Despite not knowing who they were, Arya's only option was to try and make contact, and while she tried to stagger between the huge rocks jutting out of the valley floor in a manner not to draw too much attention to herself, it was in vain. With enough of the dimming light for the sharp-eyed the flickering torch moved in her direction. Grabbing a large stone from the floor, Arya prepared for them to reach her. The hand holding the rock shook uncontrollably as she tried to remain sharp. Eyes strained to focus in the gloom as lances of pain speared through her head.
Three figures emerged. They walked line abreast. Wicked looking spears held out in front. Wary of the stranger.
Arya noted they weren't very old. The youngest looking, the black-haired boy to her right was probably in his mid-teens, while the skinny one to the left with an aggressively pocked marked first was probably about her age. The oldest looking was the youth in the centre reaching over six feet tall and sporting gangly arms and bowlegs, giving him a peculiar gait as he shuffled forward. Despite his awkward build, Arya saw muscles rippling across his bare chest which would make him a dangerous opponent. He was dark brown eyes gazed at her with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. But they weren't the eyes of a killer.
In fact, none of the three, despite their aggressive stance towards her, look like hardened thugs
"I'm following those who stole my weapons." Arya decided on to take a more commanding position. Only her throat was cracked and dry making her words croak with little authority. The three remained a few strides away, spears levelled at her.
"And I need some water." She pointed to the water pouches attached to the belts of each of the boys. They looked nearly empty, but it would be better than nothing.
"Trade." The bigger one jutted out his chin as though trying to show his own authority.
Arya remained silent. Not sure how to react.
"Trade." He pushed the spear towards her. Though it appeared more of a message than any sort of threat. Only Arya wasn't sure what the message was supposed to convey.
"My money was stolen." Arya kept a fighting stance ready to hurl the rock, but as none of them seemed eager to stick her with their spears the situation still felt under control.
"Trade." The talkative middle youth took one hand off his spear and pointed towards Arya's jacket before he lifted the water pouch from his belt.
"If I can find the people who stole my money, I'll pay you for the water then."
The three looked at each other and then back at her.
"What's your name?" It was hard for Arya to speak her mouth was so parched, but she had to form some sort of dialogue. She needed water first, to avoid falling over. But after that, she hoped they could take her to where they came from. While Arya didn't recognise them as the ones who stole her belongings, they had the same half feral look. And she hoped they all came from the same place.
"Lug." The middle one said.
"Cos of his ears." The black-haired boy smirked Lug glared at him.
"I'm Arya Stark. Pleased to meet you, Lug." Switching the stone into her left-hand Arya stepped forward and held out her right.
Three spear points pressed against the outside of her tunic. While her first instinct was to deflect them and look to disarm all three opponents, she wasn't sure how much energy her body had and how good her reactions would be. She dropped her hand and let the stone fall to the floor.
"My family have money." She persisted. "You will get lots to trade. Gold for your water. A good trade."
The three looked at each other again. Arya could almost see the slow thoughts ticking over in their minds.
"Trade now. Or go back." Lug waved the water pouch again.
"Can you take me to your people?"
"I can." The skinny one spoke this time.
"No, she Lug's." The tall one hissed at his companion. Arya wasn't sure she like the sound of that.
"I saw her first," The skinny one whined. "Scavenger rights."
"I lead you follow. You learn."
"Not fair." The boy shook his head.
Arya's head was spinning so much she struggled to work out the dynamic of the group. Another lightning bolt of agony smashed through her temple. If she didn't get some water inside her, Arya knew she was going to pass out.
"I need water." She reached towards Lug's pouch he was still holding.
"Trade." Once again, he poked at her tunic.
Realising she wasn't going to get anywhere at the current trade talks. Arya fumbled at the buttons with her shaking fingers before she was able to push the jacket over her shoulders and offer it up to Lug. He handed her the pouch in return and Arya greedily unplugged the stopper before pouring the water into her mouth. The first gush of water felt incredible after what had seemed like an age of no fluid.
Seconds later, she felt it coming back again and slumped to her knees as the brackish water gushed onto the floor. Two of the young men stepped back, but Lug remained where he was and laughed. Arya sat back on her haunches. This time she let the water dribble down her throat to provide much-needed relief. Despite the vomiting, there was a weak surge of strength in her limbs and the parched throat didn't feel as though it was going to close and suffocate her anymore.
"Where do you live?" Arya hadn't heard of any settlements in the mountains. They were so arid even the hardy goats of the nearby lands stayed away.
"We are Holers." Lug pounded on his chest proudly. The others followed suit. "From the Hole."
"The hole." Arya let some more water swish around her mouth. While squatting on the ground in front of potential enemies made her vulnerable, she was aware of needing help to sort herself out in these lands. Hunting down those who stole her belongings didn't seem such a good idea now she found herself far from civilisation. Lug and his two sidekicks, while not the sharpest of minds, did have access to a place where she might find her stuff and recover.
"Hole." Lug nodded.
"In the mountain." The skinny one added obviously thinking he was trying to be helpful.
"No one bothers us there. No one takes us away." The black-haired youth put in for good measure as though he didn't want to be left out of the conversation.
"The others," Arya said. "Those who took my stuff. Will they be there?"
"Drake's team." Lug spat on the ground unhealthily close to Arya. As he didn't offer anything further, she assumed they were also part of the Holers.
"Can you take me there?"
Lug let out a great roar of laughter, causing his belly to wobble. "Of course. You've been scavenged now."
He reached down and grabbed the front of Arya's woollen undershirt before hauling her to her feet. His gangly arms demonstrated remarkable strength as he lifted her with ease high enough, she was forced to scrabble with her toes for purchase on the dirt beneath them.
Arya wasn't keen on the idea of being scavenged.
"What about us." The skinny one prodded Lug's thick arm.
"I'm leader." Lug said.
"We a team." The other said. "We all share bounty remember. You already got something." He nodded to the jacket over Lug's shoulder."
Still holding Arya, she saw a look of confusion over his face, which clearly meant his dim brain was thinking.
"Can we sort it out at this hole place." She asked, hopefully. "Perhaps talk to your leaders."
"We take you to Elders, of course." The skinny one nodded again looking proud. "Show them our scavenge. The rules" It wasn't quite what Arya was hoping for, but the Hole sounded like somewhere she might have a chance of getting her energy back and speak to people in authority. "But we need something?" He said the last to Lug who was nodding. Dropping Arya, he flipped her tunic off his shoulder and tossed it to the skinny one before his hand gripped the front of her shirt once more. Only this time he tugged at it rather than trying to lift her while pointing his spear towards the other in the group.
"Gollo have this."
"You not serious?" Arya grabbed the part of the shirt he was pulling at and held it firmly. "This is no way to treat a lady, and I'm Lady Arya Stark from the house Winterfell. My brother is Brandon Stark, King of Westeros."
"You scavenge meat. We scavengers." Lug said
Arya sighed. No one seemed to pay much attention when she said who she was. Perhaps if she grabbed one of the spears put Lug on the floor and held the point at his throat, then he'd pay a little more attention to who she was. It was a tempting idea. Perhaps trying to march them all back to their hole and their leader. But in her weakened state, she wasn't so sure.
They seemed extremely young in the way they acted, even Lug who was probably older than she was. It made her wonder about the group living in the hole and how they got there if they were some sort of scavengers. The problem was it was also the only way she could see of getting any kind of help now. Even if Arya decided to abandon her stuff and go off to find her friends there appeared to be a slim chance of her making it back across these desolate lands to safety without food water and some sort of guide.
As unappealing as the idea was, it seemed her only avenue of survival rested with the three dim-witted oafs in front of her.
