aryaunderfoot | 3rd Winter [Action/Video]

[Another wave of incoming New Feathers is slowing down, and again there aren't any familiar faces added to the village. Arya hadn't realized just how much her hopes had gotten up until she was suddenly aware of how much it ached that she hadn't seen her father walking through town, or heard Jon's voice. Even stupid old Gendry or Hot Pie would've been a relief. As it is, she's frustrated and hurting, once again thwarted by a bunch of people who would rather make Spock's hands not work than bring her father back for her. Maybe Thoros said he couldn't bring back someone without a head, but the Malnosso can.

But they won't. Of course they won't. And she's stupid to think they would.]

[Early morning finds Arya out at the barracks, viciously attacking straw dummies with Needle. With each strike, she goes through her list aloud: Ser Ilyn, Ser Meryn, Ser Gregor. Dunsen and Raff the Sweetling. Queen Cersei. The Malnosso, the Malnosso, the Malnosso. By mid-morning, she's tired and sweating and no less hollow. Not wanting to talk to much of anyone, she skips going back to House 2 to change and just cuts through the edge of town, over a bridge, and back out in the general direction of the Battle Dome, only straight into the trees instead. And she keeps on going, Nymeria padding along silently beside her.

It's mid-afternoon when she stumbles upon it. Deep in the woods, with nothing but the rustling of leaves and the chirping of birds around. And she stands there a while, just soaking in the familiarity, before eventually going to nestle down among the roots with Nymeria.

Much later, just as the sun is going down, she opens the journal she's been ignoring all day and carefully follows the steps she remembers to sending a filtered message... not that she's mastered this art yet.]

[7% Filtered to Natasha Romanoff, Logan, Luke Skywalker, and Konan]

I lied to you all before. About my name, that is. It isn't Cat. [And here, with the bone-white bark of a weirwood tree at her back, Needle on her hip, and a keen-eyed direwolf at her side, she knows she can't deny being a child of the North any longer. After all, you can't lie in front of a weirwood. Fierce pride shines in her grey eyes.] I'm Arya, of House Stark.

I'd say I'm sorry for lying, but I'm not. It wasn't a safe name back home. But all of you should know the truth.

[/filter]

[She pauses for a moment, changes the filter back off, and then decides to address the rest of the town. The video clicks on with a good view of the white trunk at Arya's back, stretching up into a blood-red canopy of leaves. The tree definitely has a striking look to it. Arya seems pleased.]

Back home, these trees are sacred to the old gods of the North. Years and years ago, the Children of the Forest carved faces into them so the old gods could watch over the people and the woods.

In the north, every great castle has a godswood with a weirwood heart tree in the center. All of them have different faces. [Beat.] This one doesn't have a face, but I guess that makes sense without any of the Children being here.

Do we have other trees like this anywhere else in Luceti? I only found the one. Or does anyone have something like this back home?

[[ooc: Anyone who wants to hack the filtered, feel free!]]

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[Luke takes that in quietly, without saying anything. The anger in her is apparent, and he can definitely understand why. But...]

I understand. They've done some pretty horrible things. [He tries to keep his voice soothing.] I wish there was something I could do besides promise that if any of them come here, I won't let them hurt you. They won't hurt anyone here.

[Arya appreciates that, but she still doubts anyone can stop some of them from hurting anyone. Hurting people is all Joffrey and Ser Gregor do. She bites her lip, but still nods.]

Isn't there a dungeon somewhere we could lock them up in? If they won't stay dead here, then we should at least keep them away from people.

[Not that she doesn't mean to try to kill them at least once each, if they do show up here.]

[He shakes his head at that.]

If we do that, we're no better than they are. Locking them up, or killing them. And if we act on their level, then that makes us just as bad. There are other ways to deal with people like that, in situations like ours.

[He smiles faintly.]

There are a lot of people like that where I'm from too, and other peoples homes as well. But there are enough people here who aren't that I think the pressure will keep them from doing anything more than posturing and sneering. And that can't hurt you, can it?

[And here we disagree, Luke. Arya scowls.]

I don't care if that makes me just as bad. [She's already so far past the point of wondering if her mother would ever recognize her again that she doubts there's any turning back.] They don't deserve to walk around free like they never did anything. Only a life can pay for a life.

[Not exactly the way Jaqen had meant it, but it still fits.]

No. No they don't deserve to wander around freely. But if they end up here, there isn't really a place we can put them. This place is already a prison, and there isn't any real escape for any of us. And if you want to take a life here for a life at home, would it really be the same? They'll come back in a week, and when you leave or they leave they won't remember any of it.

I know. [She sounds more than a little hollow about that. This has been a problem she's been trying to unravel since she got here, and no answers seem satisfactory.] But they still don't deserve to walk around free.

[Just the thought of Joffrey flouncing around like he owns the place is enough to make her blood boil, even if everyone else already knew he was trouble.]

They don't. And if it comes to it, I'll see what I can do. But that's not something I can promise. They won't hurt people though.

[And the likelihood of them turning up is low anyway.]

But hey, let's not worry about maybes and what ifs. It doesn't do any good, and it just ends up making us feel bad.

[But worrying about the maybes and what ifs has kept her alive this far. Winter is coming. You prepare for the worst of it. She bites her lip, one hand curled absently in Nymeria's fur, and nods after a long pause.]

Maybe the Malnosso won't ever bring them here.

[She doubts that. Luck hasn't ever been her strong suit.]

We can hope not. That's not really in our control though.

[Oh you and he both, Arya.]

But hey, let's try and put that behind us for now. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. And if you're up for it I was going to go eat. Why don't you join me?

[Nymeria may have eaten already, but Arya is realizing that she's really rather hungry. It's been all day, after all.]

It might take us a little while to get back to town.

[She's not sure he'd care, but still.]

That's fine, I can wait. Maybe an hour or so?

[A nod.] We should be back by then. If we get slowed down, I'll send Nymeria ahead.

[Yes, Arya, because she's so good about listening to commands.]

Alright, I'll see you soon then.

[He'll cut the feed and we can either continue with dinner, or stop and handwave and gear up for the event.]

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