Strangers Again

Khyzai Pass

The Dothraki counted themselves as many as stars in the sky, but in truth there were near 150,000 warriors and 225,000 train alongside them.

With such an army, Dany could have taken all three cities of Slaver's Bay with ease. Yet as she rode south from Vaes Dothrak toward Slaver's Bay she took only the 40,000 warriors who had been Drogo's before his death. This was still some hundred thousand people, but her horde was still small enough to not ruin the countryside as they passed.

The remainder of the Dothraki had been divided into khalasars of their own accord, by fights between the greatest of the bloodriders. Dany had left them to settle this between themselves, giving only one order: that no slaves could be taken or traded.

She did not mean to return to them for several years, but she had no concerns about their loyalties. The Dosh Khaleen had come to an agreement with her, and would speak in her name in her absence. And when she returned it would be on Drogon's back, and her son was greater than any mount among her people. She knew that eventually her commands against slaving would be challenged, but in a few years time Drogon would be grown.

For two weeks Dany had led them southward, and now they neared the edge of the Dothraki Sea and would soon come upon the red coastal desert where Slaver's Bay lay. Astapor was the southernmost of the three cities, but Dany would stop there first. The Unsullied were excuse enough, but she longed to see Missandei again. Her Dothraki handmaidens were good company, and she was grateful for their return to her, but some nights when she closed her eyes she could still see the two parts of Missandei hit the ground. It was selfish, but she wanted to touch the Naathi woman again, to prove to herself that she was still alive.

When they stopped, shortly before dark, Dany gathered her bloodriders around the back of a cart on which she spread a map while her handmaidens set up her tent in the center of the camp and set out a meal of horseflesh. After the cold, dull food of Westeros peppers and horseflesh had become her favored meal.

"How long will it take us to travel through Khyzai Pass?" She had never traveled this way through the Dothraki Sea. She had walked the long and treacherous path through the Red Waste, sailed across the Gulf of Grief, and flown this path on Drogon's back, but never crossed on foot from the Dothraki Sea to Slaver's Bay.

"Two days at most, khaleesi," Ser Jorah answered.

"One day, if we move quickly. We would camp just outside of the path," Jhogo said. Her Dothraki had gone here before, driving slaves before them to sell in the markets of Slaver's Bay. Now they would free them, but Dany had not told them this yet.

"Is it safe to do so?"

"There are bandits in the mountains," Rakharo replied, "but no one will not attack a khalasar of this size."

"And after the pass, how long to Astapor?"

"Astapor, khaleesi?" Ser Jorah asked. "Meereen is the closest city."

"Two weeks and a half, no longer," Jhogo answered.

"What is there in Astapor that you desire?" Ser Jorah pressed.

"Two weeks, then. When we arrive in Astapor I want an audience with Kraznys mo Nakloz and his fellow slavers to speak of the Unsullied soldiers he sells." Dany ordered. "As we come to Meereen and Yunkai I wish to leave part of the khalasar to wait for my return."

Her bloodriders looked at each other. Jorah looked as though he wanted to speak, but held his tongue. Aggo protested, "It is not common for a khalasar to divide."

"When I was Drogo's khaleesi he sent Ko Pono to raid one village of the Lamb Men, while he took another."

"Pono was Drogo's ko, and he was given command only for a short time." Jhogo said.