Arya and Warging: Direwolf, cats, and ... dragons? (probably crackpot)

[Roxy]

Looking over Arya's chapters I've noticed that a lot of her journey seems to be about training and learning new skills to ready her for... something? Training with Syrio as well as her time on the run with the NW, at Harrenhal, with the BWOB, and even with the Hound all seem like prerequisite courses that got her ready for training to be a Faceless Men.

But alongside all that, she's also training herself in warging. She starts out thinking they're dreams and is only able to do it while asleep. Near the end of ASOS, she seems to have some actual control over Nymeria when she pulls Catelyn out of the river and tries to rouse her. Arya's ability grows when it extends from just Nymeria to include cats as well, eventually leading to her being able to warg twice while awake. I think this portion of her unofficial training is getting her ready for something big.

This leads me to the probably crackpot theory that maybe Arya's continually growing warging ability, her move to Essos, and her training with FM is leading to her eventually warging into one of Dany's dragons.

GRRM was asked if the FM have been contracted to kill the dragons, he said not yet, which suggests he's either messing with us or this is something that will happen. What if Arya's the one sent to infiltrate Dany's court and finds that she is able to warg into one or more of the dragons?

Even though I adore Dany, I've always thought her riding into Westeros with her dragons and conquering all would be too neat. Arya actually being able to take one or more of the dragons from her and control him/them better than she can would be an interesting (but probably unlikely/crackpot) twist.

[Aegon IV]

I've never considered Arya to be the one who would warg a dragon. It doesn't seem like something she would do. For me that has always been Bran, which will be the only way to wrest control of a dragon away from Victarion after he has a minion blow the horn.

[Lady Sansa Stark]

There are theories that one of the Stark wargs will indeed warg a dragon. I'm not sure Arya would do this however, she's much more into the wolves and cats and those kinds of animals. But of course it could be possible in theory.

[ARYa_Nym]

There are textual reasons to believe that she will come across the dragons:

This is from ACoK so before she saw the Titan of Braavos and before we knew that dragons and seamonsters (krakens/Greyjoys) would be near each other soon.

"If I had wings...I'd just fly away, fly up past the moon and the shining stars, and see all the things in Old Nan's stories, dragons and seamonsters and the Titan of Braavos, and maybe I wouldn't ever fly back unless I wanted to."

From AGoT:

“It’s dead,” she said aloud. “It just a skull, it can’t hurt me.” Yet somehow the monster seemed to know she was there. She could feel its empty eyes watching her through the gloom, and there was something in that dim, cavernous room that did not love her. For an instant she could feel its teeth digging into her shoulder, as if it wanted a bite of her flesh.”

"This time the monsters did not frighten her. They seemed almost like old friends…With each step she took, the shadows moved against the walls, as if they were turning to watch her pass. “Dragons,” she whispered. "

Some have also used the show having her mention Visenya, Rhaenys, and Dark Sister as more fuel to the fire.

Arya also wished for a flaming sword.

"I wish I had a flaming sword." Arya could think of lots of people she'd like to set on fire."

In ADWD, the dragons were referred to as a flaming sword above the world.

I'm not sure if she will warg or ride one though. There's also theories that she will kill one. She doesn't have archery skills but she wanted to learn it from Anguy and it was mentioned how the show had her shoot it perfectly but I don't think there's time for her to learn.

However, she is getting lessons on poisons.

There's also the fact that she has a water connection and the Fire Lords were killed by it twice. First by the first FM and second by Garin the Great who comes from the same place as Queen Nymeria.

ETA: Arya did tell the KM about dragons in AFFC.

Sometimes she brought back sailor’s tales, of strange and wondrous happenings from the wide wet world beyond the isles of Braavos, wars and rains of toads and dragons hatching.

[Roxy]

Those passages of Arya and the dragon skulls are actually what made me think of this. Originally, I was theorizing that Arya's connection with cats would be important since the Red Keep is filled with them and they are mentioned a lot throughout the series, especially Princess Rhaenys' old cat, Balerion. The fact that she was chasing that cat before inadvertently discovering the dragon skulls kind of made me wonder if that could be foreshadowing. I know, that's a stretch.

[Quiet Isle]

There are theories that one of the Stark wargs will indeed warg a dragon. I'm not sure Arya would do this however, she's much more into the wolves and cats and those kinds of animals. But of course it could be possible in theory.

I think arya, sansa and jon will ride them. since sansa never developed her warging abilities, bran will control hers. She's not named Little Bird for nothing (and it's not just about singing). Bran warged Hodor, a semi-giant. He will be able to warg a dragon, who btw GRRM has indicated have about the same intelligence of a dog.

[ARYa_Nym]

Those passages of Arya and the dragon skulls are actually what made me think of this. Originally, I was theorizing that Arya's connection with cats would be important since the Red Keep is filled with them and they are mentioned a lot throughout the series, especially Princess Rhaenys' old cat, Balerion. The fact that she was chasing that cat before inadvertently discovering the dragon skulls kind of made me wonder if that could be foreshadowing. I know, that's a stretch.

I think it still is. Shavepate mentioned that cats can go everywhere because no one sees them. Arya will need to go places without being seen if she's meant to assassinate and/or spy.

I wonder if she will come across Balerion.

Arya has been called animals. She was a mouse, a squab, a weasel, horseface, cat, she wolf, etc.

She mentioned a wolverine too.

"She tried so hard to be brave, to be fierce as a wolverine and all, but sometimes she felt like she was just a little girl after all."

Wolverine

It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids. The wolverine has a reputation for ferocity and strength out of proportion to its size, with the documented ability to kill prey many times its size.

They may defend kills against larger or more numerous predators.

[Lady Sansa Stark]

I think arya, sansa and jon will ride them. since sansa never developed her warging abilities, bran will control hers. She's not named Little Bird for nothing (and it's not just about singing). Bran warged Hodor, a semi-giant. He will be able to warg a dragon, who btw GRRM has indicated have about the same intelligence of a dog.

Daenerys already rides one of them, and a dragon can only have one rider at a time, right? (Or was it that a person can only ride one dragon at the same time? I'm not sure anymore) Unless she dies, which is not very plausible to me in the near future, those three won't all ride a dragon.

It would be awesome however. That, it would be. Definitely.

[Adam H]

I think arya, sansa and jon will ride them. since sansa never developed her warging abilities, bran will control hers. She's not named Little Bird for nothing (and it's not just about singing). Bran warged Hodor, a semi-giant. He will be able to warg a dragon, who btw GRRM has indicated have about the same intelligence of a dog.

A time for wolves, indeed!

Poor Rickon, though. :(

[Arya Targaryen]

Warging a dragon is one thing - Arya, Jon and Bran could do it (or maybe Rickon, but he is too young) I doubt Sansa will develop her warging skills - not to that extent, anyway.

Riding is another. You need to be able to RIDE well. Jon and Arya could do it, but I never thought of Sansa as a good rider.

[ARYa_Nym]

Warging a dragon is one thing - Arya, Jon and Bran could do it (or maybe Rickon, but he is too young) I doubt Sansa will develop her warging skills - not to that extent, anyway.

Riding is another. You need to be able to RIDE well. Jon and Arya could do it, but I never thought of Sansa as a good rider.

I wondered if the two were linked but I'm not sure. There's an SSM about Daena Targaryen being a good horse rider and she says that she was born to ride a dragon but they were dead.

Daena was Targaryen to the bone; strong, beautiful, willful. Her silver-gold hair was thick and curly, a wild untamed mane that tumbled down across her shoulders and framed a heart-shaped face, a pair of sparkling purple eyes, and a fearless "I'll dare anything" smile. She was a wild almost from birth, lithe and athletic, a runner, a climber, and an expert horsewoman. "I was born to ride a dragon," she liked to say, but the dragons were dead. Daena was expert at riding at the rings, though she was never allowed to joust in an actual tourney. She was also a hunter, and a fine archer with her short recurved bow. She worshipped her father and idolized her brother Daeron, the Young Dragon.

Daena's dress was often as dramatic as she was. As a child she often dressed all in black, like her father King Aegon III.

http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Three_Maidens_in_the_Tower/

[Arya Targaryen]

I wondered if the two were linked but I'm not sure. There's an SSM about Daena Targaryen being a good horse rider and she says that she was born to ride a dragon but they were dead.

I think it's just a practical thing. It's not easy to stay on a dragonback while it's flying around, even with an appropriate saddle.

[Ororo727 Jon Snow Fangirl]

I think arya, sansa and jon will ride them. since sansa never developed her warging abilities, bran will control hers. She's not named Little Bird for nothing (and it's not just about singing). Bran warged Hodor, a semi-giant. He will be able to warg a dragon, who btw GRRM has indicated have about the same intelligence of a dog.

So, Daenerys is just left out of the picture?

[Dark Heart]

snip

Very nice find!

Daena and Arya sound like they have a lot in common.

I'm not sure, is Arya described as the best (living) horsewoman?

[ARYa_Nym]

Very nice find!

Daena and Arya sound like they have a lot in common.

I'm not sure, is Arya described as the best (living) horsewoman?

IDK about living but she has skill. Harwin told her that she rides like a Northman and that Lyanna was the same. Harwin was better because his father was master of horse.

[Alia of the knife]

Very nice find!

Daena and Arya sound like they have a lot in common.

I'm not sure, is Arya described as the best (living) horsewoman?

She was often compared to her Aunt Lyanna not only in looks but also in her riding abilities.

The passage when she tries to escape, Harwin whose Father was Master of Horse for the Starks, and who knew Lady Lyanna told Arya she rode just like her Aunt, as well as a Northman.

Lady Dustin said that both Brandon Stark and Lyanna were "half Centaur," and if Arya is being compared to that, then she is a formiddable rider.

[Alia of the knife]

I tend to think that Jon, because of his bloodline, is more likely to do that, but I would not count out Arya, or perhaps Bran.

(I don't know that it's conclusive that there weren't dragons native to the North given the presence of the Hot Springs, as well as other references, literal or otherwise).

[Dark Heart]

So, probably the best are Arya, Deny, Margaery and Obara.

[Mace Cooterian]

This leads me to the probably crackpot theory that maybe Arya's continually growing warging ability, her move to Essos, and her training with FM is leading to her eventually warging into one of Dany's dragons.

GRRM was asked if the FM have been contracted to kill the dragons, he said not yet, which suggests he's either messing with us or this is something that will happen. What if Arya's the one sent to infiltrate Dany's court and finds that she is able to warg into one or more of the dragons?

Even though I adore Dany, I've always thought her riding into Westeros with her dragons and conquering all would be too neat. Arya actually being able to take one or more of the dragons from her and control him/them better than she can would be an interesting (but probably unlikely/crackpot) twist.

Interesting theory. I had always just assumed that once trained her "mission" would take her back to Westeros. Perhaps the FM have a vested interest in Dany and her dragons; or perhaps they will be contracted to kill/assassinate one. Either way, if Arya going to Essos speeds Dany's exit from Slaver's Bay....I'm all for it!!!

[God_made_me_do_it]

I think Nymeria will come into this a great deal - it seems odd that Nymeria has assembled what is basially an army of wolves and then Arya gets sent off after someone in Essos. My current theory, is that Arya gets sent to Winterfell. The reason being that faceless men are incredibly expensive to hire. The one player we've seen thus far who could afford it and is in a very convenient position to request such services (many characters have already stated that they can't) is the Iron Bank of Braavos. These guys currently have an interest with both Stannis and Jon Snow. Now, pending Snow's survival of his current state, either way they both have some business with Winterfell.

So my crackpot theory is thus - The Faceless Men are hired by the Iron Bank to assist Stannis and assassinate the Boltons. Arya takes the job (I'm not sure whether they fit the bill as such with regards to the FM's rules but it seems Arya might lie anyway for this opportunity). I think what's going to happen is that she will use her skills to get inside Winterfell, get the gates open and let in some friends she picked up along the way - Nymeria and a few hundred angry wolves. It would have a particuarly delicious ironic twist if she takes out Ramsay personally since his current status is as the husband of a fake Arya. I think she might just feed him to his own dogs or something, This is mainly because I want to see Ramsay die screaming mind.