AN: Here is a bonus chapter. I wasn't going to post it yet but it was ready (I think) so I changed my mind. This is the last one I had almost ready to go. As mentioned last chapter updates will be fewer this week now.

Chapter 28

Arya joined Rickon from the rookery, a letter in her hand.

"We have a raven from Jon"

Her young brother still had a lot to learn but she wanted him to read it with her as best he could. They sat together, her trying to be patient as he struggled with his temper. Rickon had a short fuse but he was getting better. He managed to make out quite a few of the smaller words and when they got to the end together she could see he was pleased.

"We must tell Jon how good you are getting" she told him with a smile.

Jon still had questions about her time away. She wanted to tell him, she really did but she was afraid. There were things she couldn't tell him. She didn't want to tell him about the House of Black and White. The other questions he had were difficult to answer in a letter. Jon told her of the Wall. They needed men. He wasn't asking it of her, he was referring to requests made to various self proclaimed Kings but Arya thought that might be something she could help with. Rickon interrupted her train of thought.

"Jon is a bastard" he said in a serious voice.

"He is" Arya conceded "but he is our blood. He does not have our name but he is just as Stark as we are".

Rickon chewed his lip. "I heard the men saying-"

"I know what they say" Arya said angrily. "They don't know Jon. He is like father. He has honour. He has more honour than many of them".

Rickon looked at her with big eyes and Arya took a deep breath. Calm as still water. She was supposed to be setting an example. She couldn't be losing her own temper so easily.

"People say lots of things. It is for us to find out the truth from lies. Have you heard the saying words are wind?"

Rickon nodded.

"That is true of a lot of what is said. We let the untruths pass by us. We might nod and pretend we don't know they are lies but that doesn't mean we believe".

She stood, beckoning him to follow. "It's time to go riding".

Arya's days were exhausting. She began early, breaking her fast in the dark before starting lessons with Rickon. The maester could handle teaching him his letters but Arya liked to be on hand for most of his lessons with Duck and Rickon wasn't good on a horse. He had very little riding experience so Arya had begun teaching him as best she could. They had no master of horse at Winterfell anymore.

When she returned from riding she would have to go to the great hall and meet with the lords still in Winterfell. A great many remained even after time had passed. Some had returned to their homes. Others had left and come back. She knew there would come a time when the banners would be called and the battles would begin. In the meantime the injured were healing and the frail were recovering. Conditions had been harsh in the lead up to the battle with the Boltons. The time had also allowed for Winterfell to be better repaired and for more provisions to be brought in.

She had decided to try again to talk to the men of the dragons. She had tried once, not long after arriving in Winterfell. The conversation had not gone well. She had tried to be blunt.

"The dragons are coming"

"The Targaryen's?" one of the knights called out.

"No" she had replied. "The scaled and flying kind".

The hall had erupted into raucous laughter and Arya had given up. She had been determined to try again though. She didn't want it said when Daenarys arrived that she had given the North no warning. It didn't go a lot better this time. She tried to give a better explanation.

"Daenarys Targaryen is sailing from the East. She has three dragons"

They weren't quite as dismissive as they had been the first time. She had earned that much respect from them now but she could see they didn't believe her though Wyman Manderley was giving her that look which told her he might be laughing but he wasn't a fool. The Lord of White Harbour had not left. He had excuses. His health was bad. He couldn't ride. Arya didn't care. If he wanted to stay she would let him. There was worse than him at Winterfell.

She sighed as the others made jokes about grumkins and let them change the subject. There was talk of repairing the glasshouses. Arya had been hopeful of it but she wasn't sure how it could really be done. Glass was costly and they needed their gold for food and the war to come. The glasshouses would help with growing food but not immediately and immediate needs came first she had come to realise.

Before she retired to her quarters after dinner, she paid a visit to the prisoners. They were rather less than fond of her. She knew it was custom to ransom the sons of lords. She hadn't been quite sure what to do about the others. She now had an idea. Some were convinced on her first visit. Others would take a little more work. Arya had patience in this at least.

She climbed into her bed feeling weary. She wasn't sure what hour it was when she woke to somebody in her room. Instinct made her grab a weapon before she realised it was Rickon.

"What is it Rickon?"

He was hesitant but she called him over, letting him climb onto the bed with her. She could see something had shaken him. His eyes were big as he spoke.

"I dreamed somebody would hurt you"

Arya smiled. "Do not worry little wolf, you know what will happen if they try?"

Rickon smiled back uncertainly. "You'll stick them with the pointy end"

She ruffled his hair and laughed. "That's right"

Jon's advice notwithstanding she could see the boy was not going to relax so she let him stay with her.

She gave it no further thought until dinner that night. They had a limited supply of wine. Arya wasn't much of a wine drinker but it was expected so she usually had just one cup. The cup was sitting by her and she was talking when she realised one of the squires had handled it. Before he could leave she called him back.

"I think I've had enough wine" she said, watching his reaction. "It seems a shame to waste it. Here"

Arya moved to pass the cup to the young man and saw his eyes become as large as eggs. "No, my lady" he stammered.

"No?" Arya questioned. "Perhaps I wish for you to drink it. You would not refuse?"

The young man began to tremble and Arya was aware the hall had fallen silent.

"Drink the wine boy" one of the men called out. "There's little enough of it now".

The young man shook his head and Arya could see him sweating.

"I think it was intended only for me" Arya said angrily. "If it is good enough for me though, why not for you? Who put you up to this?"

The squire tried to dart away but Duck had clearly figured out what was going on and he grabbed him by the arm. He took the cup of wine from Arya with his other hand and held it to the boy's mouth. "Drink" he barked.

The squire tried to knock the cup from Duck's hand but the big man's grip was too firm.

"Poison" one of the Flints gasped.

"We will find out once he drinks it" Arya said icily "and he will unless he tells me who asked him to do this".

"I don't know" the squire said, beginning to weep. "I don't know who he was. He was with the ones who left this morning. He just said to put it in your wine. He said you would never know. He said nobody would know".

"Well he had that wrong, didn't he" Arya said abruptly.

She heard a snarl and remembered Rickon. She turned to see her brother on his feet, his face pale and fury in his features. Shaggydog had come into the hall and Arya knew where this was headed.

"No Rickon" she said. "There are other ways to handle this".

"He tried to kill you" Rickon shouted.

Half the men in the hall were on their feet joining him in calling for the squire's head. Arya called for silence. It took a while to get anybody to listen. Brienne had taken Rickon's arm and was whispering to him. Whatever she was saying had him calmer though Shaggydog was still pacing the hall. When Arya could finally make herself be heard she ordered the squire to be taken to the dungeons.

Her order was met with protests but Duck was swift to carry it out. The cup of wine was tipped out. Rickon threw his arms around her as the squire left the hall. She could feel him shaking.

"Why didn't you kill him?" he asked, his voice muffled in her tunic.

She disentangled herself from him, bending to look him in the eye. "I need to know who asked him to poison me. If I kill him, somebody else will try. He is only a catspaw. Do you understand?"

Rickon nodded.

"You can come with me. I'm going to question him"

She made her way down to the cells, Rickon following close behind. Duck and Brienne were waiting along with a collection of men who had been in the hall and wore malevolent expressions as they looked on the squire in his cell.

The questioning was of limited use. The squire was too frightened to lie but all they got from him was a description of a man who wore a hooded cloak. His features were hidden and he either wore no sigil or the squire did not remember it. She was able to find out which party he had left with. It was the Ryswell party headed for Barrowton.

Arya spun on her heel and started to rush to her quarters. Duck caught her arm.

"You can't go after them my Lady"

Arya bit her lip. She felt a tug at her hand and saw Rickon watching her.

"I can't let him just go"

Brienne interceded. "Nobody is saying that but you should send somebody else. I'll go".

Arya hesitated. She wanted to handle it herself. She wanted to stamp her foot in frustration. I'm so tired of being trapped. Rickon gripped her hand tighter.

"I don't want them to try to hurt you again" he said. She could see he was torn between his rage and fear.

"They won't hurt me" she said reassuringly.

Brienne is right, I can't go. Not yet. She sighed and nodded to Brienne.

"Choose good people to go with you. When you find him I want him brought to me".

Arya didn't hold out much hope. I could have found him she thought gloomily. Even with a vague description she had her ways. Instead she trudged to her quarters. Duck shadowed her and Rickon wouldn't leave her side. She gave into it, playing absentminded games of Cyvasse with Duck in her solar while Rickon looked on. It didn't take her long to realise Duck was almost as shaken as Rickon.

"He shouldn't have been able to get that poison in your cup. If I had-"

Arya reached out and squeezed his hand. "You didn't fail me".

Duck looked doubtful. "I'm meant to be guarding you. If you hadn't-"

"We all got complacent" Arya said gently.

"You didn't" Duck said abruptly.

Arya shook her head. "This is my life. His attempt was clumsy. We know now somebody is after me. We will be ready if they try again".

"How did you know?" Rickon asked.

Arya looked him in the eye. "He touched my wine cup. He had no reason to. I knew somebody once. He gave me good advice. Look with your eyes. If your eyes are open you will see what should not be".

Rickon looked confused but he nodded. "I'll look Arya. I'll keep my eyes open".

She gave him a smile. He would not learn so easily but it was an important lesson. She had learned it herself when she was not much older than Rickon.

It was late when Arya finally got to bed. When she rose Brienne was gone. Arya knew the Lady of Tarth would pursue the hooded man relentlessly. If anybody other than Arya could find him it would be Brienne.

As she went about her duties for the day, she saw movement outside the castle. It was a clearer day than it had been in recent weeks. Somebody is watching. She kept one eye on Duck and Rickon in the training yard while the other scanned the trees. I wonder whether the hooded man really left.

She was meant to go riding with Rickon but she made an excuse for him to stay and went out on her own. It took some work to stop Duck coming with her. She didn't go very far from the castle before dismounting and resting her back against a tree. It was not long before she heard somebody approach. Before he could grab her, she whipped out her dagger, holding it to his throat.

The man was tall and lean, his features lined. His hair was grey but he had bright blue eyes. Something about him seemed familiar. Instead of looking afraid, he smiled. "There's no need for that child. I won't harm you".

"I'm not a child" Arya retorted. "Why have you been watching me?"

"I needed to be certain of you". His blue eyes crinkled at the corners. "You have your father's look but I can still see your mother in you".

Arya stiffened. "Who are you?"

"People call me the Blackfish" he replied "but my name is Brynden Tully".

Arya dropped the dagger.