A/N: Prompt word: Brood.

02x08, 'The Prince of Winterfell'

There's silence in the courtyard.

Kovarro sits on a broken wall, arakh across his knees, awaiting instruction.

Jorah sighs, scrubbing his hand over his chin and moving across to Daenerys' side. He leans down to her, keeping his voice low, conscious that the warlocks or Xaro could be stalking the area right at this very moment.

"I know this is hard for you. But we will go to the House of the Undying as soon as possible."

Daenerys' expression is set in that of a petulant child's. "We should go now."

Qarth has made her impulsive and impatient. She wants everything now. Especially when it comes to her dragons. He can't pretend to understand her.

But so too has he found that he can't deny her anything. Which is why he has consented to her madness. She's headstrong. There's no reasoning with her on this.

"They want you to go the House of the Undying," he'd said. "You heard Pyat Pree."

"So why are we delaying?" she'd returned, all fire. "They will tear us out root and stem either way. Why give them the satisfaction of thinking we're scared? I'm not."

And therein lies the difficulty. She's so young, still learning how to spread her wings and push the boundaries of everything she's ever known. He is world-weary and jaded. He's seen enough of life to know things rarely go as planned. He's fought in wars. He was a lord. He's learned the hard way that sometimes it's the better thing to do to sit back and take stock than charge in with blind fearlessness.

Daenerys is blood of the dragon. Dragons are reactionary creatures.

She's taking his reluctance as a slight. Her scowl deepening, she turns her head away from him, sullenly letting him know that the conversation is over and she has no wish to speak to him further. Jorah sighs, but he doesn't push his luck. With one last glance in her direction, he moves back to the crumbling wall, peering through the cracks for any glimpse of the enemy, going back to his own brooding thoughts.