"Three weeks in this blasted desert and still no sign of a city." Thomas sighed. "I hate the sun."
"And the sun hates you Ward." Jorah groaned annoyed.
"Will you two stop bickering?" Dany asked over her shoulder. "I'm trying to train Drogon." She held up a small piece of meat for the black dragon on her shoulder but it just turned its head away.
"Did your brother say anything about dragons?" Her handmaiden asked.
"He said they eat meat." Dany sighed.
"Did he say what type of meat?" She asked again.
"My brother didn't know anything about dragons." Dany growled out. She then turned to Thomas. "How is Rhaegal?" Rhaegal was the green dragon hatchling that had taken a liking to Thomas immediately. HE now sat perched on Thomas's right shoulder looking around.
"He is doing ok." Thomas looked at the little dragon who gazed back at him. "I think."
"You think?" Dany chuckled.
"Well I don't know if it likes me or if it just wants to eat me when it gets bigger." Thomas stated.
"I doubt he wants to eat you." Dany laughed. "He likes you a lot."
"He probably thinks you're his father." Doreah smiled towards the young man who blushed and stuttered.
Coughing to ease his embarrassment he turned to her. "I can't be his father. I am not of house Targaryen and besides, his mother is right there. He should be riding on her shoulder."
"Does Rhaegal bother you that much?" Dany questioned.
"Well, no, it's just that I don't want you to think I am stealing your dragon." Thomas rubbed the back of his head.
"I would never think such a thing. I know you wouldn't take him form me." Dany said easily. "I trust you completely. Besides you love him don't you?"
Thomas looked toward Rhaegal and rubbed the dragon's snout affectionately. "Of course I do."
"Good, then keep him safe." Dany smirked. She then took Drogon off her shoulder and put him in a makeshift kennel to rest. She looked towards Thomas to see if he would do the same but was pleasantly surprised to see him holding the dragon like a baby as it dosed of in his arms.
A screech interrupted her and she turned to see her white stallion collapse. Jorah and another rider ran up to it soon followed by Dany. Thomas hung back intent on keeping Rhaegal asleep. When dany came ot the horse she looked towards Jorah who shook his head.
"This was Drogo's first gift to me." Dany looked over the horse, reliving those memories.
"I remember." Jorah nodded as he watched her.
"I promised to protect the, that their enemies would die screaming, how do I make starvation scream." Dany growled in frustration.
"A trick I never learned, I'm afraid." Jorah sighed.
"Dany looked out over the desert. "Does it ever end?"
"This is further east then I have ever been but yes, Khaleesi, it ends." Jorah answered.
"And you are sure there is no other way?" Dany asked annoyed.
"To the south lies the lands of the lamb men. They would kill us and take your dragons. We go west through the Dothraki sea the first Khalasar we meet will kill us and take your dragons." Jorah replied evenly.
"No one will take my dragons." Dany hissed venomously.
Jorah shook his head. "They are too weak to fight. As are your people." He then leaned in to whisper to her. "Thomas may not show it but he is exhausted. You need to be their strength."
"As you and Thomas are mine." Dany smiled thankfully towards him. She then looked back. "Rakharo, Aggo, Kovarro. Take our remaining horses. You will ride east, you southwest, and you northeast."
"What do we seek Khaleesi?" One of them asked.
"Cities, living or dead. Caravans and people. Rivers or lakes or the great salt sea. Find how far the Red Waste extends before us, and what lies on the other side." Dany instructed. All three agreed before mounting their horses and setting off. Thomas watched all this from the back, with Rhaegal in his arms.
A few minutes after the riders left Dany sat down next to Thomas. "Still asleep?" She looked towards Rhaegal.
"Yeah, the little guy loves his rest." Thomas stroked the dragon's side. "It's a beautiful comet." Dany and he looked up to see the red ball soaring across the sky.
"I wonder what it means. "Dany whispered as she subconsciously snuggled closer to him.
"I heard some of the other's say it was a sign that the dragons have returned." Thomas whispered. "But that's impossible, they died off centuries ago." He snickered as she giggled.
"Are these not dragons then Thomas Ward?" Dany motioned towards Rhaegal.
"These are glorified lizards." Thomas stated. "I simply tolerate you fantasy because I fear you would strike me down like a peasant." He waved his hand dramatically.
"Hahaha I would never hurt you again Thomas." Dany held him close. By now the sun was beginning to set. "It gets cold at night here. Odd since it is so hot in the desert."
"Well I am pretty comfortable with Rhaegal here. I wonder what you will do." Thomas teased.
"Well I order you to allow me to sleep here where it is warm." Dany commanded.
"As you wish Khaleesi." Thomas nodded. With that said they snuggled in for the night and soon found sleep.
Two days had passed before any of the riders returned. Jorah spotted the horse first and raised the alarm. "Khaleesi." Dany looked over and they noticed the horse had no rider. What it did have was a sac dripping with flies around it. Thomas opened it and saw a head along with a braid.
"Dany I wouldn't."
"He was blood of my blood and I will see." Dany moved him aside ad looked upon the severed head. "Who did this?"
Jorah stepped forward. "A rival Khalasar perhaps. They would not like the idea of a woman leading one."
"They will like it even less when I am done with them." Dany growled. Just then the man's wife came forward and cried out at the sight of his severed head. Thomas turned away to give them privacy and to put Rhaegal in a small cage with his brothers.
After a few minutes Dany had everyone erect a small funeral Pyre for the dead man. Thomas looked around and grimaced. Everyone was starving and their water was running out. After the fire died down and everyone settled in for another night in the cold Thomas looked towards Dany.
"Dany, we need water"
"I know Thomas. There is no water here." Dany sighed.
"I could go back to the stream we passed a few days ago and collect the water. I can take the last horse and be back in a day." Thomas swallowed nervously. He had thought about this all day and hoped she would go for it.
"No, I won't have you go off on your own." Dany sat up and looked at him. "You could get hurt, or worse." Dany shook her head. "I won't lose you too. I can't lose you." She hugged him fiercely.
"Dany if I don't go and we run out of water, we all die." Thomas began. "Who knows when the others will return, if they return." Thomas stroked her hair as her grip tightened. "I will be fine, Dany. I will leave at first light to avoid the worst of the heat and hopefully return that night or the next day."
"What if one of the others return before you get back?" Dany whispered.
"Then you will leave with them and leave me a sign on where you went so I may follow after." Thomas insisted. "Dany, you can' expect your people to follow you if you make no sacrifices yourself." Thomas held her cheek. Looking into her eyes he smiled. "I promise I will return to you Dany. I promise." He kissed her forehead.
"You're going to do this without my permission?" Dany asked. His only reply was to nod. Dany held him again before taking a shuddering breath. "You shall return to me Thomas Ward or I will have my dragons burn you." Thomas nodded.
The next day Dany watched a Thomas took all the empty water skins and tied them to the horse. Soon he mounted and was off to fill them.
"He shall return Khaleesi." Jorah said from behind her as they both watched him crest the hill, out of sight.
"I know he will." Dany whispered.
Hours later, when the sun was beginning its decent another rider returned. Dany looked at him with happiness and worry. Happiness that one of her men came back, and worry for Thomas who would be far from here.
"That isn't your horse." She stated as he dismounted.
"No Khaleesi, It is form the city of Quarth. They have agreed to receive you. Three days to the east, by the sea." He smiled as she thanked him.
"Jorah, what do you know of Quarth?" She turned to him.
"Only that the desert around it is called the Garden of bones. Every time the Quarthians close their gates on someone it gets bigger." Jorah answered.
"Leave a sign for Thomas stating where we are going and what directions to take." Dany commanded as Jorah moved to follow.
*few hours later*
It had taken them three days to get to Quarth and their water had finally run out. There was no sign of Thomas and Dany was getting worried. Rhaegal also called into the night. Many of her followers said he was calling for his missing father. When they got to the city guards marched out of the gates. Jorah was in full armor while Dany kept glancing behind them hoping to see Thomas.
"I thought we were welcome?" Dany wondered as the guards closed in.
"If you heard a Dothraki horde was approaching your city, you might do the same Khaleesi." Jorah stated.
Dany looked around. "Horde?" Jorah just shrugged. She noticed that the guards stopped and a group of men stood behind them. One of them stepped forward and Dany addressed him. "My name is Daenerys"
"Daenerys Stormborn of the house Targaryen." The man interrupted.
"You know me, my lord?"
"Only by reputation, Khaleesi. And I am no lord, merely a humble merchant." The man looked down his nose at her. "They call you the mother of dragons."
"And what should I call you?" Dany asked.
"Oh my name is quite long and quite impossible for foreigners to pronounce. I am simple a trader of spices." He waved behind him. "But we are the thirteen, charged with the governance and protection of Qarth, the greatest city that ever was or will be."
Dany wa loss of words for a second at that introduction. "The beauty of Quarth is legendary"
"Qarth." The man interrupted again. Dany was starting to feel quite annoyed and took a deep breath to steady herself. "Might we see the dragons?" The man asked looking around.
Dany turned around and looked towards the litter they were held in before turning back to him. "My friend, we have traveled very far. We have no food, no water. Once I see my people fed I would be honored"
"Forgive me," The man interrupted a third time and Dany was now livid. "Mother of Dragons, but no man alive has seen a living dragon. Some of my more skeptical friends refuse to believe your children even exist. All we ask is the chance to see for ourselves."
"I am not a liar." Dany stated, glaring lightly at the man.
"Oh I don't think you are. But as I have never met you before, my opinion on you is of limited value."
"Is this how the people of Qarth treat their guests!?" A shout was heard behind Dany's party and she whirled at the sound. She gasped when she saw Thomas sitting there on a horse. "Sorry I'm late Khaleesi but my horse was tired after riding for so long." He dismounted and Dany ran to him, flinging her arms around him ad sobbing lightly.
"I'm so glad you're here." She whispered.
"Me too." Once she regained her composure she turned back to the Qarthian.
"Where I come from guests are treated with respect, not insulted at the gates." Dany stated.
"The perhaps you should return to where you come from." He nodded politely. "We wish you well." Then he and the thirteen turned to leave.
Thomas moved closer to Dany's ear. "Just show them one dragon so we can get in. The stream I went to dried up by the time I got there so I turned around immediately. I'm surprised the horse isn't dead yet. We need to enter this city."
"You promised to receive me." Dany growled as she stepped forward.
The man turned around looking confused. We have received you. Here we are, and here you are."
"If you do not let us in, all of us will die." Dany's voice slightly trembled in anger.
"Which we shall deeply regret. But Qarth did not become the greatest city that ever was or will be by letting Dothraki savages through its gates." The man then turned and the thirteen started leaving again.
"Khaleesi please, be careful." Jorah warned.
"We can't afford to anger them Dany." Thomas hissed.
"Thirteen!" Dany yelled stopping the group. "When my dragons are grown, we will take back what was stolen from me and destroy those who have wronged me. We will lay waste to armies and burn cities to the ground. Turn us away, and we will burn you first." She threatened.
"Threatening won't help us Dany." Thomas whispered.
"Ah." The man stepped forward again. "You are a true Targaryen. Only, as you said a moment ago, if we don't let you into the city, you will all die. And so….."
Suddenly a tall black man stepped forward. "Retreating in fear from a little girl is unbecoming of the greatest city that ever was or will be."
"The discussion is over Xaro Xhoan Daxos. The thirteen have spoken." The other snapped.
"I am one of the thirteen." The man named Xaro smiled. "And I am still speaking."
The other motioned toward Dany. "The girl threatens to burn our city to the ground and you would invite her in for a cup of wine?"
"She is the mother of dragons. Do you expect her to watch her people starve without breathing fire? I believe we can allow a few Dothraki through our gates without dooming our city. After all, here I am, a savage from the summer isles, and Qarth still stands."
"Our decision is final."
"Very well." Xaro took a few more steps towards Dany. "I invoke Soumai." He pulled out a dagger. "I will vouch for her, people and her dragons in accordance with the law." He dragged the dagger over his hand and showed the cut to the other thirteen.
"Be it on your head." The man growled as he rushed off.
"I can't believe that worked." Thomas shook his head in amazement.
"And you said I shouldn't threaten them." Dany smirked at him.
"Welcome to Qarth, my lady." Xaro waved them forward.
Well here is the beginning of season two. It was a lot harder to write this chapter than the entire first season. Hopefully you still like it. I had to add much of it myself but hopefully it stays true to the characters. Let me know what you think about Rhaegal and Thomas's relationship.