Ballad of the Lone Wolf(m+/f) Chapter 4
Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2018 1:23 am
Written in conjunction with @Egyptianboytoy
Quick disclaimer, this story uses characters, locations, etc. from the Game of Thrones/ASOIAF series. While knowledge of the series isn't mandatory to enjoy the story, it does help in recognizing some of the characters. Furthermore, there may be some spoilers within the chapters, so if you're in the middle of watching the series, make sure you're beyond a certain point before reading. The first few chapters will cover a good portion of the key events throughout season 1 of the show, so keep that in mind. I'll do my best to warn when the timeline shifts.
With that in mind, please enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 1: The Watchmen and the Thief
The North; a simple enough title, yet a symbol of ancient power in Westeros. The North was the largest of the Seven Kingdoms, and possibly the most dangerous. Its people, aptly labeled "Northerners," survive through the blood of their ancestors, the First Men. It is here, in the Northern capital of Winterfell, that our tale begins.
Winterfell is old and gloomy, matching the tone of the Northern Kingdom. Its walls were high, made of thick stone, always with a small layer of frost on the top. It had the basic elements of every high-functioning hold: A blacksmith, kennelmaster, stablemaster, various cooks, the soldiery, guard and working citizens. It was a simple hold, refusing to adopt the more lavish lifestyle of the rest of the Kingdoms, instead staying loyal to their roots embedded in the Old Gods and their teachings.
But of course, kids will be kids, regardless of their upbringing. Our story begins with one of these children, a young girl. She dressed in a simple brown tunic and pants, with soft brown boots. They muffle the sound of her footsteps as she slowly sneaks along the corridor. A scarf is tied snugly over her mouth and nose, silencing her breathing, and disguising her appearance. The scarf did not match the rest of her clothes, being a little too lavish for such a common looking girl. Was this but an ordinary thief? Well, sort of.
The girl was Arya Stark, second daughter of Ned and Catelyn Stark. Never known for being much of a lady, she spent a good portion of her time doing what the boys did, despite it being against the rules. While her elder sister Sansa would spend her time practicing her knitting skills, Arya would spend time practicing archery in secrecy. The scarf belonged to Sansa, who was a much better example of a proper lady. But Arya was not much concerned with her sister's scarf, or anything ladylike. Her only goal was to win the game.
The game was simple, created by her and her two brothers, Bran and Jon. Despite being children of the Lord of Winterfell, their various circumstances allowed them much free time. Jon was a bastard in his teens, and Bran was the younger son. The rules of the game were simple: Bran and Jon hid an object, the “treasure,†and had to hunt down Arya before she could steal it. Arya’s goal was to retrieve the treasure, and return it to her camp before being apprehended by her brothers. For Arya, stealth was of the utmost importance.
Arya had successfully completed the first half of the task. She had found the hiding place of the treasure behind a pillar in the hall, and picked it up carefully without much hesitation. As they kept their game to the lower halls of the Keep, she could hear footsteps if someone were coming. With one more look around, she quickly turned and made her way back to her base. Unbeknownst to her, a lone pair of eyes was watching from a window high above.
Arya kept her senses alert as she quietly made her way down the halls towards her base. Although her hearing was second to none, she was still unable to perceive the threat until it was right above her. Working on instinct, she dropped the treasure and jumped to the side, as her assailant landed behind her. Turning around, Arya saw exactly who she suspected: her younger brother Bran.
Bran always had a knack for climbing. He climbed often and everywhere, scaling walls and towers that everyone else thought impossible. Unlike Arya though, Bran's clothings were much more reminiscent of a child of wealth, a simple tunic and trousers but made of much finer cloth than her rough rags.
“Not as stealthy as you thought,†Bran remarked, almost cocky.
Arya lowered the scarf from her face. “I don’t need stealth to beat you,†Arya snarled back, really getting into character. She was almost ready to pounce on him.
Bran simply chuckled in response. Just as Arya was about to charge him, a powerful pair of arms lifted her up from behind, clean off the floor. One arm wrapped around her body, pinning her arms to her side. The other hand went over her mouth, stifling her surprised cry. She kicked and flailed, but the arms wouldn’t budge.
“But you do need stealth to beat me,†Arya’s older brother, Jon, said from behind her.
Not again, Arya thought to herself, continuing to try and break Jon’s iron grip. This was the fifth time she had lost to her brothers, despite coming so close to winning!
After a bit of feisty struggling she eventually gave up and lowered her head, resigning herself to her fate. Being lowered to the floor, Bran approached her with the same cocky grin. She stared daggers at him as she allowed him to stuff a rag into her mouth, closely followed by another rag tied between her teeth. The scarf-mask she wore was then taken and tightly tied over her mouth and nose, concealing the gag.
She put up a bit of a fight as Jon tried to wrench her arms behind her, but stopped resisting as soon as she felt the rope being tied around her wrists. In addition to being an excellent climber, Bran was surprisingly amazing at tying knots. She felt the final knot being cinched, and tested them, to find that they held as usual. With another coil Bran tied her arms to her chest wrapping it around a few times then knotting it firmly behind her back. Jon grabbed one of her arms, and marched her down the hall, Bran in tow.
“It was good that you saw her in the treasure room when you did,†Jon said, looking at Bran. “Who knows what would’ve happened had you not been waiting by that window.â€
What window? Arya thought. Apparently Bran knew this Keep better than she thought.
“I’m just lucky, I guess,†Bran responded, smiling. “Perhaps this thief will learn to better check her surroundings next time.â€
Arya endured the back and forth banter of her two captors, done in a way to almost mock her. In truth, she hated being tied up, and only went along with it because that’s how the boys played. Arya was pretty sure it wasn’t in the original rules, but she played along because it made sense in the context of the game. Though, seeing as she lost every time, one might assume she liked it.
As the trio walked the halls, a sharp “Jon!†pierced the air. The voice belonged to Ser Rodrik, Master-at-Arms of Winterfell. No doubt looking for Jon to help train some of the younger soldiers.
“Ah, seven hells,†Jon whispered. “Bran, I’ll leave her here with you.â€
Bran nodded, and Jon turned and left. Once he left, Bran decided to take no chances, and approached his captive with more ropes. Not wanting to be tied up further, Arya turned and ran. Bran ran after her, and although she was usually much faster, it was hard to run with her hands tied behind her. Bran caught up, and wrapped her up before tackling her, ensuring she didn’t hit the ground hard.
“Nice try,†Bran said, dusting himself off and pulling the rope out from his belt. He began tying Arya’s ankles, as she lay face down on the floor, defeated.
A voice called out. “Bran! Where are you? You're getting late for your lessons with the Maester!†The voice belonged to his mother, Catelyn.
“Not me too,†Bran muttered. He hastily finished tying Arya’s ankles together, before running off without another word.
“Mrph?†Arya asked, bewildered that her brothers would just leave her here.
Not wanting to be left alone under the Keep, she tried kicking away at the sloppy ankle tie. It took a few tries, but the rope soon loosened, and fell off. Sighing a breath of relief, Arya slowly stood up, bracing against the wall to help her. Once she was on her feet, she began slowly walking through the halls, trying to figure out how she would get out of this.
The blacksmith, she thought. They were on good terms, perhaps he would understand and help her.
Slowly, quietly, she snuck out of the Keep. Sticking to the walls, not wanting to be seen, she slowly made her way to the blacksmith’s hut. She had to block out her thoughts on his reactions, making sure to stay positive and trust that he would help her. And so she snuck, which was somewhat tricky without the use of her arms. Soon, she was right next to the hut. As she was about to round the corner, a person appeared in her way and she collided into him.
“Mph!†Arya exclaimed, the force of the collision causing her to fall backwards. As she braced for the impact of the floor, she felt herself being caught.
“Hrph?†she asked, confused. Looking up, she saw that it was the person who ran into her.
He was a much older man, not like any she had seen before. His eyes were drawn shut, his skin a very different shade than those around here. He wore a cloak, not quite like that of a Maester's, but similar. Arya looked up curiously at this odd foreign man.
The man gave a wrinkled smile, barely visible through his thick bushy beard, “My apologies,†the man said, in a shrill foreign accent. He helped her back to her feet. “Turn around, I will free you.â€
Arya turned around, and felt a gust of air behind her. At the same time, the ropes loosened and fell away. She turned around to see they had been cut, a small blade in the hand of the mystery man.
Arya reached up to her mouth and tore away at the rags. “Thank you,†she muttered, barely able to make eye contact with the man.
“Oh, it was no trouble,†the man said, smiling warmly. “Though what, if I may ask, was the reason for a highborn lady such as yourself, running around with her arms bound?â€
Arya hesitated, unsure as to how the man knew her. “I was, uh,†she stammered.
The man chuckled. “Oh, never mind, I know all about the games you and your brothers play down below the Keep.â€
What? Arya thought. How would he know that?
“I know a lot more about you than you think,†the man said, as if reading her mind. “I know of your past, of your present, of your family.. and of your future.."
“My future?†Arya asked. “Nobody knows the future yet; it hasn’t happened.â€
The man smiled once again. “You don't believe me? Well.. I can show you..â€
The man gently reached out and grabbed Arya’s hand, covering it with both of his. He closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment. "Now close your eyes young one.. and think.. of .. nothing.."
Arya did as she was told, and for a few moments nothing happened. Suddenly, from out of thin air, images began flashing before her. She saw herself among crowds in a great square, they all cheered but she did not know why. She saw the waters of the sea, and a grand ship that sailed past her that seemed to dwarf her own boat. She saw a woman wearing a black garment, covered head to toe, only her eyes showed. This woman sat bound with rope and gagged with a bit fastened tight over the mask that covered her face. Lastly she saw a woman, pleading before her, her face was not clear but her voice was. She saw her hands rising and striking at this woman, and then the vision ended with a splatter of blood over her face. Arya screamed in shock and took a step back, she looked at the old man in horror.
The man no longer smiled, adopting a very grim expression in its place. He jerked open his eyes, revealing a pair of ominous grey pupils. "These hands will end many lives," he murmured. "But they will also bring about many challenges for you.
“What?†Arya was confused. “What does that mean?â€
The man said nothing, but simply gazed longingly at the pool of ropes lying on the ground. Arya looked at them for a second, receiving no further visions, and returned her attention to the man.
“That doesn’t make any sense,†Arya said. “Tell me the truth!†she demanded
The old man gave an enigmatic smile as he closed his eyes again. “But who knows..as you said, the future has yet to pass.†He turned to leave, leaving Arya with a confused look on her face. “Best of luck, lady Arya Stark of Winterfell.â€
Before Arya had time to ponder, she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Arya Stark!†her mother exclaimed. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.â€
Arya turned around to face her red-headed mother, Catelyn Stark. Born into House Tully, her red hair and fiery eyes were set her apart from most people in Winterfell. It gave her a certain beauty, even as she aged. Arya was now looking into those angry eyes, trying to process everything.
“Sorry mother, there was this man, and I-†she started.
“What man? The blacksmith?†Catelyn asked, interrupting her. “Stop bothering him and let him work.â€
“No, it was someone else,†Arya muttered, but the point was moot.
“Come, we have much to do,†Catelyn ordered. “The King rides for Winterfell, he’ll be here in but a few days. We must prepare - oh!†She picked up Sansa's scarf that had been dropped on the floor. "Sansa has been going mad looking for this!" she admonished Arya.
Arya only nodded, uninterested by the news. All of her attention was on the old man, who had mysteriously vanished. What his prediction for her future meant, Arya had no idea. She said a quick prayer to the Old Gods, then followed her mother inside, hoping to forget everything she had seen.
Quick disclaimer, this story uses characters, locations, etc. from the Game of Thrones/ASOIAF series. While knowledge of the series isn't mandatory to enjoy the story, it does help in recognizing some of the characters. Furthermore, there may be some spoilers within the chapters, so if you're in the middle of watching the series, make sure you're beyond a certain point before reading. The first few chapters will cover a good portion of the key events throughout season 1 of the show, so keep that in mind. I'll do my best to warn when the timeline shifts.
With that in mind, please enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 1: The Watchmen and the Thief
The North; a simple enough title, yet a symbol of ancient power in Westeros. The North was the largest of the Seven Kingdoms, and possibly the most dangerous. Its people, aptly labeled "Northerners," survive through the blood of their ancestors, the First Men. It is here, in the Northern capital of Winterfell, that our tale begins.
Winterfell is old and gloomy, matching the tone of the Northern Kingdom. Its walls were high, made of thick stone, always with a small layer of frost on the top. It had the basic elements of every high-functioning hold: A blacksmith, kennelmaster, stablemaster, various cooks, the soldiery, guard and working citizens. It was a simple hold, refusing to adopt the more lavish lifestyle of the rest of the Kingdoms, instead staying loyal to their roots embedded in the Old Gods and their teachings.
But of course, kids will be kids, regardless of their upbringing. Our story begins with one of these children, a young girl. She dressed in a simple brown tunic and pants, with soft brown boots. They muffle the sound of her footsteps as she slowly sneaks along the corridor. A scarf is tied snugly over her mouth and nose, silencing her breathing, and disguising her appearance. The scarf did not match the rest of her clothes, being a little too lavish for such a common looking girl. Was this but an ordinary thief? Well, sort of.
The girl was Arya Stark, second daughter of Ned and Catelyn Stark. Never known for being much of a lady, she spent a good portion of her time doing what the boys did, despite it being against the rules. While her elder sister Sansa would spend her time practicing her knitting skills, Arya would spend time practicing archery in secrecy. The scarf belonged to Sansa, who was a much better example of a proper lady. But Arya was not much concerned with her sister's scarf, or anything ladylike. Her only goal was to win the game.
The game was simple, created by her and her two brothers, Bran and Jon. Despite being children of the Lord of Winterfell, their various circumstances allowed them much free time. Jon was a bastard in his teens, and Bran was the younger son. The rules of the game were simple: Bran and Jon hid an object, the “treasure,†and had to hunt down Arya before she could steal it. Arya’s goal was to retrieve the treasure, and return it to her camp before being apprehended by her brothers. For Arya, stealth was of the utmost importance.
Arya had successfully completed the first half of the task. She had found the hiding place of the treasure behind a pillar in the hall, and picked it up carefully without much hesitation. As they kept their game to the lower halls of the Keep, she could hear footsteps if someone were coming. With one more look around, she quickly turned and made her way back to her base. Unbeknownst to her, a lone pair of eyes was watching from a window high above.
Arya kept her senses alert as she quietly made her way down the halls towards her base. Although her hearing was second to none, she was still unable to perceive the threat until it was right above her. Working on instinct, she dropped the treasure and jumped to the side, as her assailant landed behind her. Turning around, Arya saw exactly who she suspected: her younger brother Bran.
Bran always had a knack for climbing. He climbed often and everywhere, scaling walls and towers that everyone else thought impossible. Unlike Arya though, Bran's clothings were much more reminiscent of a child of wealth, a simple tunic and trousers but made of much finer cloth than her rough rags.
“Not as stealthy as you thought,†Bran remarked, almost cocky.
Arya lowered the scarf from her face. “I don’t need stealth to beat you,†Arya snarled back, really getting into character. She was almost ready to pounce on him.
Bran simply chuckled in response. Just as Arya was about to charge him, a powerful pair of arms lifted her up from behind, clean off the floor. One arm wrapped around her body, pinning her arms to her side. The other hand went over her mouth, stifling her surprised cry. She kicked and flailed, but the arms wouldn’t budge.
“But you do need stealth to beat me,†Arya’s older brother, Jon, said from behind her.
Not again, Arya thought to herself, continuing to try and break Jon’s iron grip. This was the fifth time she had lost to her brothers, despite coming so close to winning!
After a bit of feisty struggling she eventually gave up and lowered her head, resigning herself to her fate. Being lowered to the floor, Bran approached her with the same cocky grin. She stared daggers at him as she allowed him to stuff a rag into her mouth, closely followed by another rag tied between her teeth. The scarf-mask she wore was then taken and tightly tied over her mouth and nose, concealing the gag.
She put up a bit of a fight as Jon tried to wrench her arms behind her, but stopped resisting as soon as she felt the rope being tied around her wrists. In addition to being an excellent climber, Bran was surprisingly amazing at tying knots. She felt the final knot being cinched, and tested them, to find that they held as usual. With another coil Bran tied her arms to her chest wrapping it around a few times then knotting it firmly behind her back. Jon grabbed one of her arms, and marched her down the hall, Bran in tow.
“It was good that you saw her in the treasure room when you did,†Jon said, looking at Bran. “Who knows what would’ve happened had you not been waiting by that window.â€
What window? Arya thought. Apparently Bran knew this Keep better than she thought.
“I’m just lucky, I guess,†Bran responded, smiling. “Perhaps this thief will learn to better check her surroundings next time.â€
Arya endured the back and forth banter of her two captors, done in a way to almost mock her. In truth, she hated being tied up, and only went along with it because that’s how the boys played. Arya was pretty sure it wasn’t in the original rules, but she played along because it made sense in the context of the game. Though, seeing as she lost every time, one might assume she liked it.
As the trio walked the halls, a sharp “Jon!†pierced the air. The voice belonged to Ser Rodrik, Master-at-Arms of Winterfell. No doubt looking for Jon to help train some of the younger soldiers.
“Ah, seven hells,†Jon whispered. “Bran, I’ll leave her here with you.â€
Bran nodded, and Jon turned and left. Once he left, Bran decided to take no chances, and approached his captive with more ropes. Not wanting to be tied up further, Arya turned and ran. Bran ran after her, and although she was usually much faster, it was hard to run with her hands tied behind her. Bran caught up, and wrapped her up before tackling her, ensuring she didn’t hit the ground hard.
“Nice try,†Bran said, dusting himself off and pulling the rope out from his belt. He began tying Arya’s ankles, as she lay face down on the floor, defeated.
A voice called out. “Bran! Where are you? You're getting late for your lessons with the Maester!†The voice belonged to his mother, Catelyn.
“Not me too,†Bran muttered. He hastily finished tying Arya’s ankles together, before running off without another word.
“Mrph?†Arya asked, bewildered that her brothers would just leave her here.
Not wanting to be left alone under the Keep, she tried kicking away at the sloppy ankle tie. It took a few tries, but the rope soon loosened, and fell off. Sighing a breath of relief, Arya slowly stood up, bracing against the wall to help her. Once she was on her feet, she began slowly walking through the halls, trying to figure out how she would get out of this.
The blacksmith, she thought. They were on good terms, perhaps he would understand and help her.
Slowly, quietly, she snuck out of the Keep. Sticking to the walls, not wanting to be seen, she slowly made her way to the blacksmith’s hut. She had to block out her thoughts on his reactions, making sure to stay positive and trust that he would help her. And so she snuck, which was somewhat tricky without the use of her arms. Soon, she was right next to the hut. As she was about to round the corner, a person appeared in her way and she collided into him.
“Mph!†Arya exclaimed, the force of the collision causing her to fall backwards. As she braced for the impact of the floor, she felt herself being caught.
“Hrph?†she asked, confused. Looking up, she saw that it was the person who ran into her.
He was a much older man, not like any she had seen before. His eyes were drawn shut, his skin a very different shade than those around here. He wore a cloak, not quite like that of a Maester's, but similar. Arya looked up curiously at this odd foreign man.
The man gave a wrinkled smile, barely visible through his thick bushy beard, “My apologies,†the man said, in a shrill foreign accent. He helped her back to her feet. “Turn around, I will free you.â€
Arya turned around, and felt a gust of air behind her. At the same time, the ropes loosened and fell away. She turned around to see they had been cut, a small blade in the hand of the mystery man.
Arya reached up to her mouth and tore away at the rags. “Thank you,†she muttered, barely able to make eye contact with the man.
“Oh, it was no trouble,†the man said, smiling warmly. “Though what, if I may ask, was the reason for a highborn lady such as yourself, running around with her arms bound?â€
Arya hesitated, unsure as to how the man knew her. “I was, uh,†she stammered.
The man chuckled. “Oh, never mind, I know all about the games you and your brothers play down below the Keep.â€
What? Arya thought. How would he know that?
“I know a lot more about you than you think,†the man said, as if reading her mind. “I know of your past, of your present, of your family.. and of your future.."
“My future?†Arya asked. “Nobody knows the future yet; it hasn’t happened.â€
The man smiled once again. “You don't believe me? Well.. I can show you..â€
The man gently reached out and grabbed Arya’s hand, covering it with both of his. He closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment. "Now close your eyes young one.. and think.. of .. nothing.."
Arya did as she was told, and for a few moments nothing happened. Suddenly, from out of thin air, images began flashing before her. She saw herself among crowds in a great square, they all cheered but she did not know why. She saw the waters of the sea, and a grand ship that sailed past her that seemed to dwarf her own boat. She saw a woman wearing a black garment, covered head to toe, only her eyes showed. This woman sat bound with rope and gagged with a bit fastened tight over the mask that covered her face. Lastly she saw a woman, pleading before her, her face was not clear but her voice was. She saw her hands rising and striking at this woman, and then the vision ended with a splatter of blood over her face. Arya screamed in shock and took a step back, she looked at the old man in horror.
The man no longer smiled, adopting a very grim expression in its place. He jerked open his eyes, revealing a pair of ominous grey pupils. "These hands will end many lives," he murmured. "But they will also bring about many challenges for you.
“What?†Arya was confused. “What does that mean?â€
The man said nothing, but simply gazed longingly at the pool of ropes lying on the ground. Arya looked at them for a second, receiving no further visions, and returned her attention to the man.
“That doesn’t make any sense,†Arya said. “Tell me the truth!†she demanded
The old man gave an enigmatic smile as he closed his eyes again. “But who knows..as you said, the future has yet to pass.†He turned to leave, leaving Arya with a confused look on her face. “Best of luck, lady Arya Stark of Winterfell.â€
Before Arya had time to ponder, she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Arya Stark!†her mother exclaimed. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.â€
Arya turned around to face her red-headed mother, Catelyn Stark. Born into House Tully, her red hair and fiery eyes were set her apart from most people in Winterfell. It gave her a certain beauty, even as she aged. Arya was now looking into those angry eyes, trying to process everything.
“Sorry mother, there was this man, and I-†she started.
“What man? The blacksmith?†Catelyn asked, interrupting her. “Stop bothering him and let him work.â€
“No, it was someone else,†Arya muttered, but the point was moot.
“Come, we have much to do,†Catelyn ordered. “The King rides for Winterfell, he’ll be here in but a few days. We must prepare - oh!†She picked up Sansa's scarf that had been dropped on the floor. "Sansa has been going mad looking for this!" she admonished Arya.
Arya only nodded, uninterested by the news. All of her attention was on the old man, who had mysteriously vanished. What his prediction for her future meant, Arya had no idea. She said a quick prayer to the Old Gods, then followed her mother inside, hoping to forget everything she had seen.