Chapter 90 — Winter Is Coming
When Daario spotted the tiny black speck flying beside Viserion, he immediately recognized Drogon. He had just barely managed to make out the moment Drogon ripped out the spear and hurled it back, killing the sailor.
Daario had witnessed Drogon's prowess more than once, yet that spear throw still left him stunned.
At the same time, relief welled up inside him — with Drogon around, he no longer had to worry so much about Viserion's safety.
But that relief didn't last long.
After disciplining Viserion and killing the burly sailor, Drogon shot straight up into the sky and departed from Yunkai.
Daario could only sigh and return his full attention to the golden dragon wheeling overhead, afraid the young dragon might get injured again.
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Leaving Yunkai, Drogon flew toward Astapor. From afar, he saw wrecked ship remains scattered across the sea, and sections of the city wall visibly damaged — signs of a major battle that had just ended.
Scanning the sky, he didn't see Rhaegal.
Drogon inhaled sharply and released a piercing dragon cry from his small jaws. The sound wasn't loud, but it carried an astonishing distance.
Barely two minutes later, the green dragon Rhaegal burst out from within Astapor. Seeing the speed and steadiness of her flight, Drogon relaxed — the little dragon sister clearly hadn't been seriously hurt.
Rhaegal had just finished a fierce battle and was about to enjoy a good sleep when she heard Drogon's call. Instantly wide awake, she flew over happily.
Reaching him, she pushed her large head against Drogon and chirped twice — the fight was done, and she was clearly looking to claim credit.
Drogon gave her a thorough once-over. Aside from a few missing scales, she showed no obvious wounds. He pulled out several honey dates and nuts from his pouch and tossed them to her.
After gobbling down the treats, Rhaegal stretched her head forward, opening her mouth to lick Drogon affectionately.
Drogon immediately dodged.
Rhaegal didn't exactly have refined eating habits — her breath was powerful. He absolutely could not handle that smell.
But now Rhaegal's affectionate gesture had been dodged, and a trace of grievance flickered in her eyes — enough to give Drogon a chill.
Lately, she'd been getting more and more attached to him, which worried him. Was dragon mating season coming early?
But they weren't even two years old yet. Even assuming dragons matured on a hundred-year scale, two was still way too early.
Most importantly — he didn't feel anything himself!
Suppressing the weird thought, Drogon gently patted Rhaegal's large head with a small claw to comfort her, then led her back toward Astapor. He wanted to see how the city's defense had gone.
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They arrived outside the pyramid where Daren was stationed. After receiving word that Drogon had arrived, Daren and Jorah came out to greet him.
Both men knew Drogon was the queen's most favored dragon — and the most powerful one, capable of changing his size.
Even if Drogon hadn't come as a formal representative of Queen Daenerys — most likely just to check on the green dragon Rhaegal — neither dared show the slightest disrespect.
Seeing them approach, Drogon turned his head toward the sea outside the city and jerked his snout in that direction.
Daren hadn't spent enough time with Drogon to understand, so he looked to Jorah for help.
"Drogon's probably asking about the Ghiscari assault," Jorah said. He knew Drogon could understand human speech almost perfectly.
Daren nodded. He had intended to send a report to Daenerys anyway, so Drogon's arrival was perfect timing.
Since Drogon seemed concerned about the naval battle, he summarized:
"Rhaegal burned most of their trebuchets and killed many sailors. The Ghiscari didn't expect the queen's dragons to be battle-ready so soon. Their losses were severe."
Drogon concluded that after suffering under Rhaegal's flames, the Ghiscari wouldn't try another assault anytime soon — unless they found a way to counter dragons.
Still, just in case, he decided Rhaegal should remain stationed at Astapor a few more days as a deterrent.
---
After finishing his report, Daren asked if Drogon could carry a letter back to Daenerys. Drogon nodded.
The letter was tucked into his pouch, and Drogon prepared to leave. Rhaegal followed him reluctantly for over ten kilometers before finally turning back after his reassurance.
Instead of heading straight to Meereen, Drogon stopped on the grasslands for a grand feast, harvesting another wave of faith energy before returning.
---
Meanwhile in Meereen, as interrogations of captured Sons of the Harpy continued, Tyrion proposed several measures to solve the city's growing food crisis:
Large areas outside the city produced olives, grapes, and wheat. Freedmen without skills could work there for wages.
Meereen's wine and salt industries could absorb more labor.
Freedmen would be allowed to leave Meereen freely, even to follow merchants or nobles who had come to buy slaves, now as hired workers.
Those meeting academy standards could remain registered with the academy and return to study later.
Employment contracts and advance pay would be required before departure.
Skilled workers could continue serving Great Masters for wages.
Tyrion's other major proposal: military expansion.
After the unrest in Meereen and the sieges elsewhere, both the Unsullied and the Second Sons had suffered losses. Recruitment would:
✔ Feed idle freedmen
✔ Strengthen Daenerys's army
✔ Prepare for a future campaign in Westeros
Daenerys immediately ordered Jorah to oversee recruitment and instructed Daario in Yunkai and Daren in Astapor to do the same. Recruits would be sent to Meereen for training under Jorah.
Applications flooded in — even sons and nephews of slave-owning families enlisted, especially those without inheritance, hoping to win glory and land if Daenerys conquered Westeros.
Daenerys welcomed them; many were educated and skilled.
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After delivering Daren's letter, Drogon's thoughts turned north.
He felt uneasy about the wildlings and the White Walkers beyond the Wall. He needed to see things himself.
With Slaver's Bay temporarily stabilized, he bid farewell to Daenerys and Shireen and flew toward the Wall.
Three hours later, before even reaching Winterfell, he felt the cold.
The temperature had dropped sharply since his last visit north.
A familiar Stark saying echoed in his mind:
Winter is coming.