No one sipped her tankard of ale in silence as her two companions discussed their next steps in their journey a table away from her. Of course they thought she was a HE, and she didn't contradict them. She was happy the winter clothes hid her lithe body and the shapes that gave away her gender. Her face mask obstructed her face when outside and her fur lined hood hid everything else from view. Her eyes were closed as she focused on the noises in the tavern through the ears and eyes of the tabby tom cat over the bar counter.
She had learned to enter the minds of animals almost a year ago, but she favored cats.
The tavern door opened and cold wind and snow brought in a party of 5 men wrapped in furs but still shivering.
'Get some boiled wine on the stove lass…' said one of them as he pulled the cloak off his head, his eyes still spoke of a sober determination.
'Go boil it yourself old man.' Barked the inn keeper. The old man tried to pet the tom cat but she flinched from his touch.
'What's wrong with you?' the man asked eyeing the tabby. She stretched the legs and left onto the top shelf settling there.
The old man shrugged before another of his companions joined him. This one was younger.
'Who are the two new faces and the hooded one?' asked the youth
'Just some Maesters come down from Saltpans to go one to Riverrun and the other to the wall…sworn brother of the Night's watch sent by the lord commander to become a Maester. The hood is their bodyguard…or so they say, a bravosi who speaks very little.'
'Didn't anyone tell that brother the wall is no place to go now?' Growled the old man
'I said as much, but he said it was all the same, his duty was to the brothers, and they needed him.'
'There has been no news from up there since Jon Snow was killed by his own men…'
Arya opened her eyes. It couldn't be…Jon…murdered…but even as she rose, a numbness taking over…her heart of steal now put on another layer, this one of ice…she went out oblivious of the eyes trained on her. She had sent her chair falling at the news of Jon's death, her beloved brother. No…as she walked in the knee deep snow she pushed the horror of the news aside. She was not Arya Stark anymore…she was no one, she would remain no one, all she needed to do is reach Winterfell, become Arya Stark for a day…then vanish again…she had to hold to her promise…her teacher…her teacher asked this of her…this would be the last act she would do before giving herself up entirely to the many faced god…she would kill Arya Stark…and No one would finally live for herself. Howls close to the inn. Arya sighed, yes…that was her wolf's pack out there…but it was not yet time to join them. She turned to the stables and settled to sleep next to her horse, a northern breed, shorter than the destriers but more stout and perfect to ride in the snow, she had bought herself the mare eyeing her placidly when they arrived in Saltpans. She set her mask on her face more for protection than cold as the beasts in the stable provided enough heat. She fell asleep and dreamt the wolf dream.
Arya woke sensing someone's presence, she did swift work of her would be attacker, her legs tripped him. He fell with a curse and was about to curse some more when she set her knee almost crushing his groin and a dagger at his neck. The man froze blue eyes wide.
'Hey, hey, I meant no harm…' he rose his hands over his head 'No harm…friend ok…'
Arya withdrew her dagger and spoke in westerosi with a heavy bravosi accent, her voice horse.
'Tell your friends to put down their crossbows, or they will join you through deaths gate.'
'Lower the crossbow, Anguy…damn it…'
'We meant no harm…' it was the old man that spoke 'We lowered the crossbows, can you release the blacksmith…he just wanted to wake you up, your companions wish to leave in a bell's time…' he added. Arya withdrew eyeing the man on the ground trying to remember, had she seen him before?
She said nothing just proceeded to saddling her horse.
'That was some move you pulled…I've visited Braavos once, when I was younger…' the old man continued.
Arya continued to say nothing.
'What is a bravosi sell sward doing in Westeros, the climate now isn't too friendly to warm climate people.'
'A sell sward sells his sward, yes…' she said checking the blanket covered the horse where it needed to.
'Indeed…forgive me for asking but I know bravosi and they tend to be more boisterous and proud…'
'Most bravosi are idiots, yes…'
The man barked a laugh 'Yes, but they are good natured…most of them anyway…unless you provoke them. Anyway…' the man went on realizing that the bravosi was not very talkative ' Just wanted to give you a heads up, we will be coming with you north…'
At this Arya turned
'Why?'
'It's complicated…but you will need a guide, and here we are, Harwin is a Northman, he knows the way, he'll guide us all…unless, you wish to go with the Maester bound for Riverrun and then return to Braavos.' He said tentatively
Arya said nothing, finished buckling the last strap of her small pack and walked out.
'Not very talkative our bravosi…' said Anguy
'No…which is strange…usually they are very talkative…'
'One odd in every bunch…' Harwin shrugged.
It turned out that only three were coming with her north, two decided to help the Maester set for Riverrun, Lem and Anguy were going there, while the old man and the other two youths went north with Sam, the brother of the Night's Watch. They set out one hour after that, with supplies to last them two weeks, the rest they would have to find along the way. Food was scarce.
Arya didn't mind, each carried their own rations, she could last four weeks with what she had, she had learnt to eat little, her training going so far into starvation. At a point the food she had now would have looked like a feast for kings. They would hunt, that was certain…but what they would find to hunt, that was not so certain.
The man she had sent to the ground in the inn's stable was named Gendry, she remembered vaguely a boy of that name, but her memories of that time were foggy…Sam was interested in Harwin, the Northman since Harwin said he had grown up at Winterfell.
Arya rode rear guard as Gendry and the old man who called himself Black keeping his real name from her were riding point.
Arya listened to Sam chatting in front of her, It was clear Harwin was a bit restless.
'Jon grew up in Winterfell, Jon Snow…you must know him…'
'I did…he was a good lad…lord Stark raised him as he did his other children…he was a talented rider.'
'He still is…he rode with arrows cushioned on him from the Wildlings and managed to get to castle black to warn us…Jon was the best at sword fight too…helped Glen and Pip, and would have helped me more, but I am a complete klutz with a sward…that's why he sent me to become a Maester, three years…I'm sure he's going to flip, he was sure I would need at least 7…ha…he is good with swards, but I'm better with books…'
Harwin said nothing, so the fat fool knew not of Jon's murder at the hand of his brothers.
'I wander how he aged, being lord commander must have taken its toll…it was my doing you know…I convinced them to vote for him…he thought it was a joke…he once tried to desert…when he found out what happened to his lord father…he wanted to go join Rob…but we stopped him…he had taken the vow…he couldn't leave…and the white walkers were coming…no war in the south was more important than consolidating the wall…he came round…I still think he hates himself for that…abandoning Rob, Arya…she was his favorite…by the way she described her, she would have fit better to be a boy…'
Harwin grunted.
'You knew the lady Arya too right…'
'Ai…I knew her…and betrayed her…' Harwin kicked his mount and left Sam further back.
The night fell faster as days went by, Black had taken Harwin's place and kept Sam company.
Arya sat down against her horse as they made camp for the night in the forest this time. They had not managed to find a village this night so they were set to take watch one after the other, the first was the blacksmith followed by her, Black and Harwin at the end. Two hours each. Gendry woke her with a bowl of hot soup. She ate and began her watch as Gendry settled in to sleep. She felt his eyes trained at her, trying to see behind the hood, he fell asleep as the cold and fatigue took hold. Two hours and she woke Black up.
'Nothing eventful I take it…'
She nodded and settled back against her mare.
'That horse is taken a liking to you…never seen horses get accustomed to their riders so quickly.'
Arya of course knew why that was but she shrugged. She had entered the animal's mind, had made her understand she was safe, the horse understood and obeyed every command that way. Arya knew that even in front of a pack of wolves the mare would not buckle if Arya was on her back, instincts or not, Arya owned her soul and her mind.
'Why did you take such a risky contract sell sward?' asked Black
'Money poor…'
'This contract can't be worth much, a Maester and the Night's watch don't own much…'
'Maybe I need to make a name for myself…'
'Here in Westeros…no…you're likely to die…the north is an inauspicious place for southerners…'
'Southerners like you…'
The man chuckled 'We all have reasons to be here…the lad, Gendry…he thinks he will find a friend up north, a friend or her corpse, Harwin wants to redeem himself in front of his former lord's eyes, even though that lord is long dead…'
'And you…'
'I'm an old fool clinging to the idea that maybe, my niece's daughter is still alive…'
'Your niece…she up north…married to a lord…'
'Ai, married to a Bolton, against her will…we heard word she had escaped and was sent to the wall…but Jon is no longer alive…'
'Jon Snow? Sam's lord commander…'
'Ai…my niece is Arya Stark…the only remaining heir to Winterfell…'
'Is she so important to risk your lives for her…'
'I saw her only once, when she was but a babe…but she is family…and a Tully holds family to be the highest importance…and so, we come to you bravosi…why are you heading north.'
Arya hesitated 'A promise…to a friend.'
'Must be some friend…'
Arya said nothing and the Black fish, her uncle left her to sleep.
