Campfire

The boar's mind opened to him.

The beast's rage filled him—raw, primal, a storm of hunger and fear, but he took control swiftly, bending its will to his own. He became the boar, feeling the forest floor beneath its hooves, the wild pounding of its heart now matching his own.

Rhaenyra screamed as the boar lunged, but suddenly, the beast stopped, skidding to a halt just feet away from her. Its breath came in short, furious bursts, tusks inches from her legs—but it didn't move. The animal's eyes glazed over, eerily still.

Rhaenyra stared, her wide lilac eyes filled with a mix of disbelief and dread, her trembling hands gripping the log beside her. 

She looked between the boar, frozen in place, and Aerion, who sat motionless, his white, unseeing eyes eery.

"Aerion?" Her voice was shaky, uncertain. The boar twitched slightly but didn't attack. Quickly it backtracked, running mindlessly into the forest. 

Slowly, Aerion's eyes returned to their deep purple hue, his chest rising as his spirit returned to his body. He exhaled slowly, blinking as though pulling himself out of a distant dream. His heart was smashing against his ribs. 

Rhaenyras wide lilac eyes were fixed upon him, old rumours shooting through her head. 

"What did you do?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. The tension in her words hung thick, as if she feared speaking too loud might stir something darker.

She knew of the 'Skinstealer' rumours, could he really control minds? Turn shadows into his servants? Control the Weirwoods? 

The night air grew colder, tinged with the earthy scent of damp leaves and the faint, sharp aroma of pine. The crackling fire cast flickering shadows, illuminating their tense expressions. 

For the first time, Rhaenyra saw Aerion as something far more dangerous—and mysterious—than she had ever imagined.

"I took—borrowed its skin," Aerion said, his voice hitching as he spoke, his voice low, almost like he was afraid to speak the words aloud.

"So…they're true then?" she breathed, her voice hushed, eyes wide. "The rumours about you…the Skinstealer ones." There was a tremor in her voice, the curiosity tinged with something darker—fear, or perhaps something more dangerous.

Aerion clenched his jaw "It's called skinchanging" he replied as he leaned back against the log, adrenaline rushing through his body. 

His gaze lingered on her, searching for something—acceptance, fear, or maybe both. His heart pounded against his ribs, the weight of his secret hanging between them like a blade. 

He had never shared this with anyone, never let anyone see. But now…she knows. He could see it in her eyes: the unease, the wariness. That twisted something deep inside him.

"So you can…control animals?" Rhaenyra asked, her voice trembling with a mixture of awe and fear, her eyes darting to his sword, as if seeking assurance that he was still human beneath his powers.

"No—I…I become them," he breathed out, running a shaky hand through his hair. Adrenaline slowly fading. "I see through their eyes…feel their minds, and when I will it…they are mine."

A long pause ensued, the sound of the crackling fire filling the silence as the two stared at one another. Rhaenyras lips parted as if to speak before she closed them, clenching her jaw as she seemed to think for a moment before she spoke,

"What about dragons?" she whispered, her voice barely above the wind's howl. Images of fire and glory danced in her mind, her heart racing at the thought. "Can you…become a dragon, Aerion?"

Aerion spent a moment thinking, his eyes flicking up to hers briefly before he looked into the fire. Memories of becoming a black dragon rushing through his mind, when he had to flee from a far larger, rotting dragon.

"I…" he paused, taking a deep breath as his eyes flicked to Rhaenyra, his jaw clenched, could he truly trust her? Her offer to bring him to Dragonstone and claim a dragon shot through his mind. 

"…I have, once" he said tentatively, her eyes widening as she leaned forward in interest. "I—I was a black dragon—" his words were interrupted by Rhaenyras shocked intake of breath.

"The Cannibal?" She whispered. Aerion shook his head, he had looked into any known dragon, and to his knowledge, the dragon he was running from, escaping was the elusive Cannibal.

He was something else.

"No, I was—was smaller than The Cannibal" he said slowly, memories of the visions of black, scarred dragons ran through his head. She seemed curious now as she looked into the fire.

"I've never heard of a black dragon other than The Cannibal" she said tentatively as she thought to herself. Aerion shrugged, his eyes still fixed on the fire, almost ashamed.

A long silence fell between them, Rhaenyra's gaze flicking from the fire to Aerion's face. The only sound was the crackling of the logs and the wind rustling through the trees as she digested this revelation, her expression a mix of fear and fascination. 

Finally, she broke the silence, her voice low, "How does it feel—to become a dragon?"

"It…feels…" he sighed leaning his head back against the log, his breath fogging up in the approaching cold. 

"Gods…" he murmured as he thought back to the memory. "It feels strong, powerful," he whispered breathlessly. 

"I was…scared, I was running from a different, bigger dragon but I still felt it, the fire, it was…" he chuckled, he didn't even have words for it. 

Rhaenyra's eyes were wide and curious as she listened to Aerion's words. The wind picked up, rustling through the trees, and Rhaenyra shivered, suddenly becoming aware of the cold.

Her eyes lingered on him, the new knowledge almost seeming to weigh her down. The rumours of Aerion once again shot through her mind.

The rumours called him dangerous, elusive, someone who had delved into magics and came out all the darker for it. 

She couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine at the thought. 

"Aerion" she began cautiously, "Does anyone else know?"

"No" he said simply "Only you"

—-

This is the shortest chapter yet by far! I'm so sorry!!

It's mainly because I didn't want to write them returning to camp and didn't want to extend this convo any longer than necessary then do a timeskip mid chapter. 

Also if you have any ideas! I literally mean ANY just let me know, seriously anything helps. I've got a bit of a creative block going on rn.

Again super sorry for the short chapter!