New Theory on the Bodies found by Arya

[Mithras]

… Lady Whent, last of her line, who dwelt with her ghosts in the cavernous vaults of Harrenhal;

This description of Old Lady Whent reminds me of her sigil. She is like a bat in a dark cave. As an old woman, last of her line, she probably dreams of her loved and lost. We will come to that in a moment.

[Yoren:] “We can buy new mounts there, or else take shelter at Harrenhal. That’s Lady Whent’s seat, and she’s always been a friend o’ the Watch.”

Arya could reveal herself to Lady Whent, and the knights would escort her home and keep her safe. That was what knights did; they kept you safe, especially women. Maybe Lady Whent would even help the crying girl.

Arya thinks of revealing herself to Lady Whent and seeking her help.

… Lady Whent yielded Harrenhal for want of men to defend it.

Lady Whent was loyal to Robb. When Tywin started the campaign of Riverlands, he took Harrenhal from Lady Whent without any resistance. Lady Whent fled Harrenhal and it is never mentioned how Tywin let her go or where she fled and she does not appear anywhere.

“You have business at the Twins?” the knight asked.

“Salt pork for the wedding feast, if it please you, ser.” The Hound mumbled his reply, his eyes down, his face hidden.

“Salt pork never pleases me.” The pitchfork knight gave Clegane only the most cursory glance, and paid no attention at all to Arya, but he looked long and hard at Stranger. The stallion was no plow horse, that was plain at a glance. One of the squires almost wound up in the mud when the big black courser bit at his own mount. “How did you come by this beast?” the pitchfork knight demanded.

“M’lady told me to bring him, ser,” Clegane said humbly. “He’s a wedding gift for young Lord Tully.”

“What lady? Who is it you serve?”

“Old Lady Whent, ser.”

“Does she think she can buy Harrenhal back with a horse?” the knight asked. “Gods, is there any fool like an old fool?”

It is interesting that while Sandor and Arya are sneaking into the Red Wedding, Sandor claims to be Lady Whent’s man. Arya’s connection to Lady Whent and Harrenhal is emphasized again.

The second body was that of an old woman. She had gone to sleep upon a dreaming couch, in one of the hidden alcoves where special candles conjured visions of things loved and lost. A sweet death and a gentle one, the kindly man was fond of saying. Her fingers told her that the old woman had died with a smile on her face. She had not been dead long. Her body was still warm to the touch. Her skin is so soft, like old thin leather that’s been folded and wrinkled a thousand times.

[sansa] killed the king with a spell, and afterward changed into a wolf with big leather wings like a bat, and flew out a tower window.

The body of the old woman Arya found was sleeping in a dreaming couch in one of the hidden alcoves, where there are drug-like special candles getting you high and showing you the visions of loved and lost. Her soft skin is described like leather that has been folded and wrinkled a thousand times. Batwings are already described as leather. Therefore, the old woman with soft skin like the wing of a bat is Lady Shella Whent, last of her line.

[Iona]

That would tie her story up pretty neatly, since it's strange that she doesn't seem to play any part in the events after fleeing Harrenhall. She might not have a safe haven in Westeros (I thought she might try to make it to Riverrun, but it seems she never did), so traveling to the free cities would make sense. Though if I was an OAP with plans of retiring somewhere in Essos, Bravos would not be my first pick.

[Black November]

But why?

[Usrnmhsnomning]

1) Why would Lady Whent go to the House of Black and White to die?

2) How would Lady Whent procure passage to Braavos without being noticed?

3) If she went to Braavos alive, and died in the House of Black and White in apparent solitude with no evidence that anyone knows she is there or that her body is returned home, how does her death come to be reported around Westeros (insinuating that her body has been found)?

[Iona]

I'd say it could be very well possible that she fled Westeros altogether, having no place to go after loosing Harrenhall. Plenty of exiles head over to the free cities, and it seems Bravos is one of the more easily accessable for people traveling from Westeros. She had nothing left, she was old, the travel alone would take it's toll on an old woman. If she ended up in Bravos, getting a merciful death at HotBaW would not be such a bad deal. As far as I can remember, she's not presumed dead in Westeros at least before the RW, as the OP's quote shows.

[Usrnmhsnomning]

As far as I can remember, she's not presumed dead in Westeros at least before the RW, as the OP's quote shows.

Littlefinger tells us she is dead with Sansa present when he lists all the recent Lords of Harrenhal.

[Mithras]

[LF]: ]“Has someone made a song about Gregor Clegane dying of a poisoned spear thrust? Or about the sellsword before him, whose limbs Ser Gregor removed a joint at a time? That one took the castle from Ser Amory Lorch, who received it from Lord Tywin. A bear killed one, your dwarf the other. Lady Whent’s died as well, I hear.

This is the only time Lady Whent being reported as dead. Even the lists at the back of the book show her alive. We know LF has a live connection with Braavos. The other man Arya found is still a mystery to me.

One man had died at the feet of the Stranger, a single candle flickering above him. She could feel its heat, and the scent that it gave off tickled her nose. The candle burned with a dark red flame, she knew; for those with eyes, the corpse would have seemed awash in a ruddy glow. Before summoning the serving men to carry him away, she knelt and felt his face, tracing the line of his jaw, brushing her fingers across his cheeks and nose, touching his hair. Curly hair, and thick. A handsome face, unlined. He was young. She wondered what had brought him here to seek the gift of death. Dying bravos oft found their way to the House of Black and White, to hasten their ends, but this man had no wounds that she could find.

The old woman had no purse, no wealth at all but for a ring on one thin finger. On the handsome man she found four golden dragons out of Westeros. She was running the ball of her thumb across the most worn of them, trying to decide which king it showed, when she heard the door opening softly behind her.

Later Arya calls the man a bravo:

The old woman’s corpse was cool by now, the bravo’s body stiffening.

[Mithras]

The curse of Harrenhal is a very important subject. It entangles too many characters. I dont think GRRM will just let it go. Therefore, Lady Whent's death at the HoB&W and Arya touching her just after she died may have a significant purpose.

[complexphoenix]

Well, it makes more sense than many other theories I've heard. Still doubt it, though. I'm personally very skeptical that any of the bodies Arya inspects are people we know.

[Fire Eater]

I admit it may be possible given that Shella Whent was dispossessed, and possibly penniless with no relatives left. A peaceful death was the least she could ask for.

As for the young man, being at the altar of the Stranger combined with the three golden dragons suggests he is from Westeros. One theory is that it is Tyrek Lannister who had curly hair, and likely had a handsome face. The candle is covering his corpse in a red glow akin to a Lannister cloak. He also also three golden dragons. The colors described are red and gold, Lannister colors, and the Lannisters are associated with gold.

I think Varys originally kidnapped to use as a puppet Lord of CR for Aegon, but that was before he helped Tyrion escape and join him. Tyrion has the best claim to CR after Tywin, better than Tyrek's, and he would be much more useful to Aegon than Tyrek could ever hope to be. So Varys found that he no longer needed Tyrek, and had him poisoned with his body sent to the HoBW where no one would recognize him.

[intheswamp]

I think Varys originally kidnapped to use as a puppet Lord of CR for Aegon, but that was before he helped Tyrion escape and join him. Tyrion has the best claim to CR after Tywin, better than Tyrek's, and he would be much more useful to Aegon than Tyrek could ever hope to be. So Varys found that he no longer needed Tyrek, and had him poisoned with his body sent to the HoBW where no one would recognize him.

Varys strikes me as the sort that would keep Tyrek as a back-up plan, even with Tyrion around. But, I suppose it is possible.

As for the OP, I like the Lady Whent theory. She was old, homeless, with no family and far away from any friends, likely penniless by the time she got there, and then she probably got word of the Red Wedding. Knowing about the fate of all the Houses that hold Harrenhall, she probably thought it easier to die peacefully at the House of Black and White.

Given Littlefinger's family connection to Braavos, it even makes sense that he is the one that confirms her death, perhaps having kept an eye on one of the people he replaced as Lord of Harrenhall. And, of course, Arya finding her makes sense given their connection earlier in the story.

[Raven in Winter]

Varys strikes me as the sort that would keep Tyrek as a back-up plan, even with Tyrion around. But, I suppose it is possible.

As for the OP, I like the Lady Whent theory. She was old, homeless, with no family and far away from any friends, likely penniless by the time she got there, and then she probably got word of the Red Wedding. Knowing about the fate of all the Houses that hold Harrenhall, she probably thought it easier to die peacefully at the House of Black and White.

Given Littlefinger's family connection to Braavos, it even makes sense that he is the one that confirms her death, perhaps having kept an eye on one of the people he replaced as Lord of Harrenhall. And, of course, Arya finding her makes sense given their connection earlier in the story.

If LF knows Lady Whent died at tHoB&W, wouldn't he know Arya turned up there? Just wondering.

[intheswamp]

If LF knows Lady Whent died at tHoB&W, wouldn't he know Arya turned up there? Just wondering.

Maybe. But, Arya is a ninja now. So, maybe not. Arya was incognito for a long time.

Lady Whent probably would have been a lot easier to track.

I'm not saying the theory is true, although, I do like it. To me, this is one of the more reasonable theories about the old woman that Arya found.

[OberynBlackfyre]

I would LIKE for this to be how she ended, however I really just can't believe it.

Lady Whent was said to be dead I believe two books before this even happened. Also, there is the curse of Harrenhall, and this seems just "too happy" for that to be it.



BUt what I don't understand, is why the fact that the Stark children ALL have Whent blood in their veins......and COULD be cursed....

[White Ravens]

Arya will likely wear the face of Lady Whent or the curly haired bravo when she graduates and goes on her first assignment as a card carrying Faceless Man.

[Mithras]

Another interesting note is that LF confirms the death of Lady Whent BEFORE the Merling King returned from Braavos. If the timeline and this theory are true, Lady Whent dies 2 months after LF confirms her death. If we stick to the theory, then LF must know the whereabouts of Lady Whent very well way before her death and sees her demise in a penniless, anonymous state cannot be avoided, no matter what happens. Therefore, he was sure to say Lady Whent died, knowing that it was only a matter of time.

And it is clear that the old lady ran out of money, sold everything she had except the wedding ring. When she had nothing left, she went to HoB&W for a peaceful death.

[Mithras]

“You have business at the Twins?” the knight asked.

“Salt pork for the wedding feast, if it please you, ser.” The Hound mumbled his reply, his eyes down, his face hidden.

“Salt pork never pleases me.” The pitchfork knight gave Clegane only the most cursory glance, and paid no attention at all to Arya, but he looked long and hard at Stranger. The stallion was no plow horse, that was plain at a glance. One of the squires almost wound up in the mud when the big black courser bit at his own mount. “How did you come by this beast?” the pitchfork knight demanded.

“M’lady told me to bring him, ser,” Clegane said humbly. “He’s a wedding gift for young Lord Tully.”

“What lady? Who is it you serve?”

“Old Lady Whent, ser.”

“Does she think she can buy Harrenhal back with a horse?” the knight asked. “Gods, is there any fool like an old fool?”

At the time of this conversation. Harrenhal was taken by Roose. He left it to Vargo Hoat and came for the Red Wedding. The pitchfork knight (Ser Donnell Haigh) assumes that Lady Whent is trying to get her old castle by sending a valuable gift to Lord Tully. This conversation shows that Lady Whent did not go to Riverrun after fleeing Harrenhal. And if she didnot go to Riverrun where she has the closest relatives, then she must be some kind of an exile in Free Cities or some other place so that Ser Donnell assumes that she sends gifts from far to gain her old castle back.

By the way Ser Donnell was many times unhorsed by the Hound in toruneys and he was nearly killed by him in a melee. It is very dumb of him that he does not recognize Hound or his horse Stranger. Given the symbolic meaning of the god Stranger as death, Ser Donnel will not be able to foresee his death, although it will be in front of him.

Another note that there was a squire serving Hose Haigh among those who bullied Howland Reed in the Toruney of Harrenhal and later that knight of Haigh is defeated by the KotLT. Another interesting relation with Arya and Lyanna.

And taking Harrenhal back with the wild horse of the Hound called Stranger might be a foreshadowing.