Artos Stark

Book of the Stanger

Daario and Jorah had been giving Artos his space since they found Daenerys ring in the grass. He had been quick-tempered and worried since Jorah informed them the Dothraki had her. They were currently following him up a steep hill when Jorah stopped out of breath.
"You all right? Why don't you sit and catch your breath?" Daario told him sarcastically.
"I'm fine." Jorah told them standing to catch up.
"I don't think you could ride the dragon. 20 years ago, maybe." Daario said looking around while Artos offered Beast some water.
"What?" Jorah asked him.
"Our queen. She's wild you know. Don't let her size fool you. I hear It's hard enough for Artos and he's a young man. You, I don't think your heart could take it." Daario said trying to get on his nerves.
"I do just fine think you." Artos said in a flat tone.
"Must make you angry that our queen chose him." Daario continued as they began walking again.
"Makes me sad. He'll disappoint her before long. Starks are known for dying young nowadays." Jorah said
"We'll all disappoint her before long." Daario said trying to defend his friend.
"We need each other right now. After we are done needing each other-" Jorah started but Daario cut him off.
"Oh, I don't want to fight you, Jorah the Andal. What do I have to gain? If I win, I'm a shit who killed an old man. If I lose, I'm the shit who was killed by an old man." Daario told him.
"You didn't get much discipline as a child, did you?" Jorah asked him pulling the first positive response out of Artos they had heard all day when the young king laughed.
"None." Daario said with a smile. They finished their journey up the hill to overlook Vaes Dothrak.
"The road running through the Horse Gate, they call that the godsway. Eastern Market, Western Market. When Khal Drogo died, she was supposed to come here and join the Dosh Khaleen, the widows of the dead khals. That's where they would have taken her, the Temple of the Dosh Khaleen." Jorah told them before standing up from their laying position and taking off his sword.
"What are you doing?" Daario asked him.
"It's forbidden to carry weapons in the sacred city." Jorah explained to the.
"Isn't it forbidden to sneak into their city and steal their khaleesi?" Daario asked as he and Artos joined him.
"If they spot us and we're unarmed, we'll say we're traders heading for the Western Market. But if they see weapons..." Jorah trailed off.
"You're asking a dog to hand over his teeth." Daario said as he and Artos began to take off their own swords and knives.
"There's over 100,000 of them down there. We can't fight our way out. We wait till dark, and then we'll find her." Jorah told them. Daario handed over his weapons but Artos hesitated. It was the sword his father had given him, he didn't want it lost. He sighed before handing it over and Jorah placed it down gently to ease Artos's worry.
"Uh... I'm very attached to this knife." Daario said kissing it before handing it over to Jorah but stopped when his arm was revealed.
"Jorah." Artos said looking at the greyscale spreading around the skin.
"Don't worry. It didn't touch you." Jorah told them both.
"You know what happens?" Daario asked him.
"I know what happens." Jorah confirmed.
"I'll do it myself." Daario said referring to his knife.
"I'm thankful you're here to help, but don't touch them." Artos told him as seriously as he could. Jorah simply nodded in understanding.

The wait filled Artos with anxiety knowing they were so close to part of his family, but unable to reach them just yet. As nighttime fell they got ready to leave. Artos jumped up to his feet and Beast followed with a growl of anticipation. Drums echoed around them as they snuck through the tents and huts.
"I should have been born a Dothraki." Daario said once they spotted a couple having sex in the open. He went ignored as they continued to make their way through the city and jumped down into a hidden ally way. They stop quickly as the voices of two men were heard.
"Come on." Jorah said leading them back a bit so they appeared to be walking normally.
"My friends... We wandered off from the Western Market and got lost. Could you show us the way back?" Jorah asked them once they came into view.
"What do you sell?" One of the questions.
"Wine. Come down to my stall tomorrow, I'll give you a cask of the Arbor's finest." Jorah answered.
"You're not merchants. Get the others." He said ordering his friend. At the tone, Beast came out from around the corner and growled lowly at the men. Artos grabbed the one who was talking while Daario ran after the other. Artos punched him hard in the face before wrapping his braid around his hand and roughly shoving his face into the wall beside them. The man went limp in his hold and Artos let him hit the ground.
"He's not breathing." Jorah said leaning down to the man.
"I thought I felt something break." Artos said looking up as Daario rejoined them. They continued their journey when they spotted Dany walking and talking with a woman holding baby Ned close to her chest. Daario reached out and grabbed the woman and Artos fell to his knees in front of Dany holding both her and his son close to him.
"No, don't hurt her." Dany protested as she weaved her fingers in Artos's hair.
"She'll give us away." Daario told her.
"We have to go now." Jorah added.
"We will never get out of Vaes Dothrak alive." Dany told them pulling Artos's face from her chest to look him in the eyes.
" All we can do is try." Jorah said trying to avoid the tender moment the couple was sharing.
"No. We can do more than that. And you're going to help me." She said looking between them. Artos finally pulled away and go back to his feet taking Ned from Dany to show him to the pacing wolf.
"And you... Have faith in me, Khaleesi. Do not betray me." She said to the woman who nodded. Daario slowly let her go with a nod from Dany.

Artos was standing with Jorah, Daario, and Beast once again having been separated from his wife and son. Dany told him to trust her and wait for the fire. The words worried him and all he could do was hope Ned could walk through flames as his mother could. He trusted her with his life and he knew she would never hurt her own baby, but he was worried non the less. Artos grew even more uneasy as smoke boil out of the hut followed by fire. They watched as Dothraki swarmed the hut as Dany walked out bare with Ned resting on her hit. Both were covered in ash but otherwise unhurt from the fire. Artos let out a breath of relief and watched proudly as the Dothraki all began to kneel before his queen and son. They began making their way through the crowd until Artos was standing before the burning hut with sweat dripping down his face. Jorah and Daario kneeled behind him and Dany walked down the steps to stand in front of her husband who too kneeled before her. Artos placed a gentle kiss over her heart and then one on Ned's head as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Dany in turn kissed the top of his head and wrapped her free hand around his shoulders looking out over the people.

[Artos is reunited with Ned and Dany, yay! Thank you guys so much for reading!]