ARYA AND BRAN

ARYA

Memories of Joffrey lying on his back begging for his life often put a smile on Arya's face. For a long time she blamed her sister for what happened on the King's Road and was very angry with her. She had to let that anger go considering the current state of her family. Things were going well, without her mother there to object her father the Hand of the King Lord Eddard Stark had hired a sword master from Braavos to teach Arya how to use a sword. Everyday she trained with him. Sometimes he gave her weird exercises like chasing cats or standing on one foot. Sometimes Bran would come and train with her.

Then everything fell apart. Lord Stark had decided to send his daughters home; Sansa had vehemently objected. Bran would stay in the capital. On the day they were to leave Arya is with Syrio Ferrel when Ser Mandon Moore came to fetch her. When Syrion demanded to know why Lord Stark would send them and not his own men a fight broke out. Arya ran off on Syrio's orders chanting, "Not today!" As she ran. She found her father's men dead in the courtyard of the Hand's tower. When a stable boy tried to take her prisoner Arya stabbed with her sword needle which she found. She eventually escaped the Red Keep running from shadow to shadow always hiding from the city watch and Lannister guards.

Three days later she is running through alley when she hears her name, "Arya!"

Recognizing the voice she stops, "Bran!" They run towards each other and hug.

"How did you get away?" They say at the same time and laugh.

"You first..." Bran says.

"I was with Syrio when they came. He wouldn't allow them to take me and told me to run. I found needle and our father's men dead. How did you escape?"

"I was locked in room in the Tower, but I escaped by climbing out the window..."

They start walking, "Come I have a place to hide..." Arya leads Bran to the catacombs.

"The Targaryens built these tunnels..." Bran says.

"I found them exploring the city...There is one that goes all the way to the Red Keep."

"You got any food?" Arya unwraps a loaf of bread and gives Bran a piece. "Where did you get this?" He asks after taking a bite.

"Stole it from a cart in the market...I'm too fast for the White Cloaks to catch..."

"We have to get out of the city..."

"How?"

He hunches his shoulders, "Between the two of us we can escape..."

"What about Sansa?"

"I climbed up to her room, she is too scared and won't come with me..."

Arya sighs, "We'll have to leave her here...Or can you get to Joffrey's room..."

"Why?"

"We can hold him hostage until they let Sansa go..."

"How are we going to get Joffrey out of his room without the guards knowing..."

"Joffrey is a coward...You bested him with a sword at Winterfell...I could probably beat him."

Bran shakes his head, "Its too risky..." Bran finishes the bread, "Do you have any more?"

"This is for me..." The next morning before Bran wakes up, Arya leaves to steal more food. She returns with four apples, another loaf of bread and some sausages.

"You could have let me come with you."

"You would have gotten caught. Besides I am faster than you..." She pulls out a mask she made from a shirt, "And I have this."

Bran takes it and laughs causing Arya to laugh as well, "You think they will hurt father?" He asks growing serious.

"They had better not..."

A week had passed since the Stark men were killed and Eddard Stark arrested. When Arya returns with food Bran is gone. She decides to wait until he returns. When Arya gets tired of waiting she decides to try and find him. "Arya!" He calls just before she is about to leave.

"Where have you been?"

"I went back to the Red Keep to see what I can find out..."

"You could have been caught or followed..."

"Well I wasn't! Now do you want to know what I learned?"

"Sure..."

"Father had been arrested for treason..."

"Treason! That is a filthy lie!"

"I know...They accuse him of trying to take the throne from Joffrey..." They sit down and eat some of the food Arya stole.

"Is that all?"

"Robb has called his banners...Stannis and Renly claim to be the King and there is a rumor that Joffrey along with his brother and sister are bastards..." Arya bites her lip, "You think its true?"

"Got to be. Why else would they arrest father, but to keep him quiet..."

Three weeks pass and Arya is out once again. She does her stealing in different parts of the city and she always wears her mask. She is walking through the streets ear the Street of sisters when people start running. "What's happening?"

"They're taking him to the Sept of Baelor to confess..."

"Who?"

"The Hand of the King..."

Arya wants to go and fetch Bran, but she decides to go to the Sept. When she arrives people are throwing things at her father as they lead him to the Steps of the Sept. Arya climbs onto the large base of Baelor's statue to get a good look. Her heart sinks at seeing the condition of her father. Sansa is standing by the Queen. "I Eddard Stark former Hand to King Robert confess my crimes before gods and men. I did plot with Robert's brothers to take the Iron Throne from his son Prince Joffrey...He is the rightful King of the Andels and the First Men...The Protector of the Realm...Lord of the Seven Kingdoms...I ask the gods to have mercy on me and I beg their forgiveness..."

"This man has confessed...Your Grace...How shall you judge him..."

Joffrey raises his hands, "My mother and my intended wish me to show mercy...But a King must be strong and made of steel...Mercy is for women...I command that you bring me his head!"

In that moment Arya sees red and wishes she could turn back time to that day on the river and kill the bastard. She jumps off the statue and tries to get to her father. But before she can make it a man grabs her. "Let me go!"

"You look at me boy...Look at me and be quiet boy!"

Arya can hear the people cheer and can only guess that by there reactions her father is dead. The man takes her to an alley, "You are coming with me boy!" He says in a loud voice.

"Let me go!"

"Be quiet boy!"

"I'm not a boy!"

"You are a boy and you are coming with me North...You are joining the Night's Watch...You got me boy!"

"Who are you?"

"You don't recognize me? My name is Yoren…"

"I remember I think..." Arya says as the sound of his voice triggers the memories. "What about my brother..."

Bran jumps when he spots a man with Arya, "It's okay he knows father..."

Bran starts laughing, "What happened to your hair..."

She pushes him to the ground, "Enough of that...I cut her hair to make her look like a boy...Now the two of you are coming with me..."

"Wait I have to tell him..."

BRAN

Men are supposed to hard and tough, nothing is supposed to hurt them. Eddard Stark was the toughest, strongest, man Bran ever knew. He wants nothing more than to climb the Red Keep to Joffrey's room and kill the bastard. He follows Yoren to the cells where the new recruits for the Watch are waiting. He and Arya are holding hands as they follow Yoren.

"Look these two are lovers..." A fat boy says.

Bran goes into a rage and kicks the boy in the groin. Down he goes, then he looks at the other boy who is a little younger than Bran and punches him in the face. He is about to punch him again, when a large older boy with black hair grabs his wrist. "I think he has had enough..."

"You want some as well..."

"Brannon calm down..." Arya says.

"I'm Ari and this is my brother...Our father just died and well...We would rather join the watch than be in a stinking orphanage..."

"Gendry is my name...Who was your father?"

"His name was Ben...He was fisherman..."

"Come on you lazy whores!" Yoren yells, "Its a thousand leagues to the wall and Winter is Coming!"

Bran walks with a blank stare, his emotions are all over. "Are you alright?" Ari/Arya asks. Yoren had come up with their names as they travel.

He ignores her and keeps walking. Later when they stop to rest Gendry walks up to Brannon who is sitting on a log, "At least you knew your father...Imma bastard never knew my father and my mother she died when I was seven..."

Brannon looks at him, "How did you wind up working as a Blacksmith's apprentice?"

"This man came to me after my mother died and took me to Tobho Mott...Paid for everything he did..."

That night Bran dreams of a curly haired boy with the attire of a Crannogman. Then he sees a three eyed raven. "I will find you Brandon Stark..."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Jojen…"

The next day they continue on heading up the King's Road. Whenever Arya has to relieve herself Brannon stands guard to make sure no one sees or bothers her. One night Bran is lying in the corner crying when he hears his sister talking to Yoren. He gets up and walks over to them, "...I saw William again many years later. And I got my revenge...I buried my axe so deep into his head that they had to bury him with it. Then I joined the Watch...The laws of men and Kings can't touch you when you join the watch..." He looks up, "Can't sleep..."

"No..."

"Sit!"

Eventually he falls asleep leaning on Yoren and dreams...

Bran sees Winterfell and in his dream he sees the sea rise up and flood his home. He sees Ser Rodrick floating in the water face down with two boys and many others. Then he sees a great fire consume his home. Then there is a roar and the shadow a Dragon passes over Winterfell. After the shadow passes Winterfell is whole again...

A few days later Yoren's company is refreshing themselves by the river when Gold Cloaks ride up. "What you lot want? You're a long way from home..."

Bran and Arya hide by the small bridge when they see the gold cloaks. "We have a warrant from the King for a boy named Gendry...He carries a Bull's head helm."

"This lot is for the Watch...King has no power over these men..."

"I have a writ for that as well...King Joffrey has orders that all these men heading for the wall disband...He has cut off all support to the Watch..."

"Fuck off..." Before he can draw his sword Yoren draws his dagger, "Now you can die carrying out the King's orders or you can live and go back to King's Landing and say we couldn't find him..."

"I'll remember you..."

"And I will remember you..."

"Why are they after you?" Arri asks.

"Don't know...Why did the two of you hide?"

"We weren't hiding?" Arya replies.

"Yeah! We were getting ready in case they attacked..."

Gendry looks at them, "For Highborn the two of you do well with sleeping on the ground and going days without bathing..."

"We're not high born." Bran protests.

"Yeah and I suppose you'll tell me he ain't no girl?"

"I'm not a girl!"

Gendry looks at her, "Oh yeah then show me your cock..." They look at each other, "Just what I thought...You are a girl and he fights to well to be low born; the two of you talk too proper...I say Highborn."

"Wait...You can't tell anyone..."

"No of course not...Do I look like a rat..."

As they lay down to sleep Arya whispers names and Bran imagines cutting off Joffrey's head. Then a horn sounds, Yoren runs up to them, "If something happens to me the two of you run North and don't look back..."

The Gold Cloaks from earlier return and they have Lannister men with them. A fight breaks out, "What are you doing?" Bran asks.

"We have to help!" Arya replies. A man runs up to them, but Arya stabs him with Needle. Bran takes a short sword, but in the confusion he is separated from Arya and runs into the woods. Bran is all alone now and climbs into a tree and waits. A few minutes later three men come by looking around.

"I swear I saw someone come this way..."

"Maybe they're dead."

"Fuck it...come on...lets head back."

Bran stays in the tree until morning and then climbs down and goes looking for Arya. He spends half the day searching for her and only finds the bodies of Lomi Greenhands, Yoren, and few others. Arya is not among the dead. Bran turns North and walks until he can't anymore. He climbs into a tree and falls asleep. He manages to catch a fish with his hands and cooks it over a fire. After three days Bran hides in a tree and watches as Tyrion Lannister leads a large group of men through the Riverlands. When he is sure they are gone he climbs down only to be captured by two stragglers.

One is shot in the head by an arrow Bran uses the distraction to step on the Hillman's foot. Then he takes a dagger and plunges it into his gut. The man uses the last of his strength to grab Bran by the neck and that is when an arrow strikes him in the head. The boy from Bran's dream appears with a girl. "Hello Brandon Stark..."

"You! You're Jojen!"

"Yes I am...This is my sister Meera. We have come to help you reach your destiny..."

"My Destiny..."

"The three eyed Raven from your dreams...It is your Destiny..."

"My sister..."

"Has her own destiny ahead of her...Do not worry she will be fine and the two of you will see each other again, but not for a long time..."

"How do you know?"

Jojen smiles, "I have the sight...I can see things before they happen...And so do you...Only you are more powerful than I will ever be..."

"I don't understand..."

"You will...Now come with is..."