#and like oh my god by how yoren is so in need of knowing he's more than a name his own need to love and be loved but its behind a wall?

[nerajaana]

Hello, not your recent rude anon. I just wanted to drop in and say that I love your work! It's so gorgeous, I don't have enough words to describe how good it's. I envy your talent (nothing malicious tho). Also, you make this fandom a better place so thank you. (Definitely envy your irl friends too) I was just wondering what are your favorite moments/scenes with Arya since she's your favourite.

Nonnie staaahp you’re wayyy too kind pls thank you ily💚💚💚

Arya, oh how I adore her my darling girl🥺💓😩😭💕 George for the love of all that’s in existence at the very least release the braavos novella as a companion piece to twow or something I need some happy Arya chapters gimme Arya hanging out with her friends in the marketplace

I just realized I had answered a similar ask a while ago😅 but I think I’ll do a part 2 (there’s just.....so many moments argh how I love her, she owns my heart istg)

In no particular order:

Arya screwed up her face in a scowl. “Jaime Lannister murdered Jory and Heward and Wyl, and the Hound murdered Mycah. Somebody should have beheaded them.”

Ned stopped and looked at her. “Arya, what are you doing?” “Syrio says a water dancer can stand on one toe for hours.” Her hands flailed at the air to steady herself. Ned had to smile. “Which toe?” he teased. “Any toe,” Arya said, exasperated with the question.  (Too cute I cri)

When at last she slept, she dreamed of home. The kingsroad wound its way past Winterfell on its way to the Wall, and Yoren had promised he'd leave her there with no one any wiser about who she'd been. She yearned to see her mother again, and Robb and Bran and Rickon . . . but it was Jon Snow she thought of most. She wished somehow they could come to the Wall before Winterfell, so Jon might muss up her hair and call her "little sister." She'd tell him, "I missed you," and he'd say it too at the very same moment, the way they always used to say things together. She would have liked that. She would have liked that better than anything.

Yes, it’s you who ought to run, you and Lord Tywin and the Mountain and Ser Addam and Ser Amory and stupid Ser Lyonel whoever he is, all of you better run or my brother will kill you, he’s a Stark, he’s more wolf than man, and so am I.

"Lommy, you keep Weasel here." He grabbed the little girl by the hand and pulled her close. "What if the wolves come?" "Yield," Arya suggested.

She would make much better time on her own, Arya knew, but she could not leave [Gendry and Hot Pie]. They were her pack, her friends

Alone, she slid through the shadow of the Tower of Ghosts. She walked fast, to keep ahead of her fear, and it felt as though Syrio Forel walked beside her, and Yoren, and Jaqen H'ghar, and Jon Snow.

“Harwin, it’s me, don’t you know me, don’t you?” The tears came, and she found herself weeping like a baby, just like some stupid little girl. “Harwin, it’s me!” Harwin’s eyes went from her face to the flayed man on her doublet. “How do you know me?” he said, frowning suspiciously. “The flayed man … who are you, some serving boy to Lord Leech?” For a moment she did not know how to answer. She’d had so many names. Had she only dreamed Arya Stark? “I’m a girl,” she sniffed. “I was Lord Bolton’s cupbearer but he was going to leave me for the goat, so I ran off with Gendry and Hot Pie. You have to know me! You used to lead my pony, when I was little.” His eyes went wide, "Gods be good," he said in a choked voice. "Arya Underfoot? Lem, let go of her.".... "She broke my nose." Lem dumped her unceremoniously to the floor. "Who in seven hells is she supposed to be?"…........"The Hand's daughter." Harwin went to one knee before her. "Arya Stark, of Winterfell." (Ugly sobbing)

The Tickler backed away. Arya could smell his fear. The shortsword in his hand suddenly seemed almost a toy against the long blade the Hound was holding, and he wasn't armored either. He moved swiftly, light on his feet, never taking his eyes off Sandor Clegane. It was the easiest thing in the world for Arya to step up behind him and stab him. "Is there gold hidden in the village?" she shouted as she drove the blade up through his back. "Is there silver? Gems?" She stabbed twice more. "Is there food? Where is Lord Beric?" She was on top of him by then, still stabbing. "Where did he go? How many men were with him? How many knights? How many bowmen? How many, how many, how many, how many, how many, how many? Is there gold in the village?" Her hands were red and sticky when Sandor dragged her off him. "Enough," was all he said. He was bleeding like a butchered pig himself, and dragging one leg when he walked. (Only pain nothing else)

Arya watched and listened and polished her hates the way Gendry had once polished his horned helm. Dunsen wore them now, and she hated him for it. She hated Polliver for Needle, and she hated old Chiswyck who thought he was funny(he was laughing about participating in gang rape). And Raff the Sweetling, who’d driven his spear through Lommy’s throat, she hated even more. She hated Ser Amory Lorch for Yoren, and she hated Ser Meryn Trant for Syrio, the Hound for killing the butcher’s boy, Mycah, and Ser Ilyn and Prince Joffrey and the queen for the sake of her father and Fat Tom and Desmond and the rest, and even for Lady, Sansa’s wolf.

Arya stared at the face carved into its trunk. It was a terrible face, its mouth twisted, its eyes flaring and full of hate. Is that what a god looked like? Could gods be hurt, the same as people? I should pray, she thought suddenly. Arya went to her knees. She wasn’t sure how she should begin. She clasped her hands together. Help me, you old gods, she prayed silently. Help me get those men out of the dungeon so we can kill Ser Amory, and bring me home to Winterfell. Make me a water dancer and a wolf and not afraid again, ever.

Winterfell, she might have said. I smell snow and smoke and pine needles. I smell the stables. I smell Hodor laughing, and Jon and Robb battling in the yard, and Sansa singing about some stupid lady fair. I smell the crypts where the stone kings sit, I smell hot bread baking, I smell the godswood. I smell my wolf, I smell her fur, almost as if she were still beside me

Even sewing was more fun than tongues, she told herself, after a night when she had forgotten half the words she thought she knew, and pronounced the other half so badly that the waif had laughed at her.  My sentences are as crooked as my stitches used to be. If the girl had not been so small and starved, Arya would have smashed her stupid face.  Instead she gnawed her lip.  Too stupid to learn and too stupid to give up. (My baby is the the epitome of perseverance)

"Thank you," Sam told the girl when they were gone.........."Are you truly in the Night's Watch? I never saw a black brother like you before." The girl gestured at the barrow. "You can have the last clams if you want. It's dark, no one will buy them now.”

Have a lovely day ahead nonnie💛

[fuckallthegood0nesweretaken]

The Dove and Her Hound - CH. Eight

Title: A Trip for Nothing

Words: 1,622

Warnings: Swearing, mild violence

Previous Chapter - Next Chapter

Sandor Masterlist

Game of Thrones Masterlist

Masterlist

~~~~~~~

Three days had passed and things had gotten a bit better. Arya was no longer enraged at Sandor, but she still didn’t like him. You were the mediator between the two. You tried to end fights before they began, sometimes in vain. There had only been silence for the last hour and you were beyond grateful. Silence was better than fighting and you could finally relax for a bit. It was slightly past mid-morning when the three of you saw smoke.

“Could be food,” Sandor said.

 “Could be soldiers,” you replied, looking towards the ruins of a house.

 Saying nothing else Sandor spurred his horse, Arya following his lead. Ten paces from the house the horses stopped and Sandor helped you get off the horse. You tied them up and followed your two companions closer to an overturned wagon. You saw a man and pulled your short sword out, ready for a fight. When you got closer, you saw that he was badly injured and in no condition to fight. With a quick glance around, you didn’t see any other people. Sheathing your sword, you knelt down beside him.

 “You shouldn’t be sitting out here like this,” Arya said.

 “Where else to sit? Tried walking back to my hut, hurt too much, then I remembered they burnt it down.”

 “Who were they?” You asked gently.

 “I stopped asking a while ago,” the man said.

 “That’s not gonna get better,” Sandor said.

 “Doesn’t seem so.”

 “Bad way to go. Haven’t you had enough?”

 “Of what?” The man asked. With a glance at you he said, “I know. Time to go.”

 Wordlessly, you held out your hand to him. With only a bit of hesitation, he took your hand. Squeezing gently, you gave him a sad smile.

 “Time to take matters into my own hands. The thought has appeared to me.”

 “Then why go on?” Arya said as she squatted next to you.

 “Habit,” he said.

 “Nothing could be worse than this.”

 “Maybe nothing is worse than this.”

 “Nothing is better or worse than anything,” Arya said. “Nothing is just nothing.”

 “Who are you?” The man asked her.

 “I’m Arya. Arya Stark.”

 “I’m [y/n] Stark,” you said.

 The man looked at Sandor. “You their father?”

 “No. Their captor. I’m bringing them to their aunt in the Eyrie,” he said.

 “Can I have a drink?” The man said after a moment. “Dying is thirsty work.”

 Sandor brought out the water skin and held it for the man to drink from. He took a few big gulps of the water and let out a sigh.

 “Wish it were wine.”

 “So do I,” Sandor said. He pulled out his knife and stabbed the man. The man let out a grunt and looked at Sandor. They nodded to each other and you rubbed your thumb over his hand. He gave you one last look before the light in his eyes went out. Sandor pulled the blade out of his chest and wiped it on the man’s sleeve.

 “That’s where the heart is,” he said. “That’s how you kill a man.”  

 He stood up and was promptly grabbed from behind. The attacker let out a short yell and then bit Sandor on the neck. Sandor cried out in pain and flipped the man over his shoulder, breaking his neck in the process. You stood up, by his side in an instant.

 “Oh gods, are you okay?” You tried to check his neck, but his hands were covering the wound. You heard a noise behind you and turned to see one more man standing there.

 “The fuck’re you doing?” Sandor spat, moving his hands from his neck and seeing blood.

 “There’s a price on your head,” he said.

 “That’s what the king does when you tell him to fuck off.”

 “The king’s dead. He drank poison wine at his own wedding.” You and Arya looked at each other, surprise on your faces.

 “The bounty on you is for killing Lannister soldiers. A hundred silver snakes.”

 “And you thought you were going to collect them?” Sandor said. His hand was still clutching his neck.

 “You were Yoren’s prisoner when he was taking me to the Wall,” Arya said. “He told me he’d fuck me bloody with a stick.”

 “He told you what?” You asked, livid.

 “This day is really not working out the way you’d planned,” Sandor said. “Is he on your list?”

 “Can’t be. I don’t know his name.”

 “What’s your name?” You asked him.

 “Rorge,” he said.

 “Thank you,” Arya said. Quick as lightning, Arya whipped out Needle and stabbed him in the heart. He fell to the ground, dead.

 “You’re learning,” Sandor said. Arya wiped her blade clean and followed you and Sandor back to the horses.

 “Are you okay, love?” You asked Sandor quietly. He glanced at you and helped you onto the horse.

 “Aye. I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” You caressed his face and he leaned into your hand, placing a barely there kiss onto your palm. He heaved himself onto the horse and the three of you started riding again.

 ---

 When it was mid-day, you stopped for a break. Sandor took off his armor and tried to inspect his wound. You put a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face you.

 “Let me help you,” you said softly. You could see him battling himself inside his head and you bowed your head. “Please.”

 When you said that word, his head shot up and looked at you.

 “Why would you want to help me?”

 “Why wouldn’t I? I, well um, I—“ You were stuttering and you could feel your face turning red.

 “You what?” Taking a deep breath, you looked him in the eyes.

 “I love you,” you mumbled. You could feel the heat radiating off of your face and you cleared your throat. “So please, let me help you.”

 Sandor was speechless. He knew that you cared for him, but he couldn’t fathom you actually loving him. He had fallen for you a long time ago, but tried to keep it hidden. It was hard and he had broken his façade a few times when you pushed him to, but all he could do now was stare at your face.

 You squeaked when he pulled you close, your bum landing in his lap. His arms went around you and his lips met yours in a fury. You kissed back and your hands went to cup his face. The kiss would’ve escalated, but Arya cleared her throat.

 “Please don’t do this when I’m right here,” she said, disgusted. You broke apart from Sandor and let out a laugh.

 “I would say it won’t happen again, but that would be a lie,” Sandor said, hugging you even closer.

 “Can I help you with your wound now?” You asked him.

 “Yes.”

 You got off of his lap and started cleaning the bite. It needed stitches and you tried to be as gentle as possible. Whenever it hurt, you could feel Sandor tense up and you would stop for a moment to let him settle. It would have been better if you had cauterized the wound, but you knew how he felt about fire. Arya tried to talk him into it, but you silenced her with a look and a shake of your head. Soon, it was all clean and somewhat fixed. Sandor thanked you with a kiss and after a quick bit to eat, it was time to leave.

 “We’re closer than I thought,” Sandor said. “We’re about two miles to the Eyrie. We should be there before nightfall.”

 You could feel the relief come from Arya and you leaned against Sandor as the horse moved.

 “Will you stay with us?” You asked him.

 “I don’t know,” he said after a moment. “It all depends on how your aunt takes to the idea.”

 “If she doesn’t like it, I’ll leave with you. I’ve never even met her anyways.”

 “But she’s your family.”

 “You’re more of a family then she is.”

 Sandor stayed quiet. He didn’t know how to feel about that. You didn’t push anything and just held his hand. Arya was quiet as well and the ride was in silence until you were almost there.

 “The horses have to stay here. It’s too rocky up ahead for them.” With a grunt, Sandor slid off of the horse. You followed and stretched with a whine. The short walk was filled with chatter from Arya and you. Your hand was intertwined with Sandor’s and soon you were at the Bloody Gates.

 “Who would pass the Bloody Gates?” A guard said.

 “The bloody Hound, Sandor Clegane. And his, traveling companions, [y/n] and Arya Stark. Nieces of your Lady Lysa Arryn.”

 “Then I offer my condolences. Lady Arryn died, three days ago.”

 Sandor looked on, surprise on his face. Arya started laughing and when she looked at Sandor, she laughed even harder. Secretly, you were relieved. This meant that you wouldn’t have to part with Sandor just yet. You knew that you would be safer with him than with your aunt. After a minute, you all turned around and left the Eyrie. Nobody tried to stop you, but when you went to where your horses were, they were gone.

 “Seven fucking Hells,” Sandor said.

 “Well this is inconvenient. At least we have our bags,” you said. Arya just laughed again.

 “We’re just going to have to live with it. But where are we going to go now?”

 “The Wall. Your brother, Jon, is up there. He’ll take you in.”

 “Alright,” you said. “But you have to promise me that you’re going to stay with me.”

 Sandor looked at you for a moment before nodding. “I promise.”

[yanak324]

Arya-centric asks...6, 20, 25

Oooh thanks @kelleesioverhere, my one-true queen of thirst for letting me flex my Arya-centric muscles 💪🏼⚔️

6. rank arya’s dads: syrio, yoren, the hound, ned, whoever else

Ned - homeboi did fuck a bit with bringing his daughters straight into the lion’s den but his intentions have always been pure and he tried to let Arya’s individuality shine and prosper in a time when she was severely bullied otherwise and for that I will always love him.

Syrio - this is the man who taught Arya how to be a fighter, both literally and figuratively. I don’t stan showcanon (who does?!) but without him, Arya’s mantra of “not today” would never be possible...and so you could argue she never would have had the courage and fortitude to kill the Night King (if she hadn’t had that confidence instilled in her by Syrio when everyone else thought she was just Arya underfoot...and for that I love him)

Yoren - he held her face to his chest so she wouldn’t have to watch her father get beheaded. He smuggled her out of King’s Landing, and unbeknownst to him, introduced her to the future love of her life.

The Hound - he had about one redeeming scene in S8 and people are all GO HOUND? Yeah, no thanks. I don’t dislike him at all but as a father figure for Arya? Nah, he’s more like her partner in crime than anything. The cool thing is he doesn’t judge her for her violent streak and forced her to leave the keep. So he still gets cool points with me but isn’t as high on the list as the other dudes.

Honorable mention goes to Dadvos...he didn’t even know her personally but the look of pride on his face when she was taking wights down left and right? That’s some big DAD energy...and I love him for it.

20. favorite arya x gendry moment?

oh my god...there are too many. I’ll do book and show!canon just because I can.

For book!canon, the tree moment is just...pure, pure gold BUT I also desperately love when Gendry defends her to Hot Pie before even knowing she was a girl...or anything. I just love that bit in the books so much and rereading it has made me love this ship so much more than I thought possible. Also honorable mention to Arya visibly thirsting over Gendry and being angry about him potentially hooking up with girls. Love me a jealous!Arya

For show!canon, the side-face scene is such a defining moment for my love for Arya in general. Just how Maisie plays that “i shouldn’t look and i don’t even know why i want to because he’s stupid” angle is just gold. I also love all of their interactions in 8.01...but my favorite absolute favorite scene is when Arya sees Gendry ride in as part of Dany’s procession...I don’t know if it’s Maisie’s face or what...but it was like simultaneous relief for him being alive and also realizing holy shit, he’s smokin hot...I loved it so so much and I rewatch just that scene constantly.

25. ideal ending for arya / gendry / hot pie in the books? .

I really don’t know how to answer this but I’M GOING TO TRY.

For Arya, I really need her to return to Westeros and reunite with her family. I want her to feel like she’s still Arya Stark and she has people out there who know and love her. I think Gendry stays with the Brotherhood and while i’m not entirely sure if GRRM’s ending will mirror D&D’s, I do think he’ll end up in Winterfell in one way or another SO an ideal ending for me, would be Arya and Gendry reuniting, and taking off together to travel Westeros (or you know going West...but TOGETHER) and Gendry does not get legitimized...because let’s be honest, he is happiest with Arya by his side and an adventure up ahead.

As for Hot Pie, well my cinnamon roll is obviously living his best life running the kitchen at the Crossroads Inn. He married a nice lady who has given him a couple kids and he is more than content living out his days perfecting his wolf shaped loaves and feeding guests at the Inn, and entertaining friends when they drop by. 🐺🥖👨🏼‍🍳

[xxcorndogxx]

Sandor Clegane x Reader||Chapter Seventeen

In the morning I am lightly shaken awake.

"Get up." Sandor orders in a rushed voice.

I sit up. He stands.

"The girl." He says.

I notice she isn't around. He rushes over to look at the river. I run over. She's there. Practicing. I walk down to her behind Sandor.

"The hell you doing?" He asks.

"Practicing." She answers.

"What, ways to die?" He mocks.

"No one's going to kill me." She says confidently.

"They will if you nance around like that." He explains. "That's no way to fight."

"It's not fighting." She defends. "It's water dancing." She exclaims.

"Dancing?"

I look up. A big smile on his face. I smile too. I can't help it.

"Maybe you ought to put on a dress." He jokes. "Who taught you that shite?" He asks.

"The greatest swordsman who ever lived." She proclaims. "Syrio Forel, the First Sword to the Sealord of Braavos." She sounds proud.

"Braavos." Sandor scoffs.

I walk past them and squat by the stream.

"Greasy-haired little bastard, I bet." He chuckles. "They all are."

"What do you know about anything?" She questions.

I splash water on my face.

"I bet his hair is greasier than Joffrey's cunt."

I stand up and stretch.

"It was not." She defends.

"Was? He dead?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"He was killed."

"Who by?"

"Meryn Trant. That's why Ser Meryn-."

"Meryn Trant?"

I walk past them back to our stuff. I grab my sword. I walk back down past them.

"Syrio didn't have a sword. Or armor. Just a stick." She defends.

I hike my dress up and step out of my boots. I walk into the water.

"The greatest swordsman who ever lived didn't have a sword?" He laughs.

I stand still in the water.

"Alright. You have a sword."

My sword raises ready to stab any fish that come by.

"Let's see what he taught you." He challenges.

"Go on do it for your Braavosi friend."

I look over and when I do I feel a fish brush past my foot.

"Damn it," I grumble and focus on catching some fish.

"Dead like all the rest of your friends."

I hold my breath as one approach. I stab through the fish. I smile. I hold it up on my sword.

"Haha!" I laugh. "I did it," I mumble to myself.

I turn when I hear a smack from the arguing children. Arya lays on the ground and Sandor has Needle to her throat.

"Sandor!" I call out as I run, splashing in the water.

He looks at me and gives her Needle back. I run after him.

"Look," I call to him. "I caught a fish!" I beam.

He turns to me. He stops before speaking. He takes a deep breath.

"Is this your first catch?" He asks.

"No." I shake my head pulling it off the sword. "I did it once when I was younger." I hand it to him.

"Here I'm gonna get more." I smile.

"Good job, little dove." He kisses my forehead before I runoff.

I ride in front of Sandor once more. I watch his face as we ride.

"Quit it, woman." He says without even looking.

I smile.

"I can't help it."

He scoffs. "God, you're like a lovesick little puppy."

I roll my eyes.

"I am not." I turn and face forward.

"Oh yes, you are." He chuckles. "You're wrapped so tight around my cock you can't focus on anything else." He grumbles in my ear.

"It's not my fault your cock is so magnificent." I praise.

He laughs at that. We come to a stop. There's a worn down building.

"Could be food," Sandor suggests.

"Could be soldiers." Arya purposes.

"Could be an ass balancing on a fucking duck for all we know. Won't answer our questions sitting here." I point out.

We trot over. Sandor hops off and grabs my waist helping me down. We walk through the place. There's a man still alive.

"You shouldn't be sitting out here like this," Arya says.

"Where else to sit?" He asks. "Tried to walk back to my hut, hurt too much."

I walk around a tad and search around for anything like soldiers or bandits. Nothing.

"Then I remembered they burnt my hut down."

"Who were they?" I ask.

"I stopped asking a while ago."

Sandor kneels down beside him.

"That's not going to get better." He grumbles.

"Doesn't seem so."

"A bad way to go," Sandor says.

"Haven't you had enough?" He asks.

"Of what?" The man asks. "I know. Time to go. Take matters into my own hands no matter what." He groans. "The thought has occurred to me."

I casually walk back over to everyone. Arya kneels too.

"So why go on?" She asks.

I stand with my hands on Sandors shoulders. He places a hand in mine.

"Habit." He answers.

"Nothing could be worse than this." She states.

"Maybe nothing is worse than this."

Is he afraid of death?

"Nothing isn't better or worse than anything. Nothing is just nothing." Arya explained.

"Who are you?" The man asks.

"My name Arya."

No need to lie he's dying. The dead don't snitch.

"Arya Stark." She explains.

"You her parents?" He asks us.

Sandor shakes his head.

"Her captor." He confesses.

"Bringing her to her aunt for ransom." He's honest.

"A fair exchange, that is. Always held to the notion of fair exchange in all my dealings. You give me, I give you. Fair. A balance."

"Aye." I agree.

"No balance anymore." He pauses.

"Could I have a drink?" He asks.

"Dying is thirsty work."

I watch as Sandor helps him drink. He can be kind and caring.

"Wish It were wine." The man grumbles.

"So do I," Sandor confesses.

He stabs through the man's heart. He smiles slightly at Sandor before he dies. He wipes the blade off on the man's sleeve.

"That's where the heart is." He says looking at Arya.

He stands up.

"That's how you kill a man." He explains just as a man jumps on his back.

"Sandor!"

He snaps the man's neck. He bit him. Sandor holds the bite as he turns around. There's a man there with a sword. I quickly move back behind Sandor. That man wasn't too far from me.

"The fuck you doing here?" He asks.

"There's a price on your head." He says.

"Guess that's what the King does when you tell him to fuck off," Sandor grumbles.

"The Kings dead." The man says. "He drank poisoned wine at his own wedding." He explains.

"The bounty on you is for killing Lannister soldiers. 100 silver stags."

"And you thought you were going to collect it?" I ask walking from behind Sandor tired of hiding. "Didn't think very hard, did you?"

"You were Yoren's prisoner when he was taking me to the Wall," Arya speaks up. "He told me he'd fuck me bloody with a stick." She walks around closer to him.

"This day's really not working out the way you planned." Sandor points out.

"He on your little list?" Sandor asks Arya.

"He can't be." She says. "I don't know his name."

Makes sense.

"What's your name?" I ask walking in front of Sandor.

"Rorge, pretty lady."

"Thank you," Arya says.

She quickly draws her sword stabbing it through him.

"You're learning," Sandor says walking away.

I spot a man who looks about my size. I can finally get on some damn pants. I hate this fucking dress. Sandor looks over at me as I begin to strip the man.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He asks.

"He's my size." I pull his pants off. "I'm tired of this damn dress."

I start pulling his shirt off. Once I've gotten what I need I walk around to the trees. Sandor simply watches as I undress. I pull on the pants first and then the shirt. Fits alright.

We've set up camp out in the field. Sandor removed his armor.

"Rat cunts." He grumbles. "Fucking whore." He insults.

"Sandor let me do it." He looks at me. "Yes, I know-how. Let me help you." I sit beside him. "Sandor." I gulp. This is a stretch. "I need to burn away this bad bit. I know you don't like fire but-."

"No fire." He grumbles.

"It'll only take a second," I argue.

"It'll get infected if she doesn't." Arya defends me.

Arya takes a stick from the fire and comes to us. Sandor quickly stands and moves back.

"No fire!" He shouts.

Arya puts the stick back and sits down.

"Shut up about it." He looks at Arya. "Shut up about everything. Thanks to you I'm a walking bag of silver anywhere the Lannisters hold sway." He argues. "Which is everywhere between where we are now and where we're going."

She continues cleaning her sword.

"I'm as stupid as that hog you stuck back in the village." He self ridicules. He sits back down next to me. "Getting myself cut and stabbed and bitten." He gets ready to try and stitch himself again. "There's no reward worth this much trouble. I wish I'd never laid eyes on you. You say your brother gave you that sword. My brother gave me this." He points to his scar. "It was just like you said a while back. Pressed me to the fire like I was a nice juicy mutton chop."

"Why?" She finally speaks.

"Thought I stole one of his toys. I didn't steal it I was just playing with it." He defends. "The pain was bad. The smell was worse. But the worse thing was that it was my brother who did it." He admits. "My father, who protected him... told everyone my bedding caught fire." He pauses and looks to Arya. "You think you're on your own?" He asks her.

"I'm sorry." She apologizes.

After a moment I speak up. "Here." I stand up in front of Sandor. I open my hand to him. "Let me clean you up." He places the hook in my hand. "No fire." I smile.

Arya hands me the water. He watches me as I pour it over the bite. I take the hook and begin stitching him up. His hand clutches tightly to the lower half of my shirt. His head pressed to stomach. I can feel his warm breath through the thin fabric. I softly comb my fingers through his hair as I push through his skin. Each time he clings tighter to me. It has to hurt so very badly.

[bonesgadh]

How my mom™️ reacted to every Gendrya scene from seasons 1, 2 and 3.

As requested by @stuffjusthappensworld.

Season 1

1x10

Arya meets Gendry after he defends her from hot pie.

My mom: poor Arya all alone and confused, she must be so scared. Yeah she is not going down without a fight, defend yourself and let them know you are a badass. Wait, isn’t that the King’s bastard Ned met a couple of episodes ago? They are going to travel together? No shit! I ship them, I’ve only seen them interact for 20 seconds but I saw a spark. That means he’ll probably die soon, my ships are cursed.

Season 2

2x01

That little glimpse of Gendry helping Arya getting on the wagon.

My mom: yeah, I definitely ship them.

2x02

The gold cloaks ask Yoren to give Gendry to them.

My mom: damn, so both of them are fugitives? That’s good because that way they’ll look after each other. Arya definitely needs someone she can trust.

The river scene.

(You don’t have to be a knight to buy armor, any idiot can buy armor.

How do you know?

Because I sold armor!)

My mom: aww, look at that little smile. They both know they are smarter than the rest of their companions.

(Asking me questions is bad luck, you’ll be dead soon.)

My mom: uh, I don’t think so. My guess is you are the one who’ll be dead soon.

(Did you kill someone or is it because you are a girl?)

My mom: yeah, of course he realized she is a girl. He is too smart and besides Arya is way too pretty to be a boy. And Gendry is pretty too but that’s another issue.

(Lommy and hot pie can’t know. No one can know.

They won’t, not from me.)

My mom: oh shit she is going to tell him who she is? She must trust him a lot. He won’t tell obviously but it’s risky more that one person knows her secret.

(My name’s not Arry, it’s Arya of House Stark. Yoren is taking me home to Winterfell.)

My mom: okay but she didn’t have to tell him the truth only because he discovered she is a girl. She could’ve pretended to be someone else but she told him the truth. This is fascinating.

(All that about cocks—I shouldn’t have said. And I’ve been pissing in front of you and everything!)

My mom: lol he is panicking! This is the start of something beautiful, I’m telling you. They will tell this story to their grandkids someday.

(I should be calling you ‘milady’.

Do not call me ‘milady’!

As milady commands.)

My mom: you know how couples call each other ‘sweetie’ or ‘sweetheart’? Yeah he’s totally going to call her ‘milady’.

Arya pushes him to the ground and he laughs.

My mom: *heart eyes*

2x03

Arya talks to Yoren as she cleans Needle.

My mom: love that shot of Arya because you can clearly see Gendry sleeping in the background. Coincidence? I think not.

Yoren gets shot with the crossbow.

My mom: that’s right Gendry, you protect my girl.

(You want Gendry?)

My mom: the fuck Arya what are you doing? Noooo.

(There you got him. He always loved that helmet.)

My mom: omg she is so smart!!!! She saved him, I love that.

2x04

Every scene of them in Harrenhall and watching how the Lannister soldiers torture the prisoners.

My mom: You notice how how they are always side by side? They look great together.

The scene where is seems as if the soldiers will torture Gendry to death.

My mom: no no no Gendry you can’t leave Arya alone! Oh thank god for papa Lannister.

2x05

Arya watches Gendry “practice” with the sword.

My mom: omg she totally checked him out. And not just once but like four-five times! Clever girl. Honestly Arya just shamelessly staring at Gendry’s body added years to my life. And that cute little smile good jesus.

2x08

Arya finds Gendry and hot pie and asks them if they have seen Jaqen.

My mom: well finally, there’s my boy again. Missed him last episode. 

Arya, Gendry and hot pie prepare to escape at midnight.

My mom: haha, they both shut him up. He’s a bit exasperating but I like him. Yes, they are out!!!! Go find your mother and your brother my girl, and introduce them to your new boyfriend.

Season 3

3x02

(I’m just trying to understand.

Would you please shut up about it?

Jaqen H’ghar offered you three kills.

I’m not listening.

But just explain it to me. He offered to kill any three people you wanted. Dead. All you had to do was give him the names. Anyone. You could’ve picked King Joffrey!

Shut up. 

You could’ve picked Tywin Lannister. 

Jaqen got us out of Harrenhal, why are you complaining?

You could’ve ended the war.)

My mom: I kinda get his point but dude, she saved your ass! I hope they run into Robb and Cat first because the north is not really an option for the Starks anymore, is it? I mean, Winterfell is all destroyed and there’s no one there to protect them. Their bickering is adorable by the way.

They run into the brotherhood.

My mom: oh jesus, who are those? Arya and Gendry keep jumping from one captive to the other, don’t they? Lol Gendry put that sword down, five episodes ago you showed us you can’t wield one for shit. Seriously, put it down before you hurt yourself.

Scene at the tavern.

(Gendry is a smith. He was an apprentice at the armory.

A smith, eh? Where did you train?)

My mom: adfñskjl that look they gave each other! 

Enter the Hound.

My mom: omg he is going to recognize her! Shit, they are in trouble now.

3x03

Scene outside of the crossroads inn.

My mom: okay I don’t like this. I get Gendry is helping the tipsy guy only to stay out of trouble but they gave a lot of emphasis on they guy being interested in Gendry being a smith. He is not going to stay with them, is he? Oh no, the squad is separating!  Awww he made her a wolf-shaped bread. Arya and Gendry want to laugh so hard lol. This is such a cute scene but also sad. I’m going to miss hot pie, he was an idiot but he was Arya’s friend. Now Gendry is all she has left. 

3x04

Scene in the cave where the brotherhood hides.

My mom: I just love how they always put them side by side. Yeah you bet one-eyed guy, Arya is the bravest of you all.

3x05

The Hound kills Beric.

My mom: shit he killed the cool guy. It was kind of obvious he would but it still sucks. Oh jesus Arya what are you doing? Yeah Gendry, stop her from doing something stupid. Adsklafjñfaslkj am I an idiot if that shot of he holding her is making he happy? OMFG HE BROUGHT HIM BACK?? WHAT KIND OF SORCERY IS THIS??

Gendry tells Arya he’ll stay with the brotherhood.

My mom: oh great, I knew he was going to stay with them. This is just fucking great. Yeah Arya has every right to be pissed. After everything they’ve been through he’ll just leave her? Can’t he see he is the only thing she has now?  Loosing him will destroy her.

(I never had a family.)

My mom: omg please don’t say it, Arya.

(I can be your family.)

My mom: that’s the 13-year old equivalent of an adult saying ‘I love you’. Good lord take me now, I don’t think I can watch him reject her. She is on the verge of tears, she is staring at him with so much love and she pretty much begged him to go with her. 

(You wouldn’t be my family, you’d be milady.)

My mom:  This is just heartbreaking, you can see the exact moment her heart shatters into a million pieces. She looks so hurt at what he said and he looks hurt as well, he is on the verge of tears too. 

3x06

Melisandre and the soldiers take Gendry away.

My mom: what the FUCK???? God please no someone stop them. Arya trying to get the soldiers to release Gendry is so cute. Yeah Arya, kick her ass. It’s kind of adorable how concerned she is the witch will hurt him. Hey don’t touch her with your dirty hands. Seriously, a stupid prophecy?? This is not the time for this shit. Noooooo don’t take him away! Sweet jesus look at Arya’s face, she is devastated! She is going full-dark Arya after this, isn’t she? They have taken everything away from her now. Please tell me they’ll see each other again because if they don’t I swear to god...

THE END.

Bonus: 

3x07

Arya with the brotherhood after Melisandre took Gendry away.

My mom: aww my poor baby, she is so sad because Gendry is gone. She must feel so alone. Yeah get the fuck out of there, they only care about fighting the bad guys and gold. Oh dear now what? The Hound, are you kidding me??? Told you, from one captive to another. Here here we go again.

You can read her reactions to Gendrya scenes from season 8 here:

Part one

Part two

Part three

[silkygoldmilkweed]

Petyr Baelish vs Sandor Clegane: A Tale of Two Suitors

GRRM will be dead before he finishes the books so we’ll never get a chance to ask him about the construction process once the whole thing is out there, but until he says otherwise, I believe that he created Jon, Dany, Arya, Sansa, Sandor, Ned, Bobby, Rhaegar, Lyanna, Cat and Robb, and then built out many of the other characters as mirrors and foils to them. 

Theon is failed Jon.

Joffrey is the anti-Jon.

And I believe with all my heart that Littlefinger is the anti-Sandor. 

Name almost any character quality and Sandor has the opposite aspect to Littlefinger. Littlefinger is words. Sandor is deeds. Littlefinger is manipulation and lies. Sandor is brutal honesty. Littlefinger is selfish. Sandor is selfless. Littlefinger is either amoral or immoral or maybe both. Sandor lives by a strict personal code of how men, women and people generally are supposed to behave. Littlefinger is sinuous and simpering and sly like Hiss in Disney’s Robin Hood movie. The Hound is bold and strong and aggressive and all heart. 

But both of them want to fuck Sansa Stark. 

(My headcanon, BTW, is that Littlefinger’s nickname is really because he has a tiny dick and that it was Brandon “Wild Wolf” Stark that gave him the nickname. Sandor, of course, is prodigiously endowed. LOL.)

I think the show grants Littlefinger’s death scene a few nods to the SanSan subtext in Sansa’s life, and Littlefinger’s failure gives us some insight into where the Hound succeeded, even though it may not have been acknowledged at the time.

“Lady Sansa, I’ve known you since you were a girl. I’ve protected you–”

OK, this is excellent. When was the first time they met? According to Littlefinger circa season four, “The first time I saw you, you were just a child. A girl from the North, come to the capital for the first time. Not a child any longer.” So the first time they ever met was the Tourney of the Hand, and at that time, Sansa was officially a “child” or a “girl.” (Sandor met her just before that, and then won the tourney in question by protecting Loras from Gregor.) 

Anyway, LF’s been creeping on Sansa from the get-go (he puts his hand on her at the Tourney and Ned gives him a death glare) but more importantly, beginning as early as season four (MAYBE) but most certainly by season seven, Sansa is no longer a girl but a woman. SophieT is only 21 or something, but in Westerosi terms, Sansa is a twice-married widow of maturity and dignity. The way she dresses she could pass for a middle-aged spinster, but of course her face gives away her youth. 

Long story short, the show wants you to know that it’s no longer creepy if Sandor thinks she’s hot, because age difference or no, they’re both adults now and free people, and able to consent to sexual intercourse if they’re both of sound mind and body, etc.

“Protected me? By selling me to the Boltons?”

Littlefinger is first and foremost a flesh peddler. A whoremonger, as Lord Royce calls him. He sells Sansa’s body as readily as he brokers a street prostitute’s blow job work.

Counterpoint: Sandor Clegane doesn’t run around pimping out little girls. Can you even imagine? Quite to the contrary, he spends all his free time running interference between creeps and his Stark girls. Honestly, one of the most striking underanalyzed moments in the histories of the Hound is when he and Arya are with the farmer and his daughter, and the father is doing his prayers to the Seven. “We ask the Maiden to protect Sally’s virtue and keep her from the clutches of depravity,” says farmer dad. It’s at that moment that he interrupts, “Do you have to do all seven of the fuckers?” Now, mostly he’s literally starving and he just wants to get on with it, but I also think there’s an unspoken freaked-out reaction there: There’s no point in praying! The gods aren’t going to keep her from getting raped. They never stop any of that shit. You either can fight it off yourself or she’ll suffer it, same as all the other maidens.

The spectre of sexual assualt looms heavy over Sandor and Sansa’s “relationship,” not least because of the “fuck her bloody” line but also because of the size difference, the age difference, the power difference, his known predilection for violence, and his obvious overwhelming desire for her (not to mention Gregor’s history as a rapist, most famously of Elia Martell). But even though he could take her at any time, and she is quite often in very vulnerable situations with him, he never does anything untoward. (Show canon only, I know the book canon is slightly more salacious and risque, in word if not in deed.) But even though he could have stolen her against her will, and he should have, most likely, he politely asked her if she wanted to be absconded with and when she said no, he walked away. 

As he and Omar put it so succinctly, “A man’s got to have a code.” No stealing girls who don’t want to be stolen. 

Or as the vows of Westerosi knighthood put it, “In the name of the Maid, I charge you to protect all women.”

Littlefinger grossly exploits women’s bodies. Sandor puts his own body between women and danger. Littlefinger sells. Sandor frees. What a difference.

“If we could speak alone, I could explain everything.”

Littlefinger is a sneak. And a liar. He can’t do anything in the open, because he needs to lurk in the shadows to play his little games. It’s a kick to rewatch once you understand the extent of Littlefinger’s dishonesty, because you can absolutely see Aiden Gillen adjust his performance ever so slightly when LF is lying. It’s outstanding acting, although of course I loathe anything and everything LF-related.

Sandor, meanwhile, is honest to a fault. “A dog will die for you, but never lie to you.” 

“Sometimes when I’m trying to understand a person’s motives, I play a little game. What’s the worst reason you have for turning me against my sister? That’s what you do, isn’t it? That’s what you’ve always done. Turn family against family, turn sister against sister. That’s what you did to our mother and Aunt Lysa, and that’s what you tried to do to us.”

If we play this game with Sandor’s motives, I think we come to the conclusion that the worst thing he could want was to have consensual sex with a girl who was too young and too highborn and too fragile and too weak. He didn’t want Winterfell. He didn’t want money. He didn’t want power. He legitimately wanted to help Sansa, and later Arya. (I will insist on my deathbed that the Arya-for-ransom deal was bullshit generally but at best a poorly-thought-out plan to get him an entree to House Stark.)

The other thing is the sister divisions bit. I would add that Sansa and Arya (”different as the sun and moon”) have but a handful of things in common: Winterfell, their parents and siblings, and Sandor Clegane. He’s one of the things that binds Sansa and Arya together, rather than tears them apart. They approach him from different positions but end up in the same place.

Last but hardly least, he is the one single person who ever fought for both Sansa and Arya, who were almost completely abandoned after their father was killed. 

They were left alone in the wilderness. Arya had a little of Yoren and Jaquen and Gendry, but she was overwhelmingly scrapping on her own. Sansa had a little of Varys and Olenna and Littlefinger, but again, she was basically out there all by herself, being hunted by lions. The Hound was the only one who fought for them both. He is a tie that binds.

“Sansa, please.”

Ah, the pathetic begging. Show!Sandor never grovels for her attention. On the contrary, he discourages and frightens her on several occasions. He doesn’t need her the way Littlefinger is desperate for Sansa, both sexually and politically. Why? Because Littlefinger is weak and needy, whereas Sandor is strong and needy. Sandor desires Sansa Stark, but he doesn’t debase either of them to get what he wants. If what he wants is not freely given, he can walk away, whereas Littlefinger always crawls closer.

“I’m a slow learner, it’s true. But I do learn.”

Oh, my sweet Sansa. To me this line is so evocative and nostalgic and tragic. If viewed from a pure SanSan perspective, this is Sansa saying that she had to suffer through years of loneliness and torment at the hands of villains to be able to see what a good and rare and precious thing she had once had in Sandor Clegane. 

This line pairs beautifully with the other heartbreaker from Sansa to Littlefinger: “Back then I only thought about what I wanted, never about what I had. I was a stupid girl.” She’s had years to think about how her girlish, inexperienced, naive and entitled values prevented her from seeing that her True Knight was standing in front of her the whole time, right behind the beautiful, odious, vicious idiot king.

“Give me a chance to defend myself. I deserve that.”

Ugh. Let’s return to season six to reply to this. “I don’t believe you anymore. I don’t need you anymore. You can’t protect me. You won’t even be able to protect yourself if I tell Brienne to cut you down.”

Sansa sees now that she is much stronger and more powerful than Littlefinger ever was or could hope to be. He is a grubby little pretender and he destroyed her family for his own selfish ends, and he deserves every bit of the justice that he is about to receive.

Basically, my girl has become a woman, and she is free of all the bullshit men who have been using her for years. Tywin is dead. Littlefinger is dead. The Boltons are dead. 

She is unbound. She is a woman, and she can choose for herself, and I’m pretty sure what she chooses will be Sandor Clegane.

[sweepseven]

GOOD FIND. I mean, good find if you don’t mind jittery low light GoPro quality. Luckily I absolutely do not and I was gasping out loud at regular intervals starting a mere one second in. Highlights/live reactions below the cut because I started a list and realized I was writing one for every two seconds and it’s not fair to make you scroll through that.

(I’m using my own names because honestly I’m in so deep at this point that it’s a genuine hassle to type out their actual given names.)

MY. BOY’S. IRRITATION. AT HIS FATHER. I feel like I could write paragraphs upon paragraphs about how much I love their relationship. They are so different and so extra and I absolutely love seeing Yoren as, like, an actual dad. He’s weird and ominous as fuck, he establishes that in two seconds flat, nothing about him even remotely evokes paternity, but in equally little time Rensai also tells us that Yoren is still his aggravating old man. He sidles up to Rensai, clacks his hyoshigi, and nothing in the world can convince me that he doesn’t know that annoys the shit out of his son. You can practically see Rensai growing up with those goddamn sticks punctuating every other moment in his life. In the time it takes for Yoren to clap a couple of sticks together and for Rensai to roll his eyes at it, we automatically know SO MUCH ABOUT THESE CHARACTERS. God help me, THIS SHOW. ONE MINUTE IN, FOLKS.

PS who is the new Counselor’s Son?? I LOVE HIM.

His smile when the phone goes up in smoke. Physically I am dying. Why am I like this. Why do I have to live this way.

The archers’ haka 😭😭😭

Barely recovered from Rensai’s smile in time to see Yujin putting on her makeup on the barge and I’m on the ground again.

Is that the Firefly Boy scattering flowers? Who the heck

Omare joining in with the Pageant is such a nice, newer character choice. This act is so sharp!

OMARE DOESN’T WANT TO KISS THE NANNY’S CHEEK HELP ME

OH FUCK ME. OH FUCK. Since when does Rensai come to interrupt the event with his father???? This is new to me! The Valets bow to them?? Omare’s visibly unsettled by Yoren?? Rensai shows them the ore?? I always thought the scroll was a treaty of some kind, but maybe it’s a trade agreement? This is big!!!

The twins playing the flutes is too much for my heart. Jimaya is SO cute and proper.

awww we missed the emperor and empress getting shot

oh and we miss the boat. but BACK IN TIME TO CHECK IN WITH OUR LADS IN THE DEN

Everyone look upon this newer, bolder, more perfect than ever Yujin. Miss her with this weak spearman shit!! She’d prefer not to watch someone get their ass beat in her name, but if it happens it happens 💁🏻‍♀️

Loving the vicious spearwoman in the back. 

This scene’s kinda long but the chief archer is awesommme

......oh my god

I think I need a separate post for Rensai’s entrance. Oh my god. This version of him is every bit as camp as I’ve dreamed. 

Ok Rensai looks mildly bummed at not receiving Yujin’s immediate adoration, but only in a way that says “Can you believe this? I told you I’d try, Dad!” Doesn’t seem to bother him too much. He even yanks her hand into his (!!) but doesn’t care when she snatches it back - no worries, onto the next thing. But Yoren looks shocked and appalled. He keeps his eyes on Yujin for a weirdly long time after that - I’m guessing this is the moment he decides he won’t come into power through his son’s marriage. He’ll have to find another way.

Meanwhile Rensai’s grinding bones to make his bread or whatever the fuck

Oh wow, Yujin’s super alarmed by the ore! Interestiiing!

The only good things about the beach scene are Problem Solving Jimaya and the sand pouring off the deck at the end

Awww, no shadowplay! BUT Yujin smiling at Omare!!!!!

Chief made it down to the woods for this? Meet me in the cave at 10pm if you want an ass kicking

So much good world building with the Mountain Folk but unfortunately.......I do not care

HA this uploader gets me. Skip the flight bullshit, get me back to my boy

Yoren and Chief Kharvaach in deep conversation up on the catwalk about why they’re still using bows and arrows when they’ve pretty much just invented gunpowder and also can weld

Awww Yujin gives his flute back right off the bat, that’s so cute

s o m e o n e ‘ s  l u r k i n g

I TAKE IT BACK, THIS UPLOADER DOES NOT GET ME, LOVE DANCE AND FOREST NOOOO

Oh does the chief die? Nice foreshadowing with the ore blinding him. Yujin being threatened at knifepoint is :((((

Wait I’M SORRY did the Firefly Boy get a costume change?? Or was he out for this show and this is his replacement? Who is this guy? I can’t tell if he’s supposed to be from the boat or one of the mountain people. The forest peoples’ costumes didn’t change so I can’t figure out why he matches so poorly.

Hello female vocals in Battlefield!!!!

No chief at the curtain call! Guess he did bite it. No wonder Yujin looked so crushed for all of wheel of death.

I love the final scene but I do think it’s kinda funny if you think abut it too much. Everyone reacts in fear and surprise to see Yoren and Rensai on the scene - did they just show up out of nowhere? No one checked to see what happened to them after the fight? No one thought to lock down all the ore they mined? No one saw them coming? Yoren is basically a traffic cone and you can’t tell me Rensai doesn’t deliberately sweep that walking stick way the hell around just to knock people over. So not only are two war criminals in attendance at a massive celebration of peace and union, but they’re armed with the very weapon that nearly killed everyone. “Hey thanks for the slave labor, sorry for the trouble, promise we’re not here to set you on fire.” LUV THESE BOYS

Conclusion: Ka is the greatest

[thelegendofclarke]

(Part 1) I wanted to add to your discussion on compulsory femininity by saying everyone talks about it reference to Arya & Brienne which is fair discussion because they are perhaps the most negatively effected by it but compulsory femininity is a thing forced on ALL WOMEN IN THE SERIES EVEN IF THEY LIKE FEMININE THINGS OR PERFORM FEMININITY WELL and rarely do people talk about that in the discourse! Sansa is forced in KL while under Joff's thumb to perform femininity for him for example and

(Part 2) Cersei’s chapters make it very clear she was coerced and pushed into learning femininity and how to perform it as a little child, which she is most bitter about. Sansa may enjoy the performance of femininity and may be excellent at it but it does not mean she had anymore choice that Arya at choosing it, especially not as an 11 yr old. Femininity is FORCED on every woman in Westeros from the time they are babes, no woman in Westeros is free to choose it by their own will.

Hey Anon!

Yep, I totally concur… I think at this point this conversation is coming back around to where it started. (At least I think that’s where this specific conversation took off? God idek anymore tbh, I’m exhausted.) 

But yes definitely, that is where I started: with the point that compulsory femininity was forced on all the females in ASoIaF. In the Westerosi patriarchy, being traditionally feminine was the only way to be a “good woman,” and inevitably there are a vast array of reactions to this attempt at forcing conformity. That’s what happens any time there is a societal standard, or “mold” basically: some people fit into it seamlessly, some people force themselves to fit into it, some people chafe under it, some people flourish under it, some people can’t conform, some people refuse to conform, and some people never think to do anything but conform. The problem, at least for me, is when you remove one character (i.e. Sansa) from the context of the setting or the story. 

It’s interesting though, that you bring up both Brienne and Cersei. Thinking about the pure range of reactions from female characters to their gender, womanhood, and femininity in the series is honestly fascinating… 

I suppose it depends on how you define “negatively affected,” but to me the character that harbors the most anger and resentment toward her gender is not one of the more “masculine” female characters like Arya or Brienne, but Cersei. Cersei, who of all the female characters is probably one of the most overtly (traditionally) feminine in her appearance and her actions, is the one who seems to have the most veraciously negative mentality about her gender and her role in society. Not only is Cersei often highly critical of other women and what she perceives to be their weaknesses, there are several instances where she outright wishes she had been born a man:

Cersei’s face was a study in contempt. “What a jape the gods have made of us two,” she said. “By all rights, you ought to be in skirts and me in mail.”- AGoT

Cersei sniffed. “I should have been born a man. I would have no need of any of you then. None of this would have been allowed to happen. How could Jaime let himself be captured by that boy? And Father, I trusted in him, fool that I am, but where is he now that he’s wanted? What is he doing?”- ACoK

“We were so much alike, I could never understand why they treated us so differently. Jaime learned to fight with sword and lance and mace, while I was taught to smile and sing and please. He was heir to Casterly Rock, while I was to be sold to some stranger like a horse, to be ridden whenever my new owner liked, beaten whenever he liked, and cast aside in time for a younger filly. Jaime’s lot was to be glory and power, while mine was birth and moonblood.”- ACoK

“If the gods had given her the strength they gave Jaime and that swaggering oaf Robert, she could have made her own escape. Oh, for a sword and the skill to wield it. She had a warrior’s heart, but the gods in their blind malice had given her the feeble body of a woman.”- ADwD

“His sister liked to think of herself as Lord Tywin with teats…” (Tyrion POV), AFfC

She is outwardly very feminine, but she has some traits that don’t read as traditionally effeminate at all. She aims to be ruthless, is ambitious, craves domination, and has virtually no empathy; and she frames all these traits as masculine in her head. Cersei learned how to perpetuate and perform femininity in a socially acceptable way, despite her constant frustration and contempt for its constraints. And above all she is bitter and angry.

Brienne on the other hand, couldn’t look or act less like Cersei. She is one of the most “masculine” female characters in appearance and stereotypical behavior. However, she doesn’t seem to resent her gender nearly to the extent that Cersei does. Internally, we also know that Brienne’s POV is a sharp contrast to Cersei’s. Brienne is often times insecure; she shows vulnerability; and she is idealistic, romantic, and profoundly empathetic on levels that Cersei never comes close to expressing. She wants to be a knight, but she never tries to pass as a man nor wishes she had been born male. Yes, she recognizes and resents the limitations placed on her because of her gender, but she also actually expresses respect for women as well:

“No, but you have courage. Not a battle courage perhaps but… I don’t know… a kind of woman’s courage.”— ACoK

“[L]adies die in childbed. No one sings songs about them.” — ACoK

Brienne identifies as a woman, she just has a hard time framing who she is within the very narrow standards and constructs of how a lady “should look” and “should act” and “should be.”

Similarly Arya, another stereotypically “masculine-acting” female character, deeply and strongly identifies herself as female. So strongly in fact, that she corrects people who misgender her:

“Yoren, as it please m’lord. My pardons for the hour.” He bowed to Arya. “And this must be your son. He has your look.”“I’m a girl,” Arya said, exasperated.— AGOT

“…It’s too big for you, lad, and besides, Anguy here could put three shafts through you before you could hope to reach us.”“He could not,” Arya said, “and I’m a girl.”— ASOS

And challenges people who express disregard for women:

“The woman is important too!” -  AGOT

Not only that, Arya displays an immense amount of respect, and admiration for other women. Her most adored heroes are figures like Wenda the White Fawn, Visenya Targaryen, and Queen Nymeria or Rhyonar. She also expresses high regard for women like the Mormonts, Lady Smallwood, as well as her mother Catelyn and her aunt Lyanna. Arya’s issues with femininity and issues with her gender don’t seem to be directly externally at women in general but manifest more internally with feelings of insecurity and inadequacy, as well as frustration with being pigeonholed and confined to a role she has no true desire to fill.

Characters like Brienne and Arya’s issues aren’t with femininity and womanhood itself, but with the confines of compulsory femininity that their patriarchal society aggressively forced upon them. Their problem is not with the fact that they are women, but that society is presuming to tell them they are “doing it wrong.” Their rebellion and rejection is not focused on prescribed gender roles, not on gender itself. Whereas Cersei, who outwardly seems to be the epitome of a Good Westerosi Woman, in reality loathes and disdains femininity and views her gender as weak on the whole. She’s been taught to view her womanhood as a detriment and she despises it. Cersei essentially views her gender as the root cause of all her problems, and I think she truly believes that if she were a man all those problems would be solved. 

All three of these women have very complicated relationships with gender and femininity; in a society with such extremely rigid and constrictive prescribed gender roles, I think its more than understandable. But I would say that, at least mentally, Cersei fell victim far more drastically to the patriarchy that indoctrinated women to hate no only each other but also themselves.

[readbookywooks]

Arya

Confusion and clangor ruled the castle. Men stood on the beds of wagons loading casks of wine, sacks of flour, and bundles of new-fletched arrows. Smiths straightened swords, knocked dents from breastplates, and shoed destriers and pack mules alike. Mail shirts were tossed in barrels of sand and rolled across the lumpy surface of the Flowstone Yard to scour them clean. Weese's women had twenty cloaks to mend, a hundred more to wash. The high and humble crowded into the sept together to pray. Outside the walls, tents and pavilions were coming down. Squires tossed pails of water over cookfires, while soldiers took out their oilstones to give their blades one last good lick. The noise was a swelling tide: horses blowing and whickering, lords shouting commands, men-at-arms trading curses, camp followers squabbling.

Lord Tywin Lannister was marching at last.

Ser Addam Marbrand was the first of the captains to depart, a day before the rest. He made a gallant show of it, riding a spirited red courser whose mane was the same copper color as the long hair that streamed past Ser Addam's shoulders. The horse was barded in bronze-colored trappings dyed to match the rider's cloak and emblazoned with the burning tree. Some of the castle women sobbed to see him go. Weese said he was a great horseman and sword fighter, Lord Tywin's most daring commander.

I hope he dies, Arya thought as she watched him ride out the gate, his men streaming after him in a double column. I hope they all die. They were going to fight Robb, she knew. Listening to the talk as she went about her work, Arya had learned that Robb had won some great victory in the west. He'd burned Lannisport, some said, or else he meant to burn it. He'd captured Casterly Rock and put everyone to the sword, or he was besieging the Golden Tooth . . . but something had happened, that much was certain.

Weese had her running messages from dawn to dusk. Some of them even took her beyond the castle walls, out into the mud and madness of the camp. I could flee, she thought as a wagon rumbled past her. I could hop on the back of a wagon and hide, or fall in with the camp followers, no one would stop me. She might have done it if not for Weese. He'd told them more than once what he'd do to anyone who tried to run off on him. "It won't be no beating, oh, no. I won't lay a finger on you. I'll just save you for the Qohorik, yes I will, I'll save you for the Crippler. Vargo Hoat his name is, and when he gets back he'll cut off your feet." Maybe if Weese were dead, Arya thought . . . but not when she was with him. He could look at you and smell what you were thinking, he always said so.

Weese never imagined she could read, though, so he never bothered to seal the messages he gave her. Arya peeked at them all, but they were never anything good, just stupid stuff sending this cart to the granary and that one to the armory. One was a demand for payment on a gambling debt, but the knight she gave it to couldn't read. When she told him what it said he tried to hit her, but Arya ducked under the blow, snatched a silver-banded drinking horn off his saddle, and darted away. The knight roared and came after her, but she slid between two wayns, wove through a crowd of archers, and jumped a latrine trench. In his mail he couldn't keep up. When she gave the horn to Weese, he told her that a smart little Weasel like her deserved a reward. "I've got my eye on a plump crisp capon to sup on tonight. We'll share it, me and you. You'll like that."

Everywhere she went, Arya searched for Jaqen H'ghar, wanting to whisper another name to him before those she hated were all gone out of her reach, but amidst the chaos and confusion the Lorathi sellsword was not to be found. He still owed her two deaths, and she was worried she would never get them if he rode off to battle with the rest. Finally she worked up the courage to ask one of the gate guards if he'd gone. "One of Lorch's men, is he?" the man said. "He won't be going, then. His lordship's named Ser Amory castellan of Harrenhal. That whole lot's staying right here, to hold the castle. The Bloody Mummers will be left as well, to do the foraging. That goat Vargo Hoat is like to spit, him and Lorch have always hated each other."

The Mountain would be leaving with Lord Tywin, though. He would command the van in battle, which meant that Dunsen, Polliver, and Raff would all slip between her fingers unless she could find Jaqen and have him kill one of them before they left.

"Weasel," Weese said that afternoon. "Get to the armory and tell Lucan that Ser Lyonel notched his sword in practice and needs a new one. Here's his mark." He handed her a square of paper. "Be quick about it now, he's to ride with Ser Kevan Lannister."

Arya took the paper and ran. The armory adjoined the castle smithy, a long high-roofed tunnel of a building with twenty forges built into its walls and long stone water troughs for tempering the steel. Half of the forges were at work when she entered. The walls rang with the sound of hammers, and burly men in leather aprons stood sweating in the sullen heat as they bent over bellows and anvils. When she spied Gendry, his bare chest was slick with sweat, but the blue eyes under the heavy black hair had the stubborn look she remembered. Arya didn't know that she even wanted to talk to him. It was his fault they'd all been caught. "Which one is Lucan?" She thrust out the paper. "I'm to get a new sword for Ser Lyonel."

"Never mind about Ser Lyonel." He drew her aside by the arm. "Last night Hot Pie asked me if I heard you yell Winterfell back at the holdfast, when we were all fighting on the wall."

"I never did!"

"Yes you did. I heard you too."

"Everyone was yelling stuff," Arya said defensively. "Hot Pie yelled hot pie. He must have yelled it a hundred times."

"It's what you yelled that matters. I told Hot Pie he should clean the wax out of his ears, that all you yelled was Go to hell! If he asks you, you better say the same."

"I will," she said, even though she thought go to hell was a stupid thing to yell. She didn't dare tell Hot Pie who she really was. Maybe I should say Hot Pie's name to Jaqen.

"I'll get Lucan," Gendry said.

Lucan grunted at the writing (though Arya did not think he could read it), and pulled down a heavy longsword. "This is too good for that oaf, and you tell him I said so," he said as he gave her the blade.

"I will," she lied. If she did any such thing, Weese would beat her bloody. Lucan could deliver his own insults.

The longsword was a lot heavier than Needle had been, but Arya liked the feel of it. The weight of steel in her hands made her feel stronger. Maybe I'm not a water dancer yet, but I'm not a mouse either. A mouse couldn't use a sword but I can. The gates were open, soldiers coming and going, drays rolling in empty and going out creaking and swaying under their loads. She thought about going to the stables and telling them that Ser Lyonel wanted a new horse. She had the paper, the stableboys wouldn't be able to read it any better than Lucan had. I could take the horse and the sword and just ride out. If the guards tried to stop me I'd show them the paper and say I was bringing everything to Ser Lyonel. She had no notion what Ser Lyonel looked like or where to find him, though. If they questioned her, they'd know, and then Weese . . . Weese . . .

As she chewed her lip, trying not to think about how it would feel to have her feet cut off, a group of archers in leather jerkins and iron helms went past, their bows slung across their shoulders. Arya heard snatches of their talk.

" . . . giants I tell you, he's got giants twenty foot tall come down from beyond the Wall, follow him like dogs . . . "

" . . . not natural, coming on them so fast, in the night and all. He's more wolf than man, all them Starks are . . . "

" . . . shit on your wolves and giants, the boy'd piss his pants if he knew we was coming. He wasn't man enough to march on Harrenhal, was he? Ran t'other way, didn't he? He'd run now if he knew what was best for him."

"So you say, but might be the boy knows something we don't, maybe it's us ought to be run . . . "

Yes, Arya thought. Yes, it's you who ought to run, you and Lord Tywin and the Mountain and Ser Addam and Ser Amory and stupid Ser Lyonel whoever he is, all of you better run or my brother will kill you, he's a Stark, he's more wolf than man, and so am I.

"Weasel." Weese's voice cracked like a whip. She never saw where he came from, but suddenly he was right in front of her. "Give me that. Took you long enough." He snatched the sword from her fingers, and dealt her a stinging slap with the back of his hand. "Next time be quicker about it."

For a moment she had been a wolf again, but Weese's slap took it all away and left her with nothing but the taste of her own blood in her mouth. She'd bitten her tongue when he hit her. She hated him for that.

"You want another?" Weese demanded. "You'll get it too. I'll have none of your insolent looks. Get down to the brewhouse and tell Tuffleberry that I have two dozen barrels for him, but he better send his lads to fetch them or I'll find someone wants 'em worse." Arya started off, but not quick enough for Weese. "You run if you want to eat tonight," he shouted, his promises of a plump crisp capon already forgotten. "And don't be getting lost again, or I swear I'll beat you bloody."

You won't, Arya thought. You won't ever again. But she ran. The old gods of the north must have been guiding her steps. Halfway to the brewhouse, as she passing under the stone bridge that arched between Widow's Tower and Kingspyre, she heard harsh, growling laughter. Rorge came around a corner with three other men, the manticore badge of Ser Amory sewn over their hearts. When he saw her, he stopped and grinned, showing a mouthful of crooked brown teeth under the leather flap he wore sometimes to cover the hole in his face. "Yoren's little cunt," he called her. "Guess we know why that black bastard wanted you on the Wall, don't we?" He laughed again, and the others laughed with him. "Where's your stick now?" Rorge demanded suddenly, the smile gone as quick as it had come. "Seems to me I promised to fuck you with it." He took a step toward her. Arya edged backward. "Not so brave now that I'm not in chains, are you?"

"I saved you." She kept a good yard between them, ready to run quick as a snake if he made a grab for her.

"Owe you another fucking for that, seems like. Did Yoren pump your cunny, or did he like that tight little ass better?"

"I'm looking for Jaqen," she said. "There's a message."

Rorge halted. Something in his eyes . . . could it be that he was scared of Jaqen H'ghar? "The bathhouse. Get out of my way."

Arya whirled and ran, swift as a deer, her feet flying over the cobbles all the way to the bathhouse, She found Jaqen soaking in a tub, steam rising around him as a serving girl sluiced hot water over his head. His long hair, red on one side and white on the other, fell down across his shoulders, wet and heavy.

She crept up quiet as a shadow, but he opened his eyes all the same. "She steals in on little mice feet, but a man hears," he said. How could he hear me? she wondered, and it seemed as if he heard that as well. "The scuff of leather on stone sings loud as warhorns to a man with open ears. Clever girls go barefoot."

"I have a message." Arya eyed the serving girl uncertainly. When she did not seem likely to go away, she leaned in until her mouth was almost touching his ear. "Weese," she whispered.

Jaqen H'ghar closed his eyes again, floating languid, half-asleep. "Tell his lordship a man shall attend him at his leisure." His hand moved suddenly, splashing hot water at her, and Arya had to leap back to keep from getting drenched.

When she told Tuffleberry what Weese had said, the brewer cursed loudly. "You tell Weese my lads got duties to attend to, and you tell him he's a pox-ridden bastard too, and the seven hells will freeze over before he gets another horn of my ale. I'll have them barrels within the hour or Lord Tywin will hear of it, see if he don't."

Weese cursed too when Arya brought back that message, even though she left out the pox-ridden bastard part. He fumed and threatened, but in the end he rounded up six men and sent them off grumbling to fetch the barrels down to the brewhouse.

Supper that evening was a thin stew of barley, onion, and carrots, with a wedge of stale brown bread. One of the women had taken to sleeping in Weese's bed, and she got a piece of ripe blue cheese as well, and a wing off the capon that Weese had spoken of that morning. He ate the rest himself, the grease running down in a shiny line through the boils that festered at the corner of his mouth. The bird was almost gone when he glanced up from his trencher and saw Arya staring. "Weasel, come here."

A few mouthfuls of dark meat still clung to one thigh. He forgot, but now he's remembered, Arya thought. It made her feel bad for telling Jaqen to kill him. She got off the bench and went to the head of the table.

"I saw you looking at me." Weese wiped his fingers on the front of her shift. Then he grabbed her throat with one hand and slapped her with the other. "What did I tell you?" He slapped her again, backhand. "Keep those eyes to yourself, or next time I'll spoon one out and feed it to my bitch." A shove sent her stumbling to the floor. Her hem caught on a loose nail in the splintered wooden bench and ripped as she fell. "You'll mend that before you sleep," Weese announced as he pulled the last bit of meat off the capon. When he was finished he sucked his fingers noisily, and threw the bones to his ugly spotted dog.

"Weese," Arya whispered that night as she bent over the tear in her shift. "Dunsen, Polliver, Raff the Sweetling," she said, calling a name every time she pushed the bone needle through the undyed wool. "The Tickler and the Hound. Ser Gregor, Ser Amory, Ser Ilyn, Ser Meryn, King Joffrey, Queen Cersei." She wondered how much longer she would have to include Weese in her prayer, and drifted off to sleep dreaming that on the morrow, when she woke, he'd be dead.

But it was the sharp toe of Weese's boot that woke her, as ever. The main strength of Lord Tywin's host would ride this day, he told them as they broke their fast on oatcakes. "Don't none of you be thinking how easy it'll be here once m'lord of Lannister is gone," he warned. "The castle won't grow no smaller, I promise you that, only now there'll be fewer hands to tend to it. You lot of slugabeds are going to learn what work is now, yes you are."

Not from you. Arya picked at her oaten cake. Weese frowned at her, as if he smelled her secret. Quickly she dropped her gaze to her food, and dared not raise her eyes again.

Pale light filled the yard when Lord Tywin Lannister took his leave of Harrenhal. Arya watched from an arched window halfway up the Wailing Tower. His charger wore a blanket of enameled crimson scales and gilded crinet and chamfron, while Lord Tywin himself sported a thick ermine cloak. His brother Ser Kevan looked near as splendid. No less than four standard-bearers went before them, carrying huge crimson banners emblazoned with the golden lion. Behind the Lannisters came their great lords and captains. Their banners flared and flapped, a pageant of color: red ox and golden mountain, purple unicorn and bantam rooster, brindled boar and badger, a silver ferret and a juggler in motley, stars and sunbursts, peacock and panther, chevron and dagger, black hood and blue beetle and green arrow.

Last of all came Ser Gregor Clegane in his grey plate steel, astride a stallion as bad-tempered as his rider. Polliver rode beside him, with the black dog standard in his hand and Gendry's horned helm on his head. He was a tall man, but he looked no more than a half-grown boy when he rode in his master's shadow.

A shiver crept up Arya's spine as she watched them pass under the great iron portcullis of Harrenhal. Suddenly she knew that she had made a terrible mistake. I'm so stupid, she thought. Weese did not matter, no more than Chiswyck had. These were the men who mattered, the ones she ought to have killed. Last night she could have whispered any of them dead, if only she hadn't been so mad at Weese for hitting her and lying about the capon. Lord Tywin, why didn't I say Lord Tywin?

Perhaps it was not too late to change her mind. Weese was not killed yet. If she could find Jaqen, tell him . . .

Hurriedly, Arya ran down the twisting steps, her chores forgotten. She heard the rattle of chains as the portcullis was slowly lowered, its spikes sinking deep into the ground . . . and then another sound, a shriek of pain and fear.

A dozen people got there before her, though none was coming any too close. Arya squirmed between them. Weese was sprawled across the cobbles, his throat a red ruin, eyes gaping sightlessly up at a bank of grey cloud. His ugly spotted dog stood on his chest, lapping at the blood pulsing from his neck, and every so often ripping a mouthful of flesh out of the dead man's face.

Finally someone brought a crossbow and shot the spotted dog dead while she was worrying at one of Weese's ears.

"Damnedest thing," she heard a man say. "He had that bitch dog since she was a pup."

"This place is cursed," the man with the crossbow said.

"It's Harren's ghost, that's what it is," said Goodwife Amabel. "I'll not sleep here another night, I swear it."

Arya lifted her gaze from the dead man and his dead dog. Jaqen H'ghar was leaning up against the side of the Wailing Tower. When he saw her looking, he lifted a hand to his face and laid two fingers casually against his cheek.

[youremyonlyhope]

The Wolf and The Lion

And the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Wait. Have we seen the Eyrie in the opening before? I don’t think so. You can’t sit around all day overeating and drinking wine and then complain when your armor doesn’t fit. Does Sansa know Arya isn’t actually taking dancing lessons? Or is that the agreed code for “Off sword training again.” Knight of the Flowers? And giving out roses? Dude knows how to get the young girls to cheer for him. And he looks familiar... Ok who’s the guy he looked at? And why is the Mountain’s horse freaking out? 10 bucks says he’s cheating somehow. Oh even his armor is beautifully made and covered in vines and flowers. He’s good. If this Mountain guy kills Sir Loras because he lost the joust (even if it wasn’t fair) then he has even less honor than Sir Loras. OH GOD HE KILLED THE HORSE THIS IS SO MUCH WORSE. OK AND HE’S TRYING TO KILL SIR LORAS TOO. AND NOW HIS BROTHER FOR DEFENDING LORAS. DUDE. LEGIT. WENT FOR THE KILL. HE WAS GONNA BEHEAD THE HOUND. I mean yeah it would be stupid of him to arm the attacker with his own dagger if it’s easily traceable. But still, this is all Lady Stark has to go on right now. Not expecting an ambush. Oh poor little Bran’s gonna have abandonment issues now, this is not fun. OK pretty sure that was the first full frontal nudity we’ve gotten from a man so far in this show. Oh so this is Ros! Girl, I wanna hear all your stories. So this dude knows exactly what killed Jon and didn’t say until now. Ok. Arya, girl, you gotta be quieter than that to catch the cat. OH MY GOD THAT DRAGON SKULL IS SO GIGANTIC I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT AT FIRST. Varys, are you being helpful or not? ...Is Baelish really killing people for necrophilliacs?????????? How in the world did Arya end up out there? Why is there even an exit of the castle that looks like a cave and leads outside the walls? Can’t anyone just get in that way then? Oh hi Yoren. ARE YOU ABOUT TO TELL ME THAT BENJEN DIED? I mean, I knew he would die when he said to Jon “We’ll talk when I get back” and basically confirmed he’d never be back. But still. “No fear on that, my lady.” So basically that confirms someone’s gonna kill Ned Stark soon. Oh thank god Benjen is ok. Yoren, why you gotta mention Benjen and give me a heart attack? I knew you were here to tell him about Tyrion, but mentioning Benjen made all of that leave my head. Ooooh... the Eyrie is pretty. And now this messenger is gonna go up to Cersei’s spies like “Lord Stark asked me if the King wanted to meet with him about Lady Stark. Don’t know why. And you didn’t hear it from me.” Ooooooor... how about we don’t kill Daenarys. Baelish, why wait till nightfall? Why not now since they need to get out of Kings Landing right away? Catelyn’s sister is breastfeeding her child who is like... 5. I don’t understand people who breastfeed children when they’re long done being a baby. I’m sorry what? Why does she know Jon’s last words? Why is she mentioning them? Why does this think they’re about Robin? What? OOOOOOH YEAHHHHHH. I forgot Jon was her husband. Ok that makes sense. I don’t pay enough attention. But he definitely didn’t mean his son. Well. I just went to google to make sure that I was remembering that correctly and that she’s not about to reveal that Robin is his bastard son, but then google autofills “Jon Arryn Lysa” with “Jon Arryn killed by Lysa.” So... did google just spoil me? Or is that a popular theory? I should just give up on trying to keep track of who’s related to who and how until they explicitly say it. And Amazon Prime has a thing where you can see which actors are in the scene you’re watching (or at least they have it for GOT, I’ve never seen it on anything else), and If I’d just used that I would have seen an actress listed for “Lysa Arryn” and that’d confirm who her husband is. I’m stupid. This kid is like... incredibly creepy. When he laughed at one point, the closed captioning even captioned it as “(creepy laugh)”. NOPE. MMMHMM. NAH. THAT IS TOO HIGH UP. THAT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL TORTURE. So he knows how to get the girls to cheer for him because he doesn’t actually want the girls. See, I wasn’t sure if when Baelish pointed out earlier to Renly how he knows he wants Loras if that was just an insult or if he actually knew something. So, he actually knew something.  “It’s not a gift, no one gave it to me. I’m good because I work at it.” I love that. King Robert has a point about unity though. ...17 years. Jon Snow is 17-ish. I know because my brother can’t keep his mouth shut that Jon’s apparently not really Ned Stark’s bastard... and that he has more right to the throne than anyone else... could he be King Robert’s bastard? Or possibly, the sick boy with the dark hair that Cersei had who “died”? He can’t remember what Lyanna Stark looked like? That’s sad. Cersei actually loved King Robert at one point? She has a heart for someone other than her brother and their inbred children? Jon visited another bastard just before death So he’s trying to prove the King Robert’s seed is strong, and the fact that Joffrey (and none of the other blonde kids) look like King Robert is a sign that they’re not his and are all products of incest? I originally assumed he meant the Lannister seed was strong. But no, he meant Robert’s. Come on Ned. Catch on. DON’T KILL JORY, I LOVE JORY. NO HE KILLED JORY. HE STABBED HIS EYE AND BRAIN. WHAT THE HELL. That was cowardly. Stabbing him from behind.  Well I’m glad Jaime agrees it was cowardly.

WHY YOU GOTTA KILL JORY?? I HAD LITERALLY JUST BEEN THINKING “OH I LOVE HOW MUCH NED TRUSTS HIM, HOW HE TRUSTS HIM WITH HIS DAUGHTERS, HOW HE TRUSTS HIM TO GET INFORMATION, HOW HE TRUSTS HIM WITH EVERYTHING. IT’S GREAT. I LOVE IT. I LOVE HIM.” AND THEN JORY HAD THAT CUTE MOMENT WHERE HE WAS DISTRACTED BY ONE OF THE PROSTITUTES AND I’M JUST LIKE “OH I LOVE JORY.” THEN YOU JUST KILL HIM. HOW DARE YOU. 

Well. This was the first death I was really mad about. And I’m REALLY mad about it.

[fuckallthegood0nesweretaken]

The Dove and Her Hound CH. One

Title: The Brotherhood

Words: 1,821

Warnings: Some violence and somewhat strong language

A/N: This is my attempt at a Game of Thrones re-write. Some things will remain the same and others will have changed. This is the first chapter of thirty and some will contain suggestive content. All warnings will be written as they appear in each chapter and not all chapters will have the same warnings. Anyways, please enjoy!

Next Chapter

Sandor Masterlist

Game of Thrones Masterlist

Masterlist

~~~~~~~

From the beginning you had missed your forests and clean air. The air in the Red Keep was stale and smelled like a pig-pen. But for your father’s sake you had plastered on a smile and said no words about it. You went through the days without feeling anything. Besides the guard your father had on you all the time, and your secret love, you were alone. That was fine with you; less people to potentially piss you off. That all changed when your father was sentenced to death for treason. 

You had just walked out of your chambers when your guard, Liam, hurriedly came to your side.

 “You have to leave the city. Your father is to be tried today and I promised both your father and the Clegane man to get you out. I overheard the King say that no matter what, your father’s head will roll.”

 Your eyes were wide and your thoughts running wild, but you listened without hesitation and ran back into your room to gather some things.

 “Are you coming with me? Is Sandor?” You asked him. He gave you a sad smile.

 “No, my lady. I am to drop you off somewhere safe. Yoren will be coming to get you.”

 “What about Sansa? Is she coming with me?”

 “No. She is too well guarded. King Joffrey doesn’t let her out of his sight.”

 “They’re not going to let you live. I’m surprised you’re still alive, if I’m being honest. Please come with me!”

 “I can’t, my lady. I will stay here for Lady Sansa and do the best for her that I can.” He grabbed your hand and the two of you made your way down to the stables.

  “You have a week’s worth of food and water in the saddlebags along with some money. That should be more than enough until you meet Yoren at the Inn at the Crossroads,” Liam said. “In the small chance of that not happening, your dagger and bow are on the other side.”

 “But I’m not good enough—,” you started.

 “You are. I’ve seen you fight. You can hold your own. Now, you have to leave! Quickly!” Liam pulled your hood over your head and kissed the back of your hand. With one last look, you spurred your horse into a gallop. You didn’t look back, no matter how much you wanted to.

 ---

 It had been a couple months since you had left King’s Landing. Yoren never showed up to the meeting place and you didn’t wait for him. You had decided to go back to Winterfell and try your luck there, but things didn’t work out as planned. A while ago you had stopped in a tavern to get food and had overheard the story of what Theon did to your youngest brothers. You had almost blown your already flimsy cover and had to excuse yourself from the room. As you got on your horse, you let the tears fall freely as you rode away. A couple days later, you ran into the Brotherhood.

 ---

 Riding along a barely there path, you heard the sound of footsteps begin to follow you. It was most likely not a friendly, so you stayed calm and continued on as if you hadn’t noticed their presence.

 “Why is a little lady like you all by her lonesome out in the cold, dark, woods,” someone said behind you. You stiffened and pulled your cloak tighter around you.

 “That is none of your concern.” Your voice was hard but the man kept pestering.

 “Do you need someone to warm you up at night? My friends and I will certainly help you with that.”

 “No, thank you.”

 The man did not like that answer and whistled to his friends. Three men came out from the woods, weapons drawn. You hadn’t been in a fight since before you had arrived at King’s Landing, but you knew that you’d be able to take at least half of them down. Dead set on fighting, you faltered when you saw the colors they were wearing. Lannisters. Hate filled your entire body. You straightened up and slid off of your horse.

 “Change your mind already? Wise decision.” His mouth split into a sickening grin and he approached you. Your head was bowed and hands hidden in your cloak. As soon as he got close enough, you un-sheathed your dagger and slit his throat.

 His companions were stunned and while they gaped at you in surprise, you managed to kill another. That shook them out of their daze and they drew their swords. Advancing on you, one of them lunged. You threw yourself to your right and promptly tripped. As you fell a pair of arms caught you.

 “We got you now, bitch!” The one holding you growled. “We’re gonna gut you like a pig.”

 Panicking, you started thrashing around. Your blade managed to nick the one holding you and with a yell, he dropped you to the ground. Panting, you tried scrambling away.

 “Come back here!” He yelled. When he was right on top of you, an arrow went through his head. You let out a gasp and tried to get further away. The last man standing was looking around frantically for whoever killed his friend.

 “That wasn’t very smart of you! Do you know who we are?!” He yelled into the trees. Not a second later, he was hit with an arrow.

 Slowly, you got up from the ground and dashed to your horse. Before you could swing your leg over, something hard hit you over the head and you blacked out.

 ---

 When you came to, you were in a cave. A fire was in the middle of the room and two people were about to start a fight. You let out a groan and a dark-haired boy came to your side.

 “Don’t move too much, milady. You were hit pretty hard,” he said.

 “Where am I? Who are you?”

 “My name is Gendry. I don’t know where we are.” He helped you sit up slowly. You blinked hard a few times and your eyes widened when you saw two familiar faces.

 “Arya? Sandor?” Your voice was quiet and with the noise of the fight, no one heard you. You watched the fight with fearful eyes, hands clenching your cloak whenever Sandor almost got hit. You hadn’t realized you’d been holding your breath until Sandor killed the man he was fighting. Only after Arya tried to kill him did you call out to her.

 “Arya? Is that really you?” You said, getting to your feet. Arya stopped thrashing around in Gendry’s hold and turned to you.

 “[Y/n]?” She whispered. Launching herself out of Gendry’s grasp, she fell into your arms.

 “Oh thank the gods. Are you hurt? Did anything bad happen to you?” You took her face into your hands and turned it every which way, looking for signs of damage.

 “No, I’m alright. How did you manage to escape? Is Sansa alright?”

 “I don’t know how she is. I hope with all my being that she’s okay. And my escape will have to be a story for another day.” You kissed her forehead. “Now, if you could give me a moment, I need to do something real quick.”

 You released Arya and walked over to Sandor.

 “Seven Hells, it really is you,” Sandor said.

 “Yes. It’s really me.” Tears welled up in your eyes and you threw yourself into his arms.

 “I’ve missed you so much,” you whispered into his chest. His arms tightened around you. All he wanted to do was keep you in his arms and never let go. He would’ve too, if the Brotherhood wasn’t so eager to get him out of their cave.

 “You have proven yourself innocent. I think it’s time for you to leave,” the man he just killed said. Beric was his name.

 You were pulled away from Sandor and he had a hood put over his head and his hands tied behind his back.

 “What are you doing? Let him go!” You cried. Gendry had you in his hold and he wouldn’t let you go.

 “He has to leave. We can’t have him knowing where we are,” Beric said.

 “Don’t let her follow me!” Sandor said. “Keep her and her sister together.”

 You fell to your knees and hugged Arya as they led him away. You had just gotten him back and he was already gone. A few days passed and the only thing keeping you whole was the fact that you and Arya were together again. You got to know Gendry a bit, and you could see the mutual attraction between him and Arya. It made you smile but you said nothing. Then the red woman came and took Gendry. Arya was furious and so were you. Just because the Brotherhood needed money, they’d sell a person. You fell asleep angry that night and only slept a few hours when Arya woke you.

 “I’m leaving. Please come with me,” she begged quietly.

 “Of course. I would never leave you.” You got up slowly and made your way over to the weapons. You grabbed a bow and the smallest sword you could find, you still had your dagger, and slipped out of the cave. As the two of you ran in the dark forest, someone grabbed you and Arya from behind.

 “Kick all you want, wolf-girl. It won’t do you no good.”

 You relaxed when you heard who was talking, but Arya kept fighting. She was causing too much noise so Sandor knocked her out. He threw her over her shoulder and took your hand before going to his horse. Sandor helped you get on the horse then put Arya in front of you.

 “He can’t carry all three of us at once, so I’ll walk beside you,” he said, holding onto the reins. Before you started moving, you grabbed his hand and squeezed gently.

 “Thank you for coming back to us.” Your voice was soft and low. Sandor was glad it was night and you couldn’t see the red dusting his cheeks. He said nothing in return. All you got was his hand squeezing yours back. He was a man of a few words and you got the meaning of his gesture.

 The three of you made good time and came upon a clearing after an hour or two. You set Arya down on your cloak and she curled up into a ball. Smiling fondly down at your little sister, you brushed a piece of hair out of her face. Sandor was making a fire and once it was fully made, you joined him. A comfortable silence washed over you. Your head made its way to his shoulder, eyes drooping shut. Sleep was creeping up on you, and right before you fell, you felt something touch your forehead and your body being laid down.