Hello !
Here comes the 18th chapter of the story!
Thanks for all the people who review, fav or favorite this story! More than 200followers, you guys are awesome
Jctherebel : Thanks again for your new review, it always feels very nice to read such nice comments.
Obviously, I own a computer, some books and even a cat. However, I own nothing in the Inheritance Cycle and Game of Thrones franchise. They do belong to Christopher Paolini and G.R.R Martin.
Without further ado, here comes the chapter !
After a few days of travel, Eragon discovered the city of White Harbor, the first real port city he saw of Westeros. He didn't consider Eastwatch by the Sea as a town, let alone a city. White Harbor wasn't nowhere big as Teirm but with the North's population, he guessed it was more than enough.
The travel had been easy, if not colder than previous one and after a few days spent on Saphira's back, they got their first sight of the white walls of the city. They didn't want to lose time and scare everyone in the city by making a spectacular entrance with Saphira. While her presence wasn't a secret and had probably spread to most castles, most commoners were probably blissfully ignorant of the presence of another dragon roaming the skies of Westeros. Thus, they decided to land a league away from the city and to walk the remaining distance, with Maudria remaining there.
Their stay there was just like their travel: quick and efficient. Lord Manderly had been at Winterfell when Jon had left for Dragonstone and he was still as opulent and boisterous as before.
He didn't comment on Saphira's absence but Eragon could clearly see the curiosity shining in the man's eyes. At least, he had the decency to not bring the subject forward when he welcomed them.
After their stay, Eragon would have two options. He could follow Jon and go back to Winterfell and help the North for the coming War and the Winter. Or he could go back to Dragonstone and learn more about Dragons and Targaryens, while helping Daenerys, Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion.
They had discussed it at length during their travel to White Harbor with Saphira and some Eldunaris. They had highlighted the pros and cons of each choice. On the end, they had tried to find the place where Eragon would be the most useful.
At Winterfell, he would be able to help with the preparations of the defences whereas he would be able to teach Daenerys in Dragonstone since she was bound to stay there for a moment. And with Saphira, it would only take a few days to cross Westeros in case of an emergency.
They quickly deduced that his help at Dragonstone was irreplaceable. Blödhgarm and the others would be more than happy to help the North and their defences but the real challenge North laid in the hands of the numerous smiths and the common efforts. Eragon probably could have been a valuable asset there but easily replaced by a few dozen other strong men. Magic too had its limits, especially when it came to mass crafting.
Thus, their stay at White Harbor was quite short. They spent a total of two nights there, during which Eragon was unable to see Saphira. She stayed in the woods with Maudria and no one bothered them during that time. Eragon spent his time browsing the library of the city or talking to Lord Manderly when they required his opinion on some finer aspects of the logistic to carry dragonglass to the North. He also noticed the not-so-subtle attempts from the Lord to present him to his daughter.
He knew that Saphira would never let him forget these evenings, rolling in laugher at the way people mated here.
In the meantime, Jon and Davos were also spending much their time at the port, with several capitaines and the Master of Sea of the city. From the lack of outbursts or angry shouts, they seemed to be doing quite well.
On the morrow ofRhaegal the third day, Eragon bid his farewell to Jon. It was the occasion for the young King to thank Eragon for all his efforts and help. Their goodbyes were short but sincere. They wanted to leave in the first hours, where their departure would be less observed.
He quickly found Saphira, curled in the middle of the forest with her eyes shining with impatience. Maudria had saddled her and she was ready to taker off as soon as Eragon step foot in the small clearing. Without losing a second, he climbed on her bacl and they left.
Barely two weeks after leaving Dragonstone, they were back on the small volcanic island without any troublesduring their travel.
But when they saw the imposing cliffs on the distance, they felt something that they couldn't pin was wrong. It was Saphira who found out the first.
"The dragons, they're not here!" she exclaimed.
Extending his mind, Eragon felt she was right. The island was still far but he knew that even at this distance, he should be able to feel something. And yet, he couldn't find the deep and burning presence of the dragons' minds.
Troubled, Saphira immediately took the direction of the castle that they reached within minutes. Nothing had changed there. Unsullied and Dothrakis still crawled the beach and the plain but contrary to their first arrival, no one was here to greet them.
He also felt that the numbers of the soldiers were much less important than when they had left. In their haste to come back, they hadn't even considered the possibility that Daenerys wouldn't be here.
As Saphira slowly reached the gates leading to the dark castle, a small garrison of Unsullied came on them. With a steady pace, they surrounded Saphira.
Eragon knew they had more than enough energy in their wards to sustain hundreds if not thousands of spears, but he was more worried about the change of climate. They had barely left the island a fortnight ago, in a friendly demeanour, and with Saphira, they should have left a good impression.
None of the Unsullied made a move but Eragon and Maudria didn't dare leave the safety offered by Saphira's back. Nothing good would come out of it. Eragon knew that very few of these soldiers talked the common tongue, so instead, they decided to wait a few moments given that the Unsullied didn't plan to move. They expected someone to come quickly where everything would be explained. Otherwise, Eragon would have no other choice than to invade some of their minds, something he wished to avoid for the time being.
After a few moments of silent waiting, they saw Varys and Melisandre appearing, before taking their time to slowly descend the numerous black steps leading to the castle.
"Eragon, Maudria, we didn't expect you!" exclaimed Varys with his false cheerful voice. Inwardly, Eragon guessed that he was probably annoyed that he had been unable to predict their arrival.
They quickly answered his greeting before focusing on the question which was burning their mind.
"Where are the dragons? I would have expected to see them by now. And why isn't Daenerys here? Or Tyrion for that matter?" enquired Eragon.
"The attention of our Grace can't always be turned towards you Eragon Shadeslayer. She has an entire country to conquer. And Tyrion is helping her, as it is expected of him," answered Varys in his sulky voice.
Politics and lies. Eragon was already bored of it and he knew the worst had yet to come. During his search for the dragons, he hadn't found Daenerys' presence, which he had grown familiar with. Varys hadn't lied per say but he had turned around the truth, which irked him even more.
"Let me scare him for a bit, we will see if he can still speak half-truths. We've just crossed the continent twice , I'm done with politics and I could certainly eat a snack," threatened Saphira.
She emitted a slow growling, which, Eragon knew, was far from being the worst Saphira could do. But still, he noticed some of the men taking a step back and the eyes of Varys widening for a split second. It had been brief, but they had all seen it.
"Listen, we're the last people here who want to hurt or maim dragons. Our only goal is to protect them. We've just travelled back and forth between here and White Harbor. We'd just like to know why we're treated like strangers when we were here not two weeks ago," retorqued Eragon.
Before Varys could answer, Melisandre started talking to the soldiers surrounding them. He couldn't understand what she was saying her but if the movement of their spears was any indication, the Unsullied did. She was talking Valyrian understood Eragon, and instruction to be less hostile.
After a few moments, the soldiers started to step back before getting behind Varys and Melisandre, with their spears planted in the ground.
While it didn't offer them any explanation of Daenerys' whereabouts, it made their arrival feel a bit less frosty and oppressing.
"The Queen has left specific instructions concerning new arrivals. She probably didn't expect you to come back so quickly. You have our deepest apologies for this," answered Varys.
Eragon frowned. From what he understood, Daenerys had left Dragonstone with at least her dragons Tyrion, and some soldiers, probably Dothrakis. Nothing had been mentioned during their previous stay. Sure, he hadn't been invited to all her meetings, but he thought he had had a good overview of her campaign.
"And where has Daenerys Targaryen decided to go?" asked Eragon
The next minutes were a mix of emotions. Daenerys, in a fit of rage, had decided to attack to prove her worth after her last two defeats. Losing the majority of her Westerosi allies had gotten the better of her. Hearing that Casterly Rock had been a trap mere days after their departure had been the last strow.
He just hoped she wouldn't end up doing something she would regret.
"Daenerys is heading West. We have reasons to believe Cersei will attack the Reach and she decided to offer an answer"
"And you couldn't show her what a mistake that was!" exclaimed Eragon! "Her army is still here and she decides to go there by herself?"
"I thought you knew this Rider: dragons can't be tamed. And when Daenerys is set into an idea, very few can change her mindset. Tyrion was able to convince her to take more Dothrakis with her and will probably try to help her more in the coming days." said the red witch, without battling an eye.
"We need to go there, to protect the dragons at least!" said Saphira
"We should at least take a moment to think about it," replied Eragon
"Time is against us here Eragon. And you know as well as I do that you have to protect Daenerys' dragons. They are Saphira's pack, something you also can't forget" said Glaedr, in a voice that left little place for argument.
And Eragon understood that the matter was settled. Nothing he would say would be able to change their minds and, come to think of it, he also wanted to go and protect Daenerys. Maudria hadn't voiced his opinion but he knew that, as an elf, he cared even less about the human matter than Eragon and just wanted to help the dragons.
Immediately, Saphira took the direction of the West, going as fast as she could. The landscapes changed rapidly under her powerful wings. In a few hours, they had crossed the sea and found the Royal Road. Since it was probably the only way to move an army, they simply had to follow its path and hope to find Daenerys and her army at some point.
They just hoped they wouldn't be too late. Her conquest wasn't his priority and he wouldn't take at side or fight for an army at the moment. However, Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion had changed everything. The appearance of dragons had changed what little plans they had. Since Saphira fought Drogon and took the position of alpha, they had known, deep inside, that they would protect them to their best. They couldn't live with the knowledge that they let dragons and their rider, or whatever Daenerys' role in this mess was, suffer and die because of their inaction.
But now, they had to make it slowly, without giving away too much and without the protection of the Ancient Language. Sometimes, Eragon felt it would be easier if they had decided to spent a decade or two alone in the Spine with Saphira after the war against Galbatorix.
Instead, they were now flying above the muddy road, trying to find an army of Dothrakis one or more Dragons and one Mother of Dragons. Not your usual travellers and definitely not the most discrete.
Finally, after a long day of travel and worries, they were able to hear the cries made by a camp of soldiers. But they couldn't hear yet whose side it was. Furthermore, Eragon had no interest in taking part in a fight. He respected Daenerys and her fight but Riders were peace solvers. They needed to understand Cersei's reasons. Perhaps an agreement could be found between the two women and they could work together to work in the North. Because Eragon remembered the cold void he had felt with his mind north of the Wall. He remembered the fear in Rhunön's eyes. And he remembered Jon's words, ominous.
Eragon was more than bored of all these politics, even if he knew that with his position, he would be in the middle of them more often than he would like, to Saphira's great amusement.
They were still a few leagues away from the noises and Eragon's stomach dropped. For the sounds they could hear were of an army fighting, not resting. They had arrived too late and were proven right when a few seconds later, they heard Drogon's unmistakable angry roar.
Moments later, Saphira hidden with one of Eragon's spell, flew above the battlefield. Chaos reigned there, with horses running wild and Drogon creating havoc with his fire.
Daenerys' army had the advantage of surprise. The Dothrakis had emerged out of nowhere, rapidly closing the distance between them and the Lannister army. They were clearly unmatched on horses. He saw and felt dozens of soldiers wearing red tunics die, hit by arrows launched from galloping horses, something he had only seen Arya doing before.
Drogon's jaw opened and once more, inferno erupted from the creature made flesh. Daenerys stood there, her eyes glowing, unfazed by the heat and the show happening below her dragon.
Viserion and Rhaegal weren't in sight but Drogon was more than enough to bring the whole battalion down.
Eragon, Saphira and Maudria were the silent spectators to this battle, silently watching it unfolding and already knowing the outcome. Because at this point, Eragon couldn't see anything that would give the Lannister army the upper hand.
However, he saw a few reckless moves which ended more often than not with the deaths of a few Dothrakis, but it wasn't enough, especially with Drogon completely unchallenged.
Tyrion's cry shifted their attention and offered a name to the lone horseman fiercely going in the direction of Drogon and Daenerys with a spear. Jaime Lannister, Tyrion's older brother, was on suicide mission and looked like he was trying to bring down Daenerys with him.
It happened very quickly. Drogon saw the lone horsemen and turned his giant maw to grill him alive and protect Daenerys. However, before the flames reached the horse, Jaime Lannister was roughly pushed into the deep water by another soldier.
And with the disappearance of their leader, the battle was over, as quickly and suddenly as it had started.
The remaining soldiers were round up, surrounded by Dothrakis. Most looked afraid and kept looking left and right desperately. Their company had just been decimated in a matter of minutes by what many thought to be a creature of legends with barely any second thought and without much trouble. Said legend currently stood atop a small cliff with Daenerys next to him. The grounds were covered by ashes and burnt skeletons, something Eragon was all too familiar with.
Footsteps in the middle of the ashes were the only proof of his passage before disappearing, erased by the wind, as he slowly made his way to the large gathering made of the surviving soldiers. Their backs were turned on him
"I know what Cersei has told you," started Daenerys before pausing. "That I've come to destroy your cities, burn down your houses, murder your children. That's Cersei Lannister, not me. I'm not here to murder. And all I want to destroy is the wheel that is rolled over rich and poor to the benefit of no but the Cersei Lannister of the world. I offer you a choice: bend the knee and join me. Together we will leave a better place than we have found it. Or refuse, and die!" she concluded, looking straight ahead at the surviving soldiers.
The effect was immediate and with barely a second thought, the large majority of the Lannister soldiers dropped to the ground, bending the knee.
But two remained defiantly up.
A father and his son realised Eragon with horror. He had to stop this. If Daenerys was to follow her idea, she would inspire fear and mistrust in all Westeros, something she claimed to avoid. He silently made his way next to Daenerys, who stood next to Drogon, her dark leather attire blending close to his black scales.
Drogon had definitely felt him. The black dragon started to growl from his close presence but didn't make a move. Saphira had remained hidden with Maudria but the black dragon most certainly knew she was there. He probably had smelt or heard her, probably both. Eragon could still hear the slow grumbling made from Saphira's breathing if he focused on it.
Daenerys was completely unaware of Drogon's internal turmoil, cementing Eragon's opinion that she had still a lot to learn.
"Eragon, the human with the golden hand survived along with someone else, probably the one who pushed him. They're on the other side of the river" said Maudria.
"This was to be expected, they managed to avoid Drogon's flames from what we saw," supplied Eragon
"Yes, but you've seen and heard Tyrion like I did. This one has value, and we could learn about the Lannister," replied the elf
"Do it safely and try to avoid being seen by Daenerys or Tyrion then, or anyone for that matter. But from what I see, it shouldn't be too complicated," concluded Eragon, sharing what he was currently seeing.
As he concluded this, he received the equivalent of a mental nod from Maudria who went to his task.
Tyrion was also there and was trying to change his Queen's opinion, but to no avail it seemed. Behind the Dothrakis' horses, Eragon removed the spell hiding him and made his presence known.
Dothrakis immediately stated to surround him but Eragon didn't move. His wards were up and he knew if they decided to fight him, it would be a disaster, but not for him. Instead, he remained still, watching Daenerys and Tyrion. He saw their eyes widening and a look of surprise crossed their features for a brief moment.
"Eragon" whispered Daenerys but he heard it nevertheless.
He also saw Tyrion looking around and, in the air, probably trying to find Saphira. But the dragon in question was hidden, protected by dense bushes and by powerful spells that wouldn't fall anytime soon.
The soldiers were also wondering about this new appearance. Only the veteran soldier standing tall and proud, had remained motionless, watching straight ahead.
The only reaction from the Dothrakis was to tighten the ring around the prisoners.
Still in shock, Daenerys absently ordered the Dothrakis to let Eragon walk towards her. At least, she was willing to hear him out thought Eragon. Without sparring them a glance, he continued forward, in Daenerys's direction.
He quickly reached her petite figure. Even though she was definitely smaller, she wasn't impressed and met his gaze without flinching.
"You went to war" said Eragon, his voice even.
"War came to me!" answered the young lady, her eyes blazing with fury "They destroyed my fleet and killed my allies. I couldn't stand and watch Cersei destroy the small advantage I had built!"
"Does that mean that these men need to die?" he asked, pointing to the two men still standing.
"I've offered them another possibility. There were given the choice to bend the knee and they refused," Answered Daenerys.
"I found him, there was another one with him so I knocked him out and left him on the bank. He never saw me" said Maudria
"Good. I need to deal with Daenerys, she's set on another idea that could destroy her later" replied Eragon, before refocusing his whole attention on the young woman
"I beg you to reconsider you Grace, the Tarlys don't need to die" added Tyrion, almost begging.
Tyrion definitely was on his side for this matter. But Eragon couldn't forget that he had just taken a hostage, a man who was Tyrion's brother and the murderer of Daenerys' father. Not the easiest situation overall. And yet, the men refusing to bend the knee had once been supporters of the Targaryens if Eragon remember correctly what he had read about the Rebellion.
"Listen Daenerys. You once told me that Drogon deprived a father of his son, and that lead to one of your biggest mistakes in Essos. Will you now consciously let Drogon deprive a son of his father? Because you know the Tarly. I'm sure Jon has told you about Sam Tarly, his best friend at the Wall" asked Eragon
He knew his argument had hit true when her eyes widened. For the first time, he saw doubt in her eyes.
"Have you considered Drogon's position too. How do you think he feels, being considered as a killing machine by his mother?"
She looked speechless for a moment before facing him again.
"Drogon isn't my killing machine" whispered Daenerys, defiantly. But the fury in her eyes had dimmed.
"Is it? Have you thought about it? Dragons respect power. There's no honour in killing men without weapons, prisoners," started Eragon. "I know you've closed your mind and you don't even feel Drogon's emotions. Otherwise, you would have known we were here before. But still, think about how Drogon will perceive it and how the reast of Westeros will perceive it," continued the young Rider.
"They've refused to surrender and to bend the knee!" stated the young woman, but it lacked intensity and both of them knew it.
"And so, you've decided to burn them alive, just like your father did," retorted Eragon.
This time, Tyrion also widened his eyes. He knew he had pushed her; he just didn't know how far though. But she needed to understand this, she needed to understand war and that she would rarely find complete satisfaction.
Her eyes flashed with anger, indignation and shock. She certainly hadn't expected this.
"Don't you dare compare me to my father. I am nothing like him" whispered Daenerys furiously, her face mere inches away from Eragon's.
"Then prove it. You fought the Tarlys, fine. You won. Show the kind of ruler you want to be. What's to be understood from a Queen who kills her prisoners."
"So, what should I do? Release him and prove that my words mean nothing?"
"Send him to the Wall. He's a Lord, and was until very recently, one of Cersei's advisors. From what I've learnt, the Wall is a harsh punishment. And he is a good strategist. Believe it or not, but we need all capable fighters against the dead."
She saidnothing, only watching him in the eyes.
Slowly, she turned to face both Tarly, who hadn't moved. Eragon had to admit, they had guts to stand proud like this, facing their death without flinching, especially with Drogon looming over him.
"Randell Tarly. You've openly defied me and my authority. You will be sent to the Wall, to become a Brother of the Night's Watch and to defend the realm of men." she declared
"Unable to kill me? Already an oath breaker? I won't go to the North to help these barbarians!" replied the old Lord.
"I could end your family name here and now. But I won't. I'm not here to create more bloodshed. The North needs you. Not to fight the living. But to defend them against the dead."
He scoffed but didn't comment more. He probably knew there was nothing he could do but he couldn't hide the anger present in his eyes. She said a few words to the Dothrakis who grabbed him and tied his hands in his back.
Eragon released the breath he was holding. Now that this situation had been dealt with, he had to interrogate his new prisoner. And find a way to let Daenerys accept it. He had certainly not gotten into her good graces today, but it had to be done.
Moreover, he couldn't take a position without trying to understand each point of view, which is why he would interrogate Jamie Lannister and hopefully later, his sister, Cersei.
He had to do this, since Eragon had quickly understood that probably no one could be a match for him here. If he decided, he would probably be able to kill Cersei, Daenerys, Jon and Sansa and become the ruler of Westeros. So, if he had to fight someone, he had to make sure he didn't make a mistake.
All of this was getting to Eragon. Sometimes, he wondered what would have happened if Saphira and him had decided to remain in the small forest next to Garrow's farm, hidden from everyone, without the menace of Galbatorix. Maybe they could have tried something peaceful with small farm.
"Don't overthink this. We're here now. And you know as much as I do that this silly dream of your is impossible little one. You attract too much troubles" said Saphira softly
It was easy for dragons. They scarcely thought about past mistakes and usually only thought about the present. But deep down, he knew she was right – "as always" taunted Saphira- but it didn't make it any less easy.
This is the end of the chapter! I hope you've enjoyed it!
As always, reviews and critics are appreciated! A good incentive to publish faster! Critics help me a lot to improve and adapt! I try to answer all your messages and take them into account! Can we try to reach 10 reviews ? That would be amazing!
Thank you all and stay safe!