Chapter Ten- Nymeria, Ghost and Lady
Sansa traveled through the desolate hallway, down with careful and measured steps towards the courtyard. She was predestined to be with the septa, but instead found another place she warranted to find herself. Mud and dirt. With her brothers departed as well with father, leaving her. In her pace her somber was elated in recent days. In the weeks since being with Jon her situation turned around completely. Teaching her with every turn of the sun. The first few sessions progressed slowly as he helped her work her movement. Better understanding her own movements that emanated easier with time. Bit by bit her fear and veil was torn away. Day by day, every strike was brought with strength, and each parry was precise. Her mind growing clear.
Since then the training had gone much more rapidly, her brother's actions a flurry. And Sansa kept pace. Every night Sansa retained the pretense of subservience. It was important that no one suspected anything. The training was retained secret from the likes of anyone, even her closest friends. During the night she slipped from her room to train with sword and bow. Although the bow seemed to come with effortlessness, unlike with sword. Jon could sense her potential with a bow. Having her focus losing arrows, which she was gaining the application, hitting the many targets in the bull's eye. He taught specific elements of the rapid use of the bow. Being able to pull an arrow once loosed and have another arrow notched. Sansa had a much better use with this than with a sword but she kept the wood prominent in the night. Her brother's wisdom of a sword was outmatched and knew to take every spar.
As a result she was getting the full scope. Her days formerly occupied with dance and song no longer. Now filled with training, mud and in it's stead her friends grew further apart. Once she found Jeyne telling her she needed to be more prominent and on time, coming late. Where she never needed to be told twice. As of late, permanently tardy and everyone took notice.
Simply she couldn't care a second, for her in the darkest hours before morning, first light she would jump up out of bed. The brightest smile on her face to meet Jon down near the courtyard. Reaching the cold air he was there. Returning that smile that no one else ever had, a smile that she felt warm her gaze. With him to practice drills and techniques. She consumed this knowledge and felt energized. This was fun unlike anything. She knew her brother was the best teacher as he went with ease asking her what felt best and asking her how each movement felt to her. At times she found her face turning red. Each spar only made her desired to be closer than before.
With these thoughts she came to a standstill, the noises of wood on wood sounded, echoing down the hall. Looking over finding her sister amid the mud and snow. A slight drizzle came down with a few puddles among the mud. Although Arya still stood, the rain and wind swirled around her, tearing at her hair. Her feet slithered through the mud detailed.
Arya wore dark leather that covered her from the rain. Hair tied back running down her back resting near her waist. Feet moved with ease so smoothly, with each flurry a blur as if a single action. Sword in left hand she stood straight bringing her sword around in a swift circle in quick movements. Sansa observed her sister moving with ease, always a shadow, her body hard to follow. She encountered that particularly when faced in spars. Sansa took her leave and approached her sister.
Arya's breath was heavy as another additional hour was devoted in the cold. That wasn't sufficient however. Her brother spent numerous hours amid the snow and if she meant to become a better swordsman she required to double her efforts. Possible triple in her mind, even though she was efficient. Nothing was enough for her. Counting the numbers in her head was endless as her breath. The mud was fresh underneath her feet as she moved. With everyone vanished she acquired the chance to train among the courtyard, without mother knowing, or anyone annoying to break her concentration. However, coming to a halt her sword pointed towards the armory, she overheard footsteps soft and low. But footsteps none the less.
Sansa stopped in the mud as it splashed on her boots a few feet from her little sister. Arya couldn't help but be aware of the person behind her. Anticipating to see her mother, a look of horror, or the septa with a somber. Turning it was neither, the last person she thought. Finding her sister Sansa standing near, alone in leather and fur wrapped her upper body. Arya confused stood straight.
"What?" She asked with no pleasantness in her tone. With the knowledge of the septa she had no intentions of sewing another stupid sun. "Are you here to tell on me? Because I'm not going. I would rather freeze to death than sew something." Arya told, Sansa knowing she wouldn't.
"No. I wondered, if I could spar with you?" The question caught Arya off guard, it was so unlike her.
"Why? Jon isn't here?" Arya questioned, she was genuinely confused. With the exception of Sansa's presence with her brother, rarely previously did she speak with Arya. Now it appeared in fact Sansa meant to become friends.
"I sought to train with you. I can't let a day pass without a weapon in my grasp." That much was true Arya thought. There wasn't a day she didn't find Sansa accompanied with a weapon.
"Why do you care all of the sudden? I believed you were a lady, proper. Are they not pleasant and courteous." Arya's leaned her upper body forward, a fake bow. "Don't they let the prince fight all the battles." Arya mocked with a smirk. Sansa felt her anger slip but doused it just as quickly. Unfazed she stood closer.
"I don't much care for the prince." Sansa told to Arya's utter astonishment. Always with the thought of her fancying to see the prince. As if he was the utmost boy in the realm.
"Well, you need find someone else. You have plenty of admirers, maybe one of them will help you with this." Arya mocked a sharpness in her tone. Sansa huffed seeing she would not find a friendliness here, as she turned and went. Not standing to be mocked.
Arya watched her sister went in a burst. As she grew further apart her brother's voice rang in her ears, so clearly as if he was beside her. It was true, Sansa was polite with her as of recent turns of the sun, and was trying. Arya saw that.
Against her better judgment. "Wait." Arya stated coming closer, closing the distance, once seeking to stay distant. Her voice reached her ears causing Sansa to halt and curved seeing Arya. "I'm sorry." Arya specified followed by silence. "But If we are to train together, you can not complain. And you have to keep up."
"I will." Sansa stated without a doubt in her voice.
"Ok, grab your weapon." Arya told. Sansa smiled brightly left into the small armory where the walls of death awaited. A dream of bows and axes as far until the shadows ascended and covered the wood. Lest only the wood was for her. Wrapping her hand around the familiar hilt she made her way back to her sister and the wind. Back out of the armory she found her sister standing sideways, her legs straight as was her back with her head held high, she looked in her zone. Standing, waiting with a smirk that told her she wasn't ready for this. Sansa seized that as a challenge. The past week her brother had pressed her. Every night she had sword and bow the bruises on her body did nothing to stop her.
"You sure you want this Sansa. Without Jon here I won't go easy." Arya provoked her older sister.
"I must train if I am to be a knight." Sansa noticed her sister smirked as she looked over her. The sun glimpsed against her pupils, never did Arya look more like in her zone. Like nothing could touch her, nothing could faze the wolf. They assemble themselves and before she knew it Arya darted forward.
Her weight pressed down on her left leg as she stabbed her sword forward, towards Sansa's chest. Sansa blocked her sister's flurry, and was quick to counter with one of her own. She didn't score a direct hit but she did force her sister to take a full step back under the fury of the assault. The sound of wood echoed as Arya's foot splashed in a puddle. Before giving Sansa a chance Arya twisted leaving her to slash at her older sister's stomach. Yet unlike before Sansa was ready for this switching from offense to defense smoothly it seemed to be a single action. She parried the blade as it moved with a blur out matched. Then all at once Arya moved her weapon on her sister with savage blows. Every part of her body Arya's weapon tried to strike only to be met by Sansa's weapon.
Arya thrust again with no use. They moved with a pace. Their spins growing larger with each attack. This was Arya's passion and excitement filled her. The wolf, Must strike. Her brother's voice rang in her ears. Arya brought her weapon in a furious slash at her shoulder. Only to be answered by Sansa another slash and another parry until Arya's speed was unable to be matched and brought with a blur to Sansa's chest halting just before the leather. They looked at the other, Arya nodding in agreement. Arya backed away. The mud covered half of Sansa's body as several splashes covered Arya's legs. With this both wore heavy smiles and looking into the others eyes saw the smile that neither ever shared with the other.
"You have improved. You must be practicing without me." Arya flashed her sister a smirk moving around her, slipping her weapon in a circle. Sansa nodded with a smile basking in the compliment. Her breathing was hard, her body in sweat and adrenaline unlike her sister. Whom retained her composure the entire spar and seemed to be at half effort.
"Good it will be better when you lose." She had longed to engage another opponent in the dueling ring. She considered her brother the best in all seven realms, and he never let his guard down. Fighting as if he was seven knights at once. Her sister however. Arya spun the sound of sword smacking hers as they continued their dance.
No matter what she tried Arya's blade was there to parry the attack. A seed of doubt crept her mind as she recalled her brother. She remembered Jon's voice in her head bringing her weapon forward. Neither stopped their spar for several minutes until Arya knew what she was going to do next. More importantly she knew with absolute certainty what Sansa would do next too. She couldn't explain how she knew, sometimes she could just anticipate an opponent's next move. Instinct Jon told her. Arya didn't know. Her confidence in that wasn't doubtful. Another slash Arya was more than ready and brought her sword meet. Then as she twisted, with a flurry her sword rested against Sansa's neck discontinuing.
Sansa had to blink as the weapon rested against her skin deprived of knowing how it ended up there. They stood for a moment stagnate meanwhile Sansa stood silent. "How did you do that in that last pass you broke off your attack in the middle of one sequence and came at me in a different angle?"
"I guess it just happened." Sansa didn't know what to say only for her to throw the cloak down in the armory as she was ready for more, not quitting. Sansa turned with her sister, Arya's smile was so immense Sansa had never seen so.
An hour of this continued, mud covering the two, Sansa proved to be a opponent, but Arya came on top with each spar. While both couldn't clearly say how much they enjoyed this. Never once did they share a few minutes together, and here they spent hours. Unknown to the two this was the real first spar but it was far from their last. Where they use wood now, they will use steel.
As Sansa pushed the attack both halted. Both came still to the sound of someone. Without thought Sansa tossed the wood towards the armory as Arya did the same. Turing around they found Jeyne a look of panic read on her face. Jeyne came closer in a rush moving.
"Sansa what in seven are you doing?!" She said it all gushed as a single sibilant word. "The septa is looking for you. Both of you." Jeyne told them. Both knew the clear and present danger of the septa learning about their spars. Arya huffed as she looked over her sister.
An hour advanced and they find themselves back in the small room, no leather only cloth in it's place. The light outside seemed to be miles away and couldn't be touched. The septa closed on Arya. "Come Arya you really need to straighten these stiches today." Sansa watched the others sniggering as they sat down with the others. Sansa gazed the room and knew her options.
"Septa what of Jeyne's doesn't it look very beautiful." As the septa moved to the either side of the room, unnoticed Sansa scooted closer to Arya's side.
"Here." Sansa said. Arya looked down finding the small sewn embroidery.
"Why are you giving me this?" Arya asked raising an eyebrow with the embroidery and a confused look.
"Just take it." she whispered as she handed her own to Arya and took hers. Sansa scooted away then let some time pass to finally say.
"Septa how is Arya's? I think her stitches may be straighter." Sansa told. Septa went with the same doubtful look she carried with the young lady. As everyone couldn't wait to hear the septa criticize. She closed the distance, only to be surprised with Arya.
"Oh why Arya this looks magnificence." the septa complemented, as Sansa gazed the room to find shocked faces among the crowd. Looking back at her sister she found a bright smile. She returned it happily. Arya basked in the feeling always being looked upon with doubt. As they smiled Bran burst through the door looking so eager never seeing him like this. Bran out of breath scanned the room.
"Sansa, Arya. Jon found something he has to show you. He wanted me to tell you first."
"A present for me?" Sansa asked jumping to her feet. Forgetting everyone was there not caring what they heard.
"For both of you." Bran stated. They ran from the room as the septa yelled something neither sure.
"Where is he?"
"He's in his room." They ran towards the room to hear sniffles and squeaks coming forth. In the room both stopped a look of wonder. Finding their brother with a grin and direwolves in the room.
The next day-
Sansa's moved with a rush, lady at her feet she kept up yipping. Called down to the keep where the rest of her family waited. Entering the room she found her father, brothers and sister sitting waiting there. Their direwolves rested at their feet, all rubbing against their owners. Quickly finding Jon and moving to sit down next to him.
"Good now that you are here, I have news." Ned stated.
"What is it?" Robb asked.
"The royal family is visiting." He declared. Sansa knew what that meant, not only the royal family but the prince she is meant to marry. Looking over at her brother she found a frown.