Game of Thrones season 7 fanfiction

ARYA

The night was dark and starry. The cart shook gently as the white stallion strained to haul it. Arya Stark sat in the back nestled among the finest blood orange. The heavy perfume made her a bit sick.

She looked at Oberos, the owner of the cart. The Dornish trader was a dark and portly man. His white beard was so long that it reached his stomach. Her horse had died two days after she had left the Twins. The trader had found her sitting under a tree and was humane enough to offer help. She never told him her true name. For him, she was Catelyn of Flint's Finger.

"Where are we?" Arya asked.

"Somewhere around the Eastern road," the man said. He had a typical Dornish accent. "You mean to head towards King's Landing, right?"

"Yes. I have people to meet," she replied. And kill.

"Are these people very special?"

"Very," she replied smirking.

She went through her list once again. Cersei, the Mountain, Beric Dondarrion, Thoros of Myr, the Red Woman, Valar Morghullis.

The moon was high up in the sky when they decided to stop. Oberos found a shelter under a dried oak tree and fell asleep soundly. Arya tried to sleep leaning against the huge tree. The coarse wood hurt her back. Needle was lying a few feet away. She picked it up and started sharpening it with a stone.

She did not know when or for how much time she slept but a swishing noise woke her up. Grabbing her sword, she shook Oberos awake. "What is it?" the Dornishman asked groggily. Arya pointed at the bushes behind the tree.

A pair of malevolent red eyes stared back at her. Another pair appeared from somewhere else and before she knew it, a thousand malicious eyes were looking at them greedily.

The creatures stepped forward. The bright moonlight reflected on their faces as they bared their canines. Wolves. There were grey ones, there were brown ones, there were ones with missing legs but they all wanted the same thing.

Arya heard the trickle of water. She looked at Oberos, only to find that he had pissed himself. "I'm going to go now," he squeaked taking a step back. "I wish you luck." He broke into a run.

Three wolves pounced on him before he could take more than three steps. The trader fell face down with a heavy thud. One of the wolves bit into the man's neck. Another one dug its sharp claws into the man's back. Blood seeped out of the wound. "HELP!" yelled the man. "AAARRGGHH!" He tried to squirm free but it did no good. After a few moments, his body became still and the victors devoured on his flesh.

Arya turned to the others. They growled hungrily and advanced towards her snapping their jaws. She held onto Needle tightly. My last hope.

"Owooooooooooohooooooo." A fierce howl rang in the air. The wolves were coming closer. Arya wrapped her fingers tightly around the sword and tensed back, ready to fight.

"Owoooooooooooooooooooooo." The cry sounded louder.

And death leapt in front of her. "Ooooooowooooooooooooooooo," it howled at her. The wolf's dark golden eyes studied Arya deeply and it sniffed at her. Arya gawked at it. Her throat felt like a desert. The wolf smelled her for a while and finally licked her face.

"NYMERIA!" Arya yelled and hugged her long lost direwolf. Tears of happiness were streaming down her cheeks and into the direwolf's fur. Nymeria gave a soft whimper of approval. For that enchanted moment, Arya forgot everything. There was no Cersei or the Mountain or the Red Woman. Only the friend that meant the world to her.

After a long time, Arya broke free wiping her eyes. Nymeria licked her cheek. The other wolves were nowhere to be seen. Gathering her things, Arya stood up and patted the direwolf's head. The horse cart stood a few miles away. She unhooked the horse from the wagon and pocketed a few blood oranges. Mounting the horse, she slowly rode it towards her direwolf.

Nymeria blinked at her innocently. She reined the horse a few steps further. Then some more. The direwolf stood there gazing intently.

The horse broke into a run. She made it stop after a while. Nymeria looked like a small dot from that distance. Arya waited for a while but nothing happened. Nymeria didn't budge.

After some time, the direwolf stirred. It gave Arya a long intense look.....

and made its way back into the bushes.

Arya was shocked. She desperately wanted to get her friend back. But she never moved her horse and stared at the spot where the direwolf had disappeared.

It is okay, Nymeria, she thought. Each of us has to follow our own path. You chose duty while I chose vengeance.

She waited for a while hoping that the wolf would come back. But nothing happened. Arya sighed. It was all my fault, she thought sadly. I should have never let you go.