Arya was only a few days away from the border between the North and the Riverlands. She has killed only twice on her journey after that rabbit. She grew to accept the cold to the point she didn't feel it.
She also stayed away from the main roads and people in general. She preferred the company of the pack and the stillness of the woods. So she was surprised to find a young girl in the middle of the forest.
In a small clearing surrounded by trees, soft green grass covered the ground all throughout the clearing except the occasional rock formation. A few stray twigs littered the earth and some of the roots of the nearby trees surfaced.
Arya watched from her hidden position as the girl twirled around with a stick, Nymeria stood quietly at her side. The girl wore a simple dress most of it was patchwork her hair light brown and collected in a braid large eyes the color of fresh dug earth moved over in the small face.
The girl attacked invisible enemies and called out with joy when she "defeated" them.
Suddenly a man burst into the clear with a shout cause Arya to shield her ears "Stupid girl! You run away again?! I should sell you to the nearest brother!" The girl stumbled on a tree root and fell the stick she was holding flew across and landed at the man's feet.
He picked it up "what this?!" The girl stayed quiet "you're pretending again? Girls can't fight! You should now your place! You should be grateful I married your mother after she she already gave birth to you!" The man snapped the stick in half after throwing away what's left he slapped the girl.
"Nymeria" the wolf charged at the man, easily pinning him down she bared her fangs as she growled at his face. Arya then stepped out into the clearing keeping her hand on Needle's hilt.
"Get up" the girl immediately obeyed scrambling up. "What's your name girl?" Arya now stood at the halfway point between the shaking girl and the man pinned beneath the direwolf.
Arya was surprised that the girl was still standing with how she was shaking. "D... Diana Rivers" her voice was trembling as she clutched at the fabric of her dress.
"Well Diana, do you wish for this man's death?" Diana's head shot up. The man whimpered from underneath Nymeria but didn't dare to speak. "All you need to do is tell me his name".
The girl was frozen, she looked only at the man even as more and more wolves came to the clearing sensing the shift in both Nymeria and Arya. As if they know this would end with death ravens began to fill the trees, Arya silently wondered if Bran was watching.
"James" Arya's head snapped back to the girl. "His name is James" her voice was shaking but her body stopped.
Arya nods and gently draws her sword as she walks to the man. Nymeria moves away and before the man has a chance to make a move Needle's point is resting on his throat.
"Your name was given" she pushed down on the blade piercing easily. The wave of warmth that followed was strong. Much stronger than the rabbits and birds she killed so far, it washed over her lasting longer than ever before.
The warmth swirled within as the man let out a wet gurgle, struggling to breathe. Warm blood flowed from his neck staining the fresh green grass with crimson. He clawed at his neck desperately trying to stop the bleeding his eyes running around searching for a last miracle as he choked on his own blood.
Eventually he gave up or passed out from blood loss, with a few spasms the last of his strength drained, he died.
The warmth that filled her vanished as he died leaving her empty. Unlike the other times the warmth didn't go away slowly like a dying fire, it disappeared like the flame of a candle when someone blew on it. It felt like the faint last bit of warmth on a rock after it was in the sun, and it got colder by the second.
She felt the pressure in her eyes and knew the rings of blue grew. Once all the warmth was gone she turned to the girl. Nymeria sat a little ways away and remained silent, the rest of the pack circled the clearing never stepping out of the tree line.
"Go home" she told the girl, she turned her back to her and walked away only to be stopped by a small pair of arms hugging her midsection from behind. As a reflex her hand went to the dagger pulling it out, no one touched her by surprise in years.
She was about to kill the one who touched her when Nymeria barked at her, NO the direwolf stood in front of her glaring. Arya froze the dagger hanging mid-strike Diana let go of her so fast she fell again, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry I didn't mean to".
Arya put the dagger away and turned around slowly Nymeria walked to stand behind the sobbing child. "Why did you do that?" She was confused why would anyone hug her? The only ones who did were her family and even with them it was rare.
"Please let me go with you!" She blurted catching Arya off-guard once more. "Please! I don't have a home to go back to! My mother died and I don't have anyone" she looked up at Arya.
"You do not fear me?" She wondered at loud her voice shocked and disbelieving but mostly confused. "Why would you want to come with me?"
"You can fight and you have a giant wolf!" The girl seemingly forgot her fears and distress talked with such joy and awe. The complete shift in demeanor only added to the Stark's confusion.
At the mention of the wolf Nymeria let out a soft growl and stared at her before looking back to Arya. Take her, she has no pack, alone like we were. She can learn Arya frowned not answering the wolf.
"You will earn your keep, understood?" Diana perked up at her words, nodding vigorously. "If you wish I can teach you the way of the sword" her face lit up even more.
"Come" Arya walked out of the clearing leaving the man's body to the crows. And with the unexpected company, a direwolf, two dozen wolves and a tired horse she continued north.
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Sansa was out in the inner courtyard of Winterfell, she went there immediately after a scout reported seeing Arya.
The negotiations with queen Daenerys were successful the North was free, she couldn't wait to tell that to Arya. They agreed that continues trade between the kingdoms was critical for both the north and the south. As well as their alliance therefore both Sansa and Daenerys swore to come to the others aid should the need arise.
The guards at the gate called out as Arya passed. When she came to a stop Sansa noticed three things immediately.
The rest of the wolf pack stayed outside the walls leaving only Nymeria at her side, a little girl in a torn dress was riding with Arya but most shocking were her eyes. The Stark grey eyes had large rings of bright blue in the center covering about a quarter of the eye.
Arya dismounted and walked to her the child following closely behind visibly nervous with all the attention directed towards her from the castle's residents. "It's good to see you again sister".
Arya simply nodded, without uttering a word she grabbed the scruff of the girl's dress pulling her somewhat gently from behind her. "This is Diana" the girl, Diana, was short and rather plain looking. Simple brown eyes and light brown hair, her clothes were clearly the clothes of a commoner and a poor one.
"She will be staying with me until she chooses to leave" Arya's voice had a commanding presence to it despite the monotonous tone. Sansa noticed all the people nearby stood up straighter as if she was a general demanding attention.
"Treat her as if she was my blood, I trust you can arrange for a warm bath for her and a change of clothes" and with that Arya vanished leaving Sansa to take care of the child while she's off doing gods know what.
The sun has set over Winterfell, most of the castle was asleep. Sansa sat in her study thinking about her sister and Diana, the child can't be Arya's so what made Arya take her in? And her eyes, what happened? How can a human's eyes change color?
A mock at the door pulled her from her thoughts "come in" it was Brienne. "Is there anything you need from me tonight?" "No, you can turn in for the night" the knight quietly closes the door, silence takes hold of the room once more.
After a while close to midnight probably Sansa heard the distinct sound of claws on stone outside her door. "No, she wouldn't understand" it was Arya, Nymeria growled in response.
Curious Sansa stepped out just in time to see Nymeria's tail disappearing beyond a corner. Silent she followed at a distance remembering her sister's sharp senses.
Arya wondered the sleeping castle before going to the Godswood. Standing at a hearing distance Sansa saw Arya walking to the Weirwood tree. To her surprise Bran was waiting in his chair beneath the tree.
"I wondered when you'd come here, it was sooner than I thought" his tone was his normal one Cryptic shrouded in mystery.
Arya came to a halt her hands behind her back, a stranger might think she was relaxed but Sansa saw the subtle tells, the way her feet stayed still and the way her hands were near the hilt of both Needle and the dagger "the ravens, was that you?"
"It was, I was curious as to what you'll choose" Bran kept his gloved hands in his lap almost as still as Arya. But if she was as still as a tree Arya was as still as ice.
"I'm tired Bran, yet I cannot sleep" this wasn't her sister, this wasn't the strong confident Arya who helped her trick Littlefinger. She sounds so defeated, so empty. "I eat yet I cannot taste, what has become of me?"
"As the one who killed the vessel you took on the burden" Bran looked at the ground.
"Tell me brother, as the keeper of the world's history, am I a monster?" Arya stayed completely still. "I have killed to survive, I have killed for coin, I have killed for vengeance, but now I kill for pleasure".
"Am I wrong to love the kill? Am I a monster for wanting to be warm again?" Arya was silently crying but no tears came.
"Time will tell, but you must know by now Sansa could never hate you for what you are, why not talk to her?"
"She wouldn't understand, she can listen but not understand. Sure she has come a long way from the naive child she was, but in her core she is still the same, she is still human. You and I however, are not, not anymore" the clutched fist at her side loosened.
What happened? Why would they not be human anymore? Sansa straggled to remain silent, putting a hand on her mouth.
"Goodnight Bran, May your dreams be warm" Arya left Bran there beneath the Weirwood tree. Nymeria for the first time since her return waited before following Arya.
The wolf sat still staring at Bran, she whined her ears dropping. "I am worried too Nym, I hope the child will be enough"
The wolf quickly rejoined Arya in her wondering leaving Bran alone in the Godswood. "You can come out now Sansa" her heart skipped a beat, curse him and that three eyed raven stuff.
"What did she mean by I'm still human? Why wouldn't she be one?"
He gave her that mysterious smirk of his "it seems that killing the Night king had unforeseen consequences, ones that now Arya has to bare".
"Will she be alright?" She was scared, she couldn't lose her sister, not again.
"This never happened before. For once I am as clueless as you are".
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I had some trouble writing this chapter, so any advice on how to improve things going forward will be appreciated.
Thank you for reading my stuff, hope you enjoy!