Jon and Qotho spent some time with the raided merchant group and, in the end, traded a keg of water and the mule they had collected from the bandits they had killed, for a large tent and some silage for their horses. The merchant group had decided to make for Mereen, and they needed the water to get there. Qotho also talked them out of some foodstuffs that the merchants wouldn't need on their way back to Mereen.
When the merchants left, Jon and Qotho made their way up towards the mountain. They wove their way through several smaller peaks, through meadows and groups of goats. The path up the mountain was just a goat trail, but the horses could follow it almost to the cave where Drogon was. Just below the cave was a small flat place under an overhang, big enough to shelter the horses and pitch the tent. Jon set up the tent and sent Qotho back down to let the horses eat grass while Qotho hunted a few goats. He told Qotho to load both horses with stones large enough to start building a winter shelter. It was cool at this height now, but it would be bitterly cold come winter. Qotho listened and asked Jon, "How long will we be here?" Jon responded, "I killed the mother of this dragon; it may take some time before he can forgive me." Qotho nodded and left to his task.
On the third day since they camped, Jon stripped himself of clothes and gathered up one of the goats Qotho had killed. Qotho wondered about why he was stripping, and Jon grinned and said, "Time to find out if I am truly fireproof. If I don't come back, you will know I wasn't, and you are free to take everything and leave." Jon worked his way up to the cave mouth and slowly walked into the opening. He had serious doubts about this plan, but he forged ahead. The cave was large, and he saw Drogon at the back. The dragon was watching him as he came in, and it snuffed loudly as he got closer. When Drogon recognized his smell, he made a snarling sound and puffed up to blow fire. The dragon raised on all fours, and his chest glowed; a torrent of flame gouted out of his mouth towards Jon. Jon stopped as the flame washed over him. The heat was intense, but he didn't burn. Something like a sigh of relief came out of Jon, and he dropped the now-cooked goat carcass in front of Drogon. "Drogon, I hope one day soon you will forgive me. We need each other." He turned and walked away.
Every other day, Jon approached the cave, goat in hand. It took nearly a month before Drogon quit bathing Jon and his goat offering in fire. Qotho and the horses had fallen into a routine, bringing back stones and hunting goats. On the off days, they built up flat stone walls around the tent. They made a small fireplace in the front of the tent so the smoke would clear the overhang. They cooked their goats and ate sparingly of the vegetable stuff they had gotten from the merchants. The weather was already getting colder, and one day Jon sent Qotho back to Mereen with both horses and a small bag of gold to gather food for them. It took Qotho 3 weeks to go and come back, and both horses were loaded down with vegetables, silage, and sundry goods they needed to survive. Qotho broke out a couple of bottles of wine he had procured, and they celebrated his safe return.
In the third month, Drogon met Jon outside the cave. He snapped up the goat and then lowered his neck for Jon to climb onto him. Jon had barely clambered into a spot it was safe to sit on when Drogon took to the air. Jon held on to two spines on the dragon's neck as Drogon climbed high into the air. Jon understood that Drogon was testing him as a rider as the dragon rose and dived through this flight. Within an hour, Drogon returned to the cave mouth and allowed Jon to dismount. After that, Jon brought him goats, and several times a week they flew together. A bond was forming between them. Slowly, Jon learned to control Drogon's flight and actions. Jon had remembered the commands Daenerys had used, and he became accustomed to using them with Drogon.
Southeast of Brandon's Rest, Brienne's troops were facing increased patrol activity. The Zonian patrols were getting larger and larger. 20-man patrols became 40-man patrols, and they were harder to defeat. The Zonians were determined to find the tracks they knew lay to the east. And as they sent patrols out, and they didn't come back, they determined there was a considerable force to the east that they needed to wipe out. As the massive slings were nearing range to attack the city of Deepwoods Motte, the Zonian commanders sent a force of 1000 men to the east. Brienne's detachment knew they were coming, as their scouts had seen them in the woods, so they set about making plans to defend against them. While the Westerosi had the advantage in numbers, their troops were not hardened battle troops like the Zonians were. It was going to take a bold plan to stave off this incursion.