19Unknown to Jon everyday and opportunity Arya retained a watchful eye on him. From afar in the shadow of darkness and under her vale of cloak, her eyes scanned the countless paths he journeyed. For a week she cautioned this. Observed and avoided as he ventured into taverns for the watch. For days he toured an immeasurable amount of bars and taverns. But in the end and to his torture, every bar he visited, came up empty. She sensed his agony as each day grew longer, with laughs booming at him and accompanying each tavern.
In that time she attained the names of his men and eavesdropped to their stories of drunken stupor. With her many objectives she procured the time to learn further of the watch. Remaining deep in the darkness and close enough for earshot. Discovering that Jon protected the wall from wildings as other men had fallen. Even in the face of overwhelming odds she heard he stood his ground. Overhearing the fierce battles against the traitors up north and wildings south. The voices erupted with conversation of the battles. Likewise that these same men voted for him to be lord commander. Nothing else needed to obtain a smile to her face. Permanently she wore a beam when she perceived these stories reminiscing of the past, knowing his expertise when it came to a fight. A clear recollection watching him with a weapon, glad that his hard work wasn't for not.
Although these same stories brought unneeded attention, Jon permanently to close by to his men. When her eyes met his face it wasn't glee she hoped to find in him, but a sadness occupied his face. Never a smirk to grace his lips. All the while that impulse never dissipated. Constantly a force tugging on her, a force to scream his name once again never faltered. Even then in her darkest hour when the nights grew cold, her heart even colder she never leased her emotions to acquire a hold and kept a distance. With each passing day it arose with much difficulty and she sensed she might break.
In the bright of day her feet moved with a smoothness and unknown to the men in the plethora of crowds. Moving to her left with a stride. Keeping her back turned moving through vendors, one of the men in black came forward he stood to close. Arya knew him to be Edd one of Jon's close friends.
"Excuse me. You know where the steam bath is? Can't seem to find my damn way around here. These free city streets are puzzling as any to me." Looking over she quickly nodded.
"Down that way." She told and quickly pointed as to not delay him. Ed took notice of the young girl never seeing a clear view of her face, with the hood over her head.
"Don't know how you stand it in all that cloak. The heat is goanna be the death of you." Edd told with his irritation.
"I see you wear the heavy black armor. I would assume you would be dead of exhaustion by now… Are you from the watch?"
"Yeah the lousy watch. What of it?"
"You know, Jon snow."
"He's our lord commander, over there. Been acting like a sour fool lately. Thinks he can find men for the watch. All we've seen are men for the gallows and not much else." He told finding her eyes under the shadow. Those eyes stung him worse than those of any other.
"You're wrong." She felt anger in her, losing her emotion, eyes piercing him.
"What's he to you?" he asked. Quickly Arya regained her composure.
"I've just, never seen lord commander of the watch before."
"Well. It's nothing to boast. He still has his many duties like the rest of us."
A voice broke theirs. "Edd, Let's move." She heard her brother's voice utter. She met his face but his eyes never met hers. Edd nodded and followed the various men in black. After a moment she shadowed them further down the path keeping her eyes fixed.
With these thoughts she saw them leave once again and followed they left to another tavern in the slums. Arya was on their tail until they left into another bar. Waiting she watched as laughter boomed and out came her brother, listening only brought pain. He had yet to acquire one man for the watch. She couldn't help as he told the others to leave and punched the wall in frustration. In his irritation he turned and left further in the slums. Waiting a moment she knew time was of the essence, only two men followed her lone brother. With a decision made she kept on them further.
Resting before an alley Listened behind a wall, quickly their was no time, she needed to act. Instincts took hold and she moved with a swiftness up behind the larger man. Without a word she drove her weapon through the man. The sounds of death filling her ears. Turning her blade she listened to death, gritting her teeth pulling the blade. In no time she sliced the other as he fell to the ground. With the two dead, looking over to find her brother shocked. He was there and she no longer waited. Dropping her weapon, no longer caring she moved forward to a place she always knew she would find again. Wrapping her arms around him, pressing her head to him.
Feeling him again, he remained shocked. "Are you alright?" She heard him ask.
"I am now." Her arms wrapped around him. The feeling left alone was once again booming in her hear. The love he gave her was unlike before. Throwing her cloak aside before she knew it his arms were around her.
For a time neither spoke, their arms enclosed around the other. All the time from the other was to painful and free. Jon wanted nothing more than this.
Both smiled not bothering themselves with any more pain they carried. Neither had to, with the other's embrace. An embrace that was formerly there in the cruelest of nights, when no one else came. An embrace that told them everything would be alright and sadness was nothing but a bitter memory.
"I could always remember your smile." He whispered in her ear. "When those nights plagued me so often. When sleep never came and I stared at nothing, death and duties all deafening down on me… All I needed to remember was your laugh, Arya. It's you, always. I'm so happy it's you." his grip tightened around her, this pain dissolving. This hole in his chest he carried with him for years lumbering, finally faltered. A different force was leased from him and let take hold. "I've missed you so much, Arya." He declared with bliss. Arya couldn't help but smile as she felt his embrace. That love back around her, that feeling of loneliness dwindling away. Worry, death and pain nothing but shadows in dimness. The one brother and her best friend she wished to see.
"Me too brother… Never leave again." She pleaded letting her emotions take hold. Emotions she never leased for so long.
"Never." Jon whispered, his grip under no circumstances allowing to let go. Her head pressed into his chest, love now woven through the two.
His eyes found the present he offered her. "I see you still have needle." He sated ignoring the bodies that were laid strewn, blood spilling on the pavement.
"Under no circumstances lost it. Kept it close, always on my hip, it was the only object I had of home, and of yours. I could never give it up, the only present I had of you. I felt as if you were with me with the sword." She felt his arms squeeze. "Everyday, everyday I trained like you said."
"You've grown that's for sure… One day I will have to see how far you've come." He said with a bright smile, and she returned it.
"I'm not sure. Ill consider it, but I don't want to hurt your feelings. You'll lose in a matter of moments." She replied with a cheeky grin.
"I take that as a challenge." Finally letting go standing before him.
"Lord commander." She mocked quickly with a bow. "I see the lord, no longer a bastard, a lord of the watch before my eyes. I know the watch would make the wrong decision. Probably had a bunch of dull old men before you with sticks up their asses." She gave him another little bow. The smile he wore was bight, but still couldn't see why she was this far from Westores.
"Arya, what are you doing in the free cities so far from Westores?" Already prepared for a question of this nature.
"I thought Essos would be safe from the Lannisters. No one would recognize me here, no one would look for some grimy adrift girl." She told him and he was worried.
"You have been on your own?"
"I- yes I've been living off the streets. It's been difficult and I know how make some coin. It' nothing like home but I know how to survive."
"Then come with me. After all that has happened I will never let us part again. No matter what, I will be with you. I don't care about the watch, if it means I can keep us safe." she could see truth in his eyes. Thoughts ran through her, his hand before her. Back to a world of love. She stared at his hand for a moment and knew her decision. She took his hand and they began their way down the street.
"They told me you were gone, but I knew nothing would happen, no one could stop my sister. I know I made a mistake I should have never left for the watch."
"That's in the past, we are together again." Her hand entwined into his, gripping. Down the streets Arya spoke of what she saw but better to keep certain criteria's from the air. In no time they ventured in the hotel, Arya stood mesmerized from what she saw.
"Whoa look at my brother. Fancying time with the rich."
"I wouldn't have been able to buy a room here if I cut off and sold my legs. The Sealord said it was an ease for hospitably." taking her hand they continued. The two left up into his room. Slowly they arrived at the room, greeted into the darkness and the slight wind blew against him.
"Fancy." She told inspecting the large bed.
"Impractical." He replied.
"I don't know, I like the feeling of the breeze on my face." She closed the distance to the balcony. Pressing her arms on the railing, turning back she found him. "Remember those nights, when we were young?"
"When you snuck out, and woke me just to claw your way came into my bed. Yeah those nights."
"I never clawed." She told him without any doubt.
"You tried." She rolled her eyes.
"You were to big, and never gave me any room." He couldn't help but smile.
"It was my bed… But yeah, I remember."
"I miss those nights. I recall staying up in the night, making fun of Sansa and telling the stories of the knights of old." Jon stood before the bed and pulled the covers over.
"Arya." She stared and met his eyes, standing herself. Slowly she closed the distance and stopped before the bed. Her eyes on his as he laid down. Without a word she lied down beside him. Pulling over the cover she rested down beside him. Pressing her head to the pillow, the warmth filled her heart.
She looked over to see Jon still awake. "I can see it plain as day." Her voice was silent staring into the ceiling.
"What?" He asked turning over, looking into her eyes, eyes he knew so well. The room was silent, just the two together. The moon illuminated the darkness as Arya turned facing him as if they were home again.
"Images of a time with you." Neither broke the stare. "The sound of the streams in the morning and the sight of fresh snow on the ground. When our family was still fast asleep and I just awoke. When I ran to you and you awoke ready with your smile. Without a word we headed to see what adventure we could find. I remember every one, every journey like it was last week. I could never let those images go. Let go of you brother, even when death surrounded me, the brother whom I trusted and loved was there… Now though I no longer need these images…" Her hand rose pressing to his cheek, against his scar. "I have you again. I may never see Winterfell. But that doesn't matter when I have you."
