They were days into their ride when Ned pulled away from his guards and chose instead to talk with Arya. Missandei and Daenerys were a row back, flanked by the Dothraki who had joined them. "I have some questions about the Dothraki," he said without warning.

"I'll answer what I can," she said, keeping her tone even and her words purposefully non-committal.

It was quiet for a time. "How is it that after her husband died you took control? Why would they follow you over his wife?"

She could understand his question. He'd spent his entire adult life in service to a system that honored bloodlines and marriage. Arya herself had struggled with the shift during her first few months with the Dothraki. It really did take some getting used to. "The Dothraki honor strength above all else. If you can't defeat them, why should they fear you? If they aren't frightened of you, how can you hope to rule them? After Drogo was killed, everything descended into chaos." She squinted against the sun as she remembered. "For months it was near constant fighting." She looked down at her covered arm to where a particularly gruesome scar was hidden. "I was challenged day after day."

"That's a lot of killing."

She agreed with him, it definitely was. "If there was another way, I would have taken it but they wouldn't follow Daenerys alone."

"Why did it matter?" he asked. "She could have left, you could have gone with her."

"That was our home," she said with conviction. "Those 'savages' as you call them were my family just as surely as you or Robb. We weren't going to run if we could help it."

"Was it worth it? Robb told me you nearly died several times, suffering injuries in combat and during raids."

"That's true," she confessed as she looked behind her at Daenerys. "I've never regretted it. I'd have killed all of Essos if necessary."

Ned's expression turned thoughtful before her eyes. "That's quite a feat. Not all soldiers can say they never doubted if they were on the right side of things."

"Have you?"

"More so recently," he told her. Like Arya had done he snuck a peek at the Targaryen. "I never regretted my role in the Rebellion. It needed to be done, and the Realm was better for it. That said, I should have known better than to leave the North. We're Wolves and we don't belong down South."

"The Northmen are loyal to you," Arya pointed out. "Why not leave Robert and return to your home, to your wife and your family?"

"I serve the Crown until my efforts are no longer required," he said simply, sounding exhausted in her opinion.

"You're willing to accept that?" she tested. "Allow yourself to be unhappy for your friend's sake?"

"It's enough for now," he said, his tone effectively ending the conversation.

"I doubt mother would agree," she added under her breath. The way his eyes moved off the horizon and to her face made it clear he'd heard her.

"Your mother has endured far more than most wives would. I know she wishes me home."

"She wishes you home sure, but she'd settle for you allowing her to move to King's Landing. It upsets her to be so far away from you," Arya explained.

"She told you this?"

Arya chuckled humorlessly. "She didn't have to. It's undeniable."

Again, Ned looked over his shoulder to see Daenerys. "Well as you can no doubt agree marriage is far more difficult than it looks from the outside."

She shrugged, urging her horse to move faster. "I wouldn't know. I've never been married."

Ned blushed, seemingly as uncomfortable with the change in topic as she was, even though he chose it. "I just assumed. You call her the Khaleesi and you're the Khal."

"The Dothraki aren't big on ceremonies. It's not unheard of to have a wedding, but it's not necessary either."

"So, you and Daenerys never…"

"Why are you asking?" she snapped.

"I just want to know if my daughter got married while she was away," he said, working hard to justify his inquiry. "She seems to be a big part of your life. Her and Missandei too."

"They are a big part of my life," Arya accepted, "but a wedding wouldn't change a single thing. So why bother?"

"I'm your father, Arya. I'm just concerned."

"You have no cause to be," she told him bluntly. "What happens with Daenerys and I is no more for you than your relationship with mother is mine."

"We're family," he informed her. "It would be wrong to assume it didn't matter, or that no one notices."

She smirked at him, amused by his position. "We aren't hiding anything."

"You're my daughter Arya and regardless of what's happened between us, I'll always worry about you."

"My life is dangerous, but Daenerys is the last thing you should worry about. I couldn't ask for anyone better."

Ned scoffed in obvious disapproval. "A woman who forces you to kill for her so she can remain in power? That's hardly the woman I would choose for my daughter."

Up until that moment Arya had been enjoying their relatively civil conversation. Now she wasn't. "You don't get a choice, not then or now."

"Arya…" he started to say.

"Enough!" she roared, drawing the attention of all those in their party. "As I said, it's not your business, but if it were I would tell you that Daenerys saved my life and not just the day we met. She doesn't make me do anything and she never has." With that she turned her horse and moved back to join her friends.

R-C

She sat next to Ned as they both picked at the rabbit she'd hunted for their dinner. Conversations were happening around them in various languages, but neither Stark felt the need to get involved.

When Daenerys got up to go and speak with the Dothraki, Arya knew her father wouldn't pass up the opportunity. "Robb tells me that Jorah Mormont is with you."

"He is," she said, taking a large bite to justify having nothing else to say on the matter.

"Is he still selling humans like cattle?" Ned questioned, but Arya could tell there was nothing casual about the choice of words. She'd heard the tale of Jorah when she was a girl, long before she met the errant knight. After she landed in Essos she heard the story from him as well. She had little interest in the bickering that dated back to a time when she was just a child. Jorah may not be her favorite person, but he was loyal to Daenerys and that was enough.

"If he were, Daenerys would have killed him long ago," she said confidently before she took another bite.

"She would have killed him? Robb said they are close," Ned said looking away from his meal and at the Khaleesi.

"They are," Arya confirmed. "He is one of her oldest and closest friends."

"And she'd kill him?"

Her eyes flickered to Missandei. The topic of slavery made her uncomfortable, not because of the brief time she spent in bondage before she earned Drogo's favor, but because she knew how lucky she'd been. Missandei and so many others had suffered greatly before Daenerys intervened. "If she ever thought he was going to buy or sell a slave she'd take his head from his shoulders."

Ned's food was forgotten as he looked at Daenerys. The Dragon was laughing with the broad chested Dothraki. Everyone was suffering in the cold, only the Northmen seemed suited for it. Arya had been hoping to reach the warmth of Castle Black by now, but they were still several hours away. The light was fading fast and they'd need to finish the trip tomorrow. "I can't imagine it, her killing anyone. She doesn't seem the type."

She was entirely unimpressed by his assessment. "No one is the type, until they are." Arya wiped grease from her mouth with the back of her hand crudely. "I hadn't killed anyone until I was tied up and forced into the Dothraki camp. I wasn't sure I could do it, but when the opportunity presented itself, I didn't delay."

"Killing to defend yourself is different from murder," Ned justified.

Arya rolled her eyes at her father, even knowing it would offend him. "Is it murder when you behead deserters from the Night's Watch?" she wondered. "They didn't threaten you, or Winterfell or our family, but you did it anyway."

He responded by groaning at his youngest daughter. "That's different and you know it. I am loyal to the Realm. It's my duty."

"You're loyal to the Realm," she said back to him as she nodded. "Daenerys is loyal to her people. It's not all that different."

"It's not even close to that same thing."

She had heard enough. Standing she tossed a bone from her dinner into the fire and wiped her hands on the front of her pants. "If you say so," she challenged as she walked away to join the Dothraki.

R-C

Ned was at a loss. He didn't know what to do. Arya had always been difficult, a free spirt, his wild wolf, but this was different. Every time he attempted to make a connection to her, she resisted. They went two steps forward and then one back. He didn't know how much longer they could continue this way. It would destroy his wife but he was coming to the conclusion that the best place for Arya was back in Essos.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize when Missandei took the seat Arya had vacated. "Would you like to talk?"

He didn't particularly want to have this conversation with a woman who was a stranger, but he was desperate for any chance to learn more about who Arya had become. As much as it pained him to admit Missandei knew far more about Arya now than he did. "I just want to understand her and the more I try, the more I'm certain I know less," he heard himself confessing before he could hold his tongue.

"Have you ever been to Astapor Lord Stark?"

"No," he admitted, taking off his gloves and holding his hands over the heat.

"I was stolen from my home, taken there and forced into slavery. It is where I would have died if your daughter and Daenerys hadn't stepped in."

He looked up from the flickering fire and met her rich brown eyes. He recalled the conversation they'd had back in Winterfell, both Robb and Arya had brushed over Missandei's history when Cat asked. He thought little of it at the time, but now he wished he'd given it more thought. "You said they saved your life."

With agony still lining her face she surprised him by smiling. "They did. That's who your daughter is. I had upset my Master and was destined to die. When Daenerys and Arya walked past I was being nailed to a cross."

"That is horrible."

"It was," she agreed. "I had never been so scared in all my life. Not when my family was killed, or when I was taken away from my home, not even when I was forced to do unspeakable things by my so-called Master."

"Fear is a reasonable response," Ned commented, looking into the fire to avoid Missandei's soulful eyes. "Death is frightening, especially for one as young as you."

She shook her head and pushed a hand through her curly hair. "Oh, I had no fear of death," she assured him. "I'd been ready to die for years, but I was still afraid."

"Of what then?"

"That I'd be weak," she said looking down into her lap. "I didn't want them to break me. I wanted to be strong." She stopped talking and opened her hand, running her thumb over a scar Ned could barely see. "I cried when they hammered the first nail in. It hurt so bad, and I knew I was going to beg. I was going to give what little pride I had left and I hated myself for it."

"I can't imagine…" Ned said, knowing how true the words were. "What became of your Master?"

"Arya gave him to me as a gift," she stated calmly, that smile still present on her face as she clearly fought tears.

"When she rescued you?"

"No," Missandei corrected, "before we left for Westeros."

"How did she…" he muttered as he tried to follow the trail to its completion.

He didn't have to finish his question before the former slave answered. "We needed ships. We went to the Masters in Astapor and Arya threatened to sack their city if the fleet wasn't provided."

"You got the ships," Ned acknowledged.

"We did," Missandei said with a fond smile, no more tears shining in her eyes. "We got the ships, but Arya wanted more. She insisted that she'd attack with the whole army if my Master wasn't given to her. They resisted, naturally, but in the end, the 'Wise Masters' were cowards and they sold him to Arya as they sold so many before him."

"I'm glad Arya was there to help you when you needed it."

"That's who your daughter is now, and that's why I'll follow her anywhere she chooses to go. I can also promise that there isn't a man, woman or child who follows her who doesn't have at least one story like mine about Arya."

"That is…" he didn't know quite what it was, but she'd given him plenty to think about.

"Your daughter is special Lord Stark," Missandei praised. "There isn't a warrior she hasn't battled beside or bled to protect. She regularly leads the hunters, cooks with the women and I've personally seen her sew just as many pairs of torn pants as savage wounds."

"I don't doubt she's brave. She's always been fearless, reckless even."

"Lately, she's helping teach others to read and write." Knowing how much Arya hated her lessons as a girl Ned had trouble picturing it, but he tried. Daenerys chose that moment to call Missandei over and the woman smiled kindly before she went off to join her Queen. "I hope I helped."

"You did, thank you." While he had no shortage of new information, Ned still wasn't lacking questions about Arya. While Robb told him bits and pieces of what he'd seen in Essos he definitely left out plenty. He skimmed over what it took to get the ships, saying only that Arya convinced men in Astapor to loan the fleet to her people. He mentioned nothing of the man's death she orchestrated in the process. Looking across the fire Ned studied the women as they interacted. A Stark, a Targaryen and a freed slave.

R-C

More than half of their party had already retired to their tents for the evening when Arya's head snapped up and she squinted against the darkness. Something, or someone was coming, she could feel it. With a guttural shout, she woke the sleeping Dothraki and within seconds every one of them was holding a dangerous weapon.

Ned rushed out of his tent, flanked by his men, all of which looked like they'd been dreaming only seconds earlier. "What's wrong?" he asked when he arrived at her side.

She spoke first to the Dothraki, sending them out to form a perimeter around the camp. If trouble was coming she wanted to know about it as soon as possible. As they all rushed to obey her orders she glanced sideways at her father. "I'm not sure. I think someone's coming. I heard something," she said as she pointed with her gloved hand in the direction of the noise that alerted her.

"It was probably the wind," Ned said dismissively.

"Maybe, but if it isn't, I'd prefer to be ready."

Daenerys came from their tent, clutching her fur around her body tightly. "What's wrong?" she asked, addressing Arya only.

Without taking her eyes off the horizon she answered. "Wake Missandei and make sure you're both dressed."

"Arya what's…"

"Go Daenerys," she pleaded, "and don't forget your weapons."

After Daenerys had rushed back into the tent, Ned looked at her with critical eyes. "Don't you think you're over reacting? It could have been an animal, or just the weather."

The call came from the West and had Arya tightened her hold on her arakh. "That means trouble. Get ready."

When everyone was out of their tents, awake and armed Ned positioned his men in front, blocking the route the Dothraki call had come from. Satisfied that she had at least a few minutes, she hurried to where Daenerys and Missandei were huddled together. "Stay back," she instructed as she moved to Daenerys first, pulling a hood up over her silver hair. She set a quick kiss on her lover's lips before she sidestepped to Missandei. As she'd done with Daenerys she pulled a hood up to hide Missandei's face. "There, that's better."

"Who is it?"

"This far North it could be anyone," she imagined. "It might be bandits, or highwaymen or it could be wildlings from beyond the Wall."

It was nearly twenty minutes later when the horses rode into their camp. "Mind if we join you?" the leader of five asked as he approached the largest of the fires.

"Who are you?" Ned asked, respectfully.

"Just travellers, looking to get out of the cold."

"Cold is the only thing we have for you," Arya said rudely as she stepped in front of her father and locked eyes with the leader.

"You have more than that," he countered. "I see food, tents, horses, water and," he paused to glare and then he smiled, showing off yellow teeth, "and pretty women back there."

"We don't want trouble," Ned said diplomatically.

"Smart man," one of them said as he looked to his right. Next to him his friend laughed. "If you'se don't want trouble, you should give us what we want."

"What is it you want?"

Arya had no patience for this. "Go back the way you came and hope you never see me again."

"Really, now?" he asked after a loud, obnoxious laugh "Should I be frightened of ye girl? I have a dozen men with bows just waiting for the signal to kill you all."

"There is no need for that." Her father tried to redirect the conversation but Arya was already imagining ways to carve these whores up.

"Listen to him," the bandit said, "or this ends badly for you. Now why don't one of you whores fetch some food for me and my boys. It's been a tiring day." When no one moved he grew annoyed. "Do it!" he demanded, "or I'll start cutting throats."

"Get on with it then," Arya prompted, "because it's the only way you're getting anything from me."

His mouth opened and his lips moved but the sound was cut off by four shrill cries from the distance. Arya recognized them and she knew what they meant. "What the fuck was that?"

She chuckled darkly. "A dozen men huh? I bet it was only four."

Even in the darkness she could see the skin under the dirt and grime turn red in reply. "Twelve or four, it doesn't matter. It's still enough for me to get what I want."

"It might be, if your archers weren't dead already."

The look on his face was perfection. He was trying to remain confident and smug, but she noticed the way his eyes flickered from side to side, looking to his mounted friends.

"Gregor!" he shouted. The silence was deafening as they waited for a response. "Anil!"

Arya wasn't sure she'd ever been more proud of her men than she was right then. "Good help is so hard to find. Go before I decide I want more blood on my hands."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I'll cut your head off while your friends watch," she threatened.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said as he reached for his sword. When she stepped forward Ned tried to pull her back but this fool made his choice. From a standing position she cleaved into the side of the horse's neck, killing it instantly and sending the bastard tumbling to the ground. So excited by the prospect of battle she barely felt the sword cut into her shoulder.

The fight was happening all around her. She stepped over the man's body to attack someone on his right. The Northmen fought, protecting their Lord while the Dothraki she'd sent to guard the perimeter rode fast toward the skirmish. One of the bandits pierced a bannerman's stomach, before Ned slashed his neck.

Furious she threw herself into the fray. She pushed her steel into a man's chest and then used her boot to kick him away. As he collapsed a second swing separated his head in two gruesome parts. It would have been easy to kill the leader but a quick death was too good for him. When her soldiers arrived, she ordered them to subdue the boss, while she and the Westerosi finished with the others. When it was done, the leader and his one surviving man were disarmed, kneeling in red snow as they pleaded for mercy. She glanced sideways at the Hand of the King and saw he looked inclined to grant the request. Mercy wasn't on the menu tonight.

With a bark of instruction to the Dothraki, she stepped up to the leader. His smug smile was gone now and she savored the fear she could feel.

"Arya what are you doing?" Ned asked.

"I'm going to cut off his head and make his friend watch, just as I said I would."

Both of the bandits tried to stand. A quick punch to the leader's ribs returned him to his knees and he looked up, desperate. "Please…"

When she raised her hand for the killing blow Ned's strong grip prevented it. "You don't need to do this. You've made your point."

"I wasn't trying to make anything. Stand aside."

When she tore her arm free of her father's hold, she turned on him with fury. Sensing danger three of the Stark men stepped forward, swords ready. "Tell your men to step back or we'll be burning more bodies before sunrise."

"Don't do this."

She answered with a stare as she pushed past Ned and gripped the bandit leader by his shaggy hair. He screamed like a scared woman as she cut into his flesh. She sawed the arakh back and forth slowly, inflicting more pain than was necessary. As she severed the artery, a gush of blood sprayed out from the wound, coating her face and neck. She kept up her task until the body fell in one direction and only the head remained. She approached the only surviving bandit slowly, stalking forward, carrying his friend's severed head. "Do you wish mercy?" she asked him.

He nodded quickly. "Very well. She grabbed one of the bandit's horses at random and pulled it close. "Get on your horse and ride South. Ride as fast as you can, all the way to King's Landing, because if I see you again, I'll make sure you suffer."

His voice broke pitifully. "I'll… I'll go," he swore. "Y… you won't see me."

She smiled as the terrified man mounted the horse. "When you get to King's Landing, tell King Robert that Arya Stark is coming for him. Tell him what happened here tonight."

"I… will," he said as he shook.

Arya waited until he was several feet away before she yelled for him to stop. Terrified she changed her mind, he looked over his shoulder, tears shining in his eyes. This son of a whore would be an excellent messenger. With a grunt, she threw the bandit's head at his friend, hitting him in the chest with it and smearing blood all over the front of his leather armor. "Don't forget to show King Robert that."

He rode away as if beasts from all Seven Hells were chasing him. The Dothraki around her laughed as he went, but the Westerosi looked horrified. "What are you doing Arya?"

She ignored her father's question and went to her friends first. "Are you two hurt?" she asked. She knew none of the bandits had gotten within feet of Daenerys or Missandei but that didn't mean she didn't worry.

Daenerys wiped the fresh blood from her face with a gentle touch. "We're fine."

"Why did you send him to Robert?" Ned protested. "What's any of this got to do with him?"

She guided Daenerys into their tent before she answered. "Everything. I didn't bring an army across the Narrow Sea just to visit you."

R-C

When the Wall came into view Ned felt relief. The last day had been difficult. He'd witnessed his daughter kill men and what was worse she seemed to enjoy it. She didn't need to cut off the bandit's head, but she did without hesitation. He had no doubt she would have struck him down if he tried to interfere. If that weren't enough she ridiculed his friend and sent him South to warn Robert. More than once since he'd tried to talk to her, asking what she intended to do with her army, but it was as if she didn't hear him. Grey eyes that matched his just stared through him for a moment or two before she rode ahead, ending their conversation.

Witnessing Arya's face splattered with blood was something the father in him never wanted to see. He'd heard Robb speak of her violent tendencies, he saw the scars that marked her, and he knew the cause but to watch it happen and be helpless to stop it went against everything he stood for. Her refusal to even consider leniency scared him more than he wanted to admit. He knew Arya was angry about Robert's actions but he hadn't allowed himself to think she intended to act on it. As a loyal servant to the King, and his friend he knew he should flee for the South immediately and warn Robert, but as a father he was conflicted. He'd already allowed Robert to exile Arya once. That decision shattered his wife's heart, broke apart his family and put Arya on the path she was currently walking. Was it better to be a good father or a good Hand?

He and his men rode ahead of the Dothraki, hoping to ease the shock when the savages entered Castle Black. He ordered one of his men to display the Stark banner as they approached, wanting to give the Night's Watch, plenty of warning of their arrival.

Jon stood next to Commander Mormont. The gate was open, and the snow swirled around them as they got closer. When he saw his father, Jon hurried out to greet him. "Father," he said, concern etched on his handsome face, "what's wrong?"

He smiled as he climbed down from his horse and pulled his bastard into a hug. "Nothing is the matter. Your sister wanted to visit, and I decided to join her."

The disbelief was evident on his face. "Sansa's here?"

Ned couldn't help but smile. Sansa would never make the journey to the Wall, not for anyone, and certainly not for Jon. They'd never been close. "Not Sansa. Arya's come home."

The surprise was quickly replaced by a wide smile. "Arya's back?" he asked, looking over Ned's shoulder at the approaching troops.

"She came to visit us in Winterfell, and she insisted on coming to see you before she returned to Essos."

Jon's smile was gone as quickly as it appeared. "She's going back?" he asked in a rough voice.

"That's up to her," Ned stated flatly. "Be warned, she brought friends with her."

"What friends?"

Kindly, before Ned had to try and explain Arya arrived behind his back. She was off her horse faster than he would have thought possible. She blurred past him and threw herself into Jon's arms. "Jon, I've missed you!" she declared loudly as she clung to him. "Come, there are people I'd like you to meet."

"Arya," Ned chastised firmly, "he can meet everyone inside."

She pulled back from the embrace just enough for Ned to see her roll her eyes. "Fine. Let's go inside then."

R-C

Daenerys watched with private glee as Arya joked around with her bastard brother. She noticed Ned watching them with a smile as well. Missandei and the Dothraki were huddled around the largest fire in the room, attempting to raise their body temperatures above freezing. Ned was sitting beside a smaller hearth with Commander Mormont, talking privately. She took her handmaiden a warm drink before she wandered back toward Arya, picking up the middle of an ongoing conversation between the siblings.

"… so you like it?" Jon was asking.

"I love it," Arya answered, warming Daenerys's heart with the passion behind her words. "You'd love Essos. You should visit."

He smiled and flicked her braided hair with a long finger. "I would, but my place is here. Father says you mean to go back."

The easy mood around them vanished in a blink. "Just as your place is here, mine is there." Arya finally pulled her eyes off Jon and found her. "Jon, I want you to meet my Khaleesi, Daenerys Targaryen."

She felt shy as she took a step toward them. She'd been trying to give them privacy, or at least that's what she told herself, but truthfully, she was nervous to meet Jon, especially after hearing how much Arya loved and respected him. For days, she'd been listening to how much Jon meant to her, and how deeply she valued his opinion. It made her uneasy.

Daenerys's steps faltered as Jon's eyes landed on her. "Targaryen?" he repeated. "You're friends with a Targaryen?"

Grey eyes hardened while she watched and Daenerys couldn't help but wonder if Arya intended to strike her brother. "Not you too," she spat. "First Robb and then him," she said pointing to their parent. "She's nothing like her father and she deserves your respect."

Jon was instantly repentant. "No, it's not that. There is a Targaryen here too."

Daenerys doubted she heard him correctly. How could that be possible? She was the last of her cursed family. Viserys was dead, her father, mother, Rhaegar, all dead. She opened her mouth to speak but it felt as dry as the desert sand. Luckily Arya spoke for her, saying exactly what Daenerys couldn't. "That's impossible. She's the last of her blood."

Jon smiled first at Arya and then Daenerys. "No, she isn't. Not for a few more days anyway."

While she struggled to process what she heard, Jon walked over to greet her. He offered his hand, and she took it gladly. "It's a pleasure to meet you Jon. Arya speaks highly of you."

"Does she now?" he replied quickly, throwing an arm over Arya's shoulder as he hugged her to his side.

"I only speak the truth," she assured him. "You're my favorite brother and that's as it's always been. Jon this is Daenerys, my Queen."

For a fraction of a second she saw the shock on his features. It was almost painful for her to stand there and wait as he put the pieces together to understand what Arya truly meant. He understood it quicker than most. Usually it took until someone saw them cuddled or kissing to understand their relationship, but Jon, like Bran appeared more perceptive. She feared his reaction briefly before he gifted her with a grin. "Well, well, well. Aren't you full of surprises."

He squeezed her against him for a few more seconds before he released her and put his arm around Daenerys instead. "Nice to meet you Daenerys. Thank you for keeping Arya out of trouble."

The three of them shared a laugh. "No one can keep your sister out of trouble," Daenerys said, immediately taking a liking to Jon. "Not even me."

With a wave of his hand, he pointed to a long staircase. "Follow me. There is someone I think you should meet."

R-C

Just as Daenerys had done, when she reunited with Jon, Arya stayed in the background when they arrived in the Maester's chambers. Her great uncle was confined to his bed. He was clearly nearing his final days and although Arya didn't know him, that saddened her. She knew how much it pained Daenerys to be the last of her family and she wished she could help but it was too late. Death hung over him like a cloud and they could all feel it.

When she introduced herself, Arya saw his eyes stretch before he tried to speak, causing a fit of coughs to shake him. Daenerys rushed to his side and fetched him water while Jon and Arya helped him sit up slightly to clear his lungs. She noticed the tears in Daenerys's eyes and she gave her a sympathetic smile as she settled the elder Targaryen back against his pillow.

"Why don't we give them a minute alone," Arya suggested to Jon.

He nodded without hesitation. "Yell if you need us. We won't be far."

Daenerys thanked him and took a seat on the stool next to the bed. The siblings left the room and went down the hall toward Jon's room. "You look happy," Arya noted. "Do you regret coming here?"

"No," he said quickly, too quickly for it to be a lie. "I couldn't stay in Winterfell. I miss you all everyday, but I couldn't stay."

"I know," Arya said in understanding.

"Exile doesn't seem to have hurt you either."

She chuckled darkly. "You're right. I should probably thank Robert before I run him through."

Jon, who had been tidying up the room to make space for Arya to sit froze as her words settled in. "You mean to kill King Robert? Does father know?"

"Yes, although he is working awfully hard to pretend he doesn't. He is telling himself I brought an army of Dothraki here for a vacation, but soon enough he'll be forced to admit the truth."

"If you enjoy Essos and are happy there, why do you hate Robert for sending you away?" Jon inquired.

Arya had been lazily scanning the room, looking at everything and nothing in particular. Her eyes stopped on the sword that sat next to the bed. She picked it up and removed it from the scabbard. She took a test swing, feeling its weight. "I don't hate him for exiling me, as I said I should probably thank him. I hate him for trying to kill Daenerys. He sent assassins after her more than once. One of them poisoned her husband, and others attempted to kill us both."

She looked up from the blade and saw Jon riveted by her tale. "What happened?"

"I killed them," she remembered fondly, "but he won't rest until she's dead. I have to stop him before he tries again."

"You can't be serious. Robert has the loyalty of all the great houses. He can raise a massive army. It's suicide."

"I'll take my army over his any day," Arya proclaimed. "I lead more than one hundred thousand warriors, all of who will kill to defend Daenerys."

"What about father?" he asked seriously, "and Sansa too for that matter. Isn't she wed to Joffery?"

"I don't care," Arya declared. "My first loyalty is to Daenerys. I won't have some pig trying to murder her. What kind of woman would I be if I let him live?" she asked without expecting an answer.

"You love her," he acknowledged, shaking his head as he smiled.

"I do. More than I ever thought possible."

"I'm happy for you," Jon said, taking the sword from her so he could pull her in for another fierce hug.

R-C

Arya, Jon, and Ned were enjoying a private meal together. Daenerys had left her great uncle to rest and after spending some time with Missandei she sought out the Commander. "Lord Commander Mormont," she said as she approached. The old man was bent over a map, studying the details.

When he turned, she could see the resemblance to her friend. "Lady Targaryen, please sit," he urged, holding out his hand to one of the available chairs.

"Thank you," she said as she sat. "I don't mean to interrupt but I just wanted to speak to you briefly about your son."

"My son? You know Jorah?"

Daenerys smiled warmly. "I do. I am happy to say he is one of my dearest friends. He has protected me and provided me with wise council for years now."

"Has he?" the Commander verified, sounding uncertain.

"I don't mean to involve myself in your affairs, I know your history with Jorah is complicated, I only wish for you to know how kind and decent a man he has become."

She could see that her words hit their mark. "I…I'm pleased to hear that."

"He didn't want to join us here, for fear that it might upset you. He does not know that I intended to speak with you, and would probably be angered to learn of it, but whatever mistakes he made in the past, he's no longer that man." She paused and considered stopping when she noticed the pain pass across his face. "I know that he regrets what happened deeply and he wishes he could take it all back."

"That's…" he stopped abruptly, and blinked hard. "Thank you, m'lady."

"Daenerys, please. Your son may have left Westeros in disgrace but he is now one of the most loyal and honorable men I have the pleasure of knowing. I also know that he regrets the pain his actions caused, to you most of all." She could see he was struggling for how to respond, so she rushed ahead, so he wouldn't have to. "I'm telling you this, only so you can know that who he was then, is not who is he is now. He's changed and I can attest to that first hand."

"I appreciate you coming to speak with me Daenerys," the Commander said after a long stretch of quiet. "Please tell my son I wish him well."

"I will," she promised.

R-C

She dreaded the moment she'd have to leave Jon. She missed her entire family of course, but Jon was special. He welcomed her with open arms, despite who she brought with her and he asked nothing of her for the two days they'd been at Castle Black.

Daenerys had spent plenty of time with the dying Targaryen, and Arya secretly feared the day he died. She'd comforted her through the loss of both her husband and her son and she was not eager for a repeat performance.

For her part Missandei was the talk of the castle, even more so than the out of place Dothraki who wandered about, spoke in a language none of the Crows understood and trained in the courtyard until long after the sun had fallen. To the hundreds of men who had sworn to never marry, who had spent months if not years without seeing a beautiful woman, Missandei and Daenerys offered excitement. While Arya's constant presence kept most away from Daenerys, they followed Missandei around the castle, like lost puppies begging for scraps from the table. Seeing this Arya had to resist the urge to involve herself. She was acutely aware that Missandei could handle herself. She survived far worse than a few unwanted advances but Arya still felt on edge. She knew that unlike Jon many on the Wall weren't as principled. They were murderers, rapers and thieves. They chose service to the Realm because it was the only alternative to a headman's axe or a hangman's noose.

Arya had just come from checking on Daenerys, and taking her something to drink. She found her sitting by her elder's bed, reading quietly. Arya invited her to join her family for their evening meal but Daenerys declined, perfectly content where she was. They shared a brief kiss and whispered so not to wake the man. She didn't linger long, knowing Daenerys wanted and needed space.

Her way to find Jon was blocked by a sweating, heavy man who showed fear in his eyes. She knew that look well, she'd seen on many a men and women over the years. Her brother had introduced him to her on her first night. His name was Sen, no, Sam, yes Sam that was it. "Hurry!" he said, far too loudly for the quiet corridor. "You must come with me." When she didn't immediately jump into action, he continued, "We must find your brother and then help your friend."

Now he had Arya's attention. She pictured the Dothraki in her mind as she followed the large man down the staircase. She knew that many of the men spent hours watching the Dothraki train. She also knew that despite protests from their Commander, Jon, Arya and Ned some were still desperate to test their skills. Even though they spoke different languages Arya knew it wasn't impossible to provoke one of them into a fight, even though she'd given them strict instructions.

The man's short legs annoyed her as she followed after him. Why weren't they moving faster? "Is it the Dothraki?"

"N…no," he stammered. "They are still training, it's Missandei."

Her heart dropped into her toes, before it returned to its place and doubled speed. If anyone hurt Missandei there would be a slaughter. Nothing and no one would be able to stop her, not even Jon. "You know Missandei?"

"Of course, she helped me translate a scroll last night. It was written in High Valyrian."

That sounded exactly like something Missandei would do. They finally arrived to where Jon and her father waited. "Come!" she yelled for them. Not caring about her volume any longer. She'd apologize to the Targaryens later, if she woke the dying man, but now was not the time. "Where are they?" she demanded of Sam.

Startled by her anger, he shifted from one foot to another. Just before she struck him to restart his memory Jon reached them. His tone was softer, and much friendlier, "Sam, what's wrong?"

"It's Missandei," he said again, "her friend," he added, pointing to Arya. "Torin was bothering her. I think…"

He didn't get to finish. "Fuck this. Tell me where they are!"

"Arya," Ned reprimanded.

His anger might have been comical if she wasn't too enraged to hear it. Sam pointed and the three from Winterfell took off, leaving the portly man to follow at a different pace. "I know the way," Jon said.

His urgency turned her stomach. He was friends with these people, lived with them even, they were his brothers and if Jon was worried for Missandei than Arya surely was. "If he's harmed her, he's a dead man," she warned. To emphasize her point she drew the arakh from her belt and chased Jon through a cracked and worn door. Inside they found Missandei and a man she could only assume was Torin, but they were separated by the entire space. Missandei had her back against one wall, squatting in the corner. Her dress was torn and her eyes wide. In her hand, she held the dagger Arya gave her in a white-knuckled grip. She was panting heavily and looking straight ahead. She didn't even glance up when the others entered. Opposite her, against stacked supplies Arya saw a man with light hair and brown eyes. He was sitting with his legs out in front of him, and his face was deathly pale. Both of his hands were folded against his stomach and Arya might have thought he was praying if she didn't see the steady stream of red flowing from between his fingers. "Help," he whimpered weakly.

Her urge to kill was strong, but she knew she was needed elsewhere. She released her blade and hurried to Missandei. "Are you hurt?" she asked before she dropped to her knees. She was vaguely aware of Ned and Jon assessing the prick's injuries but none of that mattered.

It took a measure of time that felt like forever before Missandei blinked and returned to herself. She was obviously surprised to find the Khal with her. "Arya?"

Relief washed through her as surely as the rage had. "Missandei," she said, brushing back some hair from her face, "are you hurt?"

She looked down at herself and then up to the man who had tried to hurt her. Arya blocked the view with her body. After another delay, she answered, "N…no." Tears started then and despite her best efforts Arya wasn't fast enough to brush them all away. "I didn't want to," she confessed in a low voice. "This wasn't like Kraznys."

Arya didn't care about that. She hugged her friend tight to her body and squeezed as hard as she could without harming her. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Neither woman moved, not when the Lord Commander came in, or when they removed Torin. Once they were alone, Missandei's tears finally slowed. Arya waited patiently. Normally the questions on her tongue would have burned but not in this case. She'd wait until Missandei was ready.

"What are they going to do to me?" she asked in a shaky voice that reminded Arya too much of the day they met.

"Nothing!" she said with conviction. "You were defending yourself. That is your right, just as much here as in Essos."

"I didn't want to," she continued, "but he wouldn't stop."

"I need you to tell me what happened," Arya said, doing her best to make her voice appealing.

So, she did. She spoke of how she'd met Torin the day they arrived and how he'd been attempting to flirt with her since. She had done her best to avoid him but evidently failed. He cornered her and forced her into the storage room where he tried to force himself on her. "I did what you did," Missandei whispered as her horrid story drew to a close. "I waited until he was opening his pants and then I cut him."

She wasn't aware Missandei knew all the details of her first day with the Dothraki, but it shouldn't have surprised her. She kissed her forehead and offered the best smile she could. "You did the right thing, I promise."

"What if he dies? What if I'm a murderer?" she questioned in a rush.

"Nothing is going to happen to you. I won't let it."

"What if…"

She didn't need to hear the end of the statement to know what her answer would be. "Then I'll kill them all and we'll ride back to Winterfell." Standing from her spot next to Missandei Arya held out both hands and waited for the woman to take them. When she did, Arya lifted her with ease. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up and see if we can find you something to eat."

R-C

By the time she got to the meeting, it had already begun. The Commander of the Night's Watch, Mormont was there, along with Ned, Jon, Sam and a handful of others she didn't know. Her appearance halted the conversation. "Where the fuck is he?!" she demanded without preamble.

"Arya, calm down!" Ned said after he rose from his seat.

"Calm down? You can't mean that. He tried to rape her. If he isn't dead already, he should be!"

Jon stood next to their father and gave Arya a sad smile. Without comment he pulled out the chair next to him and silently invited her to sit. She didn't want to sit, she wanted to kill, but she did anyway, for him.

Everyone took to their chairs and the meeting resumed as if her outburst hadn't interrupted a thing. "Samwell, please tell us what you saw," the Lord Commander instructed.

"I met Missandei last night, she helped me to translate scrolls from the archive. She's very intelligent."

She could do without the opinions. Somehow Jon knew that and prodded his friend to get to the point. "What happened today Sam?"

"Oh, right, well…" his eyes flickered from face to face, and when he landed on Arya's he stopped. His discomfort was obvious. "I had a question about the High Valyrian past tense, so I went to ask her about it and well, that's when I saw Torin talking with her. She looked uncomfortable." Arya's blood felt like it was boiling under her skin. On top of the table her hands were balled into fists, until Jon flattened the closest one with his palm. "He wasn't harming her," Sam emphasized. "They were just talking then."

"And later?"

"Later I saw her in the hall, I still had my question, I thought she was on her way to dinner you see, so I went to get my food and I waited, but she didn't arrive." He took an unsteady breath. "I thought she was lost." He turned his attention to Jon and then his boss. "You know how these halls can be when you first arrive, they are a maze and they haven't been here that long…"

This time it was Ned who motivated Sam back to the important parts of his story. "So, you went to look for her then?"

"Yes," he said nodding as he blushed. Looking down at the table he kept going. "I saw her approaching, so I waited. I was going to walk her to the dining room but it took too long, so I went to check. I saw Torin push her into the storage room, so I ran to get Jon and his sister for help."

She'd minded her manners too long. "You didn't think to go help her? Before she'd been attacked by the animal?"

He looked at her and his blush grew more intense. After only the briefest of moments he returned his eyes to the table. "I… I would've, but I didn't think I could help. Jon's the only one who could best Torin," he explained. "Him and maybe the Commander, but only them. I came to get them as fast as I could, but I found you first."

Without removing his hand from Arya's Jon smiled at his panicked friend. "You did the right thing Sam."

It didn't escape Arya's notice the way Sam brightened at the praise from her brother, nor did she miss how Ned looked at his son fondly at the mention of his abilities. As she tried to think about it strategically she knew that Sam was right. He didn't look like a fighter, and he was in a rush when he stopped her upstairs. With a start, it occurred to her that he didn't need to come and get her at all. Many wouldn't have. They were outsiders, and Sam had turned against one of his own to save Missandei, a woman who was little more than a stranger. She swallowed her anger and smiled as best she could. "Jon's right Sam. Thank you. You've done a kind service for me, for Daenerys and for Missandei and I know that none of us will forget it."

"Y…your welcome," he said returning the expression. "You're Jon's sister and he's my brother, I couldn't do nothing."

"How are they?" Mormont asked Arya.

She took a deep breath before she answered. "They're okay. Thank you for sending dinner up for them. Missandei wasn't feeling well enough to come downstairs and Daenerys refused to leave her. She's only just fallen asleep, or else I would still be there."

"Things like this are rare," he said, "likely because we get so few visitors, but not unheard of. This never should have happened and I'm sorry that it did. I can assure you punishment will be handed down and it will be swift and final." It pleased Arya that she could hear the disgust and anger in his voice.

"I'll do it," Arya offered without delay.

Her father shared his opinion, or more correctly, his disapproval when he said, "Arya this isn't Essos. You aren't a Khal here. The Night's Watch will handle things and that decision is up to the Lord Commander alone."

"I am a Khal everywhere, and the Dothraki have a way of handling these things too."

"Is the girl a Dothraki?" Mormont asked not unkindly.

"She's as Dothraki as I am."

"Were you not born in Winterfell with Jon?" one of the men she didn't know wondered aloud.

She thought back to the words Daenerys had once said. "I was told I couldn't be more Dothraki if I was born on a horse." She wanted the words back as soon as they were out. She and Jon both looked to Ned and saw the pain he was feeling. She and her father might not see eye to eye on much but she still loved and respected him and she didn't want to hurt him needlessly. In penance, she made a concession. "I'll do things your way."

The ruling didn't take long. "We'll hang Torin at sunrise, if he survives his injuries that long." He looked at Arya and smiled. "She cut him good."

"I hope it hurts," she commented before she left. Jon went with her.

In the hall, Jon reached for her arakh. She removed it from her belt and handed it to him. "Not exactly Needle is it?" he joked as he tested the edge with his finger.

"I still have it," she promised. "I even use it from time to time."

"I'm sorry for what happened here," Jon said, his smile vanishing and his lips curling down. "Please don't blame Sam. He feels horrible too."

"It is not your fault or his. I was angry in there and I spoke without thinking. Only one person is to blame and it isn't you or Sam."

"Yes, well after tomorrow Torin will get his punishment and Missandei will have her justice."

"However long he hangs, it won't be enough."

Jon's face was grim as he handed back her weapon. "You'll get no disagreement from me."

"I'm sorry my coming here brought this," she said quietly. She knew Jon took his vows seriously and if the Night's Watch were his brothers now, then that included Torin.

"I'm glad you're here, and I have no love for rapists."

In need of a change of topic, if not for her own sake, then for Jon's she said, "I saw a pretty big sword in your room. What do you say we go into the yard and test it out? Sam says you have skills, but I think I'll be the judge of that."

He laughed, that easy going laugh she remembered from her youth. It usually only happened when they were alone. "Be careful what you wish for. There isn't much else to do here but train."

"There is even less to do in exile."

R-C

She woke before the sun and stretched her very sore back. It had been a while since she'd had to sleep on the floor. She'd been spoiled by the warm bed, the soft pillow and by Daenerys's arm draped over her as she dreamt. After training with Jon, she snuck into the dark room and found Daenerys and Missandei sleeping side by side. One edge of the bed was left unused. To her tired eyes it looked deliberate, room left purposefully for her, but Arya wasn't willing to risk waking them, so she got an extra blanket from Jon's room and took up her post at the foot of the bed.

She was glad neither woman woke as she dressed in the dark. Missandei shouldn't have to see Torin's face again. Arya knew Daenerys would join her if she were awake, but the Khaleesi's place was exactly where she was. So, Arya and the Dothraki would attend the hanging on their behalf. She'd witness every second, and when his end came, she'd treasure it.

She got outside before the others. A platform and noose had been set up sometime overnight, but she was the only person in sight. After about thirty minutes footsteps caught her attention. She stood from her seat expecting Torin, or maybe the Commander, but instead it was her father.

"Why don't you wait inside?" he asked as she took her seat again.

She shrugged. "I'm fine here. How'd you sleep?"

"Better than in King's Landing and worse than in Winterfell," he said with a husky laugh. "At least I'm still in the North." He took a spot next to her, crushing the tightly packed snow under his weight. "Can we talk before this starts?"

"If you want mercy for that animal, you're asking the wrong person."

He shook his head and then ran his fingers through his hair slowly. "No, it's not about that. It's not about this at all," he said, tilting his head to where the execution would take place.

She looked away from the skyline that had been occupying her thoughts. "Sure."

Ned didn't speak, leaving her waiting. "I'm just trying to understand," he said simply.

"Understand what?"

"Your hatred for Robert. I know he's not perfect, no man is, and he's made plenty of mistakes, but what can you possibly gain from going to war with the most powerful man in the Seven Kingdoms?"

As he waited for her reply, he hung his head and sighed. Again, it struck her just how aged he looked. So different from the strong, confident man he'd been when she left. "All I want is for Daenerys to be safe. Surely you can understand that."

"I do, but you must see that bringing her to Westeros is only putting her in more danger, and taking her to King's Landing," he stopped and shook his head. He let out a groan that was muffled by his hands. "In King's Landing no one will be able to keep her safe, not you, your army or even me."

"He tried to kill her. He had his assassin sell her poison, poison she brought back to the camp. Poison I was just as likely to drink as she was, but we were busy that day, so Drogo drank some himself. He murdered her husband. When he was hovering between life and death she made a bargain with a witch to try and save him, a choice that cost Daenerys her unborn child."

"That was wrong and I'm sorry your friend died."

"I promised Drogo before he died that I would always defend and protect her. That's why I'm here."

She could tell her father saw this as his opening. He didn't make her wait long. "If you want to honor that request Arya you need to keep Daenerys as far away from Robert as you can."

"His last batch of assassins were much more straight forward. They attacked us at the market. One of them actually got his hands around her throat before I could reach them. Did he know I would be with them?" she asked harshly. "Did your best friend know that by sending assassins after Daenerys, he was likely sending them after me as well?"

Ned blew out a breath and they both watched it move through the cold air. "I truly hope not."

"He hasn't left me many options," Arya said to try and justify what would happen next. "What if it was Daenerys's father and not Robert who sat on the throne, what if instead of attempting to kill a woman you hate, he sent assassins to murder mother? What advice would you give me then?"

He gave it thought, so much that Arya didn't think she'd be getting a reply at all. "If anyone threatened your mother, I'd be doing exactly what you are, but that doesn't make it the right thing to do."

"I love Daenerys, like you love mother, so right or wrong doesn't matter anymore."

It was quiet for more than a minute before he tried again. "If he agrees to leave Daenerys be, forever, would you agree to forget your plans?"

Robb has made a similar proposal once and she immediately rejected it, even though Daenerys was willing. It was harder to refuse her father, especially knowing what the conflict would mean for him. She responded with a question of her own. "How could I ever trust his word?"

He nodded as if he expected that or some version of it. "I don't know, but Arya I need you to understand, I can't, I won't betray him."

"I'd never ask you to," she assured him quickly. "I know I'm different and I know you probably don't approve of the changes in me, but I still love and respect you and I'd never dishonor you or our family by asking you to go against your beliefs."

Ned had tears in his eyes as he took her in his arms. "I love you too."

R-C

When Torin was escorted out into the yard he already had his hands bound behind his back. He was wearing pants and unlaced boots but no shirt. This gave one and all a view of the long bandage that covered almost his entire abdomen. The fabric held its originally color around the edges while the center was stained in a variety of reds. Jon held one arm and one of the unknown men from the meeting held the other. They walked slow to accommodate his injury giving Arya plenty of time to get up from the snow. Ned bolted up next to her, gripping her arm. "He's going to die, you agreed to let the Commander handle this."

"And I will, I just want a word with him before he goes."

For reasons she could understand fully he doubted her, so as a gesture of good faith she removed her weapons and laid them on the ground where she'd been sitting. "See, just words."

She caught up to them a few feet from the platform and she offered to take the place of the man standing opposite Jon, he obliged her and fell back. As they walked she looked at the bandage on his stomach. "She really did get you huh? Good. Missandei always was a good student. That was her name, in case you didn't know. Did you ask before you attacked her?"

Torin said nothing until they were ascending the steps. "Burn in Hells," he said without looking at Arya.

Jon responded to defend her needlessly. "Try and die with dignity," he growled as he tightened his grip on Torin's arm until he had the condemned man folded over in pain.

Arya bent with him, so she could whisper in his ear. "I will burn in Hells and when I get there, you and I are going to continue this conversation. I'll be looking forward to it!"

Jon propped Torin up while Arya set the rope around his neck. With their tasks completed they went to stand by the King's Hand to watch. Commander Mormont stood in front of the gathered group. "When this man came to us, both he and I took a vow. He vowed to be an honorable member of the Night's Watch with all that that entails and I vowed to overlook his past misdeeds. I held up my end of our arrangement but Torin did not. He violated a guest of our home and put as all in danger. His past crimes may have been pardoned but these new sins must be made right. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Arya counted the seconds in her mind, and before she got to ten, Mormont decided he'd waited long enough. "Very well then. As Lord Commander of the Night's Watch I sentence you to death. That punishment shall be carried out now!"

She was right, it didn't last nearly long enough but she took some comfort from the fact that he was dead. It was over now and Missandei could begin to heal.

R-C

Not surprisingly, her father and his men left first. She had no idea if he really did need to get back to King's Landing as he said, or if he finally realized Arya was serious and intended to warn his King but it didn't matter either way. Her people had their orders and they would carry them out.

On their final two days on the Wall, Arya was reluctant to let Missandei out of her sight. When they were apart she insisted at least two of the Blood Riders were watching over the advisor. Her friend was stronger than she realized and recovered quickly, but Arya could see a fear in her eyes that hadn't been there before Torin and she hated it. If she hadn't been so focused on spending time with Jon and concerned about Daenerys's great uncle and how his impending death would affect her, she might have predicted what happened to Missandei and been there to stop it. Although Missandei wouldn't hold a grudge, Arya did and it kept her up at night, staring at the ceiling while Daenerys slept next to her peacefully.

"We can stay a few more days," Daenerys said sweetly.

"No," she replied, shaking her head to emphasize her point. "I came to see Jon and I've done that. He is going beyond the Wall tomorrow anyway, and we'll need to ride hard as it is to catch up the khalasar." It occurred to her almost too late. "Unless you want to spend a few more days with Aemon. Then, of course we could stay."

In an instant Daenerys's was fighting back tears. "No," she said mimicking Arya's action from earlier. "I have no wish to watch him die." She swallowed hard and continued, "It's enough that I got to meet him. That's more than I ever thought I'd have."

"Why don't you go and spend a few more hours with him?" Arya suggested. "I'll pack our things and gather the men and then I'll come and find you."

Lifting up Daenerys pressed a kiss to her nearest cheek. "You spoil me."

She couldn't help it, she blushed, even as she tried desperately not to. "Don't tell anyone," she complained quietly. "I'd hate for that rumor to spread."

As she slipped past her Khal and moved toward the staircase Arya was rewarded with the sound of Daenerys's soft laughter. It made the joke at her expense entirely worth it. She didn't intend to but she couldn't keep her eyes off the sway of her hips as she moved. When she turned back she found Jon watching her closely. "You two really are cute."

"Careful," she warned playfully. "Your little sister already beat you once, don't make me embarrass you again."

He laughed, a much different sound from Daenerys, but no less enjoyable to Arya's ear. "Luck, but if you think you can do it again, you're welcome to try."

They talked about nothing important as they wandered through the halls. They found Missandei and Sam together, her translating scrolls while he scribbled as quickly as he could, listening to every word as if his life depended on it. "Are you sure that's what it says?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Missandei vowed, the smile obvious in her tone.

Both of Ned's children chuckled together. "Sam will be talking about this for weeks," he guessed. They strolled into the next room at random. "I'm so glad you came to visit. I've missed you."

"And I you. If I didn't know how happy you were here I'd ask you come with me."

"And I'd consider it," he promised quietly. "You're likely the only one who could make me even think of leaving."

"Do you want to?" she asked, unable to hide her smile.

"No," he admitted, "so I'd appreciate it if you didn't ask, because I'm not certain I could refuse you."

She stopped walking and pulled him to her for a hug. "I love you Jon. No matter where I am."

"I love you too. Are you stopping at Winterfell on your return?" he wondered as he kept his hold of her.

"Yes, if only so Missandei doesn't freeze before we reach the South."

"Tell the family I miss them," he said, his normally strong voice breaking slightly in a way that was so unlike him.

"I will."

"Did you see father before he left?"

Arya answered with a stiff nod. "Did he tell you what you wanted to know?"

She knew before the words left his lips. She immediately felt for him. He'd wanted the truth about who he was for as long as Arya could remember and for reasons she didn't understand their father denied him. He ran his finger over his stubbly chin. "No, he said 'next time', again. I don't think he'll ever tell me who my mother is."

"Does it matter?"

"I suppose not. Whoever she is, I'm here and she's…" he paused and took a steadying breath. "I'm here and she's wherever she is. Knowing about her won't change it."

"He's always refused to talk to me about her," Arya recalled sadly.

Jon gave her a weak smile. "At least it's not only me." The tension in the air was thick and before she could decide how to remove it, Jon did it for her. "Enough about that. Outside," he said pointing to the exit, "you can teach me to use that arakh and I'll give you some tips with a sword."

"Let's go," she said, already looking forward to it.

R-C

When the moment came for them to part Arya didn't even bother trying to hide her tears. She'd sent the Dothraki ahead and now she, Daenerys and Missandei were lingering. There were few people in the world she'd let see her cry, but the women with her happened to be on the very short list. Only after it couldn't be delayed did Arya separate herself from Jon. "There is a city in Essos called Vaes Dothrak. If you need me, send word there, we visit several times a year."

Nearby Missandei was saying goodbye to Sam. He was thanking her repeatedly for her help with the scrolls and she was responding that she'd enjoyed it. Arya had told her the role that Sam played in her rescue and she was grateful. Before she mounted her horse, she kissed his cheek and thanked him one final time. He blushed and looked at the snow around his boots as he mumbled that he was just glad she was okay.

Arya moved away from Jon and went to where Mormont and Sam were standing together. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "We are in your debt. We will never forget what you did for us. If there is anything we can do, please let us know. Jon knows how to contact me."

"That is very kind Lady Stark."

She smiled in spite of her every instinct telling her to reject the title. "If the Night's Watch ever has need of a horde of savages, we'll be here."

Jon pulled Arya away a few steps and the Lord Commander chivalrously helped Daenerys into her saddle. "Please, tell my son I asked of him."

"Of course, Commander."

While Daenerys and Missandei headed down the snow-covered trail, Arya took the time to steal another hug from Jon. "Be careful," he said seriously, "please, for me."

"I'll do what I can."

"I know why you're doing this and I won't try to talk you out of it, but if you can, please try and spare our family. They love you and I know you love them too. Don't do anything you'll regret."

"I'll try," she said knowing no other words would be true. "Remember, anything you ever need, anything, I'll be here. We'll all be here," she whispered, privately.

"I thought the Dothraki hated the water," he said with a forced laugh that was barely hiding his true feelings.

"They do, but they crossed the sea for me once, they'd do it again, and I'd do anything for you." She climbed onto her horse quickly, knowing if she didn't go immediately she never would. She didn't dare look back, Khal or not, she wasn't that strong.

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Author's Note: This was originally two separate chapters, but since they were both ready at the same time I figured I'd combine them.

I always liked Arya and Jon's relationship. I wanted to drag it out but there is a war to get to, so, that's all for now. Thanks for reading.