Hey all!
i'm really sorry for the long wait, i wish i could write my Thesis as quickly as i write fanfic...
anyway, i've got sort of a writer's block, so it'll be a while between updates, i have the future scences in my head, i just having a problem with how to get there...
please review, it really makes my day:)
Enjoy!
Arya
The dinner hall was flowing with people. Arya sat at the high table, to her youngest brother's left, and played with her food whilst scanning the audience. It seemed as if every man, woman and child that could manage to enter the castle gates were in that hall, searching for food and shelter. She could hear the blizzard shrieking outside the castle walls. The snow was piling up by the minute, and the army that was set for the wall was stuck in Winterfell. Nobody was happy about that.
Her brother was devouring his food like an animal, she knew that he couldn't wait to take the opportunity and retire to his rooms. Lord Glover and Lord Manderly were whispering angrily with Rolly Duckfield about food rations and shelter for the soldiers outside the castle. Her eyes wandered to Gendry, he sat next to one of the Mormont girls, Lyanna if she wasn't mistaken, and seemed to have a pleasant conversation with her, she even saw him laugh to something that the girl said. Arya smiled at the sight, there is nothing like a proper northern girl to get him in a good mood, and she liked all the Mormont girls. She hoped that Gendry could forget about her and move on to get the happy family life that he wanted so badly.
She searched the hall for Connington, but couldn't find him. The man's condition had deteriorated since they got to Winterfell, he was dying. He could barely stand, not to mention walk. They gave him Sansa's old room, to Arya's amusement, and the new Maester visited him daily. She should go and talk to him, the man was keeping himself alive only for a chance to see Aegon again before he died, and she hoped he will get his dying wish.
The dragons are coming to Winterfell Bran said, she had asked him if Aegon was alright and this was his answer, if Rickon is not mad and making up things, that is. She did think that she heard the word dragons whispered in the wind, but that was wishful thinking, it had to be.
Lost in her thought, Arya was startled when a soft hand touched her shoulder gently.
"My Lady", the young maester of Winterfell said to her quietly as he put a steaming cup of tea in front of her. He was short and chubby and he was starting to go bald. He tried to grow a beard on his chin, but the brown stubble just looked like patchy dirt on his face. His voice was high and annoying; he was nothing like the kind and gentle maester Luwin. She sighed at the sight of the tea and nodded to him, releasing him from her presence. Ever since she went to visit him when she first got there he was giving her all kinds of potions and teas to "keep my lady healthy", she didn't even asked for his medical advice, she had enough medical knowledge of her own, she just wanted to check if he was any good, considering that her brother's life was depending on his care. The tea smelled good though, and it was warm, so she sipped it willfully.
She continued scanning the room, trying to count the people that were gathered in it. Her eyes fell on a man that looked different to her. Something in the way that he moved his eyes and his fingers seemed odd, out of place. She squinted her eyes and focused on him, the way they taught her in her training in Bravos, something was wrong with the man's face, something was not natural. She tried to study the man's behavior. He wasn't a north man, so he had to be some soldier from the army, his clothing resembled the Swann men, but she didn't think that there were many Swann men that had black hair. The man looked at his mug and didn't talk or joke with the other soldiers around him, he tapped his fingers on the wooden table, as if he was bored. Arya searched his face again, she had to have a closer look, but she thought that there was something weird about his chin, as if it was too wide, for his face…
This was not the man's face.
She let off a scream as someone punched her shoulder and she spilled her now cooled tea all over the table, Rickon was staring at her, annoyed.
"I said I'm off to my room, do you care to join me? We can play chyvass".
"Sure" she mumbled and turned her gaze back to where the Faceless man was sitting. He was gone! She had a murderer running loose in her childhood home. She scanned the room but couldn't find him. Rickon was starting to pull her after him. And she had to move.
Who was he after? Her brother? Her men? Maybe he was here for her, maybe they sent him here to get her back, or to keep her silent.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Someone was knocking on her door. Arya buried her head in her pillow, trying to ignore the pesky sound. She hated mornings, she just wanted everyone to leave her alone. She had trouble sleeping in her old room, it felt too small and unfamiliar, and it was haunted with memmories. From all of her childhood belongings only the bed survived the fire and Arya wanted to burn it too, this part of her life was gone and should be buried deep down, where it couldn't hurt her anymore.
More knocking.
"Go away!" she shouted through her pillow, she was nauseated, and her head hurt, she just wanted some peace and quiet.
"Arya, it's me. Let me in." she grunted and stood up to open the door for Gendry, she nodded at him and got straight back to bed.
He gently closed the door behind him, "how are you feeling?" he asked quietly, as if trying not to hurt her throbbing head, always the considerate bull.
"Blah" she answered sticking her tongue out and rolling her eyes. "I think that Maester is trying to poison me with all of his teas and concoctions"
Gendry laughed and sat by her side, he rubbed small circles on her back and she instantly felt more relaxed.
He pulled something from his coat's pocket, "here, Lady Lyanna sent this to you, she said it'll help with your nausea", he gave her a little bottle, she turned around and sat on her bed, taking the vile from him. Opening it, she cast Gendry a sideway glance and smiled, "oh, it's Lady Lyanna now, is it?" Gendry blushed and she chuckled, patting his shoulder. She sniffed at the liquid, Chamomile and lavender, very nice! This will definitely work.
"i'm afraid I have a message for you from Maester Oron", Gendry said in a dire voice, Arya turned to look at him worried, he took a big breath, "he says that Lord Connington has mere few hours to live, you should go and say your farewells", he looked sad and worried and it surprised Arya, she never thought that Gendry even liked the man, but he looked as if he was about to cry. She gave him a quick hug and squeezed his hand before going to change her clothes. She had to try her own methods to keep the old Griffin alive until Aegon will get there.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
As she hurried down the corridor to Sansa's old room, she noticed that it was barely snowing anymore. Soon the army will leave for the wall, and the great battle that awaits beyond it. She kept looking at the people that she passed by, hoping to find the faceless man from before, but when she tried to remember what his face looked like, all she could see was a blur with dark hair. She promised herself that she would dedicate today to scanning the castle and finding the assassin.
As she was about to enter the room, the door swung open and Rolly stepped out, she met his gaze and saw that his eyes were puffy and red and his face were grief stricken. She gave him a comforting look and he nodded sadly at her.
"do you think you can help him, Arya?", the usually cheerful warrior asked her, his voice trembling.
"I'll try to keep him alive long enough to see Aegon. He's on his way", she turned her gaze to the window down the hall, half expecting to see the dragons.
Rolly gave her a confused look, then shook his head and nodded again, walking away from her. she sighed and checked her hidden pockets again before entering the room. The annoying maester Oron was rubbing some ointment on Connington's paralyzed arm. Connington seemed not to notice as her stared out the window to his left.
"hello Lord Connington", she said quietly. She could never bring herself to call him Jon. Jon was her most beloved brother and this man… this man was a respected ally, nothing more. She only endured his presence near her for the sake of Aegon. He turned his tiered gaze at her and kept silent. The maester stopped his rubbing and got on his feet quickly, a fake drooly smile on his fat face.
"my lady, should I make you some tea? I have here some nettle essence…." He babbled, neglecting his other patient. She huffed and rolled her eyes at him.
"no more tea, maester Oron. Please leave us". The maester screwed up his face, collected his bottles and exited the room slowly. Arya pressed her lips in annoyance and turned back to stare at connington. His eyes were cold yet alert. She came to sit on the chair beside him. She took his arm and felt it up, it was stiff and cold. She moved to rub his neck and shoulders.
"Any pain?" she asked as she pushed some spots on his chest.
"not anymore", he whispered, his voice weak and scruff. It got to his throat, soon he won't be able to breath.
"can you move at all?" she asked, pulling some ingredients from her hidden pockets and starting mixing them in a small bottle.
"only my head", he was silent for a moment as he watched her getting the potion done.
"if that is a poison for ending my misery I respectfully decline, though I appreciate your efforts, my Lady. I do not fear death, I will face it honorably… though I didn't think I would die it a pink fluffy bed, surrounded by dolls and… and… what is that? Corsets?", he coughed, the long sentence drying his throat.
Arya chuckled. By some miracle Sansa's old room was the only room in the house that was not harmed in the fire and remained exactly as she left it all those years ago. Arya smelled the contents of the bottle in her hand and nodded.
"it's not poison, old man. It will give you some of your strength back so you'll be still here and still as annoying as ever when Aegon comes here. He's be here soon and he'll be really pissed if you decided to die without his majesty's permission." She put the bottle to his lip and he drank it slowly, his eyes not leaving hers. He coughed violently, and when he looked back at her he had his old spark in his eyes.
"how do you know he's coming?" he asked her, sounding a little stronger.
" I can feel him coming closer", she said without thinking. She blinked as she realized it's true. It was like a continuous buzzing in her head that got stronger every minute, and a worry, as if something was wrong and there was a feeling of haste. But those feeling weren't hers. She didn't even recognized them until now. He was close, he was very close. She felt excitement building up inside of her, and she didn't knew if it was his or her own.
Connington watched her suspiciously as she worked through her inner turmoil. "you said that you can feel him?" he raised an eyebrow, "him or his dragon?"
She didn't know, she knew she had some kind of bond with his dragon, it was a different bond than that she had with Nymeria. With her wolf she was connected by heart and instincts, the bond with the dragons was more… intellectual. At sometimes she thought he could read her mind and after she chose to be with Aegon she thought that she could hear the dragons thoughts in her head. But it must have been some kind of warg skill or something like that. As for Aegon, she just knew when he was close, it was as if her blood was screaming for him. This too was a very recent change in her. she bit her lip in thought.
"both, I guess. It's quite new…." She watched as his face changed from confusion to loathing then to deep pondering, and then his eyes opened widely as if he realized something and a small smile appeared on his face. Arya couldn't remember if she had ever seen this stern man smile. His eyes moved to her stomach and he looked as if he strained to get his arm moving. He looked into her eyes gleeful, "is there a Targaryen heir?"
Her eyes went wide and she blushed deeply. How could he know? She kept it a secret, she was good at keeping secret, and Gendry would never betray her. Maybe that wretched maester told him! Now she's going to have to kill that insufferable man! She saw the smile widen on the dying man's face. why was he so happy? She cursed herself every day since she found out for not taking care of things in time. This situation was a huge weakness, and she hoped the battle will be over quickly before it'll become serious.
"you can't tell him! He won't let me fight" she screamed at the smiling man.
"you shouldn't fight" he said laughingly and when she put a knife to his throat he coughed and rolled his eyes, "fine! Have it your way", his face grew serious again as she withdrew her knife. He gave her a disapproving look, and she sighed knowing that this look was always followed be a long lecture of how wild she is.
"you know, I never saw what he found in you. You'll never be a good queen, you're too wild and can't be tamed. You'll get bored of him and run away to play with your wolf in the northern wastelands. Maybe take that poor love struck Baratheon bastard with you. But he insisted anyway, like his father did with your aunt. But I think I get it now, it's the dragon in him. A dragon can be tamed and controlled only by those who deserve its respect, only by one who is as wild and magnificent as it is. You are one of a kind Arya, a rare find indeed. And I hope he does everything in his power to keep you. I think that unlike your aunt, you're actually worth it. And now he will be rewarded for his efforts with a child of ice and fire". he coughed, and closed his eyes in pain. She looked at him bewildered, not sure what to say.
There was a silence for a couple of minutes, and Arya thought that the old men fell asleep. She got up to her feet, and whispered "I'll leave you to your rest". His eyes flew open and stared pleadingly at her.
"please. Stay until he comes. Please, Arya". So she sat down and stayed with the dying man. She looked around at Sansa's old room and for once let the old memories flood her mind.
Her eyes flattered shut as she drifted into a peaceful sleep.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
She-Wolf, we're here.
She was Jerked from her sleep and she felt cold, so cold, and worried. She quickly realized that those feeling weren't hers and she shook her head wildly. Connington was staring at her, he looked weak. The potion that she gave him was wearing off. She gave him a reassuring nod, "they're here". She wondered if Jon and Daenerys were there also.
The old Griffin is dying. Tell Aegon to come quickly.
She tried, she didn't know if the dragon could communicate with Aegon, or if he can hear her thoughts, but she had to try. She knew that if Gendry saw Aegon he will send him straight here. She rushed to the window but saw only snow. Nymeria was howling somewhere near the castle, feeling her distress.
Do not stress, he comes
The dragon whispered in her head, clearer than he ever was. And then she could feel him outside the door. She turned her gaze to the heavy oak door and waited. The door flew open and her husband stood there, his silver blond hair tousled and wild, his beard fully grown, his beautiful purple eyes tired and sunken. He was skinny and brusiedm his garment covered in dried blood, his sword arm was bandaged and pinned to his chest. He looked terrible.
And she was so happy she could cry.