Arya is busted

[Mithras]

I was searching for monkeys to check a crackpot theory of mine (which I have plenty :D) and I lived a "woaa never noticed that before" moment.

First of all, a clever guy like LF should inform all his network to look for a certain girl Arya Stark. Her description and manners are known to him and he also knows Arya had a Braavosi dancing master. So, if LF is suspecting Arya might be alive, Braavos is one of the good places to search for her careuflly.

Two of the ships that had been here yesterday were gone, Cat saw, but five new ones had docked; a small carrack called the Brazen Monkey.

Arya is Cat of the Canals at this time and selling some shit, gathering intel etc. She notices a ship called Brazen Monkey.

The little Brazen Monkey proved to be from Gulltown, with a Westerosi crew who were glad to talk to someone in the Common Tongue. One asked how a girl from King’s Landing came to be selling mussels on the docks of Braavos, so she had to tell her tale. “We’re here four days, and four long nights,” another told her. “Where’s a man to go to find a bit of sport?”

“The mummers at the Ship are doing Seven Drunken Oarsmen,” Cat told them, “and there’s eel fights in the Spotted Cellar, down by the gates of Drowned Town. Or if you want you can go by the Moon Pool, where the bravos duel at night.”

“Aye, that’s good,” another sailor said, “but what Wat was really wanting was a woman.”

She talks with the crew of a ship from Gulltown. That little Brazen Monkey from Gulltown does sound suspicious. The ship will stay for a short time they say. Two things to note here:

1) The crew notices that Arya is from KL

2) She is still a child both in appearance and age because she does not understand that the crew is asking for whores.

“What about them fancy whores the singers sing about?” asked the youngest monkey, a red-haired boy with freckles who could not have been much more than six-and-ten. “Are they as pretty as they say? Where would I get one o’ them?”

This boy reminds me a bit of Shadrich. I am not saying he is Shadrich but still there is something about him.

“The Black Pearl,” she told them. Merry claimed the Black Pearl was the most famous courtesan of all. “She’s descended from the dragons, that one,” the woman had told Cat. “The first Black Pearl was a pirate queen. A Westerosi prince took her for a lover and got a daughter on her, who grew up to be a courtesan. Her own daughter followed her, and her daughter after her, until you get to this one. What did she say to you, Cat?”

“She said ‘I’ll take three cockles,’ and ‘Do you have some hot sauce, little one?’” the girl had answered.

“And what did you say?”

“I said, ‘No, my lady,’

Aha. my lady she says. Arya rings the alarm.

Cat knew that the men off the Brazen Monkey would not care about the name of a courtesan’s mother, though. Instead, she asked them for tidings of the Seven Kingdoms, and the war.

“War?” laughed one of them. “What war? There is no war.”

“Not in Gulltown,” said another. “Not in the Vale. The little lord’s kept us out of it, same as his mother did.”

Same as his mother did. The lady of the Vale was her own mother’s sister. “Lady Lysa,” she said, “is she... ?”

“... dead?” finished the freckled boy whose head was full of courtesans. “Aye. Murdered by her own singer.”

“Oh.”

Nailed. Arya makes mistakes after mistakes. She asks for the war in Westeros as she has some kins caught in the middle of it. When they spoke of Lysa, she fucks up big time. Even Owen the Oaf would suspect there is probably a relation between Arya and Lysa.

This scene is very much like this:

“Anya Waynwood? Truly?” The Lords Declarant were down from six to three, it would seem. The day he’d departed the mountain, Petyr Baelish had been confident of winning Symond Templeton to his side, but not so Lady Waynwood. “Was there more?” she asked. The Eyrie was such a lonely place that she was eager for any bit of news from the world beyond, however trivial or insignificant.

“Not from your father, no, but we’ve had other birds. The war goes on, everywhere but here. Riverrun has yielded, but Dragonstone and Storm’s End still hold for Lord Stannis.”

“Lady Lysa was so wise, to keep us out of it.”

Myranda gave her a shrewd little smile. “Yes, she was the very soul of wisdom, that good lady.” She shifted her seat. “Why must mules be so bony and ill-tempered? Mya does not feed them enough. A nice fat mule would be more comfortable to ride. There’s a new High Septon, did you know? Oh, and the Night’s Watch has a boy commander, some bastard son of Eddard Stark’s.”

“Jon Snow?” she blurted out, surprised.

“Snow? Yes, it would be Snow, I suppose.”

Just like Sansa gave her real identity away, Arya made it clear that she is Arya Stark.

As for the who the Brazen Monkey reports to, I think LF is a suspect but it may be Lords Declarants (or specifically Wanywood-Royce alliance) as well. "We've had other birds" may have a deeper meaning.

[AtomixIGN]

The way the Ships are all used over and over again is a nice touch by GRRM. I hadnt caught that Brazen Monkey thing. or seen any one who had. I dont think either is a "bazinga" but it could be - especially with Arya. The crew wouldn't pick up on it - but if it was mentioned to LF - well then yeah, he would pick up on it. Maybe even send them back to look for her and try to confirm it. She has to get out of there somehow and t would be way cooler for her to leave Arya Stark with all their secrets and training than No One.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

Unlikely. Doing it argument by argument in italic.

Arya is Cat of the Canals at this time and selling some shit, gathering intel etc. She notices a ship called Brazen Monkey.

She talks with the crew of a ship from Gulltown. That little Brazen Monkey from Gulltown does sound suspicious. The ship will stay for a short time they say. Two things to note here:

1) The crew notices that Arya is from KL

2) She is still a child both in appearance and age because she does not understand that the crew is asking for whores.

So what? Just another orphan. There are a lot of them around.

This boy reminds me a bit of Shadrich. I am not saying he is Shadrich but still there is something about him.

Every ginger is Ser Shadrich's son? A guy in LF's employ barely a week?

Aha. my lady she says. Arya rings the alarm.

In the tongue of Braavos. Not the Common Tongue. Different languages, different societies, different habits.

Nailed. Arya makes mistakes after mistakes. She asks for the war in Westeros as she has some kins caught in the middle of it. When they spoke of Lysa, she fucks up big time. Even Owen the Oaf would suspect there is probably a relation between Arya and Lysa.

Everybody would ask after that, when the last known information was that someone else was in charge.

[Petite Psycophant]

Even if they did "figure out she has some connection to Lysa" and reported this to LF doesn't she have another face now? They also shaved her head at one point. By the time anybody starts searching Braavos for her she'd be deeply infiltrated into the FM and most probably unrecognizable.

[Whitering]

You don't typically see what you don't expect to, and ya I guess they might have reported a young girl from KL or wherever being overly interested what was happening in Westeros, but like Petite Psycophant said, she doesn't even have the Arya face anymore, so good luck with that. I suppose they could track her through putting the scews to Brusco, but that would be like uncovering a rock and discovering a fully grown Dragon beneath.

I mean, if you put a family to the question and found out they were working for the FM is there any place you could run and how fast you could get there would be the questions popping into mind. Thus the trail to find Arya would stop very quickly, and I don't know how LF would feel about knowing Arya was training with the FM, but likely he would treat Sansa a lot better.

[Lady Fevre Dream]

The scenario with Arya just looks like a girl from KL who happened to know a Lady Lysa ruled in the Vale, I don't think that in of itself is suspicious. I grant, I look all around for the Shadrich character in my rereads......do we ever learn in the description of Shadrich what his age is? And, I can't think that someone who was described as a loyal Northman in the Cat POVs would necessarily consider LF for help for any Stark heir?

I do wonder on Sansa and Miranda and the Jon Snow slip up. That will all depend on where Miranda does or will eventually stand in matters.

[The Mother of The Others]

If she'd clammed up instead of showing a natural interest in news from her part of the world, that'd be more suspicious. She behaved like a person would be expected to. Lady Lysa and all the heads of the houses are like glam rock stars known to people far and wide, right? For example, I have no business knowing that C.C. Deville was the name of Poison's guitarist, but I do know that. It's partly shameful and something I feel an inclination to hide, but it's also common knowledge for anyone who had MTV in the late 80's.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

I do wonder on Sansa and Miranda and the Jon Snow slip up. That will all depend on where Miranda does or will eventually stand in matters.

Sansa is a very different case. She is actually in a position to be scrutinized and does telegraph her identity all day long. The Myranda incident isn't the only one and it's going to get worse at the Gates of the Moon instead of the lonely Eyrie.

But Arya isn't in that situation and she doesn't drop any hints beyond the names. And only family members, close friends or the Stark's household (mostly dead) would recognize those.

[Ferocious Veldt Roarer]

Just like Sansa gave her real identity away, Arya made it clear that she is Arya Stark.

Not hardly. Littlefinger's daughter would have perfectly legitimate reasons to know everything about all known Stark sons and daughters (and Lannister, and Tyrell, and Martell...). LF is, after all, a player of the game, and not a minor one. It's even more natural, considering that Jon Snow was a known and acknowledged bastard sired by one of the most powerful lords in the realm - position that was 1) quite unique, 2) similar to Alayne Stone's. If she tried to learn everything about him, nobody should bat an eye.

No, the mere fact that she knew Ned Stark's bastard's first name doesn't automatically betray her as his sister. By alone, it's just a clue that could mean everything and nothing.

As for Arya supposedly betraying herself, I'm with the majority: the sailors won't make anything of the conversation, unless Holmes and Poirot are on the crew.

[thepooperthatwaspromised]

For example, I have no business knowing that C.C. Deville was the name of Poison's guitarist, but I do know that. It's partly shameful and something I feel an inclination to hide, but it's also common knowledge for anyone who had MTV in the late 80's.

hi-larious.

[ARYa_Nym]

She sounds indifferent when talking about Lysa so I don't think that would be an indicator of anything. Those sailors are more interested in finding courtesans and prostitutes than in paying attention to Arya.

As said Arya doesn't look like herself anymore. She either has no hair or very little. As Cat of the Canals Sam described her as a creature. She looks very dirty. Only people at WF who knew her would recognize her. Just seeing her wouldn't do it. Remember when Myrcella and Tommen ran into Arya and didn't recognize her.

I also think it's a leap to think that she knew someone from Braavos once so that means that she must be in Braavos. Syrio is dead so as far as the general public knows her connection to Braavos is dead. Even her friends Gendry and Hot Pie didn't really know about Jaqen.

[Ser Not Appearing]

Not hardly. Littlefinger's daughter would have perfectly legitimate reasons to know everything about all known Stark sons and daughters (and Lannister, and Tyrell, and Martell...). LF is, after all, a player of the game, and not a minor one. It's even more natural, considering that Jon Snow was a known and acknowledged bastard sired by one of the most powerful lords in the realm - position that was 1) quite unique, 2) similar to Alayne Stone's. If she tried to learn everything about him, nobody should bat an eye.

No, the mere fact that she knew Ned Stark's bastard's first name doesn't automatically betray her as his sister. By alone, it's just a clue that could mean everything and nothing.

I, personally, don't dismiss this observation of Sansa's slip-up. It isn't that knowing Jon Snow's name means she is Sansa... but it's a possible cause for thinking of the missing Stark girl and noting how this daughter of LF looks like Sansa, appeared around the time the Stark girl left KL and is markedly surprised / interested in Jon Snow. Anything that links her to the Starks is a potential discovery waiting to happen. This one might cause a stronger link than I can dismiss.

[Ragnorak]

You lay it out very nicely but I don't think it works.

Westerosi gossip seems to be common place:

But they were all dead now, even Arya, everyone but her half-brother, Jon. Some nights she heard talk of him, in the taverns and brothels of the Ragman’s Harbor. The Black Bastard of the Wall, one man had called him.

If Arya were in Braavos based on a LF's suspicions he would be looking for something more like Jon's thoughts of arranging for Arya to be fostered by a family. Few would suspect Arya made it to Braavos on her own. An Arya in hiding would not be walking up to Westerosi ships selling seafood and asking about gossip if she were being fostered with a Braavosi family at the request of House Stark or one of their loyal bannerman. Cat of the Canals is relatively well known and if they asked around she has a believable cover story-- she got it from the Faceless Men who aren't exactly amateurs at this sort of thing.

[Petite Psycophant]

With that said I hope Arya start learning stuff faster and faster. I can't wait for her to become a badass assassin. And Syrio Forel isn't confirmed dead, btw. Both fans of the show as readers of the books asked GRRM and he said his fate is unkown and that we'll have to wait and see.

[ARYa_Nym]

Even if GRRM hasn't spelled it out Syrio has not been seen since AGoT. No one is going to think that Arya would have gotten help from him and fled Westeros to be with him or his family/friends/whatever acquaintance.

[Thucydides]

The problem I see with this theory is that if they figured out that it were Arya, why didn't they grab her? Which is worth more: the girl or the report of the girl?

But let's say that they weren't looking for anyone in particular and they returned to the Vale, and by chance they think to tell someone. The fact that they saw an ugly girl from KL selling crabs in Braavos who might have been highborn and knew who Lysa Tully Arynn might mildly raise LF's suspicions if he could consider it reliable. But would he make the investment to follow up on such flimsy evidence? If LF were looking for that kind of information, it seems to me that it would be lost in the noise of false reports, many of which would likely seem more compelling (being false, they may be designed for the purpose of convincing LF).

[jet199]

Calling herself Cat would also be a give away to someone who was getting their information on Arya from LF. However if they do come back to look for her they will be looking for Cat of the canals. Arya seemed to like Cat the character but I don't think she will be playing that part again for awhile.

[LovinRC]

Could be LF is the true "sponsor" bringing Arya back to Westeros. If so, the best part about Arya is that she is a wild card. No idea what she will do or when she will do it.

[jet199]

Another thing is that part of Cat's back story is that she sailed to Braavos on a boat called Nymeria, another give away. When Arya says she had to tell her tale it means she gave them this info. They do have a fair number of clues.

[ARYa_Nym]

The masses don't know the name of her direwolf. When Jamie learns about Nymeria killing in the Riverlands he only thinks could this be the direwolf that went missing. He didn't know her by name. Greywind was more likely to be known because he was in battle with Robb so he added to the stories.

ETA: Arya also used the name Nymeria/Nan when she was with Roose but wasn't discovered. Roose is far more cunning than those sailors.