[Chapter Size: 5529 Words]
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Arya Stark POV.
Kingdom of the North, Winterfell, heart of the realm, 289 A.C., Shortly before.
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She wandered through Winterfell disheartened, observing the courtyard. She saw Robb and Theon running, probably escaping from some prank they played to annoy a guard or trick someone. Arya always noticed that their pranks were becoming bolder, which made her suspicious of the stories she had heard about Jon.
She refused to believe that her brother would steal money from a servant, something that made no sense. She went to Hodor herself to verify the truth of the rumor, and he confirmed that Jon was innocent. However, who would listen to Hodor? Her anger was directed at her mother. Arya even loved her before, but she knew her cruelty towards Jon.
The young girl knew that this theft was orchestrated by her mother, fueling her hatred and disgust in recent days. She refused to speak to her mother, ignoring her all the time. Her sister scolded her for being so petty, especially for treating her own mother this way because of a bastard brother.
This equally irritated her, leading to a fight with her sister the day before. Hair pulling resulted in a brawl that only ceased thanks to the intervention of the septa. This fight earned her a severe punishment for the next day, but Arya was determined to avoid it. She had fled from the septa and hid in the courtyard as she wandered.
However, this situation reminded her of the times when she skipped sewing lessons to watch her lost brother training alone with a straw dummy in a corner of the courtyard. She always kept him company.
Remembering Jon squeezed her heart. Without him, her home was not complete. She cried frequently for the absence of her favorite brother, essential to make Winterfell whole. Now, without him, she had no patience to deal with her mother, sister, and Septa Morgane.
Tears began to flow involuntarily down her face. "Brother, why don't you come back home?" she selfishly wondered. This question haunted her since she found out about Jon and his adventures. She hoped he would return to Winterfell, to his family, to her. But she found out that Jon was heading North, in search of whatever it was, and she wished for something else.
She wanted him to come back, to appear at the gate with giant wolves by his side. But deep down, she knew that, thanks to her mother, Jon was not happy there. Even if he disguised his sadness in her presence, there was always a hint of melancholy behind his smile, genuine only for Arya.
Arya selfishly wished to have Jon back, to spend days laughing and training hidden from her mother. However, she couldn't fill the void left by him. She could only wait in the castle for news and dream of the day when Jon would show up at the gate.
"I swear, I swear I'll look for you one day, Jon! Even if I have to go to the seven hells!" she thought to herself, in case her brother didn't return to Winterfell when she was older.
"Lady Arya!" Arya snapped out of her thoughts when she was approached by the captain of the guard, Jory.
She cursed herself because he was one of the few guards who could catch her. Now, he would escort her to the presence of her mother or Septa, something Arya did not want to face amidst her sorrow.
"Yes, Jory?"
"Your father, Lord Stark, demands your presence in his solar. Please, follow me," he said, turning.
Arya sighed and followed him. There wasn't much to be done; at least it wasn't her mother or that cursed septa. Her father was more understanding to deal with, although equally strict when boundaries were crossed. She would probably receive severe punishment for escaping the last time.
Minutes later, Jory and she stood before the solar, and he made way for her to enter.
"I'm here, Father," she said upon entering, but she found her other brother, an unexpected surprise.
"Bran? Hm? What is this raven!?" Arya couldn't help but exclaim upon seeing the bird pecking at some grains on the table, being observed by her father and brother.
"Arya, this is a raven from your brother, Jon," her father said, and she immediately became excited.
"Really? It's a raven from Jon?! Tell me he has a letter!" Arya started shouting happier than she remembered in the last two months.
"Yes, Arya," her father simply said.
"Let me see!" I shouted, Bran, who seemed to understand, was also excited like me.
*GLOOO* *GLOOO* *GLOOO* *GLOOO*
Suddenly, we heard the raven making sounds with our comments, which made me stop talking and look at Jon's raven for a moment. I didn't know a raven could respond to us in this way.
The raven seemed to be laughing at us, leaving me, Bran, and my father stunned. I, however, was thrilled and amazed by a bird that seemed to understand our behavior, showing that it was not just an ordinary raven but an intelligent being capable of understanding us, even without speaking the human language.
But Arya turned her attention back to her father. Despite being happy that this was not a punishment for escaping the last punishment, she wanted to see Jon's letter more than anything.
"Father, the letter! PLEASE! PLEASE!" Arya wasted no more time.
"That's it, Father, we want to see the letter!" Bran, next to her, joined in the request.
Her father, seeing his children, sighed and took the second paper that was tied to the feet of the strange raven, starting to unroll it.
"Sit down, I'll read it to you," he said. Arya, accompanied by an equally excited Bran, settled in.
Her father, with the letter open after breaking the small seal, began to read aloud.
Soon Arya understood that she was being thanked and was glad that her father had helped her escape from the septa. However, she soon realized that maybe her father had called her for this. She looked at her father and the raven staring at her. The raven commented on some things about Arya, but no one understood, and it lay on its back on the floor, exclaiming as if laughing. Arya looked perplexed at the raven, as did the rest of the room. It stopped laughing, returned to the normal position, and grumbled a few more things. Ned and his children swore that the bird's grumbles were as if it lacked humor. The raven left the table and went to Lord Stark's shoulder, who also did not expect that. Arya came with a thousand questions about where he got this trained raven. He explained that it was from his brother and said that he had sent a letter to both Arya and Bran.
He wanted everyone to be together to read the letter. He broke the seal and read aloud:
[- To my siblings, my little she-wolf Arya and my little wolf, Bran.
I find myself thinking of you all the time in my days since I left Winterfell. I imagine you must have a thousand questions about why I left your lives without saying goodbye. It wasn't because I didn't want to. It was clear that I wanted to hug you one last time, so strong that it would be rooted and marked in our bones. But don't blame Father. I admit I wasn't in the most emotional state to deal with anything at the time. When I woke up, I was already on the way to the Wall, and on the same night, we were caught by a mysterious snowstorm. And do you know what happened next?]
"I woke up in the middle of a forest hundreds of kilometers away, something that should be impossible, but there I was. I wandered through the forest wondering where I was. But then things happened that I cannot reveal yet, and now my goal is to go to the Wall once again before thinking about returning to Winterfell.
I'm on this path, and I must admit that, in my journey so far, I've learned so many things, my siblings. I've met people, places, ideas, and lived experiences that make me grow every day. I am growing to try to be a better person, modeling myself after our father. I've learned things that made me rethink everything I learned in Winterfell.]
That we should judge people by their actions and not by their titles or birth, I met farmers who showed me things that no lord of title did. I met nobles with titles that weren't worth half of a commoner. So, if you want a life lesson from your older brother, with eight namedays, never judge a book by its cover, for the content inside the book may not be what is expected, be it a good thing or a bad thing.
I said this to a blacksmith when I went to buy his tools. He looked at me, wearing old and worn-out clothes, but willing to spend some gold dragons with him. I said this to him because he not only dismissed me just for my appearance but also laughed at me. I didn't fail to make that comment to him before leaving. You should have seen his face when he wondered what a book had to do with our situation, hehe.
I know I'm dealing with much more dangerous situations than when I lived in the castle. Working washing clothes, harvesting and cutting wood, or cleaning the stables is much safer than facing bandits or dealing with adults while spending gold dragons.
But I must admit that I am happy with my life out here as I wander through the harsh kingdom. I feel it's cruel to say this, but I have to be honest, as I love you very much. Even though it might sound a bit crazy to think this way, between being in a castle fed and a bed to endure the cold nights, I felt trapped and unhappy. So, I prefer to sleep among my wolves on the cold ground, feeling free and happy.
In Winterfell, I would have to clean the stables with Hodor. But here, I have to run away from Seryna. And you must be wondering why I have to run away from this girl? Seryna is a quite peculiar young lady, my siblings. Despite thinking that she might become like a noble lady one day, she has a lot to learn, as her size is difficult to deal with.
She says she will marry me and become my wife. The only problem with that is that she is 7.2 feet tall. Despite being only 14 namedays old, yes, siblings, if you're thinking about it, she is really a giant. Can you believe it? They exist beyond legends, and I stumbled upon one in Wolfwoods.
I am with a group of men from 4M now. I found some populating the forest farther north, and no one seemed to have noticed them. Despite forming a friendship and having ease dealing with all of them, Seryna has the strange habit of grabbing me like a straw doll and hugging. Once I thought I was going to die. The girl is over 6 feet, and I'm only 3. You think that would work out? I got mad at her at that moment and showed her my displeasure.
To my surprise, she started crying, apologizing. In the end, I had to console a young giant that day. But now, I have to run away from her, as hugging me has become an addiction. I fear and already get scared when the ground starts shaking, as I know it's her running towards me from some direction.
I not only have Seryna to share my joys of my life now. I have 4 giant adult wolves!"
To begin, I have Shadow, a powerful black wolf. There's his mate, who is pregnant, Blackarrow, a grayish wolf with dark tones. As for the other wolf couple, there's Grass and the wolf Sun, a male with a greenish tint, hence I named him Grass. His partner is made of burnt yellow fur with dirty tones. But all my new companions, the size of a horse, are more beautiful than any animal in the Seven Kingdoms!
Having my wolves makes me believe in all those stories of House Stark, where the ancient Starks rode large wolves into battle. They are real, and the most incredible thing is that one of the she-wolves is about to give birth to a new litter, and I am looking forward to this new addition to our group. I wonder every day when they will finally be born, I catch myself imagining myself surrounded by little wolves.
In addition to the wolves, I have my first companion, Caraxes, an eagle that I found shortly after that snowstorm. When I found him, he was just a small chick, left to die after his parents and siblings were killed by another predator. But I saw myself in those eyes of the little animal and saved him. We've been together since then, and I have no stronger bond with any other, as I do with him. He has white and blue-spotted feathers. You would say he is the most beautiful bird you've ever seen if you laid your eyes on him, I'm sure.
There's Panis, a horse I bonded with on Icehill farm and the famous horse from the song of little Jon. He really saved my life and helped me in the most vital moments. I owe a lot to him and am taking care of him. He's not a black steed as I always imagined going into battles, but I chose him as my official mount. I have some skills, and maybe I'll change his coat in the future, perhaps.
My animals are fantastic. I am surrounded by them and very happy for their company. There are giants besides Seryna. There's Wallyk, Wuual, their two children, Carruuyi, and Tuuuxy. Just like the other giant couple, Kypyl and Huyys. Great friends, I must admit, once you get to know them, despite their intimidating size and primitive, unkempt appearance.
But despite having so many companions, I still feel uneasy about not being with other little wolves, which are you two, my little Arya and little Bran.
I am experiencing incredible things, I admit, but my beautiful siblings, the thing I would most like right now is to be reunited with you. But some things are necessary before this reunion, and I must delay it.
I cannot express in a letter how much I miss you and wonder how you are every night. But I am focused on my task; the sooner I finish it, the faster I can see you again. So, be a little patient; we will be reunited soon.
What I have to say is that this world is so vast, and I hope to tell all my adventures that I have lived and will live soon in the Winterfell hearths.
So, behave and learn everything you can and be prepared for the world, my siblings.
From your beloved brother, Jon Snow.
As soon as her father finished the letter, Arya was crying as she processed everything she heard. Her beloved brother seemed so happy and doing amazing things. She was happy for her brother, but she felt a bit envious. She wanted to be adventuring with him; the prospect of living what Jon was going through was everything she dreamed of. She was never meant to be a lady; she wanted this life.
She also noticed her brother crying beside her and her father with conflicted eyes. Jon wrote that he preferred to be outside of Winterfell than in the castle, something she imagined her father had defeated thoughts about.
"Letting Mother take over the castle and handle things has always been a mistake, Father. Now Jon prefers to be away from us!" Arya said internally with some bitterness, but she didn't know if her father could agree.
Unbeknownst to Arya, her father was thinking exactly that, but there was no reset button for his mistakes, and he would have to live with them, unfortunately.
Arya really wanted to meet all those companions of Jon. If she were certain to find Jon, she would already be preparing to run away tonight, but she knew it would be a mistake to search for her brother in the North alone.
I just hoped, one day, to have the opportunity to meet the magical eagle, the wolves, horses, play with Seryna, and talk to the other giants.
"The raven will stay until you write a letter to your brother. You can do that now if you want," her father spoke again, immediately catching the attention of the two siblings.
"YES!" Arya and Bran said simultaneously.
"What's your name?" Arya asked the raven.
*GLOOO....* It emitted a disheartened sound.
"I believe Jon hasn't named him yet," her father said, and she and her brother nodded.
Her father handed her a parchment and a quill with ink, and she settled at the table next to the raven to start writing, while her brother had her father's help to write the letter.
Arya found herself laughing and playing with her brother about things they claimed to write to Jon. The raven seemed to enjoy it while listening to the siblings. Her father seemed pleased with the time spent with them, and Arya appreciated that. Once they finished the letters, they tied them to the raven's leg, who graciously left.
"Tell Jon to come back as fast as he can!" Bran shouted.
*GLOOOO* The raven responded.
"Tell him we miss him and to take me along next time!" Arya spoke this time without caring about her father's sharp look at that moment.
*GLOOOOO!*
Arya smiled at the response, then watched the raven fly out of the window, heading straight to Jon's location. She couldn't help but shed a few more tears thinking about her favorite brother.
Two days had passed since the raven departed, but even with the void Jon left in the castle, Arya was still relieved. Her mother didn't know about the letter, and her siblings didn't either, as she and Bran kept it between them, and her father remained silent as it wasn't something her mother would appreciate from them.
It seemed nothing happy after Bran accidentally let it slip, but this gave Arya and Bran the freedom to talk in front of their other siblings about what Jon wrote about his companions and adventures. They were in the feast hall at this moment; her mother was tending to her belly, Sansa was eating calmly trying to be a proper lady, Robb was gossiping with Theon about something while she and Bran exchanged some glances and smiles; her father was pensive, but that was for a moment before looking at all of them.
"Children," he called our attention, and we all looked at him.
"I have a question. Tell me, how do you see yourselves in 10 years?" Her father asked, taking us by surprise.
But not waiting for long, Robb led us.
"I'll be the greatest warrior in the North and your complete heir!" Robb said, earning a proud look from his mother.
"I'll be the Lord of the Iron Islands!" said an arrogant Theon. Arya wasn't surprised that he responded to her father's question when he used the word "son"; her father considered him one of them, although Arya had her doubts about Greyjoy.
"I'll be a perfect lady or even a queen, marrying a prince!" Sansa said dreamily, earning another proud look from her mother while Arya rolled her eyes.
As she was about to answer, Bran seemed to step forward.
"I want to have the same adventures as Jon and face all the dangers like a true knight!" Bran said excitedly, gaining strange looks from those around him; his father just sighed.
"A bunch of fantasy lies," Robb said disdainfully. Arya knew he started to get jealous that Jon was becoming famous.
"Bran Stark, I don't want to hear that again, ever!" Her mother was startled, widening her eyes upon hearing this. But she promptly scolded him vehemently, refraining from insulting Jon now; her father had made it clear that she shouldn't do that anymore.
"Jon must have paid those bards to make up his song," Theon said without calling Jon a bastard because his father wouldn't be pleased to hear that in his presence, but he had the same arrogance in his voice as when he used to insult Jon some time ago.
"It's all true! I too, brother, will be with Jon on his adventures across the realm!" Arya immediately agreed with Bran.
There was no need to be surprised at everyone's bewilderment after hearing those words from the girl regarding the bastard; it wasn't only her family who heard, even the lower tables looked at the girl, especially Madame Morgane, who had a horrified expression. Arya didn't say she would be with any of her legitimate siblings, but rather with the bastard; this left Catelyn so angry that she tried to make her children never speak those words again, but the younger ones started getting into a discussion between a 3-nameday boy and a 5-nameday girl.
"I'll be 13 namedays, so I'll be playing with Jon and Seryna's children too!" Bran exclaimed, as no one in the room knew who Seryna was, and wasn't Jon an 8-nameday child? How could he be a father?!
"Jon said he wouldn't marry her, you fool!" Arya explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"But she wants to marry him, doesn't she?" Bran asked innocently and looked at his father for answers. Ned just smiled at the interaction, and family members, soldiers, and servants were all paying quite a bit of attention to the unprecedented discussion.
"She wants to, as she always tries to hug him, but our brother runs away whenever she tries to do that; Jon is only 8 namedays old, and she'll be 4 meters tall when she grows up. She wouldn't even fit in this hall!" Arya exclaimed to her brother.
"But Jon comforted her, so he likes her!" Bran argued.
"Yes, but she almost killed him, if you remember what Jon wrote; he said he feels scared when he feels the ground start shaking; he said that's the sign that Seryna is running towards him from some direction!" Everyone was trying to understand what they were discussing and about Jon's supposed wife who would be 4 meters tall and almost killed him already.
"Arya, what are you talking about?" Robb demanded.
"It's about Jon, who wrote a letter to Arya and me. In the letter, Jon said he found giants populating a part of Wolfswood in the North and made friends with 4-meter-tall men!" Bran exclaimed in his childlike innocence in place of his sister. The hall was stunned by his youngest son's statement.
"Ned, what are they talking about? Did your son send letters to Winterfell without anyone knowing?" Catelyn demanded, angry that the younger ones were talking about Jon as a symbol or idol to be followed.
"Yes, Catelyn, we received letters from Jon two days ago, one of them was for the younger ones." Arya's father admitted, and the rest of the family who didn't know were surprised.
Arya knew her mother would argue with her father later for not having contact, but he didn't seem to care. Jon was proving to be a brave brother and more like her father than anyone here, even at such a young age. The discussion continued with Arya and Bran under the watchful eyes of their other siblings and the venomous look their mother was giving them, but Arya didn't mind.
The next day, Arya was having breakfast. Her mother looked very angry with her father, seeming like she had eaten a spoiled lemon, but her father didn't seem to care much. It was in the midst of this meal that everyone was in their own thoughts when they were suddenly interrupted.
A guard announced that a FrostRoar merchant had arrived in Wintertown and was requested to appear at the castle, and he accepted and was here. Arya's father wasted no time and ordered him to be brought to the hall. This mysterious man soon entered and bowed humbly in a greeting to the main table.
"Lord Stark, it's an honor to be in Winterfell and in the presence of your family. I heard that you're interested in the rumors from the city FrostRoar. I was there when young Jon visited the city!" He said proudly, and everyone was shocked because no one knew why Ned sought someone from that city, but it seems Jon made another stir in the North and went to that city. Arya and all her siblings became interested at this moment; her mother was even more uncomfortable, and the servants and soldiers were interested too.
"Yes, it's true that I would like to hear about the events in the city," Ned said, and the merchant seemed very happy and proud, so he began to tell.
"It was a normal day in the city, but strange events began to occur. I was in my shop with my family when I started hearing rumors that young Jon appeared in the square and handed a golden dragon to the bard who sang his song!" He said, leaving everyone open-mouthed because Jon handed a large sum of money to a street performer. He said and continued.
"No one believed the bard at first, but he showed the gold coin, saying he would never spend it. This made people less skeptical, and the children were, at that moment, running through the city looking for their hero. Then, some time later, another rumor spread like wildfire that a boy, no more than 10 namedays old, was confronting the vile son of Lord Frotniid!" He said, and Arya couldn't help but sigh wanting to know more.
"So I went to check for myself. When I saw the commotion forming in front of one of the city's wealthiest shops, I saw a hooded boy leaving the place with Lorenzo Frotniid right behind. Quickly, I found out that the young noble challenged that child to a duel, even though he was apparently 4 years older, and we knew the teenager wanted to harm the child! Everyone was horrified." He exclaimed.
Arya noticed everyone becoming horrified, even her father was pale; it seemed he didn't know about these events, and Arya was nervous about what could happen to her lost brother.
She just hoped that Jon came out unscathed because anyone who tried to hurt Jon would pay. She herself vowed to go with her father's soldiers to FrostRoar, invade the Glovers' territory, and execute all those involved in her brother's misfortune. Unlike Arya, her father, at the adjacent table, remained calm, thinking that since the merchant was idolizing his nephew Jon, he might assume that things ended well in the end. However, he was very angry now that the other party demanded a duel with a child, but he waited for the merchant to continue.
"My lord, it was a scene I will remember for the rest of my life! Even with a hood and no one able to see his appearance clearly, young Jon proved to be extraordinary with the sword, and in 2 moves, my lord, 2 moves with the sword, and the mayor's son lost his hand, showing to be so skilled with the sword that the guards were frightened!" The merchant declared, and this left people in shock.
Arya and Bran were happy and proud of Jon after hearing this. Robb seemed skeptical of Jon's abilities, and Theon believed none of it, thinking Jon somehow paid this man. Sansa was shocked by this story of Jon cutting off someone else's hand, Catelyn seemed to be afraid now, but Ned was relieved, although he didn't like how the man described the fight, where Jon mutilated the other party in front of his children. He had to keep their innocence, even knowing that this world is cruel.
Arya's father was already contemplating writing a letter to the Glover vassal demanding an explanation of what happened and making it clear that Jon is his lost son. Also, that he will visit their city as soon as he can.
"Ned! Your son is wicked. He first robs our house, and now he's cutting children with you, letting the vile boy influence our younger children?!" Catelyn didn't waste any more time being horrified. Her fears and biases against Jon were at a higher level now.
Even Theon, after this statement, had a fear in his eyes. As skeptical as he was, he wouldn't want to deal with this ruthless Jon if the boy sought revenge against him.
The merchant suddenly scowled at this declaration and gave a disdainful look to the lady of Winterfell. Everyone was surprised at the hostility towards their lady, but before anyone could speak, he was quicker.
"Forgive me, my lady, but young Jon was threatened before, and Lord Frotniid's son demanded that the guards cut off his hand in an argument they were having. That brat was already ordering his guards to beat people just because they are of low birth!" He said and continued.
"He's a spoiled brat, who demanded everyone worship him and comforted anyone who didn't look at him with respect. Young Jon showed courage when he faced the vile boy who thought he was the king in our city!"
"Young Jon is not seen as an evil child but as a hero. He was acclaimed by the entire city when he left. Everyone went to see him off. I consider him a hero, as do all the commoners of FrostRoar!" He growled proudly to the lady of Winterfell.
Arya didn't need to look at her mother to know that she was pale at how a merchant had the audacity to confront her in her own home. But Arya was so happy for her brother; he became a hero as she always knew he was.
Her father, Lord Stark, seeing this, didn't want to harm the merchant. His wife had touched a sore spot. The common folk will always defend their heroes against any ruler, and it is foolish for the nobles to try to erase any hero or religion from the people. This always ends in open rebellion.
"Thank you for all your statements. Now, Jory, escort the merchant to the town with some coins!" Ned, without wasting time, asked the merchant to leave to prevent things from getting worse. Catelyn could only look at her husband in disbelief, but before leaving, the merchant looked at Ned and said:
"So, it's really true? They said that young Jon, before the duel, sent a letter to Winterfell, and now there are rumors that he is your own bastard son? Not to mention that your wife called him 'your son.'" He asked curiously, and Ned couldn't help but smile.
"Yes, Jon is indeed my son." Ned declared solemnly, ignoring the bastard part and the even larger scowl on his face.
The merchant nodded proudly and, as he left, Catelyn turned to Ned.
"You let him speak to me like that?" She snarled at him, and he just sighed as if she were a fool, while Arya paid attention to this argument.
"Catelyn, start harming the smallfolk when they're defending their heroes and beliefs, and you'll reap open rebellion. Do you want Robb to have that kind of trouble in his rule?" He declared, leaving her pale, but she said without thinking.
"They should follow Robb. He's your true son! They have no right to defend that..." She was spewing her venom again, and Arya was getting angry at her mother, but her father didn't let her continue and said:
"Catelyn! Understand that the North is not like the South. The North will not follow any ruler they don't find suitable, or just because of their birth. The Starks have always shown to be the house that rules the North through respect, and I won't have commoners harmed just for looking at you with anger. He didn't say anything outrageous. Even in the South, this could cause some chaos if something like this happened in their lands. Look at the Targaryens; they had no right to rule?"
"Can you tell me why they're not ruling now? And as far as I know, there are still some who survived the rebellion, but they are being hunted, despite not agreeing with that!" He declared, leaving everyone speechless. Catelyn couldn't even respond to that logic.
Ned just wondered how she could act like a fool, hostage to her fears and afflictions. Ned withdrew after that; he had to investigate Jon's allegations. Arya looked at her foolish mother and wondered when she would see her brother again.
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