The Northern Dragon

CH 17: YOU MUST CHOOSE

"There's no need to worry. They are all fine. The dragons and the direwolves are all perfectly unharmed. You may not trust me, but I will always do my utmost best to aid you."

"Why?" Rhaenys looked at her skeptically. Until today, they had never met before. There was absolutely no reason for this woman to be on her side. More so when she took such actions and was now "testing" her for whatever reason.

Hands clasped before her, Quaithe looked her right in the eyes, "Because there is something you must do. You cannot die just yet. And you cannot stop until you have reached your destination."

Rhaenys tightened her fists by her sides, then looked back to the lake, "Whatever your reasons might be, you had every chance to kill me until now. You never needed me to agree to come with you."

"Although it is perfectly safe, I shall warn you. There's a chance you will never return."

Rhaenys only sent her a glance before taking in a deep breath. Slowly, she stepped closer to the water. Her hands relaxed and she exhaled before taking the first step into the water. The heels of her sandals dug into the rocky earth with every step she took, the skirt of her dress floating behind her.

With each step, the water got higher and higher. From her knees, it went up to her waits then her chest and throat. For a moment, Rhaenys stopped before taking the last steps that would leave her completely submerged.

It was strange, but she felt safe. A part of her knowing that nothing would happen at all. Until now, her instincts had never been wrong, and she truly hoped they weren't about to fail her now out of all times.

Letting out a sigh, Rhaenys closed her indigo eyes and walked a little further. With four more steps, she was completely engulfed underwater.

Feeling something odd with her surroundings, Rhaenys snapped her orbs opened. Both of them widening considerably when she found herself inside a dark hall. All the water was gone. Even she herself was as dry as before she walked into the lake.

"How in the world...?" she spun her body as she looked at everything around her, "Wasn't I just...?"

There was no way she would believe that everything that had happened was a dream and that she was still asleep. She might have had weird dreams all her life, and they might have gotten worse ever since she arrived at King's Landing, but those dreams weren't to the point that she would forget about going to sleep.

In the first place, she was always wearing her nightgown when it happened, however, right now, she was wearing the Dornish purple gown she had since early in the day.

Just what kind of lake had she walked into?

As Rhaenys was observing everything, she suddenly heard the cries of the baby dragons that she had grown familiar with. Those little cries that now sounded distressed.

She had no idea of where she was or how she had gotten there but standing still without doing a thing wasn't going to change her situation. She came all this way for the four dragons and two direwolves. If she died here, then there was nothing she could do about that, but at very least, she wanted to set them free if the chance presented itself.

Anyhow, if that woman had let her live until now and brought her to such a place, then there must be something else she wanted, and it had to do with that "test" she had previously mentioned.

While making sure to keep an eye just in case of any coming danger, Rhaenys slowly stepped through the path. There were no windows or torches aligned on the walls, thus it was utterly dark to the point that not even shadows were visible. There were only the sounds of the dragons, her heels, and breathing to accompany her.