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They now believe the dragons are gone. Queen Daenerys Targaryen was murdered by the man she loved most, with her daughter Rhaenyra witnessing the whole ordeal. The little Princess mounted her mother's dragon and fled King's Landing...
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THE RUINS OF DALE WERE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME FILLED WITH LIFE AND SOUND. Still, that new life was not the most joyful or bright as the future was looking bleak to many. After Thranduil and his army arrived with provision and protection the atmosphere lifted somewhat for a short while only for it go down again. His own soldiers lined the ruined walls of Dale, eyes set on the tall Lonely Mountain in the distance and were ordered to report any movement coming from it to Thranduil himself. The human who were leading the surviving people of Laketown and rumoured to be proclaimed their King, Bard the Bowman, had joined Thranduil inside his private tent with Gandalf who had arrived only moments earlier. The Grey Wizard came with a warning of a grave danger that would soon be upon them.
There was one person of great power not present in the tent, which was noticeable as Thranduil had expected to run into her. When Gandalf inquired about her whereabouts Bard told them a harrowing tale, starting when Rhaenyra and Drogon first arrived and battled Smaug. Bard's recollection of Smaug's death had Thranduil's head spinning and heart clenching in worry, even if he knew it had ended in triumph and both Rhaenyra and Drogon lived to tell the tale. His hand clenched around the armrest of his chair when Bard told them how 'The Winged Shadow' tore Smaug's head clean of his body and his body was now resting at the bottom of the lake. His heart continued on hammering hard against his chest, his imagination conjuring up terrible images of Rhaenyra and Drogon falling down into the lake, beaten and defeated... All he heard only confirmed in Thranduil's mind it would have been better, and safer, if Rhaenyra had stayed in Mirkwood with him.
Bard then told them of how after the smog of battle had cleared Rhaenyra had taken some of the dwarves left behind up on Drogon's back and flew to the Lonely Mountain, to speak with Thorin Oakenshield about a pledge he had made to Bard's people to share some of its treasure with them.
That is where Bard's story ended, he explained that only minutes before Thranduil and his army arrived they had seen Drogon take to the air again, fly in circles above the mountain a few times before taking off into the distance.
Gandalf had slumped together with a sigh after hearing this, leaning against his staff and shaking his head, "Then those discussions can't possibly have ended well, she would be here otherwise to pass on the good news."
Scuffling outside the tent momentarily halted their conversation and one human man Thranduil had previously seen conversing with Bard stood at the opening of the tent, looking overall tired and beaten down, though carried with him a glint of hope in his eyes.
"'The Winged Shadow' has been spotted!"
Bard and Gandalf sighed in relief, following the man outside. Thranduil stiffly gulped down the last of his wine before he followed suit, walking in a slower pace to where the walls opened up and a large cluster of people had gathered.
The distant rumble reminding Thranduil strongly of thunder confirmed that Drogon and Rhaenyra indeed were near and the dragon itself soon came into view, flying a few lapses around the town, casting them all underneath his shadow.
