Chapter 3; I have become grey

Character of the chapter

Arya Stark Junior Grey Warden

Dajeah Junior Grey Warden

Nathaniel Howe Commander of the Grey in Westeros

Orvo Junior Grey Warden

Thom "Blackwall" Rainier Senior Grey Warden, assigned to Westeros

Thorpe Junior Grey Warden

Arya was dreaming. In her dreams she returned to an event that had occurred not too long ago, perhaps a year past.

She stood in the, main hall of Vigil's keep. She stood in the center, while the edges were lined by Grey Wardens and recruits who would soon be joining them. She would have wished to see Blackwall there, but he had been with the first group of Wardens to establish the order in Westeros.

The ones present were all familiar faces to her by now, especially the faces of her friends among her fellow recruits:

Thorpe, a son of a Fereldan nobleman so far down the line of succession becoming a Grey Warden was just as worthwhile pursuit for him as any other path open to him. Also the second friend she had made in this country far away from the lands of her birth. An able fighter, as was required of all Wardens, though a bit traditional, his styles not differing much from what might have been found amongst Lords and Knights of Westeros. With him came Hiron, a mabari warhound, a companion just as able, loyal and dangerous as Thorpe himself. It was said that you could instantly know a Fereldan was a person of worth if he had a mabari. Based on the example of Thorpe, that was certainly true. Thorpe was also the second person she had ever decided to tell the whole story of who she was and where she came from, what had brought her here, before even her other friends and her superiors in the Wardens were told. A rare act of trust from her, since before the Wardens she had told no one that tale. Trust well placed, for Thorpe had never told her secret to anyone without her permission.

Miranda, an apostate mage born to a loving couple of mages on the run, raised in hiding from the world, never seeing the insides of a Circle. That had come with a downside of course. Her parents had run away from their Circle at a young age, before learning a lot of magic, able only to train their daughter to not be possessed and become a danger to everyone. As a result her talents as a mage had been meager at best. But she had had other skills that had made her valuable to the Wardens. Raised in the wilderness, she knew how to hunt, fish and forage, and she could mend wounds like no one else, using a combination of magic and more traditional methods. And by no means had she been helpless. She had been an excellent shot with a bow, using her powers to imbue her arrows with a variety of unpredictable and deadly effects.

During the Mage–Templar war Templar hunters had caught up to Miranda's parents. She had escaped, they had not. She had spent much of the time after alone, avoiding settled places and people out of fear. But none could avoid human contacts forever without going insane, and in time she had found the wardens, discovering amongst them a new family to replace the one lost. She had spent almost much time hanging around the place as Arya had before finally agreeing to go through with the Joining. Arya had never been sure if she had done so for the cause or to keep her new family.

Her personality had been quiet and withdrawn, slow to trust. When she spoke at all it had always been a matter of import, never a word wasted. It had taken time for Arya to form a bond with her, but it had happened eventually. Sadly, even in her dreams Arya recalled the mage had not survived the joining, instead added to the numerous ranks who had died in the initiation across the history of the Wardens. Even a year after the fact Arya missed her presence.

Orvo, a casteless dwarf from Orzammar, the son of a woman Warden Commander Mahariel had helped in her journeys. When he had come of age he had sought out the commander, insisting on becoming a Grey Warden himself. The commander had apparently not entirely approved of this for some reason, but in the end had been unable to refuse a willing recruit. He had lacked formal training when he had arrived but had strength, ferocity and innate intuition for fighting to make up for it. Even so the Warden leadership had insisted he undergo training before he was permitted to actually become a Warden. Ohgren had mostly been responsible for seeing to that, having the most experience with the kind of fighting involving straightforward application of raw power. The red haired dwarf had through his obnoxious but surprisingly effective methods made Orvo in to an able fighter. Arya had sought to offer pointers as well, but had discovered she and Orvo were simply too dissimilar as fighters. The best she had been able to do was to teach him how to face a combatant like herself, who favored speed and agility, who killed with light, precise strikes to critical portions of the body. There had been little she could teach him, but in the course of trying they had formed a lasting friendship.

Orvo did not seem to think much of his people in Orzammar other than his mother and her family, likely because his father had been a casteless which meant he was as well. He much preferred the surface dwarves, though their dedication to profits at any cost sometimes irritated him. The Grey Wardens he idolized, believing them heroes he was fortunate to be counted amongst. All of them believed in what the Wardens stood for, but in him that faith was strongest, and purest. He was not preachy about it, but it was there. He believed in the cause wholeheartedly and learned all he could of the order when he wasn't training.

As enthusiastic as he was steadfast as an ally, though Arya sometimes thought him too idealistic brought up with many stories of heroes emerging and making the world better, as one had done for him. She hoped he was not in for a rude awakening. Then again maybe she was just jaded by the story of her own life. Only time would tell.

Dajeah, an elf from the Alienage in Montsimmard, the last to join Arya's inner circle of friends. A classic tale of an elf getting in trouble for standing up for herself and her people, then being rescued from the death penalty by an impressed Grey Warden through the Right of Conscription. A life lived enduring the abuses of the Chevaliers had made her snappish and difficult, particularly towards humans. For the longest time Arya had been sure there would be no chance of getting along with the elf. But overtime Dajeah had started to learn that not all humans were the same, though she still remained mistrustful of any humans who she was not friends with. But it had to be said Dajeah had come a long way, far enough in fact that feelings had unexpectedly started to develop between her and Thorpe. A very surprising union considering their backgrounds, but Arya was happy for both of them. They weren't very open about it, and Arya suspected she was the only one on the outside who had realized what was going on. She had not brought the matter up, respecting their privacy.

Despite how much progress she had made there was considerable irony in sending Dajeah to a country full of humans and almost no elves for her to fight for. Of all of them she had been the most reluctant of them to come here. Though when war had come to Westeros and Arya had wanted to run away to fight for her family Dajeah had privately admitted entertaining the notion of going with her for no other reason than the opportunity to fight some Orlesians. Even so she had done the right thing and had stood with her other friends to convince Arya not to go.

In terms of combat style Dajeah had broken all stereotypes, favoring the use of sword, shield and heavy armor, teaching herself to master them through sheer stubborn grit. When she had deigned to explain her choice at all she had told them that one day she wanted to see the look on a Chevalier's face when they realized she had beaten them in their own game.

All of them had gone into the deep roads as a team. Together they had faced the monsters, for the first time for everyone except Arya. They had saved each other's lives dozens of times in those dark caverns, the experience forging an unbreakable bond between them. Together they had retrieved a vial of darkspawn blood for each recruit.

With the others she got along well enough. But they weren't friends, merely comrades in arms. She was not paying any attention to them though, her eyes instead drawn to the one in front of her, an elf with short blond hair tied behind her head, the tattoo of a Dalish and a scar on her face. She was Qwerai Mahariel, Commander of the Grey, effectively the arlessa of Amaranthine, a veteran of the Fifth Blight and The Hero of Ferelden. A living legend. Arya had never seen her before today, and her first impression was a stoic, calm, no-nonsense individual. Those who knew her insisted she could be quite a bit warmer once you got to know her, but with such a short time to observe Arya had no way to know if this was true.

It was a rare honor to have her there to see them through their joining, since she was often away on her journeys, leaving command of the Vigil in the hands of her Seneschal and the Constable of the Grey. Of course she was not here for any of the recruits. Instead she had returned to choose another Constable now that Nathaniel Howe had gone on to become the Commander of the Grey in Westeros. Overseeing the Joining was just one more duty to be seen to by the commander now that she was here.

In the Commander's hands was a silver goblet filled with dark red fluid. The darskpawn blood.

"From this moment forth, Arya, you are a Grey Warden." Said Mahariel, passing the cup to Arya.

Arya looked down at the hissing, bubbling liquid, knowing that it could well be the end of her. But now it was too late to consider turning back. That much had been made clear. She had figured out what was required to become a Grey Warden before this day had come to pass. She had had her chance to back away, but she had chosen to stay on course. Her choice in this had already been made. Now she had to see it through. She turned her eyes to Thorpe, who gave her an encouraging smile.

"My choice is made." She said to herself, and brought the goblet to her lips. The blood burned her mouth and throat like fire as she drank. The pain that followed was even worse. When it had happened for real she had lost consciousness, drawn to some dark place. The darkness had enveloped her, piercing her being. It had sought to devour her, to tear her apart and leave nothing behind. She would not let it, and somehow she had been able to resist. But even as the darkness retreated a portion of it had remained within her, entwining with her being, becoming a part of her. In her dream it was the same. But something was… different. This time the darkness was not just a force that consumed. There was something within it. An intelligence, that gave the darkness focus, direction, purpose. She felt drawn toward that entity, to somewhere far, far away. Somewhere north.

She snapped awake with a gasp. When she regained her senses she found herself in her hammock on the ship she was travelling on. Snoring crew members were all around, her fellow wardens quartered on other parts of the ship, likely asleep as well. There were no windows here, but it had to still be nighttime with so many of the crew here.

She lay there, trying to go back to sleep. But her mind kept returning to the dream. She had thought back to it often, but she had never dreamt of her joining before. Not once. Why had it happened now, without warning? The dream had felt so vivid. There had been odd dreams after her joining, of shadows and murmuring. This was not like that at all, but she could not shake the feeling this was something related. And that part at the end… the presence she had sensed… what was that about?

Coming up with no good explanation, she told herself it was nothing. Eventually she fell asleep again. When she woke again, morning had arrived, the crew moving about on their business. The dream no longer troubled her, dismissed as something irrelevant. She put herself back into the Warden uniform, picked up the backpack containing her belongings, stretched and walked to the upper deck.

She was met by the morning sun and refreshing sea wind. Also Hiron, who greeted her excitedly, barking and jumping around. She patted his head and let him lick her hand before moving on. She found Thorpe, Orvo and Dajeah already there, along with a bunch of other Junior Wardens, looking at the view. Their voyage from Thedas was coming to an end, and now before them was the urban sprawl of King's Landing. There were sizeable cities in Thedas, some more than a match for King's Landing in terms of size, but most of the Junior Wardens here originated from more rural areas. Many others simply wanted to see the city that would be their home for years to come. In Arya the sight caused a tightness in her gut as memories of days long past returned to her.

Gods, she hated this city. And now she had been brought back here yet again. How she wished the Wardens had decided to have their home base somewhere else.

"Good morning." Thorpe greeted her when he noticed her arrive.

"Morning." She said groggily, rubbing her eyes.

"Didn't sleep well?" He asked.

"Not really." She considered mentioning her dream, but decided not to. What was the point? "I kinda wish I could have had a cabin. A real bed would have been nice. And sleeping amongst sailors who don't get many opportunities to bathe… it's not the most pleasant experience."

"Very true. The hammock I like. A bed tends to move with the ship, which is unpleasant. But you're exactly right on everything else. I can't say I slept all that well either." He said.

"At least were doing better than poor Orvo there. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that dwarves can get seasick easily." He whispered, nodding toward the dwarf. Orvo was doubled over the side of the ship looking remarkably green in the face. Dajeah was next to him, looking concerned, one hand on Orvo's shoulder to make sure he would not fall into the sea.

"Thank goodness we're at the end of our journey. I was starting to worry he'd waste away, what with him being unable to keep any food down." Arya said.

Thorpe nodded and turned his attention back towards the city. "You know, the air is surprisingly fresh here, even this close to the city." He commented. "I remember you telling me a million people were crammed inside those walls. Based on what I know of cities I'd expect quite an incredible stench."

"Yeah. There used to be." Arya said, having noticed the same thing. "It's been years, but I still remember it. Five miles outside the city and you could still smell it. But I heard something about the Dragon Queen having the tunnels beneath the city turned into sewers. Before that only nobles and the rich had any kind of plumbing to speak of. Others had to just dump their waste onto the streets, with predictable results. Guess Daenerys didn't want a smelly capital to live in."

"I'll admit, it does speak well of her that she went through the trouble of having it done. Not many rulers would bother." She added.

"You sound impressed." Thorpe said.

"More pleasantly surprised than impressed. We never really talked, so I didn't get to know her that well. Didn't want to at the time. Whatever else she was she wasn't family, and I didn't trust her intentions. So all I was left with was the stories they told about her. And that was a mixed bag. On one hand she had freed a lot of slaves in Essos, but on the other she had had a lot of people crucified. Or burnt alive. I knew she could inspire people into fighting her battles and with her dragons she was good at winning them too. But even I know there is a lot more to ruling than that. I didn't know what kind of a Queen she would be and I left before I had a chance of finding out. Still haven't made up my mind about that, but this example makes me think she might be… decent, at least." She explained.

"There is some wisdom in what she has done I think. A healthy nation is stronger. Means she is stronger." He said.

"What else can you tell me of the city?" He asked.

"A very cutthroat place. In the case of Flea Bottom, the poorer part of the city, that's literal. I'd advise you to steer clear of that place. If for some unfathomable reason you have to go there look after your money when you do, don't go alone and come ready to defend yourself. *Arms and armor* kind of ready if that needs to be said. That applies to everyone." She said.

"Got it. I'll spread the word." He said. "Doubt most of us need to be told though. That description sounds awful lot like some of the more rundown areas of Denerim. Orvo knows of Dust Town from his childhood in Orzammar. And Dajeah knows all too well how potentially hazardous it can be for her people outside an alienage. Not that she would be terribly inclined to mingle with humans outside the Wardens even if that were not the case."

She shrugged. "I suppose every city has a grimy underside. I just thought you should know."

The ship was now on its final approach to the docks. But along the way it had to change course to avoid a sunken vessel. Around them badly burnt masts were sticking out of the water like trees.

"What's up with all these wrecks? It's like a ship graveyard around here." He asked.

"There was a pair of naval battles here, many years past. First was during the War of the Five King's when Stannis Baratheon attacked the city. Got his fleet blown sky high by a shipload of wildfire the way I hear it?" She explained.

"Wildfire?" He asked.

"Nasty alchemical concoction. A local specialty. Once you set fire to it, it goes boom in a most spectacular fashion. I've never seen it in action myself, but I've been told it burns so hot it can melt steel, and even keeps going underwater." She said.

"Sounds scary." He commented. "The second fight was the one you fought in, correct?" He asked then.

"Yeah. The day Daenerys and Jon captured the city. It wouldn't be entirely right to say I was fighting for either side, mind you. But I was involved, in my own way and for my own reasons." She said, turning just a little bit sad when she spoke of it.

That reminded her of something. "There's someone I need to find now that we're here. Goodbyes to say that I didn't get to give at the time."

"Thought that might be the case. In fact I've had a word with the others. Me, Dajeah and Orvo... we'd like to come with you when you go look, if you don't mind." He said.

"You don't need to do that. He didn't mean anything to any of you. Besides, I haven't a clue where Sandor might be buried. In a city of a million people there are quite a few graveyards to check. It could take most of the day to find him. Perhaps more. You might want to use that time to settle in instead." She said.

"I know. But you're our friend. Coming with you is the right thing to do, and were going to." He said.

She smiled.

The ship finally docked and the Junior Wardens disembarked, finding people already waiting for them. Nathaniel was there, and Arya was pleased to note Blackwall present as well. Shaking off her melancholy she walked to him straight away, and the two shook hands.

"Blackwall! Nice to see you again. Been a long time. Think the last I heard of you was in the letter you sent." She said, grinning from ear to ear.

"It has. So, decided to finally become a fully-fledged Grey Warden then?" He said.

"It told you I wasn't going to change my mind about that." She said jokingly. "It was right of you to ask me to wait though. That was a choice that warranted thinking about." She added in a serious tone.

"Which was my point exactly." Blackwall said. "Other than that, how are you? You know, you never did reply to the letter."

She smiled apologetically. "Ah. Sorry about that. I had my mind on other things, managed to forget about it. Not that responding to letters is my strong suit anyway. You know how it is"

"Don't I ever." He said with a slight roll of his eyes.

"To answer the question I'm doing ok." She said. Then the smile on her face died again. "But it's really strange being back in Westeros after all these years."

"Been in contact with your family yet?" He asked.

She shook her head, looking at the ground. "Wanted to leave that until later. Still haven't decided what I want to do with that. But if I decide to seek them out I know I can't do it by letter. Wouldn't be decent after such a long time. I'll have to go to them in and meet with them face to face."

"If?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Like I said, I haven't decided if I want to do it yet." She said.

They might have kept on talking had not Nathaniel spoken up: "Junior Wardens, listen up, gather round. Welcome to King's Landing, all of you. My name is Nathaniel, your commander here in Westeros. This here is Senior Warden Thom. Some of you may already know him by the name of Blackwall. We will be showing you to the compound now. You can take today to get settled. Tomorrow you will be given your duties, such as they are. There won't be too many responsibilities, but there are a number of chores that need to be done regularly. I expect each of you to do your part. You can leave the compound at any time, just remember to check in when you leave and return. However I recommend you only go out with people that know the city until you can find your way around on your own. It's a big place, easy to get lost in. Easy to disappear and never be heard from again too, so watch out. If there are further questions you can direct them to me or Senior Warden Thom. Junior Warden Arya is from Westeros and has lived in this city before, so she can help you with questions relating to local matters."

With that the group of them left the docks and headed deeper into the city. Along the way all of the Junior Wardens except Arya were gawking at the sights. As they passed they drew more than a few looks from curious onlookers as well.

"Are you feeling any better Orvo?" Arya asked as they walked on.

"A little, now that we have our feet on the ground. But never again, you hear me? I don't care what the situation might be, but I'm not getting on a ship ever again." He said.

"Well if it's up to me I won't make you." She quipped.

"Too bad it often won't be." Dajeah joined in. "What's with all these bloody shems staring?" The elf asked.

"I'm guessing Warden uniform stand out. Different from most armors one would expect to find around here, made of materials locals don't even have names for. And you and Orvo… I doubt most of the people here have ever seen anything like you two. Not a lot of elves or Thedosian dwarves in this corner of the world. I'd tell you not to take it personally, but it looks as if you already have." Arya said.

"I've no interest in coming here to be ogled at by dumb locals. Especially if that's all I'm supposed to be here for." Dajeah replied. "There's nothing for me to defend. Like you pointed out there are almost no elves here."

"No. But defending the humans here will help elves indirectly. Killing darkspawn helps people everywhere, no matter where they happen to live. Doesn't matter where we fight them, as long as we do."

"Maybe so." Dajeah conceded. "But that's my point. There are no darkspawn either. We can't fight the enemy we swore to destroy. We can't do our job. There's no point in us being in Westeros."

"There aren't darkspawn here now. But one day there could be. You know how those critters get around. If they come to Westeros we must be here to stop them." Arya said.

Dajeah scoffed. "Please, Arya. You don't believe that. There have never been darkspawn in this part of the world. There is no reason to think that will ever change. If it does, odds are it won't happen in our lifetimes. You know the truth as well as I do. They sent us here on a do nothing job. Just for show. At best we will be able to recruit some wardens for Thedas, to battlegrounds where Wardens are actually needed. At worst we will sit here collecting dust until it's time for us to go on our Calling. I came here because I was told to and because I had friends like you doing the same. But all of us would do well to rotate back to Thedas at the first opportunity. That's where we can do some good. Not here."

Arya did not respond at once, instead looking at the ground, frowning. There was a painful truth to Dajeah's words, something Arya had worried might be the case on the journey here. Her friend wasn't entirely wrong.

"I don't think I ever mentioned it, but Jon, my brother, joined the Night's Watch, the order that had been created to guard against the return of the White Walkers and lead the fight against them should they ever come back. By the time he joined, the White Walkers had not been seen for eight thousand years. A lot of people thought they had been defeated for good, never to return. Even more thought they had never existed at all, that they were a fable to frighten children. Grumpkins and Snarks. The watch itself had become a sad joke, the Wall a place to dump criminals and people who fell into disfavor playing politics. The watch had even forgotten its purpose, choosing to focus on other threats. But the threat was still very much real and returned during Jon's time. The Watch and the Wall were supposed to be our first line of defense, but the Watch wasn't ready for them and the dead broke through. When they did we weren't ready to face them either. A lot of us died fighting them. That we survived them at all was sheer dumb luck." She said then.

"Where are you going with this?" Dajeah asked.

"The watch had been necessary all along, even as the need was not apparent for much of their history. The enemy was real even as everyone thought they were not. If the order made to fight the Walkers had been ready for them a lot more people might not have died. It's no different with us. Keeping the lonely watch, waiting for an enemy that may never come is a thankless, boring job. Most days nothing happens, and was never going to happen. That doesn't meant keeping watch isn't necessary. Because we don't know when the enemy might show, we need to treat every day as if they're going to. We do serve a function here. It may not be very glamorous, but it's necessary."

It was Dajeah's turn to go quiet. "I just… we've all gone through the Joining. Some of us didn't make it through it at all. All of us that did came out changed. It takes a lot to become what we are. I'd hate for us to go through all that only to then spend our lives… doing nothing with it. If I'm to give the Wardens my life I would at least have them use it."

"I know. I feel the same way. But being here will mean something. We'll find some way to make it mean something. For all of us." Arya said.

"I hope you're right." Dajeah said. Then the elf seemed to decide the topic was better off concluded at another time. "Let's get our things to the compound for a start, find our beds. The sooner we're settled the sooner we can go looking for this friend of yours."

They finally arrived at the Grey Warden compound. It wasn't much to look at to be perfectly honest. The building was made out of the same sand colored stone that every building in the city had been constructed with. A wooden door with faded paint, and shuttered windows of the same. It would have been indistinguishable from the buildings around it if not for the Grey Warden banner hanging from one of the windows. And apparently this was the only building owned by the Wardens in all of Westeros. Quite different from Ferelden, where they had the entirety of Vigil's Keep and several smaller outposts besides.

"Humble beginnings." Arya thought as she proceeded inside. The door led straight to the main hall, dominated by wooden tables and benches, a fireplace on the far wall.

"The communal bedroom you'll go into is to the left, the door closer to the entrance. Pick any beds you like that are not already taken. Apologies for not being able to provide you with your own rooms, but space here is limited. No one here has those. The one closer to the fireplace is the privy. To the right you have the armory, storeroom and kitchen respectively. "Go up the stairs you'll find the second communal bedroom, our repository and offices of myself and the Warden Constable." Nathaniel explained, pointing to each door as he spoke.

"Who's our Constable by the way?" Arya asked.

"Officially we don't have one at this time. No real need for one with so few of us here. Blackwall serves in that capacity when there is need for it."

"How many Wardens are there in Westeros then?" Orvo asked.

"With you all here? Twenty five." Nathanie replied.

"Not a lot." Orvo commented.

"No, though we've managed to recruit almost three times that number. A lot of those have been sent to serve in Thedas. For the moment Westeros is not considered a high priority for the Wardens." Said Nathaniel.

Arya and Dajeah exchanged looks at that. "Told you." Dajeah's lips formed. Arya gave quiet sight and said nothing.

"Anyway, if you should need water go outside and around the building. There is a well there. Also tubs should you wish to clean yourselves." Nathaniel carried on.

"That's all for the moment. If you need anything, I'll be in my office. Welcome to you all once again." He finished, then left. Blackwall went on his way as well, giving Arya a nod before departing. The Junior Wardens went to inspect the bedroom, finding two rows of simply made double decked beds, a chest at the foot of each and not much else. At least everything looked sturdy and clean. Bedbugs would have been the last thing anyone here would have wanted to deal with.

"Pity that we only have shared bedrooms around here. I think I preferred the setup we had at the Vigil." Thorpe said as he tossed the sack that contained his belongings on one of the beds.

"Could be worse. At least we have real beds. Back home in Montsimmard my whole extended family had to sleep on mattresses on the floor, in the same single room that comprised our whole house. Damn thin mattresses too. This… this is luxury by comparison." Dajeah said while approvingly testing one of the beds with her hand.

"Hah. I suppose you're right. Perspective helps out a lot. Well, maybe I'm just an entitled noble brat, but I still wouldn't have minded some privacy." He said.

"Reasonable enough. But I'm sure we'll get by like this, somehow." She said, giving him a wink that only he and Arya noticed. On noticing Arya suppressed a smile. Those two would make it work.

"Well, since we were supposed to help Arya find her friend, we probably should get started. It's a big city, lots of ground to cover, even if we're only searching the graveyards." Orvo said as soon as everyone had managed to claim a bed for themselves. Arya and her friends reported their departure from the compound to the warden on watch duty as they had been told, then went on with their search. Before they started Arya stopped to buy a bottle of strong liquor and a pair of cups.

As predicted looking for the grave took the entire day. The target of their search proved elusive. They spoke to caretaker after caretaker, checked gravestone after gravestone, and found nothing. By late evening they had checked all the places they could think of in King's Landing to no avail.

"Dammit! Where on earth have they put him?" Arya exclaimed in frustration.

"Your friend was a noble. Could they have sent his remains home?" Thorpe offered.

"He wasn't wearing a coat of arms or anything. No reason for anyone to think he was nobility. He had taken quite bad mauling, so I don't think anyone would have recognized… his face…." She said, tapering to a halt when a realization hit her.

"Wait… they might not have recognized him? Then why are we looking at named graves? Why would he be in one?" Orvo asked, having come to the same conclusion.

Arya covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh shit… fuck, I'm sorry. I hadn't thought of that at all. Didn't meant to waste everyone's time like that, honest. I'm such an idiot."

Orvo chuckled. "I suppose I would be pissed off if you'd forced to us to come here. You didn't though, so I don't think we have grounds to complain."

"Might have preferred it if you had realized that a bit earlier, but oh well…" Dajeah said. "It's alright, really. I don't mind being here. None of us do." She added with compassion.

"I'm really sorry, Arya. I wish we could have found him." Thorpe said.

Even Hiron seemed understanding of the mistake.

Arya spent several moments trying to figure out what to do next. How was she supposed to find Sandor if he was in an unmarked grave? At best. The other possibilities what might have happened to an unknown body in the aftermath of a big battle… she didn't even want to think about it.

Finally she gave a defeated sigh. "We aren't going to get anywhere here. It's getting late. We should return to the compound."

"You sure?" Thorpe asked.

"Yeah. Let's go." She said quietly.

The group walked in silence for a moment, heading to the graveyard's entrance.

"If it's alright to ask… what was your friend like? You haven't told us much about him." Thorpe asked as they were walking.

"Sandor? To be honest he was an often an ass. He had a very cynical way of looking at the world. And he liked killing a bit more than a person should. You wouldn't have liked him I think. He had a habit of making others dislike him like that." Arya said.

"Yet you two managed to get along?"

"Not at first. Indeed there was a time I wanted him to die. But… we did go through a lot together. And once you managed to get beneath the surface he did have softer sides to him. He just did a damn good job of hiding them from everyone around him. He did change towards the end though. I was not there to see what caused it, but when we were reunited after a time apart the rough edges had worn off somewhat. I mean, he was still gruff and difficult, but there was less brutality in him. By the time he did die I had stopped wanting it anymore." She explained.

"I see. Though if he really was as abrasive as you say I'm surprised you managed to become friends at all." He commented.

"I'm not sure if friend would be exactly the right term. It's fairly close to the truth, but not entirely." She said.

"As to how that happened… that's a lot longer story. The tale of my life in fact. Something best told from the start. Before now I've told you three that I'm a Stark of Winterfell and my story from the battle of King's Landing onward. But I've kept details of what came before to myself. Perhaps now it's time to tell all of you that part of the story. I think you've more than deserved it. There ought to be a lot of time for us to swap stories while in this city, even the longer ones." She said.

"I'm glad you asked. Talking about him... it helps a lot. Thanks." She added with a slight smile.

"Arya, come over here. There's something you ought to see." Orvo unexpectedly called out a bit further away.

"What is it?" She asked, and she and Thorpe went to see what he had to show.

There was a small path near the edge of the graveyard, lined by lush trees. They had missed this upon coming here, focused as they were on checking the gravestones. Walking the path to its end they came to a small clearing. The place looked nice, well-kept and peaceful. In the middle there were statues on a tall pedestal. Three soldiers, one an Unsullied, one a northerner and one a Lannister soldier. They stood in a circle, facing each other. None of the three bore weapons. At the center their right hands met, placed on top of each other in what looked to be a brotherly gesture.

"So what's all this supposed to be?" Dajeah asked, having already been examining the monument. She turned her eyes to the inscription on the pedestal.

"In the memory of all who died in the final battle of King's Landing before the ascension of Daenerys I Targaryen. Friend and foe alike, heroes all. From the foundations they laid, a new age began. May their memory live forever. May their legacy endure. May they find the peace they were denied in life." She read aloud.

"It's a memorial, to those who died in the battle." Thorpe said.

"Friend and foe alike. Quite a conciliatory tone." Dajeah commented.

"Look." Thorpe said pointing to the flowers and other item's laid at the foot of the statue. "People have been coming here. To pay their respects."

"Probably the kind that can't find their loved one's resting place. Why else would they do it here?" Orvo said.

"If you wanted to say your farewells, this might be a good place for it." He said to Arya.

"You're right. This would do it." She said, her breath hitching in her throat.

"...Come on, let's give her a moment." Thorpe said quietly, starting to lead the others away.

"Orvo… thanks." Arya said.

The dwarf nodded and went with the rest. Arya knelt down and laid her hand on the pedestal:

"Sandor… don't know if you can hear me but… here I am. Wish I could come see you where you actually are, but I can't find you. Gods, they better have given you a proper burial. I'm going to hurt someone if they didn't."

A brief pause followed.

"Anyway, I got you this." She said, placing the bottle and the cups on the ground. "I know people often bring flowers to the dead. I just figured you'd like this better. Then again knowing you you'd probably call it a waste of a good bottle. Dead don't drink. Not to worry, it won't be going entirely to waste."

She filled both cups, picked up one and emptied it down her throat. "I got her. Do you know that? I got her. Didn't feel as good as I thought it would. I did want her dead and I don't mind that she is gone… but it didn't fix what I thought it would fix. I hope you at least got more out of killing you brother. One of us should feel good that we got our revenge at least."

She paused again, considering what she wanted to say next.

"Sandor I… I'm sorry you're dead. You deserve better. I still don't know if there is anything after death. Even the peoples of Thedas don't know that for sure. I just hope that whatever has come of you you're doing alright. I hope you are not in any pain. It's odd to say, but I kinda miss you." A brief smile ghosted on her lips. "You'd probably tell me to stop whining and get on with it."

She stayed there for a long while, in quiet contemplation. Eventually she stood up and rejoined her friends, leaving the bottle and cups behind.