the sword in the darkness
DISCLAIMER: Every character mentioned and anything in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire belongs to George R. R. Martin. I own nothing except the writing. Or the phrase, "You know nothing, Jon Snow," obviously.
10. swords
Jon staggered back as the flat of her blade cracked against his leather-covered side, hard and fast, and before he could retaliate she spun away, quicker than anyone he'd ever fought with. He raised his own sword and tried a hit at her shoulder, but her steel met his own and pushed him back, and she flashed her sword at his head, but he saw it coming and pulled back – and before he could blink, he found himself tripping backwards, legs throbbing from a hit, his sword spinning from his grasp, and on the ground, staring up the slender blade.
He raised his eyes to hers, sheepish, and grinned, and Arya smirked back at him. "See? I knew I could beat you anytime," she boasted, sheathing her sword and handing him his, as he stood up again.
His little sister was a woman grown now, eight-and-ten now, and as bold as she'd always been, with a proud and determined tilt to her chin. She wore breeches and a tunic fitted especially, in all black, her sword as slim as Needle, the sword he'd had crafted for her years ago, and made from the exact same metal, only stretched and strengthened to accommodate someone of her size, according to Arya.
He smiled. "I know that now," he said, mildly, remembering a voice from another lifetime. You know nothing, Jon Snow. "I won't make the same mistake next time."
"Oh, you won't, huh? We'll see about that," Arya challenged, her eyes gleaming, and her laughter cheered his heart.