It had been days, and Rhaenar hadn't been able to find Jorah anywhere; she knew he was around, setting up preparations for the Khalasar to move. Rhaenar stood above them all, her eyes stormy as she could see horses being gathered, and houses being packed. They would be willing to cross the Sea for her, those few who didn't decide to remain back here, protecting their sacred City.
She let out a breath. Rhaenar would have to return soon, on her own horse to begin to lead the Khalasar away. It would be a long ride, but it would be worth it. Gravel crushed beneath shoes from behind her, her attention drifting to whoever was approaching. She turned, eyeing them. Jorah had stood a considerable distance away, his blue eyes stormy as he watched her.
Rhaenar smiled. "Despite having been banished twice, you seemed to have returned both times. The second time you saved my life." She said softly to him, knowing that she wasn't angry, not anymore. "I can't find the strength to keep you away any longer, Ser Jorah."
Rhae stepped closer, Jorah stepping back. "You must send me away." She frowned, unsure if she heard him right; the distance between them not right. His hand slowly pulled back the cream shirt, holding his arm out to her. Rhaenar knew what it was the moment she clapped eyes on the expanse of scales that ran the length of his arm; fusing into his skin. No matter how much she wanted to soothe him, she couldn't.
"Does it hurt?" She questioned, the indigo flickering up to his face, her brows dented in the centre. He shook his head, not revealing the whole truth. "Is there a cure for it? Can you get better?"
That's what Rhae needed, for Jorah to remain by her side after months away from it. Who else but he to understand her? To guide her through the Lords of Westeros? "I don't know."
She swallowed, nodding; her nose spiking in pain as her eyes threatened to water. She could see his eyes running over the ridges, his finger wanting to brush over it but refusing. "How long until it consumes you?"
"I don't know that either. But I've seen what happens when it goes far enough. I'll end things before that." The severity of it hit her, her eyes darting to his face as she stared at him. This could be the last time that they would see each other, there may be no cure that could help him.
Life couldn't have seemed more bitterly unfair than it did in that second; after having got everything she wanted, and ready to accept Jorah back; his life seemed to be ripped from his grasp.
"I'm so sorry Jorah, that you've been put through this." She uttered, her voice cracking slightly. If he hadn't been exiled, he would never have had to face this.
"Don't be. All I've ever wanted was to serve you. Tyrion Lannister was right. I'm devoted to you. I'll always be devoted to you." Rhaenar wanted to grasp him, to wrap her arms tight around him and never let go. They had had a rocky relationship once; when she was sure he was on Daenerys' side but here he was before her, utterly devoted to seeing her as his Queen. "Good-bye, khaleesi."
He began to walk away. "Do not walk away from me, Jorah the Andal." She said, voice like ice as he stopped in his path, turning back to look at her. "I have yet to dismiss you." Rhaenar stepped closer. "You swore to me, pledged yourself to who I was back in Pentos. You promised that you would obey my commands whenever I gave one, and now I am commanding you."
It would be the last command she would give him. "You will find yourself a cure, no matter where in this world it may be; and you will heal yourself from this. You will come back to me, Jorah the Andal, because I need you by my side when I take the Seven Kingdoms. I need you for when I become Queen."
His eyes shined, his head nodding. "As you command, Khaleesi."
Rhae had found herself in a daze as she walked back into Vaes Dothrak, Jorah riding away upon his horse to go wherever. She needed to make her own path away, but she hoped that their paths would at least cross once more. Rhaenar passed the gathering of Dothraki that were readying the horses, the wagons of personal items that would travel from here to Meereen, and the look of love between families as they said goodbye to one another.
They'd return back one day, but it could easily be years before that happened. Everyone had made their choices, everyone had sacrificed something. "Khaleesi, your horse!" A voice called out, her attention turning to the body that was running at her, a steed beside him.
Nodding her head she took the reigns, before hopping one leg up and over, sitting herself comfortably upon the back. It had been a long time since she had ridden a horse, but Rhaenar would never forget how as she urged him on. The hooves clicked against the dry ground, his body swaying as he took a leisurely pace through the centre of Vaes Dothrak.
She came up beside Qotho, his voice shouting commands to people as he sat upon his own horse. "How long did you know?" Rhaenar questioned him, her indigo settling on the moving figures as they passed.
He turned, confused for a moment before it clicked, his head nodding. "When we began to enter Vaes Dothrak, he was very good at keeping his distance." Of course he was, he was Jorah, a man who wouldn't hurt another unless he had to. "You sent him away?"
"I demanded that he heal himself and then join me at my side, I can't do it without him." She said softly.
"Jorah the Andal is strong; if he wasn't, he would have died in the fighting pits - or exile." Rhaenar smiled, reaching forward to brush her fingers through the dark mane of her horse.
"His exile was the fighting pits." Qotho gruffed, laughing as he shook his head. "If any man can survive that, it'll be Jorah." She agreed. "Most of the Dothraki are ready to ride if you are, those who aren't can start at the back."
She nodded. "Let's ride."
Qotho called to the Kos and Bloodriders, telling them to begin to move their group as Rhaenar and her men waited beneath the two horse statues. She glanced behind. She could see body after body of riders, some women with a look of excitement on their faces, and men ready to fight. Rhae urged the horse on, Qotho following as they left Vaes Dothrak once more.
They had ridden hard for a couple of hours, coming to an impasse of rocky mountains; the air was hot, and the sun unforgiving. She had a sizeable army now, one that could rival the armies of Westeros if she tried. But they would have to cross the sea first, and somehow figure out the mess that she had left behind in Meereen. Unless of course, her advisors had already done that.
Rhaenar stopped, calling for a break as she tried to clear her head. Despite the lack of wind, the sand in front of her moved every so often. "Everything all right?" What was causing it to move?
"How many days of riding do we have before us?" She asked Qotho.
"A week at best. It's a large Khalasar." A week to cross and she still needed ships; perhaps they could divert?
"How many ships are needed to take them across the Narrow Sea?" There were a lot of them, Unsullied, Golden Company, Second Sons, and now Dothraki.
"Dothraki and all their horses, the Unsullied, the Golden Company, the Second Sons-- 1,300 ships easily. Probably more." He guessed, not entirely sure - it depended on the size of the ship, and how many horses they wished to take with them.
At least the Golden Company already had some. "Is there anybody who could have that many ships?"
"Nobody that we know of. But Westeros is a large place, you're better off questioning Barristan." She nodded, once she got back she would. "So we ride for Meereen and after that we sail for Westeros. And what then?"
"I will take the Iron Throne, and I will rule." She told him firmly. She wasn't entirely sure what she was going to do about managing Meereen and Westeros; whether she should set someone up in her stead or just leave it, going back every once in a while. It didn't seem fair to the citizens if she did that, but Rhaenar didn't want to abandon it.
Qotho shot her a look. "You're going to stay in one place for the rest of your life? Never moving on?"
She shrugged. "What makes you say such a thing?"
"All the time that I've known you, you have always been on the move. With the Khalasar, with Slaver's Bay, you've never been able to sit still for long. What makes you think you can do it there?" Nothing made Rhaenar think she could do it there, but if she wanted to break the wheel, she would have to mend the world into a better image, one where no man benefited above the other.
The sand moved again, brushing up into the air before swirling and settling down. "Everyone makes sacrifices, Qotho; I think that would be mine." She gently coaxed her horse forward. "Wait here a moment."
Rhaenar galloped off, the air ruffling her hair softly as she disappeared out of sight of the Khalasar and away. She needed to follow the stir in the air, her ears prickling for any sense of sound. It wasn't until the mountains broke away and a large clearing came into view, that her heart began to pound, her eyes widening.
Leirion was stretched out across the sand, his wings ruffling gently as his tail swatted at flies. He was large, far larger and stronger than the last time she had seen him. Rhaenar grinned, riding towards him. The clip-clop of the hooves broke his peaceful slumber, his head shaking as grains of sand flickered down from the ridges of his scales; the unnerving white eyes staring at the intruder.
It was wolfish as his lips stretched back across his teeth in a grin, the gleam in his eyes alight as he saw his mother rush towards him; jumping from her horse before it had even stopped and racing to him. Rhaenar threw her arms as best she could around his thick neck, feeling the heat that snaked from beneath the scales. It was like home, her child cuddling her as best as possible. She ran her hands over his side, feeling the new skin that had healed the gaping wounds the Harpys had caused him. He seemed better as he pulled away, shaking his quills. "My beautiful baby."
He'd gotten far bigger than last time too, he towered her over like a fearsome beast but was nothing more than a cuddly bear. Leirion moved away, lowering his shoulder to her. It was silent before her boots dug within the earth, hand running along his neck before lifting herself onto the great dragon; climbing upon his back before gripping the two horns at his spine.
His wings beat, his feet clambering up before running. She could appreciate it now, the wind whistling beneath his wings before taking to the sky. Rhaenar could feel the ground growing further and further from them, the height of the mountains disappearing around them before his wings flapped through the air, shooting them across the sky. Leirion screeched, his voice echoing from below as Rhaenar watched; she could see her Khalasar from here.
They all turned, watching his shadows against the dusty plains. She felt weightless and free as he turned, swooping low before landing in front of them. The ground shook beneath his weight, his squawks drawing their attention to them. If she wanted to make a better world, she had to start here.
"Your entire lives you've only ever known the rules of Khals, and every Khal always chose his bloodrider - his brothers in arms. They fight for him, guard him, and when the time comes they die with him. I don't want to ask the same, I don't want to pick three of you to be bloodriders; I want you all to be bloodriders!" Hollers and shouts cried out from the crowd, horses shuffling at the loud sound from her Khalasar. "You may be pushed to your limits, forced to face uncomfortable situations, but I will push you to be the best that you can be!" She cried out to them.
Rhaenar wanted her army as one body; she didn't want them to divide themselves among what groups they belong to but rather which style they fight with. They should be proud of where they come from, and where they should be going. "Cross the Black Sea for me, ride the wooden horses to where the land ends, and kill the men in their iron suits. Will you join me?" They cheered again, getting riled up. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears, a smile on her face as she nodded. "Will you take the Seven Kingdoms with me? Will you make the same promise as the Great Khal Drogo did?"
Their roars were deafening. "Will you swear it before the Mother of Mountains? That you, are with me now and forever?"