Chapter 50
A month passed in the blink of an eye, and the white walls of the port could be seen on the horizon.
The journey had been exhausting. Spending an entire month at sea really wasn't pleasant.
Even after making some poker cards with magic and teaching them how to play early in the journey, the game quickly became boring after playing it every day.
Especially because Harry had emptied their pockets.
Daenerys had also gradually adapted to the group. Even so, she mostly remained silent and simply laughed at their antics.
Everyone believed she was Harry's woman no matter how much he denied it, so they didn't try to talk to her much either.
His little dragon was another problem. He had to keep her confined to the room because he didn't trust the crew.
Fortunately, the room was still large enough. She couldn't even fly yet, so there was no problem.
As for telling his friends? He preferred not to. Not only were they loose-lipped when they got drunk, but knowing there was a dragon in the North might give them some ideas he would rather avoid for now.
During the journey, Daenerys rarely left the eggs by themselves. She liked sleeping with them or simply sitting there looking at them.
One phenomenon he had come to observe was that Daenerys's presence seemed to stimulate the eggs enough for them to absorb magic on their own.
That reminded him of the stories about placing dragon eggs in the cradles of Targaryen babies. If the egg managed to hatch, it was considered a sign that the child had truly inherited the blood of the dragonlords.
Perhaps those stories held some truth.
The ship came to a stop, and the crew quickly began tying it down. In his room, Harry put on a black cloak while Dacey held the little dragon, who climbed up his back before hanging from the collar of his coat.
Val quickly wrapped a scarf around her to help her stay in place.
"It doesn't stand out," Val said, nodding as she stroked her chin.
"Unless your cloak suddenly starts smoking," Dacey said with a laugh.
There had been quite a few times when the little dragon ended up setting something on fire.
"Let's hope she behaves until we get home," Harry said as he felt the warmth against his back.
"I really want to see you explain that," Dacey said with a smile.
"I also want to see you explain who Daenerys is," Val said, laughing.
"If they don't ask, I won't explain anything," Harry said with a smile. Besides, it was almost impossible for them to figure out who Daenerys was if he didn't tell them.
With the necklace he had given her, she could easily pass as a woman he had brought back from across the sea. She wouldn't attract too much attention, although she might start certain rumors about him.
Stepping off the ship, Harry felt the joy of being back on solid ground, and judging by everyone else's smiles, they all seemed to feel the same way.
Before they could reach House Manderly's castle, Harry saw Wendel riding toward them to greet them.
"I'm glad you made it back safely," Wendel said, greeting them as he checked that everyone had returned.
"We took a little longer than I expected, but it was a good trip," Harry said, feeling the little one stir beneath his cloak at the noise and unfamiliar smells.
"My father couldn't come. He started shouting at the cooks to prepare a great feast," Wendel said with a smile.
"That's fine. To be honest, we're really tired of eating dry provisions," Harry said with a smile, receiving several gestures of agreement from his companions.
Even fish tasted bitter to them after spending so much time at sea.
Wendel first took them to their rooms so they could leave their luggage. There, Harry left the little dragon and Daenerys. She knew it was better to stay there obediently and not cause any trouble.
Besides, just taking care of the little dragon was much more interesting than any feast.
"Don't open the door for anyone," Harry said, looking at Daenerys.
"I know," Daenerys said with a grimace.
"Anyone," Harry repeated firmly.
"I'm not a child," Daenerys said, crossing her arms.
"And you, behave," Harry said, looking at the little dragon, who let out an adorable screech.
Over the past month, she had grown quite a bit, doubling in size since she had hatched.
Perhaps in another month or two she would be able to start flying.
He also wanted to get home quickly and prepare some potions to strengthen her and accelerate her growth.
Closing the door to the room, he heard the metallic sound of the bolt, so he calmly headed downstairs.
When he arrived at the feast, the atmosphere was quite lively. Almost all of his companions were already seated with a drink in hand.
The Manderlys immediately greeted him with smiles, and Harry returned their greetings in kind.
Everyone ate and drank with a smile.
"By the way, Harry, more than a month ago three ships arrived from Braavos. I was told you had ordered them. I looked over the contract and inspected the ships. Everything was in order, so I accepted them," Wyman said, looking at Harry.
"One of my goals was to buy some ships. I'm glad you took care of it," Harry said, nodding with a smile.
"They must have cost you quite a bit. The flagship is one of the largest around," Wyman said with a somewhat curious look. He didn't remember seeing Harry bring any money with him.
"Something like that. Make sure you take good care of them," Harry said with a smile.
"What do you mean?" Wyman asked, confused.
"I don't have a port or a crew, so of course they're for you to use to reinforce the coast. Although I do have a use for the transport ships, so I'll ask for your help when the time comes," Harry said naturally.
Wyman looked at Harry in surprise, completely ignoring the last part. It was a brand-new flagship, something anyone would guard jealously.
He couldn't help feeling moved. Harry truly repaid his loyalty with an unprecedented level of trust.
Without saying anything else, Wyman simply nodded before taking a large drink. Perhaps he would take his family out on that great ship.
The atmosphere remained lively until late. Tired and not wanting to leave Daenerys and the little dragon alone for too long, Harry excused himself and headed toward his room.
He didn't forget to bring some food and plenty of meat for the two little dragons in his room.
Using Alohomora, he easily unlocked the door and entered without bothering to knock.
As soon as he entered, he was met by Daenerys's uncertain gaze as she held the little dragon in her arms, pointing her toward the door as if she were a weapon.
When she saw it was him, Daenerys immediately looked embarrassed while the little dragon flapped her wings excitedly at the sight of the meat in his hands.
Harry couldn't help bursting into laughter as he closed the door behind him with his foot.
"That's not nice," Daenerys murmured when she saw him laughing at her.
Crouching down, she let go of the little dragon, who quickly climbed up Harry's body to his shoulder, stretching her neck expectantly toward the plates.
"Come on, don't be impatient," Harry said with a laugh as he placed the plate of meat on the table. The little dragon immediately pounced on it while making rather inelegant sounds.
Harry ran his fingers over her small horns before turning toward Daenerys.
"I brought you something to eat," Harry said, placing two plates on the other side of the table for Daenerys.
"Thank you," Daenerys said before sitting down to eat.
"Tell me, do you know how to ride a horse?" Harry asked as he pulled out a chair and sat down.
Daenerys shook her head as she ate.
"I see. I suppose I'll have to take you with me. Val isn't going to like that at all," Harry said with a chuckle.
"Maybe I could ride with Dacey," Daenerys said hesitantly, not wanting to cause trouble.
"Two people on a normal horse would slow down the journey. Only my horse could carry two without any trouble," Harry said with a smile as he shook his head.
"Don't worry, Val will just glare at you," Harry said with a calm smile when he saw that she still looked thoughtful.
As he did every night, Harry simply transfigured a bed and slept in it with the little dragon while Daenerys used the other one.
Everyone was tired from the journey and the previous night's feast, so the next day they got up around noon. Harry didn't want to leave immediately either, so they stayed for two days to explore the city and walk around the prosperous port.
Two days had been enough for Ater to reach the city from wherever he had been. Harry had no doubt that he had truly enjoyed being a wild horse for those two months.
Patting his neck, Harry smiled and teased him.
"Looks like you've put on a few pounds. Maybe I'll have you pull plows for a while to get you back in shape," Harry said with a smile as Ater snorted angrily and pushed him with his forehead.
His mane had grown quite a bit and fell to one side. Harry couldn't help tugging on it a couple of times.
"Come on, up you go," Harry said, turning to look at Daenerys, who was staring at Ater in amazement.
Daenerys seemed to react to his words and timidly approached the imposing horse.
Harry held out his hand to Daenerys to help her. He noticed that she looked at it hesitantly before slowly accepting it.
Showing her where to place her foot, he helped her up.
From atop the horse, Daenerys looked around and, for some reason, felt as though everyone was watching her.
Harry noticed that she seemed a little nervous as she gripped the saddle tightly.
"It's all right, don't be nervous," Harry said with a soft laugh.
Daenerys nodded slightly, although she didn't seem to relax much.
A snort behind him made him laugh. When he turned around, he found Val glaring at him from her horse.
"I thought you'd already forgotten how to ride," Harry said with a smile before climbing up behind Daenerys.
Val simply rolled her eyes and ignored him. He really was a traitor, infatuated with his new toy.
Harry looked at Daenerys's black hair, her back practically pressed against his chest.
Their closeness was a little excessive, but he truly feared that her thin arms wouldn't be able to hold on properly and she would end up falling while they galloped.
After saying their final goodbyes, the group departed from White Harbor.
Unlike the route they had taken on the way there, Harry decided to head north, following the road along the border between the Hornwood and Bolton lands.
Since he had never passed through the area before, Harry also wanted to see it and planned to visit the farming area. It had been more than a year since he had last been there.
It took them four days to reach the farming area. The amount of land under cultivation had increased considerably and, although there were still several months until the harvest, it was truly beautiful to see the crops stretching as far as the eye could see.
The entire journey was truly pleasant, especially for Daenerys, who was used to living in cities and seemed to enjoy the scenery.
The one who didn't enjoy the journey very much was the little dragon, whom Harry only let out at night.
The group stopped briefly and Harry spoke with those overseeing the fields, congratulating them on their good work before continuing the journey toward Winterfell.
The entire group rode slowly once they reached the Kingsroad.
They were less than half a day away from returning, and it was still early, so they expected to arrive before nightfall.
As they rode along, they spotted a shape on the ground, barely visible in the distance.
When they got close enough, they realized it was a dead stag. Its abdomen seemed to have been torn open and several of its organs had spilled out.
Everyone frowned at the sight of the creature in the middle of the road. Whatever had done that to it could also attack people passing by.
Besides, the creature hadn't even been eaten despite its condition, which was very unusual.
One of its antlers was broken, and a trail of blood leading toward the forest beside the road was the only clue as to what had happened.
"Let's follow the trail. Half of you stay behind to watch the horses," Harry said before a sudden sneeze seemed to come from him.
Harry froze and noticed everyone looking at him.
"There's smoke coming out of your cloak," Domeric said, giving Harry a strange look.
Harry quickly slipped his hand beneath his cloak and repeatedly patted out the small flames.
"It's hot. So? Who's staying behind to watch them?" Harry said, acting as though nothing had happened.
"You know, I think that's the first time in my life I've ever heard you sneeze," Theon said, looking at Harry suspiciously.
Dacey, Daenerys, and Val could barely contain their laughter, knowing perfectly well where the smoke had come from, while the rest of the group looked at Harry suspiciously.
Even so, thinking it had something to do with magic, the rest of the group didn't look into it any further.
Seeing that everyone seemed curious about what was going on and no one could decide who would stay behind, Harry simply decided to take them all.
"Forget it, we're all going. Ater, watch the horses," Harry said as he helped Daenerys down.
She seemed just as curious as they followed the trail, heading into the forest beside the road until they reached a small clearing with a large tree.
Beneath it, an enormous wolf lay on its side.
"What a huge wolf," Daenerys said, surprised and nervous as she unconsciously grabbed Harry's cloak.
"It's a direwolf, not a wolf," Harry said, surprised that there was one so far south.
"It's dead," Val said with a frown, causing Daenerys to relax.
"They're supposed to exist only beyond the Wall," Smalljon said with a frown.
"Not anymore," Jon said, narrowing his eyes when he noticed some movement behind the she-wolf.
They all continued approaching, and it was then that they saw six small pups. They seemed unaware that their mother had died and kept trying to drink her milk.
Dacey, Val, and Daenerys approached curiously, touching the pups as they let out small squeaks.
Harry, for his part, silently looked at the antler lodged in the she-wolf's neck before shaking his head. There was no reason to be superstitious.
"We'll take them with us. Six direwolves, six Starks. That's no coincidence, is it?" Harry said with a slight smile.
It wouldn't be bad for his younger siblings to have a companion to look after them.
"Come on, I'll let you choose first," Harry said, patting Jon on the shoulder.
Jon looked at his brother with complicated feelings, truly moved to hear that he considered him a Stark as well.
Looking over all the pups, he noticed that one was quite different from the others, white with red eyes.
Letting out a small, melancholy laugh, he crouched down and picked it up, finding that the two of them were quite similar.
Harry casually looked over them all before settling on one with darker fur and green eyes. The little pup yelped angrily when it was separated from its mother.
"You're fierce, aren't you, little one?" Harry said with a chuckle as the pup let out adorable howls while Harry held it by the scruff of its neck.
Dacey, Val, and Daenerys divided the other four pups among themselves as the entire group headed back.
With six little furry creatures, the group continued their journey, reaching the castle at sunset.
Daenerys looked at the great castle in amazement, remembering that Harry had told her House Stark had settled there more than eight thousand years ago.
The Targaryens really were very young by comparison, even if they had eventually brought the Starks to heel.
She just didn't believe something like that could happen again.
Returning home after several months, Harry was in a good mood as he looked at the thick walls and tall towers of his castle.
Entering the castle, the guards greeted him with smiles and Harry returned their greetings, until he heard one of them mutter that he'd already found himself a new woman.
Harry made sure to remember which guard had said that.
Seeing his family come out to welcome him, he quickly dismounted from Ater and strode toward them.
Arya quickly ran to Harry before jumping up and wrapping herself around him, while Sansa also smiled and hugged her older brother.
With one of his sisters in each arm, Harry was attacked again by Bran, who managed to hang from his neck.
Rickon was still young, so he simply looked at Harry with a smile.
Daenerys couldn't help feeling sad when she noticed the closeness and love between the siblings, remembering how she too had once tugged on her brother's hand with a smile.
Perhaps at that moment she understood a little of why Harry had helped her... perhaps the love he felt for his sisters was what had saved her.
When they reached his mother, his siblings finally let him go, allowing him to greet her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
He didn't let his father escape either and gave him a quick hug, knowing that displays of affection like that made him a little uncomfortable in public.
Jon came up behind Harry and also greeted everyone with a smile. He still had the direwolf pup in his arms, which caught everyone's attention.
"We found a dead direwolf with exactly six pups, so I brought one for each of you," Harry said with a smile.
Dacey and Val approached without him having to say anything. His siblings immediately fell in love with the little pups, causing his father to frown slightly.
"You will train and feed them yourselves, and if they die... you will bury them yourselves as well," Ned said, looking at his children with a stern expression.
A pet wasn't a toy, much less a direwolf.
"Don't worry, Father. I'll teach them," Harry said, reassuring his siblings.
"And yours?" Arya asked as she hugged her pup.
"There," Harry said, pointing toward Daenerys's arms. When everyone suddenly looked at her, her face turned red and she lowered her gaze.
"Who is she?" Arya asked curiously.
"A friend, and don't ask any more questions," Harry said, gently tapping her little nose.
He could already feel his mother's gaze shifting between him and Daenerys.
"I'll put away my luggage. Come by later so you can get the gifts I brought you," Harry said, looking at his siblings before gesturing to his father to indicate that they would talk later.
Taking his luggage off Ater, Harry led Daenerys directly toward his tower without stopping to introduce her.
In any case, giving her name would be a problem, and they really hadn't bothered to come up with another one. He would explain it to his parents later.
Once at the top of his tower, Harry sighed as he let the little dragon out. She growled at him in annoyance before becoming distracted by the new surroundings.
It was then that a fat white creature attacked him, angrily pecking at his hair.
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't take you with me. I didn't think I'd be gone for so long," Harry said with a smile as he stroked Hedwig. It was then that he noticed her attention was no longer on him, but on the little dragon.
She immediately slipped out of his hands before perching on top of a wardrobe and staring intently at the little dragon.
"You have a nice place," Daenerys said, setting the pup down on the floor. She couldn't help reaching for the necklace Harry had given her, playing with it between her fingers.
"And you haven't even looked out the window yet," Harry said with a smile as he unpacked his things.
A small collection of Valyrian steel weapons flew onto several shelves before he took out the Valyrian steel armor.
He would play with it later.
He separated the clothes and jewelry he was going to give Sansa, Arya, and his mother.
Thinking for a moment, he took out a Valyrian steel dagger with a beautiful silver sheath and placed it with Arya's things.
For Bran, he had bought a pair of wyvern-hide gloves in Pentos that should help him hold on better while climbing, along with some clothes.
Rickon was easier. He had bought several toys in Essos, so he would surely be happy.
"Hey! Stop fighting," Harry said, looking at the little dragon and Hedwig.
The pup simply looked at both of them while barking, but because of its size, neither paid any attention to it.
Harry couldn't help feeling a headache coming on. He didn't know when he had decided to run a zoo.
At that moment, the door flew open. With his back to it, Harry immediately knew who it was. Only Val would dare open his door with that much force. His sisters might try as well, but they weren't strong enough.
Giving her a smile, he looked at her. She was wearing a white dress that barely reached her knees, her hair was damp, and there was a mischievous look in her eyes that he could easily understand.
He couldn't help following her with his eyes as she walked to the bed, where she yawned lazily before lying on her side and watching the three little creatures interact.
Daenerys, who was sitting beside the bed, couldn't help shifting uncomfortably, feeling as though she was in the way.
Harry stopped paying attention to them and quickly walked over to the potion table, opening several cabinets and taking out the various plants he needed.
Getting to work, Harry began preparing potions for the pups and the little dragon.
It was a simple growth potion that would also stimulate intelligence and physical development, the same one he had previously given Hedwig and Ater.
His actions caught the attention of both women. Val had already seen Harry make potions and had even helped him before. For Daenerys, on the other hand, it was something completely new.
Val lazily shifted position as she watched him work. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Daenerys approaching curiously, almost hypnotized as she watched things fly into the cauldron.
The way the liquid boiled and glowed was something she truly couldn't understand, yet it was magical and pleasant to watch.
Working quickly, Harry took twenty minutes to make the potions.
With a gesture of his hand, small balls of liquid floated into empty bottles before he sealed them.
Taking two potions, he first called the little dragon, who ran over and climbed up his leg onto his lap.
Holding her mouth open, he skillfully poured the liquid down her throat before she could react. The little dragon sneezed and screeched indignantly as she looked at Harry.
"It's good for you," Harry said, stroking her little head before tossing her onto the bed. Her small wings flapped and slowed her fall before she suddenly staggered dizzily and fell unconscious.
Val immediately smiled as she caught the little dragon and fondled her to her heart's content. Her wings were very interesting to touch.
Grabbing the pup by the scruff, he also forced it to drink the potion before leaving it on the bed so it could sleep as well.
"Finally, some peace. I'm not getting another pet even if a phoenix crosses my path," Harry said, rubbing his forehead.
"What's a phoenix?" Val asked, looking at him in confusion. It was a word she had never heard before.
"It's a kind of bird," Harry said with a chuckle as he shook his head.
"Come on, I'll show you your room," Harry said, looking at Daenerys.
She nodded as she stood up and followed him.
Her room was next to Val's. It wasn't as large as the one she had at Illyrio's mansion, but Daenerys wouldn't have hesitated to choose it over the other.
"I really like it, thank you," Daenerys said, turning around and smiling at Harry with watery eyes.
"It's all right. Don't forget to tell me if you need anything, or ask Val. You know what she's like, she's grumpy, but deep down she's kind," Harry said, reaching out and ruffling Daenerys's hair.
"Hmm," Daenerys said softly, nodding.
"Rest," Harry said as he left the room.
Daenerys looked at the door for several seconds before turning to look at her new room again.
A small smile appeared on her face as she wiped away the unshed tears in her eyes.
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