A Song of Ash and Smoke | a continuation of A Song of Ice and Fire

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐯𝐞𝐯𝐞

She could see them, creeping through the trees. They far outnumbered the Dornishmen and had surrounded the unwitting men in their golden armor, the ones who stood outside the city walls. A blue banner whipped in the distance, bearing the silver crescent moon and falcon of the Vale. Unsettled, Gen returned to her own body, gasping unevenly. "It's true, Jaehaera."

"Do you see anywhere to release the smallfolk?" She asked anxiously. 

"None," Genyveve answered sadly. "The whole city is surrounded. It will be any minute now."

Rowana turned to them. "Then we must wait until the city is seiged. Keep Danaerys unwitting."

They stood in Jaehaera's chambers, where Jae paced nervously in front of the window. The sun had set, the dark sky above providing the perfect cover for the assailants. The smallfolk had left the gates where they'd been shouting at Danaerys's soldiers, after Yara's men marched to quell their protests - the streets were now empty and desolate. Unsullied and Second Sons patrolled the fortress walls, while Yara's men remained in the city, carefully observing for any sign of a threat. Danaerys herself was in the small council chambers with Yara, Daario, and Grey Worm. But when Gen looked out the window, she could see the dragons awakening, alerted to something in the far-off distance. 

"Go back out, Gen," Jaehaera begged. "Drogon hears something, I can see it."

When Gen did, she could see that the knights of the Vale had begun to wage their attack - and when she returned once more, the cries of men fighting could now be heard from outside the city. It was a horrible sound. The clash of metal against metal, the shouts of dying men. The city, quiet only moments ago, was now awakened as the Unsullied clamored to see where the noise originated from. Jaehaera blew out a breath. "There is no keeping my mother unwitting now. She will want me to join her."

"What about the baby?" Rowana sounded so frightened.

"She doesn't know," Jaehaera admitted. "And I'd like to keep it that way."

"Go, now, Jae. We will meet you and keep guard over the smallfolk until there is an opportunity to let them escape," Gen told her. 

Jaehaera was taken aback for a moment. It was so strange to see Gen, ten-and-four now, yet so brazen in her own power now that she had learned to control the sight. Bran had taught her well - and she seemed so wise beyond her years, despite the childish plumpness in her cheeks. She and Rowana both were dressed so differently than they once were - both clad in brown leather, with impressive wolfskin cloaks, a far cry from the plain linen dresses they'd once worn when they were considered smallfolk themselves. Rowana still seemed herself in a way, even though she was becoming increasingly nervous. Gen, however, was stoic as Bran himself, having already observed the chaos to ensue. 

Then the shouts from the wall. "Riders!" 

All three knew it had now begun as soldiers began to rush from the Red Keep to the garrisons, calling to each other and screaming commands. Jaehaera looked out the window once more and saw a crowd of soldiers bolting to the dragonpit, her mother's white hair bobbing between them. "We need to get to the dragonpit, now."

Together, they sprinted as fast as their feet could carry them. The cobblestones seemed to grow, the distance felt so much longer, and the minutes seemed to be shorter. They could hear resistance at the gates, clamoring and banging. Then a sickening thud against the gate, and another, until the thunderous sound of the gate collapsing with a final groan, and a stampede of boots pooling into the city walls. Finally, they reached the dragonpit, just as Danaerys took to the sky. 

"Run," Jae screamed at them. "Quickly, get to your dragons."

Comet and Sapphyre were alert when the sisters approached them, though they appeared to shrink from the noise. Gen felt her heart sink. The dragons would be too young, too small to withstand an assault if they did not escape the city. Then her heart dropped to her stomach as another horrifying sound rang through the pit - a low growl.