This was supposed to be just a one-shot showing the connection between Arya and Catelyn through Nymeria ... but then I decided to delve a little deeper into it ... so, here we go .. I hope you like it.

Thanks

.

.

2. We'll be together soon, one way or another

.

Catelyn

Five children she had once had.

Five children you still have, a voice told her every night.

Robb, now a king on his own merit, was growing strong and proud. Sometimes she would look at him over the dinner table and wonder how everything could have changed so fast. She would give anything to be able to go back in time and have her whole family with her, she wouldn't even mind the bastard if that was the price to pay.

"They've married Sansa to the Imp" Robb read and raised his eyes at her. "They won't hurt her now"

"I suppose" Catelyn breathed out.

"We haven't heard from Arya in months."

"No, we haven't"

Robb gave her a knowing smile and nodded sympathetically. "I'm sure she is fine" was all he said. "But Bran and Rickon" he muttered, seething with anger. "When I get my hands on that turncloak, I swear .." he trailed shaking his head.

"Five children I once had" her voice came out as a whisper. "And a husband"

"You should go home, mother"

"To what? An empty castle?"

"We'll get the North back. After. After this."

"We will." This time it was her who was trying to sound reassuring.

"Will you take her with you?" Robb asked pointing at the big grey wolf at Catelyn's feet.

"Where?"

"To the Twins"

"Will you not take GreyWind?"

"Well, yes, but it's different. After the wedding I'm continuing on to Moat Cailin and he goes with me into battle. I was thinking you should come back here to Riverrun after Uncle Edmure's wedding and wait out the war here."

"She's coming with me."

After dinner she retired to her chambers accompanied, as always, by the big grey direwolf. Her family and most servants at Riverrun had grown accustomed to seeing her in the company of the wolf, but that didn't mean they had stopped fearing it, a fact she appreciated as it meant that she was mostly left undisturbed. Once in the shelter of her own chambers she got ready for bed and welcomed the wolf into her bed, as she had done for the past months, ever since the wolf had found her in the woods when she was coming back from her failed negotiations with Renly Baratheon.

Five children you still have, a far away voice told her as she lay in bed, her arms draped across the big wolf lying next to her.

.

.

.

Arya

The days were a blur. More running, more hiding. More uncertainties. Her friends were growing weary.

"We're lost!" Hot Pie exclaimed for the fifth time that day. Resigned, he panted in exhaustion and let himself fall on the ground. "We have no food and we don't even know where we are"

"I know where we are" Arya replied, for the fifth time that day. "Now, get up and get moving, you cry baby!"

"How can you know? These woods are all the same"

"I have seen them. I know where we are and I know where we're going."

"I want to believe you Arry, but you're just a little girl who's as lost as we are. And you've never been here. That's a lie"

"I'm not lying!" Arya grabbed her friend by the scruff of his neck and threatened to punch him.

"Knock it off. Both of you!" Gendry scolded them. As the oldest one, he tried to show some sort of authority or leadership. "I want to believe you, too, Arya. How do you know where to go?"

"I've been here before. Well not me, but yes. I saw it. I know the way."

Arya didn't know how to explain the idea to her two companions. This was the path her wolf had taken. She had seen it thought its eyes. And now Nymeria was with family, so that's where she had to go, too.

We'll be together soon, the wolf whispered to her at night.

Five children, a pair of blue eyes lamented to her ear.

Five children you still have, Arya replied. Robb was at Riverrun, that much she knew. Sansa was alive, or at least she was when she left the capital. She could see her two youngest brothers in her dreams. They were traveling down a road she had never been to before. It was a cold land, getting colder as they walked on. They were together but not alone. She didn't recognize the faces nor the voices of their companions, but she sensed no fear. And Jon. She couldn't see him, but she could sense his presence. He was getting further away, but he was still there. Somewhere. We'll be together soon.