Valyrian Steel

The Broken Man in the Tree

Bran watched his sister receive three new names, Cersei, Qyburn, and Robert Strong. Her trainers were not happy with them. Arya's new targets had insulted the Many Faced God.

"Not that I don't appreciate these tasks, but why me? I am no longer faceless or nameless." Arya sat by the pool staring into the water while the old man stood over her.

"The many faced god still has use for you, and you still have your skills. You have a friend who can help you if the task proves too difficult. He will approach you soon enough. These three have dragged a life back from the many faced god against his will. The insult cannot stand. There is a fourth that you must handle, but we will allow you to handle her on your own." The kind looking old man sat next to her and looked into the water with her.

"Who is she?"

"Who was she, when you find her you may give her the gift if you wish. You'll know her when you see her."

Arya looked up and met Brans eyes.

Bran woke up with a start and looked around. He felt something digging into his hip. The roots had wrapped around his legs and made their way up his chest. Bran tried to call out to Hodor but his throat was dry. He reached for the dagger at his hip and started to weakly hack away at the roots. One of the children appeared and he hoarsely asked for water. The returned with with water, nuts and a red jam, while Hodor followed sleepily behind. Hodor bent the roots back and helped Bran eat and drink.

"How long?" Bran asked one of the children.

"Three Suns" Flower, one of the children whose name he had learned, answered as she offered him drink.

Bran offered thanks and ate quietly.

"What did you see?" She asked, Flower was one of the more inquisitive children and didn't shy away from him or Meera. Flower had spoken at length with Jojen and seemed upset at the news of his death. Bran was happy that she had finally started to speak to him again. With Meera and Summer gone the only company he had left was Hodor and the rarely present Brynden.

"Braavos, with my sister. She was given a new list of victims."

"Gifts" Flower corrected with a shake of her head. Her cat like eyes peered into his. "It can be a gift to the receiver or to those around them. Does she gift the innocent?"

"Not that I've seen." Bran said pensively. Arya had always had a strong sense of justice, he knew that if her teachers had given her the name of someone honorable and good she would not have completed the assignment. It still bothered him when he saw her discard her face and kill so easily. She wasn't bothered by the death, sometimes he thought that she enjoyed killing. He saw her smile after a few assignments, especially when her victim was connected to the Lannisters or dishonorable. There were rare times when Bran saw the girl who used to climb trees and play come into my castle with him. But more often than not she was cold, calculating and merciless.

"She is your sister, do not turn from her because you do not understand her." Flower helped him up and Hodor carried him to the underground lake. Hodor helped him undress and Flower started to help when Bran asked her for some privacy, she seemed confused and hurt so Bran explained.

"I am almost a man grown yet I cannot bathe without help, I know you clean me when I am warging or green seeing, but I am not awake for it. If you helped me now I would feel helpless, broken, I know I am all these things, but with Hodor I will not see the pity." He said while he avoided her eyes. "I can do most of it, Hodor can help."

Flower nodded with a sad look. "I do not pity you. You are Greenseer, this is great thing."

"Yet I'd give it all up to stand again." Bran murmured. Flower walked away and Bran crawled closely to the water's edge. Tears started to sting at his eyes and he splashed the water in his face. Hodor approached tentatively with a washcloth.

"I'll do it, you clean yourself" Bran said as he took the washcloth and shoved it in the water. One of the children brought him fresh snow and Bran scrubbed bitterly. Since Meera's departure the cave had been a lonely dark place. He wanted nothing more than to leave, but duty kept him rooted. He had to help his family. Bran thought back to when he saw his brother die, and when he guided Jon back to his body. He tried to warn Jon about the Red Witch and her fiery god. Bran had started to show Jon his parents, but he felt someone peering in, invading the dream. When he cut off the connection Brynden had told him that someone with a Black Candle was trying to peer into the connection he had with Jon. The Red Witch had sensed Bran's magic and attempted to spy on his and Jon's shared vision. At the very least Jon was wary of her after his resurrection, and removed her after she tried to have the baby sacrificed.

Hodor laughed goofily and started to splash Bran with water, he smiled and splashed Hodor back. They played for a bit until Bran raised his hands in defeat. Hodor walked over, dried him off and helped him with his exercise. Hodor massaged Bran's legs, helped him stretch and rotate them, he then checked Bran for sores. Hodor stood back and allowed Bran to dress himself, Hodor fiddled while Bran struggled waiting for Bran to invite him to help. Bran finished most of it and wrapped his arms around Hodors neck while the giant man pulled his pants over his hips.

"Thank you."

"Hodor" he said with a crooked smile.

"Are you finished?" Flower called out from the entrance.

"Yes, I'm ready now." Hodor picked Bran up and carried him to the tree. Bran thought about green dreaming but he was afraid that he would see his mother again. Last week he saw her corpse hanging men from wierwoods with a broken smile. He didn't want to worry about the roots either so he decided to warg into Summer instead.

Summer was slovenly tearing into a large bowl of mutton stew, Meera ate beside him. Bran would have stopped to signal her that he was in Summer, but it had been so long since he had tasted real food. Meera was eating with the same gusto, a fat man with a short Maesters chain stood there watching kindly as Meera ate and offering them more. Bran recognized him as Samwell Tarly.

"Jon will be happy to hear of his brother, he's beyond the wall on a scouting mission. Did you find what you needed?"

Meera nodded, not even pausing her meal, a wildling woman brought them more food, Gilly, older and with two boys following her eying Summer warily. She placed another bowl not far from Summer when he finished and the wolf buried his face in the other bowl. Before he would finish the door burst open and Jon was there in the doorway with a hopeful smile.

Meera and Summer looked up at Jon who stared at the two of them with disappointment then rage. "You're not Arya."

Sam stepped in between them, "No Jon I never told the boys it was your sister. They just assumed and ran off before I could tell them otherwise. This is Meera Reed, she went north with your brother all those years ago."

Jon's anger melted away from his face and worry replaced it. "How is he? His wolf would not leave his side for much."

Meera looked at Summer, Bran pawed the ground in front of him three times.

"He's here, in Summer." Meera said as she reached out for him. Bran nuzzled her hand for a bit before looking at Jon who was holding out his hand too. Bran brought his head towards his and licked his face before going back to Meera. Ghost sniffed him inquisitively before turning around and leaving.

"Bran wants to show you something, he would have shown you sooner but the Red Witch was lingering about." Meera said as she searched her pack for something. Bran rested his head on her lap and looked up at her. She stroked his head with one hand and held a jar with another. Bran looked at Jon and the joy of seeing his brother shifted to jealousy. His brother was handsome, and strong, he was a warrior while Bran was just a broken boy in a tree.

"What is this?"

Jon asked as he lifted the jar with suspicion.

"What Bran uses to greensee, and what you can use to speak to him again. He's waiting for you. To show you who your parents are, and the path we must take to save this world."

Gilly ushered Sam and the children out, while Meera served Jon the paste.

"You'll have to sleep for this to work." she murmured while Bran left Summer and returned to the tree where he could enter Jon's dream. Brynden was awake and smiling with tears in his eyes.

"What is it?" Bran asked with worry.

"Dragons."