Dance Away My Broken Heart / Podrick Payne (2.3)

30. Wasted On A Cripple

Rieka was sitting at a table reviewing documents, her brain hurt, she wasnt meant for leadership, she was the fun one, the rule breaker... she was not cut out for lady of winterfell status. She was running a hand over her face trying to make the migraine go away when the guards came in, explaining what had happened. She stared back at them silently.

"We told her to wait. We were standing right next to her."

"When we turned around she had gone, My Lady. She was nothing. Some winter town girl."

" She comes in asking for Ser Rodrick and Maester Llewyn."

Rieka looked between them annoyed. 

" Don't trouble yourself over it, My Lady. We'll find her."

"You don't have to. I know where she is." Rieka corrected as she got up. Podrick stood in the doorway. 

"I wanted to bring her here." Podrick remarked, Rieka kissed him delicately. "She got away from me."

"She's good at that." Rieka reminded him. "I know where she went." 

"Where?" Podrick questioned. 

"To say goodbye." Rieka offered. 

Arya was standing in the crypts looking at a statue of Ned Stark holding his sword. Arya turned her head at the approaching footsteps.

" Do I have to call you Lady Stark now?" Arya questioned. Sansa hesitated staring back at her, of course after all this time she would be sassy. Rieka however, smiled running to her.

"Never." Rieka assured as she hugged Arya in what felt like forever. "I missed you, why did you run away from me you little shit?" 

"I had something I needed to do." Arya remarked. 

"No note, no nothing, just gone, I thought you were dead." Rieka countered smashing her little sister to her. "Scared me to the death." 

"I am sorry, Rie." Arya whispered. 

" You shouldn't have run from the guards." Sansa sassed as she hugged Arya quickly and awkwardly.

" I didn't run. You need better guards." Arya corrected.

"Shes not wrong." Rieka agreed. "And it was Podrick that brought her in. He's stealthy now apparently." 

"It suits you, Lady Stark." Arya offered and Rieka snorted a laugh. "Jon left you in charge?"

"He did, rookie mistake." RIeka agreed, a smirk on her lips.

"I hope he comes back soon. I remember how happy he was to see me." Sansa remarked. 

"ANd you hated him." Rieka agreed. Sansa rolled her eyes. 

"When he sees you, his heart will probably stop." Sansa remarked as they gaze shifted back to the statue of Ned.

"True." Rieka agreed. "I dont think he let me go for a full week." she added, laughter filled the crypt. 

"That doesn't look like him. It should have been carved by someone who knew his face." Arya remarked.

"Everyone who knew his face is dead." Sansa corrected

"We're not." Arya corrected leaning into Rieka.

"After this stupid war we fix it." Rieka agreed.

''They say you killed Joffrey did you?'' Arya asked

''I wish I had.'' Sansa remarked. Arya looked to Rieka.

"Always expecting the worst in me gorgeous. No, if I had he would have known it was me." Rieka assured. "Everyone would have. It was a sight to see."

''I'm sure." Arya agreed "I was angry when I heard someone else had done it. However Long my list got he was always first." Arya hissed

''Your list?''

''Of the people I'm going to kill.'' she said simply and Rieka chuckled.

"I need a list like that." Rieka agreed.

''How do you get back to Winterfell?'' Sansa questioned.

''It's a long story I imagine yours is too'' Arya offered looking between them.

''Yes not very pleasant one.'' Sansa agreed

''Mine either but it worked out in the end. But our stories aren't over yet." Arya remarked.

"I know.'' she agreed ''they're not.' Sansa stared back at her a moment longer, how they both had changed since they were back here.

"Arya, Bran and Rickon's home too." Rieka added. 

"Family reunion."

+

Bran was sitting by the tree when his sisters approached he was staring at the face engraved in the trunk the red leaves vibrant in the snow. Rickon ran to Arya hugging her.

"Look at you, almost a man." Arya remarked holding Rickon's face in her hands.

''You came home,'' Bran remarked as arya hugged him ''I saw you at the CrossRoads.'' he told her.

''You saw me?'' Arya countered.

''I see quite a lot now.'' he agreed vaguely.

''Bran has visions.'' Sansa told her, blandly as though that wasnt awesome.

 "The three eyed raven, impressive titles all around. Jon is a king, Bran is a bird." Rieka agreed. Bran smiled back at her as Rickon leaned into her as she came up.

''I thought you might go to Kings Landing'' Bran remarked.

''So did I.' Arya agreed.

''Why would you go back there?'' Sansa asked.

"Cersei is on her list of names.'' Bran said simply Arya stared back at him, so he did know things. Visions.

''Who else is on your list?'' Sansa asked nervously.

"most of them are dead already." Arya admitted Bran pulled the blade free of his cloak. ''Where did you get this?' arya questioned

''Little finger gave it to me.'' he told them.

''little finger? He's here.'' Arya asked incredulously.

''He has declared for House Stark." Sansa offered.

"He has declared for every house." Rieka countered. 

 "why would he give you a dagger?'' Sansa said stepping forward

''He thought I would want it," Bran told them

"why?'' Sansa countered.

''Because it was meant to kill me.'' he told them. Rieka took the blade from him looking it over. The blade that was supposed to be Tyrion's. The blade that had Catelyn and Summer not been there would have killed Bran.

''The cutthroat? After your fall?" Sansa rasped.

''Why would a cutthroat have a Valyrian steel dagger?'' Arya asked

''Someone very wealthy wanted me dead." Bran told them.

"Someone very connected." Rieka countered handing it back.

'he's not a generous man he wouldn't give you anything unless he thought he was getting something back." Sansa warned him

''It doesn't matter,'' Bran told them

''What do you mean it doesn't matter?'

" I don't want it." he held it up to arya

"Are you sure? It's Valyrian steel." Arya reminded him

''It's wasted on a cripple.'' he told her she took it from him and it slipped through his fingers into her hand. She locked eyes with him as he was saying something in the silence.