~:Arya and the Heart Tree:~
Arya was happily playing on her bed with her doll in her new bedchamber when her father entered. "How do you like your new bedchamber?" He asked her as he approached and sat on her bed next to her.
"I really like it, it means I'm a big girl now doesn't it?" She said proudly as she looked up at her father. She was also glad that she didn't have to share with her boring and annoying sister any more, but didn't say that.
Her father smiled and chuckled slightly. "Yes, you're a big girl now and that means you're ready to go somewhere very special." He smiled and offered his hand to her as he stood.
She eagerly hopped to her feet and gladly held her fathers hand, she loved spending time with him. "Where are you taking me?" She asked as they made their way out of her new bedchamber and down the stone steps of the tower to the castle yard below.
"I'm taking you to the Godswood to see the Heart Tree." He replied, smiling down at her.
Arya giggled excitedly, she had never been allowed in the Godswood before. Old Nan had told her a few stories and Maester Luwin had mentioned it a few times and she thought it sounded like a magical place.
Eddard walked quite slowly so that she could easily keep up with him as they entered the Godswood. Arya felt a little nervous but she wasn't afraid. She just didn't really know what to expect.
Arya held her fathers hand a little tighter as they went deeper into the Godswood. The light grew dimmer and the air seemed to get thicker the further they went. Roots stuck out of the ground and thick layers of brown leaves lay everywhere. Everything seemed so old to her, some of the largest trees must have been hundreds, possibly thousands of years old she thought.
For some reason Arya suddenly felt like she was being watched and she didn't like it. She stopped and frowned a little.
"Arya what's wrong?" Her father asked, crouching down to put a comforting arm around her slender shoulders.
Arya looked at him, clearly unsure. She tried to hide it though as she didn't want to look craven in front of her father. "My legs are tired, I want to go back to my chamber." She replied, making up an excuse not to go any further.
"We're almost there sweetling, come on." He said as he put his arm around her slender waist and picked her up as he stood. Arya started to cling onto her father and looked around as he carried her deeper into the Godswood, feeling a little reassured.
After few minutes they came to a small clearing which had a little black pool in the centre of it. Arya looked around to see a strange white tree with dark red leaves and a scary looking face. She quickly looked away and hugged her father tight, not wanting to look at it.
"It's ok sweetling it won't harm you. This is a Heart Tree" He father spoke quietly as he crouched and put her down.
She frowned a little as he stood and then started to cling to him again, burying her face into his stomach. "I don't like it, I want to go back." She insisted.
Her father gently hugged her as her explained to her about the old gods, the children of the forest and the first men. "So there's really no need to be afraid." He said before leaning down to kiss her forehead.
Feeling brave, Arya turned to face the Heart Tree and marched up to it. "I'm not afraid of you!" She said to the Heart Tree's face, before turning away and folding her arms across her chest defiantly.
Her father couldn't help but smile proudly.