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jackoshadows · 5 months

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“Needle was Robb and Bran and Rickon, her mother and her father, even Sansa. Needle was Winterfell's grey walls, and the laughter of its people. Needle was the summer snows, Old Nan's stories, the heart tree with its red leaves and scary face, the warm earthy smell of the glass gardens, the sound of the north wind rattling the shutters of her room. Needle was Jon Snow's smile. He used to mess my hair and call me "little sister," she remembered, and suddenly there were tears in her eyes.” - Arya, AFfC

I am not sure how anyone can read this beautiful, evocative little paragraph and not be hit right in the feels by Arya's very visceral longing and love for home.

ARYA STARK WANTS TO GO HOME. She's just been on the longest adventure from hell. She has traveled, seen places and new cultures. She has met new people, learned new languages. It's been the most traumatizing, harrowing experience of her young life. She has seen what power does to people, she has seen the absolute cruelty of men, the helplessness of the smallfolk.

If Arya does end up leaving Winterfell at the end of the story, it would only happen if she's forced to do so and not by choice. There's so much Winterfell in her story, in her thoughts, her emotions, in her memories of her father, in her fondness for Winterfell's people. She's never letting that go again.

Arya has been trying to go home to Winterfell, to her brothers, right from her first chapter in King's Landing. In one of the best parts of the book, she is unable to give up Needle - which is symbolic of her home, it's people, her family and Jon Snow.

Polliver had stolen the sword from her when the Mountain's men took her captive, but when she and the Hound walked into the inn at the crossroads, there it was. The gods wanted me to have it. Not the Seven, nor Him of Many Faces, but her father's gods, the old gods of the north. The Many-Faced God can have the rest, she thought, but he can't have this. - Arya, AFfC Needle! The last link to Winterfell and Arya. The Faceless Men want her to give it up because they recognize it’s importance. - GRRM She's with the Faceless men because where else does she have to turn to? - GRRM

At the end of the series, she's going to be at the most 12/13. She has just had the worst childhood. Why in the world would she want to traverse the same path where she has experienced the worst trauma?

Would anyone suggest that after the series ends Sansa would like to do exactly as she wanted at the start of AGoT? That's nonsense right? Because Sansa has changed as a character from where she was in book one. She no longer wants any of that. Everyone acknowledges that Sansa wants to go home to Winterfell and therefore she will end up there. Why is the same not okay for Arya who also desperately wants to go home?

Arya is in a really dark and depressing place in her TWoW chapter. I want to see her get away from there and be united with family and home. And yet, again and again, we get this incomprehensible opinion that Arya is not going to be happy at home, she just wants to travel and meet new people. Makes no sense at all to me.

And then there's the whole theme of power that's explored in the series. Our main characters start off in the story as the underdogs and outcasts. They are at the mercy of an unjust and cruel society.

Jon Snow for example has to climb the ladder to the top, to effect reform and change as Lord Commander. Dany, especially as a young girl in a man's world, had to have the power to free slaves and reform Meereen for the better. Tyrion was at his craftiest as Hand of the King, involved in diplomacy and strengthening Lannister control despite being shunned by society for his disability. Same with Bran being seen as less of a person on account of being disabled. Arya is treated as being less than her sister for not conforming to Westerosi patriarchal ideals.

The point of their stories is not that they can't fit into Westeros, that they will never fit into Westeros and therefore have to fade away at the end of the story. That would be utterly nihilistic and I doubt this is what GRRM considers 'Bittersweet'.

The point of their stories is that because of who they are, because they have the empathy of understanding what it's like to be different and treated differently, because they want things to be better, because they are ambitious and reach for power and get power, they will do things different this time around and try and make Westeros a better place for all it's people.

Putting Arya and Sansa's subplots, themes, characterization and character growth side by side, the only reason someone would say that Arya's story does not vibe or resonate with leadership while Sansa's does is because of sexism.

I can't think of any other reason why readers can't visualize Arya Stark trying to help the smallfolk, as a leader with the hard power to help them, when she personally experienced and sees their suffering. What is the point of entire books of it being hammered in again and again of Arya recognizing how the kings and nobles at the top don't really care for the smallfolk?

Varys, a long term tactician, says this about an ideal king.

"Aegon has been shaped for rule since before he could walk. He has been trained in arms, as befits a knight to be, but that was not the end of his education. He reads and writes, he speaks several tongues, he has studied history and law and poetry. A septa has instructed him in the mysteries of the Faith since he was old enough to understand them. He has lived with fisherfolk, worked with his hands, swum in rivers and mended nets and learned to wash his own clothes at need. He can fish and cook and bind up a wound, he knows what it is like to be hungry, to be hunted, to be afraid. Tommen has been taught that kingship is his right. Aegon knows that kingship is his duty, that a king must put his people first, and live and rule for them."

Foremost amongst the qualities mentioned is a connection with the smallfolk. Something that is inherent and deeply embedded into Arya's 31 POV chapters. What is the point of this long story arc and characterization if at the end she's going to jump on a boat and be 'liberated' and learn new languages? She's already done all that in Braavos.

Again and again, the point is made, that a good ruler has to put the people first.

Why do the gods make kings and queens, if not to protect the ones who can’t protect themselves?” - Daenerys, ASOS

I am the shield that guards the realms of men. Those are the words. So tell me, my lord—what are these wildlings, if not men?” - Jon ADwD

I was trying to win the throne to save the kingdom, when I should have been trying to save the kingdom to win the throne.” - Stannis, ASoS

“What is the life of one bastard boy against an entire kingdom?” “Everything." - Davos, ASoS

What good is peace if it must be purchased with the blood of little children? - Daenerys, ADwD

"Wolves, she thought again. Like me. Was this her pack? How could they be Robb’s men? She wanted to hit them. She wanted to hurt them. She wanted to cry.” - Arya, ASoS

And then there's the North itself. A harsh place with tough people, who send off their old to fight because there is less food. Where Robb Stark only gains the support of Greatjon Umber because Greywind chews off his fingers! Where we already have an example of female governance in the Mormonts. Why couldn't Arya Stark - the Ned's little girl, Valiant Ned's precious little girl, for whom the North is marching now in the harshest winter - become a leader who wants to help her people in the same way they tried to help her?

One can try to cover it up by saying that Arya wants to fly free and be liberated and go sailing - she's already done all that and it's the most harrowing, traumatizing, painful experience of her young life. All she wants to do now is go home.

I really don't see how one can read a story that's chock full of Arya being a leader of her little pack, Arya being intelligent and strategic with a desire for justice, a keen understanding of right and wrong, compassion for her fellow man and say that her story does not resonate with leadership? I don't get it.

#Arya Stark #asoiaf #fandom nonsense

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amplifyme · 7 days

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The Hound poured a cup of wine for Arya and another for himself, and drank it down while staring at the hearthfire. “The little bird flew away, did she? Well, bloody good for her. She shit on the Imp’s head and flew off.”

“They’ll find her,” said Polliver. “If it takes half the gold in Casterly Rock.”

“A pretty girl, I hear,” said the Tickler. “Honey sweet.” He smacked his lips and smiled.

“And courteous,” the Hound agreed. “A proper little lady. Not like her bloody sister.”

#sandor clegane #arya stark #sansa stark #a storm of swords #asoiaf #the road trip from hell #sandor is such a snark monster

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istumpysk · 8 months

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OPERATION ICEBERG: THE TIER LIST

THEORY:

The Hound is the gravedigger.

TIER:

Near-Certainty: These theories lack official confirmation but are so heavily supported by the text and/or external hints that they're almost certainly true.

[Tier list overview]

EVIDENCE:

Welcome to the first theory that is so blatantly obvious, you forgot it still qualifies as just a theory.

Who is the Hound?

He's a piece of trash, who is idealized by men who lacked positive male role models and romanticized by women who need a therapist.

Who is the gravedigger?

He's a piece of trash, searching for salvation at the bottom of a hole.

But are they the same person? Let's find out!

The last time we saw Sandor Clegane, he was getting his ass kicked by Polliver and the Tickler, at the inn at the crossroads.

Polliver and the Tickler had driven the Hound into a corner behind a bench, and one of them had given him an ugly red gash on his upper thigh to go with his other wounds. Sandor was leaning against the wall, bleeding and breathing noisily. He looked as though he could barely stand, let alone fight. - Arya XIII, ASOS

To my disappointment, he prevailed at the last minute, but not before sustaining severe wounds to his thigh, neck, and ear.

When the time came to leave, he needed Arya's help to get back up on Stranger. He had tied a strip of cloth about his neck and another around his thigh, and taken the squire's cloak off its peg by the door. The cloak was green, with a green arrow on a white bend, but when the Hound wadded it up and pressed it to his ear it soon turned red. Arya was afraid he would collapse the moment they set out, but somehow he stayed in the saddle. - Arya XIII, ASOS

After the scrap, Sandor, Arya, and their horses, Stranger and Craven, decide to head to Saltpans.

"Where will we go?" she asked. "Saltpans." - Arya XIII, ASOS

(map!)

Fortunately, the Hound's condition was rapidly worsening.

She brought him water instead. He drank a little of it, complained that it tasted of mud, and slid into a noisy fevered sleep. When she touched him, his skin was burning up. Arya sniffed at his bandages the way Maester Luwin had done sometimes when treating her cut or scrape. His face had bled the worst, but it was the wound on his thigh that smelled funny to her. - Arya XIII, ASOS

Arya sees a chance to kill a weakened Hound but hesitates when he wakes up. He asks for a mercy killing and tries to provoke Arya by bringing up his attempted rape of Sansa and his brutal slaying of Mycah.

Arya decides this piece of trash is not worth the effort and leaves him to die on his own.

"Mycah." Arya stepped away from him. "You don't deserve the gift of mercy." [...] Maybe some real wolves will find you, Arya thought. Maybe they'll smell you when the sun goes down. Then he would learn what wolves did to dogs. "You shouldn't have hit me with an axe," she said. "You should have saved my mother." She turned her horse and rode away from him, and never looked back once. - Arya XIII, ASOS

Or so we thought.

Moving ahead to A Feast for Crows, we encounter Brienne of Tarth—a paragon of honor and integrity who serves as a direct contrast to Sandor Clegane—on her mission to find Sansa Stark.

Acting on a tip that the Hound and a Stark daughter are near Saltpans, Brienne and her companions make their way there, but not before making a brief stop at the Quiet Isle.

The septry stood upon an upthrust island half a mile from the shore, where the wide mouth of the Trident widened further still to kiss the Bay of Crabs. - Brienne VI, AFFC

What is the Quiet Isle?

The Quiet Isle is a secluded septry where individuals seeking atonement live to make amends for their sins through contemplation, prayer, and a vow of silence.

"Why do they call it the Quiet Isle?" asked Podrick. "Those who dwell here are penitents, who seek to atone for their sins through contemplation, prayer, and silence. Only the Elder Brother and his proctors are permitted to speak, and the proctors only for one day of every seven." - Brienne VI, AFFC

Upon arrival, it's not long before the author starts dropping some hints.

"[...] Let us enjoy a good hot meal before we face that. The brothers always have a bone to spare for Dog." Dog barked and wagged his tail. - Brienne VI, AFFC

We learn that some of the brothers cover their faces, leaving only their eyes exposed. (Convenient!)

Three men were waiting for them as they clambered up the broken stones that ringed the isle's shoreline. They were clad in the brown-and-dun robes of brothers, with wide bell sleeves and pointed cowls. Two had wound lengths of wool about the lower halves of their faces as well, so all that could be seen of them were their eyes. - Brienne VI, AFFC

One of the brothers appears noticeably uneasy upon hearing Brienne's objective.

"Lady Brienne is a warrior maid," confided Septon Meribald, "hunting for the Hound." "Aye?" Narbert seemed taken aback. "To what end?" - Brienne VI, AFFC

We meet a horse named Driftwood, who is strongly reminiscent of the Hound's black stallion, Stranger.

Way down at the far end, well away from the other animals, a huge black stallion trumpeted at the sound of their voices and kicked at the door of his stall. [...] Brother Narbert sighed. "The Seven send us blessings, and the Seven send us trials. Handsome he may be, but Driftwood was surely whelped in hell. When we sought to harness him to a plow he kicked Brother Rawney and broke his shinbone in two places. We had hoped gelding might improve the beast's ill temper, but . . . - Brienne VI, AFFC

The horse was a heavy courser, almost as big as a destrier but much faster. Stranger, the Hound called him. Arya had tried to steal him once, when Clegane was taking a piss against a tree, thinking she could ride off before he could catch her. Stranger had almost bitten her face off. He was gentle as an old gelding with his master, but otherwise he had a temper as black as he was. She had never known a horse so quick to bite or kick. - Arya IX, ASOS

At last, the moment arrives. The group come across a novice with a lame leg who is noticeably larger than Brienne.

Almost no one in this story is larger than Brienne.

On the upper slopes they saw three boys driving sheep, and higher still they passed a lichyard where a brother bigger than Brienne was struggling to dig a grave. From the way he moved, it was plain to see that he was lame. As he flung a spadeful of the stony soil over one shoulder, some chanced to spatter against their feet. - Brienne VI, AFFC

The novice gravedigger is immediately drawn to Septon Meribald's dog, Dog. Wink, wink.

"Be more watchful there," chided Brother Narbert. "Septon Meribald might have gotten a mouthful of dirt." The gravedigger lowered his head. When Dog went to sniff him he dropped his spade and scratched his ear. "A novice," explained Narbert. - Brienne VI, AFFC

The crowd moves along, and Brienne repeats her objective to the Elder Brother. Once again, the atmosphere turns uneasy.

Unlike Septon Narbert, the Elder Brother did not seem dismayed by Brienne's sex, but his smile did flicker and fade when the septon told him why she and Ser Hyle had come. "I see," was all he said [...] - Brienne VI, AFFC

The story progresses, but the author makes sure we don't forget that gravedigger we encountered earlier.

"Too many corpses, these days." The Elder Brother sighed. "Our gravedigger knows no rest. [...]" - Brienne VI, AFFC

Eventually the gravedigger reappears, and once more, the author emphasizes that this large adult man's leg is notably impaired.

By the time the readings were completed, the last of the food had been cleared away by the novices whose task it was to serve. Most were boys near Podrick's age, or younger, but there were grown men as well, amongst them the big gravedigger they had encountered on the hill, who walked with the awkward lurching gait of one half-crippled. - Brienne VI, AFFC

His face had bled the worst, but it was the wound on his thigh that smelled funny to her. - Arya XIII, ASOS

After a pleasant meal, the Elder Brother takes Brienne aside to learn more about her mission. He informs her that she has been pursuing the wrong Stark daughter; the Hound was with Arya, not Sansa.

Of course, this raises the question: how could he possibly know this?

I wonder, my lady . . . what do you hope to find there?" "A girl," she told him. "A highborn maid of three-and-ten, with a fair face and auburn hair." "Sansa Stark." The name was softly said. "You believe this poor child is with the Hound?" [...] "Your Dornishman did not lie," the Elder Brother began, "but I fear you did not understand him. You are chasing the wrong wolf, my lady. Eddard Stark had two daughters. It was the other one that Sandor Clegane made off with, the younger one." "Arya Stark?" Brienne stared open-mouthed, astonished. "You know this? Lady Sansa's sister is alive?" - Brienne VI, AFFC

The Elder Brother then tells Brienne that the Hound is dead and that he buried him himself.

"[...] I do not know where she is, or even if she lives. There is one thing I do know, however. The man you hunt is dead." That was another shock. "How did he die?" "By the sword, as he had lived." "You know this for a certainty?" "I buried him myself. I can tell you where his grave lies, if you wish. I covered him with stones to keep the carrion eaters from digging up his flesh, and set his helm atop the cairn to mark his final resting place. That was a grievous error. Some other wayfarer found my marker and claimed it for himself. [...]" - Brienne VI, AFFC

But soon after, the Elder Brother speaks of his own "death," suggesting to the reader that Sandor Clegane's passing might be more symbolic than literal.

All in all, I was a sad man. When I was not fighting, I was drunk. My life was writ in red, in blood and wine." "When did it change?" asked Brienne. "When I died in the Battle of the Trident. [...]" - Brienne VI, AFFC

He then offers what appears to be a kind of eulogy, emphasizing that Sandor only lived to fulfill the dream of killing his brother, a goal he can no longer achieve.

This signals to the reader that Cleganebowl is stupid, and it's time to move on.

"I know a little of this man, Sandor Clegane. He was Prince Joffrey's sworn shield for many a year, and even here we would hear tell of his deeds, both good and ill. If even half of what we heard was true, this was a bitter, tormented soul, a sinner who mocked both gods and men. He served, but found no pride in service. He fought, but took no joy in victory. He drank, to drown his pain in a sea of wine. He did not love, nor was he loved himself. It was hate that drove him. Though he committed many sins, he never sought forgiveness. Where other men dream of love, or wealth, or glory, this man Sandor Clegane dreamed of slaying his own brother, a sin so terrible it makes me shudder just to speak of it. Yet that was the bread that nourished him, the fuel that kept his fires burning. Ignoble as it was, the hope of seeing his brother's blood upon his blade was all this sad and angry creature lived for . . . and even that was taken from him, when Prince Oberyn of Dorne stabbed Ser Gregor with a poisoned spear." - Brienne VI, AFFC

In a state of disbelief, Brienne states that Sandor Clegane is dead, and doesn't use his nickname. The Elder Brother corrects her by clarifying that Sandor Clegane is at rest.

This signals to the reader that both the Hound and Sandor Clegane are not coming back to the story, and it's time to move on.

"It is true, then," she said dully. "Sandor Clegane is dead." "He is at rest." The Elder Brother paused. - Brienne VI, AFFC

George R. R. Martin, I mean the Elder Brother, then emphatically tells his readers, I mean Brienne, that Sandor Clegane never had Sansa Stark (and he never will).

This signals to the reader that Sansan is not a thing, never was, and it's time to move on.

"I see." Brienne did not know why he was telling her all of this, or what else she ought to say.

"Do you?" He leaned forward, his big hands on his knees. "If so, give up this quest of yours. The Hound is dead, and in any case he never had your Sansa Stark. - Brienne VI, AFFC

The end.

Other things to consider:

In May of 2005, before the release of A Feast for Crows, George confirmed we'd be seeing the Hound in the upcoming book. Strange, considering the Hound is not in A Feast for Crows.

Except he is, because he's the gravedigger.

Will we see Sandor again, especially in replacing Sansa's lost wolf? Yes, we will see Sandor (in the next book I think he said) and Gregor. After that, he said he can't comment on the rest... - George R. R. Martin

In A Clash of Kings, Davos witnesses the Hound boarding the ship Prayer. (Funny author.)

Davos recognized the dog's-head helm of the Hound. A white cloak streamed from his shoulders as he rode his horse up the plank onto the deck of Prayer, hacking down anyone who blundered within reach. - Davos III, ACOK

Finally, the show confirmed the Hound's role as the gravedigger when they reintroduced the character by having him build a sept in aid of Septon Ray, who had helped nurse him back to health.

Later, as they desperately searched for something for him to do, because he wasn't meant to return to the story, they had him dig a grave. (In winter. In the frozen ground. Using a small, handheld spade.)

COUNTER-EVIDENCE:

There is none, because the Hound is the gravedigger, and we all know and accept that.

STUMPY'S THOUGHTS:

I still have no idea why anyone expects him to return to the story.

It's not like the Betty Ford Center, where you can leave after 30 days, completely rehabilitated.

Sandor Clegane is at rest. Indefinitely.

VOTE:

I welcome discussions. Feel free to reblog, respond, or challenge my perspective—I won't be offended by any of it.

Please note, if "no" is the eventual winner, or if it's competitive, a second poll will be conducted to determine the proper location.

NEXT THEORY:

Lemongate

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#operation iceberg #asoiaf theory tier list #theory 10 #the hound is the gravedigger

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laurellerual · 3 months

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Laurel rewatch GoT - Part 15

A name for Gendry

In the books Arya adds Dunsen to her list for the simple crime of robbing Gendry of his helmet. Even after parting ways with Gendry on less than happy terms, she continues to repeat Dunsen's name in her prayer. It may be just a stolen object, but it seems clear that for her the wrong suffered by the Bull is very serious, in fact she places it on the same level as Polliver robbing her of Needle.

In the show, Arya adds three names to the list because of Gendry. These are Beric and Thoros, who betrayed him and sold him like one sells a slave, and Melisandre who bought him and essentially kidnapped him with the veiled intention of harming him. Except that at a certain point she totally forgets that for some reason, and removes them from the list. And the most wtf thing is that we find out about this change the same night she and Gendry have sex. I mean, she's been flirting with him for days, it's clear that she's still fond of him... but since he survived Dragonstone, I guess the buying and selling of human beings is forgiven and forgotten?!

#arya stark #gendry #gendrya #asoiaf #anti got #laurel rewatch got #part 15 #me talking abot the show in 2024 #I'm no actually rewatching #but when I am home sick my head go places

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buttercuparry · 2 years

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One of the startling bits in Arya's story is when she meets Edric Dayne. Ned is older than Arya and is a squire to Dondarrion. He lives a dangerous life but then we have this interaction:

Edric Dayne: I won a prize once, riding at rings.

Arya Stark: I never learned the lance, but I could beat you with a sword. Have you killed anyone?

Edric Dayne: I'm only twelve

This is not Arya being a murderous child who is too far gone. Death has become a natural part of her life at this point, and it is not some philosophical truth but a truth of the violence of war.

The next lines,

" I killed a boy when I was eight, Arya almost said, but she thought she'd better not. "You've been in battles, though.".

isn't her trying to subtly measure her kill counts to those of 'seasoned men'. This is her desperately trying to reach out and understand if this heaviness she feels inside is something peculiar only to her ( and she does, we know she does when she has nightmares about killing men like Polliver).

The "she thought she'd better not" carries a similar emotion as her thinking that Catelyn wouldn't want her if she comes to know about the stableboy. In fact when Ned Dayne reluctantly agrees that yes, he has been in a war ( Arya picks up how he isn't exactly proud of it) but says he only stood guard over his injured lord, Arya remembers the stableboy at KL and the guard at Harrenhal.

In lines:

She didn't know if Weese and Chiswyck counted, or the ones who'd died on account of the weasel soup . . . all of a sudden, she felt very sad. "My father was called Ned too," she said.

we have Arya's "oh..." moment. We have her going " Oh, so it has not been the same for everyone. Oh, they don't have their hands as bloody as mine. Oh, I have lost my childhood to war. " Her sudden shift where she talks about Eddard Stark is then a heartbreaking remembrance of a time when she too had her own rose glasses on, when knights were heroes and brave, when her father sat with his men amidst the walls of Winterfell and she was only Arya Underfoot.

You know I can't help but compare this to show!Arya where she flippantly tells Lem that she has shot the strawman perfectly in the head, tits, crotch. I couldn't figure out where D&D lost sight of Arya Stark and I think now I may have an idea. When left to their own D&D thought that in a world gone to war, Arya would thrive on violence. But she has only ever thrived on kindness.

Because it is kindness that makes Lady Smallwood such a noteworthy figure in her storyline, it is the kindness of her Braavosi friends that makes her love the alias of Cat ( can't believe that in the showverse! even this got tainted by violence with the stupid af waif storyline). Why she thinks Hot Pie would like the kitchen of the HoBaW: he stole tarts to give to her.

#arya stark #there is also something to be said about how the highborns are allowed to cling at least to some rosy bits of childhood even in war #while children of the common folks #it comes down to kill or be killed #the mad hunstman snapped after the tragedy that befell his family #and arya of house stark perhaps wouldn't know what it is to kill #but for arry the orphan it comes down to kill or be another body in a ditch

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wpmorse · 1 year

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"I did so know your brother." Maybe the Mountain was worse, now that Arya thought about it. "Him and Dunsen and Polliver, and Raff the Sweetling and the Tickler."

Arya IX -656

Arya tells Sandor about her experience with his brother, Gregor, and his rats. Sandor finds the fact that Gregor missed what he had hilarious.

I was tempted to do Arya and Sandor talking, but I'd done too many fireside scenes lately. I ended up doing a portrait of Gregor and the Rats. The only stumbling point was whether to have Gregor standing or on horseback.

He is the mountain that rides after all.

#asoaif #a storm of swords #pen and ink #illlustration #gregor clegane #dunsen #polliver #raff the sweatling #the tickler #gregor's rats

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pixiecactus · 3 months

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pretty much a self indulgent post for my fic but i'm going to have to take something like a little summer vacation and i don't think that the place where i'm going has internet connection or wifi available so maybe i will spend my time writing so this is me trying my best to put my ideas down in a place that's pseudo tangible, any grammatical errors are due to the fact that english is not my first language and i read the books in my mothertongue back in 2014 so details are a little fuzzy

pretty much obvious but there's not lady stoneheart, mother merciless, the hangwomen, etc. whatever name she was known.

i can pretty much picture that harwin tried to beg to beric for her life, like in the books but i think that arya even in the catatonic and traumatic state that she is put her foot down saying something "let her reunite with my father please" and "can we give her a tully funeral (?)" not really sure if that type of funeral is tully tradition only or if this is something that the riverlands noble houses all do ((i have to look that up))" of course that the bwb complies with arya's wishes

that leads me to: okay the details are really fuzzy in this part i will have to pick my copy of asos up, but yeah the hound kidnaps arya exactly like the book i'm not sure if i will have her recover needle, i want her to have jon's smile back but at the same time i want her to try to heal in a less violent way

i remember that back in agot after the joffrey-arya debacle, arya escaped and survived in the riverlands wilderness for four days i think so i want to recreate this again since we had been show that arya is capable of surviving so my plan is for arya try to work the red wedding chaos in her favor and there escape the hound

we know that in canon the bwb got to the twins a few days later then the hound and arya so there's when i want to arya to reunite with them, and there comes point two

i know that is more reasonable for arya to be send to acorn hall, but this just a idea for a fanfic so for my own plot reasons the bwb decides to leave arya in the inn at the crossroads with the heddle sisters

i will have to research this too, since i know that the inn wasn't in good state when arya and the hound killed polliver, so i will have to work the pipeline: from the inn that we saw polliver and the tickler at to an orphan refugee housing

correct me if i'm wrong but i remember reading in one of arya's chapters with the hound after the rw about how she could sleep for days if the hound didn't abuse her and make her wake up to continue their trip so i will take the liberty of having arya behaving in like a comatose state after they leave her at the inn, girl had a breaking point about dealing with grief and she does not how to pick the pieces

that leads me to: gendry, gendry, gendry. he's officially part of the bwb and i don't think that he regrets the decision, to be honest i don't even think he regrets the decision in canon either, sure he's angsty and pretty much heartbroken but he lost his best friend, pretty much the only person that showed that she cared for him. i think that losing arya is that breaking point in which he realizes that maybe he feels something more strong that friendship for arya, of course, gendry is class conscious and knows that that a lowborn bastard loving a highborn lady could only end badly. but here almost losing arya really did a number on him

so when the bwb discusses leaving arya at the crossroads to recover (meanwhile they try to come with a plan to what to do with her) gendry insists that he's left there too. he tells himself that he will go back to the brotherhood after arya stops being catatonic and starts to resamble the arya he once knew ((can you tell that boy is pretty much lying to himself))

since lady stoneheart never came to be, anguy and edric dayne are still a part of the brotherhood

in a majority of the arya stays with the bwb aus i have read, they make jeyne or even willow as a romantic rival, and it's my personal opinion and personal opinion only but i hate that. so here we will have jeyne-anguy in a casual relationship that willow absolutely hates because in her own words: "he's pretty much stupid if he doesn't want to marry you, jeyne"

the heddles adopt arya as a third sister, they love her as much as arya loves them. jeyne loves to have a little sister that let her comb her hair (willow does not like having her hair touched, thank you very much) and willow loves having a sister that is lot like her and someone who she can talk about how stupid boys are, anguy most of all, and arya finally gets sisterly love!!!

arya tries her hardest to avoid gendry, she thinks that he's only in the inn to keep an eye on her and report back to the brotherhood besides she still thinks that gendry never wanted to be her friend. nonetheless everytime that arya offers herself to go hunting food, gendry does it best to follow her even if they don't talk much anymore

since anguy and lord edric are the youngest in the bwb, they are the ones send to the crossroads the most to help protect the inn or to send rations, much to gendry's chagrin, he certainly does not care about anguy trying his best to romance jeyne but he has a big problem with that highborn coming here to talk to the only other highborn at the inn. it doesn't help that edric dayne avoids him as much as arya likes to do herself.

when the news of fake!arya marrying the bastard of bolton reach the brotherhood, lord beric personally visits arya, at first arya thinks that the bwb is going to sell her to ramsay bolton and she wants to fight it instead what she gets is lord beric dondarrion telling her that is more safe for her to ever forget that she was a highborn in the first place, and that if she wants she can live as a lowborn as freely as she wants

the heddles run the inn during the day, arya a little afraid to be recognized still, decides that's better for her to work cleaning the inn at night hours

anguy always invites gendry to come back with them, at least to visit the peach again, gendry gets red as a crabapple and wants to kill him everytime he opens his mouth

demisexual! gendry, as an aspec myself i can pretty much say that gendry is really demi-coded

ages: anguy 26 - jeyne 23 - gendry 18 - edric 17 - arya 16 - willow 15

that's pretty much all i currently have

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #arya stark #gendry #gendrya #arya x gendry #gendry x arya #edric dayne #jeyne heddle #willow heddle #anguy the archer #the brotherhood without banners

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gendrie · 8 months

Text

Arya drew back from him. "He killed the slave?" That did not sound right. "He should have killed the masters!" (Arya, AFFC)

we don't talk about this moment within the context of arya's own experiences enough because arya has been a slave. she was taken prisoner in the riverlands, marched to harrenhal where, under the threat of violence, she was forced to perform manual labor. thats slavery.

She spent the rest of that day scrubbing steps inside the Wailing Tower. By evenfall her hands were raw and bleeding and her arms so sore they trembled when she lugged the pail back to the cellar. Too tired even for food, Arya begged Weese's pardons and crawled into her straw to sleep. (Arya, ACOK)

every day arya had to perform numerous tasks: cleaning, fetching, delivering, serving, ect. she worked until her hands bled. she endured physical and mental abuse from those she served. she saw countless acts of violence committed against her fellow prisoners. arya rebelled against her own master when she gave weese's name to jaqen h'ghar.

When Weese found that she hadn't asked about the clothes, he yanked down her breeches and caned her until blood ran down her thighs, but Arya closed her eyes and thought of all the sayings Syrio had taught her, so she scarcely felt it. (Arya, ACOK)

slavery is "outlawed" in westeros so arya is never referred to as a slave in the text, but that is what she was. she received no wages for her (child) labor. she was not allowed to leave. those in charge beat her and could have killed her without any repercussion. it was slavery and nobody stopped it. arya had to kill to regain her freedom.

"So Gregor took Harrenhal?" Sandor said. "Didn't require much taking," said Polliver. "The sellswords fled as soon as they knew we were coming, all but a few. One of the cooks opened a postern gate for us, to get back at Hoat for cutting off his foot." He chuckled. "We kept him to cook for us, a couple wenches to warm our beds, and put all the rest to the sword." "All the rest?" Arya blurted out.(Arya, ASOS)

if she had not done so arya and her friends wouldve been killed themselves when the mountain retook harrenhal. its as simple as that. you don't escape slavery by asking nicely.

and that is what makes this such a good quote to apply to a potential arya and dany dynamic.

"Unsullied!" Dany galloped before them, her silver-gold braid flying behind her, her bell chiming with every stride. "Slay the Good Masters, slay the soldiers, slay every man who wears a tokar or holds a whip, but harm no child under twelve, and strike the chains off every slave you see." She raised the harpy's fingers in the air . . . and then she flung the scourge aside. "Freedom!" she sang out. "Dracarys! Dracarys!" (Dany, ASOS)

dany's fight against slavery isn't just something for arya to, potentially, admire in the abstract. arya was one of those slaves once. and just like dany hasn't forgotten what it felt like to be afraid neither has arya.

#asoiaf nonsense #if they meet in twow i will die <3

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