The Gathering Storm | Aemond Targaryen

Chapter 23

Haera had given one last look down at the ground below her, her eyes finding Cregan as the lord stood alone in the vast white landscape.

The winds that had been blocked previously by the ravine slammed into Haera full force as they rose higher. Despite all the layers she was wrapped in she could still feel the cold seeping through to not at her skin. Her eyes burned as the winds hit them and she could feel the resulting tears because of it begin to surface.

It would be a tougher flight returning south than it was heading north. There was a storm blowing in from the farthest parts of the north and she wasn't going to be flying straight on until morning. She would have to be more careful.

Despite it being midday, it felt like evening was settling as Haera steered Stormdancer slightly south east to where she knew the White Knife river lay. If she could find the river she could follow it south to White Harbor.

Stormdancer flew fast. The wind whistling over his wings as he angled him though the sky like an arrow. Despite his size and strength the northern winds tripled the work for the he-dragon. His wings had to beat harder and he had to push more to stay on course as the wind tried to knock him in different direction.

Any other dragon wouldn't have been able to make it from Kings Landing to Winterfell in a day and Haera prided herself and Stormdancer on that monumental feat. On any other dragon it would have taken a handful of days. 

With the storm Haera had a feeling their flight back would take that many.

When she flew north she was trying to put as much distance between her and Kings Landing as possible. She had pushed Stormdancer harder than he had ever been pushed.

This time she had to be more careful and level headed.

After several hours in the saddle she could see the skies growing ever darker as the blizzard clawed at their backs. The touched down on the fork of the White Knife and it's smaller counterpart, the one she cared not to remember the name of.

The break wasn't long. Only enough to eat some of the dried meat that Elyse had put into Haeras satchel and relieve herself. Then she was back in the saddle and Stormdancer was up in the air again.

The absolute vastness and emptiness of the North still surprised Haera as they shot over empty rocky terrain, following the white rapids of the river south. There were towns but they were few and far between. A handful of times she knew she startled a couple people as she winged over the tiny roofs of their homes. At one point someone let out a scream.

Both dragon and rider where ten leagues from White Harbor when the sun finally set and the storm caught them.

The effect was almost immediate. The winds grew ever stronger and fat white snow flakes began falling in such large quantities that the visibility was cut in half. The ground perished beneath them and the horizon faded into nothing.

Stormdancer let out a screech as he flew blindly, unable to tell where he was going. In what could only be frustration he spit forth a jet of fire, momentarily giving them both some light.

Not that it did anything.

Directions began to blur along with Haeras thoughts as she tried to regain full control of her dragon. Eventually she had no choice but to angle them downwards towards solid ground. 

"Ilagon Stormdancer! Tegon!"

It should have been an easy feat landing, but it proved to be anything but. As they began their rapid decent downwards, the tips of trees became visible almost out of nowhere, like they had suddenly swung from the earth in seconds.