Author's note: Since this is an AU, I decided to make Dany the same age as she is in series 5 of GOT, which is about 22. The ages of all the other characters are the same as in the first book of ASOIAF. Stannis 35, Davos 39, Shireen 8, Robert 37 etc.

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy the chapter))
Any feedback would be appreciated.

After what could have been a moment or an eternity of unconsciousness, Dany slowly opened her eyes and found herself looking at the crystal clear sky, covered lavishly with huge, shining stars.
She was lying flat on her back, barely able to breathe and feeling nothing but excruciating, endless pain in every part of her battered body. For a moment Dany couldn't grasp where she was or why, but the pain reminded her at once of Drogon's fall from the sky and her own horrible slide into hell…

Her poor sweet dragon! Was he still lying where they had landed? Was he even alive?

Moving her head very slowly, Dany tried to look around for Drogon, but all she could see were the black silhouettes of rocks blurred against the deep dark sky. She tried to get up, but her head began to spin with each attempt to raise it and pain shot through her body every time she moved a muscle.

Dany felt blood flow slowly out of her wounds and the cold of the rocks spread though her body as she lay motionless where she fell, listening to the sea rumbling somewhere far below and the wind rustling small stones up and down the mountain slopes.
Although her mind felt blurred with pain and dizziness, Dany was alert enough to register the deep, primeval fear that rose from the depths of her soul. The fear of death and what lay beyond the edge of the unknown, which she would have to face very soon, unless she could somehow find a way to get help.
But where in the world could she even begin to look?! - Dany's mind screamed as her throat constricted and her eyes filled with tears of pain and dread. Even if Drogon was still alive, he was nowhere to be found. She could hardly breathe let alone get up and climb down the mountain to the beach where she had seen the worshipers of R'holler performing their rituals… Even if she could endure the pain and try to scream at the top of her lungs, there was no one for miles around to hear her… or was there?

Dany's heart began to thump violently against her chest as she heard the muffled sound of careful, but hurried footsteps somewhere further down the slope. She listened intently and felt a wave of relief spread through her body as the sounds assured her that the swift, light and confident motion was that of a human. Feeling almost overwhelmed by sudden joyous hope, Dany gathered all her strength, inhaled through the sharp, almost unbearable pain and groaned "Help!" in high valyrian as loudly as she could.

The sound that came out was week and faint, but it was enough to catch the ear of whoever was climbing up. The footsteps stopped for a moment and then got faster. Encouraged greatly by their approaching sound, Dany gritted her teeth, inhaled as deeply as she could and groaned again.

"Help!"

"Keep calling!" – answered a deep, sonorous male voice. Dany's eyes swelled with tears of agony again as the pain shot through her body with every single movement of her chest. She tried her best to squeak, but almost fainted before any sound came out. For a little while she lay motionless with her eyes half closed trying her hardest to stay awake.

Suddenly she saw a blurred figure jump out from behind the rocks. Dany forced her eyelids to open a little wider and saw a man, standing only a few yards away. For a split second he remained completely still, breathing heavily through a half – opened mouth and stared at her, his eyes wide open with shock. Recovering instantly, he rushed to her side and knelt, muttering curses under his breath.
Moving swiftly and confidently he ripped open her dress, exposing her torso.

"Don't move!" – the man told her as Dany tried to bend her head and examine herself.

"You're lucky you didn't nick an artery, girl! If you had, you'd be dead by now…" – he grumbled as he tore off a piece of fabric and tied it tightly round her bleeding thigh – "Where does it hurt most?"

"Knee…" – Dany moaned quietly in response closing her eyes again – "And chest…"

She lay still, whimpering with pain, but obeying every command as the man's rough and sure hands examined every part of her body from head to toes.

"Does this hurt?" – he asked, feeling her nape down to the shoulders.

"No…" – Dany muttered, trying to concentrate on her sensations.

"Good… now… turn your head right carefully" – the man said apprehensively – "Feel anything?"

"No…"

"Now turn left"

"Feels fine" – Dany moaned wrinkling her face with the familiar pain in her chest.

"Now try to bend your head very gently. Does it hurt?"

"No… But… I feel a bit dizzy" – Dany muttered quietly.

"I bet you do…" – the man sighed heavily, looking closely at her face and then moving away.

"D'you feel this?" – he asked, stroking her hands and feet with his fingers.

"Yes"

"Good. Can you move your hands and feet?"

"Ouuuch!" – Dany squeaked as she obeyed – "My right wrist hurts… and my ankle… "

"Aye, they're broken" – the man answered matter-of-factly, feeling the bones carefully – "And your left knee joint's dislocated…"

Then he finally left her limbs alone and shifted his attention to her torso.

"Couple of flesh wounds here" – he muttered as he examined her belly – "Does it hurt when I press?"

"Yes… but… only on the outside" – Dany answered feebly.

"Wonder how many ribs you broke.…" – the man said musingly, taking off his doublet and covering her exposed body - "Broken ribs are hell, but I don't think your lunges were punctured, that's something… "

Although she was still dizzy and her injuries hurt badly, Dany somehow felt much better when the leather that still held the warmth of his body covered her cold skin.

"Now, brace yourself, I'm going to slip your calf back into joint"

"How bad will it hurt?" – Dany whimpered meekly.

"Like nothing you've ever felt before" – the man sighed.

Dany closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as she felt the man grab her left ankle and pull it up and forward while pressing his other hand on the knee. The next moment she let out a yell that could make even her dragons blush. The pain lasted for several minutes only, but Dany had never experienced anything so agonizing in her life. Not even when she had her miscarriage. But the pain soon subsided and Dany opened her eyes again.

"It doesn't hurt anymore" – she squeaked with a little relieved smile.

"It will" – the man answered tearing at her dress again and putting a tight bandage on her knee.

"All the luck in the world must've gathered here tonight to save you girl" – he sighed – "A fall from that dragon could've easily been fatal"

"What?!" - Dany gasped, but immediately regretted it. Pain cut through her chest and she felt herself starting to lose consciousness again.

"Save your breath" – he snapped – "I saw him fall and then crawl up the slope into a cave"

So poor Drogon was alive after all, Dany thought happily. She didn't really believe in any Gods, but she hoped with all her heart someone would help her 'son' just like this man had helped her.

"Put your arm around my neck" – he told her, gently but firmly grabbing her waist and her legs.

Dany's head began to turn again as he lifted her up and started walking carefully down the slopes. She should have been worried about who the man was, what he was doing on the deserted slopes and where he was taking her, but Dany was too tired and ill to care. There was nothing she could do about it anyway, not in her present state, so she didn't see any point in fretting. And for some reason, Dany had a strange gut feeling that her savior wouldn't harm her in any way. Although he had obviously guessed who she was and he had seen her dragon, Dany somehow knew she could trust him with that knowledge and with her life. So she dismissed all her thoughts, let her head rest on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Davos… Davos, wake up…" – Stannis called quietly as he crept into his friend's chambers and stood at the foot of his bed.

"My lord?!" – Davos cried, springing up from his sleep.

"Shhh!" – Stannis whispered – "I need you. Get dressed quickly and follow me?"

"What's wrong?" – Davos asked, shaking off his sleep.
Stannis would never have come to his room in the middle of the night except in great need and that couldn't possibly mean anything good.

"Go down to the castle wharf, get a boat and row as fast as you can to the sleeping dragon"

"The big ugly statue on the edge of the second wild beech from the harbor?" – Davos said worriedly as he slipped on his tunic and breeches.

"Aye, that's the one" – Stannis replied urgently – "Get there as quickly as you can and don't let anyone see you. Bring a warm cloak. I'll meet you there."

"Why?" – Davos asked nervously, fastening his belt and noticing that Stannis himself wasn't wearing his doublet. And that extremely unusual behavior could only mean big trouble.

"I need you to smuggle something into the castle for me" – Stannis answered darkly.

"Pardon?!" – Davos said looking stunned.
Why on earth would Stannis want him to smuggle something into his own castle?! What was he doing in such secrecy?!

"You heard me!" – Stannis snapped and headed for the door – "Get going, I'll explain everything later!"

"Yes, my lord!" – Davos replied, then grabbed his woolen cloak and followed.

As he closed the door of his chambers, the saw Stannis running noiselessly down the corridor that led to the Dragon's Tail.
Now his friend was sneaking about the keep?! The Seven protect them, what in the Seven Hells was Stannis up to?!

Stealthy and unseen, like a dark shadow on the wall Davos tiptoed quickly through the long, narrow, serpentine corridors of the Stone Drum. There was no one to see him as all the keep inhabitants had long gone to bed, but he still strained his senses to the limit, trying to detect any sign of movement.

Even though he was wary of all the strange secrecy, Davos couldn't help feeling the long – forgotten joyous excitement of a smuggler on his dangerous out – law mission. It was wonderful to feel his heels burning again as he snuck out of the keep, through the gallery and into the Sea Dragon Tower. The entrance to the wharf was at the very bottom of the huge dark bastion that also contained the rookery, the library, the maester's chambers, the infirmary and several other rooms that were never used since the targaryen days.
Davos crept down the stairs, carefully opened the huge iron doors that separated the wharf from the tower and snuck in noiselessly. He dropped down and hid behind a row of overturned boats as he crawled quietly past the guards on duty, who were sitting comfortably in front of the fire in the guards' chamber. The door was wide open and Davos could see they were playing cyvasse and paying no attention to the wharf whatsoever. They didn't even bother to land some of the boats, and the water-gate that was opened to receive a shipment of supplies which arrived at the castle in the morning was still open.
This is disgracefully easy, Davos thought, outraged by the guards' carelessness.
Making a mental note to snitch on them later, Davos jumped into one of the boats, untied it and rowed slowly out of the wharf.
The night was warm and the sea peacefully tranquil. A light cold breeze blew in from the south, ruffling the flat – calm of the water, but Davos wasn't fooled by the apparent serenity. Like any experienced sailor, he could already feel a storm brewing in the depth of the sea and the cloudless sky that would probably break out in the morning or around midday.

Once he was sure his little boat was far enough away from the shore, Davos turned her around and headed west. He rowed clear of the castle as quickly as he could and slowed down, when he reached the rocky coastline of the first of a dozen the wild beaches that stretched out for miles, separating the fortress and the city around it from the nearest fishing village. Rowing at a comfortable pace and making good time, Davos wondered what he could possibly find when he reached his final destination. But, hard as he tried, he couldn't think of anything at all. Davos knew Stannis better than most, but sometimes the man was a complete mystery to him. His lord and master had an exceptional mind that even Davos couldn't always understand which enabled him to find the most extraordinary solutions and become the revered and respected general and ruler he was.
I'll know when I know, Davos finally sighed resining himself to the oars.

Soon enough he saw the huge crooked stone statue of the sleeping dragon and turned his course to the shore. Before long, he was able to make out the silhouette of a horse. He couldn't see Stannis, but he was obviously already waiting for him. However, as soon as the bottom of Davos's boat hit the rocky shore, his friend suddenly climbed down from the rock.

"Did anyone see you?" – Stannis asked as he helped Davos pull the boat out onto the shore.

"No, m'lord" – Davor replied – "It wouldn't have been too difficult to slip out even if the guards were patrolling the wharf, but apparently they don't give a damn about anything. They didn't even close the water gate."

"Sleeping on duty, were they?" – Stannis asked deviously raising an eyebrow.

"No, playing cyvasse" – Davos chuckled.

"I'll see to them after you slip safely back into the Sea Dragon Tower and take your cargo up to the maester" – Stannis replied, starting to climb onto the rocks behind the statue.

"What cargo?" – Davos asked curiously as he followed.

"This!" – Stannis sighed heavily as he pulled Davos up onto a small ledge behind the dragon's back and pointed at a young girl, lying unconscious on the rocks.
She was small, gracile and shapely with a gloriously beautiful face and long silvery hair. Her moonlight – pale skin was covered in dirt and blood and her white silk volantine - style dress was torn to shreds. There were gashes and bruises all over her body, her left knee and right thigh were bandaged tightly. Her arms and torso were covered with Stannis's leather doublet, but Davos was sure there were other injuries under it.

"Is that… who I think it is?" – Davos asked staring wide – eyed, completely taken aback.

"It is" – Stannis replied grumpily.

"But how the hell…"

"On the back of her dragon that is currently laying somewhere inside the caves of mount Dragonmont"

"Dragon?!" – Davos exclaimed, refusing to believe his ears.

"First Robert and now this…Someone up there has got it in for me" – Stannis chuckled rather resentfully, pointing at the sky.

"I bet it's the Red God" – Davos giggled.

"Did they find something to sacrifice, by the way?" – Stannis asked curiously, kneeling beside Dany.

"No" – smiled Davos – "I tried to suggest throwing a fish or something into the fire, but apparently it would be an insult to the Lord of Light to gift him with something non-human"

"Oh, really?" – Stannis raised his eyebrow scornfully as he lifted her up – "Well… Come on, Davos help me get her down"

"What d'you want to do?!" – Davos asked, jumping off the ledge.

"You'll take the boat and smuggle the Targaryen girl into the Sea Dragon Tower and leave her in Cressen's capable hands" – Stannis replied kneeling down again and lowering Dany gently into Davos's arms – "I'll ride to the castle, alert Cressen and gather all of the men. You'll join us at the armory as soon as you're able"

"The armory?" – Davos asked, clutching the girl firmly as Stannis let go.

"Did I mention there's a fire – breathing dragon in that mountain?" – Stannis grumbled, jumping off the ledge – "Do you seriously think I'm going to let it burn down the whole island when it fancies a snack?"

"We're going to kill a dragon?!" – Davos gasped, dropping his jaw.

"It's dangerous, true enough" – Stannis shrugged his shoulders – "But I think the beast is seriously injured. It didn't land on the mountain, if fell and the girl was thrown off its back."

"Still… It's a suicide mission!"

"Well do you have a better plan?!" – Stannis snapped irritably – "How do you propose to protect all the people on this island and on the mainland too, for that matter, if the beast remains alive and able to fly and kill at will? We can't control it and I seriously doubt that she can either. Otherwise why is she here? Alone, in the middle of enemy territory with a civil war at home on her hands. Give her to me and lay the cloak out in the boat"

"Could be scouting" – Davos said as he placed the girl into Stannis's arms again and ran to his little vessel.

"Could be, but highly unlikely" – Stannis shook his head – "She's can't attack Westeros with a war in Slaver's Bay and no support here. Even if she does somehow manage to take King's Landing, which isn't very likely, she'll need to at least maintain a supply line while fighting off the rest of the realm. And she needs a base to fall back to, should she fail here. None of that is possible with half of the Free Cities raised in revolt. And the other half will not risk welcoming her after what happened in Quarth, Yunkai, Astapor and Meereen. I can't be sure, but I doubt she'd be that stupid or that desperate."

"But why did the dragon take her here?" - Davos said as he returned to his friend's side.

"Probably for the same reasons the Targaryens chose this godsforsaken place when they first came from Valyria" – Stannis replied musingly – "Dragonmont's fire – geysers. Prince Rhaegar once told me they were supposed to have healing powers. That's why both tamed and wild dragons made their layers here for centuries"

"Forgive me, my lord, but why all the secrecy?" – Davos asked bemused – "Why bother with her at all? We could just kill both her and the dragon and be done with it. I'm sure the king would be very grateful…"

"Robert?! Grateful?! Don't be stupid, Davos" – Stannis snorted.

"And the realm would be safe from the Targaryen threat once and for all… "

"I do not murder women and children!"

"I beg pardon, my lord, for my audacity… You're the most honorable man I've ever met, but you're not blindly honorable" – Davos said choosing his words very carefully – "You've never hesitated to do what you thought was right and have always put the good of the realm before any personal feelings. Since when do you…"

"Since it pleases me to do so" – Stannis replied icily with a very dangerous gleam in his eyes – "I've never had reasons to doubt your loyalty, was I wrong?"

"Forgive me, my lord, of course I'm your loyal servant to the bitter end, but… "

"Good! So shut up and do as you're told!"

"Yes, my lord" – Davos sighed heavily.
Like all the rest of Stannis's men, Davos trusted his judgment even if he couldn't understand the reasons behind it. Because it was proved many times in both peace and war that Stannis had a unique ability to find the right way in places no one else would even think to look and solve almost any problem. Davos would follow Stannis wherever he may lead, but that didn't mean he never doubted or worried. And now he was as worried as he had ever been…

Suddenly he saw the girl shift in Stannis's arms and open her eyes.

"So, you've finally woken up" – Stannis said in high valyrian looking down at her – "Dizzy?"

"A little bit" – Dany replied and looked around still feeling a bit stunned. Suddenly she saw another strange man standing next to them and looked worriedly up at her savior.

"Don't worry about him. He's a friend" – he said calmly – "Do you speak the common tongue, by the way? I'm afraid he doesn't speak high valyrian"

"Yes" – Dany said switching to the common tongue – "What's your name?"

"Doesn't matter" – her savior replied dismissively.

"How can I thank you if I don't have your name?"

"You just did."

"Where're we going?"

"He's going to take you to the maester. I'll meet you there."

"Maester?!" – Dany gasped in shock, immediately grimacing with pain – "Where am I exactly?"

"Where do you think you are?" – the other man asked curiously.

"I… I don't know" – she groaned – "My dragon was… hurt. He just flew here… "

Stannis threw Davos a satisfied I – told – you – so kind of look and then turned his attention back to Dany.

"Your luck ended with your fall, Daenerys Targaryen" – he chuckled with the right corner of his mouth– "Your blasted dragon took you to Dragonstone island and now we're taking you to Dragonstone castle…"

"Dragonstone?!"

Dany was horrified to hear the name of the old valyrian stronghold that had once been her home. The place she was forced to leave as a small five year old child when it was stolen by the usurper's wretched brother who was still ruling it seventeen years later.
But what in the world possessed Drogon to fly all the way to Westeros, Dany wondered in panic. And then she remembered the stories Viserys had told her about their long lost home. Their ancestors believed that the fire – geysers inside mount Dragonmont possessed the power to heal dragons. Apparently they were right.
How could she forget about something like that?! She should have known from the start!

Dany felt bile rise to her mouth as she turned away from the men and looked down at the rocks.
Her fate did have a certain cruel sense of humor, she thought bitterly. For seventeen years she had been praying for home and now her prayers were answered… she was dropped injured and helpless on the island that was governed by no less than her enemy's brother and most likely found by one of his minions, who was probably going to give her up. Well, at least she would get a chance to see King's Landing and spit in the usurper's face before she dies…

"But don't worry, we're not going to sell you out" – her savior continued, as he walked slowly towards the small boat that lay several yards away on the rocky seashore – "No one will know you're here except us and the maester."

"You're not going to… take me to your bastard… master?"– Dany groaned through gritted teeth as he lay her down onto a large piece of thick woolen fabric, covered her up and put his vest back on.

"Master?" – her savior repeated with surprise and the other man giggled silently as they started pushing the boat off the shore.

"The scum that… almost captured me and… my brother…" – Dany replied as hatred mixed with pain in her voice when she felt the boat bump and rock before gliding into the water.

"She means lord Stannis" – the other man laughed deviously as he jumped into the boat and took up the oars.

"Oh… You let me worry about him" – Dany's savior frowned and pushed the boat out to sea.