Like a Rohirrim once said, "So it begins."


ARYA III

She watched as the first boulders crashed on the defensive system Robb took days to build. From the walls of Riverrun, Arya had a perfect view of what was happening. As soon as her brothers and her mother came back from their parley with Stannis, trebuchets and catapults started firing projectiles to the Northerners and the river men. She also saw scorpions.

Arya had seen many drawings of these weapons in books as she grew up, but it was the first time she saw them in action. She had to concede it wasn't as spectacular as she hoped it would be. She had imagined large rocks shattering huge towers, big arrows piercing stone walls. That wasn't what happened here. Projectiles fell all around, as if no target was assigned to the siege engines.

Some boulders crashed against the wooden walls, but Arya only saw two holes in the defenses. Projectiles fell in front and behind barricades all alike.

"Arya!" Her mother reached her on the battlements of Riverrun at this moment. Her breath was short, she was disheveled. The woman who was a knight, Brienne of Tarth, followed her right behind.

"Arya! We have to get out of here!"

"What happened? Why are the Knights of the Vale with Stannis?"

She may have been far away, but Arya could distinguish the banners and sigils of the houses of the Vale, including those of House Arryn. There were also banners of several river lords, certainly those she heard who betrayed her uncle and sided with Stannis.

"Arya, we must get away now!"

"No, explain to me."

"We were betrayed," her lady mother finally told her. "Littlefinger turned on us. Lysa turned on us."

"What? But she's your sister."

"I know. I… I don't understand."

"Lady Stark. Look."

Brienne of Tarth pointed to the battle. Men were advancing on their defenses, leaving Stannis's main body behind. Arya could make out most of the banners that led them.

"My lady, I do not claim to know all the houses in Westeros, but it seems to me there are many in those that are from the Riverlands," the tall woman said.

"This is because they are all from the Riverlands. These are men under the orders of the lords and knights who turned to Stannis."

"Maybe they're coming back to help us?" Arya suggested, hopeful.

"No, they're not."

Her mother's voice had an ominous tone. Arya had a strange feeling as well while she watched the river men advance in their direction. They had carts with them, or so she thought. They also seemed to progress very slowly.

Arya knew her brother had set a lot of traps between his improvised barricades and Stannis's army. She didn't know where they began exactly, but she had a general idea of how far they extended. Robb's archers started to rain arrows on the approaching river soldiers while Stannis's men stopped to send them boulders. Arya concluded these were not friends like she had foolishly hoped.

People died among those who approached the defenses. Arrows brought down some of them. What Arya found strange was that they didn't give the impression they were attacking. The soldiers of the river lords fighting for Stannis didn't run or jump at Robb's men. They remained at good distance. They were approaching the carts, and raising their shields. They were also throwing stuff, and shooting arrows.

"They're destroying the traps!"

The words came from one of the guards nearby. Arya tried to look closer. Indeed, the soldiers looked like they were trying fill the holes and trenches the Northerners dug. Perhaps these were bags of sands they were throwing, but also wood and rocks.

It was at this moment that the Northerners made a sortie. Gates in the palisades opened and swarms of warriors went out, following thin paths to the enemy. The battle engaged, Northerners against river men. Lines among Stannis's troops came to reinforce their positions. The trebuchets started firing again.

A first explosion. A second. A third. And a fourth happened on the battlements of Riverrun, not that far from Arya. It wasn't close enough to cause any danger, but she raised her arm as debris flew over and a wave of heat hit her. When she looked at the position of the explosion, she saw fire. Green fire.

"My lady, we must get under cover," Brienne shouted. This time, Arya followed them.

Before they descended the stairs, she shot one last look at the battlefield. New flares of green flames appeared everywhere. As they reached the ground, the same flames burst on the flank of a nearby tower. Everyone was running all around. Another burst of green flames erupted in the training yard.

"My lady, if that is what I think it is…"

"It is, Lady Brienne. Wildfire," Arya's mother replied. "We have to get out of here. Arya, come with us."

"What about Robb and Jon? And the battle?"

"There's nothing we can do for them. Come, quickly. That's an order."

Arya wanted to tell her to go and fuck herself with her order, like she heard other people say so many times. But then she remembered what Jon told her the day before.

Protect your mother. At all costs.

So Arya obeyed. Her mother led them through a series of corridors and hallways, deeper into the castle. The air felt damper as they progressed, until they arrived at an underground passage that was a waterway. A small boat was waiting for them.

"Get in. We have to hurry." Her mother was the first inside. Brienne followed. Arya remained on the side. "Arya, there's no time to lose."

"You're abandoning them!?"

"Arya. Come! This is our only chance to save our family."

Arya wanted to rip her face.

"You're a liar! You're abandoning them!"

"Arya, please. You have to trust me."

"They can still win!"

"I know, Arya. They can, but not if we stay here."

Arya swore, which caused her mother to blank. "I won't abandon them. I'm not like you. I'm not leaving when my brothers are in danger."

She made to run away, but someone grabbed her arm and pulled her behind. She struggled, but a sharp pain on her head ended all her resistance.

When she opened the eyes, the first thing she saw was the face of her mother. She didn't understand in the first place. For a moment, she thought she was back at Winterfell, that she was eight and that her mother had come to wake her up. The smell of water and the movement of the small boat brought her back to the reality very quickly. She straightened up and put as much distance as she could between her and her mother, only for her back to bump against huge boots. On the other side of the small boat, the tall woman with blond hair was moving the rams.

"I'm sorry, Lady Arya. I couldn't let you leave. Order from your mother."

Arya was too angry to say anything. They were on one of the rivers crossing Riverrun. Which one, she didn't know, but the castle was nowhere to be seen.

"How long have I lost consciousness?" she asked.

"Not long, Arya. Only a few minutes."

Arya didn't believe her mother. They were too far from Riverrun for her to have vanished only a few minutes. Unless they weren't anymore inside Riverrun when they left with that boat.

She wanted to escape, to go back and help her brothers and their men, still fighting. But she had no idea in which direction Riverrun was. She did not know the surroundings of the castle. She should have learned something about it in prevision for the battle, instead of spending all her time practicing sword fight again and again.

"Lady Brienne, there."

Arya's mother pointed the bank, where a group of men were assembled, along with a couple of horses. Arya recognized the sigil on their banner as quickly as her mother did.

"It's House Mallister. Let's go to them."

"Mom, what are you doing?"

"Help me attract their attention."

"Mom, the Mallisters are traitors. They turned on us."

"There!"

Arya had never seen her mother yell like this. For an instant, she thought about how Sansa would feel, seeing her mother shout at men in this way. Still, it succeeded for the men now all looked at them. Arya thought about attacking Brienne of Tarth and to turn the boat away, but she doubted she would succeed. Even if she neutralized the strong woman, she might not be able to change their course. If they arrived on the shore and they needed to fight she would rather have that woman conscious rather than not.

The boat hit the sand of the shore. Her mother quickly got out and walked to the group of men. Instinctively, Arya followed her close behind. Jon's words still resonated in her mind.

One of the men walked forward to meet them. His armor was more decorated than the others. He removed his helmet.

"Ser Patrek Mallister. I need your help. You must…"

"Lady Stark, I'm sorry. I cannot help you. I serve another king. Please follow me, you and your daughter. The king must decide of your fate."


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