Chapter 292

He did not think that he would ever be so happy to see Arya once again.

But as he sat in the wheel chair and as Arya hugged the life out of him, he realized that if nothing else, losing his legs at least brought his family closer to him.

It was a pale consolation but it was something.

After a moment of hesitation, he hugged her just as tightly.

Then the sweet moment was over and he got the chance to meet Lady Barbrey Dustin who was the regent of Bolton lands in Lord Domeric Bolton's absence.

She did not welcomed him to Dreadfort. She probably wanted him to leave the castle as quickly as possible. How Arya could be so cheerful around such a cold woman was beyond him.

She had her guards pass him and Meera a plate of bread and salt and said "Eat."

He quickly did so and the tension in his body dissipated.

"My work here is done. I'll see you later Bran, Meera." Leaf said and started to leave for the Heart trees.

"Wait! You're not coming with us?" he asked, feeling a little vulnerable for losing his only ally on this journey.

"No Bran Stark. My work here is completed and I wish you luck on your journey." She said and vanished between the Heart trees.

He looked at the Courtyard and noticed that Lady Barbrey was already leaving. As if he was not even worth her time.

He looked at Arya who smiled sheepishly at him "Don't think too much about her. She gets in her mood sometimes and she does not like us Starks all that much. But she's a good person otherwise."

He nodded and she took the Wheelchair from the back and started leading him toward the castle "Come. Let me show you to your rooms."

"Arya, do you know how I'll be sent to the True North?" he asked as they entered the Castle and went through a long corridor.

The floor was made up of some kind of marble which looked extremely clean and smooth and the walls of the corridor were filled with realistic paintings of landscapes of various castles and land views of Westeros.

Winterfell also had a few paintings like these but they were hung on important places like the Lord's solar, their parent's bedroom, etc.

He could see why the Boltons were said to be so wealthy.

"No. Brair usually tells me if anything interesting is going on in the Castle. Or Ygritte or Baka does. But Brair doesn't know how they're going to send you up North and the other two are not here."

"Have they gone in another expedition?" he asked, feeling slightly giddy at the prospect of one day going there as well before the memories of him being a cripple returned to him full force and left a faint hollowness in his chest.

Arya didn't notice and continued to talk animatedly about the Castle.

How she was learning archery under Lady Ygritte. How she did not have to sit with girls who mocked her for acting like a boy and called her cruel nicknames. How Lady Barbrey even arranged a sword instructor called Sryio Forel who was the former First Sword of Braavos.

He had not known that Arya had repressed so many things in her life in Winterfell. That she hated those girls and the loss of her freedom so much.

He could clearly see that living here made Arya more happy than anything an that made him sad.

He remembered how Arya wanted to play with him with the wooden swords. How Theon and he himself mocked her and didn't allow her to join them in their training.

He wondered if she would have like Dreadfort this much if she had been given more freedom in Winterfell.

He discreetly looked at her attire once again. Something that he had not noticed before.

She was wearing a light leather armor that fit her to a t. She was not wearing her hair on twin braids like she did in Winterfell but in a high bun and she even had a thin sword on her waist.

He wanted to question her about the sword but they reached the guest room and he did not get another chance to question him that day.