The Wars to Come - J.S.

22 - LEAVING

— dragonstone —

Aurora's eyes open to find Jon sitting in a chair at her bedside. She smiles at him as they meet eyes but her smile soon fades as the pain from her injuries floods through her again. A large gash runs from her shoulder straight down past her collarbone. There is also a giant purple and black bruise covering her forearm from when she landed on it after flying from her horse's back. And to top it all off, her side throbs when she breathes, also from the rough landing she took. 

He holds her hand between both of his and shushes her. "Just relax Rory, you're hurt." 

"Did we win?" are the first words she manages, her face still scrunched up in pain. 

Jon lets out a humorless breath of a laugh, "Aurora, that's the first thing you think of? Yes, you did win. But you're hurt. You're going to be alright but you're gonna need to rest for a while."

"Rest? Never heard of it." she jokes.

Another laugh, though this time it's more genuine as her voice begins to calm his nerves. 

"Someone else has been waiting to see you." he says, "I'll be back later," he leans down to kiss her forehead softly, a smile on his face as he pulls away.

She only has to wait a moment in confusion before the door opens again.

"Jorah?" she breathes.

He approaches her with a small smile and an even bigger one appears on her face as she tries to lift herself up with one arm to get out of the bed. 

"No, Aurora, don't get up!" he scolds, moving quickly to her side and placing his hands gently on her shoulders to ease her back down into the pillow. 

"But-" she begins, but the hard stare she receives from her brother silences her. 

"You told me to get better, and to come back. I did. Now you have to get better." 

"So you are.." she begins, a hopeful tone to her voice but with a bit of doubt, "Better?"

He nods. "Samwell Tarly cured me." 

"Sam?" 

Jorah tells her all about how her friend from the Night's Watch cured his greyscale against the wishes of the Maesters. And soon Aurora's energy has run out, and sleep takes her once more.

—

The next morning Daenerys comes to see her and tells her about what happened after she fell unconscious. 

"After it ended, the Dothraki went around looking for survivors, and after I spoke to the surviving Lannister men, they brought you over to me. I thought you were dead, Aurora. I -" she pauses and takes a breath, Aurora can see the fear that flashes through her best friend's eyes. 

"I'm not dead. I'm alright." she assures her and Daenerys squeezes her hand in response. "Everything that happened to me, happened because I was fighting for you. I do not regret that at all. So please don't feel bad about it, Dany. We have many more fights to come, and I will proudly fight for you in every single one, no matter what."

—

Jon is the one to tell her all the details of their plan. While she had been resting, the Queen and her council had developed a plan to convince Cersei of the threat to the North. 

"We're going beyond the wall to capture a wight."

"I'll come with you." 

A smile plays on his lips as his eyes shut in amusement. "Aurora, I know how hard it is for you to stay still and get better, but you must."