Hatcheries

He led her into an antechamber and then into a cavern where a group of young dragons resideded. A few were little more than babies, and there were some older ones who were all tails and legs and necks and wings. One of the older ones looked curiously at Vira but made no move to attack. Two of the babies, one red and one white, were engaged in a battle. They flapped and hissed and the red one shot a jet of flame at the white.

Dake smiled, as proud as any father. "Are they not magnificent? The eggs are in the next cavern, with Dreamfyre."

The young dragon didn't hiss at Vira or attempt to set fire to her, but it let her touch its head for only the barest moment before pulling away.

"Careful," Dake warned. "Dragons are not cats. Want to see the eggs?"

"If yer quiet and respectful, aye. Don't try t'touch eggs. She'll know yer bonded already. And get out if she's in a bad temper," he warned.

He gestured up ahead to a cavern at the far side of the one they were now in. The entrance was lit by lamps.

This cavern was huge. Inside it, in an alcove, lay Dreamfyre, whose scales were the colour of sunset, ranging from golden yellow to deep orange along her wing membranes and markings, with ivory horns and claws. She was not the biggest dragon but she was still very powerful and her eyes, pale blue, gazed possessively at the clutch of eggs close by. There were five, and they came in a myriad of colours, blue with silver squires, white and gold, green and cream, red with black and black and gold.

Dreamfyre looked up as they approached but she recognised Dake and didn't move except for a small swish of her tail.

Dake stood close by, watching the dragon and her clutch with a grandfatherly expression. "Sometimes they hatch by themselves," he confided in a whisper. "Other times they hatch only for a Targaryen. When Prince Aegon is wed, his children may be given these eggs in their cribs. Not all Targaryens get the eggs from birth, but no bastard ever can."

"He'll be expected to wed one of his sisters, but they all have dragons," Dake remarked.

Dreamfyre looked at them and hissed.

"Back away," the old man warned. "She grows tired of us."

"Most of t' little ones are from Azuria . But the two purple ones, see, are from Amethyst, the queen's dragon. it's said they were sired by Balerion hisself."

He indicated two purple dragons which seemed to keep to themselves.

"The elder ones are from Dreamfyre's previous clutch," Dake explained.

"When it's needed. Mostly t'queens are off with their riders anyhow. Dreamfyre looks after t'hatchlings a lot cos she 'as no rider. I 'elp as I can, bring food for t' queens when they needs it."

He grinned. "I loves 'em well. All o' em. They's all me children now."

"Don't want no reward," he said. "Long as I gets food and blankets, I only wants to be wi' t'dragons. Never wanted no wife or children, only them."

"I know. I'm lucky to have them too," he said. "Keep yourself safe, girl. Don't fly too high too soon. I've seen dragonseed die that way."

As they are led to the caves of the hatchlings, Aemon takes a look around at the numerous caves running alongside the volcano and wonders just how many of them are filled. As they approach the cave, the three men walk inside and soon Drake is looking over the numerous baby dragons that are either playing with each other or curled up in a ball and sleeping. As he looks his way through them a couple dragons look up at him, but only one really maintains eye contact for long. The dragon was about the sized of a dog yet was still a year or two away from being able to carry a rider for an extended amount of time.

As this is happening Aemon turns to Dake. "I've noticed that Vhagar still has no rider. Do you know what cave she resides in these days?" He asks softly.