Silver Stag

Lost Allies

[Dragonstone - Cliffs]

Tyrion was walking along the cliffs and saw Jon standing alone looking out into the ocean.

He approached and began speaking to him. "I came out here to brood over my failure to predict the Greyjoy attack. My niece warned me and I ignored her. You're making it difficult. You look a lot better brooding than I do. You make me feel like I'm failing at brooding over failing."

"I'm a prisoner on this island."

"I wouldn't say you're a prisoner on this island. You're free to walk the castle, the beaches, to go wherever you want."

"Except to my ship. They took my ship."

"I wouldn't say we took your ship."

"I'm not playing word games with you. The dead are coming for us all."

"Why don't you figure out what to do about my missing fleet and murdered allies, and I'll figure out what to do about your walking dead men."

"It's hard for me to fathom. It really is. If someone told me about the White Walkers and the Night King-" Jon paused and hung his head. "You probably don't believe me."

"I do actually."

"You didn't before. Grumpkins and snarks you called them. Do you remember? You said it was all nonsense."

"It was all nonsense. Everybody knew it. But then Jeor Mormont saw them and you saw them, and I trust the eyes of an honest man more than I trust what everybody knows."

"How do I convince people who don't know me that an enemy they don't believe in is coming to kill them all?"

"Good question."

"I know it's a good question. I'm looking for an answer."

"People's minds aren't made for problems that large. White Walkers, the Night King, Army of the Dead, it's almost a relief to confront a familiar monster like my sister."

"I need to help prepare my people for what's coming. I can't help them from here. I'd like to leave."

"It seems unlikely that you became Warden of the North by giving up that easily."

"Everyone told me to learn from my father's mistakes. Don't go South. Don't answer a summons from the Mad King's daughter, a foreign invader. And here I am. A northern fool."

"Children are not their fathers, luckily for all of us. And sometimes there's more to foreign invaders than northern fools that meets the eye. Daenerys could have sailed for Westeros long ago but she didn't. Instead she stayed where she was and saved many people from horrible fates, some of whom are on this island with us right now. While you're our guest here, you might consider asking them what they think of the Mad King's daughter. She protects people from monsters, just as you do. That's why she came here. And she's not about to head North to fight an enemy she's nevr seen on a word of a man she doesn't know after a single meeting. That's not a reasonable thing to ask."

Jon turned and began to walk away.

"So do you have anything reasonable to ask?"

Jon stopped, turning back around. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe you are a Northern fool. I'm asking if there's something I can do to help you."

[Chamber Of The Painted Table]

Daenerys and Tyrion were seated around the table, engaged in a discussion.

"Dragonglass?" Daenerys asked.

"Yes. Volcanic glass, obsidian. He says you have a tremendous amount of it here."

"Why are we talking about glass? We just lost two of our allies."

"Which is why I was speaking to Jon Snow, a potential ally."

"And this Warden of the North, who refuses to bend the knee, wants Dragonglass to defeat the supposed army of the dead?"

"Yes. Apparently it can be turned into weapons that kill White Walkers and their foot soldiers, or stop them, destroy them. I'm unsure of the nomenclature."

"And what do you think of this Army of the Dead and White Walkers and Night Kings?"

"I'd very much like to believe that Jon Snow is wrong, but a wise man once said that you should nevr believe a thing simply because you want to believe it."

"Which wise man said this?"

"I don't remember."

"Are you trying to present your own statements as ancient wisdom?"

"I would nevr do that...to you. The reason I believe Jon Snow is because he's here. All of his advisors would have told him not to come. I would have told him not to come, yet he's here anyway. You don't have to believe him. Let him mine the Dragonglass. If he's wrong, it's worthless. You didn't even know it was here. It's nothing to you. Give him something by giving him nothing. Take a step toward a more productive relationship with a possible ally. Keep him occupied while we focus on the task at hand. Casterly Rock."

[Dragonstone - Walkways]

Daenerys was at the bottom of the path looking out into the ocean. Her dragons were flying over the ocean and over the mountains in the distance.