❦ ʙɪɴᴅ ᴍʏ ʜᴀɪʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɢʀᴀss

[infanta]

robb;
[ not yet dawn and arya is already awake. bored of waiting for robb to wake, she pokes his cheek. ]

Robb. Robb. Can I wake up now? Robb, can I wake up? Ro-obb!


accidental dictation; action for the ballroom;
[ though she managed to escape robb's supervision, arya is not alone. a gray wolf pup with golden eyes darts constantly between her legs. robb told her the pup's name is nymeria and arya loves her already. grey wind follows both. he assigned himself as their guard, and has been growling in warning at anyone who might come close. ]

Stop it. You're being silly.

[ arya chastises him after one time too many. she has been trying to make winterfell out of pillows and blankets. all she needs to do is ask the air and she gets as many pillows as she may want. she has already got the double walls done, and is trying to figure out how to make the great hall stay up. but grey wind continues interrupting.

she puts her hands on her hips and narrows her eyes at the offending beast. he huffs and bumps her. not expecting it, she falls. nymeria yelps, barely getting out of the way. arya sits stunned on the floor before rounding on grey wind. ]

Grey Wind, you stupid! I almost fell on Nymeria! No, don't kiss me now. I don't want— Don't— [ the rest is lost in a fit of giggles. ]

Comments

[infanta]

[ she laughs. ]

It's so small! Do the leaves stay yellow until winter?

[inafadingcrown]

[She nods] The leaves stay yellow throughout the winter also.

[infanta]

They don't fall?

[inafadingcrown]

They do not. The Mallorn trees are quite extraordinary.

[infanta]

Are they like heart trees?

[inafadingcrown]

If you will tell me something of heart trees, I will gladly answer.

[infanta]

[ she looks sad, even a little perturbed. ]

There's not many people here know of them.

[inafadingcrown]

Then you must tell them. It is a power of sorts, and a responsibility also, to know what others do not- or to remember what most have forgotten.

Tell me of your heart trees and I will tell another. And mayhaps they will share the knowledge also.

[infanta]

[ she worries the fabric of her dress between her fingers. ]

They're all white and the leaves are always red. Their sap is red too. The children of the forest carved faces into them years and years ago so the gods could have eyes and see. We pray to it. Father likes to sit beneath the one at Winterfell. He can stay there hours and we're not to disturb him.

[ not that that stops arya. she will sneak off when she can and lord eddard never turns her away. he pulls her into his lap and tells her stories or else they both stay silent under watchful and frightening gaze of the tree. arya does not mind keeping still then. they're moments she gets to have her father all to herself and she can sit and marvel quietly at the strength in his arms and his wisdom.

mostly she likes looking at him. eddard stark is the most handsome man arya has ever known. it fills her with pride to know he is her father and he will share those private moments with her. ]

[inafadingcrown]

Then I may say that the Mallorn trees bear them little resemblance. We have nothing like them in Middle Earth. And more's the pity, for they sound wondrous.

[infanta]

Mayhaps there is one here. Robb would know. [ robb knows everything. there is no one as knowledgeable as her brother except their parents. ]

[inafadingcrown]

[Galadriel remembers a tree in the midst of the forest- a small, fragile little thing. But there had been no face and she did not know for certain, so she remains silent on that matter.]

I am certain he would. Elder brothers know a great deal, in my experience.

[infanta]

Have you brothers? Are they elfs too?

[inafadingcrown]

Of course they were elves, you silly thing. [Ticking again!] Are not your brothers human?

[infanta]

[ she laughs. ]

My brothers are men! Except the little ones. Bran is only three and baby Rickon's still very small. I told Mother I would get him to walk, but she said, she said he still cannot and I have to be patient.

[inafadingcrown]

Oh, but how blessed he is to have such a tutor awaiting him.

[infanta]

What tutor?

[inafadingcrown]

You, of course.

[infanta]

Oh.

[ oh. well. she hides her face behind a curtain of hair. ]