36

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298 AC

Dorne - Sunspear

Eragon Targaryen

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It's dinner time and I am heading to my mom's room to get the eggs since she won't be in there right now. I approach the door like any other time and when I see it's closed I almost smack myself, of course, it will be locked!

Quick thinking and I see a window that leads around the side and to the balcony and I move to see if I can find a handhold. If not my escape will have to start sooner than I wanted as I will have to cut open her door and leave immediately after so she won't figure anything out.

I look out the window and can see the edge of the balcony, a lip on the window can be stood on and a ledge to the building can be grabbed. From there I will have to push off and grab a different window which is the window of her room. Then I can stand on that to get to the balcony if I jump. But my heart beating in my throat lets me know how stupid an idea this is. How will I even get back?!

That's a problem for then and I need to get these eggs before she comes to her room. I pull myself up and out the window by reverse gripping the top half of the frame and I am soon standing in a very suspicious spot.

Dear R'hllor if you are real this is your time to make sure no one is looking.

I stand on my tippy toes and grab the ledge and pull myself over to it before shimming on the wall and using my grip on the top to keep myself up. I look behind me and see the window I need to grab after I jump and wonder if my weight will even be supported.

I shake my head and prepare to jump off the wall but momentarily see the drop-down and swallow some spit. Putting the height out of my mind I crouch against the wall and hold onto the ledge as I make sure I have the best point to push off.

A few deep breaths later and I push while letting go and rotate my body to the right to grab the lip of the window. I catch my weight and bite my cheek as I feel my arms strain and almost lose my grip. I pull myself up as fast as I can my arms screaming at me from the pressure. As I pull myself up the window swings out and I smack my forehead.

Mom, you can't leave a fucking window unlocked... but thank you.

I crawl through the window and skip the balcony as it was closed and locked anyway and I would of just cut the damn thing in frustration. I spot the chest and make my way over to it while slowly drawing Brightroar.

Putting it between the seem and sliding it across the lock I have to jerk it a few times before it cuts through the metal. I pull it open and see the familiar Targaryen banner facing up at me and I pull it off and lay it on the bed.

I don't take the time to admire the eggs and move to put them in my bag before an impulse has me set them on the banner instead. I put all seven of them on the banner and fold it over them before stuffing it into my bag and putting it over my shoulder.

I close the chest and stomp on the lid to make sure it shuts tight even if it won't ever lock again. I turn to the door and debate just walking out it and leaving it unlocked but even if she left a window open she wouldn't leave a door unlocked.

I walk back to the window and step out onto the lip of it before looking back over at the ledge I jumped from and crack my neck. closing the window shut behind me I get to the far edge of the window's lip before crouching down and leaping toward the edge. Missing with one hand my heart plummets but my other hand grips it quickly enough. I reach up with the hand that missed and start to shimmy to the window I first came out.

stretching my toe down I feel the lip before I slowly set myself down on it and make my way back inside and close the window shut.

I put a hand on my heart as I start to make my way to my room and sweat runs down my forehead. That was stupid and I should have prepared for getting in there sooner but I thought it would be a week or more from now before I would have to leave.

Now that the danger is done I feel the bitter taste coming back to my mouth at the thought of leaving. Tonight I won't even sleep as I will leave once Danny goes to bed and I won't be seeing her for who knows how long.

This has to be how a bird feels right before it jumps from the nest to fly away for the first time in its life. I feel the impulse to just jump and run and get it over with but I also want to see everyone one last time before I go.

----

"You get lost?" Viserys asks sarcastically as I walk into the dining room, it seems the future king has honored us with his presence for dinner tonight.

"No your grace." I make a show of bowing and overplaying the honorable servant role, hopefully, they will just laugh and not ask any more questions.

"Come on and sit Eragon." Mom speaks up before Viserys can respond and I slide into a seat beside Danny that was left open.

"You ok?" she leans in and whispers and I nod while looking at her face with her brows scrunched in concern.

"Perfectly fine." I smile and she slowly leans back to sit up straight, her eyes don't believe me but she lets it go.

----

Sitting around with everyone I am glad the little habit that started up after we stayed at the Water gardens is still occurring. We all are sipping wine and talking about our day, Rhaenyra brought up the giant cloud of smoke but Arianne said it was an accident from what they heard.

That would explain why it was stopped so quickly, the Martells didn't take kindly to giant fires in their city and had them put it out. The subject was soon changed much to my relief and I begin to think I am paranoid.

I will leave from here and make my way to the temple and see if they can still help me or if they got arrested or something. If they aren't there I will have to take a horse or something and if that doesn't work I will sneak back and go to sleep and look for something tomorrow.

A yawn escapes Danny and I know it's almost time I stand up and stretch.

"Ready to sleep?" She nods and gets up slowly.

"Bedtime." She agrees and I set down the wine I didn't even take a sip of.

----

I have my head propped up on my hand and I look at Danny as her breathing has become even and I know she is out. She lays on her side and has her head against my chest so I slowly lower her onto her back so I can slip away from her easier.

I slide out of bed and get my pants and shirt back on, a look over my shoulder as I pull my pants up and I see Danny's face in the moonlight with her hair looking like molten silver. I try my best to not think about this being the longest I have ever left her and the farthest we have ever been since we were born. It feels like I am doing something almost taboo when I think that way and I find the irony in that most would see the very way I view her as taboo.

I walk over to the bed and lean over her with a hand supporting me and lean in, I press my lips onto hers and pull back. Not the first time we kissed but this one felt special, the next one will be when I tell her how I feel.

Well, it won't be a big surprise to her but it will still be crossing a line that is scribbled in the sand and has been blown away by the wind and we are only pretending is still there. Confusing.

I turn and head to the door as I buckle Brightroar to my side and sling the bag over my shoulder. My hand touches the door and I feel sick and dizzy and against my better judgment, I look back once again.

I soon am power walking back to her side and I pull out Brightroar silently, Taking a lock of her hair I cut it off about halfway and half a good little length of her hair. I slide Brightroar back and wrap her hair around my wrist and tie a knot in it.

I will just keep this here for good luck, hopefully, she won't even notice I took a chunk of hair when I left.

----

I beat on the door to the temple and try to peep through the blood-red glass. A sudden face Infront of me from the other side causes me to leap back with a shout. The face disappears and the door slowly opens.

"What do you need?" I take a step back.

"I am supposed to come here after I saw the signal fire?" He squints his eyes and looks around for anyone else and then looks back at me.

"Meet me around back." I nod and he closes the door without another word.

Guess that's that.

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298 AC

Dorne - Sunspear

Daenerys Targaryen

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I roll around on the bed and can't find my snuggle buddy, no warm sheets where he was either.

I sit up and open my eyes and look around the room and don't see him, Brightroar is also gone so I lay back down and close my eyes. He probably got up early to go eat or something.

My eyes are closed but sleep doesn't come as I toss around a few more times and sigh before sliding to the edge of the bed and putting my bare feet on the cold floor. I stand up and start to get dressed up, I am going to give him a piece of my mind for ruining my sleep.

I grab my hair to move it out of the way as I look in the mirror and I freeze, my hair has been cut. A big portion of it as well! Who would do this to my hair?!

----

Walking into the dining room I search out the likely culprit and when I don't find him I drop into a seat while grabbing my cut section of hair.

"What's wrong baby?" Mom asks and I spin my finger through my hair.

"I think Eragon cut my hair, or someone snuck in last night and cut it." Mom raises her head from her book and looks across the table and nods.

"It seems so, it should be easy to hide if you tuck it behind your ear though." She looks around the table. "Where is Eragon?" I tilt my head, mom should have seen him if he came for food since she is an early riser.

"You didn't see him?" She shakes her head and I suddenly feel like something is very wrong. I stand up and head toward the training yard.

"Where are you going?" I ignore her and start to run.

----

Arriving at the last place he would likely be training I don't see him and my chest feels tight.

Where is he? Why didn't he wake me up if he was going somewhere? Why did he cut my hair?

"Danny?" Rhaenyra calls my name and I look over to see her walking into the yard.

"Have you seen Eragon?" She tilts her head and closes her eyes before shaking her head that she hasn't.

"No, what's wrong why are you looking so... rough." I feel my legs wobble and I put my hand on the wall and support myself.

Where would he go? Why would he leave?

I know the answer to both but I don't like it one bit, if it is what I think it is then it's not even worth it if I have to feel like this. Why would he do this? Did he not feel this way too?

If he did and he still left then he is an idiot! My heart hurts and my body feels cold and I don't like it at all.

I slide against the wall and sit down and put my head on my knees.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Rhaenyra kneels Infront of me and grabs my left shoulder.

"Eragon left." She doesn't respond before she starts laughing.

"Why would he do that?" I want to shout that's what I want to know but I just bite my lip.

Please be ok, Eragon.