ARYa_Nym

I wonder if the Dornish prince is supposed to be a stand-in for Arianne's little brother in the books.

I think it's already in the books. The ending made sense to me. In Braavos, what she liked best was the harbor. She can hear about all the adventures sailors took. & taking revenge prevented her from maintaining the lifestyle that she liked. Additionally, with the people she admires like the pirate queen it makes sense. She also has a few similarities with Elissa Farman who also sailed west of Westeros. https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Elissa_Farman

Arya wanted to travel from the first book.

This episode wasn't bad but I remember having to remind people that the Kindly Man hit Arya meaning it was barely mentioned in the books. Her training seemed to be more observing the people of Braavos and learning languages than learning how not to get her ass beat. In the books she really used warging a cat as a means of getting better but I didn't expect them to portray that.

I was one of those who believed in the Mel is going to burn Shireen and Stannis will allow it theory. Maybe in the books it will go down differently but I'm even more convinced now that she will die.

LOL, but she thinks almost everything is stupid. It's not much different than when Sansa failed to keep her mouth shut when Jon was brought up in the Vale.

In ADWD something similar happened. I'd have to recheck if it the same thing was in AFFC too.

That's the first time I've seen someone complain because the KM does hit and beat her in the books on different occasions. Anyways, TBH I'm not that surprised by the scene because the reasoning as to why it wouldn't happen didn't make sense to me. That Sansa is a great player and she'll manipulate him into doing what she wants and he won't hurt her. IMO that's not logical with a character such as Ramsay. I admit I laughed when either Roose or LF said that Ramsay was smitten with her. So her storyline already came off as ridiculous to me before this especially with as I said the belief that she would coax him into liking her like Margaery did Tommen.

I've made this observation before but both Hot Pie and Gendry wanted to leave Weasel alone in the woods. If Arya had been the one who wanted to leave them behind instead of them she would have been called all kinds of evil for it.

I don't think he has. Psychologically- It's debatable when she was at her worst. Some may think it was when she was with the Hound. She was most depressed after the Twins and she snapped during the fight with the Tickler. He's never seen her like that. Others might think it's her latest chapter and she's going to get worse. Morally-When he was around her kills could be justified much easier and they aren't as predatory as she is now. It can be argued that she wasn't a murderer until she went to Braavos starting with Dareon. He did have a problem though with the weasel soup. Outwardly, we know Hot Pie had a serious problem with the Bolton guard but we don't know how Gendry felt. Whatever he felt he kept it internally. To me character development shows she is not the same now as she was when she was Arry. But that would also be simple maturation IRL. Knowing someone as a child is not necessarily the same as knowing them as an adult or older as we see with LF and Cat or even Lysa and Cat. Oh, and for some or many the latest chapter was a shock. So even going from the Ugly Girl, Beth, or Cat to that there was a difference. He knew her as Arry but that doesn't mean he would know she was capable of what she did. ETA: As for Gendry's behavior there has been moments when he was rude-to Ned and to Brienne. Both of whom are much higher station than him. Comparably, Val is seen as regal but she's disrespectful and lacks tact quite a few times. I don't see them as any better than Arya's lack of lady like manner. Arya fits Varys' speech more than Gendry does what with the speaking several tongues. She just misses the poetry and law and she hasn't received knightly training. She studied history but I doubt she paid much attention. She has lived with the fisherfolk in Braavos and she cooks with Umma. Gendry hasn't studied all those things. He hasn't been trained in arms. I don't think he reads and writes. I'm guessing no on the Faith. Although I don't think fitting the speech means much. I'm skeptical Aegon even fits it and you can fit it and not be what would be best for the realm.

So in this chapter she fixes the Stranger's horn and of course the Stranger is similar to Moqorro in description. Anyways, I was reading the Victarion transcript and I noticed: That the horn was likened to a serpent. This chapter has serpent/snake references as mentioned as well as her earlier ones when she was in the Riverlands.

I don't find that relevant in the grand scheme of things unlike say killing Aegon or Dany. It doesn't significantly advance or change the plot. It would be better that by the end she killed at least one person that was important instead of random Freys, a NW deserter, Lannister guards who weren't in charge, etc. If we get to the end of series and ask what did she do that was important killing random Freys wouldn't help her case especially if you compare that with the things that say Bran will be capable of doing or the things that Dany, Jon, or Tyrion have done. I also think with the dragon references that points to Aegon or Dany or both. IMO she will have a chance to get involved in something important. Before she really hasn't.

The poison line might be getting readers ready for the FM arc considering the FM we've seen so far mainly kill with poison. Just so the readers know that she's not opposed to killing with other methods and to get ready for her to use different ones.

In that zap2it interview Maisie said that Arya is indifferent about her family. Perhaps the laughing scene is where she got the idea since we know she doesn't read the books. I laughed but I don't think it was in character. Mainly because book Arya very rarely laughs. In the books she didn't want to go to Lysa and when she found out she was dead all she thought was she had no aunt and moved on.

I'm not surprised. I've never understood why whenever the subject of Jon or Arya possibly dying and going into Nymeria that fans say it will preserve them. Varamyr's prologue implied the opposite to me. They say you forget. They fade until there's nothing of them left.

Yes, I think it's very much possible that that line is referring to Aegon although I think she will see Dany/her dragons. The dragons and seamonster line of ACoK were paired together and we know they're going to around each other soon. I've also thought Varys' line about him applied to Arya a lot. Arya has been trained as an assassin which would be different.. But she reads and writes and speaks several languages. She lived with a fishmonger. Worked with her hands. Jon said she swam like a fish. She wanted to work about the Titan's Daughter and splice ropes, reef the sails, and steer a course. She washed her own clothes in the fist book. She helps Umma with cooking. She bound up the Hound's wound. She definitely knows what it's like to be hungry, hunted, and afraid. Although I'm skeptical if the real Aegon has those qualities but we did see that he is very intelligent and proficient with languages at least and is possibly skilled with a sword. He still has similar qualities though with being bold, proud, wanting to prove himself and be in the thick of battle, and is stubborn and reckless. Tyrion said he risks all for a quick kill which is Arya behavior. I'm not about the Varys/Illyrio thing though because I thought she at least would be against Illyrio. I've also wondered how long this masquerading as a boy thing will go. Pretty soon she's going to look decidedly female. Anyways, back to this line: It somewhat reminds me of Robert's unrequited feelings on Lyanna except that was talk of marriage not sex. But as I said it's most similar to Asha/Tristifer. I found another link to Asha from the Kingsmoot too. This reminds me of Arya and her "needlework."

Considering there is talk of the Black Pearl who was likely Aegon's mistress and her friend was called Daena who was Daemon Blackfyre's mother with the same Aegon I wonder if that points to her seeing Aegon Blackfyre. I remember Sam saying that Dareon looked like some dark prince which made me think that's what Aegon really is if he is a Blackfyre. IDK who Snapper stands for in the play but the only other time snapper comes up in the books is in ADWD with Tyrion and Aegon when they're at Nymeria's palace and that great big turtle. I also noticed that Varys had been searching for Arya. Maybe she will find him. ETA: Plus, seeing Aegon could continue her bastard connection. In book 1 there was Jon Snow. Then there was Gendry. She was engaged to Elmar Frey who might be a bastard. "Arya" is married to Ramsay who some Northmen still see as a bastard and like Daemon he was legitimized. The KM said that Braavos was Valyria's bastard child who ran away.

Well, yeah. I imagine it will help the North and the Riverlands in the long run. On another note more on the snakes. This is from one of her chapters in AFFC: ^This also sounds sexual. Looking up stuff I realized that a snake being cold-blooded, hairless (Arya isn't completely but she is bald), and always shedding their skin (it's identities for Arya), and the fact that they spend a lot of time hiding can relate to her. ETA: Also, since she has learned about poisons that could qualify her as venomous. In this chapter I don't think she is a snake per se but I definitely think the snake is trying to mate with her. In the books snakes are associated with dragons literal or people and Dornishmen. Snakes are associated with the sun god Apollo. I guess it makes sense for Dornishmen to be represented by snakes and to also be represented by the sun with Sunspear. I remember Arya wishing she had a flaming sword in ASoS so she could set people on fire but overall I don't think she is like this goddess that much. Mehen protects the sun God Ra during the Night as he journeys to the Underworld. On Wadjet: She is the one depicted as a uraeus ^Which reminds me of Izembaro asking for his crown for legitimacy purposes. http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/sociopol_brotherhoodsnake08.htm As I mentioned in the last thread part of Syrio's words to her was quick as a snake which comes up a lot so she has been likened to a snake in the series. Arya has also already been an eel in AGoT: Raff was the eel in this chapter. I didn't know it but back to salt water that's where eels apparently spawn.

To my knowledge that theory is centered around killing a lesser Lannister-one of the cousins and doing what they were doing before-killing Freys only this time they're not picking them off one at a time or in small groups. It's still an imitation of a game changing event, the RW. Killing the BWB and Uncat only helps Freys and I don't see this as major scale. Hell, even Rickon might even be more relevant than that without doing anything. Arya needs to get involved in big scale stuff like the Dance of the Dragons 2.0.

That still doesn't help Arya's arc to become relevant on a major scale. It helps to keep her small scale. Cersei is going to be killed by the little brother. If it's Jamie then just like in life Uncat will set Jamie free so she loses a valuable hostage. Mass murdering the BWB which includes former friends and committing matricide would actually make her even darker than she was before.

One of the complaints against Arya's arc is that it's small scale and does not effect the major plot. Killing an undead zombie that the majority of the realm doesn't know about changes nothing in the grand scheme of things. Uncat is also currently killing John Doe Frey #50 and 60. She's not killing major players. The BWB aren't some powerful group either. Arya also would still be illegally killing people so that's still murder. The difference is that she will cross the line and kill people that she had an emotional connection to at one point. She's only contemplated doing so before. If we look at Jon's line you will be sewing through winter she's going to be killing throughout. It won't stop. So seeing some undead zombie wouldn't change that. The Ghost of High Heart sees Arya's future but she does not see Arya and death parting ways. Arya is dark heart, blood child, and she smells of death. Maybe. It would be very interesting to see more of the courtesan. Anyways, that line I posted before about mud I backtracked a page and saw something interesting. The dragons have been likened to snakes/serpents several times by different characters. She says black snake, and monstrous beast which makes me think of Drogon. Plus, there's the smelling of hell line which reminds me of Dany before she rode Drogon in ADWD: So it's possibly Drogon/Dany chasing her. More on the snake and crooked talk in this chapter I saw that it has come up before in ACoK: In this chapter she seems to like the crooked path. It kind of reminds me of that tunnel at the Wall. But I think the crooked talk is metaphorical about both her journey and morals.

I'm not in favor of her going back to the Riverlands (another travelogue) and going back to kill irrelevant characters. I think this chapter shows the start of a new Arya. She knew killing Raff would cause problems. This is a step in the right direction.

I agree on what was said about the Black Pearl except for almost romantic. She has yet to describe a man so positively. I always thought she liked her when she spoke about interacting with her in AFFC.

There's also Salty and choosing brackish water. It was mentioned maybe that was an AA reference although that is smoke and salt but salt is also sacred to the Ironborn. Yeah, and I can't tell. Victarion has muscled like a bull. Arya said that of the Hound and we know Gendry was the Bull. But then Euron says men are meat. & Arya said meat was meat and men were prey. She is the Night Wolf. Now Euron would be way cooler but my problem is that he's possibly a child molester and he's a sadist who will rape or will have someone else rape. Ehh..... Not to mention I wonder if GRRM will be like once Arya flowers it's fair game. She describes it as a monster which makes me think back to seamonster of course. Now it doesn't kill her but someone else and causes her to slip and fall on her knee. Bow? This could be Victarion although Euron has been described with tentacles and tall and twisted with long arms. Wolves devour prey and crow birds usually come up behind them and feed on the dead. But as said about the horn thing Victarion has the horn now. & you know it was called a hell horn. It would be cool if Arya was the one who could sound it and live. She is no man. Anyways, here's another dragon mention:

Shireen is going to know first hand what a dragon's teeth are like when one of them eats her.