we carried on through drought and flood;

[wolfchild]

ᴡʜᴏ: Arya + you
ᴡʜᴀᴛ: Little girl misses mother.
ᴡʜᴇɴ: Morning + Evening
ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ: see below
ɴᴏᴛᴇs: Spoilers abound for ASOS

A. Gardens
[ Life does not stop. If the gods were just, they would make it all stop. Arya does not know if the gods are not here yet or mayhaps they are dead. But the direwolves need grooming and that task falls to her. She had loved it before. Arya would lead Nymeria and Grey Wind out with a brush in hand. Nymeria needed to be chased down; Grey Wind would sit obligingly and lick her face.

Today, both direwolves are energetic. Days spent in closed quarters and they have plenty of energy to burn. They play fight, snarls ripping through the air, tails up. But though they grab one another and tackle the other, there is no blood, no injury.

Arya has not played like that in a long time. Fights aren't games.

She screams at both and they break apart. Arya immediately feels bad. She crouches on the grass and holds an arm out to them. Grey Wind comes up to her first, always the less petulant of the two. He nuzzles her neck. Nymeria rolls on the grass. Arya glares at her over Grey Wind's head as she begins brushing his coat. ]


B. Stark rooms
[ A nearly full plate on the floor and Arya sits at the window to watch the outside. It's pretty. It's always pretty. She hates it.

Nymeria snuffles over and eats the meat portions. Robb will know. But Arya's not very hungry and Nymeria wants it. She strokes the direwolf's clean, warm fur. ]

At least one of us is happy.

[ Lucky Nymeria. She never misses her mother. ]

Comments

[wolfchild]

[ Her face is still water. I don't need anything. Not so long as I have Needle and Nymeria.

But it falls too close to a lie. Even without speaking, she can feel the pressure closing off her throat. ]

I still think your servants are stupid. [ She cannot think of a man or woman at Winterfell who would not have immediately called for the other's head. Robb might not have needed to do anything; whoever tried anything like that would be dead before he called for a block. And not one of them would have let her or her little brothers or sister watch. Jory would have picked them all up and herded them inside. Even Septa Mordane who hated Arya would have intervened.

But they're all dead now. And no one was ever around to hide her from what she saw.

Arya sighs and what little fierceness had returned abandons her again. She looks her age. She looks a child. But worn in a way only men- and women-grown look. She does not have enough energy left in her to try a smile for his benefit. ]

We're in the solar.

[ Arya leads the way after Nymeria. Just inside the room, the direwolves wait for them. After she's disposed of her plate, Arya sits on the floor. Grey Wind curls up around her. Arya breathes easier. She places a kiss to the top of his head.

So long as Grey Wind is still here, Robb is too. ]

[wilder]

[Yeah actually...the execution and punishment part later became part of the problem but let's not mention that] Yeah, I know.

[He doesn't expect her to smile, that's honestly the last thing he would want- for her to smile when she doesn't feel it. But he follows along dutifully. When she sits on the floor, he sits by near her- unsure of what to do next]

[wolfchild]

[ Arya picks through Grey Wind's fur for anything she may have missed that morning. He closes his eyes, breathing a relaxed sigh. Without preamble, she says: ] My sister is here.

[wilder]

[He'll raise an eyebrow a little. he knows her relationship with her sister, well, sucked]

Is she?

[wolfchild]

A long time now. Near as long as me. But she didn't want anyone to know who she is. She said she's safe so long as no one knew she's a Stark. It's only because Robb returned that she wants to come back.

[ Her chest feels too tight. Arya doesn't know if she want to break something or cry or stop talking. ]

I keep wishing she was the one who'd gone. She's safe where she is. Mother isn't.

[wilder]

...Yeah. That doesn't sound like much of a sister at all.

Is Robb letting her come back?

[wolfchild]

[ A little pause. She shakes her head. ]

Not unless I want her to.

[ He could have easily gone over her. Robb is her king. He is the head of the House. He does not have to do as she wants. He misses Sansa, they both do even if Arya is still too angry and betrayed to see. But that he was willing to listen to her made Arya love him more. ]

It's just us now.

[wilder]

[He gives a little nod, a bit relieved that Robb didn't tell her to deal with it. From the sound of it, the girl abandoned her family. Arya can't be blamed for feeling hurt]

He's a good brother for listening.

I don't know what your sister's deal is, but I can't really get behind someone who tosses aside family like that. Threat or not, it's not like people could see behind filters...or that your world's problems are even here.

[wolfchild]

[ Their world's problems are here. They brought them along. She chews her lip. ]

Robb's a good man. [ A little smile crosses her face. ] When I was scared, I thought of him. I wanted to be as strong as Robb. The Young Wolf, people call him. He never sent his men anywhere he would not go himself. He and Grey Wind would ride into battle together. He never lost a single one. In the south, people said he can turn into a wolf himself when he wants.

[ Her laugh is small and incredulous. And proud. Proud of Robb. Proud to be his sister. That's what she cannot understand. Her smile drops off her face. She had to lie so many times, but she had to. Else she would been caught and held. If not for that…why would anyone deny being Robb's sister? Their lady mother's daughter?

Her eyes lift to the door as if expecting to find Robb. She swallows a little stab of fear when she doesn't. Arya hugs Grey Wind closer. As she tilts her head, her eyes fall on Zelos' hands. ]

Do you still mislike anyone touching you?

[wilder]

The Young Wolf...[He smiles a little, noting the pure love as she talks about Robb. Sure, he barely knew the man yet the pride is infectious] Sounds fitting for a Stark, he does sound incredible.

[he wonders about her frown, and what she was thinking about- sometimes it was hard to guess with Arya. ]

[But at the question, he'll hold his hand out for her in an open gesture]

I'm getting better about it.

[wolfchild]

[ She slides her hand in his where she can lace their fingers. Loyally, she says: ] You are still the friend I love best.

[wilder]

[Once she does that, he'll squeeze her hand affectionately] Oh? What's with that? You aren't worried I'm jealous am I?

[wolfchild]

I wouldn't want you to be. [ She speaks frankly, without any fear of teasing she may receive. ] You've no reason to.

[wilder]

[he chuckles a little] Don't worry, my little wolf. I know you love me. As I do you.

[wolfchild]

[ She exhales through parted lips. Not quite a smile, but the near-permanent furrow in her brow softens. Her thumb rubs circles on his skin. ]

Can you stay? Until Robb gets back?

[wilder]

[Which hey he considers brow softening to be progress! He nods]

I'll stay as long as you'd like.

...Or until your brother wants alone time with his sister.

[wolfchild]

And if I don't want you to go?

[wilder]

...You two work that one out. I am so not getting in the middle of siblings.

[wolfchild]

[ Arya swats him on the knee. ]

[wilder]

Owwww, hey!

[wolfchild]

[ Without apology, she moves a little closer to Zelos so she can lie down on her side and pillow her head on his thigh. Arya tries to keep the contact to the barest minimum so he does not push her off. Her eyes remain on the door.

Having someone helps. But still a terrible feeling seizes her and she has to stop herself from running out to find Robb herself.

She no longer sleeps without him. Many times a night she wakes in the grip of a nightmare and can only breathe again to the sound of his heartbeat under her ear. If she could, she would remain abed forever with her brother's hand on her hair. They could both sleep and dream inside their wolf skins. They could race through the woods and hunt as a pack. No one would go looking for them.

But that's a child's dream. And she's not a child anymore. Children don't kill.

Arya can feel Jaqen's coin against her skin. She touches her tunic where under it rests. Her parted lips mouth the words, valar morghulis, before her hand drifts up and traces her feather through the tunic, warm against her skin. ]