A/N: Okay, so I have to apologize for this chapter because it's the most awkward thing ever. It's so gamey and I hate it, but it's fairly necessary, so here it is. I'm only sorry that you have to suffer through it. Anyway, that's all, so I hope you're all doing well and that you have a good couple of weeks until I post again. Many thanks as always to my beta reader (and sister) GrowlingPeanut. Reviews are appreciated.
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Bethesda Softworks and George R. R. Martin. Specifically, someone who writes for the former wrote the terrible dialogue that is the Greybeards' explanation of Shouting. It's seriously so awkward.
Rating: K cause nothing really happens and Sandor isn't around to make things rated M.
As treacherous as the seven thousand steps had been, the last few flights to the doors of High Hrothgar seemed the worst. They dragged themselves onward, exhausted and cold, and when they reached the towering entrance it took Sandor several tries before he was able to open the door enough for them to slip through.
A warm rush of air greeted them and though the heat was welcome, it stung their frozen limbs and they knew that they would be numb for long before the cold truly left them.
Gathering what little strength they had left, they moved out of the entryway and the temple opened before them, revealing a large circular room rimmed with candles. At its edges stood four men, clothed in dark robes, with long grey beards and solemn expressions.
Behind her, Sandor let out a heavy breath. "Oh."
The sound of his voice broke the trance over the room and one of the men stepped forward. "So...a Dragonborn appears, at this moment in the turning of the age."
Daenerys exchanged a glance with her companion before answering hesitantly. "I am here to answer your summons."
The old man nodded sagely, folding his arms into the sleeves of his robes and regarding her with a careful gaze. "We will see if you truly have the gift. Show us, Dragonborn. Let us taste of your Voice."
In the face of such power, Dany felt small and weak. The room itself seemed to hum with energy, and she found herself unable to speak. Behind her, Sandor quietly urged her to follow the Greybeard's order.
"Go on, girl. Do as he says."
Closing her eyes, she tried to calm her nerves, drawing on the strange source of power within her as her lips formed the ancient language. Limbs taut, she threw her head back and shouted. "Fus!"
A hush fell over the room as it stopped its trembling and the four men bowed at the waist before their leader rose once more and spoke again.
"Dragonborn. It is truly you. Welcome to High Hrothgar." His arm swept out in a gesture that encompassed the room and its surrounding halls before his hand came to rest on his chest. "I am Master Arngeir. I speak for the Greybeards. Now tell me, Dragonborn, why have you come here?"
Daenerys waited for the pounding of her heart to calm before she replied, the Common Tongue feeling momentarily strange on her tongue as she stumbled over her words. "I...I want to know what it means to be Dragonborn."
Master Arngeir nodded solemnly. "We are here to guide you in that pursuit, just as the Greybeards have sought to guide those of the Dragon Blood that came before you."
Before he could continue, Dany interrupted, her eyes wide. "You mean I'm not the only Dragonborn?"
Behind her, Sandor snickered, and she felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment.
Eyes twinkling in amusement, Arngeir shook his head. "You are not the first. There have been many of the Dragon Blood since Akatosh first bestowed that gift upon mortalkind. Whether you are the only Dragonborn of this age..." He trailed off and shrugged. "That is not ours to know. You are the only one that has been revealed thus far. That is all I can say."
There were many questions that Dany wanted to ask of the Greybeards, but in the end, none of them were quite able to form, and so she spoke quietly, and with honesty. "I am ready to learn."
Whether she had asked to be Dragonborn or not, it was clearly the path that she would be forced to take, and so she would embrace it as best she could. Under the tutelage of the monks of High Hrothgar, she would make Nirn a safer place in honor of her child that would never be born.
"You have shown that you are Dragonborn," Master Arngeir replied. "You have the inborn gift. But do you have the discipline and temperament to follow the path laid out for you? That remains to be seen."
Before Dany could respond, he held up a hand to quiet her and continued. "But for now, you must rest. The seven thousand steps are not an easy path to take, and you and your companion are no doubt tired from the journey. Return to us in the morning, and then, you shall begin your training."
Exhausted as she was, Daenerys slept little, and what sleep she did get was fitful and laced with strange images that she did not understand. Finally, she rose, wincing slightly at the pain in her leg from her fall on the seven thousand steps.
A plate sat on the table beside her bed, a sweet roll and a tart green apple at its center. Though the bread had gone cold as she had slept, she ate it quickly and gratefully before making her way through the hall which she and Sandor had been sent to the following evening.
She could hear the sellsword murmuring in his sleep as he so often did and quietly sent a prayer to the Divines that he might spend the rest of his night free from the nightmares that haunted him.
When she entered the temple's main chamber, the Greybeards were waiting, matching expressions of deep concentration etched across their features.
After watching them silently for a moment, Dany cleared her throat, and four pairs of eyes snapped toward her in unison, breaking the spell over the room.
"We trust you slept well, Dragonborn?" Arngeir asked, one brow raised.
"Well enough," she replied vaguely, before changing the subject. "I wish to begin my training."
The Greybeards exchanged a lengthy look before Arngeir nodded. "Without training, you have already taken the first steps towards projecting your Voice into a Thu'um, a Shout. Let us see if you are truly willing and able to learn."
When she gave no reply, he began to explain. "When you Shout, you speak in the language of the dragons. Thus, your Dragon Blood gives you an inborn ability to learn Words of Power. All Shouts are comprised of three Words of Power. As you master each Word, your Shout will grow progressively stronger."
The strange word rolled around absently in Dany's mouth, and when she spoke it in a whisper, the sleeves of Arngeir's robes fluttered.
He watched her closely for a moment before continuing. "Master Einarth will teach you "Ro," the second Word of Unrelenting Force, the Shout which you demonstrated for us upon your arrival."
The Master in mention stepped forward at the sound of his name and approached Dany. In a voice barely more than a whisper, he spoke to her, the word that left his lips charged with power unlike Arngeir's speaking of it in the Common Tongue had been.
"Ro."
The strange trance-like sensation that she had felt in the depths of Bleak Falls Barrow returned to her, and she felt her mind grow blank. The only thought that remained was that of the word, echoing through her over and over in an endless chant.
Master Arngeir waited for her to return before continuing. "You learn a new word like a master...you truly do have the gift."
When she blinked, he smiled slightly. "The sensation will fade with time as you grow accustomed to the Dragon Blood that runs through your veins."
As Dany nodded absently, he continued his lesson. "Learning a Word of Power is only the first step...for those of us without your gift, unlocking the meaning of a Word is only possible through constant practice before gaining the ability to use it in a Shout. As Dragonborn, you can absorb a slain dragon's life force and knowledge directly. As part of your initiation, Master Einarth will allow you to tap into his understanding of "Ro"."
Stepping forward, the younger master evenly met Dany's apprehensive gaze before closing his eyes and bringing his hands to her head, pressing his thumbs against her temples.
Though her first instinct was to pull away from his grasp, she felt herself unable to move. Her eyes fluttered closed as his grip tightened and she felt a gentle pulse from his fingertips. When he whispered the word to her once more, it did more than merely echo. It roared in her mind, loud and clear, and she understood. Push.
When Arngeir spoke again, his voice sounded small and distant. "Now let us see how quickly you can master your new Thu'um."
Obediently, Dany parted her lips and the sound burst forth eagerly. "Fus...Ro!"
When she opened her eyes, Master Einarth was several feet away, struggling to regain his balance. The expression in the Greybeards' eyes was unreadable, and as she looked from one to the next, she caught sight of Sandor standing in one of the darkened archways. There was an equal measure of fear and pride in his gaze, and when their eyes met, he retreated.
"Impressive," Arngeir said finally. "Your Thu'um is precise. You show great promise, Dragonborn. We will perform your next trial in the courtyard. Follow Master Borri."
When one of the other men stirred and began to move toward the doors at the back, Dany followed, eager for whatever her next trial would entail. With the help of the Greybeards, she would never feel weak and powerless anymore. Never. She was a Dragon as Viserys had never been. And she had woken.
The air outside was cold and it nipped at her nose as she squinted into the glow reflected by the snow. Master Borri stopped halfway along a cobbled path in the courtyard and looked to his leader once more.
Nodding in acknowledgment, Arngeir spoke. "We will now see how you learn a completely new Shout. Master Borri will teach you "Wuld"."
He spoke the word and she heard it, and when he took her face in his wrinkled hands, she knew.
Whirlwind.
"Let us see how quickly you can master your new Shout. Master Wulfgar will demonstrate Whirlwind Sprint. Then it will be your turn."
Dany watched as Borri approached the gate at the end of the path. After exchanging a brief glance with Master Wulfgar, he opened it and with a shout, Wulfgar was carried across the ground and through the gate just before it closed, not but a second after its opening.
She stared in awe as the Master returned to join his fellow monks, and Arngeir watched her with what was almost entertainment.
"Now it is your turn, Dragonborn," he said to her. "Stand next to me. Master Borri will open the gate. Use your new knowledge to pass through before it closes."
Nodding, Dany focused on the gate, tasting the word on her tongue as she waited for Borri to move. The moment that the gate swung open, she shouted, and before the word had even faded from her lips, she was on the other side.
A rush of adrenaline flooded through her as she realized what she had done and when she turned there was the faintest hint of awe in the eyes that met her gaze.
As Borri opened the gate for her once more, she walked back, though her legs itched to run. Never before had she seen something move with such speed, let alone do so herself. She could only imagine what other powers her blood could grant her.
"Your quick mastery of a new Thu'um is...astonishing," Arngeir admitted as she approached. "I'd heard the stories of the abilities of Dragonborn, but to see it for myself..."
When he trailed off, Dany nodded. "Thank you." And in a burst of eagerness, she blurted. "What's next?"
This time, her excitement was not met with amusement. The Greybeards all looked to each other, communicating in their strange silent way, before Arngeir nodded and turned to Daenerys once more.
"Now, you train your Voice," Arngeir replied evenly. "Though you are gifted, there is much refinement needed in your Thu'um. You will remain here and practice until you have gained all that we have to give you."
When Dany frowned slightly, he spoke again, gravely. "You do not yet understand the threat that you are fated to face, Dragonborn. I do not speak lightly when I say that if you are not fully prepared, Nirn as we know it will never be the same."