The Northern Dragon

CH 32: YUNKAI, THE YELLOW CITY (PART 2)

– Hollow Hill –

The Brotherhood Without Banners hadn't moved from the cave where they were hidden since the day they had captured the Hound and brought him here for a trial by combat. They seemed to have no fear of Sandor Clegane telling the Lannister forces where they were hiding. The man returning for revenge didn't seem to be at the top of their minds either.

They had nothing to worry about, really. Their cave and main hideout was located in a sprawling underground complex of caves and tunnels in the Riverlands called the Hollow Hill.

Even if the Lannisters came, they could escape through one of the numerous tunnels, crannies, and crevices. They already knew this maze like the back of their hands while their opponents did not.

Arya had been with this crowd for a couple of weeks now. At first, she had been together with her friends with whom she escaped Harrenhal with. Now, she was all alone.

Hot Pie chose to stay at the Crossroads Inn to work there after the innkeeper offered him a job. Hot Pie had been a baker's apprentice in King's Landing and after he made some bread for the innkeeper, the other party found that he was extraordinarily skilled. So much so that when the Brotherhood Without Banners agreed to leave Hot Pie there in exchange for the food they ate, the innkeeper agreed.

Arya and Gendry were the only ones who remained then. Since the Brotherhood had captured the Hound, Arya was discovered as a Stark and the Brotherhood chose to keep her so that they could receive a reward from Robb, so the pair were forced to remain with them.

Along the way, Gendry decided to stay with the Brotherhood. Arya hadn't been happy about it and tried to change his mind, but she could do nothing but accept it later.

Until the Brotherhood sold him to some red witch who called herself a Red Priestess of the religion of R'hllor, the God of Light. It was the same god the Brotherhood worshipped.

Ever since Arya saw her friend being tied up and taken away by the soldiers accompanying the red witch, she hadn't said another word to the members of the Brotherhood.

She might not have hated them before even if they kept her prisoner to get some money from her brother later. They were taking her to her family at last, so she couldn't care for anything else. But now, they had also sold her friend while acting all righteous, saying they did it for their god when they had only done it for gold.

At least, that's how she saw it.

Ser Beric Dondarrion stared with his only remaining good eye at the little girl sitting on top of a rock. It was dark and cold. Even with the cave to protect them from the elements, it still wasn't particularly comfortable. Only the area around the fireplace was a little warmer, and Arya was nowhere near it. "Come sit by the fire, child."

Arya didn't respond. She just hugged her knees, looking at a dark corner.

"Not talking, eh? That's a first." Thoros didn't think much of it, finding the whole thing kind of funny.

Arya didn't think the same. She was angry at them. Mostly at Beric and Thoros who kept talking to her as if by repeating the same thing again and again, she would be able to understand them. "I don't talk to traitors."

Beric lowered his eyesight toward the ground, "I didn't like giving up the boy."

"But you did. You took the gold and you gave him up." Arya didn't turn to Beric as she spoke, still hugging her knees with her head lowered, her hair covering her face.

"The Red God is the one true god. You've seen his power. When he commands, we obey." Even if Beric didn't understand his orders, he had faith that everything his god did was for a reason. Just like how he was brought back to life to help the people, his god must have needed the boy to do something for the world that they couldn't understand just yet.