Nymeria

On the run

After leaving the town, Nymeria wandered far and wide. She kept a low profile, so no one could see her though she was huge by now. Her fur kept clinging to trees as she walked. The moss was so sticky she hated them. Suddenly, she remembered something Arya had told her about moss. 

"Moss always grows on the south side of the trees." 

So Nymeria always wandered on the opposite side of the moss. King's Landing was in the south, and she wanted to go back to Winterfell, which was in the north. She kept walking and walking until one day she encountered a huge river. At first she thought it was the Trident, and that she had finally reached near Winterfell, but then she noticed the isle, far into the water and looking gloomy.

The isle was none other than the Isle of Faces, and the river was the God's Eye.  Nymeria wandered around it's edge, occasionally sipping its pure water to refresh herself. She was almost sprinting around the edge when before her loomed the greatest castle she had ever seen.

Harrenhal, she knew at once.

While reading history with Arya back at Winterfell, Nymeria had learned that Harrenhal was the biggest castle in all Westeros. Harren Hoare, better known as Black Harren, had made the castle. And had died inside it, when Aegon the Conqueror burned the castle with his dragon Balerion. It was said that Harren still roamed the halls as a ghost, and half the people in the Seven Kingdoms knew that Harrenhal was cursed.

As she had no other option, she crossed the castle and went back the way she had come, following the mosses. She only hoped to avoid King's Landing and Harrenhal, and reach Winterfell safely.

She again traveled for many days, going south instead of north to find a safe route. Nymeria had grown lean and thin. She had not eaten for many days.

One day, she spied her first prey. A deer was slowly making its way up towards the tree in which she was hiding. Nymeria watched slowly, as the deer progressed. Once the deer was right beneath her, Nymeria jumped down on it. Her foot got scraped in the fall, and it hurt badly, but Nymeria didn't care. She was hungry.

She ate the deer, and then proceeded to walk the way south again. Then she noticed a black manticore standard, on a red field.

House Lorch, Nymeria remembered. The last knight of House Lorch would be Ser Armory Lorch, who was not known for his kindness and gentleness. He was a hard and brutal man, known for his killing of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen during the Sack of King's Landing. It was said that he had dragged the small girl from under her father Rhaegar's bed, and stabbed her half a hundred times. 

She ran again from him. 

Why do I keep running into bad people or things? she thought as she ran.

By the time she stopped. it was night time. She took refuge under a nearby tree. Her leg hurt like hell, especially after so much running. She rested it against a leaf, and was preparing to sleep.

All of a sudden she saw smoke. The whole city she was in was afire. While she was getting up, she heard feet moving.

She turned around and saw Arya Stark.

But not the same Arya she had left in King's Landing. That Arya had been clean and well dressed, almost like Sansa. This Arya was dirty, with mud all over her dress. Nymeria thought this was the real Arya.

She wanted to go back to her, to go back to Winterfell, when suddenly she saw that manticore standard again.

She understood in a flourish. Ser Armory Lorch, under the command of the Lannisters, had burnt this town. Nymeria slowly got up and walked towards Arya, who had not noticed the wolf yet. 

Nymeria's leg was hurt. She kept falling. When she was almost to Arya, a crossbow bolt pierced the exact spot where she had cut herself. Nymeria groaned in pain, and fell. Behind her, she saw soldiers running towards the keep Arya was going to.

As darkness engulfed her, she could only think of warning Arya. She howled, as loud as the lion. She howled. And slowly her voice faded.