Chapter 2
Blood and Water
17 Years Later...
"It's the ugliest thing Ive ever seen" "Ive never seen one up close" "Never?" "No, not even a dead one" The Dothraki lay dead on the ground. Riuk stood over the body looking down at the long waist length hair, the dark face and open eyes staring upwards toward the sky. Riuk turned to Lala "What do you think killed him?" Lala raised her waterskin to her lips and drank heavily then spoke "I saw another Dothraki cut his throat" Riuk laughed and snatched the waterskin, the cool water soothing in the summer sun as he soaked his neck. "What the fuck is wrong with these animals? Do they not have any sense of law or order?" Lala snatched the waterskin back again and picked up the Dothraki Arakh lying a few inched away.
"I remember your father saying something about the leader once" She said slashing at the long grass. "Khal Drogo?" Riuk said sitting down on a nearby rock and watching Lala swing her new sword. "That was it" she said "Apparently he has a new wife" Riuk smiled at her then brought his eyes down to waist. Lala wasn't the most beautiful woman his age but Riuk could fully appreciate the beauty she did have. Lala continued unaware of Riuk's admiration "They say she is a white haired descendent of dragons"
"You don't say" He said "And that her brother is a Westerosi King looking for an army" "Really.." "And that he...Hey my eyes are up here" She snapped catching him staring at her backside. Riuk throw up his hands in mock outrage "What! I just that second looked" Lala rolled her eyes and stuck the new weapon in her girdle, putting her hands on her hips "If you want to fuck, just say so" Riuk's smiling face faded and he looked away, down at the dead Dothraki. Lala looked around then spoke in Westerosi "Look what's wrong? We both like each other and we both want to fuck, so why don't we?" Riuk sighed uncomfortably, got up and leaned on the large rock opposite. He replied back in the same language "Look it's not that I don't want to, I just..." Lala approached him and rubbed his shoulders "I get it, believe me I do, but according to the law you don't have to be married to fuck" Riuk turned around to face her, noticing just how close she was "I know that!" he said coldly "It's just it's the ultimate form of trust and..." "What you don't trust me?" Lala interrupted "No! I mean Yes of course I do" Riuk stuttered.
"But I am the future king and if people knew..." He sat back down and put his tattooed face in his hands. A small ripple of wind moved through the long grass creating a silvery wave "I just want to do the right thing" He eventually said. Lala looked up at the bright blue, cloudless sky then she walked over and straddled his lap to face him "No one has to know" She said "And who is to say this isn't the right thing?" Riuk swallowed, took one last look at the Dothraki, then gave himself over to his passions, suddenly kissing her. Taken slightly by surprised Lala broke the kiss and looked at him grinning. Then with one hand she reached down and unbuckled his belt while with the other caressing the back of his neck. Pleasure filled Riuk as primal urges started to overtake him. He picked her up and placed her on the large rock, no longer caring about anything or anyone else. Her muscular body was so curved and feminine, with tattoos of her adulthood showing across her bare waist. She was perfect and Riuk was totally lost in the purity of the bond. The pebbles under Riuk's rawhide boots cracked and scraped across the ground as he shifted position placing a hand on her breast, she gasped, arching her back in delight. Hearing her enjoying the passion just as much as he was, simply energised Riuk as more and more he gave himself up to her. She smiled coyly and looked up at him "I guess I win?" Riuk smiled back breathing deeply. "Guess You do..." but Riuk tailed off and stared ahead. A Dothraki, astride a powerful looking palomino horse was staring right back. "Lala..." said Riuk trying to catch his breath back "What?" she said, sounding disappointed that he seemed to have lost interest, then she saw the Dothraki too and quickly scrambled to her feet buckling her harness back up. The Dothraki dismounted the horse, and began walking slowly over to them, the grass seeming to fall away as he waded through it "Shit...I don't know how to speak Dothraki" said Riuk angrily "Fuck that!" whispered Lala "What about the dead one!"
Riuk quickly shot a glace at the dead body laying a few feet away, partially covered by the waving grass. "I only know a little Dothraki, but I'm not fluent" muttered Lala who finished redressing herself and stood up straight. "Can you tell him we didn't do it?" Lala rolled her eyes and said "Do you really think he will believe us? Oh you mean the dead body? well...Do you think he would believe us?" The Dothraki stood before them, staring straight into Riuk's eyes. Lala then spoke what Riuk assumed was a greeting. The Dothraki turned his head to face her, his long hair swaying in the wind and said something back. "He wants to know where that Dothraki is...What should I tell him?" Said Lala nervously glaring at her feet "Tell him...To go fuck himself" Said Riuk cooly not taking his eyes away from the man standing in front of him. "for Fuck sake Riuk do you have a death wi..." "Lala! He wants to fight I can tell" "Riuk! all he did was see us fucking I'm sure he has seen it before".
The Dothraki clearly not understanding what the argument was about looked from one to the other, finally his eyes rested on Riuk's and he smirked. Riuk's temper boiled over. Clenching his fist tight, he punched the Dothraki square in the nose, Feeling the flesh give a lurch and make a horrible muffed crack. The Dothraki roared and fell backwards in surprise. Scrambling to his feet and drawing his Arakh it was then he looked, and saw the body. His eyes narrowed and his face contorted into a look of pure hatred he shouted something in his language and charged forward. Riuk prepared for the attack, drew his knife and took a defensive stance. The Dothraki blade came down but Riuk countered with ease, dodging and responding with a swift strike to the jaw. Missed. Again the Dothraki roared with murderous rage and lunged once more. Riuk repeated the same move, only this time tackling the Dothraki into the small stream behind them. With a loud splash and silver droplets of water flying in all directions. Riuk broke away and adopted a defensive stance again. The Dothraki licked his lips and Riuk noticed a stream of blood starting to form on his arm. He had been cut, though not too severely. "Riuk!" Shouted Lala speeding after them "Are you okay!" Just then the Dothraki took a quick slash at Riuk's blooded arm which he parried, the loud clang of steel on steel echoed all around. Riuk rolled to the side to avoid further damage, crouching in a defensive stance with three limbs in the water and his knife raised high. "Kill him Riuk! Kill him!" The words echoed inside Riuk's head and next thing he knew, with a throaty war cry was charging forward, knocking the Arakh out of the way with his free hand and plunging the knife deep into the Dothraki's neck.
Both fighters fell back down into the stream in a last minute scramble. Riuk with his blade still embedded into the man's neck rolled away and watched the Dothraki clutch meekly at the hilt protruding from his throat, making bloody gurgling noises. Finally he lay very still, his hands falling like fleshy weights, smacking into the water. Riuk lay in the shallow steam, panting hard he looked up at Lala who jumped down and ran across to him. "Riuk! what the fuck!" Why did you do that!" Riuk stared at her, still panting "You.. shouted, Kill him!" he then stared down at the thin body of clear water which suddenly turned a deep scarlet. "Shit what are we going to tell you're father?" Riuk's blood ran cold. "I don't fucking know!" Lala supported Riuk's head in her lap, the red water running past them like dark red smoke. "It's one thing not telling him we fucked, but it's something else not telling him you killed a Dothraki! Riuk...He has to be told!" Riuk got slowly to his feet breathing in deeply. "Alright, alright" he said breathlessly. He splashed over and removed his knife from the Dothraki's neck, with a sickening squelching noise, a small fountain of blood erupted from the gaping hole cascading into the water and turning the water an even deeper shade of scarlet. "Talk about blood being thicker than water" He exclaimed. Both of them looked at each other, there was a short silence, then Riuk began to laugh quickly followed by Lala's. they laughed and laughed collapsing into each others arms in hysterics. "Shit that was too close!" said Riuk still laughing "Is that going to be...a thing now..." said Lala between breaths of laughter "Anyone catches us fucking we just kill them!" They both fell backwards into the water, still howling with laughter.
"Why? Why has the Lord of light cursed me with such a reckless, impulsive, blasphemous idiot of a son!" Shanok stood with his back facing Riuk, one hand resting upon the Throne of Embers. The other massaging his eyes "Father I..." Ruik began but Shanok spun round slamming his fist upon the throne with a loud bang, which echoed around the large stone hall. "Silence! you haven't just killed some fucking Dothraki, you killed the Khal Drogo's younger brother!" Riuk's heart skipped a beat. "B-but father, he was trespassing within our kingdom's borders! T-the right of defence states that..." "The right of defence only applies to armies you stupid boy! And if I recall you're tale correctly you attacked first! So I would hardly call that fucking defence! Damn you Riuk! Have you any idea how serious this is!".
Lala stepped forward "It was my fault majesty, I told Riuk to kill him" Shanok held up a hand, silencing her immediately. The king walked slowly around and sat upon the throne his eyes dark and foreboding "Leave us!" he commanded loudly and the few guards as well as others in the hall departed out of the grand oak doorway. "You too, Lala" Lala bowed her head, turned and walked out of the room. The huge Oak doorway clunked loudly as it shut behind her, leaving only father and son staring at each other. "Father...I am sorry, I got carless and acted on pure emotion...Forgive me". Shanok closed his eyes then spoke, softer than before "Riuk, when I pass into the next world you will be king, you will make decisions that will effect all the Drakon people". Riuk looked up at the Ember throne. It was beautiful, the ornate rubies winking in the sun's low gaze from the skylight above "I know" He said quietly. "You cannot afford to be selfish with your actions, every decision you make will be for the many, always remember this" Riuk swallowed "What are we to do?" The king stood and slowly walked down the stone steps his huge, Ice bear skin cloak, falling onto each step. "You are lucky my son" said Shanok, walking past him and grabbing a golden cup, gulping down whatever liquid was inside "Drogo and his entire army are on the march". Riuk who also took a drink, spluttered out the contents in horror "This is lucky for me!". Shanok looked at him and chuckled deeply "Yes because they do not march against us, the march for someone else"
Riuk wiped his mouth and stared at his father "Who?" "That is exactly what our scouts in the Dothraki Sea have been finding out" Shanok continued "How much do you know of the name Targaryen?" Shanok faced Riuk, who shrugged and replied "The royal family of the West lands?" the golden cup still clutched in Shanok's powerful looking fist tightened "It seems the white haired young wife of Drogo, is one of the last remnants of their name. Her brother is trying to use his sister as payment to use the Khal's army to retake their throne in the west" Riuk looked puzzled "Why did they not come to us? We have a big enough army. Dragon rulers who do not seek out the Dragon People?" Shanok ignored him and carried on "The Khal is gone, and will no doubt be gone for a very long time. He will not hear about his brother's death for a while, but I instructed Eskaar to lead the scouting party to track their movements and keep us informed of everything" Shanok suddenly spun round and threw the cup across the hall which clattered loudly on the hard stone "You are lucky my son!" he repeated, only this time with venom "Circumstance saved your life today. Not I!". He turned and briskly strides to the huge oak doorway throwing them open, and vanishing into the small crowd of people who came streaming in.
Riuk's heart sank as he listened to the growing hum of chatter building slowly up. "So How did it go?" said a quiet voice. It was Lala looking slightly sheepish as she moved toward him. Riuk sighed and mutter "Went fine, just fine" walking past her and leaving through the open door, without another word.