Nothing Burns Like The Cold (Game of Thrones fanfiction)

Daenerys IV

Daenerys IV

She never understood what cold really was. Standing on the bow of the ship, the brisk, cold winds bit at her tear stained face, pushing back the overwhelming need to scream into the dark emptiness of the sea. The stars looked down on her through lifting storm clouds, Dany whispered back to them, please save Jon, even though my boy is gone, please don't take him too. Dany shivered, pulling the blanket tight around her shoulders.

The purple shades of the morning were beginning to lighten the horizon, cresting on their third day at sea. Ser Davos said they'd be sailing by the Grey Cliffs this morning, and as the ship passed within their sights, Dany frowned as memories of this place came back to her; The Grey Cliffs, the last time I ever touched Viserion, had my family all together, was on those cliffs...

When she had flown north to rescue Jon, Dany soared over the vast white emptiness of the North; hugging the coastline most of the way, every mile growing colder with each passing hour. Dany had stopped once to rest, her hands stiffening from the prolonged cold. Her dragons growled and shook as they touched the snowy ground for the first time on the icy cliffs, The Grey Cliffs, overlooking the Shivering Sea. They hated the cold, Dany could tell immediately. The strange, cold and wet sensation had her dragons hopping from one foot to the next, trying to find nonexistent patches of dry land to stand on. It made her laugh to watch these fearsome animals shake snow from their feet like cold chickens. As the ground shook from their bouncing weight, Dany flexed and stretched her hands and legs. She couldn't believe that she had flown since dawn and now, at midday, she was no closer to the Wall supposedly so big you couldn't miss it. The North was a boundless frozen desert, how people survived up here was beyond her comprehension. She understood now why Northerners earned a reputation for being undauntedly strong; you have to be to survive this cold.

It couldn't be much further, she had surmised. She gave Rhaegal and Viserion a hardy rub, kisses on snouts, and was back on Drogon within minutes. It took another hour before she saw the Wall in the distance approaching fast. The raven had said they were not far beyond it, so Dany flew inland and over the top of the Wall, looking down to see small black-clad figures of the Night's Watch along the top of it, pointing up at her and announcing her arrival with a blow of a horn. She flew right over them, close enough to see their faces, as they cheered and whooped loudly, Bring them home! I will, I promise, she told herself. She flew due north from Eastwatch, hoping to find them soon, praying she wasn't too late.

Dany scanned the frozen landscape as Drogon sped up, Rhaegal and Viserion followed close behind. Up ahead she saw the darkened sky of a rainstorm; thick, billowy clouds, ominous and fast-moving, unnatural. That's it, she knew, squeezing Drogon harder, he knew where to go. As they had approached the storm, cresting over a jagged mountaintop, the valley floor below them opened up to reveal the horror Jon could never possibly convey- hundreds of thousands of blue-eyed dead men running toward the center of an icy lake. Dany swooped down and caught a glimpse of her warriors fighting for their lives, they were surrounded and about to be overrun. JON!

She had gripped Drogon tight in fear and determination, and he knew what to do, releasing a maelstrom of fire that melted the icy water in front of Jon, incinerating the corpses with it, her boys followed their brother's lead. Dany circled, looking down for a spot to land and caught Jon's gaze looking up at her, Oh Gods, he's alive. Her heart jumped as she landed and set to clearing the area with dragon fire. Jon had run to her immediately and all she wanted was to pull him up and kiss him until he promised never to leave her side again. But as they reached for each other, Jon saw more danger and ran to defend their escape. He was almost within reach. The horde was advancing across the lake despite the broken ice and firestorms. COME ON!!! We can't stay here any longer! Jorah screamed for Jon, panic ensued, and then life changed forever.