Arya and the Horse

[bran stark overdrive]

I've read a lot of comments about this in the main thread and I think it deserves its own. 

I don't think the appearance of the horse was related to/caused by Bran. Though anything is possible, the scene looked to me like further suggestion that Arya is Azor Ahai Reborn. Bran is capable of a lot, but in the past when we've seen deus ex machina events such as these it's been attributed to the Lord of Light. Especially with the fire and light imagery behind them, it struck me hard as an allusion to R'hllor, and the idea that Arya can't die because she has something left to do for tLoL (trying to stop Dany seems likely now). The amount of time spent showing Arya can't be killed points to this also, imo.

What do you all think?

[The Map Guy]

Arya and the Horse is a reference to the Girl in Grey fire-vision from Melisandre in the ADWD book ... a girl in grey, grey as ashes, on a dying horse, Jon Snow's sister. It's a big deal for R'hllor.

In the books, most casual readers assume Mel got the prophecy wrong as Alys Karstark shows up to Castle Black on a dying horse. She is definitely not Jon's sister.

Deeper theorists assume it may be fake-Arya in the books: Jeyne Poole. But even as fake-Arya, she is still not Jon's sister.

D&D (maybe one or two other theorists) theorize that the Girl in Grey is the real Arya Stark. Perhaps D&D champion Arya as one to defeat the White Walkers in the R'hllor visions. But the real Arya is actually Jon's cousin via R+L=J.

But I theorize that Jon does have a real sister in the books.

 

[darmody]

D1: Arya wakes up in the middle of town, and she...what?

D2: Gets out. 

D1: How?

D2: A horse, of course.

D1: Why?

D2: Dunno. 

D1: Cool. Wanna have a quick cash fight? [Throws a stack of 100s at D2 and giggles.]

[Hoo]

Definitely foreshadowing.  She rises from the rubles and the horse appears as if godsent.

Btw, the horse looked like Jamie's horse, no?

[Stark_in_Winterfell]

I regret not paying closer attention to the R'holler phrophecies. It is clear Arya still has a purpose to serve, probably to kill Dany.  I noticed Arya managed to dodge dragon fire but nearly died saving people. Arya only really saves people when she is killing.

That horse was beautiful! Was it an Arabian or Thoroughbred?

[TeethGrinder]

1 hour ago, The Map Guy said:

Arya and the Horse is a reference to the Girl in Grey fire-vision from Melisandre in the ADWD book ... a girl in grey, grey as ashes, on a dying horse, Jon Snow's sister. It's a big deal for R'hllor.

In the books, most casual readers assume Mel got the prophecy wrong as Alys Karstark shows up to Castle Black on a dying horse. She is definitely not Jon's sister.

Deeper theorists assume it may be fake-Arya in the books: Jeyne Poole. But even as fake-Arya, she is still not Jon's sister.

D&D (maybe one or two other theorists) theorize that the Girl in Grey is the real Arya Stark. Perhaps D&D champion Arya as one to defeat the White Walkers in the R'hllor visions. But the real Arya is actually Jon's cousin via R+L=J.

But I theorize that Jon does have a real sister in the books.

 

Pretty sure D&D stopped reading after Storm of Swords. The horse wasn't really dying either.

[delikat]

15 minutes ago, Hoo said:

Btw, the horse looked like Jamie's horse, no? 

I thought it was the horse of the leader of the Golden Company (Harry Strickland)? When he died, they did an extra shot on the horse and it didn't look dead to me.

[sweetsunray]

It may be a plotzee of Mel's vision of the girl in grey on a dying horse. It may be an allusion of Death on a "pale mare"... but euhm compare the music of the scene and approach of Arya to this horse (with no saddle) to this Dany scene

[PetyrPunkinhead]

7 minutes ago, sweetsunray said:

It may be a plotzee of Mel's vision of the girl in grey on a dying horse. It may be an allusion of Death on a "pale mare"... but euhm compare the music of the scene and approach of Arya to this horse (with no saddle) to this Dany scene

You may be on to something there. What, I don't know, but it could be something. Music is a big part of this show. And they're drawing symmetry between past episodes left and right. Could this be a clue that Arya is the "Stallion who will mount the world"? Anything is possible at this point.

[sweetsunray]

6 minutes ago, PetyrPunkinhead said:

You may be on to something there. What, I don't know, but it could be something. Music is a big part of this show. And they're drawing symmetry between past episodes left and right. Could this be a clue that Arya is the "Stallion who will mount the world"? Anything is possible at this point.

I don't know yet why they did this... but I was reminded of Silver somehow... rewatched it, and noticed "hmmm, that doesn't sound like Arya music, more like Dany music" and then went looking for the wedding scene. Different instruments, one sounding more exotic, with Arya strings... and I might be tone deaf, but it does sound similar. Both horses are a "gift".

But I do think they definitely linked Arya to Dany now. And I get that Arya may just have put Dany on her kill list for the destruction of KL. Just don't see why they would pick a parallel to the wedding scene, and have Arya ride a horse Dothraki style (no saddle).

ETA: before Arya rode a dark/black horse, like the Hound, when she was mirroring or mimicking him as an example for her.

[Hoo]

I don't see why Arya would hate Dany for the destruction of King's Landing.

There has to be another reason to kill her.

 

[Hoo]

-

 

[Danelle]

1 minute ago, Hoo said:

I don't see why Arya would hate Dany for the destruction of King's Landing.

There has to be another reason to kill her.

 

Well Arya did experience the destruction of KL just like the smallfolk did. During the events of s2 she was treated just like the smallfolk, abused, imprisoned and taken for granted. We also have the brief encounter with the mother and the child which she failed to save.

She intended to kill Cersei but perhaps she has found another, more beautiful queen for target. 

[Hoo]

3 minutes ago, Danelle said:

 

She intended to kill Cersei but perhaps she has found another, more beautiful queen for target. 

The way I see it:

Arya will go after Dany to protect or to avenge her family.  Not because of KL.  I don't think Arya cares about KL.

[sweetsunray]

Just now, Hoo said:

I don't see why Arya would hate Dany for the destruction of King's Landing.

There has to be another reason to kill her.

 

Book Arya puts people on her list who hurt smallfolk, during her flight in the RL, or even when she hears them talking of having raped some tavern wench she doesn't know. So, it's in her book character to want to kill people who did nothing to her or her loved ones, but innocent people in general. It's not hatred or revenge, but justice that Arya's after in the books.

They used a lot of her book RL plot in this episode that they didn't use in earlier episodes. For example, there's a woman and her daughter they come across while she's with Yoren. The mother dies soon, but Arya is determined to save the little daighter and she calls her Weasel. But then when the Mountain catches Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie, and Lommy is killed, Weasel runs off into the RL forests never to be seen again. Arya calls herself Weasel afterwards in Harrenhal, instead of Arry.

D&D used that Weasel plot now in KL: Arya trying to save a mother and child, but failing.

Arya also sees women being raped and brutally murdered in the RL. Together with Yoren they all fight Ser Amory at a holdfast, and have to escape via a tunnel as the fire is roaring above them. The whole holdfast goes up in flames.

D&D show the RL smallfolk rape and pillaging and destruction in Arya's POV now in KL, and her escaping the fire.

Arya tries to escape the Brotherhood without Banners twice on a horse without a saddle. It's a link to Lyanna Stark, because she too was said to be akin to a centaur when riding horses. And now they have Arya escape on a horse without saddle.

So, since they used almost all the RL plot of Arya in aCoK and aSoS now, that they hadn't before, they are making her feel for smallfolk and thus putting people on her list who may not have harmed her directly, but she feels require a lesson in justice.

[theladyinspring]

I'm not sure why the prophecies would have anything to do with Game of Thrones at this point. Nor why Rh'llor would still be involved at this point now that the army of the dead is defeated, what's his deal in Westeros? Nobody even follows him there but he's super serious about Westeros.

[sweetsunray]

Thinking it over more: Dany discovered her "wild" side by riding Silver after her wedding. The riding of horses without saddles as Arya and Lyanna Stark do make them "wild wolves" in the books. That's why I think they paralleled the music and Arya's approach to the horse that sort of reminds us of Silver. And like Dany connected with her wild side in s1 after the wedding, Arya's discovering her wild and free side.

[darmody]

1 hour ago, Hoo said:

I don't see why Arya would hate Dany for the destruction of King's Landing.

There has to be another reason to kill her.

 

Terminator Arya wouldn't care, but for some reason they decided to let Arya be a human being this episode. 

if nothing else, the Dresden treatment robbed Arya of the chance to kill more people, and it personally inconvenienced her. 

[darmody]

By the way, Arya rode a white horse away from the Hound toward the ship headed for Braavos at the end of season Four. For what that's worth. 

[MagicPen]

I've interpreted like this:

- There's an upcoming LOTR tv show.

- Shadowfax is not that smart of a horse after all.