Chapter Seven- A final Goodbye
It was a restless night. Arya tossed and turned on the soft bed. Drifting off into a half sleep only to wake sudden in darkness. Morning came too soon. The morning dawned on Arya before she knew it. This was the day of her departure. To a city so far, it seemed to be stretched from existence. Yet far worse the last day with her brother. She awoke as the day quickly disappeared and she was packing her clothes.
As she packed her clothes for the second time swearing under her breath, her brother stepped there in the room doorway. She turned around to find him standing in the doorway with that smile for only her.
"I was worried you already left."
"I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. Before I go I wanted to give you something." Jon pulled out a sheathed weapon. Her eyes grew seeing the weapon. "This is no toy." He handed her the weapon and she held it in her grasp the leather against her fingers. Jon looked at her.
"Do you like the balance?" He asked.
"I think so." She stated.
"First lesson. Stick them with the pointy end."
"I know which end to use." She declared followed with a bright beam from Jon.
"I'm going to miss you." her chest churned as she jumped on wrapping her arms around him. With a smile he embraced her. Neither let go letting the feeling wash over them. After a long time she let go and dropped down. "I will visit again Arya." With that he left and closed the door behind him. She stood their hands trembling. The realization hit her like a brick wall. A sudden sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. He was leaving. Memories of his smile flickered in her mind, all the times they spent together, every moment something to savor. Always he was there to confide in and no one knew her the same. And he was leaving now and forever, never being the same Jon she knows and loves. A Jon whom she wouldn't recognize. With an image of him with a bright smile on his face she dropped the weapon, rattling to the floor while she bolted for the door. With a swift motion the door flew open and in a instant she ran down these halls. The walls blurred as Arya sprinted, nothing stopped her. With thoughts she couldn't just sit by and let him leave. She didn't care what she said before she wasn't to let him leave. She wasn't ready to say goodbye for forever. Swiftly reaching the courtyard the cold wind hitting her in a moment. However she felt her heart drop as the cold wind hit her in the face, the last banner men of the lannisters were just heading from the gates, seeing the last of the bright red banners disappear. Catching the glimpse of the last rider trod away. In that instant her heart dropped everything else was just a blur.
On the either side of the courtyard, Robb was standing far from the front of the wall, gazing over the courtyard he found his little sister in the cold. Her face flush and breathing heavily, with a face filled with worry.
"Arya?" He asked confused at the sight. She looked over to her brother in his leather, her head spun.
"Where is Jon? Did he leave" she asked quickly.
"He just departed with Benjen."
"No." She stated. "He can't leave. He can't not yet." she declared.
"It will be alright Arya." He said as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She stood there only for a moment the sound of her breath clear. Every moment was another her brother was further at the wall, she wouldn't accept it. After all japes and laughs every day an adventure with her brother. The only one who ever understood her. Before Robb knew what happened Arya took off at a bolt. Her feet moved digging into the mud she moved rapidly through the courtyard.
Robb watched as she travelled through the courtyard in no time. "Arya." Robb yelled after her. His voice was blurred, she couldn't receive him as she was far from ear shot. Descending the gates down the road towards the wall. Without a moment to catch her breath she sprinted, her lungs taking the cold air filling her lungs. Fallowing the mud up the kings road, it did not take long, until finally in the distance she caught the glimpse of the large red banners of the Lannisters flapping in the wind. With the air in her lungs she muster what air she beckoned. "Wait." she yelled but her yell fell on deaf ears, none caught her voice.
"Wait." She yelled another time at the latter. Two banner men in red armor stopped pulling on the reigns turning around finding a little girl covered in mud and soot running towards them with intent. The rest of the column followed and came to halt. Calling out to the others coming to a halt looking back at Arya rushing after them. Briskly she ran past the many Lannisters and reached the head of the column where Benjen and Jon saddled on their horses. Benjen and Tyrion starring at the young girl with confusion. Her eyes found Jon's and she saw the shock in his face. Before she knew it he threw his leg over his saddle and was on the ground rushing to her as if she was hurt.
Jon dropped to his knee before her, his knee resting in the mud. Without anything but to say. "You can't leave." She pleaded as tears were welling in her eyes. Crying wasn't for her she knew but now she couldn't hold the tears any longer. Without a care if anyone saw them, her tears were only for her brother. Barely aware of the many Lannister's around her or her uncle. Standing before all these men her words were only meant for her brother. Catching her breath and gaining her voice she watched as Jon turned to Benjen and Tyrion.
"Go on ahead." Jon stated to the column. Benjen nodded, they gave their horses a kick, then treaded with Tyrion. Their horses' trudging through the mud, the large group moved leaving Jon and Arya alone in the distance. With them gone Arya stood closer.
"I don't care what I said before. You can't leave. You will vanish forever, living the rest of your life as a man of the watch. Having someone else telling you what to do. Commanding you." Arya declared as she had voiced before. He knew how she felt but he had made his mind. A conviction he had since he was just a boy.
"Arya you have to understand me, I don't belong in Winterfell. A bastard doesn't belong here, I belong somewhere else." He spoke earnestly and honestly believing it was true, tired of sulking.
"You're wrong." She said so vociferously with anger, annoyed at how he believed that so. He belonged elsewhere. "You do belong. You belong wherever I am and where you should be." She said honestly as she believed life with her brother was her family. Always more than just a brother but a best friend. Jon beamed, he loved her unlike any one else yet he had made his many decisions.
"You know that isn't how the world works Arya." He spoke.
She bit her lip no ideas coming to mind. Pouring anything in her mind, naught coming to attention. "We could run far from here." She spoke half heartily.
"What?" he asked astonished.
"Just the two of us. I won't leave for kings landing there's nothing there for me. I don't want you to leave. We run far and live."
"You know we couldn't." he stated astonished she would say such a thing. "Arya I want to do this, and you have your entire family. Your whole life ahead of you in kings landing. You can chose what your life should be."
"But you are family." She declared. More and more he seemed to think he was alone when he wasn't. Arya was always beside him. He smiled, it was always her who could bring a smile to his face.
"I know how strong you are Arya. You don't need me by your side." He alleged.
"I don't care. I want you to come with me." she quickly professed standing straight as her face grew harder. Jon stood on his feet as he had seen her make that face before.
"We can't and you know it's true. Someday you'll forget all of this and I will visit as oft as I may." He professed.
She stayed silent for a long period, staring at him not wanting to believe the inevitable. With the look she gave him, he couldn't stand the silence.
"Arya?" he asked. In silence she nodded and closed the distance back to his horse. Arya saddled his horse and Jon followed as well. The entire ride she stayed silent as they descended back, Arya on the horse back to Winterfell. In time she saw the home she was soon to depart. He reached the large gates to Winterfell. Pulling on the reigns the horse reeled before the gates. Jon gently let her down of his horse landing on her feet. Himself he jumped from his horse and stepped before her. Arya looked up at her brother a frown apparent on her face. Without word again they wrapped their arms around the other. They held onto each other like they weren't to see the other for years. Holding onto each other's embrace. The warmth swept over the two. She never sought to let her grasp loosen her head resting against his shoulder, her fingers gripping against him. Wanting to just stay there with arms around her brother.
"I love you Arya. Never stop training, you will be better than any knight." He declared.
"Stay safe Jon. Don't die, ok."
"Ok." He replied.
"And never forget that I love you as well." she told her chest churning.
"Don't worry, I won't." with this said she let go and watched him. With a smile he went to his horse. With a last look into Arya's eyes he gave his horse a kick and he was off. The lasts she saw was him disappearing off on his horse disappearing into the distance. Unknown to her this would be last time she saw him for years.
As she stood silent gazing over a horizon to see a horse to ride back to her. Which never came. While there Robb came from the gates standing behind her. "Are you alright Arya?" Her brother asked from behind, breaking her from her thought. She simply nodded not being able to speak. Without a word she travelled through the courtyard back to the castle. To her room a frown upon her face. The world seemed darker now with no bright laugh to greet her ears. Reaching the small room she stood there. Her eyes found needle resting on the floor. She dropped down to her knee and slipped her fingers around the leather hilt pulling it from it's sheath. Standing with a weapon in her hand looking at the glimpsing blade, she gripped it tightly, the only thing she had of her brother. She gripped it to her.
The path the two would venture would be strong and filled with dread. One would travel south another traveling further north than he ever pondered. While Arya would travel south facing the worst death and feeling her heart rip apart, worse then she ever felt, nor could ever think. What followed, words whispered in the night. Names that fade away in darkness not before they saw the eyes of Arya stark starring down on them. With a smile on her face as they would choke on their own blood. Any name that was whispered from her lips felt the tip of her sword down in their lungs. Jon as well would cause eyes to fade always rather not shedding the blood. But longclaw would be soaked in copious blood compared to needle, killing dozens of men. Men he knew and traitors he had no choice. All the while Arya and Jon were on the other side of the realms neither forgot the other. Arya was always on his mind even north of the wall where the cold tried to kill him at every corner and instant. Neither forgot the promise that they would see the other.
