The Wars to Come - J.S.

17 - BROTHER

— vaes dothrak —

"I banished you, twice. You came back, twice. And you saved my life. So I can't take you back and I can't send you away." the Queen speaks to Jorah as she stands with him and Daario on a cliff overlooking Vaes Dothrak. 

She steps closer and he steps backwards. "You must send me away." He then rolls up his sleeve and shows her the quickly growing greyscale on his arm. 

"Is there a cure?" she asks with furrowed brows and with fear in her voice.

"I don't know." he answers. 

Her next question is how long does it take to which he gives the same response. 

"But I've seen what happens when it goes far enough. I'll end things before that." he explains to a solemn looking Daenerys. 

"Does Aurora know?" she asks.

He shakes his head and looks at his feet. "Not yet."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Daenerys shakes her head as tears start to well in her eyes.

"Don't be. All I've ever wanted was to serve you. Tyrion Lannister was right. I love you. I'll always love you." there is a pause and then he meets her eyes again, "Goodbye Khaleesi." 

He turns to head down to the city and find his sister, but she stops him.

"Do not walk away from your Queen, Jorah the Andal. You have not been dismissed." she pauses as the tears start to fall and he stares back at her in confusion, "You pledged yourself to me. You swore to obey my commands for the rest of your life." 

He bows his head in agreement, a look on confusion still on his face. 

"Well, I command you to find the cure, wherever it is in this world. I command you to heal yourself and then return to me. When I take the Seven Kingdoms, I need you by my side."

He nods and now a slight smile graces his lips as he turns to head back into the city to find Aurora Mormont.

When he finds her she is playing with some children. A large smile rests on her face and laughter fills the air around her. He can't help but smile as he watches the kind-hearted, young woman whom he has come to care for so deeply. 

She looks up and sees him watching her and jogs over after excusing herself from the children.

She opens her arms to him for a hug but when he holds his out to stop her, her smile turns into a frown. 

"What's wrong?" 

He rolls up his sleeve and shows her the scaly flesh of his arm, it has spread fast and now covers almost his entire forearm. 

"Greyscale." she whispers, and she is sure Jorah can hear her heart breaking. She just lost her father, and now her brother has a disease that will turn him into someone she won't even recognize. 

"I'm leaving. I'm going to try to find a cure." he says softly. 

She tears her eyes away from his arm and meets his eyes. He can see the tears welling up in her eyes, and he smiles sadly at her. 

"Don't die, please. Come back." she begs. 

He nods, and with one last shared smile, he turns and walks away from her. 

Daario finds her later, as they are about to leave, and he watches as she hastily wipes her cheeks and stands up to join him. 

He hands her sword back to her, the sword Jorah gave her, and she smiles as the weapon rests in her hands once more. A piece of her brother that she carries with her every day.

They mount their horses and join Daenerys at the front line. 

Daenerys looks across at Aurora when she rides up beside her, "Ready?" Daenerys asks.

It's Dany's way of asking if she will be okay, without actually saying the words, keeping Aurora's emotions private from the people surrounding them.

Aurora lets a smile appear on her face as she glances behind her at the Dothraki, and then at her Queen. "Always."

—

In the middle of a canyon, Daenerys halts their march. 

"Something wrong?" Daario asks, as he and Aurora look at the woman between them.

"How many days ride to Meereen?" she asks.

"A week at best." Daario answers.

"How many ships will I need to bring my Khalasar to Westeros?"

"The Dothraki and all their horses, the Unsullied, the Second Sons." Daario lists, and pauses as he thinks of his answer, "A thousand ships, easily. Probably more."

"And who has that many?"

"Nobody." Aurora answers simply.

"Nobody yet." Daenerys argues. 

"So we ride for Meereen and after that we sail for Westeros. What then?" Daario asks.

"I take what is mine."

"You weren't made to sit on a chair in a palace." Daario replies, Aurora and Daenerys both smile at that.

"What was I made for?"

"You're a conqueror, Daenerys Stormborn." he answers, and Daenerys stares ahead of them, looking at something the others cannot see.

"Wait here." she orders, and rides off until they can't see her anymore.

Aurora and Daario share a confused look, but they follow her orders nonetheless. 

She isn't sure how long they are waiting for, but her horse is beginning to get restless, moving around and making nervous sounds.

She pats him on the neck and tries to soothe him. He seems to settle with her touch, until they all hear a screech in the distance, just as Daario announces that he is going after her.

Everyone turns towards the sound, fear spreading across some of their faces, and a smirk spreading across Aurora's as she realizes what is coming.

His shadow eclipses them all as he flies above them, all of the Dothraki tilt their heads back to look at the creature flying overhead.

He is bigger than the last time that Aurora saw him. Bigger and more beautiful. 

The horses nervous whinnies mix with the shouts of the Dothraki and Drogon's screeching. 

Aurora smiles widely as Daenerys lands in front of them and Drogon roars fiercely.

Daenerys begins to speak, her power and strength flowing through her words. Daario translates for Aurora, as she doesn't know much Dothraki yet. 

Daenerys tells them that she will not choose three blood riders like the Khals do, she is not a Khal. She chooses them all to be her blood riders, and they all cheer in response. 

She asks them to ride the wooden horses across the black salt sea. To kill her enemies in their iron suits and tear down their stone houses. To give her the Seven Kingdoms. To be with her now, and always. 

This time Daario and Aurora cheer with them, they cheer for their Khaleesi.