Arya's Insights

[John Suburbs]

I'm starting the series over yet again just to give it a last once-over before Winds, and, as usual, I'm struck by something I hadn't considered before.

This time, it's Arya, and starts right at her introduction when she is looking at her crooked stitches, and then "glanced furtively across the room, worried that Septa Mordane might have read her thoughts..."

So my first thought is, why would Arya think that? Does she really think SM can read minds? I'm sure to a nine-year-old girl, a stern governess like that might seem to have that power, but Arya proves to be a pretty good judge of character right from the start of the series, and she's no fool. But it's probably nothing, so let's shelve it for now and read on.

A little bit later, we have her and Jon talking about sewing and needles while watching the practice in the yard. They start off noting that fighting is both more exhausting and fun than needlework, and then the chapter ends with Jon's line about the needle in her frozen fingers. So it really wasn't much of a conversation, at least as far as needles go. Then they have Bran's fall and that delays the departure from WF a good two weeks, and it is then that Jon gives Arya the sword:

 "Does this have a name? Oh, tell me."

Can't you guess? Your favorite thing."

"Arya seemed puzzled at first. Then it came to her. She was that quick. They said it together..."

So is this just two very close siblings who think alike? Maybe, but the name Needle is referring back to a snippet of conversation that occurred two weeks before, and they have both suffered a traumatic event in their lives since then. Is it reasonable that Arya would connect that conversation to the sword now in her hand? Again, maybe. But perhaps there is something more, and maybe the reason she thinks SM can read minds is because Arya can, so it wouldn't seem to be all that strange to her.

I'm going to say for now that Arya seems to be highly intuitive, and if I find anything else in the reread I'll post it.

 

 

 

[NorthGirl]

In Game: After her father has been thrown in he black cells, she guesses there is something off about the guards that dressed up as Stark guards to catch her by the boat. It's only after her instinct warning her that she "sees with her eyes".

In Clash: I always find it interesting that she does not reveal herself to Roose. I have reread clash a few times but I don't remember her saying why she keeps quiet initially. It's crazy to think about the fact that by that point Roose was already allied through marriage with the Freys and had just decided to turn on Robb. Her confiding in him would have led to her being actually married to Ramsay. And while she might not have been mistreated as badly as Jeyne, it would have been an unpleasant experience to say the least. Her choice to keep quiet with Roose is even more interesting when contrasted with her eagerness to be recognised by a lord she knew enough to recognise on sight and  later Harwin when they meet again. Clearly, she felt unsafe being under Roose's care.