Chapter 9: The Sky's The Limit
Six moons after arriving at The Wall
Martin of Whiteharbor
Dismounting from the horse, he began to untie the buck he had scored on this week's hunt.
He was thankful to the Lord of Winterfell for sending them supplies that would actually matter in their current situation. Their makeshift kitchen had plenty of salts, sugars, knives, pots and pans, along with many other essential supplies for the storing and curing of food. The cold climate made keeping any food easy, and there was a steady supply drop every other moon dropped right outside of their gate with no questions asked and no contact made.
Hauling the dead creature onto his shoulder, he made his way inside. Dropping the deer onto a table, Martin glanced around.
This decrepit ruin of a castle was still far better than the hut he called home. His wife and kids were stuck in a log shack on the outskirts of Whiteharbor, waiting for him to return home from his trips with money. He truly hoped that his deal with his liege lord would be honored.
He knew he shouldn't be worried, as Ned Stark's honor was famous across all seven of the kingdoms, but it was still nerve wracking not knowing how your family is.
The sun was just starting to rise, and he knew that soon the strange routine that had begun at this castle would resume. Jory and Jon would wake up and begin their chores, then their training would begin. Jon would ask for him to help with his archery once a week, and Martin was starting to actually enjoy those days.
The boy had a good heart, even if he was a bit broody. Martin could see just a bit of the highborn arrogance that he was used to seeing among the lords of the realm, at least those he had met. However, there was something just a bit different about him. He learned, he watched, and he listened to the advice of both Jory and himself. He was good with a sword, great even for his age. Martin was trying his best to teach him a few tricks with the bow. His archery was not something that would have him winning tournaments, but he was good enough to serve in any archery regiment.
Flashes of sails and islands came across his mind, remembering when a boy as young as eighteen took an arrow to the eye next to him from some ironborn rebel. Closing his eyes tightly, he willed those thoughts away. He didn't want to remember the iron born rebellion… ever again.
"Another successful hunt I see." Jory's voice came from the doorway.
Plastering the fake smirk on his face that he always had, Martin turned around and pointed his knife casually toward the Cassel man. "If I don't get the food, we all starve. I think that is enough motivation to not miss my shots, eh?"
The man snorted before pointing back outside. "Your turn to wake the beast."
Martin felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up at the thought, and suddenly he wished he was back on the Iron Islands again. "I'll skin this deer and fetch water for the day if you do it." He said, hoping with everything he had that Jory would take him up on it. His hopes were dashed as the man shook his head.
And thus began the walk of dejection towards what was not so lovingly called 'The Dragonpit' in his mind. Each step felt heavier than the last, but it was his turn. He just hoped his luck would hold. The two men had come to terms with this arrangement, and he needed to hold up his end of the bargain now.
It wasn't long before he found the door and poked his head inside. It was dark inside, same as it always was in the boy's room. They didn't have any glass available, so the keep windows were barred on their first moon with wood to keep the heat inside.
Sadly for him, this meant he couldn't see anything inside.
Martin found his blood freezing in his veins as it always did. There was something instinctively horrifying about knowing there was a fire breathing dragon staring at you while you were unable to see it.
The damned thing grew like a weed, the creature now being the size of a large hound. Its eyes were always filled with disdain for any presence that wasn't Jon, and he knew right now it was contemplating his demise.
A light came from the room, and just like every other time this has happened, his heart skipped a beat. The yellow flames licked the mouth of the demon lizard as she snarled toward him. With the light now, he could see that the creature was still sleeping atop the boy's chest, an arrangement that Martin was sure wouldn't be able to go on forever if the damned thing kept growing like it did…
He wondered if the dragon saw it that way.
A soft, but very blatant hiss came from the dragon's throat as it stared at him. He knew that it was only mad because he was disturbing its nest, but that didn't make the threat display any less terrifying. Closing his eyes, he knew that this might be his end.
"Frostfyre, stop it." Jon's voice called sleepily from below the beast. Immediately, the creature listened, and began to croon at the boy's touch.
And I live to breathe another day.
The dragon was insanely receptive to the boy, to where even the hunter could see something magical was there. He remembered stories about the old Targaryen kings, but seeing it in reality in front of him made the man seriously think that the gods and fate had plans for this boy.
"Your supreme holiness," Martin half joked, causing a groan to rise up from the boy. He loved teasing the young man, and he wasn't going to stop anytime soon. "Your humble presence is requested to help with the lumber this morning. Please make your way over to the royal axe for firewood chopping."
Jon groaned from beneath the dragon, who responded with sad whines as her nest began to shift as it always did. Knowing that his job was done, Martin turned around and left. Making his way back to the kitchens, he saw as Jory smiled and nodded from the other side of the courtyard, a few buckets of water in his hands.
It seems like the work to make this place livable never ended, but work was work.
Martin turned to see Jon making his way outside with his furs on and a dragon tailing behind him like a lost puppy. He made his way over to the log pile without complaint and began his chore without so much as a word. The dragon, however, was staring daggers into him from the other side of the courtyard. He was certain that if Jon didn't like him, the damned thing would have torched and eaten him long ago.
All in all, Martin knew Jon was a good kid who was going high places someday. He didn't blame the boy at all for the demon lizard's behavior.
One year after arriving at The Wall
Jon Snow
Lightning crackled outside, the sound of howling wind ripping into the stone walls of the castle was ever present. The weather was far too poor right now with blizzard conditions outside, leading to the three men all taking shelter in the keep.
He knew that Martin and Jory were keeping themselves busy near the fire, with Martin sharpening his hunting knife and Jory poking at the fire below the stew pot in the fireplace. Jon didn't have any issue keeping warm, as Frostfyre was doing her absolute best to wrap herself around him like a coiling snake.
This led Jon to focus on the one thing he could do while inside this scaly prison: read the books Maester Aemon slipped him in the supply drops.
Jon read a book on Aegon's Conquest with a candle in his hand, trying his hardest to not drip wax onto the pages. Looking at the picture of the field of fire, he brought the candle a bit closer and studied the depiction of Balerion. He couldn't help but think that the pages didn't do the dragon justice.
He wondered if one day a different maester would draw Frostfyre poorly too. Though, that would mean than everyone would know about her, and he wasn't sure how that would go over.
No, they would need to stay hidden. It was the only way to keep his family safe.
The candle flickered as a deep breath came from over his shoulder, and he glanced up to see Frostfyre glancing between the book and himself. Once she noticed she had his attention, she wriggled a bit and her head snaked closer for a quick scratch.
She suddenly pushed her head forward, pressing into his chest and letting out a soft purring growl. Unsure as to what she wanted, he scratched behind one of her horns. A few seconds later, she backed up and returned to her previous position.
This… was starting to become an issue. Thankfully, it wouldn't remain so for much longer, as he knew that she wouldn't fit through the doorway much longer.
Unable to move, the young man shifted his legs a bit only to have a scaled tail lift itself up then pin him back down again. He tried moving his head, only to have a wing place itself over his head, fully encasing him in a tent of coiled scales and leathery wings. He tried asking his captor for release, and yet all he got was a silver eye staring at him with amusement in the candlelight.
It was strange. Frostfyre was becoming more and more difficult to read as she grew larger. When he tried to explore their bond, to actually warg or whatever his great granduncle had called it, she went from happily immersing herself in his presence when she was young to mentally pulling him closer than he was comfortable with, which honestly terrified the boy. He felt like he was on a cliff holding a rope, and each time he tried to get closer to her, she yanked him towards the pit and away from his own mind with increasing strength as time went on. He almost fell in once, and that caused him to stop.
What would happen if he fell in? Would he lose his mind? Would he lose himself?
So he stopped one day, not trying to go any further than he had. That was when she started to grow… clingy.
Ignoring those thoughts, he returned to his book. Reading about the history of his house is always interesting, but he only made it a few lines before Frostfyre made a sound he had never heard before.
It was a strange thing, a mix between a whine, growl, and cough. Blinking at the strange sound, Jon looked back up. Furrowing his brow, Jon sent the dragon a questioning look.
The small horns encircling her head and spikes on her neck all pressed themselves inward, and suddenly she wouldn't meet his eyes. Confused, Jon tried to reach up and pet her, thinking something was wrong but she pulled away and set her head down outside of the winged tent she made.
Shrugging, Jon returned to his book as the castle shook from yet another boom of thunder. It was nights like this that he was thankful to have a roof over his head, as he couldn't imagine what life would be like without it.
Two years after arriving at The Wall.
Prey
The bear was happily standing in one of the large streams that led to a creek. Fish frequented this spot, and the bears around Deep Lake knew it.
Thankfully, this male was the largest around and had already completed and successfully mated. Not needing to worry about tending to cubs, the brown creature happily pawed at a passing fish, missing only by a moment. Huffing, the creature sat back down and continued staring into the water for another chance at dinner.
A noise resounded across the lake, just barely loud enough to be heard over the splashing of water. The bear glanced up, his little round ears twitching as he focused on where he thought he heard the sound. Eyes flicking left, then right, he turned back to his fishing grounds.
After all, what could hurt-
Slam!
Frostfyre
Utilizing her favorite hunting strategy of simply landing on a creature claws first, the resulting splash of water and rock was satisfying as she crushed her prey. It was dead on impact, her aim impeccable as she landed on the back of the large creature's neck, snapping it instantly. Shifting a bit, she turned to see her prize.
This furry creature was big! It will feed her well. Torching the meat, the steam from the creek rose up and showered her scales with warmth. Burning it just the way she likes, she began to dig in. A meal this size was large, but would only feed her for the day.
Biting down hard on a bone, a loud snap resounded across the lake, echoing for the no-one that could hear it.
She has grown significantly in these last two years, the bond to her rider, the full hunting grounds, and the magic in the air all feeding her growth. She was beginning to wonder if she should start spreading her wings further and expand her territory. The food here wasn't depleted, but she wanted to explore! To expand! Sadly for her, she wasn't willing to travel further than a few hour's flight from her bonded partner.
She could only hope her rider knew that he could not stay here forever. This hidden life was not their fate, not their destiny! Dragons did not settle, they took what they wanted and flew where the winds took them! She wished to show him that.
Soon enough. Soon enough.
Biting into the shoulder of the formerly furry creature, she tore outward and the flesh gave way as it should. Her meal tasting wonderfully charred on her tongue, she continued her draconic thoughts as her mind turned to her rider as it usually did.
He was good, he was kind, and he was smart. He was growing stronger with every swing of either his wood-stick or his metal-stick, same as she was with each successful hunt, but he did not know what she knew. He did not understand the depth of their bond as she did. It was growing increasingly more frustrating with every day that passed for the growing dragon, especially when he slept in her mind, dreamt in her eyes, and shared in her soul!
She wanted so badly for him to see, to understand, but he never did. Each time he came close, she was forced to watch as instead of embracing the bond, he shied away from it in fear and uncertainty. He was afraid of losing himself within her dominant draconic mind, but she would never hurt him. Could never hurt him.
No, he was safe with her both in body and soul, so why didn't he see that? He should know it! Why didn't he?
And so she changed her strategy. She has tried learning from him, to bring herself closer to him, to try and communicate with him, but nothing worked. No matter how much she tried to follow the little-markings-on-white, she couldn't figure them out. She tried forcing the bond to go the other way, but his dream-wandering and mind-linking was a magic she could not copy, as his cold-magic was in his blood not hers. She could only glean what he subconsciously allowed.
And so she waited, and watched, and learned. Years passed, and she learned quite a lot, yet not nearly enough. She tried learning his speech, and while she now could fully understand him and the others, she could not speak aloud.
She tried once. It didn't work. Never again.
Growling, she grew impatient at how little progress she had made. This was her rider! Hers! Why was he shying away from her?
Hearing a loud crash behind her, she turned only to see that she accidentally demolished a small tree with her tail in her frustration. This only served to further agitate the dragon.
She was a dragon, she took what she wanted. But how does one take something so… abstract? Her problem was her rider's mind, not a physical thing…
Her rider is a thing. Why doesn't she just… take him away?
Suddenly, she had a terrible, wonderful idea. It would work, it had to work! After all, perhaps the reason why they weren't as connected in mind and soul as they could have been, was because she hasn't shared the skies with him yet!
That would change today, whether he wanted it to or not!
Striking as if the poor creature below her was still alive, she bit down into the remains of the poor furry creature. Lifting it up, she brought her meal with her. After all, a little intimidation went a long way.
Flying back to her bonded's stone home, her meal still dangling lifelessly from her mouth, she soared over the forest canopy happily. She was finally going to get what she wanted! She just knew it!
She landed atop the stone walls of her rider's home only a few minutes later, her prey still dangling out of her mouth. Looking around, she spotted the two men who lived here with them, both glancing up to her with clear apprehension. Sadly for her, her bonded was nowhere to be seen.
Where oh where are you, O' rider mine?
As if the world was gifting to her what she wished, Jon walked out of a nearby stone building. He was dressed in heavy furs and hard-animal-skins, with a metal stick in hand, looking expectantly towards the one known as Jory.
Crunch!
Half of the bear fell nearly twenty feet to the ground, landing in a heap on the stone. She was already snarling, already smelling the scent of cooked meat from the fires burning in her mouth. Blood and viscera dripped from her maw as she glared expectantly at her rider-to-be.
Rider-to-be be very soon.
She felt a bit of satisfaction as uneasiness showed clearly in his eyes. While she was young, she was still a dragon. Wisdom filled her bones same as ferocity and intelligence. It was a predator's wisdom though. The wisdom of how to wait for the time to strike. How to wait for the right moment, and how to prepare her prey for a kill.
And right now, her eyes were focused on her prize. She just needed him to exhaust himself…
Shouldn't be too hard. She thought, watching as he made his way over to the one known as Jory with a metal-stick in his hand. Eyeing the not-her-bonded with a calculating look, she felt her tail swishing behind her. He shall do it for me.
Jon Snow
Landing in the dirt again, Jon grimaced as once again he found himself covered in bruises. Panting on the ground for a moment, he slowly got to his feet and turned back to his opponent.
Jory was a slave driver. The man didn't let up on his painful lessons, but he was kind and helped Jon see the flaws in his guard and the weaknesses in his form. Jon could tell that he was getting better and better over time, making all the pain worth it in the end.
"Here you go." He heard, and Jon spun around, still out of breath from the near nonstop sparring. He saw Martin with a water skin, offering the drink to him with a small grin on his face. "You look like you need it."
Jon was just happy he didn't call him 'your grace' again.
Happily accepting the water, Jon rolled his shoulders a bit to work out the stiffness as he drank. Happily gulping down the liquid, he spilled a bit out onto his chest in his haste to quench his thirst.
"That will be all for the day." He heard Jory call out from behind him. "Go get yourself cleaned up."
Heaving a heavy breath, Jon wiped his brow with his sleeve which sadly just spread more dirt on his face. Fetching his sparring sword from the mud, Jon began to make his way to the keep to get out of his sweaty and muddy clothes. Trudging tiredly, he realized just how exhausted he was.
A growl, threatening and deep met his ears as he made it about halfway to the door. Turning, he saw as Frostfyre stepped clear over him and placed herself between him and the keep. Fangs showing, she growled toward him with her eyes promising… something.
"Frostfyre?" He asked, confusion in his voice. This was a new situation for him after all, as he can't remember a time where she actively growled at him like this. He knew she wouldn't hurt him, but clearly something was wrong.
His questioning tone was only met with a vicious snarl, her mouth opening and a small light of fire was shown in the back of her throat. Dried blood from her hunt this morning was still on her blue and white muzzle, giving off an absolutely savage appearance.
"Jon…" Jory called from nearby. "Back away slow-" he was inturrupted as Frostfyre snapped her head towards him with lightning fast speed. Snarling hatefully and snapping her jaws with a loud crack, steam left her nostrils as the saliva in her mouth dripped from her teeth onto the muddy ground. Once she knew the man was properly silenced, her silver eyes turned back to Jon.
Jon quickly realized she wanted something, but he didn't know what. Stepping closer to her with his hand outstretched, he watched as she quickly lowered her head and bumped into his legs which tripped him forward. Landing on her muzzle with a soft grunt, she then lifted him up until he was about ten feet off the ground.
"Jon!" Jory called with panic clear in his voice, but the boy didn't have time to deal with that as he was too busy trying not to fall. Grabbing onto two of the dragon's many horns, he awkwardly spun himself around on her head. Straddling her neck, he made his way down one spike at a time to where her wings met her shoulders. There, he found a small spot where he could sit without any worry about being impaled by her many spikes and frills that grew out of her neck.
His arms sore and his body bruised from his training, he relaxed on her back for only a moment as he looked around. Everything looked small from up here, the dragon's powerful neck in front of him and wings to his side. He turned around and saw her tail swishing back and forth in a way that he knew meant she was excited.
Patting her neck, he began to look for a way down that wouldn't be too jarring on his legs. He almost found a way down her wing-arms before he saw her wing move and that route was gone. Frostfyre then spun her head back and met his eyes with one of her own. She looked smugly satisfied, like she had just won a victory over him. Standing up to her full height, he heard as both Jory and Martin began to call for him once again, louder than ever.
She then turned her head forward once again and took one step, and then another.
At that moment, he knew what she wanted.
"Oh fuck." Left his mouth before he knew it, and all the exhaustion he was feeling a moment prior was now gone.
Step after step, she sped herself up and the yells from the two men below grew louder. Jon quickly realized he needed to grab hold of something. Finding the spikes he had clambered over a moment ago to be his salvation, he gripped the protrusions with as much strength as he could. His fingers turning white, and his teeth clenched, he readied himself as best he could. After all, she was going too fast to jump off now.
She lifted her wings as her feet carried her alone now, there was a heartbeat, and then they were soaring.
Screaming loudly, Jon held on as best he could. Each flap of her wings pressed him into her back, and a moment later, he was falling. Flap after flap had him repeatedly shoved into her shoulders, his legs dangling behind him without anything to secure himself. He was certain that he was going to die falling an unknown distance to the ground, known as the idiot who was kidnapped by a dragon.
Eventually, he couldn't scream anymore, his body needing him to breathe to keep hold of the spikes.
Right when he thought his arms would give out, it all stopped.
Cold northern wind rushed through his hair as he sucked in breath after breath. His vision for the last… he didn't know how long his only sight was on the rippling muscles below the scales of her shoulders. Now though, he finally could relax his grip a bit.
Taking in a few more breaths of air, he finally looked up… only to then immediately look down.
"Oh wow." He breathed out, looking out over the vast landscape that kept going on forever. Trees were as small as bugs from up here, the forests that went on forever having both a start and end in sight for him now. Clouds were closer to him than the ground, and he could almost touch them from here.
Glancing to the side, he saw the blue and white wings holding their weight on the open skies with mighty muscles. The leathery wings he always saw folded were now open, showing just how large she was. A deep purring rumble was felt in his legs more than heard on the wind as she flapped her wings gently.
She once again turned her head slightly and her silver eye met him again. Jon idly thought about how a dragon never really needed to know where they were going.
What was she going to bump into, a mountain?
She was staring at him again, the same expectant look in her eye she had only a little bit ago. She wanted something again, but what? It wasn't just the flight?
He knew how to get the answer, but he hesitated again. If he tried to… warg again, what would happen?
Hesitantly, Jon tried reaching out again. It has been a year since he last actively tried, but his fears were immediately realized as his tiny string of consciousness was bitten and yanked.
Slamming his mind shut in more surprise and a bit of fear, he heard a savage snarl overpower the wind rushing past his ears. He saw a flash of fangs as Frostfyre let out a massive torrent of fire in front of her.
Ducking down, the flames singed his furs as he passed through the inferno, only for a feeling of weightlessness to come over him. Gripping the spikes in front of him as tightly as he did only a moment ago, he watched in horror as the dragon folded her wings inward and began a swift plummet to the ground.
He screamed, but the sound didn't even reach his ears as the wind whipped past his ears faster and faster. His head was now throbbing as the cold air stabbed at his ears. His arms were shaking, and his legs were airborne at the descent.
All in all, he could say that his first flight was terrible so far.
Suddenly, the dragon sprung her wings out, slamming Jon into her back and knocking the air out of him. Flapping her mighty wings again, he was forced to once again endure the up and down motions of a climb. He thought his arms might give out from exhaustion, but if he let go now, he would die. That was motivation enough to not let go.
Eventually, they leveled out again, and once again she was staring at him in the peaceful serenity of the sky.
That eye he met was now accompanied by a pain in his chest and lungs, a splitting headache from the cold winds still whipping by him, his arms were exhausted, his legs were probably bruised from the impact against her scales, and his dragon was apparently intent on torturing him. He truly didn't think he could survive another free fall if she decided to do it again, so he only had one choice.
Closing his eyes and readying himself, he once more reached out with his mind and-
Pulling on the rope of his consciousness with a force his exhausted mind could not overcome, down down down he fell into the pit.
And yet… the bottom was not as he assumed it would be.
A feeling that could only be magic flowed like a river into him, warming his skin and flesh like lightning in his blood. The weakness that he felt only a moment ago was gone now, even as he sat there astride the creature of myth flying through the skies. A presence, suffocating yet comforting surrounded him. He had no defenses now, no way to defend against what was happening as the sheer weight of Frostfyre's consciousness pressed into him from all sides.
'Finally, we can speak.' A warm yet rough voice said, like a roaring campfire reverberating through his bones. Immediately, he recognized the voice from his dreams years ago.
He opened his eyes, and he saw Frostfyre, and he saw himself. Their eyes stared at themselves, both of themselves. The wind caught their wings even as their hands gripped the spikes on their neck. They felt a warm updraft from the sunlight hitting the rocky landscape below allowing them to circle lazily in the skies, and the feeling of the wind in their hair as they shifted astride their back.
They were the same now, yet still different. There was still a distinct split in their minds, but that split was oh so very small. Emotions, thoughts, and feelings flew over the divide like birds over a fence, yet there was still a Jon. Still a Frostfyre.
But he felt her happiness at finally speaking to him. He felt her joy at having him as her bonded. He felt her attachment for him, a love borne of blood and magic. He felt her pride, the surety of knowing she was the greatest creature to live, a dragon's pride.
"How?" He saw his body ask even as he felt the words leave his throat.
'You made the connection. This cold-magic is your magic, not mine.' The voice, Frostfyre, said with amusement flowing through the words. 'Please, do not shy away from me any longer. Our bond makes us one and the same, you and I. The closer we are, the stronger we can become. You needn't fear my mind, for you shall only ever find safety within.' Jon sat there dumbstruck at her words even as they turned their horned head back to the skies in front of them.
The landscape seemed to stretch so much further now, and the light from the sun so much brighter. Colors he didn't even know existed hit their eyes, and he found himself laughing. The flight before was pure panic and anxiety, but now it looked as if the entire world stretched out before them! The beauty he saw atop her earlier was inconsequential compared to what he saw with her eyes now.
Birds fluttering below the trees, a snow fox trying to scavenge a frozen creek, the flowing of water down a creek, the green of the ferns fluttering in the wind, they could see it all in detail from here.
They flew like this for hours, circling above the vast but empty landscape of the far north. Eventually, the sun began to set and they needed to return back to Deep Lake.
Even soaring down towards the base of The Wall, Jon felt more power and freedom in that moment than he ever had before. He honestly felt like he could conquer the world now…
… And in that moment, he understood his ancestors.
Landing gracefully in the courtyard, Jon felt the cold muddy ground meet their claws as they touched down. Closing his eyes, he realized that even though they just returned, he wished he could go right back to touch the clouds.
'Soon enough, my rider. Soon enough.'
"Jon!" Jory yelled from below, his riding leathers on as both he and Martin sat astride their horses. Jon felt a snort leave their nostrils at the thought, smoke puffing out as mirth filled Frostfyre.
'As if a horse could compete with me.' She said in his mind, and the warm comforting presence reaffirmed itself to him once again for one final time. 'Return to yourself my rider. We can continue this another day.'
"I won't shy away anymore. I promise." He said, and he felt her joy at his words fill him before he closed himself off.
His eyes were only his own again, and the color of the world once more returned to the brown and gray world he was used to. Frostfyre brought her shoulder down, easing his descent as he slid down her side. Landing on the ground with a soft splat, Jon made his way over to Jory who was dismounting from his horse.
"Jon!" Jory repeated, concern clear in his voice. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
Laughing, Jon felt more than saw Frostfyre making her way next to him, bringing her large head level with his own. The two stared at the men, before Jon could no longer hold in his smile. "I'm fine, better than fine! I never knew flying could be so… freeing."
Before anyone else could react, Martin dropped onto one knee and held his head low. "Your grace." He said, any hints of teasing gone from his tone.
Jon walked over, pulling the man to his feet in exasperation. He was still smaller than the hunter, needing to look up once the man fully stood up, but in that moment he realized that Martin wasn't joking. He was dead serious.
"I'm not a king." He said,
"Not yet." Was the hunters response. "But I'm willing to bet all the money in the world that you will someday sit on the throne. I just hope you remember us smallfolk when you do."
Jon wasn't sure what to say to that, so he said nothing. Looking around, he saw all the improvements they made to this place. All the repairs, improvements, and firewood they had stacked up. It was hard work, but Deep Lake was always designed to be a temporary thing.
"Until you learn to control Frostfyre, it is best for you to continue with your plan." He heard his father's voice say, and he knew it was time. His plan before was exile, but now he could speak with her. She would understand the need for secrecy.
They could make this work.
"We should pack our things." The young man said, a happy smile plastered on his face. Nothing could kill his joyful mood now, as thoughts of his family filled his mind. "I think it's time we headed home."
-Author's Note-
Quick! Spot the ahamkara reference!
I should really stop making predictions about what I am writing next for this story. I've been painfully wrong each time. Hell, I was even wrong about how I thought I was going to explore their bond.
Oh well, I like this. I hope yall do too.
I found this chapter particularly hard to start. I've written and re-written it in many different ways, but I think I like this one the best. My deleted scenes doc I have lying around gained about 2000 words just from this one, mostly pov changes and how to do the time skip.
I don't like just jumping years upon years without context, so somehow I end up doing a snippet chapter for it. Small peeks into what's happening without spending too long. That's how this started, but it ended up just being a chapter to fully explore the bond I have set up for these two. I never liked the idea that the dragons in GoT are just smart animals, so Frostfyre is her own character, though she can only talk when Jon wants to talk to them.
I'm absolutely certain that no conflict between them will arise from this development.
For those wondering about exactly how big she is by the end of this chapter, she's a little bigger than Arrax was when he got nom'd in HoTD by the end of the chapter, though she doesn't look like him. Arrax's head was weirdly small imo. If you are wondering about what body type I am going with for Frosty the snowdragon, she isn't a Drogon like Dreamfyre was. She's a Meleys. :3
Thanks for reading!