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[RIVERLANDS, Outside an Inn]
"I'm hungry. You're hungry."
"Five horses, five men. More than I feel like killing on an empty stomach."
[Two men exit the building, and ARYA recognizes POLLIVER.]
"Odd how things seem to fall in place" Oberyn mused softly. "The man that killed a friend and stole your sword, right there."
"You remember that?" Daenerys asked in surprise.
"I hardly if ever forget things I see, my dear" Oberyn smirked.
"He killed my friend. Polliver stole my sword and put it right through his neck. He's still got it. My sword Needle.''
"Needle? Of course, you named your sword."
"Lots of people name their swords."
"Lots of cunts."
People without named weapons snorted.
People with named weapons shifted in discontent. How dare he insult them!
[The two men finish relieving themselves and return inside. The HOUND notices that ARYA has started towards the Inn.]
"Stay away" Catelyn hissed. She was the only of her children relatively safe. Why did she need to jump into trouble?!
"My brother gave me that sword."
"Get back here."
"He killed my friend."
[The HOUND grabs ARYA roughly by the shoulder and puts himself between her and the door. The door opens behind him and a soldier meets his eye. The HOUND turns to face him fully. He retreats, allowing the HOUND to enter. The HOUND enters the door, and a woman can be heard whimpering while the soldiers egg each other on.]
"Fucking pigs" Margaery whispered under her breath.
"Always the same everywhere! Men who think they own us because they got cocks and we don't" Yara snorted.
Robert shifted uneasily. Not long ago that was him, fucking wenches from tavern to tavern. How many of their whimpers had he ignored?
[The INNKEEPER'S DAUGHER struggles in the grasp of one of the men ARYA enters behind the hound and shuts the door. The soldiers look warily at their the duo. Everyone goes quiet as the HOUND and ARYA enter the inn. The HOUND and ARYA sit at a table in the back. The men return to their assault on the girl. POLLIVER turns to look at ARYA. He recognizes her. ARYA grasps the hilt of the HOUND's sword. POLLIVER stands. But it was not Arya he recognised, but the Hound. ARYA is relieved. She releases her grip on the HOUND's sword. POLLIVER walks over and joins their table. The INNKEEPER pours them some ale. The HOUND drinks.]
"Stannis defeated at the Blackwater. Robb Stark killed at the Twins. And where am I for all of it? Stuck with your brother. Meaning no offence."
"I don't think he takes that as an offence" Tyrion snorted.
"He's good, the Mountain is. Best at what he does. But torture, torture, torture, torture. You spend enough time putting the hammer to people, you start to feel like a carpenter making chairs. Drains the fun right out of it. And what's life without a little fun?"
"He makes torture sound so... mundane" stated Arya aghast.
"People like him associate it with mundane things to explain their own twisted desires away, that it was all orders to follow and all that," Margaery said with a dark frown.
"Or perhaps that's how he chose to describe what he does to hold on to a semblance of sanity. Perhaps he was thrust into this and this is how he deals with it" Myrcella added.
Young she was, but her words did not go ignored.
Tyrion smiled proudly at her for seeing a new perspective, and Myrcella smiled back slightly.
"You know what? You should come with us. His kind, they've always got something hidden away somewhere. Gold, silver, more daughters. Always something if you know how to make them talk. And there's plenty of him between here and King's Landing. You could do well for yourself. We certainly have been."
"I'm not going to King's Landing."
"Think about it. We could do whatever we like wherever we go. These are the king's colours. No one's standing in his way now. Which means no one's standing in ours.'
"What men would do with an ounce of power" Sansa snorted.
"You'll be surprised with how many women do it too" Yara pointed out. "Wait, not surprising. You've seen the shithead Cersei is!"
Sansa nodded. The woman had a point. It was only later she realised that she had a civil conversation with Theon's sister.
"Fuck the king."
[The chatter in the inn stops. The HOUND takes a drink. POLLIVER and The HOUND converse on The HOUND's desertion. The HOUND takes POLLIVER's ale at one point and finishes it in one long drink. The men stare one another down. POLLIVER rises to attack, but the HOUND turns over the table, knocking him down. He then sets to the room and dispatches the soldiers one by one, while the INNKEEPER cowers. The fight is brutal, using both sword and fist. POLLIVER and a companion. are able to get the upper hand, and the HOUND falls to the ground, where they kick at him violently. ARYA watches in fright. The HOUND manages to fend them off with his sword, even from the ground. He sweeps the legs out from under one of them, and POLLIVER scrambles on all fours towards his sword.]
"He's a good fighter" Robert mused. "A bit of a brawler but good with a sword too."
"The Hound has always been good at what he does. You've just been blind to it. As with many other things," Stannis rolled his eyes.
[The HOUND steps on the blade and slugs POLLIVER violently, who crumples to the ground. The fight continues, and the HOUND gores another soldier before TOMMY pins the HOUND to the ground, a dagger to his throat. With great strength, the HOUND pulls the man's dagger away from his throat while gouging at his face. He positions the man's face over his own dagger and swiftly slams the soldier's face into the dagger, repeatedly. ARYA moves from shock into action. She shatters a jug over a soldier's head, then picks up a sword and stabs him through, slowly. She comes up behind POLLIVER, who is stalking the wounded HOUND and stabs him through. She takes Needle from him before he falls forward to the ground. The HOUND runs another soldier through. ARYA walks calmly over to POLLIVER, who lies on his back.]
"Something wrong with your leg, boy?"
Arya smiled in smug satisfaction. Good, she was finally getting some revenge.
"Can you walk? I've got to carry you?"
"Carry me?"
"Fine little blade."
[ARYA puts the point of her blade under POLLIVER's chin. He raises his hands weakly in surrender.]
"Maybe I'll pick my teeth with it."
[A light of recognition Fills POLLIVER's eyes, met quickly by ARYA stabbing him through the chin, slowly. He gasps and gurgles. She removes her sword and watches the blood fill his mouth. He chokes, spurts, and dies.]
Arya was extremely pleased at being able to avenge a friend.
Her family on the other hand were not. If anything they were slightly taken aback by her attitude in the future.
However, not all were to be honest. War changed people in many different ways.
Ned Stark for one was thinking of ways to stop his daughter from ever going down this path, regardless of whether she was a natural on it or not.