Trip to the Dragonpit

"I am sure Cyrax would not mind the open sky," Maekar replied dryly, returning her smile. He looked around the Dragonpit for a moment, locating his own dragon, before he slowly stepped closer to Silverwing, gesturing for several of the men who worked in the pit to fit on the dragon's saddle. When they had finished, Maekar held his hand out to Visenya to help her climb onto the dragon's back. "Wait until I will fly out first, Lady Visenya, and then follow me afterward."

Maekar moved smoothly across the pit to where Cyrax lay, deftly climbing into the dragon's saddle and doing his chains. He urged the dragon forward, and it moved awkwardly on wings and legs until it reached the massive doors. There, Cyrax spread his massive black wings and beat them in the air, taking flight in a few powerful strokes. The black dragon shot into the air and began to climb, circling above the Dragonpit. After a few minutes, Visenya judged it appropriate to take flight herself.

The Little Dread flew north from the city heading over the walls, and Maekar directed him slightly ahead of Visenya and to the right, so he could see her when he turned his head. When they were a few miles north of the capital, Cyrax suddenly flared his wings vertically, stopping him in mid-air so that Silverwing shot ahead, though he resumed normal flight a second later, moving deftly through the air so he flew on the smaller dragons' wing, slightly behind it and to the right.

"Lead the way, Lady Visenya, though we ought to be back in the Red Keep by nightfall," he called to her.

Maekar nodded, and swooped down toward the ground, though he circled slightly above the clearing until Visenya landed and dismounted, before doing the same himself. The bags on Cyrax's saddle still contained a basic kit for making camp, as well as some hard cheese and black bread, and some strips of smoked and salted meat, having been packed for a flight from King's Landing to Darkheart the following day.

"I imagine it is quite nice to get out of the city once in a while," he said, walking up to Visenya when they were both on the ground. "I can't stand the place myself. The smell above all," he added, making a face.

"It would have been impolite," Maekar said, smiling down at her. "In truth, it is a newly given title and I am unused to it. I have been merely Ser for a long time." He was acutely aware how close she was, and the way her hair was blown about from the wind, giving her an artful beauty that was in sharp contrast to the carefully arranged styles often worn at court.