Chapter Seven:

Follow The River (2015)

By the time Weasel found what she was looking for in the road atlas, the rain outside of the RV was starting to slacken.

"Have you seen it yet?" Arya asked, not taking her eyes off the road. She kept both hands on the wheel like what Gendry had taught her months earlier. She didn't think she was at good at driving as Gendry, but she at least thought she was doing an alright job. Gendry himself was sitting in the back with the others. Nymeria was sitting between where Arya and Weasel were seated themselves, panting.

"I think so…" Weasel said. "You were looking for where Crossroads is, right?"

Arya nodded. "Yes."

Arya heard a shuffling sound that indicated Weasel was shifting through the pages of the road atlas. After a few moments of said noises–accompanied by a few confused mumbles–Weasel finally said something. "Okay, I think we're getting close."

"Is it big enough to have a supermarket or pharmacy?" Arya asked. She and Gendry had been discussing scavenging the next town they came across. According to the road atlas, said town would be Crossroads. Weasel had become the group's navigator after Elmar's death, and she had quickly gotten used to reading the road atlas. She was still somewhat bad at it, but she was making progress nonetheless.

Weasel shook her head. "No, it's just a dot."

Great, Arya thought. Just great. We're running low on food, and this type of thing happens–

"Arya, isn't that called a pork?" Weasel asked. "When a town is really small?"

"That's called a hamlet." Arya turned her head to face Weasel. "Ham, not pork, Weas–"

A loud crunching and thump grabbed Arya's attention. She looked to the front just in time to see something disappear beneath the front of the RV. The RV began to slow down, indicating that whatever Arya hit was stuck and now being dragged.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Arya hissed, gently putting her foot on the brake and pulling over to the side. Gendry noticed and walked to the front of the RV.

"What happened?"

"I hit something. We need to pull over and take care of it."

Arya put the car in park and killed the engine after pulling over to the side of the road. Everyone began to pile out. Gendry and Weasel left first, followed by Hot Pie, Lommy, Arya herself, and then Edric and Nymeria. When everyone walked out, Arya got a good look at everyone, and she became aware of how tall everyone now was. Tallest to shortest among the non-animals, everyone went in the order of Gendry, Lommy, Edric, Hot Pie, Arya herself, and then Weasel. Arya had already been observing Weasel's growth over the years, and it shocked her how fast she was growing. She wouldn't be surprised if Weasel would be taller than her someday.

Everyone gathered around the front of the RV, and they saw a wight stuck there. The lower half of it was stuck beneath the front, but its arms and head were still visible, the thing biting and grasping at nothing. Arya was relieved they didn't hit a living person, and it made her realize the group hadn't seen any sign of human life ever since they ran into Jaqen. It begged the question: were there any humans left aside from themselves and maybe some others?

"Alright," Gendry said. "Who's doing it?"

Edric immediately walked back into the RV, looking angry. Lommy stepped forward with his spear and drove one end into the wight's left eye. It went limp. Without hesitation, Lommy put his spear down, and he and Arya each grabbed an arm of the wight and pulled. It took a few hard jerks, but the wight's remains soon dislodged, and they dragged it over to the side of the road to both get it out of their way and so it could rot in the grass. Before getting back into the RV, Arya got a look at the front. There was blood there and some light surface damage, but Arya was convinced that the rain, though it was starting to stop, would wash at least some of it off.

After everyone was back inside, Arya began to drive towards Crossroads again. Some time passed, and the rain stopped. It was then that Arya noticed the river to her left as she drove over a wooden bridge. For the past year, they had been traveling southeast, always following the south bank of the river. They'd all been out in the woods most of the time without any progress being made on the road. Often times, the group all stayed in one place until food supply in the form of hunting game ran dry.

After a brief while, Arya finally came across a rusted, chipped green sign notifying that the group was entering Crossroads. Arya got a good look around and saw some houses smattered here and there, most hidden behind pine and spruce trees. Arya did not know a thing about the layout of hamlets, but she guessed she was on a main road. This was because of both the width of the road and the fact that abandoned, rusted cars were scattered everywhere.

Arya's eyes flickered beyond the steering wheel, and she saw they were running low on gas. This coupled by the cars everywhere convinced Arya to pull over and refill while also siphoning gas out of the abandoned cars. This long into the apocalypse, it was likely that the abandoned cars had little to no gas left, but she figured it didn't hurt to try.

After pulling over, Arya explained to the others what was happening. Willing to siphon gas out of a car, Lommy and Weasel followed Arya out of the RV. While the three of them approached the RV, Hot Pie followed them outside after being instructed to refill the gas tank with whatever they had saved in the RV's storage compartment. As Arya, Lommy, and Weasel approached the first car they saw, Arya looked over her shoulder and saw Hot Pie beginning to take a red gas can out. Everyone outside of the RV was armed.

"Do you remember how to do this?" Arya asked Weasel, who was going to be the one getting gas.

Weasel nodded. They reached the first car. "Yes, I do."

As Weasel got to work, Arya and Lommy both watched the surrounding area to make sure there were no wights around that could get the drop on them. Weasel had a confused look on her face, which twisted into a sad look after a brief while. Right before Weasel spoke again, Arya noticed some movement in the woods across from the three of them.

"I don't think there's any gas in here."

Weasel was about to move to the next car, but Arya reached her arm out and put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. Arya was still keeping her eyes on the woods, which Lommy and Weasel then noticed, and they followed suit by looking towards the woods.

Arya stepped forward, taking her hand off of Weasel. "Who's there?!"

Two girls stepped out from behind the trees. One of them, who was taller, had a crossbow. The shorter had a shotgun. The two groups stared at each other for a moment before anyone spoke, and it was the shorter of the two girls.

"We're here. Mind if you tell us who you are?"

Arya replied. "You tell us about yourselves, first."

The shorter girl raised her shotgun, likely trying to aim at Arya's head. "You're not in a position to tell us what to do." The other girl, likely a family member due to their close physical resemblance, did the same with her crossbow.

Weasel tightly gripped Arya's hand as the latter replied. Arya, figuring that they'd get nowhere unless someone said someone's name, decided to relent. "My name is Arya Stark." She gestured at Lommy and Weasel. "These here are Lommy and Weasel."

"Alright, Arya," the shorter girl said. "You and your crew run with the Brave Companions? Harrenhal?"

Arya recognized the name "Brave Companions" from when she saw the graffiti warning about them back in Fairmarket, and she did not know what "Harrenhal" was. Because of this, she told the truth. "No, we aren't part of any of those groups. We don't know any of those people."

The shorter girl lightly lowered her gun, then spoke again. "How many are with you?"

"Including us three, six. Plus one dog."

"Alright…" the short girl said, lightly nodding as she lowered her gun. "Alright… you're not one of them. I'm Willow Heddle, and this is my older sister, Jeyne."

Jeyne looked annoyed as she lowered her crossbow. "Willow, I can introduce myself."

Lommy snickered. Arya hoped neither of the Heddle sisters heard it. A moment ago, Willow was clearly very willing to blow Arya's brains out. Therefore, Arya didn't want Willow to be pushed into killing anyone that day. Eyeing Willow and Jeyne, Arya noticed that they were less covered in dirt than her whole group.

Jeyne must have noticed. "What's wrong, Arya?"

"You're not covered in dirt like us," Arya explained. "Do you have running water somewhere?"

Willow nodded. "Oh, yeah! We've got a house we've been staying in since all this started. We have access to a generator, and we've been pouring gas into it for power, but we try to conserve as best as we can. Do you and yours want to see it?"

Arya thought for a moment. Working electricity? This far into the apocalypse? Plus, she and the others didn't know these people well. However, she trusted them, seeing as how their (somewhat) clean yet wary state indicated they had something valuable that they wanted to protect. Arya, still wanting something out of this, spoke.

"Do you have gas you can lend us?"

Willow nodded. "Yeah."

In Arya's mind the matter was now settled. "Okay, then. We'll lead you to the RV so you can guide us there. We'll introduce you to everyone inside."

Willow's nose and face scrunched up when she entered the RV. Jeyne gagged and had to step outside to get some fresh air. Apparently, the Heddle sisters had been hit with an invisible wall of filth when the two of them entered the RV. The way Arya understood it, her own group had been living in filth for so long, they didn't notice the atrocious smell filling the RV and had adapted to its presence.

"Are you okay?" Hot Pie asked, looking at Willow.

"I'm fine," Willow hissed. "Just need some time getting used to this… smell."

Outside, Jeyne took a few deep breaths before walking back into the RV. Arya watched her, hoping that she didn't vomit all over the floor and on Nymeria or Weasel. Much to Arya's pleasant surprise, Jeyne didn't puke on anything. After the introductions with the Heddles and the rest of the group were out of the way, Arya waited for Jeyne and Willow to approach the front and instruct her on where to go.

Arya drove for a bit, and Willow directed Arya to a street which took her to a long, winding dirt path through the woods. They wound up in a small clearing with a large, dirty, two story house in the middle. Parts of it were burned, and there was a shed and a wooden picnic table out front accompanied by a chain-link fence around the property. There was an opening wide enough for the RV to enter. Taking in the whole sight of the property, Arya couldn't help but be impressed. There was some damage here and there, but the whole thing looked untouched by the apocalypse going on around it, like the home of the Heddle sisters existed in its own serene bubble. Arya shut the RV off when Willow instructed.

Everyone got out. Weasel, curious, went right for the front door of the house, but Willow reached out with fast reflexes and grabbed her arm to stop her. "No," she said sternly. "We talk first."

The group sat down at the picnic table. Arya noticed that Edric and Gendry stayed as far apart as possible. Arya, curious about what Willow meant by "talk" listened as she began to explain.

"Jeyne and I just met you all," Willow explained. She crossed her arms. "Now tell us everything. From start to finish."

For the next four hours, Arya, Gendry, Hot Pie, and Lommy brought Jeyne and Willow up to speed. Weasel and Edric added in their own comments every now and then, but for the most part, they were quiet. Willow and Jeyne sometimes interrupted to ask questions, and everything was answered to the best of Arya's ability. Upon hearing about their escape from Fairmarket, Willow had an impressed look on her face. When they got to the part where Elmar died, Edric got up and walked away, sitting up against the front of the house.

After a while, everything was done, and Willow and Jeyne let Arya's group into the house to take turns showering and eating the small amount of food the sisters were willing to share. Later on, as the day dragged into the afternoon, Arya sat with Jeyne as Willow and Hot Pie worked in the nearby kitchen, cooking a meal together for the group. They had gotten to talking, and they each discovered that they had a mutual appreciation for food.

"So about that Edric character," Jeyne said. "I'm guessing he and Gendry are still angry at each other over that business with your late friend being bitten."

Arya nodded. "Yes, they can hardly talk to each other. It gets annoying, especially when they need to hunt together." After speaking, Arya thought about Gendry and Edric's worsening relationship. It was highly volatile, and she was surprised that neither of them had tried to kill each other yet. They could hardly go two weeks without fighting at least once, and it made Arya think about who would possibly be the one to draw first blood. She didn't want it to happen. She didn't want Gendry to cave in Edric's skull with his sledgehammer or Edric to shoot Gendry dead. However, with the way things were going, it was a definite possibility down the road.

"Huh, that's terrible," Jeyne commented. "My sister and I have always worked together. Yes, there are times when we disagree, but we always reconcile. In this world today, there is no room for any margin of error. It could be fatal. Not to be mean, but I'm honestly surprised that your group has had only one casualty. You must make a fine leader if–"

Arya raised an eyebrow. "What? No, Gendry's in charge."

Jeyne exhaled sharply to show amusement. "I never would have guessed."

Arya ignored the comment and decided to speak about something else. "Has it always just been you two out here?"

Jeyne shook her head. "No, we had our great aunt with us in the beginning, and my dad, too. They're both gone. One was a wight, and the other was when some men from the Brave Companions came by demanding food and supplies. We stood our ground, and three of them died, and we lost my dad in the process, too. I already told you Willow is the cook. I'm a healer. I tried to bandage his wounds as best I could, but it was no use."

Arya nodded, feeling sorry for her. "How many people come through here?"

"Not many. You're the first people we've seen in a long time." Jeyne leaned back a bit. "Honestly, we used to take in guests all the time. They'd give us supplies in exchange for temporary shelter. I do apologize on behalf of my sister. I suppose I should explain her behavior from earlier. After that business with the Brave Companions, we have been increasingly wary of strangers."

"Who are these 'Brave Companions'?" Arya asked, resting her crossed arms on the table. "I've heard about them, but I'd like to hear it from you."

Jeyne took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. "They are horrible. They are a group of men who travel around this part of the countryside raiding every community they find and killing everyone they come across. They are a group of barbarians left over from a primal age, and they are led by a horrible man with a lisp. I am thankful mine and Willow's home is secluded, or else it would be a prime target for them. From what I hear, their home base is in Saltpans, which is very close to here. Buildings with electricity and a supply of food, shaky or not, is a gold mine to anyone nowadays."

"What about wights?"

"Not many of those around here. We've had to worry more about the living than the dead."

"So after the meal, we get our gas and food, and then we go?" Arya asked.

Jeyne nodded. "Yes. We cannot go with you."

Weasel's sudden appearance made Arya and Jeyne jump. "Why not?"

"Because this is our home, Weasel," Jeyne explained. "It's a good home. Plus, we're protected anyway."

This information caught Arya's attention. The surrounding area being "protected" seemed to explain the serene nature of Jeyne and Willow's home. She turned her head back to Jeyne. "Protected? Care to explain?"

"We've got trade going on with this biker group that operates in the area," she explained. "We give them food and other supplies in exchange for protection. They hate the Brave Companions, so they're alright by me and Willow."

A voice came from inside the kitchen, Willow. "Dinner's ready!"

They ate outside at the picnic table. Willow and Hot Pie had cooked rabbit and fish for everyone, and they ate together. Also present were carrots taken from a small farm the Heddles kept in the backyard. The meal was mostly silent save for the occasional cough or joke and subsequent laugh. Finally, when the meal was over, Arya thanked Jeyne and Willow for their hospitality.

"Arya, I have something for you," Jeyne said afterward. She disappeared into the house and returned with a small circular tool. She held it out for her. "Here."

Arya took it in both hands and observed it closely. "What is it?"

"It's a tourniquet," Jeyne answered. "It stops blood flow if someone gets badly hurt. We have way too many of these things laying around, so I figured you could use one of our excess tourniquets someday. Like if someone were to lose something."

"Thanks, Jeyne."

Jeyne nodded once. "You're welcome."

With that, Arya and the others boarded the RV. Hot Pie was evidently sad to leave Willow, but he seemed to accept that it was a reality he needed to face eventually. With everyone on board, she put the car in reverse and pulled out of the Heddle property, making her way back down the winding drive through the woods.

Driving southeast, Arya held on the wheel as she spoke to Gendry. They had been at the Heddle house for a while, and dusk was beginning to set in.

"Hot Pie seemed to like Willow," Arya commented.

Gendry nodded. "Birds of a feather flock together."

Arya thought back to how Willow was harsh on practically everyone among her and Jeyne's guests except for Hot Pie. Willow had overheard Hot Pie talk about food, and they got to talking about recipes and cooking, and they became fast friends. She also thought back to the two of them making the food for everyone, and they worked together very well. It seemed practically natural.

Arya and everyone else had liked the Heddles very much, and Arya was disappointed that she and the others all had to leave. For a brief moment, a fantasy of the group living with the Heddles flickered through her mind. Willow and Hot Pie could cook together, Weasel could see what it was like to grow up in a safe home, and everyone would pull their weight to help keep everything running. Sure, a wight or hostile person might show up every now and then, but it would still be–

"They're surrounding us!"

Arya became concerned immediately when Weasel started shouting. She put her foot on the brake and slowly stopped the car as she turned around to look back. Weasel, Hot Pie, Lommy, and Edric were crowding around various windows in the RV.

"What's going on?!" Gendry demanded, reaching for his sledgehammer.

"Guys on motorcycles!" Lommy shouted back. "The RV's surrounded!"

Arya finally looked forward, and she saw some of the guys Lommy was talking about starting to reach the front of the RV. Deciding to face the issue head on, Arya stopped the RV and killed the engine. Everyone gathered around Arya.

"What do we do?" Edric asked.

Gendry answered. "Don't do anything stupid–"

"I wasn't asking you!" Edric shot back.

"Everyone shut up!" Arya snapped. She let her statement hang in the air for a moment before she continued speaking. "We don't know who these people are! For all we know, they might want to trade with us or something! We're going out there."

"But Arya–"

Arya didn't give Hot Pie time to protest. "We're going out there! Weasel, you stay inside."

Arya did not forget to grab her machete before exiting the RV with Gendry, Hot Pie, Lommy, and Edric. All of them were armed. By then, several members of the biker group had dismounted their motorcycles and were watching their every move. Arya, tightly gripping the handle of her machete, didn't want any violence to break out. However, she would defend her group if she needed to. She heard several of the men make comments about her group, and she decided to address them herself.

"Who are you people?"

"Then tell us who you are," said a gruff, raspy voice. Its owner sounded like he was almost dead, and said owner came into view when he walked out of a group of bikers. Because of how they parted for him, Arya figured he was their leader. The first things Arya noticed about him were the eyepatch covering his right eye and wooden right leg. He had a large rifle strapped to his back.

"My name is Arya," Arya said. "These are Gendry, Hot Pie, Lommy, and Edric. Now what about you?"

He didn't answer her. Instead, he kept asking questions. "You come through here often?"

"No, we just came from Crossroads," Arya said. "We're headed southeast."

"To Saltpans or Harroway?"

"We don't know yet. Probably Harroway. We've heard some things about Saltpans."

"Brave Companions are holed up in there," the eyeless biker explained. "It's a death wish going into Saltpans right now. Did you say Crossroads?"

Hot Pie spoke instead of Arya. "We just met two people in a big house–"

"Shut up!" Arya demanded.

"WAIT!" the head biker held his hand out to indicate then needing to be silent. "What two people? Were they sisters?"

Hot Pie nodded wildly. "Yeah, Jeyne and Willow."

The man's eye seemed to light up. "Huh! Why didn't you just say so? We do trade with them quite a bit!"

Arya calmed down. It was then she realized that these men were the "biker group" Jeyne had described to her a day ago. In the heat of the moment, she'd forgotten about this specific information.

By the time night came, Arya and the others had (to some extent) gotten to know everyone in what their eyeless leader, Beric Dondarrion, referred to as the "Brotherhood Without Banners". Among Beric, their members consisted of Lem, Thoros, Harwin, Jack, Tom, Notch, Luke, Anguy, Mudge, Dennett, Watty, and Alyn. Currently, Arya was sitting on a fallen log to the right of Beric, and everyone else was gathered around a bonfire, sharing food and talking (except Weasel, who did not speak unless spoken to and Nymeria, who was asleep in the RV). Edric very much seemed to like these men, and Gendry did, too. At this point in her discussion with Beric, they had gotten to the topic of his wooden leg.

"I got this seven months ago," he explained. "We were in a bind down in High Heart. I fell and got bit in the ankle by a wight. If it weren't for Thoros's quick thinking with that chainsaw of his, I'd be a dead man."

"Wait, the infection can be stopped if you cut off an infected limb?"

"Yes," Beric said, nodding. "If you act fast enough."

It was then that Arya and Beric's attention was caught by Thoros approaching them. Arya liked Thoros from the start; he was a genial man who was willing to talk and share food. Thoros, noticing Arya, cleared his throat before speaking.

"Arya, right?"

Arya nodded. "Yes."

"Mind if I sit?"

"No, I don't care."

Thoros sat down on a tire nearby. He crossed his arms and faced Arya. "So tell me: where are your families? I already guessed that the little girl is your child, but–"

Alarmed, Arya spoke up. "No, Weasel isn't my–"

"My apologies." Thoros put a hand up. "I just guessed she was yours."

Though the misunderstanding had been cleared up, it made Arya think. Out of everyone in the group, Weasel had been mostly attached to her. Whether she realized it or not before, Arya now came to understand that Weasel likely viewed her as a maternal figure. It made sense to her. After all, in the beginning, Arya had been the one to take care of Weasel the most, and Weasel only really spoke to Arya out of everyone else.

"So what about your families?" Thoros asked. "I'm very curious, and I couldn't get any information out of any of your friends over there."

"All of our families are long gone," Arya answered. "But… honestly? I still have hope some family of mine is out there somewhere. Have… have any of you come across some people with auburn hair? One of them's a tall girl, one of them is in a wheelchair, and one's a little boy. There's another with dark hair and gray eyes. They might have been around White Harbor up north."

Beric and Thoros shared a glance. Beric spoke first. "You remember anyone like that, Thoros? Sorry, after I took that fall back in Stone Mill, my memory hasn't been as good. I know you never forget a face."

Thoros sat and pondered for a moment. He took a deep breath and then answered. "No, we haven't encountered anyone who meets that description. Sorry, Arya."

Arya hated to hear that. She was hopeful that the Brotherhood Without Banners would provide some information regarding the whereabouts of Sansa, Bran, Rickon, and Jon, but they couldn't. Though she didn't show it on her face, it inwardly killed her a little more.

The next morning, each group began to prepare to leave. As Arya helped Hot Pie carry the supplies the Brotherhood gave them into the RV, she noticed that Gendry and Edric, for once, were not arguing or making very aggressive gestures at each other. After she put the supplies away, she decided to go to them.

"What's this all about?" Arya asked.

"I'm leaving with the Brotherhood," Edric asked. "I was going to tell you in a little while, but I talked it over with Beric, and he's fine with another helping hand."

It was then that Hot Pie, who was nearby and noticed, nudged Lommy to get his attention. He pointed to Arya, Gendry, and Edric, and they approached. Even Weasel poked her head out of the RV and followed them over.

"What's going on?" Hot Pie asked when he got over there.

"Edric's leaving to join Beric," Arya answered.

Hot Pie and Lommy's eyes widened. A chorus of "What?" came from them, and they looked at Edric, obviously desiring an explanation.

"It needed to be done," Edric said. "I can't be in this group anymore."

A short while later, all were quiet as Beric addressed Edric. Beric brought everyone up to speed as he explained that Edric would be joining the Brotherhood Without Banners. When he was finished, he faced the remaining people in Arya's group. "Would anyone else like to join us?"

Much to Arya's great surprise and disappointment, Gendry stepped forward. "I will."

Arya couldn't help but comment. "What?"

"I have to, Arya. Edric and I talked it over, and we figured we need to put this Elmar thing to rest. We figured we need to work together. And, admittedly, you've done a better job of leading this group than I ever could. You're in charge now, Arya. I'm gone."

Arya didn't like this at all. Gendry had been with her since day one, and while she did indeed do well leading a group, it would not be the same without him being there. Now that she had been promoted to the position of leader, she was in shock.

He's leaving m–US.

Arya took a deep breath and sighed it back out. "Okay… fine. I'm… I'm the leader now. Goodbye, you guys…"

They left afterward, Gendry and Edric going one way with the Brotherhood Without Banners while Arya and the others went the other in the RV.

"Where to, boss?"

Lommy asked Arya that question a day later. While continuing southeast, they had stopped for the rest of the day to hunt, and Lommy had been referring to Arya as "boss" ever since Gendry left and put her in charge. It didn't bother her, but it weirded her out; Gendry had never been referred to as "boss" by anyone before.

"I don't know yet, Lommy," Arya answered, still feeling hurt that Gendry had left them. "We're just going to keep going."

Weasel, sitting next to Arya, flipped through the pages of the road atlas. She was getting better at reading it, and it took her a less amount of time to find out where they were heading towards next.

"Okay," she said, "we're approaching a split in the road. If we go north, we'll be in Saltpans. If we go south, we'll be in Harroway."

"Harroway it is, then," Arya said, mentally reminding herself to take the turn to head to Harroway.

Arya remembered Beric and Jeyne's statements about Saltpans being compromised by the Brave Companions. If they were anything like what they had described–or even worse–Arya wanted none of what they handed out and or took part in. It also made her think: would Harroway be less safe? Was there a community around there? Was it wight infested like Fairmarket? Did the Brave Companions go through there?

Well, she thought, only one way to find out.

After about ten minutes, they reached the crossroads. Two green signs were before the RV. To the left, there was one reading "Saltpans". To the right, there was one reading "Harroway". Arya turned right and began to venture south.