Arya's whereabouts and actions in the forthcoming novels

[Anya, Vengeance Demon]

Yeah...but dramatically speaking ,GRRM must have lots of options for Arya's path.

I think that's a misleading way to look at things. GRRM doesn't have options for Arya that he's choosing from. He knows where Arya is going, and he's known since before A Game of Thrones was released. The question isn't, which of the many options will GRRM choose from? It's, what is GRRM setting Arya up to do?

But to speak about the plausibility question a bit more, I would say two things. First, that Arya is going to be a powerful twelve year old assassin with a big impact on events in Westeros. That may be implausible, but it's baked into the cake already and GRRM has already basically copped to the fact that children are going to be doing epic things because of his various timeline issues. Second, that whatever Arya does will be difficult to some degree just to keep her story interesting and introduce a level of suspense, so the mere fact that she'd be tasked with something that involves a lot of quick thinking is hardly a deal-breaker for a potential theory. I think the combination of those two things covers the plausibility issues that you're having with this theory, because anything that Arya does will be equally risky and equally implausible for reasons that have less to do with my theory and more to do with Arya's story as it has developed to date.

You may be thinking that this isn't the case, that if Arya just up and leaves, then whatever it is that she gets up, at least it doesn't have the added plausibility issue of the Faceless Men putting a lot of trust into a raw recruit who hasn't hit puberty yet. But I don't think this reasoning gets you very far. GRRM has been setting up the idea that the Faceless Men have an agenda that goes beyond just killing people for money, and really only Arya is in a position to discover what this agenda might be, and to further or hinder it as the story dictates. And for Arya to discover what this agenda might be, pretty clearly the Faceless Men will have to get to a position where they trust her a whole hell of a lot. So that bit of implausibility is also baked into the cake.

This is part of the appeal of the Missandei theory for me. This is the one place where you could see GRRM taking affirmative steps to set up a situation that mitigates the plausibility issues raised above, where the FM may indeed have no choice but to take a risk on Arya. And that in turn seems to tip GRRM's hand about where Arya's story is going.

(As to Missandei never venturing out, she does have two brothers in the Unsullied still alive. At the moment she probably doesn't see them much because of the troubles in Meereen, but that's not a permanent situation and at some point she'll probably want to see them again on a regular basis, because she's a kid and they're her only family.)

[Mad Maj]

(Hi - I'm new here - first post, in fact.) I feel like Arya is going to be tasked with taking out the Sand Snakes. Their MO's are so complimentary, plus it would just be unseemly for them to be attacked/killed by men with swords. And she doesn't know them, and her bosses at the Faceless Men, who know she is a Stark, would know that she has no real connection to them. I'm thinking the FM would want them gone to undercut Aegon's play for the Throne. (I might add that I don't believe Young Griff is the true Aegon - I'm pretty sure the Darkstar, Gerold Dayne, is the true Aegon, with his exceptionally dark purple eyes).

I also think the Brotherhood is going to realize who Gendry is, perhaps with an assist from Brienne & Jaime. Oathkeeper will end up with them as they move towards Kings Landing, where Gendry will eventually get his hands on Tommen's sword also. I don't think Gendry will ultimately rule (since, let's face it, the Baratheon's were usurpers from the get-go), but I think his 'claim' will be used by the Brotherhood and the new high Septon as grounds to oppose the Lannisters. His metalworking skills will be used to reforge Ice, maybe first in Kings Landing at his old forge, but ultimately, he is bound to end up at the wall. I don't think it's a coincidence that Jon Snow sleeps in a forge.

I think Arya's wolf army will be serving up some justice in the Riverlands, and then moving north to help in the defense of the realm. They might hook up with Rickon & Shaggy Dog around Winterfell. I don't thiink Bran is ever going to physically leave the Underworld again, although he will fly by warging a dragon, but he might go back to Winterfell as Summer eventually, for a bit of a pack reunion.

Unfortunately, I don't see Arya living happily ever after. I think when Gendry is on his final forging of LightBringer, she is going to be 'his love' that he ultimately has to kill with it. Maybe though, he will kill Nymeria instead (of course not realizing that she is 'Arya') and that will fulfill the prophecy enough for human Arya to stay alive. At some point, I also think Arya will encounter fake Arya, and have to pretend to be her - that's just too good a twist to pass up - and that maybe before that happens, fake Arya will run into her old friend, Sansa, who is also pretending to be someone else. Both of those poor girls deserve at least a little respite with an old friend after all they've been through!

[woweezowee]

This is part of the appeal of the Missandei theory for me. This is the one place where you could see GRRM taking affirmative steps to set up a situation that mitigates the plausibility issues raised above, where the FM may indeed have no choice but to take a risk on Arya. And that in turn seems to tip GRRM's hand about where Arya's story is going.

It just occurred to me that the other special ability Arya might be said to possess (besides her ability to impersonate another eleven or twelve year old child) is her knowledge of the secret passages and general layout of the Red Keep (as was established repeatedly in the first book). You could probably just about make a case that the Faceless Men might choose to send her to assassinate/gather information on someone like Tommen or Cersei on that basis.But to be honest, I wouldn't find either that idea or the Missandei idea particularly persuasive if GRRM chose to implement them. I really wish he hadn't scrapped the five-year gap, and I wonder if he wishes the same thing in retrospect.

[HopeForSpring]

What if Arya is the Valonqar?

Valonqar is a High Valaryian word. High Valaryian a language that we know is a little fuzzy on gender specifications. Westerosi tend to assume male when the language is actually gender neutral.

Also the prophesy never indicates it is Cersei's little brother that kills her, just someone who is one - right?

I'm kind of down with Jaime killing Cersei - but you never know.

[bemused]

Harry the Heir..I don't say the Missandei plot line for Arya is impossible , but I don't think it's at all out of the question for GRRM to still have options open for Arya , since he's said he knows the fate of the major characters, but not necessarily every twist and turn in their paths to get there..some of it comes to him as he's writing.

Since Sam's arrival in Oldtown , I can't even think Arya's storyline is our only means of understanding the FM agenda anymore..

From an FM perspective , the whole scenario in the North of Westeros has to be taking on an equally important aspect..and if they also have ties to the IB , and news at least, if not custody of the fake Arya , awareness of the rise to prominence of Jon Snow , and the potential of even more information filtering their way from Sam via the Alchemist.. I find it hard to settle on a solid prediction for Arya.

I have to break this off, now , I'll muse some more later.

[Kindly_Man]

She is part of a prophecy from the old woman in the Riverlands.

Woman with purple snakes in her hair at a feast(maybe Red Keep), slaying a giant in a snow castle(maybe the wall eventually) and very strong smell of death.

After some training next part has to be Westeros again, and lots and lots of killing.

[Wylla Manderly]

This prophecy by the Ghost of High Heart is not about Arya but Sansa. "The maid with the purple snakes in her hair" is already fulffiled with Joffrey's wedding. Remember the hairnet she was given by Dontos. Right before the wedding the Queen of Thorns fumbles with the hairnet and Sansa later on notices that one of the stones is missing. Rearding the giant in a snow castle a lot of posts I read think it could be Sweet Robin's doll, but I'm not sure about it. Could also later on be Littlefinger (his sigil is the Titan of Bravoos as far as I know).

But back to Arya. I personally don't think she goes back to Westeros immediately. I could see her going to Pentos before. She had to learn the dialect of it.

Maybe the faceless men want Arya to infiltrate illyrio's mansion. I think it didn't went unnoticed that Illyrio is somehow involved with Varys and that they are planning something. But it is not exactly known what they are up to. So it would be interesting for a lot of people to get more information about him. And what better way than to spy on him in his own house. And for this Arya could be used very well.

I also would find it kind of ironic if the two people who came to influence by using children as spies were spied on by a girl.

[Roughspun]

High Valaryian a language that we know is a little fuzzy on gender specifications. Westerosi tend to assume male when the language is actually gender neutral.

No. Repeating this over and over doesn’t make it correct.

It’s dragons which are both female and male, or able to switch. Not the language is ambiguous, the things the language refers to are.

The way it works is this: Since dragons are both male and female, the word was also used for both princes and princesses.

So, do younger siblings often change sex (in Valyria/Westeros)? I don’t think so. Then, valonqar is probably quite specific on the sex of its referent.

[PrinceHenryris]

I don't buy the Arya as Missandei thing. To successfully impersonate her, Arya would have to kill her. If we believe the KM, that would probably be frowned upon as an uncessary death.

Yeah, I know about what happened to Pate, but whether that's what th FM leadership wants is more than open for debate.

[bemused]

.

Yeah, I know about what happened to Pate, but whether that's what th FM leadership wants is more than open for debate.

I don't think they'd necessarily have a problem with that , considering their view of death .

Extrapolating from what they've said to Arya , and what we've seen Jaqen / The Alchemist do ..

Death is a gift, however ,they don't pass it out indiscriminately ...only as agreed to by contract, or as necessary to their aims ( whatever they are )..But I don't think that an apprentice would be put in a position to have to make that kind of judgement call. It's possible that not even a journeyman FM would be given an assignment that would call for making that kind of decision, but only an elite level , or master FM.

...we don't know yet, but there's an obvious difference between standard assassination practice and what's allowable in an espionage mission.

If they want to kill her ( I doubt it , at this stage of the game ) they wouldn't need to have someone as close to Dany as Missandei. If they want to suss out what she's up to and who's influencing her , then they need someone with some political and tactical savvy to be able to assess what her intentions would mean in the big picture. If they want to influence her to the benefit of Braavos after they've assessed the situation, Braavos could then send her a separate envoy , or the agent could reveal himself / herself as an envoy...and the agent would have to be someone whose advice she'd be likely to take ( good luck with that.. :D )

Could GRRM plot his way around these difficulties ? Probably , depending on how soon he 'd need the Missandei scenario to take place. If he needs Braavos to have an effect on Dany anytime soon , then I'm pretty dubious that Missandei / Arya could suit their purposes.

[The Sleeper]

The point about the FM not knowing their victims is not to be predisposed for or against them. As such a potential assignment for Arya against anyone with poilitical significance in Westeros is out of the question. For instance even though she has never met Ramsay Snow or even heard of him it's obvious she has plenty of reasons to hate him. Likewise she has never met Dany, but there is bad blood between houses Stark and Targaryen. She knows that her father had her uncle and grandfather killes and that her aunt was kidnapped and rapped by her brother.

At this stage Arya wants to become no one in order to escape the feeling of being powerless and helpless and to leave behind the pain and loss that is in her past.

As far as where she will end up there many conflicting elements so far in her development.

Ever since AGOT she has been set up for being a warrior. Even in ADWD there refferences to her growing strength and her continuing aspiration to be a water dancer.

The most consistent pattern is her escaping the situations she finds her in. The escape from the Red Keep, the escape from Amory Lorch, the escape from Harrenhal, the escape from the Twins, the escpae from Saltpans and now the escape from herself.

The fact that she has an insane bodycount for her age and that the ghost of highheart called her "darkheart" and "bloodchild"( Thought, in a sense both of these have already been fullfilled)

The fact that there is an imposter claiming to be her used by her family's rivals to justify their claim to the North.

The reccuring comparisons between her and Lyanna in terms of temperament and appearance, to the point that I often think they are the same person.

The fact that her direwolf is named after a Queen who led her dispossesed people to a new home and suvival.

I mentioned this last because I think that will be her eventual fate. Like her direwolf and her namesake, I think she will be the leader of the orphans, the outlaws and the broken men and turn them into a force to be reckoned with.

[bemused]

just an Other ..I quite agree. If she's to be used as an assassin in future, I don't think she'd be offered an assignment ( or sent on one ) against anyone of her acquaintance.

I simply don't see Arya becoming a full-on FM.. something will go awry ; she may take her fate into her own hands, or they ( some configuration of FM / IB / Sealord) may re-assess what her usefulness to them would be , in what role ( their agent, or her own , but with some loyalty to them )..seen in light of developments in Westeros.

There are plenty of ways GRRM could take this, depending on what his eventual plan for Arya is.

[Kindly_Man]

This prophecy by the Ghost of High Heart is not about Arya but Sansa. "The maid with the purple snakes in her hair" is already fulffiled with Joffrey's wedding. Remember the hairnet she was given by Dontos. Right before the wedding the Queen of Thorns fumbles with the hairnet and Sansa later on notices that one of the stones is missing. Rearding the giant in a snow castle a lot of posts I read think it could be Sweet Robin's doll, but I'm not sure about it. Could also later on be Littlefinger (his sigil is the Titan of Bravoos as far as I know).

But back to Arya. I personally don't think she goes back to Westeros immediately. I could see her going to Pentos before. She had to learn the dialect of it.

Maybe the faceless men want Arya to infiltrate illyrio's mansion. I think it didn't went unnoticed that Illyrio is somehow involved with Varys and that they are planning something. But it is not exactly known what they are up to. So it would be interesting for a lot of people to get more information about him. And what better way than to spy on him in his own house. And for this Arya could be used very well.

I also would find it kind of ironic if the two people who came to influence by using children as spies were spied on by a girl.

Oh crap, thanks.

[bemused]

Well I can't quite agree that Arya is genuinely trying to escape herself , though.. I see her as either going through the motions , or fooling herself , since she can't see another place that she could be.

If she knew of the wildlings coming south of the wall..and the fortress of spearwives so close to Jon , what would her goal be then ? If she knew her other siblings survived, what then ?

If she gets an idea of these things and an opportunity presents itself for her to get to her siblings, especially JOn ... I think she'd go and not look back. I think she'd remember Ned's words, "The lone wolf dies , but the pack survives "

If she was truly trying to escape herself she would have let go of Needle , her continued silent repetition of her List , and divulged her secret wolf "dreams" and seeing through the eyes of the cat.

I think the "escape " pattern is subsidiary to her "survival " pattern.

[The Sleeper]

Well I can't quite agree that Arya is genuinely trying to escape herself , though.. I see her as either going through the motions , or fooling herself , since she can't see another place that she could be.

If she knew of the wildlings coming south of the wall..and the fortress of spearwives so close to Jon , what would her goal be then ? If she knew her other siblings survived, what then ?

If she gets an idea of these things and an opportunity presents itself for her to get to her siblings, especially JOn ... I think she'd go and not look back. I think she'd remember Ned's words, "The lone wolf dies , but the pack survives "

If she was truly trying to escape herself she would have let go of Needle , her continued silent repetition of her List , and divulged her secret wolf "dreams" and seeing through the eyes of the cat.

I think the "escape " pattern is subsidiary to her "survival " pattern.

The two aren't mutually exclusive. Though she may have stumbled to the FM and sees their training as a challenge, the idea of being no one appeals to her because "no one has no holes in her". The FM are powerful in their anonymity and Arya carries a considerable amount of self loathing over being a victim. More than those hurt her and those dear to her she hates herself more for allowing. The way I see it, it's not that she doesn't want to let go, it's that she can't.

[Jeejee]

This is part of the appeal of the Missandei theory for me. This is the one place where you could see GRRM taking affirmative steps to set up a situation that mitigates the plausibility issues raised above, where the FM may indeed have no choice but to take a risk on Arya. And that in turn seems to tip GRRM's hand about where Arya's story is going.

(As to Missandei never venturing out, she does have two brothers in the Unsullied still alive. At the moment she probably doesn't see them much because of the troubles in Meereen, but that's not a permanent situation and at some point she'll probably want to see them again on a regular basis, because she's a kid and they're her only family.)

Much of this makes sense to me and I find the Missandei theory intriguing, since I do feel like GRRM is purposely calling attention to her. But I can't imagine why, even if the FM needed someone to impersonate a child, they would send Arya. It seems to me that the waif could just as easily fill that role.

In any case, if the FM do want someone close to Dany, they'll have to move fast - if they haven't already done so. As we saw in DoD, it took Tyrion an entire book to get to Meereen. And I don't think Arya's training has reached a level where she's ready for field work. It seems more likely that, if she's sent somewhere, it will be Westeros, when all of the action is coming to a head.

[bemused]

just an Other ...Sorry, I don't see any self loathing in Arya. Sometimes she hates what she has to become in order to survive ( a mouse , e.g. ) but she never sinks into the cycle of self loathing, IMO. She resents being powerless , but doesn't blame herself for it, and is always looking for a way to rectify the situation.

[The Sleeper]

To be honest I don't see the distinction. I remember that when she was being herded to Harrenhal she thought that she hated the villagers for their sheepiness almost as much as she hated herself. All that resentment must have a target.

But in any case adopting another guise actualy helped her. As Cat she was able to function and actually enjoy life whereas in the village on the mountaion road she just snapped at a girl trying to play with her.

[bemused]

I suppose the distinction is that I don't see her carrying it with her so that it becomes a part of her character. I see your examples as temporary flashes under dire circumstances . She's learned and grown a lot since then, and though GRRM gives us access to her innermost thoughts , this type of thing has not been noticeable since she got away from Sandor.

She may still be a child , but a much wiser , much more capable child than she was then. And while I think she likes the freedom that learning to " become no-one " will give her.. to me, she shows no sign of really letting go of Arya Stark.

[Free Northman]

There are more than enough POV characters in the East. Arya's path is back to Westeros, where all the real action is about to start happening.

As for her identity crisis: The way forward is fairly obvious.

She is going to gradually lose her identity up to a point, before Nymeria brings her back again. Needle being buried instead of thrown away really says it all. She will return to being Arya Stark.

And she has to have enough of Arya Stark left in her to decide to dig up Needle and take it along when she leaves Braavos for Westeros, as there's ulikely to be a chance for her to zip back over the Narrow Sea and pick it up again once she's in Westeros.

Arya's future has to involve a reunion with Nymeria, Sansa, the Hound and some of the people on her list.

All of that points to a journey back to the Riverlands (possibly through Gulltown and the Vale , first).

There is no time for her to head off to Meereen and impersonate Missandei. This is a ridiculous plot idea in any case, as Dany's plot has lingered long enough in the East. What with her headin back to Vaes Dothrak first, gathering up the Dothraki, coming back to Meereen, winning the War there, going to Pentos to give it to the Tattered Prince as per Barristan's promise - all before finally getting back to Westeros to deal with Aegon, well, there's no room in either her or Arya's plots for an impersonation of Missandei and an attempted assassination of Dany.

Arya is heading back to Westeros once her training is done.