"Oh, Septa, are not those raisins from the east delightful?" Jeyne Poole exclaimed to Septa Mordane.
"I adore them also. I never tasted something so fine, except of course, lemon cakes," Sansa added.
"Aye, dear, Cook did such a fine job baking them into the scones. Now back to lessons, ladies," Septa said in her pretentious tone.
Arya's ear was pressed to the door where she was in be her lessons. She had already used her privy excuse and now had no choice but to rejoin.
"Arya, I was about to send the guards to look for you," Septa Mordane said with a frown.
"Sorry, Septa," Arya said dutifully, not meaning it at all.
"Come now, finish your treatise. Use your best handwriting," Septa encouraged.
The other girls were finished and had picked up their needlework again. Arya picked up her quill and carefully dipped it in the ink. She was to write a paper on the geography of the Essos. All she had so far was, "Essos is very large. It is east of Westeros, across the Narrow Sea. The closest foreign nations to Westeros are the Free Cities. These are a collection of nine independent city-states along the western edge of Essos." Truth be told, she had snuck into the library and copied that from an old book. When would she ever need this? Although the free city of Bravos sounded nice. Nay, most like she would remain in the Seven Kingdoms forever.
Septa leaned over her shoulder.
"Arya, your content is fine, but that writing! Hold out your hands," Septa said, losing patience.
She cracked the ruler down twice on Arya's palms. Arya glanced at the other girls and saw them struggling not to laugh.
Septa continued, "Now, again. And the next time, you will not get the ruler on your hands, understand?"
"Yes, Septa," Arya said rubbing out the sting a bit.
She would get Septa for this! Arya thought. It would be an added bonus if she could get her sister a bit, also.
Mother was not to be at lunch. Both she and Rickon were in bed with colds. Sansa and Jeyne were eating in Jeyne's quarters and Arya decided to slip away. She missed Jon. It wasn't fair that Father, Robb, and Bran were hunting and Jon was sent away to the stables. On her way outside, Arya passed Hodor and Old Nan walking back in from the courtyard.
Hodor just said, "Hodor!"
Old Nan tried to question her, but she ran past them quickly.
Arya had put an old cloak with a hood over her dress. She put the hood up as she left the courtyard and crossed to the stables. She had to kept her skirts out of the mud. No one seemed to be paying her any mind.
She slipped past the stables to the training yard for the horses. She wasn't exactly sure where Jon was. She thought the stable hands lived in those little shacks on the edge. There were several barns of varying sizes. Arya peered under her hood and stayed close to the edge trying to spot her oldest brother's curly hair. Instead, she saw Theon. Jon had to be near.
Arya waited until Theon came a bit nearer and then whispered, "Theon. Where is Jon?"
Theon had the same brown work clothes that all the other boys had on. She had rarely seen him outside without his bow.
Theon looked surprised and then said, "Arya, you should not be here! What are you doing?"
"I need to talk to Jon! Please, Theon!" she tried to give him her saddest look to evoke some pity. Most days, though, Theon had none.
"Fine. He's in that barn. Come on, I will take you," Theon said, surprising Arya greatly.
"Jon!" Arya shouted as she finally saw her brother.
"Hey, what? Arya, you shouldn't be here!" Jon scolded as he picked her up.
"I told you that, too," Theon added, now that was the Theon she knew.
"I missed you. Mother and Rickon have colds, Robb, Bran, and Father are hunting, Sansa and Jeyna are being mean to me, and..." Arya looked down.
"What, Arya? What happened?" Jon asked with concern.
"That bitch Septa caned my hands for no damn reason!" Arya said holding up her palms. There was not a single mark on them.
Jon and Theon both burst out laughing.
"Arya, if your lady mother heard you talk that way...even Father could not save you," Jon said trying to chide her seriously.
Theon said, "I'll fill the feed buckets and keep watch. Arya you best go in a minute."
"Thank you, Theon," Jon nodded.
Arya was confused. These two were always bickering.
Jon noticed her confusion, "This place has a way of making you, well, make up."
"Are Father's stories about that old bucket true?" Arya asked with concern.
Jon's face flushed, gods, did everyone know about this place, except him and Theon?
"No, not at all. They are very kind," Jon lied.
Arya did not believe him, but she didn't want to push it.
"Jon, I need to get back at Septa. Bran usually helps me with plans, but he is gone..." Arya confessed. "And I did miss you. I was worried."
Arya hugged him again.
"Jon!" A large boy in the same clothes called out from the other side of the barn. "We need to help polish those saddles."
Theon said to Jon, "You go, I'll walk her back to the courtyard."
Jon kissed her head and said, "Arya, do not do anything that will get you in trouble. Promise me!"
She nodded as she crossed her fingers behind her back. Jon signed and ran to help Pig.
Theon looked down at her and said, "Come on, let me walk you to the castle a bit."
Theon was never this nice to her. What had happened to him?
"Theon, if you wanted to get revenge on someone, how would you do it?" Arya asked looking for any insight she could get.
Before thinking about the implications, Theon said, "The key is to do the deed and never reveal it was you who did it. The best is if you can point the finger at someone else."
"Aye, that would mean they would never know it was me. What if I could get one person blamed for the prank I did?" Arya smiled.
"Aye, that is it. You must just commit to it and ... What a moment? Arya, what are you up to? I should have kept my big mouth shut. Forget I said anything," Theon demanded.
"Yes, m'lord. I do not even recall what you said. Thank you, Theon," Arya said now running back to the courtyard.
Theon watched her a second and then turned back.
After the first shock of day one, the boys adjusted quickly to stable life. They had known the basics of taking care of their horses, but they learned a great deal more about training and breeding. They really were beautiful creatures.
The morning after Yellen had done his duty and used that wide, round brush on the other boys before bed, they all woke up refreshed. Theon was a little embarrassed to remember how he had fallen asleep cuddled in Yellen's arms. Yet Yellen and Pig did not mention it. Theon was also amazed to feel only a slight tingle in his rump area. He would hardly know that he was spanked twice the day before.
Theon glanced at Jon and felt an affection for him. The sensitivity that he used to see as weakness was now endearing. The shyness and quiet were calming. That pretty face housed intelligent and caring eyes. Theon realized that he had often been jealous of Jon. Although Jon was a bastard, people still saw Jon as above Theon's station, as a ward. Northerns did not forget what Balon Grayjoy had done. What did any of that matter here in the stables? He saw how silly he had been. The one thing that Theon felt he was right to be proud of was his skill with the bow. Jon and Robb were better with the sword. Jon had expressed interest in learning some tips from Theon, but he had always brushed him off. When they got back to the castle, things would be different.
After Theon got back from walking Arya, Jon looked worried.
"She's up to something, Theon," Jon confided.
"Aye, but how much trouble can she get into alone? We shall be back at the end of the week, eh. Now we best rub down that lot over there," Theon said trying to comfort Jon. He did not want to admit that he might have slipped Arya an idea for her next prank.
"Hey Pig, why do they call ya 'Pig'?" Theon asked trying change the subject.
"Oh, I used to work with the pigs on the farm we lived on before me family got the fever. Me real name is Petyr," Pig shared nonchalantly.
Yellen added, "Did ya not tell me that there was talk that your real da was a lord or some such, too?"
"Aye, but that was just the fever talk of me mum before she took off. She said me da was not me real da. She said that he was from the Fingers. The story made no sense, she even said she used to be a maid to her Ladyship in the Riverlands," Pig said lightly.
"Her ladyship is a Tully from there. Odd, though, because she is as cold as ice. You would think she is from the north!" Theon laughed.
"Aye, she hates us. I mean she fancies her own children, but us..not so much," Jon concurred with a laugh. He had never known any different.
Yellen said,"Oh Pig, mayhaps you are a bastard, too. I should call you his lordship."
"Only if ye want me foot up yer arse!" Pig said, chasing him.
"Lads! Wasn't one trip over the bucket enough? You are spooking the horses," one of the older stableman reprimanded.
"Sorry," they replied quickly.
Theon looked at Jon, "The fingers, that seems familiar. We should have paid more attention to Maester Luwin's geography lessons."
"Aye, but we did not," Jon admitted, also finding the story a bit disconcerting.
They went back to work without incident for the rest of the day.
The raisins. That great delicacy that Septa seemed to love. What if...? It could work...
Later that night as Sansa and Arya were getting ready for bed, Septa came bursting into the room.
"Sansa Stark, I cannot believe you would do such a thing," Septa roared.
Sansa was confused, she had stolen a bit of silk from her mother's store to add to a new gown, but Septa did not know that.
"The raisins. All wasted in my bed. I was half asleep before a mouse was in my bed eating them! The kitchen staff is cleaning it up now before a legion of mice descend into my chamber. Cook is furious. It is a shame and you shall pay," Septa threaten. Behind Septa, Sansa could see Arya struggling not to giggle.
"Septa, it wasn't me! It was that little...," she struggled to think of the worst word she knew, "whirl!"
Arya did not laugh with effort, "You mean 'whore', stupid!"
"Whore! It was her, not me,"Sansa screamed.
"Sansa, she was not even in the room when that was discussed. How would she even know that there were raisins?" Septa said plainly.
"I do not know, but it was not me," Sansa cried, looking guilty and caught.
"Since your lady mother is still ill, I'm going to take care of this," Septa said gravely, "Now pull up your shift and lean over the bed."
"No! What about her?" Sansa said, pointing at Arya.
"What of her? You have seen her spanked many times. How many times have you laughed as she was punished, eh? Was Jeyne involved in this, too? " Septa hissed.
"No, of course, not," Sansa said. She would get Arya back for this if it was the last thing she ever did.
"Good. Now lean over and bare that naughty behind. It has been a long while since I had to do this. Maybe too long?" Septa lectured.
Glaring at Arya once last time, Sansa pulled up her shift and bent over.
Sept marched over and yanked down her small clothes.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
"I said bare your bottom and I meant it," Septa yelled cracking her behind a few more times with her hand. This girl had gotten away with way too much of late.
Sansa starting crying out of anger and shame. She did not even know why she was getting spanked.
Septa put her left hand on Sansa lower back to steady her. The girl was gripping the other edge of her bed, stretching out her bottom nicely. She got the strip of hardened leather out of her robe pocket. It was stiff and might do nicely. She had only used this small strap a few times on Theon. It strung and had to be used carefully.
Whap! The strap left a red mark on Sansa's lower backside.
She screeched and tried to rise up, but Septa firm hand held her down.
Whap! Another red mark appeared a bit lower. Sansa thrashed and tried to move.
Whap! Whap! Whap!
"I didn't do anything!" Sansa sobbed.
Whap! Whap! WHap!
"Well, then consider this a whipping for using such poor language. I ought to soap out your mouth next!" Septa considered.
Arya had had her mouth soaped out many times for swearing, she never remembered Sansa ever cursing. She had also gotten a mouth soaping for talking back to her elders. Some folk get so mad when you ask perfectly logical questions.
Arya did not think Sansa would get strapped. She thought that was only something for the boys. Mayhaps this plan was a little too effective. She wanted Sansa punished, not thrashed within an inch of her life.
The strap was leaving stripes of fire over Sansa's backside. It was bright red and the girl was inconsolable.
Septa thought two more cracks would be enough.
Crack! CRack!
"Are you ready to admit what you have done?" Septa asked, putting the strap back in her robe.
"I am sorry," Sansa cried, just wanting the thrashing to end.
"Your backside is sorry, too," Septa said, giving the red hair one last hard spank with her hand.
"Ow, please, Septa, stop!" Sansa stuttered.
Septa helped the girl get up and lay face down in her bed. Septa knew the strap was severe, but these girls needed a firm hand. With Lady Stark indisposed, it was the least she could do. She would not be surprised if the Lady herself didn't also spank the girl again for her insolence.
Septa shushed and rubbed Sansa's back now, her anger spent.
"You are all right. You are forgiven. Shh..." Septa wondered if the strapping would leave marks tomorrow on Sansa's pale skin. She hoped not. Mayhaps she had been too severe with the beautiful girl, but those raisins had been rare. Why would she do such a thing?
Septa heard a sniffle and glanced are Arya. She was crying softly sitting on her bed. She went over and hugged the distraught child.
"She is fine, Arya. She has been punished, it is over, child," Septa cooed. She was surprised as Arya very rarely became emotional. But with her father gone, mother sick, brothers away, and now her sister punished, it may have been too much.
She rocked Arya and kissed her on the head.
"To bed with you, too," Septa soothed.
"But Septa," Arya interjected.
"Do you want to go to bed with a warm bottom, too? Hmm, that always helps you sleep," Septa said with a light swat to Arya's thigh.
"No, Septa," Arya answered honestly.
Septa glanced back at Sansa's still exposed red backside and sighed.
She blew out the lanterns and said good night.
Arya got out of bed and whispered, "Sorry, Sansa."
It was too late, though, the whipped girl was fast asleep. Jon had warned her. He would be so disappointed in what she did. Sansa was meaner to Jon than anyone, but he never returned the cruelty. He just took it. Arya went back to her bed and wept until she fell asleep.