161 ASOS 18 Arya III: Kingswood

Someone must have promised Arya they were taking her and Gendry to Riverrun, because she's upset at the signs they're going the wrong way. Finally, Arya gets it out of Lem that she's a captive being taken to Lord Beric Dondarrion because he is their lord. Though they call themselves kingsmen and her father was the king's Hand and the one who sent them to collect the Mountain's head in the first place, they don't serve Arya or Robb, even the northmen like Harwin. They are a band of what would be broken men, patching society back together out of a burned countryside. They're probably just going to ransom her back to her family, but that's for their lord to decide.

The chapter is built around the idea that Arya thinks she's rejoined her father's men and is enroute to riverrun, but is in fact the captive of a groups of outlaws who are taking her to their leader. The chapter ends with Arya wishing she had stayed Squab. When she realizes the kingsmen aren't taking her to Riverrun, Arya makes a run for it. Harwin brings her back. He was already Dondarrion's man, and no longer Robb's.

"We mean your brother no ill, milday...but it's not him we fight for. He has an army all his own, and many a great lord to bend the knee. The smallfolk have only us."

How can it be that the small folk have no other aid? What are all the lords for? What is Robb doing as the new king of the riverlands? That Harwin, who should see himself as Robb's man and want to join the northern army, has turned his cloak to Dondarrion suggests that he has more to believe in, now, than he did chasing down the Mountain.

Though She's Really Grieving, Arya feels Abandoned

Arya is irritated with Gendry, but he's her only friend now that Hot Pie has left them. In her goodbye with Hot Pie, Arya seems ashamed. She realizes they may not meet again and apologizes for having beaten him. Thinking about how much she misses Hot Pie makes Arya think about being reunited with Harwin. Arya is painfully aware of the bits she left out of the story she told Harwin.

"Telling Harwin would almost be like telling her father, and there were some things that she could not bear having her father know." 228

The recap of the Mummer's Ford and Jory's death mingle with thoughts of Nymeria. Arya is lonely and haunted.

When Arya sees that the man gaining on her is Harwin, she thinks "not him, it isn't fair." She likely means he's the horsemaster's son and can ride better than she can, so will catch her. Had it been Gendry, she'd have been sure to escape. What's not fair is that she will be caught. Other reasons it's unfair that it's Harwin are that

• she trusted him with her identity, so it's not fair that he's the one to capture her.

• someone else she might be able to escape by hurting, like we're reminded she broke Lem's nose.But she wouldn't hurt Harwin, so it's not fair that he's the one who's gaining on her.

Arya's wolf dream of Winterfell burning

She dreamt of home; not Riverrun, but Winterfell. It was not a good dream, though. She was alone outside the castle, up to her knees in mud. She could see the grey walls ahead of her, but when she tried to reach the gates every step seemed harder than the one before, and the castle faded before her, until it looked more like smoke than granite. And there were wolves as well, gaunt grey shapes stalking through the trees all around her, their eyes shining. Whenever she looked at them, she remembered the taste of blood.

Arya's assessment of this dream makes it clear it's not a wolf dream of the usual, warging kind. The dream both seems to be a usual one, with classic dream symbolism, like being unable to walk and solids turning to smoke. At the same time, Arya does not know that Winterfell has been burnt or even recognize it in her dream. Is she participating in a shared consciousness with the wolf pack?

Misc Notes

Harwin says the Mountain's attacks were meant as a trap to lure Eddard out. But does the timeline work out? And how would Harwin know?

Rumors Jaime is loose in the riverlands: Greenbeard says "The wolves will drown in blood if the Kingslayer's loose again." 231 "Wouldn't Lord Beric love to capture Jaime Lannister, though..." 231

Growing theme of abandonment will peak when she runs away in Arya VIII

Ashamed about killing

161 ASOS 18 Arya III: "I was a wolf, but now I'm just some stupid little lady again."

References

The moss on the trees argument Arya had with Gendry in Arya I resurfaces here to remind that this path to Riverrun is still the plan and, as far as Arya knows, it's the road she's on. But she was the leader, before.

Trial first. The same joke was made during Tyrion's trial by combat at the Eyrie.

"A trial first! said anguy. "Lord Beric always gives them a trial, you know that." He smiled. "Then he hangs them." 231

Arya proposes she be ransomed (returned to Riverrun with expectation of reward) much in the manner of Tyrion and Jaime, though with less preparation.

Lord Beric Dondarrion's resurrection in this chapter "He told us that our war had not ended at the Mummer's Ford, but only begun there, and that every man of ours who'd fallen would be avenged tenfold." 230 This reminds of Lady Stoneheart's mission of vengeance on her own resurrection.