p data-p-id="5b3d942a68c8f3bb667aa911aac9ff69"Dany had already forgotten the feeling of having a bath after long, tiresome days of wandering and surviving in the wild. Washing the dirt off her skin inch by inch was heaven on earth, and after she had a meal - a properly cooked meal, not just Drogon's burnt leftovers - prepared for her by Jhaqo's servants, she was the happiest woman alive, despite the terrible stomach pain that has tormented her for a while after she ate two full portions of horsemeat. /p
p data-p-id="d4253aec7dd660cabf48461fbefdfb49"Dany put on a Dothraki dress given to her instead of the rags her Meereenese clothes had turned into, and went out of the tent. Around her the twenty thousand men khalasar was settling down for the night. The sun has already hidden behind the horizon, the late evening hours have cooled the air down, and Dany smiled at the thought that she wouldn't have to suffer from wind, chill, dew and ants tonight. /p
p data-p-id="a13dfa7db4d09e3097fb3ee713bd0726"Drogon, to the Dothraki's great relief, wasn't anywhere to be seen. His mother looked into the brewing darkness, searching for the rock she named Dragonstone, where the dragon was residing every night. She saw it in the west, a shadow against the blue-black sky. Not far away from it she saw another, moving shadow. Drogon. He must have lost all interest in the encounter with the Dothraki, and flew off to hunt straggler cattle or wild game. Dany was relieved to find out he was still near, as her position with Khal Jhaqo was still ambiguous. /p
p data-p-id="46c8c87401988096844ad255639ec382"The khal and his men sat around a campfire, a bit far from the tent Dany was invited to. She knew they were deciding her fate now, but couldn't hear them and wouldn't risk to come closer, so she could only wonder what they were saying. emWhat if they refuse to take me back to Meereen? /em/p
p data-p-id="45bfb48b66d19d390f50d40fd3f2f521"She saw one of the men get up and say something passionately. Was he on her side, she wondered? Most of the others got up as well - some seemingly agreeing with what the man said, others trying to outcry them. Jhaqo remained seated. One man pointed to the west, where Dragonstone was, and the others went silent as he spoke. /p
p data-p-id="a179ac47351625b52f2f9b1f475b5f34"Dany remembered her first time being among the Dothraki. She was only thirteen, surrounded by people in whose games she was just a pawn - Illyrio Mopatis, her brother Viserys, even Khal Drogo, her sun and stars... But on the day of his burial, the scared little girl Dany burned to ashes, and Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, first of her name, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Mother of Dragons walked out of the pyre. Unburnt. /p
p data-p-id="d0f07e4e6155ea340039665a7b48a93a""Khaleesi," a voice brought her back from her memories. She looked in the direction the voice was coming from, and in the corner of her eye noticed another woman looking up. She must be Jhaqo's wife, Dany guessed. Realizing that the man wasn't talking to her, the woman turned away, giving Dany a malicious glare. "Khal Jhaqo wants to talk to you."/p
p data-p-id="10ab44579a5283b7e2e5d6281e2a1626"Dany nodded and went over to the campfire, where the khal and his bloodriders were still sitting. She sat down on a stone across Jhaqo, exuding as much confidence as she could. emYou are the blood of the dragon, /emshe reminded herself. emYou shouldn't be afraid of some horselords./em/p
p data-p-id="f79f9c4ab254eeadc5b4595d7cda4b3f""You disobeyed the rules of men by not going to Vaes Dothrak," started Jhaqo. Dany tried her hardest to keep her face expression unchanged. "A khaleesi must not live on her own after her khal is dead. It is known."/p
p data-p-id="5670f101ce239dcb6079d59721f50888""It is known," echoed some of the men. /p
p data-p-id="2c2ac942f6803252d060f5aa45a5b97e""But if you give your word that the dragon will not harm our khalasar, we will bring you to the city of Meereen."/p
p data-p-id="acf1e5b8739a83427ab5899e2ec664c4"It took Dany prodigious efforts not to close her eyes and exhale. Instead, she let a small smile cross her lips. "My dragon won't touch your people, Khal Jhaqo. You have my word," she said, standing up. emAnd you have my word that you and Mago will pay for what you've done to Eroeh./em/p
p data-p-id="d4253aec7dd660cabf48461fbefdfb49"Dany put on a Dothraki dress given to her instead of the rags her Meereenese clothes had turned into, and went out of the tent. Around her the twenty thousand men khalasar was settling down for the night. The sun has already hidden behind the horizon, the late evening hours have cooled the air down, and Dany smiled at the thought that she wouldn't have to suffer from wind, chill, dew and ants tonight. /p
p data-p-id="a13dfa7db4d09e3097fb3ee713bd0726"Drogon, to the Dothraki's great relief, wasn't anywhere to be seen. His mother looked into the brewing darkness, searching for the rock she named Dragonstone, where the dragon was residing every night. She saw it in the west, a shadow against the blue-black sky. Not far away from it she saw another, moving shadow. Drogon. He must have lost all interest in the encounter with the Dothraki, and flew off to hunt straggler cattle or wild game. Dany was relieved to find out he was still near, as her position with Khal Jhaqo was still ambiguous. /p
p data-p-id="46c8c87401988096844ad255639ec382"The khal and his men sat around a campfire, a bit far from the tent Dany was invited to. She knew they were deciding her fate now, but couldn't hear them and wouldn't risk to come closer, so she could only wonder what they were saying. emWhat if they refuse to take me back to Meereen? /em/p
p data-p-id="45bfb48b66d19d390f50d40fd3f2f521"She saw one of the men get up and say something passionately. Was he on her side, she wondered? Most of the others got up as well - some seemingly agreeing with what the man said, others trying to outcry them. Jhaqo remained seated. One man pointed to the west, where Dragonstone was, and the others went silent as he spoke. /p
p data-p-id="a179ac47351625b52f2f9b1f475b5f34"Dany remembered her first time being among the Dothraki. She was only thirteen, surrounded by people in whose games she was just a pawn - Illyrio Mopatis, her brother Viserys, even Khal Drogo, her sun and stars... But on the day of his burial, the scared little girl Dany burned to ashes, and Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, first of her name, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Mother of Dragons walked out of the pyre. Unburnt. /p
p data-p-id="d0f07e4e6155ea340039665a7b48a93a""Khaleesi," a voice brought her back from her memories. She looked in the direction the voice was coming from, and in the corner of her eye noticed another woman looking up. She must be Jhaqo's wife, Dany guessed. Realizing that the man wasn't talking to her, the woman turned away, giving Dany a malicious glare. "Khal Jhaqo wants to talk to you."/p
p data-p-id="10ab44579a5283b7e2e5d6281e2a1626"Dany nodded and went over to the campfire, where the khal and his bloodriders were still sitting. She sat down on a stone across Jhaqo, exuding as much confidence as she could. emYou are the blood of the dragon, /emshe reminded herself. emYou shouldn't be afraid of some horselords./em/p
p data-p-id="f79f9c4ab254eeadc5b4595d7cda4b3f""You disobeyed the rules of men by not going to Vaes Dothrak," started Jhaqo. Dany tried her hardest to keep her face expression unchanged. "A khaleesi must not live on her own after her khal is dead. It is known."/p
p data-p-id="5670f101ce239dcb6079d59721f50888""It is known," echoed some of the men. /p
p data-p-id="2c2ac942f6803252d060f5aa45a5b97e""But if you give your word that the dragon will not harm our khalasar, we will bring you to the city of Meereen."/p
p data-p-id="acf1e5b8739a83427ab5899e2ec664c4"It took Dany prodigious efforts not to close her eyes and exhale. Instead, she let a small smile cross her lips. "My dragon won't touch your people, Khal Jhaqo. You have my word," she said, standing up. emAnd you have my word that you and Mago will pay for what you've done to Eroeh./em/p