Chapter 10 Finding Arya after the Altercation with Prince Joffrey
It was a good sunny day when the hawk bearing bad news reached Torrhen after he had left Riverrun.
The host had moved so slow that Torrhen had gotten tired traveling in the party. So Torrhen and the pack had left the royal party one day after crossing Moat Cailin to visit his grandfather Hoster Tully, Lord Paramount of the Trident, the Lord of Riverrun, the head of House Tully, and father to his mother Catelyn Tully Stark.
The Riverlands are rich and fertile and populous. The numerous rivers that run across their expanse are used for trading and the transport of goods. In times of peace fisherfolk in skiffs and grain barges pole downstream and merchants on floating ships sail on the rivers. With so much trade on the rivers, villagers will haul their grain and other goods to it to see it sold and carried elsewhere by the merchants.
They produced food that the North would eventually need for the coming winter. So Torrhen wanted to convince his grandfather to divert the grains and other food stuff to the North via the trade connections that Torrhen had built up in the previous years rather than selling it to the Merchants.
Though Torrhen managed to convince lord Hoster Tully to send food , he came to know about the deteriorating health of the Lord of Riverrun. His health would severely affect the situation when the conflict erupts. After warning his grandfather of the letter his aunt Lysa had written and sending letters to his connected traders and ship owners to transfer food to White Harbor, Torrhen bid farewell to Lord Tully and Uncle Edmure, his mother's brother.
Winter had surprised and scared the people everywhere they went, after all a Direwolf south of the wall was very rare and was an extinct species. Torrhen was scared how the Direwolves would fare in Kingslanding. After seeing Winter and the people behave calmly after seeing that the each other were not a treat calmed Torrhen's mind.
As they were halfway to the Inn at the Crossroads, the point where they would rejoin the Kingsroad, a brown hawk came flying and rested upon Torrhen's upraised hand.
"What is it Blue?" Torrhen asked the Hawk as he comforted the bird by rubbing its beak. It responded with Joy. He had raised the hawks when he found their nest, in his travels, fallen on the ground with no sign of their mother. Blue was one of the three siblings of Hawk that had survived to Adulthood.
The Hawks somehow had a way to find Torrhen wherever he went. They were imprinted on him probably as their mother, since he had fed them personally. One of the hawks was left at Winterfell and the other to Will at the Wall, and Blue was left behind with the royal party. Blue was left with Rose to send word of anything that happened in the royal party.
Torrhen took the scroll that was tied to its leg and opened it.
Prince Joffrey hurt in sword fight with Arya and her Direwolf Nymeria. Arya ran away. No one knows that I saw what happened. I am scared Torrhen. Lannisters looking for blood and sent men after them. The Note Read.
"Winter," Torrhen said, trying to keep the rage out of his voice. "Take me to Arya and Nymeria."
The direwolf sensed Torrhen's anger and sprang into action and rushing towards the direction of the Crossroads at the Inn. Blue, the Hawk took to the air, squawking and following from the air.
Torrhen without a word ordered the pack to a gallop and followed Winter without a doubt of where he was taking them. Every once in a while Winter howled into the air and waited to hear for the response before once again bursting after in a direction.
Torrhen explained what had happened, to the rest of the pack as they were riding. And they were livid, as they should be. Torrhen wondered how it was even allowed to take place. A sword fight? Between Joffrey and Arya. There would be blood to pay back if Arya was found to be hurt by the conflict.
They rode all day until the moon had risen and provided light to the dark night.
It was at night that they found Arya as she was trying and failing to silence the howls of Nymeria. When they came upon her, she panicked and threw a rock at Torrhen in fear. He caught it before it made contact with his face.
He looked down at the rock and his sister, and smiled. She was safe and that was the most important thing that mattered to Torrhen.
When he dismounted, Arya smashed into Torrhen's chest hugging him and crying as she tried to babble.
"The prince… they will kill Nymeria … Torrhen… you have to save her… she won't run away from me." Arya wouldn't even stop to take a breath in between the words.
"Shh," Torrhen tried to calm her. He patted her on the back and tried to comfort her. "Calm down Arya. Nothing's going to happen to anyone. I am here aren't I? I heard your sobbing all the way from Riverrun." Torrhen joked. "Now that's it. Yes. Take a deep breath. Now explain to me everything that happened and leave out no detail."
Arya explained the incident that happened beside the Ruby Ford near the Trident. How she ran away after that in fear of a retaliation taking place against Nymeria for hurting the Prince.
And all the time Arya told the story, Torrhen with great effort tried to contain that old familiar rage deep inside him after all Rage won't solve a situation like this. Only Diplomacy and wit can solve the situation without getting his family punished for the actions of a fool like Joffrey.
"They are going to kill Nymeria won't they?" Arya asked with fear in her voice.
"No they won't," Torrhen replied. He palmed her cheeks and said to her. "We Starks are one Pack Arya, you have to always remember that. The Pack always has each others backs, and the Direwolves were one of the pack ever since I came upon them in the woods. They would have to kill me before they even try to hurt the Direwolves. I would sooner die than give up on them, even if the King orders it so."
The Pack assured her that they will be there for Nymeria and her.
"But we have to send Nymeria away until things cool down," Torrhen said. "I hear Queen Cersei is a protective mother."
"I tried to send her away," Arya said. "She won't leave me."
Torrhen looked at Nymeria as she played with Winter. "Nymeria." He called to her and she came. He knelt to her and rubbed her neck where she very much liked it. He looked into her eyes. "You have to go, Nymeria. Leave Arya and survive on your own until I come back to get you."
Torrhen could feel her emotions. Her desire to be there beside Arya.
Torrhen gave her a kiss on her snout. "You have to do it. Please. One day I will come back for you and you can be with Arya then."
Nymeria whined in protest. But it had to be done for saving her life from those who thirst after her blood.
Before long they were on their horses and heading towards the Kingsroad. Jory Cassel, captain of his father's household guard stumbled upon them. He informed Torrhen about the search that was organized to find Arya and the butcher's boy.
As expected the Queen called for the blood of the Direwolf. Jory told that Lannister men were at search to capture the direwolf to present her to the Queen.
"Gather our men Jory," Torrhen said. "I want every north man that came south with us, with me when I stand before the King. Tell them to bring their swords too."
Jory nodded and left out in advance with Eric to gather the men.
When they reached castle Darry, the place where the royal party decided to use as a base for the search for Arya, Torrhen and Arya were directly bought before the King in the Great Hall of the Castle.
And there his father, Lord Eddard Stark found them before the King and his Royal Family, with one side of the Great Hall full of Stark Men and the other Lannister men, all had bought their weapons in their scabbards and their hands were on the hilt of the swords. The tension could be felt in the air.
And in the middle of all this was Torrhen who sat cross legged on the ground with his eyes closed and his sword across his lap. Arya, the Direwolves Winter and Sansa's Lady safe behind him with the Pack surrounding them and giving an intimidating gaze to any person who even showed the intention to hurt the Pack's members.