NO ONE II
Either she hadn't finished the test, or had yet to understand what Izembaro wanted from her as an apprentice. A second day in Arya Stark's dream proved just as cruel as the first, if not more, because more shadows began to bother her. Septa Mordane had come to scold her about missing her lessons in needlework-but she was on a spike outside the red keep, her head rotting in that Southron wasteland called a capital. The shade of her mother had repeated much the same, even going so far as to drag her to her lessons. She stood in the dark corner of the room, despite the Septa's urgings to try her hand at something from the poor basket at the very least if she did not wish to mend a shirt. The shade of Sansa, instead of joining the admonition of her instead pleaded on her behalf to instead find another subject, with which to occupy their time. The shades of Jeyne Poole and Beth Cassel, both looked confused at their friend, who was joined by a reproving look from the Septa. This struck No One as rather odd, Arya Stark's sister Sansa had never missed an opportunity to belittle her-Arya.
This was still a test, she could not falter. Mayhaps instead of withdrawing from these shades she had to denounce them for all time?
"I'll never learn to sew!"
"La! Have you traded your wolf for a Kraken, then?" commented Beth Cassel
"Mayhaps she has a crush on Theon!" giggled Jeyne Poole conspiratorially.
"Nonsense, Lady Arya. It's a skill well worth its weight in dragons! Why one day when you're married and you have sons and daughters of your own, you'll thank me for being as harsh as I am now and insisting you learn."
"Perhaps she needs to learn away from people who might jest when she makes a mistake?" suggested Sansa.
"What's come over you Sansa?" asked Jeyne
"We only jest in fun. You know we mean no harm, right Arya?" eased Beth.
If this were a test, then the wizard that had been employed had failed to create her-Arya's sister right. She would never take her-Arya's side against her twittering friends.
"You're not Sansa! You're just an illusion!" pronounced No One, and as quick as she could she hurried out the door, leaving the room behind her utterly confused.
No One avoided being seen and skipped the noontime meal. She wasn't in the mood for eating, nor seeing the shades of her-Arya's family. She was faltering. If she failed this test then she would have nowhere to go. The world wasn't safe for Arya Stark, even in Essos.
She was lost in her thoughts enough that she didn't notice the shadow of her-Arya's brother Bran sneak up on her as she sat in the shadow of the Broken Tower near the entrance to the crypts.
"There a reason why you're so quiet all of a sudden? I would force you not to tell me why. I only ask you to say if there is or not."
No One looked at the shade of her-Arya's younger brother. Here he was, before his fall, all health and the promise of a good life before him. This wasn't Bran the Broken, as she-Arya had heard the royal servants jape. Unable to resist much further No One responded to the shade with a silent nod. Mayhaps she'd approached this test all wrong. Perhaps the test wasn't one of denial, but instead one of putting past ghosts to rest-to end this chapter of her life so she could begin the next.
"Me too," was all that Bran added.
"Bran… what was it like to die?"
Bran looked at her queerly for just a moment before smiling and responding, "Theon never killed me or Rickon."
"You escaped?"
"Yes. And you did too?"
No One thought back to Arya's story-seeing her father beheaded, Yoren telling her that she had to be a boy, meeting Gendry and Jaqen Hagar, Harrenhal… but it was too much to tell. So she simply nodded, and he understood, and a comfortable silence overtook them both, where neither felt like they had to say anything more. It was after a few moments of this silence had past that it was disturbed by the sound of Robb shouting.
"Jon! Come back here!"