Arya rides into Town

Trouble on the Road

Arya jumped down from her pony as soon as she heard the screams. The screams of a terrified woman. Keeping hold of the reigns, she led her chestnut mount of the road and into the woods allowing the dense foliage to swallow them both. After securing the pony, Arya had purchased in the previous town, she moved quickly between the trees before climbing a small rise. The shouts and cries intensified as she dropped to her belly and crawled to the top of a slope, so she could peer at the scene unfolding below.

There was a cart on the road, ramshackle and in need of repair, and pulled by a despondent half-starved donkey who was motionless while its owners were under attack. A short, bald man was wearing a tattered white shirt was tied to one of the trees and pleading for his life. While Arya couldn't see the face of the man taunting him with a long knife, she could imagine its evil sneer and cold eyes. He was probably grinning as he ripped the shirt open with the blade.

"Leave us alone, we don't have anything." The tied man kept moaning.

"Then we'll take our payment another way." The thug tormenting the man laughed. "Won't we Jacob?"

Arya shuffled further forward. Pushing aside thick green thistles so she could see another of the men. His hideously scarred face was clearly visible as he tossed a woman to the ground. Her clothes were already half ripped from her body. While the man might not have been wearing Lannister colours, Arya decided his clothing and the bits of scavenged armour he was wearing marked them all as deserters from the Lannister army.

Another man climbed onto the cart looking to see what he could steal. It was a scene so typical in Westeros since winter had begun to recede. As people tried to return to the homes they'd abandoned ahead of the Great War, they found themselves set upon by those who sought to take advantage of the chaos and confusion to steal what they wanted for themselves. It was especially common to see those who had served the disgraced families, such as the Lannisters, hunting the innocent because they had nothing left to lose but their pathetic lives.

Arya slipped her bow off her shoulder but wasn't sure if she would be able to shoot from her vantage point and safely kill the attackers. Branches of fresh green leaves and olive bushes which had survived the winter swayed in the gentle breeze that ruffled Arya's hair. Their presence meant it was going to be difficult to get a clean shot.

As she examined the ground sloping towards where the assault was taking place, the heavyset man climbed onto the cart. He gave a yelp of triumph which was followed by the shriek of a young girl.

"Look what I've found." The man hauled the girl off her feet by the back of her dress. She was no more than ten years old with scruffy blond hair and grubby clothing. Her arms flapped like windmills as she tried to squirm away from her captor.

Arya slithered forward on her belly.

There was enough noise to cover her approach. The child continued to shriek, and her mother cried out, demanding they let the girl go. The man was almost howling as he tried to break free from his bonds. Any sound Arya made slipping between the trees was easily masked.

While Arya knew she couldn't stop every evil act or wrongdoer she came upon as soon as she saw the man with the child, it became a situation she wasn't going to walk away from. Her purpose in The Reach might be compromised by getting involved, but what would be the point if she let this family be tortured by Lannister lovers.

The man and woman were both screaming and struggling while the hooded man on the cart dangled the girl over the edge, threatening to toss her to the floor if they didn't do as they were told.

The woman complied, no longer resisting as the thug over her tore off more of her clothes. He began unbuckling his belt as he sank to his knees between her legs.

"That's it, honey. Lie back for papa."

The bald ruffian next to the man who was tied to the tree gave a hideous laugh and held his knife at the man's groin. "I'll cut it off if you don't shut the fuck up."
"Let him scream." The man holding the girl growled. "Then maybe I can have some fun with this little one."

Holding the girl even higher, the large man pushed his hand under her dress. Arya could see the terrified child sobbing. The disgusting look of pleasure on the man's face made Arya sick. She slowly removed an arrow from her quiver. She wanted to shoot the man on the cart. But it would mean him letting go of the girl, and she would no doubt be hurt as she tumbled onto the ground.

Choosing her target, Arya stepped out from behind a tree, brought the arrow up to her cheek and loosened. There was no shout of pain from the man on his knees over the woman as the shaft ripped through his neck. Instead, there was a strangled gurgle, his hands reaching to grip his throat in vain as his life and blood drained away. He slumped forward on top of the stricken woman.

Moments later, another arrow flew from Arya's bow before anyone could react. The thug holding the knife to the father's groin looked down in surprise at the shaft protruding from his chest.

"Take your filthy hands off that girl" Arya stepped further into the open, making sure she was visible to the man.

"Put your bow down girl, or I'll kill this fucking little bitch." The man removed his hand from under her dress and grabbed a dagger from his belt. He held it to her throat while continuing to hold her over the edge of the wagon.

The ruffian she'd shot in the chest slumped onto his backside holding the arrow, but Arya knew she'd have to put another one into him to finish him off.

"Put the girl down." Arya nocked another arrow but held it lose. Though he was wearing a few pieces of armour, there was plenty of exposed areas to hit. "If you do I'll let you go. If you don't then you're going to meet your gods."

She held the man's gaze and any thought in his head that she was just a girl and could be easily intimidated vanished. Arya watched his eyes dart between his two friends and could tell he was weighing up his options.

"Harm the girl, and you die."

"How do I know you won't kill me anyway."

"You don't," Arya replied. "But its better odds than me shooting you right now."

The man continued to stare at her. She could see the arm holding the girl was shaking. He was getting tired, and he would either have to let her go or at least bring her back onto the wagon.

"Put down your bow or all cut her fucking throat." As Arya predicted, the man had moved the girl, bringing her into the cart directly in front of him. Her feet were now on one of the pieces of furniture, and while the dagger was at her throat, there would be no chance of her falling.

Arya drew her bow and loosened the arrow in one smooth motion. The man never moved until it struck him in the centre of his face.

Arya's bow might have been short, and not as powerful as the long bows that soldiers often used, but the short distance meant the arrow drove right into the man's skull and lodged into his brain. Dead in an instant, his arms fell away from the girl as he collapsed onto the wagon.

The girl stood in total shock.

"What's your name?" Arya shouted.

"Lisa," the girl stammered, her deep blue eyes fixed on Arya's
"Cover your eyes, Lisa."

Lisa gave Arya puzzled look, but Arya kept her gaze on the girl until she did as she was told. Wasting no time Arya placed her bow back over her shoulder, and stepped over to the thug groaning on the floor with the arrow in his chest and removing her Valerian dagger from her belt she slashed the bastard across his throat.