When Arya left Tywins tent, her head was abuzz and she felt too tight in her skin. A part of her- a growing part of her- wanted to flee Winterfell all together, return to a nameless, faceless state where the only expectations of her were of her Service to the House and He of Many Faces.
She wasn't ready to return to the keep or interact with anyone she knew just then, and so instead she decided to pursue another task on her list which would take her far from both parties. She did have to duck back into the Armory to retrieve her borrowed bow, but she did so from the shadows and went unseen. She headed toward the thus far unexplored Dothraki camp at a sedate pace, using the time between to take deep breaths of the frigid air and trying to regain the innate sense of calm that she was so desperately missing.
She began to hear the Army before she could see them, situated as they were farther from the gates of the keep. She wasn't sure why their placement had been determined in such a way, but she suspected it was their own preference to remain as isolated from the bulk of the foreigners as possible, not that she would blame them.
She'd seen a Dothraki camp before and so the rough-hewn tents were familiar to her, as were the guttural words being spoken over the general hubbub of a such a large grouping- though it seemed almost unnatural to experience such a scene atop fresh fallen snow rather than the warm sun-stained sands of the far East.
She entered the camp unobstructed, but could see the hard brown eyes watching her every move as she began to make her way deeper amongst the horse-lords. While she knew the general nature of the Dothraki, she'd hoped that their Khal being a woman of similar stature to herself would have shifted their mindset slightly away from 'take' and 'mount' as was normal for them when it came to their women.
It was so far holding true, but she knew those camping at the head of the army were going to be those of a higher rank, so likely more loyal to their Khaleesi and thus more likely to report her presence. No, she would be better served making for the middle of the Army, and so that's where she went. Her eyes were sharp and constantly scanning her surroundings, for despite her relative confidence in her plan, she was very aware of the danger surrounding her and of her odds of success decreasing, should things take a turn against her, the further in she wandered.
She eventually came upon a group of three lounging near a campfire and roasting what looked to be a mangled rabbit. It caught her attention enough to wonder how they'd caught it, for she knew the Dothraki typically survived on what they could pillage, steal, trade, and their horses- both in their milk and their meat. They definitely weren't hunters in the traditional sense and, though she knew they could shoot a bow and swing an Arakh, the rabbit appeared to have met a much more.. blunt… end to its life.
She shook the thought free and stepped closer to gain their attention. "Mathchomaroon. [Hello.]" She greeted them roughly, though she was fairly sure she had gotten the pronunciation correction.
" M'ath [ Hi ]." The man furthest from her responded, being the one also facing her head on. She thought he might have been mocking her, but she pressed on regardless.
"Anna hake ajjin Arya. Anha tikh allayafi tat jerat. Tikh yer? [My name is Arya. I would like to trade. Would you?]" She said slowly and carefully shaping the words.
The man's large head tiled. "Athchomar chomakea Arya, anna hake ajjin Razhako. Fin tat ato zala tat jerat? [Greetings Arya, my name is Razhako. What does one wish to trade?]"
"Anha zala tat tiholat hash at vorsa jin kohol kininosi akka ki Dothraki. Anha tat vo tiholat hash san me ajjin tat yer che fin yer tikh zala ser jerat. [I wish to learn how to fire a bow in the way of the Dothraki. I do not know how much it is worth to you or what you would want in trade.]"
The man's head tilted further, eyes boldly scanning her from head to toe. He said something but it was too fast for her to make out. Whatever it was, it caused his companions to laugh and some of the closer surrounding men to glance over at them. He spoke again as he met her eyes. "Yer? [You?]" He challenged as he leered.
She kept her face blank and composed. "Anha laz hadean ha yer. Anha tiholat jin rhaesh chek. [I could hunt for you. I know this land well.]"
The man's face lost most of its mirth and became thoughtful. "Anha allayafi hare . [I like hare .]" He stated, over-pronouncing 'hare' like it was a word he had only just learned, glancing down at the deformed lump of meat cooking over their fire.
"Ato anni davra. [One of my specialties.]" She told him easily.
"Sen hare ha kasha, ha anna akka anna qoy. [Three hare for each lesson, for me and my blood.]" He offered after a pause, gesturing at the two men beside him.
"Sek. [Deal.]" She confirmed easily, for she only intended this to take one lesson- three rabbits were more than a fair price for such a skill. He likely expected it to take longer- but his experience was also likely with young Dothraki who hadn't her already honed skill to rely on.
The man glanced up at the weak sun filtering through the overcast sky. "Hazze ajjin san asshekh elat. Yer elat ajjin akka kisha laz asshekh. [There is much daylight left. You go hunt now and we can start today.]"
She nodded her assent, for she had expected that they'd want to be paid upfront. "Anha tih tikh irge ahhaz. [I will be back soon.]"
She still didn't wish to go back to the keep, so instead of returning for her horse, she made her way on foot for the cropping of woods that was nearby the Dothraki camp. It took some time for her to get far enough for the sounds to fade again, even despite the muffling effect of the snow, but she eventually reached a quiet spot that had a thinner covering of show across the ground thanks to a thick cropping of trees above.
Arya moved silently over to a spot that gave her a good vantage point and readied her bow, though she did not yet draw the string. Then, she waited. Food was becoming scarce both from the winter and from the large number of people residing nearby, so she expected it would take some time, but she was patient.
In the end, she was fortunate and it took just over two hours for her to get the three promised rabbits, plus two extra, and she make it back with a good hour or so of light left. It was easy to find the three men again and when she did, she found that one of their mounts had been readied and stood lazily nearby, ready for her lesson.
She received a smile from the men when she placed her bounty beside their fire. Razhako pushed himself to his feet and grabbed the reins of the mount waiting and began leading him away without a word. She followed without hesitation, not wanting to lose him in the bustle of the camp, and they soon came to the clearing beside the furthest tents. Rough targets had been set at random distances and intervals along a relatively straight stretch of land that ran from one end of the camp to the other.
It looked well-trod, the snow having been ground down into the dirt until it was just one long line of brown amongst the stretches of white snow. She listened intently to the few brisk instructions he gave her and watched even more intently as he leapt up on his horse to show her firsthand. She watched as he started in a normal riding position and then pushed himself up in one swift move to situate his feet instead on his horses back, weight evenly distributed while his legs remained in a crouch so that he really wasn't all that much taller than he'd been fully sitting.
He showed her first at a standstill, and then at an easy canter passing by in front of her. He circled around her, still in his stance, and then drew his own bow from his back to take aim at the nearest targets. She watched as his legs flexed to keep him balanced, his knees absorbing the shock, she watched where he let the reins fall and how his horse responded to the action, watched as he shifted his stance slightly while drawing his bow, watching how he counteracted the pull and release to keep his aim steady despite the motion.
He circled around a final time and came to a stop in front of her, dismounting easily and then holding the reins out for her to take. She stepped forward and accepted the leather, looking up at the steed that was larger than any she had attempted to mount before, but she would not ask for assistance. Instead, she stepped back so that she level with his withers, body facing his hind end and left hand holding onto the top of the saddle. She moved suddenly, putting all of her strength into her arm and legs as she leapt off the ground and pulled herself up and over the animal that was much larger than she.
What she felt was the biggest obstacle accomplished, she nudged the mount into a walk, getting a feel for his stride. The stirrups were too long for her to use, but she wouldn't really need them anyway and so did not bother with trying to adjust them, instead ignoring them as they hung loose beside her legs. She could see now that she was sat upon it that the padding of the unique saddle had a ridge built upon it on either side where he'd had his feet positioned. She practiced transition herself to a crouching position while at a walk until she felt comfortable with the motion and where her feet needed to land.
She eventually nudged the horse into a canter and rode a full length down and back normally to get used to his long and easy rhythm. Only after she circled Razhako did she attempted to stand at the increased speed. Her first attempt was a failure as her foot slipped during the transition and she sat down hard again upon the saddle. She learned from her mistake in timing, however, and was able to get on her feet the second attempt.
Unlike Razhako, Arya continued to hold the reins as she got used to balancing upon her feet atop the moving animal. She learned to minutely shift her weight with each stride to keep her equilibrium steady as she rode. She went down and back twice and was feeling a burn in the top of her thighs before she was satisfied. She dropped back into her seat as she circled the horse around again and reached up to feel her bow's position after all the movement.
She looked back over at her teacher to see him looking somewhat impressed with her quick progress. He nodded at her somewhat questioning look and so she led the mount back to the far end of the path. She nudged him again into a canter and popped immediately to her feet, holding the reins from her crouch and giving herself the first length to match his stride. She took him in a wide circle at the end of the path and the dropped the reins with a deep breath once he was pointed back down towards the camp. She reached up and carefully drew her bow along with an arrow and then focused back on her balance until the first target was closer. It almost seemed as though she might miss her chance when she drew and released suddenly and without pause to aim, firing once, twice, thrice, and taking out the first three targets in a couple of heartbeats.
Arya paused and checked herself while they drew closer to the fourth target, which was the last that was somewhat even before they began to space out in distance more sporadically. She drew a deep breath as she drew the fifth arrow and then released it, and a sixth, seventh, and eight arrows in succession. She made her way down the full range of targets and hit every single one, though a couple of the shots were more off center than she would normally like, she was pleased with her success as she reached the end.
She could feel herself smiling as she dropped into the seat and regained the reins to pull the mount around to head back, only to spot the Dragon Queen herself standing the head of the camp, her brother standing at her side and both of them watching her from the short distance away. Her smile faltered slightly in surprise but she nodded to the two of them regardless before riding away from them and back to her teacher.
She dismounted gracefully before Razhako and moved around to pat the horses neck gratefully. It snorted a cloud of breath into the cold air and stomped at the ground as it tossed its head. "I should have asked for a better price." The man told he in his native language, sounding amused and impressed both despite the harsh quality Dothraki.
"Mayhap we'll do business again and you can make up for it." She told him with a smile. "And you did get two extra rabbits to go with the one you already had."
"Aye, that is true." He told her. "Until next time, then." She thanked him for his assistance and moved to gather her arrows with a lingering sense of success as he turned back towards his camp and disappeared amongst the crooked paths within to supp on his boon.
Arya did return to the keep for supper in a half-hearted attempt to keep the peace despite knowing her lady Mother was likely already going to be irate with her for disappearing for another full day and in the face of the old Frey's ' request .' She did wait until the very last minute that could be considered polite, however, in a slightly more likely bid to keep the silence whilst in the presence of their guests.
As expected, sharp blue eyes fell on her as she took her seat, but the woman's lips remained pursed and silent for the time being. She would take all the reprieve she could get- honestly, she knew dealing with her family would be tiresome and require patience, but she hadn't expected it to be so exhausting . Still, she would not allow another tense meal to ruin her regained good mood and so she played ignorant to the tenseness of her family while eating just slowly enough to not be considered rude. She was ready to retreat for the night and was determined not to be kept behind again.
~*~ Jon's POV ~*~
Jon watched his little sister from his own seat farther down the table. He didn't make a habit of taking supper within the keep, but had decided to join Daenerys after seeing Arya at her camp. He hadn't yet decided if he would tell Robb of what he had seen, he wasn't yet sure of how he felt about it himself, without bringing someone else's opinion into it. The only comment the Queen had made was "Your sister is very talented." In a somewhat bland tone of voice he had grown use to when she wanted to keep her thoughts guarded.
He wanted to see if she acted any differently than she had the last time he saw her, but he could find no difference in her persona. She was still tensely polite, much more so than she'd ever been in her youth. It seemed she'd learned to cull her loose tongue at some point, for now it seemed every word she spoke was carefully considered beforehand.
She was nearly impossible to read, all of her tells of youth lost in the winds of her past and he found himself mourning for the girl that was so changed from when he left her all of those years ago. His step-mother caught his attention as she whispered to one of the men waiting nearby to take care of their needs. He watched as the man walked further down the table and leaned over his sister to quietly deliver his message to her alone.
He watched as Arya's eyes darted over to her mother before looking away dismissively. Arya had always been a wild child, but now she seemed almost scornful of her family. Surely it couldn't all be because of the betrothal? Of course he'd been furious himself when he found out- not that she'd been betrothed, for that had always been expected, but of whom she'd been betrothed to. He couldn't believe Catelyn and Robb, who toted Family above all else, would marry off the youngest Stark Daughter to the very family who had betrayed the Tully's some years before. It had seemed outrageous at first, but war made for desperation everywhere, he supposed, and he'd hardly been in a position to protest on her behalf from the Wall.
He wondered how Arya would deal with such a marriage, not to mention married life in general. He couldn't imagine her taking to it gracefully, even had it been someone she was more fond of. He thought back to what she had confided in him and Robb within his tent, of training to be a faceless man, only to abandon all they stood for to return home. It all seemed so.. fictitious, so unbelievable, and yet… He hadn't sensed any mistruth in her, which was something he'd become rather practiced at himself over the years.
He would find himself watching her at times, to see if she gave anything away that could prove or disprove her claims, but she was always so in control of herself- even when she was upset, angry, and annoyed. He'd been tempted to push her himself, to see if he could get some kind of honest reaction out of her, he was ashamed to admit. He never did, of course, he could see she got more than enough of that from her Mother, sister, and even from Robb at times, when he got pulled in despite himself.
Still, what he had witnessed today, what he had witnessed when she took on the Hound and walked away victorious, despite her claims that he let her win, the way she held herself and interacted with those around her, he was finding it harder and harder to figure her out rather than it becoming easier over time as it should have. Perhaps he would try to get some time with her away from everyone else- Stark and Lannister alike- he mussed as he watched her finish her food and politely excuse herself as her Mother was caught in conversation she couldn't easily dissect herself from just then. Maybe then he could find some of the girl he remembered still within the dangerous and guarded woman that had returned in her place.
The next day, Arya ducked out of the keep before even her hand maiden could arrive to get her ready and managed to avoid her family until high noon, when another shipment of goods arrived just before the trenches were announced to be finished in full. The combination of the two things apparently meant they needed yet another celebration, though Arya couldn't fathom why they would waste the resources. She found, however, that these festivities were much quainter in nature than her homecoming had been. Truly, it was little more than the Keep's residents and visitors taking a slightly more hearty than normal supper together in the great hall and then partaking in heavily watered down ale and song.
She kept her distance once again until just before it would be impolite and then slipped in just before the food was brought. She'd decided against changing, and so still wore her pants and tunic under her cloak rather than one of the dresses that had been commissioned and delivered to her room without so much as her knowledge that such a thing was taking place.
The dinner portion of the evening passed by easily enough, but she was stalled when she tried to slip away and join the crowd. It seemed her behaviors were becoming predictable, for Sansa laid a hand on her leg to stop her as soon as she moved to rise. The music coming to life muffled the conversations and created something of a cover between them and the noise from the rest of the room.
"Please, sister, join us in Mother's solar for a time." Sansa bid, though it did not sound like a request. She glanced past her sister to see the stern expression on her Mother's face, and then further to see her eldest Brother's uncomfortable expression and his wife's almost pitying one. Sansa rose gracefully and placed and hand on her shoulder to help her rise.
She stood reluctantly, deciding to see what this was about before making a scene of herself. She allowed herself to be led through the more discreet door by the head table and through the halls to the room her Lady Mother spent so much of her time in. She was sat down in a chair, though the three members of her family remained standing around the room and she very quickly felt almost pinned in the center of them. "Might I ask what this is about?" She questioned tensely as the room felt to silence, obviously waiting for something else to occur.
A quiet knock came upon the door before anyone responded, and Catelyn moved immediately to open it. A elderly man wearing Maester's robes entered the room, a small bag holding some unknown supplies held at his side. "Are we ready to begin?" He questioned quietly, glancing directly at her and confirming everything she needed to know.
"We're still waiting for one more." Catelyn told him, offering him a seat of his own.
Deciding she definitely didn't like where this was going, Arya rose from the chair despite the stares that immediately pierced her at the motion. "Mother, what is going on?" She asked again, more directly, wanting the woman to actually admit to what was happening.
"You'll see soon enough. Sit down, child." The woman told her without answering anything.
"I'm sure I can guess, even if you won't speak of it freely." Arya stated, disgust entering her voice at the lack of confirmation. How ignorant did the woman think she was? "It was only two days ago you threatened me with a Maester, after all."
"It's hardly a threat, Arya, there is no need to be so dramatic about this, it's all perfectly normal."
"No need to be so dramatic about being forced bare in front of my family so that some wrinkly old man can examine me against my will?" 'I've killed men for less than this,' she wanted to say, but she held herself back with a hard-won wash of self-control. "Tell me, Mother, who else are we waiting for? I suppose the Lord Frey wants to bare witness to this as well?"
She saw her mother's eyes close from where she stood, but she did not speak up to confirm or deny the words Arya spoke like an accusation. Arya turned away in disgust and attempted to make for the door, but was stopped by a strong hand on her shoulder and her brother's sympathetic eyes staring down at her, even as her prevented her escape. "I'm sorry, sister." He told her softly.
"You're sorry?!" She exclaimed before allowing her head to fall back slightly as mocking laughter burst from her throat. She suddenly couldn't contain it anymore- all of the anger, frustration and hurt she'd been holding back out of some misguided desire to keep the peace, at pretending some part of her was still the same so that her family wouldn't, what, turn away from her? They'd already done that, hadn't they? Why was she the only one trying to hold it all together? What cost was she willing to pay to do so?
"What part is it that you're sorry for, Brother?" She demanded, shaking his hand off her shoulder and turning to face him in full. "Are you sorry for this? Sorry that it's happening so suddenly? Sorry for selling me in the first place?"
"Arya, we didn't-"
"Spare me, won't you? Don't worry- this isn't sudden or unexpected for me. I've known about your little deal for years now."
"Wh- What?" He stuttered, glancing over at their mother in confusion.
"Surprised?" Arya mocked, feeling even more scornful at his reaction. This man, her brother, was supposed to be a King and couldn't even face her- face his own decisions, head on? He had to look to his mother for guidance, even now as a man grown and a husband and father in his on right?
"Do you remember when I told you that I had traveled with the Hound? That he was going to bring me home after the Brotherhood became distracted in hunting the Lannisters? Well, what I failed to mention before, what you failed to ask about, is that we made it home. We were less than a days travel from the keep when I heard about it- about my betrothal to a nameless Frey in exchange for a one time bridge crossing." Her voice had quieted, but into a cold anger as she let loose everything she' been wanting to say since she'd returned, since all those years ago when she overheard a conversation. "It's interesting though, isn't it? That the second daughter is betrothed and to be married before the first even had a prospect? Especially considering the circumstances..."
Sansa paled slightly and glanced down at the ground, though Catelyn spoke up in her defense. "Sansa went through a very traumatic ordeal in Kingslanding-" She began, but Arya cut her off quite rudely.
"Sansa went through a traumatic ordeal?" She repeated back incredulously. "Did she, locked up in a lavish keep like a caged bird? I'm sure it was very traumatic for her with her featherbed and her hot meals, attending the royal courts just like she'd always wanted." She mocked childishly and, though she felt somewhat embarrassed by her outburst, she didn't stop.
"You've no idea what I've been through, the things I've done and the lessons I've learned. I didn't have a room in a keep with a handmaiden to tend to me. I survived this world on my own for years , I fought to get back to this family and succeeded by my own power when I was naught but a child. I ran, I hid, I lied, I starved, I bled, and I killed to get back to this family, only to find- what? That I would be sent away again? To live with a family as despicable as the Freys? That the news of my impending marriage would become a mockery to the Northmen before I could even reunite with my lost family?"
"No, I wasn't willing to sacrifice myself just to see this 'family' again and so I turned away, I left by my own choice and under my own power. I continued to learn how to survive this world on my own, I spent years honing my skills and bettering myself, becoming the woman that you see before you now. The only reason I returned here was because I heard news that there was an unimaginable threat coming from the North that was so great it drew an unheard of alliance from all parts of Westeros and I knew I had to return to help face such a threat."
"And what do I find? You just can't get rid of me fast enough, can you? You would subject me to this ridiculous practice? Hold me down and violate both my body and my trust, simply because some twisted old Lord demands it? Part of me wonders why I ever came back, if this is all that's left of my so-called family. Perhaps I was better off remaining across the Narrow Sea in the first place? Better you thought me dead than subject myself to this horrible fate."
She could see the shifts in their expressions as she continued, but she didn't let it stop her from finishing what she needed to say. "You all may be my blood, but you've more than proven you are no longer my family. I will remain for this fight- I've invested too much coming back for it, but I will never trust you with my personal wellbeing again, and I surely won't remain in Winterfell once this is all over. You may pursue this if you wish, but know that I will never bow to this quietly. If Father were still alive, I am sure he'd be ashamed of all of you for letting our family fall to the state it's in now. Everyone else may have managed to survive, but to call us a family is a joke."
Catelyn approached her in a flurry and raised her hand to strike her, but Arya was no longer content to play along and caught her wrist harshly when she tried. She scoffed aloud, turning on her heal to make for the door once again. Her name was called as she reached it and swung it open harshly. She took a step back in surprise to see not only the old Frey reaching for the door to knock, but also Tywin and Jamie at his side. She frowned in confusion and was pushed further back as they entered.
Jaime shot her a look of confusion, eyes questioning if she knew what was going on and clearly reading into the angry flush she could feel in her face, though he did not speak aloud. Clearly his father hadn't included him in his scheming, though she supposed she shouldn't be surprised- he had told her it would be her part to convince him to leave the Kingsguard so he could legally marry at all, but she though he would have at least spoken to him about it before whatever was about to happen. She herself hadn't expected him to move so quickly nor so boldly and wondered if it had been planned or if somehow heard about her impending examination and interceded on her behalf.
Either way, she felt more reassured with their presence and no longer felt the overwhelming urge to flee the situation and so simply shrugged subtly at him as she waited to see what was going to happen.
"Can I help you, Lord Lannister?" Catelyn demanded, tone confused but angered all the same by their presence in her solar without her say so. "I do not believe you were invited here today."
The smug grin the spread across the old Lions face would have made anyone nervous, and the Lady Catelyn clearly took notice, as did Robb, who immediately stepped closer to his mother and the two elder Lords.
~*~ Tbc ~*~
Notes:
Well, I didn't make it by Christmas, but not too far off! Thank you for all of the comments last chapter, it's good to know so many people are still reading this!
There were a few people who requested I show some other character POVs, which I hadn't been planning to do but can try to incorporate :) The drama in this chapter wink continue and I am toying with the idea of showing part of it from Jamie's eyes. If there are any specific POVs you would like to see, please let me know :) Thank you for reading, I hope you are all having a nice holiday season and that you have a Happy New Year!