151

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299 AC

Summer Isles - Ebonhead

Eragon Targaryen

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The Blackfyres seem to be having some problems, there is no possible way we can leave now to go hunt them down so I can only check on them occasionally while awaiting the time to strike. But after the last two days of them being dragged around by different people trying to keep them safe and the dragons alive, I almost pity them. I was paranoid when I first hatched my eggs, I was also unknown and in hiding unlike them out in the open. They are trapped within the black walls of Volantis with many ancient families from old Valyria trying to grab them.

Two young and able-bodied women that are not only attractive but carrying around baby dragons?

They are like a piece of meat tossed in the kennels after starving the dogs for a week.

Cirilla seems a good fighter in the few times I have seen her draw the blade of her Houses namesake. Blackfyre cuts through her foes as if they are made of water, she seems determined to escape with her younger sister. I almost hold a little hope that they will escape, better them out on their own than brought under someone who can properly keep them out of my reach.

Oberyn Martell is still embedded in the Golden Company and his lover and daughters are on the way and will be there soon. In the chaos that is unfolding opportunities will arise and I hope they can benefit from it. I am even more glad I had forsaken one of the personal glass candles that was meant for emergency contact and gave it to Ellaria. She is aware of the situation and is prepared for what they are sailing into.

House Blackfyre might be snuffed out before we finish the preparations to have some men sent over to deal with them. Assassination is not popular in the Summer Isles as people usually challenge to get what they want but there are some skilled in the art of stealth. I need a spymaster to not only learn secrets for me but also to deal with problems like this in the dark.

It also has to be someone I can trust but those are few and far between but I have some ideas cooking away.

"Do you think they will survive? They hatched dragons inside of the hotbed for fire worshipers and old Valyria purists. I would not be surprised if Volantis burns itself to ashes trying to hunt them down." I shrug as Nata as she approaches from the side but her eyes are on the flame I am looking at.

"I don't know, I am keeping an eye on it but if I worry about it all day I will stress all my hair off. Now is the time to move on to Westeros if there has ever been one but we still fall short on men compared to the Usurper. If the North had joined us we would have the perfect opportunity to attack with the Blackfyres and by extension, the Golden Company preoccupied." She rests a hand on my shoulder as I flick the flame out and place my own on top of hers.

"Things are being forced to move faster regardless if only this happened in a year. I don't like the idea of splitting up but if our hand is forced we can't do much. Unless we want to wait everything out while the dragons grow to a size that wins us any wars we want to wage. House Targaryen will always have a claim on the Iron Throne so there is no major rush. The biggest problem now is the Blackfyre dragons but two young women stranded with no 'real' allies are doomed on their own." I nod as a nagging feeling wants me to do something directly.

"I don't think it's a good idea to leave those three dragons for anyone, I feel them. I want to at the very least seek them out for one of my kids about to be born. I refuse to leave them out there for someone with too much gold to spend getting their hands on them. Worst case is those Blackfyres are caught and turned into broodmares and their dragons put into chains and hidden." They won't grow big in chains but they will still grow and lay eggs and then the threat grows.

I need to secure them before it is too late.

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299 AC

Volantis

Cirilla Blackfyre

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I wipe the blood off my face from Khal Janir and his blood riders, weak men.

How did he expect it to go? Did he think I would give him his 'wife' and let him ride off with my sister and a dragon?

"It's fine now." I hug my sister as she looks at the Dothraki who are still alive.

Some Ko's stayed but more than half-ran after seeing the Khal all to my blade, they want to get as many riders as they can for their own Khalasar

"What are they still doing here?" My lips thin hearing the man from the Golden Company speak up.

I don't care what they want but we need to leave, crazy Red priests are fighting even crazier blood purists. They both want us, one to put us on a pedestal and the other to make us into their wives. The dragons are looking more to be a curse than a blessing after our brother departed, we need to get out alive. The Golden Company is just as dangerous but they are the only real power we have.

They also will want the same as the Tiger party blood purists, they will want to put a baby in our belly and have us mother them a dragon rider. They see themselves as the next conquerors and are madly lusting after the power. The only thing holding their hands back is the three-way split of power in Volantis, Faith of R'hllor, Golden Company, and Tiger party.

I notice one of the Ko's walks forward and give me a nod before kneeling.

"My blade and riders are yours." I blink in confusion looking at the man swearing himself to me.

My surprise grows seeing the other men who remained followed the example, this is unexpected. The Dothraki never follow a woman, but I guess I am no longer just a 'woman'. The fall of Valyria and the dragons was the birth of the Dothraki expansion and it is said to be because they feared the dragons.

Is this an underhanded move to gain my trust before they attempt to steal me away to have their way with me or my sister?

"Accept them." I hear a whisper from my sister but I don't look away from the men before me.

I notice grim looks on some of the Golden company surrounding the kneeling Dothraki and slowly find myself nodding. This could very well be what we need to escape, even if there is only a small group left of the Dothraki if they can get us out we can hide. The days we have left are numbered inside of this city, survival means getting out.

""I accept your blades and riders, stand and introduce yourself."" Almost none of the Golden Company know the Dothraki tongue so it is best to speak in it.

My sister's hand grips onto mine tightly as the men start speaking while standing up, they are no longer 'Dothraki'. The Dothraki never do this and for them to do this is an insult to other Dothraki, we will earn the ire of all Khals.

----

Sitting inside while the mansion is surrounded by Golden Company I bite my lip while worrying about our future. The Golden Company is refusing to let me hear of their plans but skirmishes have broken out and a stalemate is formed between them and the Tiger Cloaks. 'My' Dothraki number around two thousand and are outside the city and out of reach.

The only thing we have been told is we are going to use the gold from our father and the gifts from the Triarchs to buy Unsullied. That is the plan of the Golden Company as far as we have been told but I would rather head away from slavers at this point. The looks in the eyes of men who are 'supposed' to be on our side are dangerous. I can't imagine the looks from men who make a living off putting people in chains.

I feel it's a death sentence to head to Slavers bay at this point, the Unsullied are likely to be used against us. It would be the same as the Tiger Cloaks here in Volantis, this idea of there will get us killed.

"It will be fine Ciri, come feed Daemeon he looks hungry." I shake my head at the name, Daemons name did not turn into a dragon's name well.

"Don't start calling him that, he might get it stuck in his head. Serral is a good name though, I think mom would be excited to know a dragon is named after her." She looks down at Serral laying in her lap next to Jadewing and smiles.

"I think he likes the name so you are stuck with it." She mutters and I sigh as I pull a cooked piece of meat out and hold it out for 'Daemeon'.

A black dragon with the name of 'the' black dragon, fitting but also sounds odd.

It also serves to be a memento for our brother who was taken from the world too soon. I am not against honoring him I just feel like the name doesn't fit the little guy.

He seems to not mind as he snaps up the cooked meat and shakes his head ripping it into pieces. A voracious little guy who I imagine will do his real namesake proud. I run my finger down his tail and he flicks it away making me chase after it with my hand. It flicks back and forth as he enjoys his meal, I occasionally toss him a new piece to keep him occupied.

I look at Helaena and wonder how she can be so calm, going as far as to say it will be 'fine'. We have a target on our backs bigger than ever and she wants to sit around feeding babies and awaiting our doom. I cringe imagining what they will do with us if the blood purists get ahold of us and it hardens my resolve.

I will get us out of here, I don't know where I am going but I will get out.

A knock at the door catches my attention and I turn with my eyebrows raising in surprise, looking back at my sister she focuses on the dragons and is unfazed.

"Who is it?!" I shout and wait for an answer before I move to unlock the door.

"Mehrune Sand! I have news for you that you will want to hear!" The bastard from Dorne?

He joined in a while back and made a lot of friends, when the Second sons joined into the Golden company as extra muscle he took over 'leading' them. He fits in like a fish in water with the rest of them and has gained a lot of reputation in the Company.

I stand up and clutch my dagger as I approach the door and slowly unlock it before jumping back and waiting for an attack. The door slowly creaks open and Mehrune is standing in the doorway with a look of amusement.

"I am not here to hurt you, I came to have a little chat." He steps in and walks by me and stops at the edge of the table to look at the dragons.

I look out into the hallway and see some of his men guarding it and close the door behind me before heading to my sister. I put myself between him and my last family member and narrow my eyes.

"Go ahead, speak." He halfway smiles as his viper eyes finally peel away from Daemeon.

"How would you like to get out of here?" He asks playfully with his smile going wide.