It was quiet in the village. They had beds stuffed with straw and not too many lice, the food was plain but filling, and the air smelled of pines. All the same, Arya soon decided that she hated it. The villagers were cowards. None of them would even look at the Hound's face, at least not for long. Some of the women tried to put her in a dress and make her do needlework, but they weren't Lady Smallwood and she was having none of it. And there was one girl who took to following her, the village elder's daughter. She was of an age with Arya, but just a child; she cried if she skinned a knee, and carried a stupid cloth doll with her everywhere she went. The doll was made up to look like a man-at-arms, sort of, so the girl called him Ser Soldier and bragged how he kept her safe. "Go away," Arya told her half a hundred times. "Just leave me be." She wouldn't, though, so finally Arya took the doll away from her, ripped it open, and pulled the rag stuffing out of its belly with a finger. "Now he really looks like a soldier!" she said, before she threw the doll in a brook. The girl started crying and ran off, Arya felt relief that she was finally alone.
"What do we have here? A little mountain in the making" Arya knew that raspy voice, the Hound was mocking her "The mountain with teats will call you"
"What are you saying I'm nothing like him, I'll kill him next time I see him" said Arya as she walked to the hound.
"Maybe not now, but every monster started somewhere, and you are here taking on the ones that are weaker than you. I'll say is a very good start" the hound was leaning on a tree just looking at the scene.
"I just wanted to be left alone and she didn't listen, so I had to make her regret following me"
"So you hurt her to give her a lesson, that sounds familiar. Have you heard how I got burned? It was my brother to teach me not to take his things" the Hound got closer to Arya's face and showed her the scars.
Arya had to step back, she was speechless, but what she did wasn't so drastic she just ripped open a stupid cloth doll. But the girl was crying like it where a real person.
"Now you see, today is a doll, not a big deal, then is a little stab or burn, and before you know you'll be cutting feet and hands just for the pleasure of it. Maybe they will even let you join the Bloody Mummers" the hound started to laugh.
Arya shook her head "I'm not like that; I'm a Stark of Winterfell, a Wolf"
"The Starks are a noble family that protects the people and have honor, even if that cost them their heads. Your father made sure of that. You are more a Clegane now, the she wolf has turned into a blood thirsty bitch"
"I'm not, I do it for justice!" Arya yell at him.
"Destroying little girls' dolls is justice? I never head of that, it sounds more like what a craven would do, you have the appropriated horse then"
"I'm brave, I fear nobody" Arya was red with anger ready to burst and kill the hound.
"You fear everybody, that's why you don't let anyone get closer to you. Because then you'll have to protect them and you know you can't protect yourself and it means they will die because of your fear" the hound wasn't laughing anymore just looking at her.
Arya knew the perfect answer, one that the Hound will never expect "The you are a craven too, you left King's Landing and your king, a king you were sworn to protect" a thin smile drew on Arya's lips she knew she had the hound there.
"Aye I left that bastard of Joffrey to rot in his Red Keep, but I kept him safe all the time I was by his side, and that wasn't easy the little cunt can win enemies faster than a dog gets fleas, also I made sure to keep your sister safe, I saved her from an angry mob who wanted to rape her and killer, I saved her from Joffrey too when he had her beaten, I even offered her to take her out the city, she even sang for me before I left" The face of the hound got stern he was no longer mocking her, this seems to be a serious matter for him now.
Arya didn't know what to say to all of that, the smile had disappeared from her, she was biting her lip, "What are you saying that I should apologize for what I did? Is that what you are trying to do? Mend your life?"
"I'm too far gone, the gods know well what have I done and I'm too old to change my path. I'm just telling you what lies ahead if you keep going this path. It takes more courage to take care of someone and live that take up a sword and die" the hound turned his head spat. "I think there are fences to put up or something that I might be needed" the Hound turned and left leaving Arya there.
Arya stood there for a moment, thinking on what just happened, the Hound was mistaken she was not a murderer she was looking for justice, or was she? The doubt wasn't going anywhere and the memory of the girl crying was stronger than before. Arya could not stop feeling bad and then she remembered Nymeria she just wanted to be with her and she had to make her go away. Before she knew it she was waist deep in the creek trying to grab all the pieces that have been inside Ser Soldier.
That night Arya put all the pieces close to the fire to dry and when it had dried out she took needle and thread and started to put all back inside and closing it. It took her most of the night and got all her fingers poked with the needle at least twice each but she close it and managed to have some time to sleep.
The next morning after breaking her fast Arya went looking for the girl to give back her doll, she found her sitting with her mother who was doing needle work. "What do you want here, my daughter told me what you did, I should beat you for what you did"
"I have something for her" said Arya showing her the fixed doll.
"Ser Soldier!" the girl took it and hugged it, then she looked at it and saw the mending.
"I'm sorry. People used to say that I have a blacksmith's hand" Said Arya said biting her lip.
The mother of the girl saw at the doll "I think I can fix that, I'll just have to -"
"No!" Said the little girl "Ser Solder is fine now, is just a battle scar. Thank you"
Arya didn't know what to do, her instinct was to run away, she wanted to run through the forest leave all this feelings away, but a little part of her felt better seeing that girl happy again. It took a moment for Arya to remember her lady manners that Septa Mordane had taught her "I'm glad you like it, now I have to go" and she broke off running away.
She was getting into the forest when she heard the girl.
"Wait!" The girl was blushed and breathless but still running behind her, Arya stopped and waited for her. "you are very fast" said the girl catching her breath.
Arya didn't know what to say, she wanted to be alone but she had to face this situation, she could not run from everything "I forgot, what is your name?"
"Lyanna" answered the girl straingten up like gaining pride from her name.
"Lyanna?"
"Yes, she was a beautiful princess of the north. She was so pretty that there where wars for her" Lyanna said like it had been happened in the age of heroes.
Arya knew who Lyanna was, was her aunt, kidnaped by Rhaegar Targaryen at the tourney of Harrenhal. But she decided to not say anything and just listen to her and she had to say a lot.
After that anywhere where Arya went Lyanna was behind her telling stories about her namesake, grooming Craven and Stranger or walking in the woods was always accompanied by a story, Arya knew that Lyanna was making up everything but it was nice to hear someone speaking so high of her family. Sometimes she would find a stick and practice her needlework, and Lyanna would just watch until Arya told Lyanna that the princess was also great on a horse and skilled with the sword, since that moment every time Arya would take a stick she would do the same and try to imitate her moves but then she would remember what had happened at the Twins and smash it against a tree until it broke.
"Might be we should stay here awhile," the Hound told her, after a fortnight. He was drunk on ale, but more brooding than sleepy. "We'd never reach the Eyrie, and the Freys will still be hunting survivors in the riverlands. Sounds like they need swords here, with these clansmen raiding. We can rest up, maybe find a way to get a letter to your aunt."
Arya's face darkened when she heard that. She didn't want to stay, spending time with Lyanna had pass form a bother to something she enjoyed, but she had a list of names to cross but by now there was nowhere to go, nowhere to get stronger. The next morning, when the Hound went off to chop down trees and haul logs, she crawled back into bed. But when the work was done and the tall wooden palisade was finished, the village elder made it plain that there was no place for them. "Come winter, we will be hard pressed to feed our own," he explained. "And you... a man like you brings blood with him."
Sandor's mouth tightened. "So you do know who I am."
"Aye. We don't get travelers here, that's so, but we go to market, and to fairs. We know about King Joffrey's dog."
"When these Stone Crows come calling, you might be glad to have a dog."
"Might be." The man hesitated, then gathered up his courage. "But they say you lost your belly for fighting at the Blackwater. They say -"
"I know what they say." Sandor's voice sounded like two woodsaws grinding together. "Pay me, and we'll be gone."
When they left, the Hound had a pouch full of coppers, a skin of sour ale, and a new sword. It was a very old sword, if truth be told, though new to him. He swapped its owner the longaxe he'd taken at the Twins, the one he'd used to raise the lump on Arya's head.
Lyanna hugged Arya with a strength she didn't know the girl had "Why can't you stay?" she asked.
"We have to go, and you have to be strong, like the princess" said Arya, "Don't worry, I'll comeback"
Lyanna loose her grip on her to look at her eye to eye "You promise?"
"I'll be here before you have time to miss me" said Arya and then mounted on Craven.