Chapter 11: Only Death Pays for Life

The sun beamed down on them. It's midday and they've been riding since dawn. Daemon had been engaged with Mirri about the mysteries about Asshai by the Shadow. Daenerys felt uneasy about his curiosity the dark arts but she let her brothers curiosity run wild.

He was so distracted he was startled by Daenerys' voice, "Drogo!'

He looked ahead to see Drogo on the floor with bloodflies swarming around him. Daenerys kneeled at his side. "My sun and stars!" He dismounted and ran to Drogo's side.

He kneeled down and helped Dany sit him up. "My horse." He once powerful voice, now just a raspy croak.

The bloodriders quickly galloped up from their mounts. Cohollo was the only one who dismounted and ran to his Khal, "Blood of my Blood."

"No." Drogo refused his aid, "My horse. Must ride." He struggled to speak.

Haggo rode ahead, "He fell from his horse." His voice impassive.

Daemon glared at the bloodrider. "You must not say that." Daenerys said trying to help Drogo up. She stopped when she knew it was of no use, "We have ridden far enough. We will make camp here."

"Here?" Haggo looked around. The land was desolate, barren and dead. "This is no camping ground."

"No woman commands us." Qotho stated, "Not even a Khaleesi."

Daemon reached for his dagger but Daenerys caught his arm, "We camp here." She repeated, "Haggo tell them it is what Khal Drogo commands it. Tell them it is my time and I could not ride any longer. Qotho go-"

"You do not command me Khaleesi." He sneered.

Daemon had enough of their defiance. Before anyone could blink Qotho had a dagger to his throat. The bloodrider has never seen anyone so fast. Daemon pressed the dagger harder against his neck.

"We are the Khaleesis." He glared into the man's eyes, "We do command you." Qotho looked into eyes, he's never seen such darkness before. The man shivered before nodding.

"Find Mirri Maz Durr." Daenerys ordered and Qotho quickly mounted his horse and rode away.

The Khalasar built the camp around them. Daenerys kept to Drogo's side and Daemon kept guard of them. He had their khas outside the entrance and ordered them to not let anyone in without their leave. Only Irri, Jhiqui and Doreah were with them as they waited for Mirri Maz Durr.

They bathed him, to clear any infection and to prevent him from getting worse. Daemon would help Daenerys move around, she was heavy with child and frantic.

Jhogo walked in the tent, "The Andal begs leave to enter." He entered.

Much to his own surprise Jorah was one of the only ones Daemon trusted to enter, "Send him in."

Jorah ducked under the flaps of the tent when he entered, "They say he fell from his horse."

"Help him." Dany pleaded, "You swore to serve us so please help him."

Jorah glanced around, "Send your maids away."

Daemon wondered what he meant to do before nodding to them. After they left Jorah grabbed his dagger. Daemon discreetly reached for his own. The older man used his dagger to scrape off the leaves that covered his wounds to reveal the once soft poultice hardened like dried mud. Jorah peeled it off with his dagger to reveal the once red flesh corrupted black.

The smell it released nearly made Daemon gag. Daenerys wept, "Gods no, please." Daemon quickly went to her side and held her close.

"The khal will die soon." The andal stated.

"No, I won't let him." Daenerys replied, "He's stronger than anyone knows."

"Even a queen can't defy death." Jorah replied grimly. "Now you must save your tears until tomorrow or the day after, even for a year. Now we must run."

Both twins looked up at him confused, "Why?" Daenerys asked.

It dawned on Daemon, "The Dosh Khaleen." He held Daenerys tighter, "They'll force us to join them."

"But I carry Drogo's child." Dany argued.

"My queen, the Dothraki respect strength not blood. Jhaqo, Pono, many others will fight to take his place." He explained, "The baby will be taken from your breast and fed to the dogs."

"Why? He's just a babe!" Dany exclaimed.

"He is Drogo's son, the stallion who mounts the world. Better to kill him as a baby than face his wrath when he grows into a man."

Such as the Lannisters did to Rhaegar's children. Like how Robert Baratheon sent assassins after them when they were children.

"His bloodriders-" Daemon tried.

"Will die with him." Jorah cut in, "They will take you back to Vaes Dothrak. That is their last duty to him before they join him in the Night Lands."

Daemon sighed in frustration. If they can't depend on the bloodriders or anyone else then whom?

The flaps of the tent opened to reveal Mirri Maz Durr as well as Qotho and Haggo. Mirri saw Drogo's wound, "It has festered."

Haggo went to slap her down but saw Daemon's glare. He settled with cursing her, "This is your work meagi." He glared at Daenerys, "We should tie her down and let every man mount her till she bleeds and then let the horses have a turn and then the dogs. We let the weasels eat her corpse and the crows will have whatever is left."

"No, no harm will come to her." Daenerys commanded.

Haggo gave her a mocking smile, "You should pray you two don't join her.

Jorah stepped between them, "Mind your tongue. They are still your Khaleesis." He reminded.

"Only while the blood of my blood lives." He replied, "When he dies, they are nothing."

Daenerys stood on shaking legs, "We are not nothing. We have never been nothing. We are the blood of the dragon!" She proclaimed.

"The dragons are dead." Haggo replied glaring at her.

Daemon spoke, "Jorah, summon our khas-"

"No." Qotho said, "We will go for now...Khaleesi." With that, both he and Haggo walked out.

"Ser Jorah don your armor." Daenerys orders. She drew Dream, "I fear you have use for it."

Jorah nodded before exiting the tent. Daemon unsheathed his Valyrian Steel sword. He looked down at the sword and began to wonder. What if he became Khal, or at least killed all the challengers until Drogo was healed.

"Can you heal him?" Daemon asked looking back to the old woman.

"This is beyond the skills of any healer." Mirri replied.

"No." Daenerys shook her head, "There must be something you can do. Save him and you will be free, I swear it. You must know some sort of magic, a spell."

Mirri studied her with dark eyes, "I do know a spell but it is dark. Some would say death is cleaner. I learned it in my time in Asshai and paid dearly for it. A bloodmage taught me."

"You are a maegi." Daenerys' body went cold.

Daemon stepped beside her and gripped his sword.

"A maegi is the only thing that can save your fierce rider." She replied.

Daemon glanced down at Drogo, "Is there truly no other way?"

"No."

The twins exchanged looks, silently debating. They both turned to her, "Do it." Daenerys spoke, "Save him."

"There is a price." The maegi warned.

"We will give you freedom and gold-" Daemon began.

"It's not a matter of gold. This is blood magic, only death pays for life."

Dany gripped her dagger tight, "Our deaths?" If she must die to save him then so be it.

"Not your deaths, Khaleesi." She promised.

"Then do it."

"As you say." Mirri nodded.

They had Aggo and Jhogo put Drogo in a tub. Mirri had demanded Drogo's horse. It's only a horse, they told each other. She sang and chanted and cut the horse open. The blood spilled as the water stained red. The only thing they could see is Drogo's face.

"Leave." Mirri ordered.

"We will stay." Daemon said defiantly.

"You must leave." She repeated, "Once I begin to sing, no one must enter this tent. My song will sake powers old and dark. The dead will dance here tonight and no living man should see them."

Daenerys whispered, "No one will enter." She took Daemon's hand, "Bring him back to us."

Daenerys lead Daemon out if the tent with Mirri's chants echoing behind them. They saw Aggo and Jhogo burning Drogo's horse. They saw Ser Jorah approach them in full armor. The knight saw the blood splattered on them.

"What have you done?" He asked dreadfully.

"We needed to save him." She answered.

"We could have ran." He stated, "I would have guided you two to Asshai, my queen-"

"Am I truly your queen?"

"You are, gods help me." He muttered looking around to the Khalasar.

"Then aid us. Make sure no one enters the tent." Daemon ordered.

Mirri's chants grew louder. The Dothraki began to mutter amongst themselves as they backed away from the tent.

"This must not be." Qotho's voice thundered.

The bloodriders broke through the crowd. Daemon glared at them as he held his sword, "This will be." He ordered.

Cohollo who had been kind to them spat at them but Daemon and jerked to the side and dodged the spit. He quickly cut the bloodrider with his dagger. Daemon smirked at him as he easily dodged any strike Cohollo tried to kill him with his arakh.

Qotho moved towards the tent. Daenerys caught his shoulder but he knocked her down, "Stop him." She ordered her khas, "Kill him."

Rahkaro and Quaro stood at the entrance of the tent. Quaro reached for his own blade when Qotho gracefully cut his arm and his gut letting his entrails spill out.

Jorah, pointed his sword at the bloodrider, "Try me, horselord." He challenged.

Qotho looked at Jorah before dashing at him. His arakh cut through the air in a flash. Jorah did his best to avoid the blade. The knight blocked what he could but he received a cut to his cheek.

Daenerys watched as Jorah fought Qotho. She turned to see Daemon stand triumphantly over Cohollo's body. Haggo howled as he charged at him. Daemon backed away and easily avoided his strikes.

The stress was too much. She felt a wetness between her legs. She clenched her stomach. "The baby is coming. He is coming!"

Her wailing caught Daemon's attention. The sight of Daenerys on the floor awoke the dragon within him. He turned back to Haggo who was charging him. Daemon spun around the Dothraki and used his Valyrian blade and cut his head clean off.

With Haggo dead, he ran to Daenerys' side, "Dany." He whispered in concern. His looked around at Jorah but saw more Dothraki screamers glare at him.

"Your Grace." Jorah ran to them.

"Take her inside." Daemon stood, "Any who wish to be Khal will have to face me." He looked back to Jorah, "Now, take her."

Jorah carefully picked Daenerys up from the ground. He began to walk her to the tent.

The last thing Daenerys saw as she began to lose consciousness was Daemon fighting off two Dothraki screamers.