Disclaimer – I don't own the ASOIAF series. GRRM does.

Prologue

Snow fell all around, the delicate flakes biting into Arya's exposed arms like tiny daggers. If she didn't find some shelter soon she would most likely freeze to death, if the Others didn't get to her first.

The snow was getting deeper by the second and every footstep felt like a climb. Even Nymeria was finding it difficult. But they had to get there. It was their only hope. Westeros' only hope. The entire kingdom was buried in snow, most of the people were dead, and white walkers patrolled the land, searching for the survivors.

Arya herself had been hiding in the burned ruins of Winterfell, killing any Other that was foolish enough to come after her. She'd stayed there for months, hoping, praying, that her siblings would come. But they never did. In the seventh month since she'd returned to Westeros Arya had just about given up on ever seeing any of her family again.

That's when he came.

Flashback

Arya felt a presence near her. She quickly jumped out of her makeshift bed, startling Nymeria into consciousness too. She reached for Needle and held it to the intruder's throat, stopping short as she felt the heat radiating of his body. Whoever this was, they were human.

'Who are you?' she hissed, trying to peak under the strangers hood to see his face.

An unfamiliar voice answered, 'A girl has not forgotten a man so easily, has she?' The Faceless man pulled back his hood to reveal an equally unfamiliar face.

'Valar morghulis,'

She answered automatically, 'Valar dohaeris.'

The Faceless man nodded at her and gestured for them to sit down. Arya reluctantly complied, setting herself down on the furthermost side of her bed, leaving room for her unexpected guest who followed suit.

They sat in silence until Arya couldn't take it any longer. 'Why are you here?'

He smiled for a moment ,'A girl is as impatient as ever,' he said, amusement lacing his tone. His words implied that they had met before and the fact that she did not recognise his face did but rule this out. After all, their ability to change faces at will was how they had gained the name of Faceless men. Before she could question him further, his smile dropped and his expression grew serious.

'The men see. The men know. They receive guidance from the Many-Faced God and they must pass it onto a girl.' He stood up. 'A girl must follow a man if she wants to save her land.'

The Faceless man had almost reached the half destroyed exit when Arya called out to him, 'Wait. You still haven't told me who you are?'

He did not turn around, but instead lifted a hand with only three fingers raised. Instantly Arya's mind went back to her time in Harrenhal when she worked as a servant by day and killed with a whisper by night.

This time the she whispered his name in surprise.

'Jaqen.'

End of Flashback

And so she'd been following him ever since and had been regretting it almost as long. They were up to their thighs in snow and every time they encountered a white walker he just stood back and let her take care of them before continuing on.

There must always be a Stark in Winterfell. Her father's words came back to her. She should have stayed behind, the others could…

Who was she kidding. She was the only Stark left, now. But this man had said something that had given her hope. Hope. She hadn't felt that in what felt like forever. Arya looked up at the figure in front of her, somewhat blurred by the snow. He'd better be telling the truth.

Arya wasn't sure that she could go on anymore if he wasn't.

She didn't know how far they had travelled before Jaqen finally stopped. Everything looked the same in this barren, snow-covered wasteland that was once her home.

'A man and a girl have arrived,' he said, turning around to face her. Nymeria dropped and Arya's body urged her to do the same but she did not want to show weakness at a time like this. Instead she went on the offensive.

'What are you talking about, there's nothing here.'

The Faceless man ignored her though and simply turned around and began brushing snow from the ground. A few minutes passed before Arya could no longer hold in her questions. However, they died on her tongue as she spotted the silver glint of metal from beneath the newly cleared snow. Jaqen hurried his pace until a sizable piece of it was visable, then he grabbed the edge of whatever he had been looking for and pulled it back to reveal a set of underground stairs.

He nodded for her to go in, but she held back until he relented, swung the metal covering back and stepped inside. He called back to her, 'A girl must seal this place behind her.'

So Arya entered, moving the metal back into place as she did so. It was heavier than she thought it would be. No wonder Jaqen had let her handle all the Others on their way here. She tiptoed down the steps. Her skin prickled and burned as she felt heat for the first time in months, the source obviously the fire of which she could see glowing light at the base of the steps.

She confirmed this as she reached their end. But the warmth of a fire was not all that awaited her at the bottom. The blazing inferno was at the farthest end of the small room that she had just walked into, directly opposite Arya. And at either side of the hard, dark-stoned walls were rows of Faceless men. All dressed in the traditional robes of black and white. She could feel their eyes watching her as she moved to stand beside Jaqen who stood before the fire and she had to grip the fur on Nymeria's back to keep herself from trembling.

Fear cuts deeper than swords. Even now the old water dancer's words resounded in her head. She stood face to face with Jaqen. She squared her shoulders, rising to her full height.

'How do I save Westeros?' she asked, trying to keep from sounding desperate and barely succeeding.

But Jaqen didn't react, even if he had noticed. 'A girl must go back. A girl must right past mistakes, if she wants to see her family again.' He continued before Arya could interrupt. 'She must give up this life for the hope of a better one.'

Arya's heart beat faster at 'family'. 'But how?' she asked.

This time he did not answer her in words. The nearest Acolyte reached out a bowl full of powder and Jaqen lifted a handful and threw it on the fire. The flames crackled and spat and suddenly turned blue. He gestured to it. He wanted her to go into the fire.

As if he could read her thoughts he said, 'It's the only way a girl can save her family.' And Arya knew at once that he wasn't lying. She turned to Nymeria. The she-wolf too had lost everything, her brothers and sister, her pack-mates. Looking into the golden eyes of her other half, she knew that this was the only way. They had nothing to lose. But if they were going to die they would do it together.

Valar morghulis. She thought to herself as she and Nymeria stepped into the fire. And she could have sworn she heard the murmured reply as the flames engulfed her.

'Valar dohaeris.'

AN – Hope you liked this prologue. Please review!