Dragons and Wolves

Dany was already awake when her hand maidens knocked on her door to wake her, she'd been awake all night. Sleep was just impossible.

Of course she had her close calls with death before, but never with a death so subtle, a death that had breached her shields and gotten so close to killing her.

She had rewarded the sand snakes handsomely for saving her, enough wine and sweets to last a normal person a year, them a week. It not only let them no she appreciated them, so they'd remain loyal to her. But it was an incentive to the rest of her men, the queen rewards those deserve it. She didn't just expect blind loyalty or complete fear because of her dragons. She wanted them to love her.

When her dragons had grown to at least bigger than a small house, she had honestly thought her troubles were over. Who would dare get close to her? Who would dare challenge her?

She had naively thought dragons meant safety. With her dragons stuck outside of her castle, she was defenseless and even sleeping with Rhaego, Drogon and Viserion's baby, she was still defenseless. He was still only the size of a house cat.

What was she going to do?

---

Arya crawled through the sewers heaving, she was so out of breath. Just like when her father was executed and she was in hiding, the sewers were full of people, just as shaggy and dirty as her. She felt invisible just another slob in the crowd, it had been an excellent idea to dirty up and rip the tailor's clothes and rub dirt on her skin.

The last ten years she had told herself she'd never eat another rat again but she did, it had taken awhile to get the stringy creature down through her gagging but her stomach didn't ache anymore. She could think of things besides food, like escape an survival.

She finally made it to where the sewers started to flow into the ocean, a very empty place due to the disgusting smell of the harbor. She waited until she had light coming in from the storm drain and shed the tailor's face and body. She shrunk back to her normal height, almost a foot shorter than before, she sighed in relief, shifting so tall made her bones stretch so thin they hurt. It was his face next, unlike where the rest of her body just shift, she had to shed the skin of his face. A disgusting but useful process. It took awhile but when her face was her own again, she tossed the tailor's face into the sea.

Arya decided to strip off her clothes and try to tie and fashion them into something relatively feminine enough so she could go unnoticed passing through the city.

"Arry?"

Panic rushed through her at the deep voice. She hadn't been called Arry since travelling with Yoren, Gendry and Hot Pie. It took her a second to recognize the voice and another second to remember that she was naked in front of him.

"Gendry?!" Arya fumbled to grab the crumpled mass of clothing on the ground, she hadn't been this clumsy since she was a child.

"Did I just see you go from man to woman?" There was a dumbfounded look on the tall, muscled blacksmiths face. "What the hell is going on?"

---

Jon strided into the clearing to watch his men spar, Ghost was at his hip, his fur was as milky as the snow beneath him, he blended so well it made his bright red eyes nearly glow in contrast.

Some of Stannis' men had taken the black, dreading having to find their way back south by themselves, another third tried to get home but had failed and stayed, the last third were never seen again. He hoped they had made it but seriously doubted it, there were stil others and monsters lurking in the frozen wasteland after all.

Davos was among the men who stayed, he seemed to harbor no ill will over Stannis' execution. He stood solemnly at Jon's side next to Ghost.

"It's nice to have actual soldiers in the Night's Watch again, last knight who took the black of his own free will was Jeor Mormont so long ago." Sam was at his other's side, as always he fiddled with his Meister's chain.

"We almost don't need to go to the capital and empty the dungeons." Davos seemed to be trying to take a laedership role or at least be Jon's right hand man just like he was for Stannis'. Jon scoffed in his head, look how well that had turned out for Stannis!

Sure Jon appreciated another wise, educated, person on his side but trusting the man was another matter.

"Can't, personal invitation from the queen. She wants the Commander himself to collect." Sam glanced at Davos.

"But why?" Jon mused, not too thrilled about making his first trip South. Ice ran through his veins, he belonged in the North. But the Dragon Queen had requested it and he had to appear to be a loyal subject lest she ever know about his involvement in the botched assassination attempt.

"I don't think it's wise to leave, leaving Sansa here with all these sex-starved men, but I must. These are teneous times, she looking for someone to blaim for that blasted assassination attempt. We must walk on egg shells around her or she might burn us like that witch or Stannis."

"I'd protect the Lady Sansa with my life." Davos was quick to reassure, Jon appreaciated the help but he was kind of becoming a kiss-ass.

"But you must admit, it was bloody brilliant. How did someone make it that close to her without arousing suspicion? Magic my friends! We need someone like that to train our men," Sam's eyes fixed on Jon's.

Jon knew that'd feed Arya's overfed ego even more, she' need it after failing in her mission. He hoped she wasn't beating herself up over it, she was a leged now.
"Magic," Davos laughed.

"Yes magic, these are strange times we live in dragons, wargs, assassins and sorceresses. Who knows what else lurks in the shadows?"

"What's a warg?" Davos' brows furrowed.

"Someone who can become an animal, usually just by trading minds with a real animal. They say the ancestors of the Starks, thousands of years ago were."

"I doubt those exist," Davos sneered. "What I really want to know is who is behind the assassination attempt."

"From my letters from the Citadel, they say the man was inhuman in the way he scaled that spiked roof the Red Keep has. If he was human he would've killed by exertion if not from falling from the Red Keep."

Jon seriosuly hoped Sam had heard wrong, "I bet it's a Lannister or Tyrell trick, egos bruised from bending the knee to the Targaryen woman."

Davos nodded, "You Starks, always so quick to blaim the Lannisters, it does sound plausible though. They seem to have been the only one's besides Stannis to have a grudge against her."

Sam shook his head, "I doubt any Tyrell or Lannister is capable of such stealth and ingenuity."

"But you're forgetting, they're still exceedingly rich, hire some witch from the East," Jon was quick to rebuttle.

"She came from the East, if someone from the East wanted to kill her, they'd have already tried." Sam just wanted to argue today, Jon could see his point. Everything he said was entirely plausible.

"Maybe they did and failed and wanted to try again? Or they were paid by the Tyrells or Lannisters too."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say it was the Starks them being magic animal wargs ," Davos laughed but stopped when Ghost fixed his red eyes on him. "But I know the tragedies you're family suffered at the hands of the two, you'd never attack their usurper, the one who shamed them and put them in their place."

"Yeah," Jon smiled, playing along. "Never."

---

Dany's council had thought her brilliant for asking the Commander of the Night's Watch to come in person to collect his criminals. They, just like her, questioned their loyalty. She still didn't quite understand the Watch, besides the fact that they kept the monster's from the Ice Wall from attacking the Seven Kingdoms. So she decided to read up on them.

At first, she had thought to go to Bran Stark himself to get information but she knew he was in almost constant contact with his elder brother and thought twice of it. So she meandered around the Red Keep's insanely large library, it took her hours to find what she was looking for. She then settled in her private quarters in a fluffy window seat facing the sea.

A History of the Night's Watch by Samwell Tarly. It looked promising... and incredibly thick. But it included a bried overview in the beginning of just what the Night Watch was and what positions you could hold, ranger and steward. She them skipped to the last couple pages. It's last entry was three years old. She flipped to Jorah's fathers command.

Jeor Mormont 997th Commander
Mormont took the black to abdicate his lordship to his son Jorah after his wife had died. Considered one of the best commanders of all time, he helped the Night's Watch become mighty again. He changed from predictable patrols that were ineffective against the Wildlings and Others to a more random and surprising patrol that hindered many Wildling attacks and raids on the Seven Kingdoms. He was killed at Crastor's Keep by his own men.

She skipped ahead to Jon Snow, what kind of man was this? What kind of crime did he commit to be stuck at the Wall?

Jon Snow 998th Commander
Jon Snow became a Steward to Mormont after willingly taking the Black. He was promoted to Ranger after saving Mormont's life from an undead other. Mormont promoted him and gave him the Mormont family sword, Longclaw.

After going on a scouting party and getting cornered with the great Qhorin Halfhand, Halfhand had Snow kill him and go undercover to gain the Wildlings trusts ....


Dany scanned the ten pages of Jon Snow's accomplishments, he was easily had one of the most eventful commands. His adventures were just as interesting of hers.

She closed the book and turned toward the harbor, the sun was setting and the sea was ribboned with pinks and oranges.

She sighed. Her putting the Sand Snakes in charge of the gold cloaks and having them clean up the city had her dungeons full, they couldn't wait a month for him to travel down here by himself. Tomorrow she was supposed to ride Drogon up to collect the man. And collect she would.

---

Sansa watched Jon pack his bags with tears in her eyes. Jon tried not to look at her.

"Sansa, do you want to go with me?" Jon asked gently, shoving thick socks into his bags.

"Never, I'll never go south again." She snapped, she ran a shaking hand through her bright hair. "Sorry, I'm just terrified, I worry for Arya day and night and now I'll have to pray for you even more than usual."

"More than usual?" He smiled, pulling his little sister into a hug. She needed the comfort, being so stressed.

"Yes, for your soul," She sighed. "You shouldn't pack so many thick socks, it's not hot down there but it's not cold enough for those either."

"Thanks," Jon did what he was told and then flung his pack over his shoulder. "While I'm gone you and Sam are in charge, Davos is also going to look after you but don't trust him."

He looked down at Ghost, "Ghost is going to stay with you 24/7, don't let him leave your side or you leave his."

She nodded and bent down to pet Ghost.

They walked out into the clearing, perfect timing, the dragon queen was just landing. She was by herself except for one Dothraki, the same one that had beheaded Stannis.

He walked up to them, "Queen Daenerys."

"Commander Snow," She nodded, she was wearing Dothraki rags again. "Are you ready?"

Jon eyed the gigantic dragon, "I suppose so."

"Well then let's go," She gestured to the dragon, he would go ahead of her. She was smart, she didn't trust just anybody. Jon nodded in approval.

"I have a favor to ask first," Jon turned to his men and two of them carried a sleeping Summer over. "Can I bring my younger brother Bran's direwolf? We've drugged him and he won't wake until after we are there."

"Is it tame?" She asked.

"About as much as your dragons."

Queen Daenerys laughed and Jon couldn't help but think it was a very pleasant sound.

"I suppose so," She mocked in a man's voice. She was making fun of him! Thankfully it was out of earshot of his men.

They mounted the dragon, Jon clung tightly to Summer. The black dragon lifted of the ground, catching the wind. Ghost and Shaggydog began to howl for Summer, they'd miss Summer just as much as Sansa would miss him.

He hoped they both returned safely.