See how fierce they are!" He smiled at them, "Their dragon blood boils with fire. The same blood my son will have. The stallion who mounts the world will have the blood of dragons." He turned to his bloodrider, "Ride slowly, Qotho...if they both don't burn you where you stand the son will trample you into the mud."
"You are a foreigner."Mago suddenly said looking at them before glaring directly at Daemon, "And you are a slave. Once a slave always a slave. Maybe you will be my slave to mount."
Drogo's face contorted in anger. The Khal flew from his chair to his feet but before he could do anything blood spilled from Mago's neck. The Kha fell to the floor in a heap. They all turned to see Daemon holding a dagger stained with blood. Drogo's dark eyes met Daemon's amethyst orbs. The Khal watched as Daemon leaned down before he began to cut of Mago's braid.
Daemon presented the braid to the Khalasar, "Any who wish to take their spoils back will answer to me." He looked to his Khas, "Feed him to the dogs." Jhogo and Aggo carried the body away.
Drogo grew hard at the show his Black Sky presented. He went to walk to him but he winced in pain. Daenerys noticed immediately. "Where are the healers?" She demanded.
The Dothraki have two types of healers, women, and eunuchs slaves. The women delt with potions and eunuchs with knife, needle, and fire. "Why have they not attended to the Khal?" Daemon asked kneeling in front of Drogo.
"The Khal sent hairless men away, Khaleesis." The eldest bloodrider, Cohollo stated.
"Many riders are hurt. Let them be healed first." Drogo said stubbornly, "This arrow is only the bite of a fly, this little cut only a new scar to boast to my son."
"You will not wait."Daenerys demanded, "Rakharo get the healers."
"Silver Ones." They turned to see a heavy, flat nose woman. She was one of the slaves they took for safety. "I can help the great rider with his pain."
"The Khal needs no help from woman who lies with sheep." Qotho said, "Rakharo cut out her tongue."
Before Rakharo could move Daenerys yelled, "No! She is ours. Don't harm her." Rakharo looked between them and Qotho before stepping away.
"I mean no harm, fierce riders."The woman said in Dothraki. "I have some skill in the healing arts."
"Who are you?" Daemon asked.
"I am Mirri Maz Durr. A godswife of this temple." She stated.
"Maegi." Haggo grunted gripping his arakh.
Daemon rolled his eyes. Dothraki fear most types of magic despite believing in the prophecies of the Dosh Khaleen.
"I am a healer." Mirri replied.
"A healer of sheep."Qotho sneered, "Blood of my blood, I kill this maegi and wait for hairless men."
"My sister said she will not be harmed." Daemon reminded, gripping his dagger.
Daenerys ignored Qotho and asked, "Where did you learn to heal?"
"My mother was a godswife before more. She taught me all the songs and spells most pleasing to the Great Shepard, and how to make the sacred smokes and ointments from leaf and root and berry. When I was younger and fairer, I went in a caravan to Asshai by the Shadow, to learn from their mages." The mention of Assai caught Daemon's attention, "Many ships from many lands come to Asshai so I lingered long to study the healing ways of distant peoples. A moonsiger of the Jogos Nhai gifted me with her birthing songs, a woman of your own riding people taught me of grass and corn and horse, and a maester from the Sunset Lands opened a body for me and showed all the secrets that hide under the skin."
"The Sunset Lands, Westeros?" Daemon wondered.
"The very same."
"A maester?" Jorah asked.
"Marwyn, he called himself." Mirri stated in the Common Tongue, "From the sea, Beyond the sea. The Seven Lands, he said. Where men are iron and dragons rule. He taught me this speech."
"A maester in Asshai?" He said skeptically, "Tell me Godswife, what did Marwyn wear around his neck?"
"A chain so tight it looked close to choking him, Iron Lord, with links of many metals." She answered.
The knight looked to Daenerys and Daemon, "Only a man trained in the Citadel of Oldtown wears such a chain." He states, "And such men know how to heal."
Daemon looked at her suspiciously, "Why would want to heal our Khal?"
"All men are on flock, or so we are taught." Mirri replied, "The Great Shepard sent me to this world to heal his lambs."
"We are not sheep, maegi." Qotho went to slap her but Daemon caught his hand.
"We already said that she will not be harmed."He pushed Qotho away.
Qotho glared at Daemon who glared right back, "The arrow must come out Qotho." Drogo said subtly telling Qotho to stand down.
"Yes, Great Rider." Mirri stepped forward, "And breast must be sown and washed lest it fester."
"Do it then." He commanded.
Daenerys and Daemon helped Drogo into the temple when he refused the aid of his bloodriders. Though he was worried for the Khal, Daemon focused more on what Mirri Maz Durr doing. How she made a poultice of dried herbs, the way she expertly removed the arrow and how she stitched Drogo's chest.
'What is Asshai like? What else can you learn there?' He wondered as she sang.
Before they were forced out of the house with the red door, Viserys would tell them of how Visenya Targaryen practiced the dark arts of magic. Daenerys never liked those stories but they fascinated Daemon. Visenya was Daemon's favorite of the three conquerors because of her unforgiving nature and duality.
He already knows the delicate art of poisons so maybe he could learn the dark arts as well.
'Perhaps I could go to Asshai and learn the ways of magic and be just like Visenya.'
But that was but a daydream.
