nxtalady:

"You can make beautiful dresses, or clothes for your babes.”  Though Sansa pitied any child unfortunate enough to have Arya for a mother - especially her poor daughters.  Perhaps it would have been good if she were a maester.  At least then she would never have children.  

"They are necessary skills for a lady - don’t you ever listen to the Septa?  If you needed to learn about plants or flowers, she would show you.”

"I don't want any babes. And even if I did, I wouldn't make the clothes for them. I'd get someone else to, because as you and Septa Mordane always say, I'm no good at making things."

"She only teaches us things that she thinks we need to know. But she doesn't know anything. I'm not going to be like you or Mother when I'm older."

nxtalady:

He chuckled at that. “My uncle said the same to me as a child,” he offered, smiling. “I was never much the man he’d wanted me to be.”

"What did he want you to be?" she asked. He seemed decent enough, if a little mysterious in everything he did. Surely what he'd done in life wouldn't be as shocking as Arya wishing to become a swordswoman.

nxtalady:

He smiled looking over at her. “I’m older than you. I have had years of practice.” He told her. “I’m sure when you reach my age you’ll be the best swords woman in the world. If you keep it up”

"I will." She nodded in response, although she wondered how her mother would react to her wishes. "What do you do then? If you have so much practice with a sword, are you a knight? Or a soldier?"

{ nxtalady }

  ’ ♔ —— :

         ❝you look at me, yet i am not the girl’s              assignment. go. return and you shall              become faceless.❞

the man turned on his heel, nodding to her as he  closed the doors.

"I'm going."

With that, she turned away from him, taking a deep breath. Stepping onto the streets, Arya huffed, vowing to do the assignment that day. That would show him.

░▒▌ᵃʳʸᵃ ;

           Twilight enshrouded hues scan about the area, squinting some as they’ve attempted to adjust to the dense obscurity that enshrouds them. The Hylian didn’t seem to mind the dark, he just didn’t wish to tumble, crash, and grind against the solid surface that would take him for a lug. He especially didn’t want to make a fool out of himself in front of the Young Lady Stark as…silly as that sounds.

          He swallows, glancing down at his feet as for a fractional moment; he’d, in fact loose his balance. A tottering gasp erupts from his lips as he stumbled forth, a bit…but managed to get back on the steadiness of his feet. The absorption, he realized…was not atop his feet but upon the tale Arya had told. Fascinating things were sure to come his way as she renders the tale of dragons, Targaryens and everything. 

             Lips left agape upon conclusion and he nods his head, all the same. ❝There’s—- there’s hope!❞ His gaze alight upon approaching what one as a newcomer would deem as the entrance to the dungeon. If anything, he could see a light. Could that gentle flicker really dictate the end of their trail? He doubted so. But then again, he could be wrong.

              ❝Must feel great t’ soar th’ skies, right atop its back! See th’ world from an entirely new perspective! Damn heights wouldn’t scare you, would they?❞

His stumbling caused her to blink in surprise, eyes staring softly in a silent attempt to see if he was alright. She didn't want to embarrass him by voicing it. The first few times she'd wandered the dungeons, Arya had tripped over her own feet dozens of times.

"Heights don't scare me. I'd love to fly on a dragon."

Above the towns and cities, atop a dragon's back. It could fly her home, all the way to Winterfell. If only she could find one, tame and train it in the way she'd attempted to with Nymeria.

The lights before them were a comfort to the Stark, showing that they were close to the skulls. Arya hurried, her footsteps silent as she swept forward, eager and alert.

"What would you do if you found a dragon?" she asked her companion, finally able to see just a little with the faint glow of the firelights. "Where would you go?"

nxtalady:

Elentiya was amused by the child’s arogance. “What makes you think I want, or need, anything from you, child?” she asked with a smile on her face. “I was simply surprised to see a little girl dressed as a boy all alone in the middle of nowhere. Where are your parents? It is not safe for a little child to be alone. Even if they carry a sword with them,” she said glancing at the small blade the girl carried. Elentiya thought the blade looked more like a butterknife rather than a sword but could see it was well made, much better than a commoner could afford. “Tell me, child, who are you and where did you get that sword?” she asked with a more serious tone.

Fingers clasped her sword tighter, Needle reassuring her around the stranger. Eyes glared daggers at the strange girl, not liking the influx of questions being sent her way.

"It's none of your business. Any of it."

"And stop calling me a child."

nxtalady:

"Well, yes, that is true. "

Why Braavos though, of all places?

Sansa hadn’t seen her family for so long, and she truly wondered how Arya had ended up there, what happened that made Arya so adamant about losing her identity?

Would it have been the same situation that Sansa was in, or did Arya go down a darker path?

There were so many questions that clouded Sansa’s mind, and she didn’t know which ones Arya would respond to.

Finally, she swallowed, and spoke again. “What did you do in Braavos?”

Arya froze slightly at the question, chills running down her spine. If she told the truth, no doubt that Sansa would be horrified by it. The training itself was torturous enough. The younger Stark didn't want to have to explain why she'd put herself through so much pain. For what?

To become an assassin.

"I found things to do. It wasn't hard."

"The Starks will endure" | Arya and Lyanna

nxtalady:

“Oh that he was, very angry. He was the king and how dare I refuse a most royal arrangement. Hurt the man’s pride but I didn’t care. I never wanted marry him in the first place and I certainly didn’t want to marry him when he asked again.”

"Do you think you'll ever get married?" she asked. It was easy to see why somebody would turn down Robert Baratheon. Arya wouldn't have agreed to marry him either. "Mother says that I have to, and Sansa as well. But if you don't, then I don't either. Right?"

nxtalady:

Ellery gave an appreciative chuckle at this, leaning forward to rest his elbow on one knee. “Aye, that’s certain. I’ll take care not to have any daughters in the future, if they’re half as strong-willed as you I’ll have given myself a world of trouble.” The boy smirked deviously over at the other, his eyes dancing with humour.

Arya's grin stretched wider, the words somehow making her happier. "Father says it's the wolf blood. His sister had it, and his older brother. He says it's a Stark trait. So I think you're safe."

nxtalady:

"I wouldn’t be overly happy if I was to marry and old witch lady or a young beautiful one. At least if it was an old lady I would have a less time to spend married to them." Renly reasoned, grinning amusedly at the young Stark. "I have always known I would have to marry, because I am the King’s brother, whether it’s next week or in the next ten years.”

"Yes, but you aren't old. You're only a bit older than Robb, aren't you?" Arya hated the idea of marrying someone far older than her. It wasn't unheard of. She'd heard of young girls of thirteen being married to men their father's age. "Well, I hope it isn't yet. For your sake."

Hopefully Not Getting Frostbite {starter for nxtalady}

nxtalady:

"I am trying to be. I do not think it is ness are, but yes, it is a good idea to run into the enemy before the enemy runs into us. …if they are the enemy. Either way." The Commander found himself almost assuming that they were about to run into bandits. He was starting to believe that Arya’s group didn’t really exist.

"The enemy?" To be honest, the people in her group were enemies to her anyway. She wasn't even allowed to state her true identity, for fear of what they would do to her. "D'you think I'd be able to make it to the North without them?"

nxtalady:

"Different?" Catelyn asked, looking over at the woman with curiosity. For she was a woman now, a woman grown; that could not be denied. She was that tiny little girl no longer…the little girl Catelyn so remembered it was as though it were but days ago and not years. 

"Where would we be now?" If things had been different. If situations and actions had not occurred that had led them to these lives. If there had been no deaths, no enemies. Perhaps the two of them would have been together through all these years.

Love Actually; Week 1 || Arya and Catelyn

nxtalady:

When Arya bared her teeth she looked more wolf than child and Catelyn shook her head with a loving smile, watching as her daughter seemed to fill the bowl to capacity. 

"And you do not live off ice cream and coke; I make sure of that” She flicked Arya lightly with the tea towel she was using to wipe the side down. “Now, do you want snowflakes or—” Catelyn paused as she relied the Christmas tree cookie cutter was gone from the side…and now lay in the mouth of… “Nymeria! Arya, would you please teach your dog that kitchen utensils are not toys?”

"That's what you think," she muttered, heaping the dough into her bowl. At the mention of Nymeria, she looked down at her dog, crouching to her level. With a scratch behind the ears, her voice softened into a loving yet firm tone. "Nymeria, spit."

As the dog let go of the cutter, Arya handed it back to her mother. "She doesn't listen, Mum. There's no point."

nxtalady:

"It’s amazing, I swear. And enormous. It’s also used in our coinage," Erin explained, remembering how large fires burned inside the Titan’s eyes. She looked over at Arya, frowning softly. "You wouldn’t be allowed to go to Braavos?" she asked. "Why is that?" 

"Because.." She looked around, then huffed, not liking her next words. "Because I'm supposed to be a Lady. And that means staying in a castle. I wouldn't be allowed to travel."

Love Actually: week 1 || Arya and Robb

nxtalady:

"I already have my gifts. Or well, only mom’s is still in the making." Robb shrugged, looking up to his sister. "It’s okay, though. I know you’re not that good with gifts. And you don’t have to spend that much money on me, Arya. Something small will do."

"Yeah, I get it. Something small. But I don't know what." Still, her eyes lit up at his sentence, and she nudged him sharply, a grin lighting her features. "What did you get me then?"

Winter is coming | Arya and Catelyn

nxtalady:

Catelyn inclined her head so that she might look upon her daughter. It was of little comfort that her little girl was still smaller in stature than herself; for one so small to wish to go into battle, to desire to fight alongside and against men who would tower over her, who would sweep her aside without a moment’s thought. 

"If you wish it," She said solemnly, though it was clear there was no happiness in her words, "If you train and you wish it…very well"

It hurt her heart to say these words, but what little had she left to argue? Arya would continue to insist that she fight, and Catelyn would continue to insist she would not, and she did not wish to argue. She was too tired to argue...let my Uncle decide it and let this fighting be done. 

"You'd let me?"

Her voice was still full of disbelief, unable to fathom her Lady mother agreeing to such an action. Had she asked when she was younger, no doubt it would have been a straight 'no'.

Dark eyes glanced up at the woman, shining with a new exhilaration, new hope for what was to come. She was to fight, to actually be useful in this war. Perhaps she could get revenge for them both. For her father, her brothers, for Sansa.

"Thank you, Mother."