A/N: So, yeah, as you all have realized, the 'post one chapter each day until the 30th' thing didn't quite happen...but I still want this story to be finished by the end of the month, so that just means that I will post Sansa VIII later today, and both Arya VIII and Drogo VIII will be posted tomorrow. That aside, there aren't any notes for this one. So just go forth and read. Many thanks to my beta reader (and sister) GrowlingPeanut. Reviews are appreciated.
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Bethesda Softworks and George R. R. Martin. Except for Captain Lanius. He is mine.
Rating: M for strong language.
That night, Daenerys slept little, and when she did, her mind was plagued with nightmares of fire and blood and death. Sometimes, it was her own death that she saw, but other times, it was Drogo's, or her mother's, or her unborn child's. So when she finally woke to the aroma of baking bread, it was with reluctance and lingering fatigue that she managed to rouse herself and sit up.
"Good morning," Meera said cheerfully as she slid a loaf of bread onto the table and placed a bowl of butter beside it.
Dany had a hard time thinking of the woman as a friend after what she had heard the night before, but she managed to smile nonetheless. "Thank you. That smells delicious." Rising from the bed, she moved toward the table, then drifted over to stand in the doorway of the small cabin. "Where's Dar'Jazha?"
"Your Khajiit friend? Out readying your horses. He's determined to leave as soon as possible."
She nodded absently at that and then moved out of the doorway when Hodor appeared before her, grinning widely and giving her a friendly "Hodor!" of greeting.
"Your companion declined our offer for you to stay and break your fast with us, but I thought that you could use this for the road." Meera handed her a second loaf of bread with a smile. "I suggest you eat it while it's still warm."
Dany took it with a murmur of thanks and was about to leave the cabin when Dar'Jazha appeared, with Jojen at his side.
"Is Khaleesi ready to leave? We still have a day's journey yet before Falkreath."
"Yes, I'm ready. Just a moment."
She turned to Meera and smiled, though she still felt a bit uneasy. "Thank you for letting us stay and for taking care of me. If there is ever anything that you need, I would be happy to help you."
"Thank you for the offer, but we do just fine on our own." Though it was said in a pleasant tone, Dany had a feeling that the statement was a veiled warning meant to keep her from mentioning them to anyone.
She nodded, her smile faltering, and turned to go when Bran, who had until then been sitting silently at the table, spoke up.
"Lady Targaryen, there is something that I think you should know. If—"
Jojen was quickly at his side with his hand gripping tightly to the younger man's arm and Dany heard him hiss a warning under his breath. "Don't. It is not for us to interfere." He released Bran and turned his unsettling gaze on their two guests. "Please forgive Brandon. He's...not feeling well."
They departed in the midst of the tension that followed and Dany couldn't help but shudder as Dar'Jazha helped her onto her horse.
"If Daenerys Targaryen goes to Falkreath, the world as we know it will be destroyed..."
After a quiet hour on the road, Dar'Jazha looked over at his companion and spoke up. "Dar'Jazha apologizes for making Khaleesi leave the comfort of warm food and a bed, but..." His ears flattened involuntarily as he continued. "I did not trust that Jojen Reed, no."
Dany nodded absently in agreement. Neither did she, but never having been one to take much stock in visions and prophesies, she couldn't truly determine the reason for her misgivings.
"I'm fine, Dar'Jazha," she said in reply to his apology. "Honestly, you don't need to treat me any differently just because you know that I'm pregnant."
His eyebrows raised. "Only with much more care. Khaleesi has the future of our caravan growing inside. That is not to be taken lightly."
To be honest, that thought hadn't even crossed her mind. More than being just her first child, the babe would grow up to be both the heir of the Targaryens—assuming Viserys never found himself a wife and carried on the line—and would one day inherit the caravan empire of its father. That fact brought her pride and she smiled at the thought.
"Will Ma'ahni stay with the caravan as she grows older?"
Dar'Jazha shrugged. "She has known no other life, which either means she will stay and serve Khals and Khaleesis as her mother and father did before her, or she will wish to explore beyond the borders of Skyrim. Once she is grown, it is no longer Dar'Jazha and Ahkari who must decide her fate."
Dany nodded thoughtfully and was still pondering his statement when from on the road behind them came the sound of steel boots, marching in unison. In a time of war, that could mean only one thing.
Her Khajiit companion's ears flicked back and he nudged his horse off of the road before gesturing for her to follow. A moment later, just as they made it safely to cover behind the tree line, a squadron of Imperial soldiers marched past, led by a cruel looking man who occasionally shouted at one or more of the soldiers in his command.
"Waters, silence! We're soldiers, not old crones chatting as we sew clothes for our grandchildren!"
The soldier in mention, a young dark-haired man, stopped talking to his chubby companion and shot a glare at the back of their captain's head before muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, "Go fuck yourself."
Once they were out of sight, Dany dared to breathe again and she exhaled heavily as Dar'Jazha frowned.
"Which side of the war did Khaleesi's brother join?"
"The Stormcloaks," she murmured. Judging by his question, they were thinking the same thing, however, neither voiced their fears aloud. After a few seconds of contemplative silence, Dar'Jazha shook himself from his trance and steered his horse further into the forest.
"The woods will be safer, Khaleesi, yes," he said by way of explanation, and she nodded before following him. "If Khajiit recalls the map correctly, there should be an evergreen grove not far where we can stop and check the map to be sure we reach Falkreath."
Sure enough, there was a small pond not far into the forest, surrounded by tall evergreens that had yet to be covered in the snow that was already falling heavily in Northern Skyrim. They dismounted and Dany was grateful for the chance to stretch as Dar'Jazha hunted in his saddlebags for the map that Drogo had sent with them. Though she hadn't wanted to mention it, her back had been sore since they had mounted that morning.
As Dar'Jazha searched, Dany wandered along the small beach of the pond, stopping to inspect a Nirnroot at her feet as a sound of triumph from behind her proclaimed the retrieval of the map. He took a moment to study it, in which Daenerys sat herself down in the coarse sand and removed her boots to dip her toes in the cool water. Dar'Jazha's footsteps announced his approach.
"This is Markarth." He tapped a claw against the city marker that had been drawn on the tanned leather. "Where our Khal is no doubt bedridden with worry about his precious Khaleesi, no?"
Dany blushed slightly and giggled as Dar'Jazha smiled teasingly.
"This is where Dar'Jazha and Khaleesi are now." This time, there was an inked in drawing of what Dany assumed was supposed to be a tree. Obviously, the maker of this particular map had been no great artist.
"And this is Falkreath." He moved his paw to the southernmost city on the left side of the map. Daenerys nodded and absently splashed her feet in the pond as she studied the map. At the sound of the splashing water, Dar'Jazha flinched, his eyes squinting as he regarded its source warily. Raising her eyebrows, Dany giggled and wiggled her toes again. "Scared of the water?"
His nostrils flared slightly and he narrowed his eyes at her. "No."
Laughing again, Dany shook her head in amusement and then traced a straight line through the forest to Falkreath with her finger. "Could we just travel straight there?"
"It may be dangerous to do so, Khaleesi. There are beasts in these woods. Wolves, bears, sabre cats..." He considered it for a moment. "Mostly wolves, but," He pointed to a crude drawing of a tower. "If we ride swiftly through the forest just to here, and come back out onto the road beside the watchtower, we can beat the Imperials to Falkreath and warn your brother about them."
Dany nodded and stood. "Very well."
They each mounted their horses again and followed the designated path through the thick forest, avoiding wildlife when it appeared and staying as close to the road as was possible without having to worry about being detected.
Though traveling over rough terrain, their horses were accustomed to long, hard days on the roads so they made good time, and it was within the hour that the Falkreath Watchtower rose above the tree line to greet them.
When they broke through the trees and onto the road, Dar'Jazha moved his horse away from Dany's and nodded his head toward the watchtower. "You go tell the guards who you are and what you are here for. I will travel down this road and see where the Imperial soldiers are. If need be, Dar'Jazha will delay them for his Khaleesi, yes."
Smiling, Dany nodded her thanks and dismounted as he rode off down the road away from Falkreath. Walking into the tower, she was greeted by the sight of three Falkreath guards gambling at a small wooden table. She smiled at the one who looked as though he were winning.
"Good day, miss," he said, glancing up and then taking a moment longer to appraise her. "How may we help you?"
She curtsied as she had been taught when she was young, despite the fact that she was wearing a pair of leather breeches and knee-high riding boots. Both had been parting gifts from Drogo, though she suspected he appreciated each for more than their use in comfortably riding a horse.
"My lords...I am Daenerys Targaryen. I have come as an emissary to meet my brother in Falkreath. His name is Viserys Targaryen and he was sent on behalf of Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak."
Her statement was met with stares for a moment, and then the three guards brought their heads together and murmured quietly amongst themselves. At one point, she managed to overhear, "crazy bastard" and "silver hair."
Dany sighed to herself. Yes, that would be Viserys.
Finally, the guard she had initially spoken to broke away from the group and addressed her once more. "We know of your brother, my lady. He arrived in Falkreath the other day and is now staying at the Dead Man's Drink. We had not heard that you would be arriving though." When Dany opened her mouth to argue in her defense, he added hastily, "I do not mean to say that we do not believe you, my lady. We were just not prepared for your arrival. No room was made up at the inn, and no guards were assigned to escort you to the city."
"That is quite alright, men," Daenerys responded, trying her best to sound authoritative if only so that she could impress a sense of inferiority on the youngest guard, who was not even bothering to hide his appreciation of her figure. "But my husband, Khal Drogo," She shot a pointed look at the man who had been ogling her and he looked away, a blush rising to his cheeks. "Has sent a guard with me. He is waiting just outside. I merely wanted to inform Falkreath and her guards of my coming. Good day."
She curtsied again and withdrew, relieved to see that Dar'Jazha was in fact waiting for her outside, a slightly troubled look on his face.
"Well?"
He shrugged and dropped her mare's reins when she was close enough to grab them herself. "They were not there, Khaleesi. Dar'Jazha searched all along the road, but they were not there, no. They must have gone past Falkreath and taken the road north to Riverwood and Whiterun."
Dany nodded and then sighed before looking up at her Khajiit companion. "I know that Drogo told you not to leave my side, but please, go to him. I fear for him on his own without your guidance, and since a letter may not reach him in time, I would ask that you tell him of the Imperials we saw, so that he knows that they are marching on the West. I promise that I will be safe here in this city, and if Drogo looks to blame you for abandoning me, tell him that it was I who ordered you to do so."
Dar'Jazha frowned and stayed silent for a moment before nodding curtly. "As my Khaleesi commands, so Dar'Jazha will do. But he will not her leave her to her own defenses." He carefully removed the ornate bow from his saddle and held it out to her. "Aggo. For safety."
They exchanged a smile and Dany reached up to take his paw, squeezing it lightly. "Thank you, Dar'Jazha. For everything. I am honored to be able to call you friend."
She couldn't tell if he was blushing beneath his fur, but his tone implied as much and she smiled at him fondly as he replied in a murmur. "Khaleesi is too kind."
Not arguing against his statement, she fastened the bow beneath her cloak and then took her mare's reigns firmly in her grasp. Taking a deep breath, she steered her toward Falkreath as Dar'Jazha waved his final goodbye and took off back down the road the way that they had come.
Despite being near a town, her ride along the road was still, and surprisingly quiet, and just as she began to grow a bit uneasy, a man stepped out of the forest, his sword drawn and a triumphant smirk on his face.
"Well, well...look who we have here..."