~:The Depths Of Despair:~
Anguy led Arya into one of the many maller side caves where Thoros of Myr was lying down asleep on a matress of dry hay. He looked as if he had been getting drunk on wine, cheap wine by the smell of him. Anguy leaned down and swiped the wine bottle from under his arm. "You've had enough of that for one day. The little lady has come to see you." He said as he looked over to her.
Arya frowned as she hated being called little almost as much as she hated being called a lady, but a little lady! She somehow held her tongue as Thoros peeked past Anguy and tried to focus on her as he woke from his drunken sleep. "It seems our paths have crossed again girl, a pleasure as always." He bowed his head slightly before stumbling to his feet.
Arya was annoyed and in no mood for his drunken pleasantries. "Where's my mother?" She asked sharply, glaring at him in disgust.
Thoros sat and signalled for her to sit too.
"I don't want to sit, I want to see my mother, NOW!" She demanded, crossing her arms across her chest as her patience wore even more thin.
Thoros scratched his head as Anguy led her over to sit by Thoros. "You should sit. What Thoros has to say won't be easy for you to hear." He told her, trying to calm her down.
Arya reluctantly agreed and sat before Anguy left them to talk alone. "Where is my mother?" Arya asked him again, with a little less sting in her voice this time.
Thoros seemed to be coming around a little. "You know, for a highborn lady you're not very polite." He grinned at her, showing his slightly crooked teeth.
Arya shoved him and pulled her face a little as she was starting to get annoyed with him again. She really wanted to punch him, but she was still feeling quite weak so decided against it.
"Didn't the honorable Lord Eddard Stark teach you any manners in Winterfell?" He continued, trying to get a rise from her.
Arya groaned in frustration and shoved him again "Stop playing games, where is my mother?" Arya asked him again, as she tried not to further lose her temper with him.
It was no use though, she couldn't hold back any longer and went to slap him across the face. He saw it coming though and caught her by her slender wrist, holding it firmly as he shook his head. "I'm sorry my lady, but your mother is dead." He said before letting her wrist go.
"I know that she's dead, she's Lady Stoneheart now." Arya replied, looking at him as if he was stupid. "Where is she?" She stood, ready to walk out if he didn't stop messing her around.
Thoros shook his head. "You don't seem to understand. Your mother or Lady Stoneheart is dead...again." They looked at each other for a few moments as Arya took in what he had said.
"She told me that if I killed Ser Jaime it might give her peace, I guess it did, didn't it?" She asked him glumly. She was glad that her mother was at peace now, but had hoped to see her again at the same time. Arya didn't know if she felt happy or sad, she didn't know how she felt.
"Your mother was pleased to hear of Jaime Lannister's death." Thoros looked at her and shook his head slowly. "But, I'm afraid the Kingslayer's death didn't give your mother the peace that she sought."
Arya glared at him, growing tired of him not telling her the truth of the situation. She knew that there was more, but was almost afraid to ask. "So how did she die, this time?" She stood and looked away from him with her arms folded, trying to hide her face as tears had started to trickle down her grubby cheeks. She didn't want to look craven in front of him, but losing her mother for the second time was almost too much.
Thoros took a cup and poured some water from a flagon and handed it to her before pouring one for himself and sitting again. "A few nights ago your direwolf was very restless and fled from our hideout. She's never once acted like that since we found her, so we knew that something was wrong."
"What has this got to do with my mother dying?" Arya asked impatiently before taking a sip of her water. It was a little warm, but it tasted good.
"Hear me out girl and I'll answer any questions after. I swear it by the old gods and the new." He took another sip of his water as Arya nodded.
"Your mother ordered us to track down your direwolf, knowing that she would lead us to you. It was the damndest thing I ever saw, seeing you riding on the back of that beast of yours. Made a real mess of the Kingslayer too Anguy tells me."
Arya smiled a little, remembering what Nymeria had done to Jaime Lannister. 'I should have just shot him' She thought to herself, knowing that her anger had gotten the better of her. 'I'm so stupid!'
"Anyway, when we found you, you were in a real bad way. We patched you up as best as we could but it wasn't enough." Thoros continued.
Arya turned to face him, she didn't understand. "What do you mean it wasn't enough? I'm still alive."
Thoros took a deep drink of his water, trying to sober up a little more before continuing. "You should have died girl." He looked at her, raising his eyebrows slightly and pausing for a moment before continuing. "You would died have if it wasn't for your mother."
Arya looked at him in horror, her heart pounding in her chest. "Seven Hells!? You bought me back didn't you?" She asked, fearing the worst.
Thoros shook his head. "Not quite. I didn't bring you back because you never actually died." He paused for a moment to let her take it in what he was saying before continuing. "Your mother gave her life to save yours before you died from your injury. She didn't want you to be like her, to be like she was."
Arya's legs suddenly felt weak under her and she leaned against the side of the cave for support. "It's my fault. Why did I try to get him to confess? I should have just put an arrow through his heart instead of trying to kill him the honorable way. I'm so stupid." She fought back the tears as her anger started to build up inside her, her wolf blood boiling.
"You couldn't have known. Your mother was happy to give her life to save yours." Thoros said trying to calm her, but it didn't work.
Arya couldn't take anymore and ran out into the main cave and over to Nymeria. Nymeria sat up as Arya knelt in front of her to hug her. After a few moments she stood and walked over to a dark corner and sat, hugging her knees as she cried.
Anguy approached her and crouched next to her, placing his hand on her slender shoulder. "I'm so sorry Arya." He paused for a few moments as Arya wiped her eyes and then turned to face him. He stroked Nymeria's thick grey fur as he stood next to her direwolf which had followed her.
"Your mother insisted. Most stubborn woman I ever met." Thoros added as he joined them.
Arya knew they spoke the truth. Her mother would have done anything for her, for any of her true born children. "Where is she? I want to see her." She asked Anguy as she wiped the last of the tears from her grey Stark eyes.
"I'll show you to her grave. Beautiful spot, it's not far." He smiled at her, hoping to comfort her a little.
She nodded and walked with him as he led her out of the cave and a little way down a grassy slope towards the nearby stream. "We would have waited for you, for the funeral, but we didn't know how long you would be unconscious for." He told her as he showed her to where a grave was marked underneath a large oak tree. It really was a beautiful, peaceful spot.
"It's ok, I understand." She said as she looked down at her mothers grave. "At least I get to say goodbye this time." She smiled faintly at him.
"I'll leave you in peace. I'll see you back at the hideout, ok?" He ruffled her messy hair and smiled.
"Yeah." Arya smiled bravely back at him, though inside she was hurting.
When Thoros had left her, she sat by her mothers grave and picked up a handful of dirt and squeezed it so it squished out between her fingers. 'This is all my fault. Why didn't I just shoot him?' She asked herself again, feeling angry at herself. She threw the rest of the dirt towards the stream in anger. 'At least you're at peace now I suppose. And Jaime Lannister is dead' She thought to herself, trying to console herself as she felt the ugly scar across her slender stomach.
"It's a beautiful spot mother you would have loved it. By the stream with a tree for shelter for when it rains or if the sun gets too hot." She laughed softly. "Sansa would love it too, she would always turn red from the slightest bit of sun, but not me." Arya looked at the grave and sighed. "As soon as I have my strength back I'll make the Frey's pay I swear it." She stood and slowly made her way back to the hideout, deep in thought.
Over the next few days Arya slowly started to slowly regain her lost strength. She gradually ate more as her appetite returned and she also slept a lot more than usual. She kept to herself mostly, not wishing to get too close to any of the brotherhood. She would talk to Anguy occasionally but he was often out tracking Frey soldiers or on other Brotherhood, hunting or trading. At least Nymeria stayed by her side, except at night when she went off hunting. Arya hoped that she would have another wolf dream, but apart from a few brief flashes she only had dreamless nights.
One cold morning she woke early and was pleased to see that Nymeria had returned from her hunt. Looking around she could see that the rest of the brotherhood were either still asleep or out hunting so the hideout was quiet. This was the perfect moment she thought as she made her way quietly to the armory. She picked out a new shortsword because she had lost the one she had used to fight Jaime Lannister with. She also picked up a new shortbow and a quiver of arrows.
After her injury she decided that a few bits of light leather armor might also help. She looked for a few moments before she settled on some brown leather shin and wrist guards as well as a sleeveless vest. It was far too big for her, but she could always cut it to size and alter it as she saw fit. She also took a rough leather helm and some worn leather gloves which were also too big for her, but she had plans for those as well. 'Maybe my needlework lessons will come in handy after all' She thought with a little smile, remembering back to her lessons with Septa Mordane.
Over the next few weeks she spent her time piecing together her new armor. It would help to pass the time as she regained her strength and took her mind off the loss of her mother. It also gave her time to think things over.
First she cut the fingers off at the knuckle from the gloves and adjusted the size to fit her hands. Next, she extended the wrist guards with a few scraps of leather that she had cut from the leather vest so that they would cover her forearms up to the elbow.
She also adjusted the shin guards to fit her as well as the leather vest. The tricky part was stitching it all together. She took some study breeches and adjusted them so that they were fairly tight fitting. She stitched some thigh guards made from more off cuts of the leather vest onto the inside of the breeches, as well as adding the shin guards to fit her skinny legs. After several attempts she made it so that it felt like she wasn't wearing any armor at all.
She then adjusted her top so that was also tighter fitting, before stitching in the leather vest which she had cut into strips to allow for better movement. She then stitched in the extended wrist guards and added some protection for her upper arms too with a few more scraps of the leather off cuts.
Finally she cut the hood off her cape and cut the leather helm to size and then into strips. She then stitched the leather strips onto the inside of the hood and attached the hood to her top. It looked a bit patchwork, but it was comfy and light and she could still move swiftly and silently in it which was the most important thing. 'Maybe I could dye it if I get chance?' She thought to herself as she pulled her hood up to inspect herself in a broken silver looking glass. She couldn't help but wonder what Septa Mordane would think of her stitches. No doubt she would say that they were crooked and diapprove.
Anguy walked over and nodded in approval. "Not bad." He said as he walked around her, inspecting her work. "It suits you Little Wolf."
Arya smiled up at him feeling proud of her needlework. "It won't stop an axe or an arrow but it should protect me from lighter blows and cuts." She moved around a little to test it a little more, stretching and twisting. It didn't feel like armor at all, it was a perfect fit for her and still light enough to be 'as fast as a snake' and 'as quiet as a shadow'
Anguy nodded in agreement before going back to the men to talk. Some were deep in their cups while the others were preparing to go on a hunt.
Arya made her way out of the hideout to her mothers grave to lay a yellow flower on it. Nymeria followed behind her and stood watching her. After a few moments and a silent prayer she turned and approached Nymeria to stroke her thick grey fur. "Let's hunt some Freys." She said as she climbed up onto Nymeria's back. Nymeria didn't seem to mind at all and started to walk off into the woods with Arya swaying on her back as she walked.
After two days of heading north towards The Twins they spotted three Frey soldiers and followed them at a distance. They were easy enough to spot with their green jerkins. With Nymeria's help Arya knew that she could probably take them out. After thinking it over Arya decided it would be best to follow them and attack them after they had made camp, hopefully catching them off guard. If she could catch them by surprise she could easily kill all three of them with Nymeria's help.
After tracking them at a distance for a few hours they stopped and one of the guards headed off into the woods away from the other two. Seeing her opportunity Arya hopped off Nymeria's back and trailed after him. She saw that he had stopped to make his water after drinking too much wine or ale.
Arya readied her bow, took aim and put an arrow into his back and through his heart. The Frey soldier clutched at the arrow which was sticking out of the front of his chest and tried to cry out for help, but only for a few seconds before another arrow sunk into the back of his head and out between his eyes. 'Valar morghulis' Arya muttered to herself with a satisfied grin on her face. It felt good to kill a Frey and she hoped that he would be the first of many.
Arya crouched low as she saw the other Frey soldiers run over to investigate. She saw that one of them carried a crossbow. Her patchwork armor wouldn't be able to stop a crossbow bolt, she knew that she would have to be careful. She stayed low and signalled for Nymeria to leave her. Because of the special bond that they shared Nymeria must have known what Arya was thinking and moved away silently through the trees to circle around behind the two remaining soldiers. Hunting in a pack was easy!
Suddenly the two Frey soldiers turned away from Arya having heard something approaching them from behind. Arya knew that this was her opportunity and stood. She quickly took aim and shot the Frey soldier that was carrying the crossbow in the back of the neck. He fell to the ground clutching at his neck, he was done. The remaining soldier quickly turned to face her before spotting her and running.
Arya gave chase. Even in her new patchwork armor she could easily keep up with him. When she finally had a clear view of him she stopped, quickly took aim and shot him in the left thigh.
The soldier fell clumsily to the floor, clutching at his wounded leg and groaning in pain. Somehow he managed to get back up to his feet as she approached and tried to hobble away, dragging his wounded leg which was pouring with blood. But it was no use. "Please, mercy." He begged her as he tried to get away.
Arya took aim again and put an arrow into his right thigh this time. She heard his bone shatter as the arrow passed right through his leg.
The Frey soldier dropped to his knees and groaned in agony, he was going nowhere.
Arya notched another arrow as she approached and stood in front of him a few feet away, aiming between his eyes.
"Please...don't, whoever you are. I didn't do anything, please." He begged.
Arya stayed silent and gave him a cold stare before releasing her arrow. Putting it through his forehead and out the back of his skull. "Valar morghulis." She whispered as Nymeria came to join her, sniffing at the dead Frey soldier.
Arya checked the Frey soldiers to see if they had anything of use and to relieve them of their coinpurses, not that they had much coin. A few silver stags and a handful of copper stars between them. Arya knew that it would be dark in a few hours, the days were getting shorter and the nights longer, so she wanted a proper bed to sleep in tonight. The nights were definitely getting colder too and she still wasn't at full strength yet. She climbed up onto Nymeria's back and set off towards the Inn of the Kneeling Man.
When they were near to the inn she dismounted and made sure that nobody could see before slowly pulling her hand down over her face as she thought of the blonde girl to change her face to Jayne Snow. Arya then knelt in front of Nymeria. "Go on girl, go and hunt." She told her and smiled.
Nymeria snarled, showing her large sharp teeth before bounding off into the woods.
After Nymeria had left, Jayne made her way to the inn and went inside. She paid for a room with a few of the copper stars that she had taken form the dead Frey soldiers and ordered a meat pie before going to sit in the corner, away from any prying eyes.
Arya was happy to see Hot Pie waddle over and place her meat pie in front of her, it steamed and smelled good. He then sat opposite her and smiled. "Hello again, Jayne." He winked, trying to be discreet.
"It's good to see you again Hot Pie." She smiled at him, pleased to see that he was doing ok.
He leaned over so they could talk quietly. "Heard all kinds of interesting things been going on since you left. The Kingslayer murdered, Lady Stoneheart disappearing..."
Jayne gave him a little nod before biting into her meat pie. The warm thick gravy dripped down her chin and spilled a little onto her top but she didn't care, she was hungry after a day of hunting Freys. She could almost hear Gendry saying. 'That's not very ladylike m'lady' and had to smile. "Yes, a lot has happened." She smiled at Hot Pie after wiping her mouth on her already grubby sleeve. "What else have you heard?" She asked him, hoping to find out more.
Hot Pie leaned forward so that they could talk really quiet, almost whispering. "I hear old Walder Frey is the Lord of Riverrun now as a reward for what happened at the Red Wedding."
Jayne looked at him as she finished off her meat pie, washing it down with some water. Lord Walder was on her list and Riverrun was her grandsire Hoster Tully's seat, not Walder Frey's. Although she had never met her grandsire she knew how much he meant to her mother and she wanted revenge for them both and a little for herself too.
Arya wanted all of the Frey's to pay for what had happened at the Red Wedding. They had murdered her mother and brother, Grey Wind too. But Walder Frey was the one that she wanted to kill the most. This was an opportunity that she could not pass up. "Thank you Hot Pie." She said smiling at him as she stood. "I'm sorry I can't talk more I need to rest, I'm quite tired."
"It's ok, I'm just pleased to see you again." Hot Pie said as he stood and smiled back before going back to work.
After making her way up to her room, she locked the door and took off her patchwork armor before getting into her creaky bed. She looked up at the ceiling thinking of her mother as she felt the scar across her slender stomach with her fingertips. The thought of how she had died and what she had become made her angry.
Her thoughts then turned to her brother Robb and his direwolf Grey Wind. The thought of what they had done to them still scarred her. After whispering her death prayer she soon fell asleep. 'Queen Cersei, Walder Frey...'
Arya sat next to her mother and watched as Sansa posed proudly in her new dress. It was a beautiful, deep blue wool dress and Arya couldn't help but feel a little envious of her older sister. Arya thought that Sansa looked so elegant, just as a highborn lady should be.
"How does it look?" Sansa asked their mother and Septa Mordane who was also looking on.
"It looks stupid." Arya butted in rudely before either of them could answer, before pulling a face at her older sister and trying to get a reaction out of her. They had fought so often lately that Arya just couldn't help herself, even though she knew that she would get into trouble for it/
Sansa glared back at Arya in disgust.
Their mother looked at her too, clearly a little annoyed. "Arya that is no way to speak about your sister."
"And it is most unladylike to interrupt like that." Septa Mordane added with a scowl.
Arya gently chewed her lower lip and frowned, feeling a little frustrated. While her sister had got a new dress especially made for her, Arya had to make do with one of Sansa's old ones that she had outgrown. This old dress was being adjusted to fit her as it was too big, but it wasn't the same as getting a new dress. "But why does she get a new dress and I have to have one of her old ones? It's not fair. I want a new dress too." Arya complained, feeling hard done by. In truthe, Arya didn't really like wearing dresses, but if Sansa had a new dress, she should have a new dress too.
Sansa was clearly grinning at Arya, though she tried to hide it. "Maybe if you didn't act like such a little beast all the time you would get a new dress."
A look and a raised eyebrow from Septa Mordane was enough to make Sansa stop grinning, much to Arya's amusement.
"Arya if you kept your clothes nice you could have a new dress like your sister." Her mother said as she smiled at her, trying to reason with her.
Arya still felt hard done by and still didn't think it was fair.
"Yes, you should act more like a lady instead of an urchin, rolling around in the mud, wrestling with the boys and climbing tress." Her sister added.
"Lady Sansa!" Septa Mordane said with a sharp tongue, clearly disappointed with her behavior.
Arya felt happy to see her sister being scolded instead of her for a change and couldn't help but smile at her sister.
"Arya you can't have a new dress until you learn to look after your things." Her mother said firmly. "Most of your dresses are ruined or ripped."
Arya knew that it was no use arguing and folded her arms, frowning.
The next morning Arya woke early and thought things over as she dressed, ulling on her patchwork armor. She still felt angry and her wolfblood boiled. She had achieved her mission at the Eyrie and reunited with Nymeria as she was ordered to by Master Paege, but meeting Lady Stoneheart had changed everything. The Frey's had to pay for what had happened at the red wedding, especially Lord Walder. Her mind was made up, she wasn't going to return to Braavos and the House of Black and White until Lord Walder lay dead by her hand.
She left her room and quietly left the inn behind, making her way to Riverrun. There was no sign of Nymeria but Arya wasn't concerned, she knew that Nymeria would find her again. When she was out of sight of the inn she pulled her hand down over her face to change back to her own. Jayne Snow might be wanted in Riverrun after she had murdered the Lannister guard and she wanted to remain undetected if she could.
By noon she was well on her way towards Riverrun when Nymeria finally appeared from the trees. Her mouth was still red from the blood of her last kill. "Looks like you've been having fun." Arya said as she hopped onto her direwolf's back, gripping gently onto her thick grey fur.
After a few more hours had passed they came to where she had confronted Jaime Lannister, she knew that Riverrun was close. She dismounted and scratched behind Nymeria's ears. "You can't go where I'm going, not this time." She told her loyal direwolf. "Go, hunt. Build your strength up, we have a long journey ahead of us soon." Arya stepped back and smiled proudly at her loyal direwolf before watching Nymeria run off into the trees. She would have to go on foot from here, but she knew that it wasn't far.
A few hours later she was in sight of Riverrun.
"So you're the wolf girl. The one we've been looking for." A strange voice said from behind her. She quickly spun and drew her short sword to see a scruffy Frey soldier approaching.
"Killing Frey soldiers is punishable by death in these parts little lady." Said another, slightly taller Frey soldier who had stepped out of the trees to her left.
Arya knew that she was in trouble and quickly took a defensive pose, a Water Dancer's pose. "I don't know what you're talking about" She protested.
"But you do, we all saw your direwolf...Arya Stark." Said a third Frey soldier.
Arya glanced to her right to see a third Frey soldier appear from the trees. He looked a little fat to be a soldier but he carried a mean looking axe and Arya didn't doubt that he knew how to use it.
She quickly stepped forward 'as fast as a snake', slashing high and then low at the scruffy Frey soldier before the second, taller one circled behind her. She spun to face him but the third soldier hit her hard the back of the head with the flat of his axe. She fell face down into the dirt, dropping her short sword and almost losing consciousness.
Between them the three guards bound her grubby hands behind her back before roughly lifting her back to her feet. "Lucky for you Lord Walder wants us to take you alive." The scruffy soldier said as he shoved her sharply in the back.
"He has big plans for you." The taller soldier laughed as they started to walk towards Riverrun.
Arya's heart sank, she could only imagine the things that Walder Frey had planned for her.