Chapter 266

Winterfell remained the same—like a cold, dark monolith of stone standing steadfast in its seemingly eternal place. The return of the Northern army brought some life back to its halls, but the bustle was fleeting. The Glover, Umber, and Bolton men—among the last to accompany their liege lord to his final destination—were already preparing to march back to their own lands.

According to the original plan, Aegor was to hand Asha Greyjoy over to the Glovers, who would use her as a bargaining chip to exchange for the two children she had taken hostage after capturing Deepwood Motte. After arranging for his men to settle in and around Winter Town, the Night's Watch sent for the noble prisoner, pulling her from the makeshift cage where she’d been held.

For his first noble captive, Aegor felt an odd sense of connection. Out of courtesy—or perhaps instinct—he decided to see her off personally. "Lady Greyjoy," he said with a faint smile, "I wish you a safe journey. Perhaps we’ll meet again someday."

“Go fuck yourself.” Asha spat the words venomously, the chains on her wrists jangling as she added a deliberate glob of spit to the ground between them.

Aegor raised an eyebrow, coughing awkwardly. "Alright, then. On second thought—here’s hoping we don’t meet again."

"If I find out my crew is being mistreated at the Wall, you’ll learn the true meaning of cruelty!" she snarled, still defiant even as she was led away.

Her final words were not for herself but for her captured men. With that last burst of venom, Asha allowed herself to be taken by the Glover soldiers bearing the steel gauntlet insignia on their chests. Aegor watched her go for a few moments before turning and making his way toward the castle.

The gates of Winterfell were, as always, open to the Night’s Watch. The return of over half the castle’s servants and guards made the courtyard and halls teeming with activity. Instead of heading directly to see Robb Stark, Aegor found a sheltered spot to wait and asked a guard to announce his visit.

…

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Robb Stark had endured the hardships of war and now returned home to reunite with his young wife. It wasn’t hard to imagine the two might want some private time together, perhaps even struggling to wait until nightfall to express their affection. While it was difficult to picture someone as stoic as Eddard Stark raising a son with an open attitude about such things, young people were unpredictable.

Aegor hadn’t waited long before someone entirely unexpected appeared.

“Master!” Arya Stark, bundled in heavy furs and looking like a little bear, darted around a corner. She rushed forward like an excited lamb and threw herself into Aegor’s arms, clinging tightly to him without any regard for formality. "I knew it! I knew you’d come to rescue me!"

"Rescue you?" Aegor was bewildered. "You’re in your own home—what rescue are you talking about?"

“Arya! Watch your behavior!” came the exasperated voice of Septa Mordane, who appeared moments later, panting from the effort of catching up. The elderly woman glared at Arya and the Night’s Watchman she was clinging to, her frustration palpable.

Arya pouted, her voice filled with grievance. "I did what you told me last time and came home like a good girl, but then… Mother ordered that I can’t be alone anymore. There’s always someone watching me! I’m not even allowed to leave Winterfell’s gates!"

Well done, Aegor thought to himself, privately applauding Catelyn Stark’s strategy. Keeping an eye on this little troublemaker around the clock was indeed the only way to keep her out of trouble.

Outwardly, however, he smiled gently, patting Arya on the back. “There were bad people roaming outside the castle recently. Keeping you inside is for your own safety. Now, let go of me and talk properly.”

“I’ll let go of you, but I’m not going back to her!” Arya released his waist only to grab his arm instead, using his body as a shield as she shouted defiantly at Septa Mordane. "I’m just talking to my master—I’m not going anywhere!"

“Master Aegor is here on official business with the Warden of the North. Stop making trouble!” Mordane, who seemed to harbor an intense dislike for Aegor, glared daggers at him. In her eyes, a man who taught swordplay to a noble girl was the enemy of everything she stood for. "Arya, get back to your chambers! Have you even finished the lessons Maester Luwin assigned you?"

“No!” Arya’s agility allowed her to duck out of the septa’s reach. "I’ll do them tonight! They can wait!"

"Seven hells… Fine!" Aegor, his mind preoccupied with the strategies he planned to propose to Robb Stark, had no energy to deal with the girl’s antics. He grabbed Arya, halting her mid-dodge, and turned to Mordane. "Septa, take a break. I promise Arya won’t leave my sight. Arya, apologize to the septa and promise not to run off."

The girl quickly caught on, her expression flipping in an instant. She obediently apologized, her voice sweet and sincere. Reluctantly, Mordane left the courtyard, though it was unclear whether she might lurk nearby to keep an eye on them.

…

“Finally! She watches me even when I go to the privy!” Arya exclaimed as she watched the septa leave. Relieved, she immediately started complaining. “Now that you’ve driven off those pirates, I can go outside again, right? I haven’t ridden a horse in over a month!”

Aegor sighed internally. The Ironborn had been dealt with for countless reasons, but "so Arya Stark could safely ride a horse outside Winterfell" was definitely not among them. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to shatter her delusions.

Their friendship had brought him both benefits and headaches, but on the whole, it had been more useful than not. And while the girl’s behavior could be exasperating, her personality wasn’t inherently bad. Aegor had long since stopped viewing her purely as a tool.

"You’ve got some nerve," he said, shaking his head. "If you hadn’t stolen a horse and ridden off to the Gift that one time, maybe people wouldn’t be so wary of you."

“Ugh… I know, I know,” Arya replied, sounding completely unapologetic as she clung to his arm, practically hanging off him. “Master, I missed you so much! Say you missed me too!”

Missed you? Aegor thought, suppressing a groan. The truth was, he’d been so consumed by his plans that he might not have even remembered Arya existed if she hadn’t appeared just now. But girls—whether young or grown—needed to be humored. "Of course I missed you," he said with mock drama. "I’ve been pining for you, unable to eat or sleep, and I rushed here without doing anything else just to see you."

“That didn’t sound sincere at all!” Arya laughed, thoroughly amused. "Tell me how you got rid of those pirates! Wait—no, tell me where Bran is first! You found him, didn’t you? Why isn’t he here with you? He can’t even walk—how’d he end up at the Wall?"

“That’s a long story,” Aegor began, rubbing his temple. “I didn’t actually meet him. I only heard that Nightfort guards stopped him. Jeor Mormont was attacked while dealing with your brother, and in the chaos, Bran disappeared again.”

“What?” Arya’s expression turned serious. “Bran disappeared? How could that happen? Master, you have to find him!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye out and bring him back to you safe and sound.”

This wasn’t an empty promise. Aegor was certain that Bran Stark would return safely from beyond the Wall. It wasn’t intuition—it was trust in the power of a greenseer.

…

Arya’s hair, which had been cut short after her last escapade, still hadn’t grown long enough to tie into a braid, but it was enough to make her look unmistakably like a girl. To Aegor, this was a small mercy—life was hard enough without having to deal with a tomboy clinging to him.

She had grown taller too. Her head now reached Aegor’s chest, and she no longer looked as scrawny as when they first met. The once stick-thin girl now had some noticeable curves, along with the corresponding increase in weight. Her arm around his felt like a sandbag hanging from him.

Having been cooped up in Winterfell for over a month, Arya was bursting with energy, firing off questions and chatter non-stop. Aegor endured her company until finally, the guard he’d sent to announce his presence returned.

“Master Aegor, Lord Robb will see you now in his study.”

Finally, a way out. Aegor sighed in relief. “Thank the gods… Arya, I’d love to chat more, but I have important matters to discuss with your brother. Be a good girl and head back to your room, alright?”

“Nope!” Arya rejected the idea immediately and began pulling him toward the study. “Let’s go! I haven’t talked to Robb in ages—I’m coming too!”

…