Because Rhaegal deserved so much better.

Chapter One

He was getting used to the cold, since bonding with his rider it had actually got easier. He'd moved from the nest he had been sharing with his brother on the hill to a more sheltered one closer to the two legs home. They had gotten used to him being so close even though they gave him a wide birth, especially since his injuries had made him as cranky and bad tempered as his brother could be.

He'd just woken from a nap, which was what he'd spent the last two days doing trying to heal, when his mother walked towards him with her hand outstretched, stepping over the charred bones of the meals his mothers men had brought him. He bowed his head down to her level and let her place her hand on his muzzle even though his skin seemed to crawl at the contact. Wrong, the contact was wrong. He retreated shaking his head to dispel the feeling but it only got worse when he felt her will pressing against his mind. 'Fly' she told him 'It is time to return home'.

Taking a running start he launched himself into the air feeling the ache of his damaged wing send a shot of pain through his shoulder but he pushed through it. He felt the air rushing through the hole in his wing rather than gliding along it and he wobbled in the air before he titled it and steadied himself. With an other beat of his wings he was gaining altitude, flying towards the strange structure the two legs spend most of their time. He could feel his mothers satisfaction over what was left of there bond but she was not who he wanted to see him in the air again. As he circled the area he felt his riders presence coming from the wooded part inside the walls, flying low he gave a call as he passed over where his rider was standing in front of the large tree. He saw him look up to admire him as he passed and he preened at the attention before flying back towards his nest. Drogon and Mother sweeping down in front of him diverted him from his intention to land and he followed as they flew south. He could hear the sound of a small group of the two legs on the ground following at a much slower pace.

They'd flew most of the morning, flying ahead of the small group before returning when it became clear to him that his rider wasn't following on the ground. It was when his brother landed to let his mother of his back that he made the decision to continue heading back the way he'd come. He heard both his mother and brother call out to him but he ignored them and continued North, following the pull of his rider. His wing was burning now but he pushed through the pain determined to make it back before it finally gave up. Flying low over a tall mountain the bond flared from a candle flare to dragon fire, telling him that he was close and in the distance the tall structure came into view.

Sweeping over the building he let loose a joyful cry telling his rider he had returned before heading back to his nest, his wing almost giving out in relief as he lands. He's hungry now, having pushed himself with a singular focus to return he hadn't thought to hunt, but now his wing was sore and he was too tired to bother. He reached out to pick up a charred bone to gnaw on and take his mind of the hunger when he felt his rider approaching. He thrilled in joy as he entered his line of sight and stretched his neck out towards him. As he walked towards him he took the strange things that smelt a bit like cow of his hands and set them bare onto his snout. Humming in pleasure he let his rider feel his pain and hunger and from the tightening of his jaw and the scent of his ager he understood. His rider looked behind him and he saw that the large white animal that followed his rider around was there, but not for long as with a look from his rider it was taking of towards the woods.

Content with his riders presence Rhaegal lay his head down on the ground, folding his wings in around him and drifted of to sleep.