The dragon's roar brimmed with the joy and hurt of a child seeing its father.
The enormous dragon blotted out the sky as it swooped down, whipping up a gale that sent men and horses tumbling.
The guards raised their shields in terror, and the horses whinnied uneasily. Only Storm, beneath Lynn, remained steady as a mountain.
Myrcella clung desperately to Lynn's waist, her little face buried against his chest, not daring even to open her eyes.
Boom!
The dragon landed a hundred meters ahead of the party, making the ground tremble.
It was far more terrifying up close than it had looked in the sky.
Over ten meters long, it resembled a small, moving mountain.
Its icy-blue scales gleamed like metal in the sunlight, each one the size of a shield.
Most frightening of all were its three fearsome heads.
They had stopped squabbling. The largest head in the middle lowered itself, with the two smaller heads flanking it.
Six molten-gold eyes with slit pupils studied Lynn and the little blonde girl in his arms, curious yet a little timid.
"Winter."
Lynn spoke in Valyrian.
The dragon gave a low whimper, and its largest head in the middle edged cautiously closer.
Its enormous head, as massive as a battering ram, stopped a few meters from Lynn.
Then, slowly and gently, it pressed the tip of its snout against Lynn's chest and nuzzled him.
The gesture was just like an enormous dog begging for affection.
Not to be outdone, the other two heads jostled to reach him first.
One rubbed against Lynn's arm, while the other tried to lick his cheek.
Its warm, damp breath washed over Myrcella's face, tickling her so much that she couldn't help shrinking her neck.
Everyone stared dumbfounded.
Was this really the same imposing beast