People crowded the streets in the narrow alleyway of a small village in The Rills of the North. A boy no more than seven ran through the streets, pushing past people as his hands glided into carts of food. He stuck an apple into mouth, his eyes focused as he hid behind another cart. His eyes carefully looked across the area as he spotted them.

He watched the man with a wolf tattoo crossed out as he and his companion spoke in whispers. They started to walk around and continue to talk heatedly, but soon stopped when they heard hooves. They quickly hid themselves into a workhouse which washed sheets. The boy followed them just as he followed them for the past week, undetected.

Malakhi and Arya quickly went into the workhouse. Malakhi looked for the old woman they'd come to know as Kara who had befriended them and let them stay in the abandoned farm house for the past week. Kara looked worriedly at them, but then heard the hooves outside.

"What is it?"

"Lannister guards from King's Landing," Malakhi informed them as he and Arya strode through the workhouse.

"Why are they here so far out? They'll be gutted alive by the Northerners especially by the rebels if they're found out," Kara questioned.

Malakhi shrugged. "Who knows?"

Arya looked outside and told them, "They're searching the houses. Everywhere actually. Could they be looking for us?"

"They think you're dead, m'lady," Kara reminded her. "The whole North does."

"If something happens to us, go to Winterfell and give a message to Brienne of Tarth, tell her where we were and what you saw today," he explained to the woman who nodded in response. "Also give her this, will you?"

Kara held the necklace with a moon on it for a moment before stuffing it into her pocket. "I promise, m'lord."

"I'm no lord and I'm not a knight either."

"Maybe, but you are an honorable man. I can see it in your eyes," Kara told him and patted his shoulder gently. She walked up the steps of the workhouse with them following quickly behind her. The women working on the sheets, steam flowing all around them, looked up.

"This way," Kara said as she opened the latch on the floorboards. "Hide in here. You'll be safe."

Malakhi and Arya quickly stepped inside and laid down on the ground as Kara closed the floorboards on them. They heard her tell the other woman, "Go back to work. Don't look around and stay calm. We are working women that's all. Keep quiet."

The doors slammed opened as the Lannister guards poured in and a man with an eyepatch over his eye and short blonde hair who was as tall and lean as a tree came into the room.

"Who are you, ser?" Kara demanded. "What is the meaning of this?"

The man held a piece of paper as he told her coldly, "I have a royal warrant from Queen Cersei Lannister. To search every home for a man with a direwolf tattoo that's crossed out...you haven't seen him have you?"

"I don't know anyone here by that specific description. What makes you think that man is even here?"

The man almost scoffed at her before he started to walk around, surveying the place as he commanded his men, "Search the place! Now!"

The Lannister guards searched the entire place, and practically tore everything apart. The women looked frightened as they inspected everything. Kara glared at the man who gave her no name.

"What is your name, ser? If you even are a ser," she spat at him when one of his men lifted the tub of hot water onto the floor to see if anyone was inside there.

He eyed her for a moment. "I am the Lord Commander of the Queen's personal guards. Ser Kaegan Reyne, wench, so I would be careful of your words."

"You're a long way from home, ser."

"There is nothing here," one of his men informed Kaegan who let out an irritated sigh. Arya had half of a mind to put his name on her list when she heard him calmly tip a table over.

"Oops," he said. "Move out men."

Kaegan stopped in the doorway when he heard a very soft sigh. A malicious smile came onto his face as he took out his sword. Both Arya and Malakhi shared a look as they had their weapons ready to strike when his booted footsteps started to come closer to them.

"I realized something, men, we are in The North which means," Kaegan began before he struck his sword between the cracks of the floorboards once he saw a young girl's eyes move to the floorboards. "There's loyalty here. The man named Malakhi is one of the Stark's men. Lady Maya Stark to be specific who is now a Lannister."

"She won't stand for this," Kara told him sternly.

"I don't obey Maya Stark, I obey the Queen," he replied simply before sticking his blade into another part of the floorboards. "Whatever the Starks are up to this time will not stand, they're rebels and so is Malakhi and anyone helping him hide will be held accountable. It is treason and calls for a hanging or perhaps she'll have your heads decorating the gates of King's Landing."

Kara bit her tongue from speaking out against the Queen. She could tell that this man would not be afraid to end her life right here and now. He would get away with murder like the rest of them.

"I admire your loyalty I do, but," he said before slamming his sword in another part of the floorboards coming closer to Malakhi and Arya. "They already lost the war and thousands of lives. Do you really want to lose your's over nothing?"

"Not nothing, ser," Kara growled lowly as he struck the blade of his sword into Malakhi's arm which caused him to let out a pained groan. "The North remembers"

"I smell a traitor in our midst, men," Kaegan sneered before he opened the latch on the floorboards. Malakhi stormed up and managed to slash Kaegan's hand as he got up from the ground. "Malakhi, I presume."

"Run," he yelled towards the women in the workhouse.

Malakhi lept forward as he and Kaegan began to fight with their swords and fists. Meanwhile, one of the Lannister guards tried to grab Arya who let them grab her for a moment before she quickly slid a dagger deeply across his thigh, blood spilling everywhere. She elbowed him in the throat before whirling around as she took his sword, stabbing him in the chest.

Another Lannister guard charged towards her as she danced around him, remembering her dancing lessons before she slid her blade with the guard's own blade making a screeching noise. She slid her foot underneath his legs causing him to fall before she stabbed her blade into his chest. She made her way to a couple of other guards as she fought them off of Malakhi as he was fighting Kaegan.

Kaegan let out a vicious growl when Malakhi pushed the tubs of hot water towards.

"Come on," he called towards Arya who had just finished off two more Lannister guards. They ran quickly out of the workhouse and towards the horses who sat there waiting for them.

"Go," Kara called after them. "We'll hold them off!"

They mounted the horses after cutting the ties of the others horses so that the Lannister guards couldn't chase after them. The horses panted wildly as they charged through the woods, screaming in the background. Malakhi felt bad for leaving the village who luckily was still loyalty to the Starks. They helped kept them hidden for as long as possible. He wondered how they managed find them. He had hoped that they didn't figure out that Arya was truly Arya Stark and that no one of the small village in The Rills would confess.

All they needed to do was head North now since no place was safe for them.

Arya shared a look with him and sighed heavily, knowing where they would end up next.

"NO!"

Cersei growled as she slammed her fists onto the table. "How could you let him get away?!"

Kaegan sighed and lifted an eyebrow at her. "He's more skilled than either of us thought, Your Grace."

"We need him if we are to stop the Northerners from rising up again. He's a close friend of Maya's. If we have someone she cares about then she would do anything get to him back."

Qyburn and a boy walked into the room then as Cersei stared coldly at the knight who reminded her of Jaime with an eyepatch, but darker. Which is exactly who she needed by her side at this moment.

"He's one of my little birds," Qyburn informed them after seeing their curious glances. "He's the one who found out that Malakhi was hiding in The Rills. Tell them."

The boy bowed to Cersei. "He's not alone. The village was with the Starks, loyal to them."

"We know that already," Kaegan snapped. "Any useful information, boy?"

"Your men were beaten up by a little girl."

Cersei glared at Kaegan. "What? Your men who are trained knights and guards were defeated by a little girl."

"She was good, Your Grace. She fought as if she was trained herself."

The boy nodded. "She was good, Your Grace. Very good."

Qyburn looked at them. "Some say that it could be his daughter."

"Qyburn's right. He did seem extremely protective over her," Kaegan agreed. "If she is his daughter then we need to strike and take her."

Cersei nodded. "Take caution. Ser Kaegan, don't fail me again."

Kaegan smirked as he bowed. "Believe me, my queen, I won't."

TBC…

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