The Bastard Dragon

Chpt 16: The White Stag

Winterfell...

"I'm telling ya... She's in my dreams, Brodon. She's haunting me" Rickon said to his friend as he passed him one last cup of ale. "I don't think i have to remind you that you have a wife now, do i lord?" Brodon teased.

"Of course not" he said. "But i can not control my dreams, only the gods can... I've had one dance with the woman at her own wedding and she's still in there."

Brodon laughed as he patted his lord on the back. "Maybe the gods are taunting you because you hate your wife... Or your just hard because she's the rogue princess" he whispered. Rickon rolled his eyes at the man as the two left the drinking tavern.

What Brodon said was the truth. Rickon hated his wife just as she hated him. It was an arranged marriage, set up before either of them could talk. They preformed their duty and had a son, his heir. But the two never spoke. They kept to their chambers and ate separately.

"Can you walk any quicker? My balls are freezing" Brodon muttered as his teeth chattered. Don was not from the North. No one knew where he was from, nor would he tell anyone. But it was certainly not any place that was cold.

Rickon was about to follow his friend back to the warm Winterfell household until he saw something peak out from the shadows. He squinted his eyes until he finally saw the creature. "Don" Rickon whispered tapping his friends shoulder.

"What!" the man exclaimed. He pointed to the snow covered path as both of their mouths fell open. Peaking out from the woods, stood a tall, white stag. The symbol of royalty.

It stood tall, staring the two men directly in the eye. "It's a stag" Brodon whispered, fearing it would run if he rose his voice. "Not any stag... It's a white stag. A symbol. My mother used to read to me about them. We must follow it. " Rickon whispered back. "I'm not following a fucking stag into the cold woods because 'the histories' say it's a good idea" his friend replied.

"You will follow it because i am your lord and i am telling to you to follow it" he said. Brodon gritted his teeth in frustration before reluctantly following Rickon to the stables. They both saddled up their horses and followed the stag as it ran through the Godswood.

The stag was quick so it was hard to keep up, but they did. They rode farther and farther into the Godswood as sense of dread washed over Rickon. He felt as if something bad had happened, but he did not know what.

"He's running from us, Stark! Let's just leave him!" Don exclaimed stopping his horse, but Rickon rode on. He continued following the stag through the thick snow until the stag stopped at the frozen over lake.

He slowly jumped off his horse as the stag ran off once again. "Shit" he muttered to himself. He sighed realising he must be going mad. He followed the stag for miles, for no reason. The Stark man was about to make his way back to his friend until he noticed that the frozen lake was frozen no more.

The lake had a large, gaping hole in the centre. Suddenly, the floor began to shake from underneath him. His horse jumped up with fright before fleeing back into the woods. Rickon froze looking around to see what has happened.

And then he saw it. A large, black dragon rose from the frozen river, clawing its way out.

Rickon stumbled back at the sight of him. He had never seen a dragon before. And he never thought he would. There was no dragons in the North... Until now.

The wounded dragon let out a harrowing screech as he stared down at the frozen lake. Rickon, gathering up all the courage he had, made his way over to the dragon. "Hey, boy" he whispered.

The dragon growled at the man, flashing his sharp teeth at him. Rickon gulped down his fears continuing his way over to him. As he stood beside the dragon, who did not seem as hostile as he usually is, he noticed the dragons anxiousness about the lake.