Chapter 26: The Silverwing Encounter - Part 1
The fisherman's name was Tam, and he thought I was insane.
"Dragonstone's outskirts? Where the wild dragons roost?" He spat into Blackwater Bay. "Why in the Seven Hells would you want to go there?"
"Personal business."
"Suicide's personal, I suppose." He scratched his beard, calculating. "Five silver stags to take you. Ten to wait and bring you back. If you live."
"Deal."
He took the coin, muttered something about fools and their money, and pushed his boat away from King's Landing's docks.
I'd requested two days' leave from duty. Told Otto it was personal matters—needed to handle some business from my old life in Flea Bottom. He'd granted it without question. Helaena knew the truth.
"You're going to find her," she'd said. "Silverwing."
"Yes."
"The dreams show you on her back. But not yet. Not for a long time."
"I know. This is just first contact."
She'd kissed me goodbye behind the astronomy shelves. "Come back to me."
"Always."
The crossing took three hours. Tam's boat was small but sturdy, built for rough waters. We didn't talk much. He rowed, I watched the horizon.
Dragonstone loomed in the distance—volcanic rock and ancient Valyrian architecture. The Targaryen ancestral seat. Where Rhaenyra held court. Where Daemon probably plotted.
But we weren't going there.
"There," Tam pointed. "Rocky shore. Northern edge. Wild dragons roost in the cliffs. Silverwing's been spotted regular-like."
"How do you know it's her?"
"Silver scales. Huge. Old as sin. Only one dragon matches that description."
We landed on a narrow beach. Rocks, driftwood, the smell of salt and seaweed.
I disembarked with my pack—salted fish, water, a knife. Not that a knife would help against a dragon.
"I'll wait here," Tam said. "Three hours. If you're not back, I'm leaving."
"Fair enough."
"And if you do come back—ten more silver stags."
"If I come back, you'll get them."
He nodded, pulled his boat onto the sand, and settled in to wait.
I started hiking inland.
The cliffs rose like jagged teeth. Volcanic rock, black and sharp, carved by wind and time. Caves pocked the formations. Good roosting spots for creatures that needed shelter but also hunting space.
I climbed carefully. Used my enhanced strength and Geppo when necessary, though I kept the air-jumps minimal. Didn't want to exhaust myself before reaching Silverwing.
The roar hit me before I saw her.
Massive. Primal. The kind of sound that made every animal instinct scream run.
I froze. Dropped my weight to ten kilograms. Made myself small, unthreatening.
Then I saw her.
Silverwing.
She was everything the stories said and more. Huge—easily twice Syrax's size, maybe three times. Silver scales caught the morning sun, turning her into something from legend. Ancient eyes, knowing and wary.
She perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea, wings partially spread. Sensing me. Watching.
I didn't run. Didn't hide.
I walked forward. Slowly. Hands visible. No weapons drawn.
Twenty paces away, she rose. Fully. Wings spreading wider, blocking out the sun.
The roar came again. Warning. This is my territory. Leave.
I stopped. Knelt. Made myself even smaller.
Then I spoke. High Valyrian, learned painstakingly from library texts.
"Sȳz gēlion." Good morning.
Her head tilted. Confusion. Who was this tiny creature speaking the ancient tongue?
I pulled salted fish from my pack. Tossed it forward. A peace offering.
Silverwing's eyes tracked its arc. The fish landed between us.
She snorted. Then exhaled.
Fire. Small burst. Controlled. The fish incinerated instantly.
But I was ready. Hardened with Tekkai, stood in the residual heat. My skin reddened. Clothes singed. But I didn't flinch. Didn't run.
Show her you can withstand fire. Show her you're not weak.
The heat faded. I remained standing.
Silverwing rumbled. Not aggressive. Curious.
I sat. Cross-legged. Hands visible. Non-threatening.
"I'm not here to hurt you. Just to meet you. To show respect."
She watched me for a long moment. Then, slowly, she settled back onto her outcrop.
We stared at each other as the sun climbed higher.
Two hours. Maybe more.
We didn't move. Didn't approach each other further.
But something happened in that stillness. An acknowledgment. She saw me. I saw her. And neither of us attacked.
Progress.
Eventually, she lost interest. Turned away, focused on the sea. Hunting, probably. Or just done with the strange two-legged creature who spoke broken Valyrian and stood in fire without burning.
I stood slowly. Backed away. Never turning my back.
She didn't pursue.
When I reached the beach, Tam was dozing against his boat. He startled awake when I approached.
"Seven Hells! You're alive!"
"Disappointed?"
"Shocked." He looked me over. "You're burned."
I glanced down. My clothes were singed, my skin pink and tender. But already healing.
"Slightly."
"Slightly. Right." He pushed the boat into the water. "That's fifteen silver stags you owe me. Payment for stupidity."
I paid him. He earned it.
The crossing back was quieter. Tam kept glancing at me like I might explode or sprout wings.
I stared at the horizon, thinking about Silverwing.
First contact: successful. She didn't kill me. Didn't chase me away. That was more than most dragonseeds could say.
But there was a long way between "didn't kill" and "bonded rider."
I'd need to return. Build trust. Prove myself worthy.
Soon. But not yet. Helaena was right—the dreams show it, but not for a long time.
For now, I had enough. Proof that Silverwing existed. That she was approachable. That my fire resistance was enough to survive first contact.
The rest would come. Eventually.
When we docked in King's Landing, I paid Tam his silver, thanked him, and headed back to the Red Keep.
Helaena was waiting in the godswood, watching ants carry breadcrumbs.
She looked up when I entered. Saw my singed clothes. My healing burns.
"You met her."
"I did."
"And?"
"She didn't kill me. That's a good start."
She smiled. Stood. Walked over and took my hands, examining the burns.
"These will heal."
"They always do."
"Good." She kissed my knuckles. "Because I need these hands. For holding mine."
I pulled her close. Right there in the godswood, where anyone could see.
And for once, I didn't care about the risk.
We'd be careful. Discrete. Smart.
But I was done pretending she didn't matter more than anything else in this world.
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