Mirrorball // Sansa Stark

14. Very Dead

Trustfall/ Jon Snow/ Theon Greyjoy Out now!

"You are late, boy. Tomorrow you will be here at midday." Syrio Forel declared.

"Who are you?" Arya questioned.

"Your dancing master, Syrio Forel."

"Yep Arya is with him now, Syrio is his name. He is a good man, a great fighter and a great teacher from what I have heard." Jae remarked. "Whats that?" Ned scrunched up the scroll as Petyr came in. 

''Good news?' Petyr said approaching Ned in the throne room Ned held a scroll tightly in his hands. 'perhaps you would like to share it with your wife?''

''Catelyn is in Winterfell' Ned told him.

'Is she?' Petyr grinned walking past him.

"Can you watch-"

"I will check on Arya's lessons." Jae agreed as Ned followed him begrudgingly into the city, down to one of Petyrs brothels.

'I thought she would be safest in here, this is one of the safer establishments I know-' Ned pushed Petyr up against the wall.

'you're a funny man you know that?' Ned said 'a very funny man.' he said strangling him.

'Ned.' catelyn called from above, ned released Petyr and moved to the Brothel. "seven fucking hells." Ned grumbled.

'The starks and their tempers,' Petyr muttered following him in.

Syrio threw a wooden sword to Arya, she does not catch it, but dropped it.

"Tomorrow you will catch it. Now pick it up. That is not the way, boy. This is not a great sword that is needing two hands to swing it." Syrio declared.

"It's too heavy." Arya corrected.

"It is heavy as it needs to be to make you strong. Just so. One hand is all that is needed. Now you are standing all wrong. Turn your body side-face. So. You are skinny. That is good. The target is smaller. Now the grip... Let me see. The grip must be delicate." Syrio corrected.

"What if I drop it?" Arya countered. 

'I wish I could see the girls.' catelyn said anxiously looking around.

"Jae is looking out for them, they are safe. What are you doing here? How did you get here? Where is Maester Lewin or Rodrick?" Ned said anxiously he couldn't believe she had gotten here alone, what was she doing here why leave Winterfell? 

'just for a moment.' Catelyn suggested hopefully Ned saw her eyes darting around.

'Until we know who the enemy are-' Ned began

'I know it is the Lannister's in my bone they are not to be trusted I know it.' Catelyn assured him. She was confident in that and that alone right now. Everything else was a bit of a blur but Lannisters were bad. "Petyr said that-"

" The steel must be part of your arm. Can you drop part of your arm? No. Nine years Syrio Forel was first sword to the Sealord of Braavos. He knows these things. You must listen to me, boy." Syrio demanded. Jae chuckled from the doorway. 

"I'm a girl." Arya declared.

" Boy, girl... You are a sword, that is all. That is the grip. You are not holding a battle-axe. You are holding..." Syrio corrected indifferent.

"He's mean, you get used to it." Jae offered when Arya glanced to him. 

"A needle." Arya declared confidently.

"Ahhh... Just so. Now we will begin the dance. Remember, child, this is not the dance of the Westeros we are learning... The knight's dance, hacking and hammering. This is the Bravo's dance... The water dance. It is swift and sudden. All men are made of water, do you know this? If you pierce them, the water leaks out and they die. Now you will try to strike me."

"Dont hold anything back!" Jae declared. 

"It was petyrs blade and he lost it to Tyrion Lannister." Catelyn told him. "They are evil all of them. Must be punished."

'If little fingers right I can't do anything without proof.' Ned reminded her.

'And if you find the proof?' Catelyn questioned her voice rising.

'Then I bring it to Robert and hope he is the man I once knew.' Ned informed her.

Arya took several attempts as Syrio turns his back, defending her and disarming her constantly. She began picking up on a few things, but still needed much work. Jae smirked turning to leave when Ned entered in the doorway and his smile turned to a grimace watching his daughter swordfight.

"She's got talent." Jae whispered to him. "This will be good for her." 

"I know, catelyn will hate every moment of it." Ned murmured. "But I dont care." 

"Was Catelyn really here?" Jae questioned. 

"Up! Dead. Dead." Syrio declared. 

"Yes, I dont know what she is up to but it can't be good. I saw it in her eyes, she is up to something." Ned whispered. "At least I know my girls are alright, thank you for helping me keep an eye on them."

"Of course, you have great girls." Jae agreed. He heard footsteps and peered behind them seeing Sansa and Joffrey, Sandor walking glumly behind them. 

"Very dead. Come. Again, faster." Syrio declared with every move. 

Sansa waved, her smile brightened when she saw Jae but Joffrey rolled his eyes turning them around the corner and out of sight.