~:The Journey Begins:~
Arya's mind was racing as she picked up Needle and slid it carefully into her leather belt. She had so much to plan before setting off on her new mission, she almost didn't know where to start. "So, a girl is heading out on another mission." Arya quickly spun around to see Syrio standing in the door to her chamber, holding a wooden box.
"Yes, I have to leave as soon as possible, there's no time to waste." She replied, looking a little overwhelmed by it all. She was really pleased to see Syrio though, he had always seen her right in the past.
"Ah, just so. Syrio knows of your mission girl, he has faith that you will succeed." He paused for a moment before entering her chamber and carefully placing the wooden box onto her bed. "A gift if you will permit me." He said as he took a small step back, smiling at her.
Arya smiled back at him happily, she liked receiving gifts. It was the first gift that she had received since Jon gave her Needle back in Winterfell, other than the small wooden horse that Robert had given her before leaving the House of Black and White.
She stood in front of the wooden box and slowly lifted the lid to look inside. "Armor?" She asked as she picked up the plain leather top to inspect it. It felt soft and supple, unlike any armor she had seen before.
"Just so. This is the armor of a Water Dancer. Light and flexible to keep you nimble on your feet, but plain to look at to stop any unwanted attention for a faceless lady, yes?"
Arya smiled at him and held it up to her, it looked as if it would fit her well. "Thanks Syrio, it's perfect." She couldn't wait to try it on.
"May it help to keep you safe, I will see you when you return." He said as he made his way out of her chamber to leave her alone. Arya closed her chamber door and tried on her new armor. It fitted her perfectly and looked similar to what Syrio wore back in King's Landing except it was quite plain in color compared to his. Hers was grey and black.
There was a shirt, pants, boots, gloves and even a new leather belt. 'He must have had it made just for me' She thought to herself as she walked around her chamber, testing it out. It felt so light and was really flexible. It almost felt like wearing normal clothes, she was really pleased with it.
She picked up Needle again and carefully slid it into her new leather belt as Jaqen knocked and then entered her room. He tossed a small leather pouch to her which she caught with her favored left hand. A pouch full of coins by the weight and sound of it. "A girl must hide it well, Slaver's Bay is a dangerous place." He said cooly as he stepped closer to her.
Arya nodded as she hid the pouch in a pocket inside her new top, it would be safe in there she hoped. "A man has also has a gift." He said as he held out a vicious looking dagger, offering it to her. It had a thin, razor sharp blade and a handle as black as jet.
Arya took it carefully and inspected it. It felt so light and the blade even seemed to shimmer icy blue as the light reflected off it. "Valyrian steel?" She asked as she then inspected the black leather scabbered that he handed to her.
Jaqen nodded slowly. "A girl has her Needle. A dagger needs a name too?" He raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled cooly at her before turning to walk towards her door. "A man will wait for a girl at the Purple Harbor."
Arya tied the black leather scabbered to her belt before sliding her new valyrian blade into it and clipping it into place. "Frost!" She said, just as Jaqen had reached her door. She thought that it was an appropriate name because of the icy blue color of the blade. It was also another thing to remind her off Winterfell and home.
Jaqen turned to look at her and nodded once. "Just so."
Arya picked up the little wooden horse that Robert had given to her and put it into her pocket. Jaqen raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. "What does a girl need with a toy?" He asked her, clearly a little bemused by it.
"For luck!" She replied instantly, grinning a little. She didn't really believe that it was lucky, but she hoped that it might be.
"A man makes his own luck." Jaqen said before leaving.
"I'm not a man!" Arya mumbled quietly to herself and quickly followed Jaqen out of her chamber. "Jaqen wait, I'll come with you, I'm ready." She continued as she caught up with him/
Jaqen turned to her and nodded once before continuing on his way. She felt happy to have Jaqen by her side again, at least until they had to go their seperate ways again.
The streets of Braavos were busy as usual. The market seemed packed and was even more chaotic than usual as traders and merchants went about their business of silks, wines, spices and freshly caught fish amongst other things. They walked through the square past the Iron Bank and the Sealords Palace before they reached the Purple Harbor where Sweet Lily was waiting for them. Arya couldn't help but look at the Titan looming in the distance over the entrance to the harbor.
"A man will sail as far as Pentos, then a girl will be on her own. But first a girl needs her direwolf."
Arya had almost forgotten about that, but knew that Nymeria roamed somewhere south of Braavos, the direction they had to sail to reach Pentos. "Yes, I'll have to speak to Captain Forel. I'll need to go ashore to find her after we're clear of Braavos."
They boarded Sweet Lily together and Arya went to her usual cabin to safely store Needle and Frost under her bed before returning to the deck. Captain Forel was busy talking in Braavosi with one of the workers from the harbor, so she decided to leave him alone for now and made her way over to First Mate Darion. She could have sworn that he had grown even more muscles since the last time she had seen him, if that was even possible.
"Little Arya, it's good to see you again." Darion said to her as he saw her approach. He was clearly pleased to see her again, almost as pleased as she was to see him.
"It's good to see you too Darion." She replied as she smiled up at him, not caring that he called her little. Usually she hated to be called little, but compared to him she really was quite small so she didn't really mind.
"Have you ever been to Slaver's Bay Darion?" She asked him, eager to find out more about where they were headed. She knew very little of Slaver's Bay except that Meereen was famous for it's pyramids. The rest of what Maester Luwin had taught her back in Winterfell had left her, or maybe she wasn't paying attention.
"Yes little one. I have been to Slaver's Bay, but not for many, many moons now." Darion looked down at her as he leaned back against the side of the ship, crossing his muscular arms across his huge chest. "Slaver's Bay was where I first met Captain Forel. I tried to stow aboard his ship in Yunkai to flee my former master. I've been in Captain Forel's service ever since that day. Not as a slave you understand, but as a free man."
Arya nodded as she listened, she had no idea that Darion used to be a slave. She had seen many servants back in Winterfell, but they were paid and treated with respect, slavery sounded terrible.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Arya felt for him as she really liked Darion and considered him a close friend. She was keen to learn more of Slaver's Bay as any information might be useful for her mission, so she continued with her questions. "Can you tell me anything of the slaver cities? I don't remember much of what I was taught in Winterfell." She asked as she stood next to him and leaned back against the side of the ship, almost copying him by folding her arms across her small chest.
"Of course little one. Meereen is perhaps the greatest of the three slaver cities and certainly the largest. It is the most northerly of the three cities, famous for it's great pyramids and fighting pits. This is where you're headed I believe?"
Arya nodded. "Yes."
"Astapor is known for training The Unsullied. Eunuch slave warriors said by some to be the finest soldiers in the known world. It is also known as the red city because of it's red bricks. Some say that this is because of the blood of the slaves that lay dying on them. It's also the most southerly of the three slaver cities." He paused as he thought for a moment for anything else that he knew before continuing. "Astapor has an open air slave market called The Plaza Of Pride, no place for a young lady such as yourself."
Arya listened and tried to remember what he was telling her and smiled as he called her a young lady. Her father used to call her that sometimes. Her mother too, but that was usually when she had done something her mother disapproved of and Arya always did things her mother disapproved of.
"And finally, Yunkai is known as the yellow city because of the yellow bricks that built it. This is as far as we can take you. From there you will have to travel north along the coast to reach Meereen."
"Thanks Darion, but first I need to find Nymeria again." Arya told him, she knew it wouldn't be hard to find Nymeria, maybe Nymeria would find them first. "I was hoping to sail all the way to Meereen, but Yunkai will have to do I guess." She shrugged, knowing that it couldn't be helped.
"Just so. Alas, duty calls, we will speak again soon little one." Darion smiled at her, flashing his big white teeth and mussing her hair before walking over to Captain Forel.
Arya turned to lean over the side of the ship to look out to sea. It was going to be a long trip, but at least they were going to stop off at Pentos to resupply and maybe even rest up for a day or two.
As there wasn't much for her to do Arya decided to make her way back to her cabin to rest. She lay on her bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling as she thought things over in her head. For the first time in a long time she felt genuinely afraid and unsure of the future. 'What if Daenerys won't listen to me? What if she decides to stay in Meereen?' Were just two of the questions she asked herself before slowly drifting off to sleep, deep in thought.
She lay in the shade of a mighty tree, seeking respite from the beating sun. She could smell and hear prey in the distance but lay on her side, she had no interest in hunting in this heat. Her belly was already full and swollen from her feast the previous night.
She longed for the cold and damp of home as she watched tiny flies buzzing around the remains of her kill as well as the occasional bird which picked at the bones for an easy meal.
Her thirst was growing so she stood and made her way over to a small sheltered watering hole. The others scattered as they saw her approach, she could smell the fear in them. She walked out into the water and lay in it to cool off, lapping at the cool water to quench her thirst as it soaked her fur.
Arya woke after a few hours to see that they had set sail. She made her way out of her cabin and looked over to see that Braavos was already behind them and that they were sticking fairly close to the shore. 'I should find Captain Forel, I still need to find Nymeria" She thought to herself as she made her way to the stern of the ship and to the captain's cabin. She knocked twice before entering his elaborately decorated cabin.
Captain Forel was sat at his fine wooden desk, writing notes in his logbook. He glanced up at her as she entered and waved her over to a chair. "Arya my girl, I was hoping to talk to you. I believe you need to go ashore to search for your direwolf, yes?"
Arya smiled and nodded as she sat opposite him. "Yes, it's vital that I find her. I know that she is south of Braavos somewhere. She shouldn't be too dificult to find." She explained to him, hoping that it would be as easy as she said it would.
"Just so. You shall go ashore at dawn, you have my word." He smiled at her before going back to filling in his logbook. "We will talk again soon I promise."
"Thank you captain." She said as she stood and left him to write in his logbook.
There wasn't a lot to do for the rest of the day so Arya practised her Water Dance with Needle on deck as some of the other sailors watched on. Most were a little bemused by it, but she didn't mind and was used to them watching her. After eating chicken and vegetable broth with the rest of the crew she returned to her cabin for an early night. After saying her death prayer she soon fell asleep. "Queen Cersei, Ilyn Payne, Walder Frey..."
A knock on her cabin door woke her early the next morning. "Time for a girl to wake." She heard Jaqen say.
Arya pulled her thick grey blanket over her, not wanting to get up just yet. Another, slightly louder knock on her cabin door made her get up out of bed. "I'm up, I'll be just a moment." She said almost annoyed, before hearing Jaqen walk away. She was tired and a little grumpy and didn't mean to be so sharp with Jaqen but she couldn't help it.
After dressing and slipping Needle into her belt on her right side and attaching Frost to her left side she made her way out onto deck. She spotted Jaqen and First Mate Darion and walked over to join them, yawning softly as she reached them. It was earlier than she thought and the sun was barely showing above the horizon and glowed a brilliant orange. It looked quite beautiful against the dark blue sky. "Why so early?" She complained.
Darion laughed and mussed her already messy hair. "The sooner we find your direwolf, the sooner we can be underway. Come on, let's go." He said to her with a slight chuckle.
Darion picked her up with ease and lifted her over the side of the ship and into a small wooden boat. Jaqen agily hopped over the side of the ship and into the little boat to sit next to her before Darion climbed in and started to lower them down. Arya grabbed a wooden oar determined to do her part, but Darion held his hand out so she handed it over to him.
It didn't take Darion long to row them the short distance to shore. "I'll stay here and guard the boat." He told them before Arya up the sandy beach with Jaqen towards the trees to begin their search for Nymeria.
The truth was Arya had no idea where to start looking for Nymeria. The wolf dream she had didn't really give her any clues and she could be anywhere by now. After an hour or so Jaqen stopped and leaned against a tall tree to take a drink from his skin. "A girl should wait here." He said in his usual laid back manner, enjoying the shade the tree gave him from the sun which was beating down on them.
Arya looked at him a little confused. "Why wait here? I know that Nymeria is around here somewhere?" She replied, more out of hope than anything.
"If your wolf is around here she will have picked up a girl's scent by now. No use going any further and risk getting lost." He said as he sat in the shade and closed his eyes to rest.
Arya looked around to see if she could see any sign of Nymeria but there was none. She sighed and sat cross legged on the ground near to Jaqen and picked at the brown grass, feeling a little frustrated. "I guess you're right." She replied, realizing the truth of their situation. When they had escaped from Riverrun it was Nymeria that had found them, not the other way around. Arya hoped that would be the case this time too.
As they waited Jaqen sat quietly in the shade of the tree as if he was meditating and Arya lay on her back and looked up at the clear blue sky from the shelter of a nearby tree. She kept thinking over what lay ahead as her thumb gently rubbed the smooth pommel of Needle. She felt nervous and excited about it at the same time, wondering what the future held for her.
After an hour or so Jaqen suddenly jumped to his feet, drawing his dagger from his leather belt as something had caught his attention. Arya also got up and drew Needle, she could hear something coming their way.
"Nymeria." Arya said happily as her direwolf appeared from the bushes and walked over to her. Arya smiled and gently scratched behind Nymeria's ears, she was really pleased to be reunited with her loyal direwolf. "It's good to see you again girl."
"We should go, a girl has what she came for." Jaqen said as he watched on. He slid his dagger back into his belt as he started to walk back the way they had come. Arya was glad that he remembered the way, she hadn't been paying much attention.
"Yes, let's get back." Arya agreed as she carefully slid Needle back into her belt. She giggled softly and climbed up onto Nymeria's back for a ride back to Darion and the small boat, Nymeria didn't seem to mind at all.
When they arrived back at the boat First Mate Darion was lying in it fast asleep. Arya hopped off Nymeria's back and crept up 'as quiet as a shadow' to him to splash him. "Some guard you are Darion." She giggled cheekily as he suddenly woke and jumped up a little startled.
He smiled as he came to and realized who it was. "I see you have found your wolf little one, we should get back to the ship. Captain Forel will be keen to get underway." He replied, as he brushed the water off himself, still smiling at her little prank.
When they were safely back aboard Sweet Lily, Nymeria was kept in the cargo hold as most of the sailors feared her. Arya tried to convince them that she would never hurt them so long as she was around and didn't feel threatened, but in the end she went along with Captain Forel's wishes. Luckily Nymeria didn't seem too bothered and mostly slept anyway.
A few days into their journey south to Pentos Arya spotted First Mate Darion and went over to speak to him. "Hello Darion." She smiled up at him as she approached. She liked Darion and enjoyed spending time with him. he was a giant of a man, especially next to her but he was so gentle.
"Little Arya." He replied, smiling as he was pleased to see her again.
Arya leaned against the side of the ship and looked out to sea. "Will this be the first time you've been back to Yunkai since...umm, since you met Captain Forel?" She asked him, trying her best not to mention that he was once a slave, though she was curious about it.
Darion also leaned against the side of the ship, looking out to sea before looking down at her. "Since I was a slave you mean?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows a little. He knew that she was being curious again.
A small pink blush crept across her cheeks as she felt a little unsure. She didn't want to upset or insult him. "Y..yes." She replied softly as she glanced up at him. She couldn't help being curious, she had always been full of questions ever since she was a little girl.
Darion gently ruffled her hair and smiled, flashing his big white teeth at her. "It's ok, you can say it little one. I was a slave." He shrugged a little as though he wasn't too bothered.
She smiled back at him but still felt bad for him.
"It will be the first time I have been to Yunkai since that day." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I intend to visit my old master and settle things."
Arya looked up at him and frowned slightly. "You're going to kill him aren't you?" She asked, though she already knew the answer in her heart. She thought of Darion as a gentle giant, a bit like Hodor in a way but she couldn't blame him for wanting to kill his former master.
"Yes." He replied as he looked out to sea again. She could sense that it was was something he needed to do, to put it behind him once and for all.
Arya thought for a moment before making up her mind. "I'm going with you, I can help."
Darion looked at her and shook his head. "No Arya, this is something I have to do alone. I don't want you getting involved, it might be dangerous!"
Arya giggled softly, her mind was made up and there was nothing he could say that would change her mind. Darion was her friend and she wanted to help him. "I'm no craven, I'm not afraid of danger." She boasted. "I'm going with you whether you like it or not." She told him, she wasn't going to take no for an answer.
Darion smiled widely at her before laughing and mussing her hair again. She thought that her hair must be a total mess by now but she didn't care.
"You're stubborn for one so small." Darion grinned a little, impressed with her determination. "How can I say no to that? Ok, you can tag along but I will be the one to kill him. Deal?" He held out his huge hand which she gladly shook.
"Deal!" She agreed, smiling up at him as they shook. "Can I ask you something Darion?"
"Syrio was right, you do have a curious mind." He looked out to sea and nodded. "Sure, ask away."
Arya thought for a moment before asking. "How did you become a slave?"
Darion looked down at her for a brief moment as he thought. "When I was a small child I had three older brothers and a younger sister. Sometimes when I close my eyes I can still see there faces, hear their voices and their laughter. My mother and father worked a small farm and we all helped out where we could. We didn't have much, but we traded with the nearby village and got by as best we could."
Arya listened but was full of questions. "What was the village called?" She asked.
Darion shook his head. "I can't remember I was very young and had never been there. It probably doesn't even exist any more. It was a tiny village in the north of Sothoryos so you've probably never heard of it and I doubt it will appear on any maps. Anyway, one day my brothers and I were fishing in a nearby river when the slavers came. They took all of the children from the village as well as my brothers and my little sister."
"What happened to your parents?" Arya asked.
"I was told that the slavers killed all of the grown men, they raped and then drowned the women. They burnt the farm and village to the ground. For weeks we were holed up in the cargo hold of a ship like rats until we arrived in Yunkai where my brothers and I were sold as slaves, my sister as a bed slave. I never saw my brothers or my slittle ister again." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I don't even know if they're still alive or where they took them."
Arya gently touched his huge arm and smiled sympathetically at him. "I'm so sorry Darion." She really wanted to say more to him, but nothing came to mind. She just felt so sorry for him.
After a few more days they arrived in Pentos. Arya said her farewell's to Jaqen before heading out into Pentos. It would be many moons before she would see him again, but she was used to that and was sure that she would see him again. At the House of Black and White he disappeared for weeks at a time, if not longer and they never really said goodbye then so this was no different.
Arya knew that Sweet Lily would be in port until the following morning and was keen to enjoy a little freedom while she had the chance so set out to explore Pentos. The last time she was here she was only passing through, but this time she had time on her hands and was keen to explore.
Arya spent a little time looking around an open air market at the various stalls. Traders shouted their wares in various tongues as they competed for customers and there was even an auction going on for livestock. Cows, goats, sheep, chickens and even a few pigs were sold as quickly as they were shown into the pen. It was unlike any market she had seen before but she loved it. She was tempted to try and buy a goat or a few chickens for Nymeria but thought better of it. She wasn't sure captain Forel would appreciate blood flowing in his cargo hold.
Then she saw something that she never expected to see, two men from the Night's Watch. One looked old and whithered with a greying black maester's robe. The other was fat and looked a little clumsy, she couldn't see how he would be any use in a fight. Master Paege had told her that the Night's watch was but a shadow of what it once was, but were they really this desperate?
Arya wanted to make sure of her suspicions and trailed the two men at a distance. They were dressed all in black like men from the Night's Watch. The older one wore a simple black faded robe with a maesters chain around his neck, while the fat one wore patchy armor and a thick coat. She knew that they had definitely come from The Wall dressed like that. 'Maybe they can tell me about Jon' She thought to herself as she followed them into a tavern. 'Or maybe they're deserters?' Was another thought, though the elderly man didn't look like much of a deserter. 'How would he have sneaked away unnoticed? He can barely walk!'
She ordered herself a hot meal and a drink, never taking her eyes off them for more than a few moments. In the corner sat the large round man, the elderly man and a woman cradling a baby in her arms. She knew that men of the Night's Watch weren't supposed to have wives or children and thought it looked odd, especially seeing them this far from The Wall. 'They don't look like deserters? What an odd bunch?' She thought to herself. 'The sentence for desertion is death' She could hear her father say in her head.
Arya still didn't know for certain, so she decided to sit at the table closest to them to try and listen in on their conversation. She smiled as her food arrived. Chicken, carrot and pea soup with some hard bread. She dipped her bread into her soup and chewed on it slowly as she listened in. They both spoke quietly so it was diffult for her to make anything out, but she did hear Jon's name mentioned a few times and something about Maesters and The Citadel. She knew now for certain that they were men of the Night's Watch.
Arya was pleased to hear of Jon, she missed him dearly. Although she loved all of her siblings, even Sansa, Jon was her favorite. She needed to find out more. A little while later they all left to head upstairs. Arya followed them at a distance 'as quiet as a shadow' to see where they went.
The woman carried her baby in to one room and the elderly man and the fat man entered the room next to her. Arya thought it was odd that they had travelled together but slept in seperate rooms. It would make things easier for her though. Even if the men were deserters from the Night's Watch she didn't want to kill them in front of the woman and her baby. She didn't want to involve the woman at all if she could help it and especially didn't want to hurt or kill the her unless she gave Arya no other choice.
Arya pulled Needle from her belt and followed the men into their room.
The fat man spun and clumsily drew his sword, but the elderly man just sat on the bed and looked over to her. By the look of him he looked blind so Arya knew that he was no threat and concentrated on the fat one. He didn't looked skilled with his sword by the way he was holding it and looked as if he was trembling a little too so Arya wasn't afraid him.
Arya closed the door behind her as she looked at the fat man. "What are two members of the Night's Watch doing all the way out here?" She asked, not lowering her guard and staying alert. "The penalty for desertion is death."
The round man looked over at Arya. "My name is Sam, Samwell Tarly." He then gestured to the elderly man who was still sat on the bed. "And this is Maester Aemon. Lord Commander Snow has sent me to train at The Citadel to become a Maester. We are no deserters." He explained nervously to her as he pulled out a small scroll and tossed it to her.
'Lord Commander Snow...' Arya thought to herself with a little smile as she looked over the scroll, it was genuine. 'He means Jon?' She remembered Mathis had told her that Jon was the Lord Commander now. It looked like Jon's handwriting too so it must be true. Jon really was the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.
"Ok, so you're not deserters." Arya said as she slid Needle back into her belt, much to Sam's relief.
Sam slid his sword away as the tension in the room dropped. "No, we're definitely not deserters." He smiled over at Maester Aemon who just sat listening to them.
"Who are you girl?" Maester Aemon asked her, his voice was soft. "Strange for someone so young, all the way out here to know so much of the Night's Watch."
Arya didn't want to tell them who she really was until she was certain that they were Jon's allies and thought quickly. "My friends call me Arry" She said, trying to sound convincing before chewing gently on her lower lip. She hadn't been called Arry since she had travelled with Yoren, but it was the first name that came to mind.
"Strange name for a girl, Arry?" Sam said as he looked her over.
Arya glared at him and snapped, thinking that he didn't believe her. She wasn't very good at telling lies, her mother always knew when she was lying. "Well, that's my name and it's not strange." She complained.
"Oh, I didn't mean any offence." Sam said, his chin wobbling slightly as he shook his head.
"Who is this Lord Commander Snow? I thought somebody called Mormont was the Lord Commander?" Arya asked as she tried to find out the information that she seeked. At Winterfell she had often heard her father and Maester Luwin talking about the Night's Watch and had even seen a few raven messages that were sent from Castle Black, she was sure that Mormont used to be the Lord Commander.
"Jon Snow is the Lord Commander of The Night's Watch now Arry. Ned Starks bastard." Maester Aemon said as he peered over at her.
Arya had a sinking feeling that the old man knew exactly who she really was. But how could he? They had never met and he was blind. "Where are you from Arry? You seem to know much of our order?" He continued.
'Everything that Mathis had said was the truth, Jon really is the Lord Commander' Arya thought to herself. She didn't doubt what Mathis had told her was true, he had no reason to lie to her. But, it still felt reassuring to hear it from someone else to confirm that it was true. "I'm from White Harbor." She lied. Arya knew a little of White Harbor from her lessons with Maester Luwin as well as her father. It was the north's closest thing to a city and they were loyal bannermen to her father.
"And how did you end up all the way out here?" Maester Aemon asked her. He suspected something she was sure of it.
"My father was a sailor and was away from home for months at a time. I missed him terribly when he was gone and used to beg him to take me with him. He always refused telling me that I should stay home and learn things and do things like other girls my age did, but I didn't want to. Then one day he agreed, but he fell overboard during a bad storm and I never saw him again." Arya gently wiped her eyes with her sleeve, trying her best to look upset. "The captain left me here, saying that I was no use to him and only an extra mouth to feed."
"That's so sad." Sam said believing her every word. Maester Aemon said nothing, she couldn't tell what he was thinking.
"Are you loyal to Lord Commander Snow?" Arya asked curiously, chewing her lower lip again. If they were his allies then maybe they could get word to him. 'And if not...' She thought as her thumb brushed over Needle's pommel.
"Yes, I would be dead if it wasn't for Jon. I don't know if I really want to become a maester, but it's the best way I can serve Jon and The Night's Watch so that's what I'm going to do." Sam replied.
Arya smiled and tossed the scroll back to Sam as she came to a decision. "I'm not really called Arry." She paused for a moment, suddenly feeling a little anxious and chewing on her lower lip again.
Sam looked at her a little confused and Maester Aemon squinted as he listened. "My real name is Arya. Arya Stark."
"Arya Stark!?" Sam said in total shock. "Wait, you're...it can't be...that means..." He stuttered before composing himself and storing the scroll safely back into one of the pockets in his coat. "You're Jon's little sister!"
Arya giggled and nodded. "Yes, I'm his little sister." She lied. To Jon she was still his little sister, but she knew the truth of it now. Really they were cousins, but Sam didn't need to know that. She wanted to tell Jon the truth before telling anyone else, she owed him that much.
Sam pointed to Needle. "If you really are Arya Stark, what's your sword called? Where did you get it?" He asked her, clearly looking for proof that she was who she claimed to be.
"Needle." She responded instantly. "Jon gave it to me as a present before leaving for The Wall."
Sam nodded to her answer "What's Jon's direwolf called?" He asked, searching for further proof that she was who she claimed to be.
"Ghost." Arya replied instantly.
"The girl speaks the truth Sam." Maester Aemon said before Sam could ask her another question. "The girl is who she claims to be." He squinted over at her. "Nobody would pretend to be Arya Stark if they were not. To be a stark of Winterfell is a dangerous thing, even all the way out here."
Sam laughed a little making his chin wobble. "You really are Jon's little sister. You look so alike." He said as he stepped forward to take a closer look at her, all of his doubt was gone.
Of all her siblings it was true that Jon was the closest to Arya in appearance. All of her brothers and her sister resembled their mother and had Tully in them, whereas Arya and Jon resembled her father and were definitely Stark's. Sometimes Arya used to wonder if she was adopted or a bastard like Jon, but her mother had always reassured her that she was a trueborn Stark, unlike Jon.
It made Arya feel a little sad to think how her mother had treated Jon. Even back then when she was still little she could tell that her mother didn't like Jon. She couldn't help but wonder how her mother would have treated Jon if she had known the truth about him.
Sam smiled at her. "Lord Snow we call him." Sam's round face lit up as he suddenly remembered something else. "Your brother Bran is alive too, though..." He paused for a moment. "Though, he's headed north of The Wall. I tried to stop him but he just wouldn't listen. You Stark's are stubborn."
Arya smiled back at him. "I know, he's gone to find The Three Eyed Raven. Don't worry, he's safe."
Sam looked a little surprised that she knew so much. He didn't know how she knew, but somehow she knew.
Arya turned as she opened the door to leave. "When you reach The Citadel can you send a raven to Jon?" She asked.
Sam smiled and nodded at her. "I will."
"And tell him that I'm safe and I'll see him soon I promise." She then smiled happily as she thought of Jon mussing her hair, his smile and the last hug they shared in Winterfell before he left for The Wall. "And tell him..."
"I know." Sam said, smiling at her. "Tell him that you love him and miss him."
Arya smiled and nodded at him before leaving, closing the door behind her.