Chapter 8. LADY CLEGANE OF THE NORTH

The first night Tara made camp in the King's wood off the main road. "Come with me we are going hunting." Tara says to Arya while her men and servants set up camp. "Developing your skills as a hunter will help you as a swordsman too."

"How?" Arya asks.

"Hunting animals is similar to hunting people."

"But a person can fight back and think…"

Tara nods, "Yes and most animals have instincts that guide them…If a deer ever got the upper hand on a human or wolf believe me they would kill…"

Arya frowns, "A deer kill a wolf!"

"That is why they have antlers!" Tara points, "Look!"

Arya turns her head, but nothing is there but trees, "I don't see-" When she looks back Tara is gone. "Lady Tara!"

"Find me if you can!" A voice calls out. Arya walks in the direction she thinks she heard Tara's voice. When she arrives no one is there. "Hello!" Arya gasps as a knife is placed at her throat, "And now you are dead!"

"How did you do that?"

Tara smiles, "Come the deer are this way and be quiet!" Tara looks at Arya and places her finger to her lips, "Don't make a sound! Close your eyes and listen to the forest." Arya obeys, "Now breathe slowly – Good! Open your eyes knock your arrow and aim. Release when you feel the time is right."

"How will I know?" Arya asks in a whisper.

"You will know."

Arya aims at the closest deer and releases the arrow, she strikes the deer in the heart and the other deer run off. "I did it!" Tara makes Arya drag the deer back to camp then she shows her how to gut the animal and clean it. "EWE!" Arya says.

"Lady Clegane!" Septa Helda says, "That is not work for a young lady!"

"And what is lying on her back to give babies to some man?" Helda huffs and walks off as Tara laughs, "Get back to work!" Tara barks.

"Why did you bring her anyway?" Arya asks thinking about Septa Modane.

"Because you are still a woman and there are things you still need to know."

Arya mocks Tara, "Great more sowing!"

"I didn't catch that what did you say?"

"Nothing!" Arya pauses and looks at Tara, "Did your father take you hunting?"

"All the time!"

"Wow! It must have been great growing up in your family!"

Tara shakes her head, "Not really!"

"Why?" Arya asks removing the intestines.

"All parents have their favorite…For my father it was that oaf Gregor! I had a pet snake and that bastard came home chopped it up for fish bate…Before that he held my brother Sandor's face down in the fire for playing with his toy."

"I heard that story from Lord Baelish…"

"Aye! But I got that bastard back!"

Arya pauses in her work again and looks at Tara, "What did you do?"

"I took my father's sword went into the stables and cut the legs off his horse…" Arya gasps like a fish, "My father tore my hide apart, but it was worth it…"

Arya removes the heart and then buries the unusable parts, then she begins to skin the animal after a quick lesson from Tara. "When you killed for the first time how did it feel?"

Tara sighs, "It's like rushing through a field on a horse at full speed and feeling the wind in your face…Your life is in the other person's hand and his is in yours but who is better? Who will live and who will die? My brother hired sell-swords to kill me after I attacked him at our father's funeral. I led then into the forest and killed them one by one…Only one escaped me."

The next day before sunrise Tara wakes Arya and they practice calisthenics together. Then camp is broken and off they take eating breakfast while in the saddle. While riding Tara shows Arya how to ride like a man. "You can be lady like and a warrior…" Tara says riding side saddle.

"I didn't think you could ride side saddle." Arya admits.

"I don't like it, but I know how and let that be another lesson to commit to memory. People especially men will underestimate you because you are female…Hide what you are capable off then show them otherwise. Tara teachings include lectures wise words and other useful things Arya must commit to memory. The leagues are melted away and eventually they reach Moat Cailin.

Moat Cailin is a source of legend and myth. Some say it was built by the children of the forest, others say the First Men. Long ago House Bolton ruled their ever growing Kingdom from the old fortress, but eventually the Boltons were forced to bend the Knee to the more powerful Starks of Winterfell. For the most part the castle is usually abandoned, but in times of war the ancient castle is a strategic point from which to hold the North from or keep southern invaders from advancing.

Now the castle would become Tara's holdfast. The moment they arrive Tara tours the castle alone then she has the chief mason walk through with her. "Start in the main hall…Also have workers repair all holes in the ceiling. Then I want the servants' quarters and the bedrooms attended to…Get a fire started after the chimney is cleaned." From the main hall they walk the grounds and end up in the stables. "The horses are fine for now, but as soon as you can get started on them…"

"I was thinking we can raise a wall up a wooden one would be faster. Then we can make a brick wall around that…"

Arya was walking with Tara listening, "Dig a moat and I want enough room on the walls for catapults…" The well is full, "Well we have enough water!"

"Oh the sigils!" Jonathan the head mason says.

"Yes get them up immediately!"

Before nightfall a fire is roaring in the main hall and the sigils are in place draped over the main walls that cup the gates. Tara sleeps with her men outside in tents. Before sunrise Tara is teaching Arya to throw knives. Then breakfast and it's back to work. Within three days the main hall and two bedrooms are finished.

"I am off to Winterfell to collect my mother…While I am away Dylan is in charge." She says to Septa Helda and Jonathan.

Tara mounts her horse and rides off with twenty men and Arya to Wintefell. As they travel Tara begins hand to hand combat with Arya. "When we return to Moat Cailin you will start lessons with Septa Helda."

Arya frowns, "Do I have too?"

"Yes!" The next day Tara is in full gallop on her horse when she stops and makes a fist.

"WHOA!" A man shouts. He urges his horse up to Tara, "Something wrong…"

Tara gets off her horse and hands the reigns to her squire, "Someone was on the road – Spotted us coming and got off the road."

"Bandits?" The man asked.

"No!" Tara says searching the countryside, "It's nothing let's move out!"

As they ride off Sir Rodrick returns to Catelyn Stark, "Did you recognize the sigil?" She asks.

"No! There were twenty of them…Not counting the leader and a little girl all on horseback…They are heading for Winterfell…Oh they are led by a woman!"

"A woman!" Catelyn says frowning, "Must be Tara Clegane going to collect her mother…"

Rodrick nods, "We should be off my lady…It's a long way to the Capital…"