It must be said their traveling is far more comfortable than she expected. Arya initially had no plans of accompanying Bran and Reed children. When she heard the news of her mother's arrival, she was extremely happy. Relishing the thought of her mother's arrival, she took it upon her self to read the letter that announced her arrival.
That is how she discovered the bad news. It is not just her mother arriving, also her betrothed – Elmar Frey along with his brothers. She agonized over her plans even as she formulated and reformulated them. She eventually realized whether she leaves or not, for now, she will need to plan her escape route and supplies. That is how she came upon Bran's plan to leave him self.
Meera Reed was stealing supplies. When Arya realized what the supplies are for, she tried to stop Bran. When even tattling about his plan didn't work on Bran, Arya decided she must go with them as extra protection. She helped them commission a hanging chair, a cart which can have either wheels or skates, a wheel chair, weapons enough to arm twenty soldiers, a wheel chair which she had Gendry customize so it can fold and be kept in a cart.
Gendry, being the gullible lad he is, ate up her excuses of Bran wants to go out in to town with out looking helpless. He made exceptional weapons, she had them customized for her and Meera. She had two daggers hidden in boots, two knives which are hidden in the sole of her boots, a pouch of throw knives strapped to her thighs, a belt that can double as whip, arrows and bow, ofcourse, last but not least, needle.
They took five of winterfell's finest horses, provided by Hodor. They kept off main road, followed in summer's foot steps. Bran, with his warging, always warned them of all the troubles before they can so much as say trouble. It is in Bolton lands trouble finally found them. Rather, they found trouble.
Some men were terrorizing a village, cutting down women and men indiscriminately, laughing as one of the little shits dragged one more woman to rape. Bran wanted to avoid the place, Yet, Arya refused. Finally, she convinced Bran, Jojen and Hodor to stay back, while she and Meera dealt with the men.
Meera is as good with the bow as Arya her self is. They took down two men before they even spotted them. Another four fell for not responding fast enough. The rest, about twelve men or so drew their swords, took cover. There are two with their backs to Arya.
She drew and released her arrow. One of them fell, while the other ran to take cover in opposite direction. Meera fired so fast, she has taken down two. Utter silence rained over them as all the remaining men waited under cover. It is then one of the little shits came out of the house he was in. Arya released with out a second thought, put an arrow in the neck of man. One of the men near by, took the corpse, started moving towards Arya.
Meera fired, but missed the neck, only getting his shoulder. He screamed in response. He dropped the corpse, Arya fired, getting an arrow between his eyes. It is only then she noticed the men fleeing towards the ridge half way between them. She can not let them escape. She gave a signal to Meera, started running after them.
Meera dearly thought it is a folly to run behind the trained fighting men when they out numbered you four to one but she couldn't leave arya alone to face them. So she ran, with her bow in hand getting another in shoulder as she ran. Arya got one in knees. Arya reached them first. The one with a shoulder wound drew a sword with his other hand, swung at arya.
Meera could not help shrieking. She thought Arya would be beheaded with that swing. She couldn't be more wrong. Arya skid at the last moment, Meera hadn't even realized she has drawn her own sword. Instead of parrying, she crouched, cut the man in the thigh near his crotch, whirled on the ground near his leg in opposite direction, getting back on her feet three feet away from the man who's bleeding to his death and continued her run.
The man who fell down with an arrow wasn't even ready for her. His face is frozen in eternal surprise even as Arya slit his throat. Meera her self was reeling at the ease with which Arya killed that man, but then, she her self had killed a fair few to day. She could reel back later. She can not process her feelings now.
Even as they ran forward, they could see summer tearing the throat of one of the men. Faced with a snarling wolf on one side, two little girls on the other side, The men chose little girls. Their mistake. The man in the middle whirled to other side missing summer by mere inches. Meera parried one of the men's swords with her knife, while bending over and kicking the other in his crotch.
Unfortunately, the man jumped back, while the one with blocked sword swung his fist at her. She was ready for him though. She bent her head back, held up a dagger at the same time. The knife is embedded deep in his wrist. He fell back with a curse. The other one was recovering from his jump back, is already swinging at her free side.
Meera fell down, rolled away from him even as he stabbed at where she was a moment ago. She removed her spear even as she was rolling back, was able to stop his fourth stab. By then, the other was coming at her to stab in her stomach. She was caught. She thought she will be goner in a minute. That is, until summer jumped on his back, tearing his throat out.
She had no time to respond as the man whom she's fighting with spear swung at her head. She caught the full force of the punch, flew to the side as her grip on her spear released. The man, choosing wisely, turned to summer rather than her, thinking she is knocked out. Had it been a normal girl, she perhaps would have been knocked out.
But Meera has been fighting all her life, while crannog men are less powerful then men of north, the men she fought with never pulled their punches. She scrambled to her spear, Thrust it in his heart before he can even realize she is awake. She turned around to see Arya on the ground just about to get stabbed from the other man. She could hear summer growling, then she blacked out.
The men Arya fought are skilled, more than skilled, they are used to dirty tricks. So, none of her dirty tricks worked on them, while none of their dirty tricks worked on her. She could see their anger building up. She needed all of her concentration to keep up with them. Then she saw it, an opening, just as she had been cornered in to a tree. She jumped side ways on her right foot, her hand going under to cut one of the men on inner thigh, even as she ducked under his punch.
How ever, the other man guessed the maneuver, whirled on his left foot to the back of his comrade just out of her sword's reach and clipped her on the knee. She fell down with a pained scream, but raised needle to poke at his leg, but he swatted it away with his sword so hard, it flew out of her hands.
"You die to day little bitch." he told her hatefully as he stepped on her hand and raised his sword to stab her through. Before he could go through with his threat though, a black blur jumped from the woods ripping his hand off cleanly. Arya wasted no time. Arya scrambled back from him as the two wolves surrounded the fallen man. Need less to say, he died a bloody death at the mercy of two wolves.
By the time Arya and Meera walked back to the village with two wolves, after Arya's happy reunion with her wolf ofcourse. The villagers already removed Arrows from the dead bodies and piled them for burning them up. One of the brave lads brought arrows back to her, even as he looked fearfully at the bloodied wolves behind her.
"You must go." one of the elderly woman told her.
They could be a little more great-full. We just saved their hides from men who could kill them or worse, Arya thought spitefully. Nymeria growled at them matching her mood immediately. The villagers flinched in response. Arya placed a hand on her wolf's neck, calming her. Summer placidly stood behind Meera, as if blood isn't dripping from his muzzle and this is a clear summer day where is out frolicking. It made him look all the more dangerous, but that's Arya.
"You could at least thank us." Meera snapped at them, but it's visible her heart isn't in it.
"You must go now. He will come for you soon enough. There's a stream down to the north, it joins long lake. Go now." the elder woman urged her.
"Who's he?" Arya asked curiously even as she turned to go.
"The bolton bastard." they said fearfully, as men started dragging the bodies.
Had it been before she encountered gold cloaks and ironborn, Arya would have told them to shut up and stand their ground. There is nothing to be gained by standing their ground.
"Leave the bodies." She told them authoritatively.
The men looked at her doubtfully. Nymeria growled. They dropped the bodies in an instant. Arya understood their plan is to move the bodies to forest, blame this on bandits or some such, but that will not work. If some one is cruel enough to attack innocent people, he will only be all the more willing to attack innocent people with an excuse.
"If he is going to hurt you now, he will hurt you all the more just because you are the nearest available village. Pack your belongings and go to winter-fell. Lady Stark is back, she will give you shelter. King Robb will send men to hunt down this bastard. You must hurry." she told them.
The villagers looked at each other's faces as if debating her words. However it is the elder woman who is urging her to go that responded fastest again.
"She speaks sense." she said nodding her head at the other villagers.
They seemed to be unwilling to abandon their homes, but there's no other recourse for them if they want to survive. The Northmen are nothing if not survivors. Thus, Arya and Meera left with their wolves, while the villagers packed all they can, buried the rest and left for winter-fell.
She made all of them ride day and night with out rest the next day, thinking some or other kind of Bolton Army will catch up to them. She knew better than to trust all of the north will obey her simply because she is a stark. Even with all these interruptions, their journey went smooth.
Arya thanked gods every day for giving her the good sense to over pack their food supplies. They stopped and hunted for food only after reaching the gift. Meera is just as good a hunter if not better, reducing the burden on Arya. Continuing like that, they reached wall in no time. Arya is sure by now the villagers would have reached winter-fell, giving her whereabouts to her family.