A Dragon's Flame

Chapter Fifty-One

"Khaleesi!" I go to her and gently flip her to her back. Irri takes her head in her lap.

Ser Jorah unsheathes his sword, stopping Qotho in his tracks."No further, horse lord."

Daenerys starts to moan in pain, I grab her hand.

"Everything will be alright Daenerys," I whisper.

I hear a clash of swords as Ser Jorah's longsword meets Qotho's Arakh.

Qotho is quick, slashing Jorah in the face. My heart stops. My eyes are glued to the fight. But my heart stops when the incantations from the tent become more strange Mirri Maz Duur is not singing alone. Stange, monstrous voices join her.

Ser Jorah eventually gains the upper hand and lands a fatal blow to Qotho's head.

Ser Jorah rushes to Daenerys side. He looks from me to her desperately. "Is she hurt?"

Daenerys moans. "The baby..."

Jonah's brows knit. "Hmm?"

"... is coming." She whispers. Her eyes close as she moans in pain. I squeeze her hand tightly in my mine.

Jorah lifts her gently in his arms. "Fetch the midwives." He spits at Rakharo.

Rakharo shakes his head. "They will not come. They say she is cursed."

"They'll come or I'll have their heads!" Jorah looks at me, I can't help but cry, my heart aches for her.

Rakharo points at the tent. "The witch - she can bring baby. l hear her say so."

Ser Jorah looks toward the tent and starts walking toward it. I grab his arm and he turns toward me.

"My dream Ser Jorah! You cant! Please!" My breath comes in bursts between sobs.

"Stop crying child. The rest of Khal Drogo's bloodriders will be here soon. You must protect Daenerys with Rakharo and the others."

I know I have no choice. Ser Jorah enters the tent with a moaning Daenerys in his arms. I give her one last look and draw my longsword.

The men of Daenerys Khas draw their weapons as well.

Only moments later Cohollo and Haggo push past the crowd into the clearing in front of the tent.

"What is this?" Haggo yells.

I stand ready. "No further. No one enters this tent."

"You witch! You have killed our Khal!" Haggo pulls out his curved blade.

Cohollo spits. "You and the silver-haired bitch. You planned this all along! Using your spells on our Khal."

He screams and runs toward me with arakh flashing. It's all I can do to parry his weapon and dash out of the way.

He swings and I pull away, bringing my longsword up to stab at him. He uses his weapon avert mine, but Dragons Claw still manages to cut a long wound across his chest and arm.

He growls in anger, his swings only becoming faster.

He brings his arakh toward my head, I sidestep but I still feel a sharp pain down my cheek and neck.

I'm no match for his strength, but I'm fast, the more he comes at me, the more I can duck and dive out the way. His swings becoming slower and clumsier as he gets tired.

I roll and slash my sword across his thigh, he yells in pain and drops to the ground on his knees. I jump up and plunge my sword into his back.

Rakharo and the others have killed Haggo. They look at me with wide eyes.

I hurriedly wipe Dragons Claw and sheath it. I bring my hand up to my face and when I look at my hands they are covered in blood.

A high pitched scream emerges from Daenerys tent.

Daenerys!" I scream. "Dany!"

I burst into the tent before anyone can stop me. It takes my eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dark.

Khal Drogo is in a tub full of blood. Inhuman shadows dance on the walls.

Daenerys screams as she writhes in pain on the ground, Mirri Maz Duur kneels over her.

Blood is everywhere. It covers the walls, the floor. Ser Jorah is there, covered in it. His eyes grow wide.

"Get out!" He screams. "Get out! You stupid girl!"

I shake my head. The strange shadows and chanting start to fade away.

"My dream Ser Jorah! It's exactly like my dream!" I start to sob.

He takes my arm. "I know. I'm sorry."

I look at Daenerys. "Will she die?"

"I do not know." He mumbles. "She says she can deliver the baby." He motions toward Mirri Maz Duur.

I slowly walk over to the woman. "Can I help?"

She doesn't glance at me as she works over Daenerys, who seems to be going in and out of consciousness. "Grab me my bag, it has something to help."

I nod and do as I'm told. She works helping Daenerys deliver her baby for what feels like hours. I just held Daenerys' hand and whispered the few songs from the Seven Kingdoms I know from my childhood.

The other handmaids bustled around as well. Helping the Mirri Maz Duur with the delivery, fetching things when she asked then too.

I could tell Daenerys was having awful dreams, she moaned and screamed through her unconscious. I wish I could be there in her stead.

Finally, the baby came. But there was no newborn cry. So I refused to look at it. But there was a horrible stench, and he handmaids cried and screamed when they saw it.

I buried my face into Daenerys' hair and sobbed. She was unconscious, but I knew she would be devastated when she woke.

I don't know what they did with the baby. I helped the handmaids clean up Daenerys and put her to bed.

Mirri Maz Duur looks at my face. "Would you like me to stitch up that wound my lady?"

I ignore her question and kneel beside Daenerys' bed. Taking her hand in mine gently. "Will she be alright?"

"She will my lady. She will most likely sleep for a few days. She needs rest. Please let me clean your wound at least."

I turn and glare at her. "Get away from us. Your ritual is the reason her baby died."

She backs away. "I did nothing the Khaleesi did not instruct me to do."

Eventually, I let Irri clean and stitch my wound. But I dare not let Mirri Maz Duur near me or Daenerys.

I never left her side. I held her hand until she woke up days later.