Not The Plan
Still haven't written a word since last week for this story, so I'm lucky I wrote like 4 chapters ahead of the one I posted hihi ;p
Oh well hope that the people who read this enjoy it, let's get on with it!
I do not own any of the characters or the TV show, this is merely my interpretation on it. No copyright infringement intended.
-o0o-
A soft whistling is what reached the ears of the Greyjoy female on a sunny morning. Soft whistling that reached her on the current of the softly blowing wind. The soft whistling of a bird song. This bird song is not all that the wind brought though. On that same soft breeze came the tangy smell of salt, a smell she knew all too well. A soft smile spread across the female's face as she thought back on memories. Memories of her childhood: those of her first few times on the sea, or those of the times that she was just sitting on the beach with her mother, or those of her most recent journey on the sea. But her memories were not all that was on her mind.
Yara also thought of what lay ahead. A future that she was unable to foresee or influence in any way. All that she could do was live and wait to see what the future holds. As she thought on this uncertainty in her life she stared at the sun that was only barely above the horizon. The light of the sun that reflected off of the water gave of a soft light. Everything this morning seemed to be awakening softly and almost unnoticeably, Yara thought to herself. As if nature did not want to intrude on this eventful day that lay ahead of them. The brunette chuckled, knowing that this was entirely untrue. Nature did not care, nature would go on even when they were all gone. Though it was a nice thought to have that nature would not intrude, the brunette thought.
All these thoughts passed through Yara's mind as she stared ahead of her across the sea. A sea that they would soon be travelling across. And to be completely honest the brunette had not been this excited in a while, excited to get out of this place. At first the heat had bothered her a lot, but now she merely felt the discomfort and she tried to ignore it. This however did not mean she was not completely ecstatic to get out of this heated city and get back onto the cooler domain of the sea that had always been her home.
"Ready to leave this city?" Yara heard a voice to her right call out to her, having been caught up in her thoughts she had not noticed someone had been walking towards her.
The hairs on her arms stood on end in her surprise of having been caught so deep in thought. However she did not jump into any type of fighting stance, because she knew that voice. She knew it very well indeed. Yara let a smile spread across her face before turning her head away from the sight of the sea and to her right-hand side towards the voice. Towards her lovely companion that was walking towards her. As the brunette settled her eyes on the figure she immediately let her gaze roam. She took notice of the intricately-braided silver hair and a dress of such a dark blue that Yara almost started to wonder if it wasn't black. Settling her eyes on the face of the blonde, Yara took notice of the soft smile on the younger girl's face and the accompanying blush from the breeze that was slightly colder than usual.
"Completely ready. Meaning no offense towards your city of course, Dany." Yara replied with a smile.
The other girl reached her side before replying: "But you dislike the heat and I understand."
The blonde said this with a smile on her face that spoke of her state of relaxation, but also her glee for the coming prospects of their journey. The brunette smiled back in turn, delighted to know that the other girl was feeling better than she was yesterday with their fight and emotional confessions. Yara turned her head to face the sea again and it seemed the blonde turned to the vast waters as well. There was a silence between them that was broken by neither for a while. The only thing that filled their ears was the sounds around them; the song of the birds, the sound of the crashing waves and the distant chattering of men getting the ships ready to sail.
A question was what eventually broke the silence between them, a question that had slipped passed Yara's lips. "Are you afraid?" As the brunette spoke these words she turned her head back to the silver-haired girl.
The blonde seemed to contemplate the best course of action when replying Yara's question for a while, before settling on merely nodding. "Good." Yara replied simply, but when she saw Daenerys' confusion about her reply she continued on, "This is what you have been waiting for your entire life. And while it may be exciting, laying claim to any throne comes with many dangers, many new enemies. If you were not afraid, that would make you a fool. And I did not just sail across the Narrow Sea away from one fool to come here to serve another."
The brunette said this with a pointed look, trying to get her point across to the younger girl, but there was a note of mirth in her voice at the end of her sentence. Awaiting a reply, she focused on the small details of the girl, the way the blonde swallowed thickly, the way her eyebrows drew together as if deep in thought. So Yara also noticed the moment that Daenerys opened her mouth to speak, causing the brunette to listen very carefully.
"I had some more time to think, in a less overly-emotional state." the blonde started to speak, a bit hesitantly at first, "And I believe I might have overreacted. All that I said about my insecurities is still true and all that has happened to me in my life did not get undone, but…I can fight, or at least I'll try to fight, also for myself. It will take a while before I actually want to fight for myself, but what I said to you yesterday morning was mostly the fear talking."
Yara took a moment to register all of this. The girl next to her was still not brimming with self-assurance, but there was a fire in her that Yara knew would be hard to extinguish. She could see it in those blue eyes, that held such fiery pits in them. "It is alright to be afraid, just share those fears with others so that they can help you. And just so you know, I will always fight with you and for you, even if you can't fight for yourself sometimes." Yara admitted to the blonde looking down while talking, but when Yara finished talking she looked up. The older girl had tried to reassure the other girl and she believed it was working from the soft smile that greeted her on the blonde's face when she was looking the blonde in the eyes again.
And that were all the words that were spoken on the matter, at least for that particular moment in time. They would speak on it more in the future, Yara would make sure of it. But they had said enough on the matter for now. So the quiet returned once more and they stood next to each other staring out at the morning light and the sea that they would be traveling across. The Greyjoy female felt a small hand nudge her calloused right one. This caused Yara to grab the small hand fiercely but also with such delicacy. She knew the other girl wouldn't break, but wishing for this moment to be tender. Fingers intertwined and a few seconds later Yara felt a soft squeeze, that said thank you. The brunette smiled before giving her own squeeze back, now and always. As they had promised each other before.
There on a small stretch of beach they stood with the docks to their right and behind them a big bustling city even in these early morning hours. Intertwined in a moment that held such tenderness, such promise and also such hope for the future. Yara thought about who they were on their own, but also together. The fact that they were so different in appearance: brown hair or silver-blonde hair, grey or blue eyes, one with calloused hands from fighting and the other from riding. They might appear so different, but when you look beyond that they are just two girls, who had to grow up too soon and both hold so much responsibility. And the older girl knew that Daenerys would use her power for so much good and that she would do great things. Yara only hoped that in time she would be able to do that as well. But that is one thing they had in common, they were the leaders to their people and they would carry the weight of their responsibilities with them. But at least they had each other to confide in now.
The sun moved across the sky until eventually Yara found herself standing on the docks, about to board the ship. The Ironborn warrior looked back one more time towards the city. The city with its grand pyramid-shaped structures, with the markets bustling with people, with a heat that would not relent. And while she might not have enjoyed all of the things that this city had in store for her, Yara did not regret coming here. For it had given her a love that she had not foreseen. So perhaps she would miss it, at least a bit, but it was time to leave. Knowing it was time to close this chapter of her life and start on the next with renewed vigour and excitement for what the future still holds.
"Hey! Are you getting on the boat or would you rather stay?" Yara heard a playful voice call out and while rolling her eyes the brunette turned to see the blonde standing across from her on board of the ship. Yara, abstaining from answering the dragonborn's question, merely put her foot on the planks that were being used as a gangway. She put one foot in front of the other until she was at the end of the gangway. Now she just had to take one more step and she would be on deck. The brunette stared at her feet and saw the border between the planks and the deck, she stopped to think. Nodding to herself to confirm that this is the path she wanted take in her life she took the final steps so that she was standing on the deck of the ship in front of the blonde.
Later when the final preparations had been made and the final orders were given to Daario Naharis and the Second Sons, for they would be staying in Meereen to keep the peace, Yara started thinking about why she had taken so much time merely to walk across some planks. But she quickly realized why. The gangway had been the representation of her new journey, her start of this new chapter. By putting one foot in front of the other she moved forward and in life you had to keep moving forward, because otherwise life would catch up with you. And perhaps she needed to realize that she needed to start this new journey, so it had taken her a while to take those final steps. But she did in the end.
A smile spread across the older girl's face as she looked to her left and saw the Targaryen girl. The younger girl was stood next to her looking out at the vast amount of water in front of them. They had just set sail and they had a long journey ahead of them. But Yara believed she would be able to entertain herself. Thinking back to the moment just before they had heard that her uncle Euron had arrived in the Bay of Dragons – which had still been labelled Slaver's Bay then – and wishing they had not been interrupted then. But there was enough time now, the Ironborn warrior thought, letting a smirk spread across her face while she was still looking at the blonde beauty that was hers.
A lot of time indeed, the warrior thought mischievously.
-o0o-
Well then, I quite enjoyed writing that, so let's hope you all enjoyed reading it as well ;p
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I am so appreciative of the enormous response I have gotten so far, thank you all so much!
Xoxo
Vera