XII - Arya
For the last two days that sky had been weeping non-stop, soaking their clothes and spirits to the bone. Mud clung heavily to her pants, boots and hair, yet she did not care. Arya was glad to be inside the holdfast once again. She had gone out with Meera to search the nearby fields for food, with no luck. Their hunt had proven unsuccessful, but in Queenscrown at least they could stay out of the rain. Nymeria too seemed happy to return to the tower. The grey haired direwolf shook-off the water from its fur making Meera cringe and curse, still Arya laughed. They could not get more drenched than what they already were. She listened to the thunder outside and to the whistle of the wind. Soon heavier droplets of rain would fall and although they were hungry at least they had a roof over their heads. It had been six days since they left Winterfell and still no sight of the so called three-eyed raven.
Arya was beginning to think that perhaps Brandon and Jojen were wrong. Back when they ran away from Winterfell, she did not know if they were crazy, but she knew Brandon had visions and she was not about to leave him alone. It was foolish of her to think it would be a nice adventure; they should have stayed back in Castle. They walked silent, hungry and wet through the North for the last two days, and let me tell you it was not at all adventurous. The Stark girl missed home and frequently demanded Brandon to give up his quest and return to Winterfell. Time and time again she would say: -'Jon was there, I am sure he won. He could help you find this crow, we need to go back.' More often than not Gendry would add to her plead, but their advice and complaints sounded deaf to the Reeds and her brother's ears.
Arya sighed as she twisted the water out of her clothes and hair. Meera was finishing the same process. In silence they dressed back in their clothes and began climbing the stairs. It would be hard to tell the rest that they had returned empty handed. Jojen looked weak like he needed a meal and she thought Hodor was beginning to lose weight. Her legs burned as they climbed the stairs to the fifth floor of the tower and she found herself thinking about Jon to distract herself from the pain. Back at Winterfell, she had caught a glimpse of her brother fighting the iron man. It had been almost like a dream, they were in the middle of their escaping plan when Jon had shown. Arya wanted to run to him, hug him and have him spin her around in endless circles, but Brandon was far into running away.
She and Osha had killed two iron men to provide a way to their escape, just before the fight started. In seconds the battle broke inside the walls and got in the way of their plans. Arya in the heat of the battle had pierced an iron man's neck with needle to save Jojen and slashed another man's belly to save herself. However, killing them had not been hard, they deserved it. As she glanced at her older brother Jon fighting, her heart was beating fast. She wanted to fight by his side, but she was afraid to call out to him. Would he mind that she was now a killer? She wanted to kill Theon personally, but Brandon was already out of her sight and she needed to follow him. So back in that moment she decided to go to the wall and search for this three-eyed crown… Maybe it could somehow bring their father back.
Arya sighed and stared at the iron door, Brandon was hungry on the other side and she had no food. Meera entered the room first and she followed right behind. Summer went happily to great Nymeria, but soon growled as he perceived the lack of prey. Arya rubbed her dirty face as Meera said: -'No catch today, we will try tomorrow. Maybe there is some fish on the lake surrounding the holdfast. I will make a net and go fishing in the morning.' The boys looked grim and the only one to said something was Hodor with his hodoring. Arya diverted her eyes from Brandon and looked at Gendry. The big kid was sitting by the fire as usual, she was certain that someday he would freeze to death because he could not stop shivering even when he was almost seated inside the flames. Arya went to his side and punched his arm saying: -'Have you turned to ice yet, stupid? Sit closer and you might turn to fire or ashes.'
Brandon laughed at her comment, but Gendry just shook his head negatively and remained looking at the fire. His clear blue eyes were enlightened by the orange dancing flames transpiring his exhaustion and Arya thought that she had never seen more beautiful eyes. She poked him with her elbow and said: -'Oh, come on cheer up. You heard Meera, we will have fish tomorrow.' Though he looked older like a man full-grown, Gendry was Jon's age and sometimes acted like a full-grown baby. Grumbling he answered: -'Maybe, maybe we will have fish…We will die out here, out of hunger or out of cold.' Arya felt defeated the rain splattered fiercely against the stone walls of Queenscrown, but she wanted to go out hunting again and this time catch something. Lightning filled the tower with light and thunder roared inside the walls making Hodor scream: -'HODOR, HODOR, HODOR!...'
The Stark girl headed towards the narrow slit window and glanced outwards. As if he knew her intent Brandon spoke: -'The storm is too bad right know, Arya. It is not wise to go outside. Meera will catch some fish tomorrow, I am certain.' She was a wolf, she would be the one to catch her pack some food. Arya thought as she frowned and answered: -'If we turned back to Winterfell, we could have all the fish we would like, There is no three-eyed crow Brandon, please abandon this madness. Look at Gendry, he is freezing to death and Jojen looks so green he might as well be a leaf…' The reed boy protest saying: -'Hey! I am fine really. Your brother has got a mission to fulfill; there is no need for you to stay.' Before she can defend herself, the Baratheon kid stands away from the fire and says: -'We stick together. And you will watch as you talk to melady Arya!'
Thunders roars once again as Arya furiously responds: -'Do not call melady, idiot!' They were all fighting now, one speaking over the other, even Meera that usually remains neutral is protesting, until Jojen screams: -'ENOUGH! People are coming!' The Stark girl makes a face at Gendry, before turning again towards the window. As the storm rages ever more loudly, Hodor keeps walking in circles saying: -'HODOR, HODOR, hodor, HODOR…' Arya watches an eagle fly overhead against the dark clouded skies and is surprised to look at the ground and see there are wildlings fighting northmen. She forces her eyes to better watch the battle and then her heart stops. Jon… Jon, it is him, I am sure of it. She turns to Brandon and says: -'Jon is here! Keep Hodor quiet, people might hear him.' She runs out of the room despite the screams for her to turn back.
Stepping outside in haste, the freezing fast wind can barely scrape her skin, before she jumps at the lake head first into the lake. It feels like a thousand needles had been pierced in her body, but she swims determined while the mixture of the heat in her muscles and the coldness of her water burns through her core. She can see that the two direwolves followed her, because they are swimming ahead of her. Wind cuts her as a thousand knives as she steps out of the lake and Arya is glad for the rain or the thermal shock might have turned her into a statue. She runs after Summer and Nymeria that had already darted ahead into the fight. She takes needle out of its sheath whilst still running with all her determination. The wildlings are surprised by the arrival of two extra wolves and Arya takes advantage to strike those in running.
Being small she crawls through the battle taking advantage of the blind spots as she tries to get to her brother. Until a very dirty man grabs her by the arm and hoists her up into the air. Surprisingly, the man's arm is cut in half by an axe, then is hit in the middle and soon she is staring at clear blue eyes in shock. Gendry she thinks as he says: -'Melady, melady are you alright?' His stupidity takes her out of the paralysis and she pulls him backwards as a wildlings swings his sword to hit them. Arya screams at him: -'I am not a lady!' and then she runs, pulling him along. They running without aim when they are cornered by two more wildlings, but Ghost jumps at the throat of one as the other wildling head is cut right off his shoulders. Her brother Jon stands in front of them, he seems different somehow. Not only taller, but his eyes shine unlike her own. A purple shade of grey, she thinks as he says: -'Arya, hide!'
She will not hide. They are surrounded by wildlings and though the noises of clashing swords through the fight are muffled by the storm, she knows the battle is far from over. As more fighter surround them, Arya, Gendry and Jon begin to fight side by side. Every now and then Arya spares a glance at the Baratheon boy. He seems to be doing fine. His sword work is kind of sloppy, but he has strength. Gendry loses his sword carved in somebody's shoulder blade and Arya shakes her head in disappointment whilst cutting a wildlings by the ankle. If they can't get up, they can't hurt you. Arya smiles cuts the hand of the man, takes his swords and throws it towards Gendry while saying: -'Try not to lose it this time!' The boy takes it and begins to fight again.
Jon is by him helping with the screaming foes. This is the last thing she sees before an arrow strikes her back. Arya falls face first down into a puddle mud, she is glad for the drenched terrain to soften her drop. Should she stay down or get up the girl thinks as warm blood trickles down her skin. There is screaming, loads of screaming and then Gendry is pulling her up into his arms. She pulls away from him and tries to stand, but he does not let go he tries to help her stand. The world seems to be spinning as she glances around; there are men all around them… Many men, northmen she realizes making a protective circle around her. The stark girls smiles at Gendry and says: -'Now that is more like it, must be winning for so many to be protecting me instead of fighting.' Gendry grins back at her and responds: -'Some people are more valuable than winning, melady.'
Arya refrains from saying she is not a lady this time, but says: -'It is my lady not melady, you stupid.' She closes her eyes and leans into Gendry's arm just for a while, his blue eyes are the last thing she sees, before fainting. As the blackness fades, she smells the earth and blood in the air. Water dulls the sweet cent, but her lips are filled it. She grows as a man approaches Jon and bites the attacker taking a good piece of meat of his calf. The direwolf runs through the battle still chewing while avoiding the blows. There are fewer foes now and she has to be quicker on the attack to kill more than her brother. The white one had killed so many, that his fur was pink with blood. Nymeria Growled and jumped over a red haired girl making her lose her arrow.
The direwolf was about to bite of the woman's head when, Jon pulled her back. She almost bite him, but her white brother stopped her jumping at her throat and growling. Arya woke up then gasping, they had taken her inside a small cabin. She had seen it before up from the tower, it should be five minutes to the battle ground. As she tried to get up, Gendry held her down and said: -'Gods be dammed Arya. You just been hit by an arrow to the back, just lay down!' The Stark girl breaths heavily trying to gather strength and says: -'Jon is out there, I have to help him' She watches him frown and say: -'You fought enough already, Jon can handle himself.' The boy is much bigger and stronger than her, she will have to use different tactics of evasion. Arya closes her eyes and says: -'Okay… then you should go and help him, duffus. Fight for me, go now!'
The unsuspecting kid nods, grabs a swords and turn to the door, while Arya ceases the moment to jump up from the bed. The blood loses makes her feel dizzy but she sprints towards the door and as she opens, the girl hears Gendry screaming: -'What a hell!?' But he is not the only one surprised at the door stands her brother, with a red-haired girl tied in ropes. He pushes the woman inside, glances directly at Arya whilst he says: -'So little sister, going somewhere?' She laughs and responds: -'I was about to go save you, but I see that you handled. Why is she alive?' Jon did not answer her, but grabbed her in his arms and hugged her, before spinning her around in a full circle. Arya felt like puking, but she was happy as she said: -'Put me to the ground idiot. I got blood loss here.'
Jon smiled at her as he put her to the ground, ruffled her hair and said: -'You sure learned how to stick them with the pointy end, little sister.' She could stand alone even with the arrow shot, but still she held on to him as he held on to her. She would never part again she swore to herself. Then sighing she thought of her other brother and said: -'Brandon, is here also. Back in the tower on the fifth floor. Lets go get him.' Before her brother can respond, Gendry says outraged: -'You can not go out, melady. You need to rest damn it.' Arya frowns and says: -'I am not a lady. But if you insist on calling me that at least say it correctly. It is my lady, my lady get it duffus!' She turns to her brother who is smiling at her, but he says: -'Gendry is right. I will go fetch Brandon, you stay and rest.'
Neither of them had moved, as if breaking apart was not possible. Arya looked up at her brother, she needed to rest but she wanted to go with him. Sighing she says: -'Go quick then! I suppose the tower will be a good place for the men you have with you.' Jon stepped away from her and said: -'You grew up, little sister.' As he turns away to leave she mumbles: -'Yeah, people tend to do that.' Jon stands at the doorway and says: -'I missed you.' He does not wait for her answer… Arya smiles so broody her brother, soon they all would be safe and sound with food in their bellies. Arya punches Gendry's arm and walks to the small straw bed they made for her. She closes her eyes and dreams of Winterfell.