A Dance With Death || Arya Stark & Daenerys Targaryen

Creatures Of Legend

ARYA

It was an hour later when they reached the place the dragons were. The two majestic beasts lay gracefully on the scorched ground beneath them, surrounding them were the carcasses and bones of their prey. Arya still could not quite believe that these great creatures of legend were in fact in front of her. She thought at any moment she might wake up from a dream and find herself in bed beneath layers of animal skins and sheets. She blinked and smiled, awestruck and motionless.

      "This is Drogon." Daenerys said walking over and stroking the one larger one with scales as black as coal apart from the steaks of blood red spikes along its spine. "And that it Rhaegal." She said pointing to the other who had scales as green as grass. "Named after my brother Rhaegar." At that moment the one called Drogon lifted his head and roared a fearsome word. Arya nodded slowly, her mouth still slightly agape, she didn't quite know what to say.

     "They're..." but the words fled from her. "They're..."

     "Better than horses." Daenerys said beaming. Arya looked back to her, confused and watched as the Targaryen started to climb up the dragon's wing and onto his back. Her eyes widened.

"So it's true. You can ride them." Arya shouted up to her to try and be heard over the various gentle grunts of the dragons, "Like in the songs."

     "Well I have never heard these songs." Daenerys spoke loudly, Arya could see she was deep in thought about something, until she then spoke again, "Maybe you should show me."

      Arya twitched. "What? I ca-...What do you-"

     "Arya Stark." Daenerys interrupted. "Would you like to ride a dragon?"

     Arya froze, her heart was now racing. She balled her fists and clenched her jaw tightly. Suddenly all her years of training didn't make a difference, her thoughts went blank and she couldn't find her voice. She shook her head

     "I-" she croaked, "I don't know how?" She notices Daenerys was holding back a smile.

      "Come up here, with me." She motioned with her head for Arya to joined her and smiled brightly. Arya's legs seemed to then operate without her, walking cautiously around the huge beast's head to the place on wing Daenerys had climbed.

     "What if he tries to kill me?" She shouted nervously.

     "I'll keep you safe." Daenerys replied. "I swear it." Arya sucked in a breath and began to climb.

The scales beneath her hands felt warm and smooth, yet sharp and deadly and soon she was at the top. Daenerys offered her hand and guided Arya to the place behind her. Arya the swung her leg over the dragon's back and felt the shifting weight beneath her as the great dragon breathed gently. She looked over at the other dragon who reared up and gradually began flapping his wings her head snapped back round to Daenerys as she felt the scales below her tremble.

DAENERYS

      Daenerys turned back to look at the small girl who, compared to what she was sitting on, looked even smaller. Daenerys could see the tension running through Arya's body. Next to her Rhaegal took off in a great flurry of dust and snow.

She lifted an eyebrow when the girl then looked back round with a bewildered look on her face. Daenerys flashed her a smile to try and relax her and she quickly smiled back.

"You'd better hold on." Daenerys said and the girl immediately clasped two arms around her waist, a tingle travelled down Daenerys' spine and her heart started beating faster. She then turned back to Drogon again, grasping onto his mane. "Valahd." She whispered to him, but he always heard. Slowly his wings began to beat down on the air around them as he lurched forward and a great sense of freedom came over Daenerys as it always did when she rode a dragon as she watched the ground below them move quicker and eventually began to grow further and further away.

She heard a small yelp in her ear and felt the arms around her tighten as well as Arya's head tucked into her back. Her smile widened until her face began to hurt. This was all she could ever want, to share the greatest moments of her life with someone special. Though when she though about that the more confused with herself she was. Was Arya someone special to her? She had only known her for more than a week but already they were close, she pondered about that a second longer before she then felt the head on her back lift and then she was back in the moment again, the winds of winter beating at her face.

     She could see Rhaegal swooping in circles above them as Drogon kept a flat and steady pace. She saw the white landscape far below ever changing as they gained speed. And even thought the winds whistled loudly in her ears she could have sworn she heard a slight chuckle from behind her and a head rest on her shoulder. Drogon circled back around again and soon they could see the distant shape of Winterfell come into view. From here, the bright red leaves of the weirwood tree looked like merely a drop of blood and Daenerys felt Arya's arms relax from around her slightly. Jorah was probably looking at them and worrying about her. He always did that. But for once in her life, Daenerys knew she was safe now without him.

Drogon quickened his pace now and soon Winterfell was far behind them. They were headed in a northwesterly direction, which she had been told by Jorah was the way to Bear Island and Daenerys wondered if they might go so far as to see it. But the wind was blowing colder and the day growing darker so she decided they had better land. She could see a expanse if wood coming up and patted Drogon lightly on his neck to signal for him to let them down. Majestically he angled his wings downwards and began his descent.