Arya Stark’s plan and the Twins theory

[ejhawman]

Arya probably will not get back to Westeros until ADOS. I would like to see her directing Nymeria to kill Ramsey after he is forced out of Winterfell. She may also meet up with the BWB through Nymeria. I don't see her working only through her wolf in the final vengeance on the Freys; that will wait until ADOS, and she will be present in the flesh, either at the Twins or in KL.

I can see her breaking with the FM and taking ship back to Westeros, landing either on Skagos or at White Harbor when Rickon is there, and meeting up with him. Then moving west to Winterfell to meet her mother, then south to the Vale to find Sansa. There is also an interesting possibility of "meeting" Bran through warging, though they never meet again in the flesh.

[tommystinker]

I posted on this a while ago, but it got thrown in the "General ASOIAF" section, and nobody read it. Here's my theory:

I wanted to see what folks are thinking about the fate of Walder Frey and his ilk. I’ve done a bit of research about what curses are released when guests’ rights are violated. Based on the text and the wiki of ice and fire, the violator is doomed to the fate of the Rat Cook. Allegedly the Rat Cook, a cook for the Night’s Watch, broke the rules of guest rights and hospitality by killing a guest’s son and serving the son to the guest in a pie for some past transgression. For his crimes he was turned into a giant rat and forced to eat his own children as a punishment. See SoS Chpt. 56. You will also recall that it is strongly suggested that some “Frey pies” were served up by Manderly at Winterfell because of House Frey’s breach of guest rights. See ADwD Chpt. 37.

Based on the Rat Cook legend and other non-text GRRM stories (see Dante’s Inferno regarding Ugolino and the story of Ugolino and his children), Walder Frey may suffer a similar fate as the Rat Cook or Ugolino. This portends a scenario where Walder Frey is holed up at the Twins and forced to consume his children/family member, which he has in abundance. I foresee winter settling over the Twins and the Trident freezing over. This will cause one of two things 1) House Frey will not be able to collect taxes for river crossing and they will grow poor/less powerful or 2) on the military front, a frozen Trident will allow a force to more easily lay siege to both ends of the Twins just like any other castle. Regardless, the freezing of the Trident will negate the Twins strategic importance, both economically and militarily. As House Frey weakens, a force, perhaps Arya’s wolves or another anti-Frey force, will lay siege to the Twins and the Freys will begin to starve. Of course, Walder Frey, being the individual he is, will resort to cannibalism of his own family to prolong his life. But, this will only delay the inevitable. This twist would be in keeping with Walder Frey’s overarching character and it already has some textual support. Further, it would be a perfect end to Frey, a man who is so consumed with creating a large family that in the end he must consume it himself.

What do you all think? How do you think House Frey will pay for its breach of the laws of hospitality and guests’ rights? After all, the Winds of Winter are rising . . .

[tommystinker]

Loving that bob :-) great theory hope it happens but with the wolves surrounding the castles and picking off anyone who ventures out to try and get food or help.

[Beastman]

Great enthusiasm, but not GRRM's style, remember these characters are based on real people who are limited by time, resources and distance. Arya is a child or at least a teenager who’s 1^st accomplishment for the FM was using a poison coin. She is not brut or strong physically, she may be clever and stealthy enough to take out one or two people at the same time but that is all. Her plot in my point of view is very hazy and difficult to predict. She is in Bravoos now. How is she coming back. Will she meet up Dany, Tyrion or just sail back. The plot has to make sense and follow some sort of direction that is realistic and not make her seem super human.

[Bad Karma]

I like her, but i also think we had quite a lot of small warnings how Arya might end up in problems and not have some 'happy' story. So i try to bury every optimism for her doing something i'd like to read. So most optimistic scenario for me: She starts strangling Late Lord Frey but gets wounded by a guard and then flayed or something...

Sometimes i really wish i wouldn't take such a liking to the books and some of it's characters.

[The Crow's Third Eye]

I don't think Arya will be the one to kill the Frey's, but I do like the Rat theory, as when Bran is recalling it there is something where the RatCook is punished for violating guest right. That could be foreshadowing... maybe?

As to what Arya will do, I am hoping she will be able to see those from her prayer killed off. Off the top of my head I believe there is still Cersei, Meryn Trant, Gregor Clegane (as Robert Strong) and possibly the Hound, although even if he is still alive, to Arya he is dead. I would like to see her Victims be these (and any others I missed out)

[Northern Pride]

Love Arya the character.

Here is my dilemma in everything related to the FM. Many targets have been mentioned. Some that I would love to see happen. But to be realistic, how much does it cost for such a assassination? What person is worth killing that it costs the kingdom a kingdoms worth of gold? Who can afford this in these troubled times besides Braavos? Cersei's debt to the bank? I've considered the enemies of Dany putting their funds together to be rid of her to get back to their normal lives. Possibly LF pinching off the crown into his own coffers could be a candidate.

Unless Arya goes rogue or the FM have their own agenda, I've had a hard time justifying the target due to the money constraint thing.

[The Crow's Third Eye]

Wonder if the FM would take kindly to Arya doing a bunk? I can't imagine they would, I can see part of Martin's bittersweet ending if he follows that route that Arya meets her family again only to be dropped by a FM. Wham. Red Wedding tears all over again

[Ludd]

I think that Bran and Arya are being taught by the SAME person. They are opposites - both essential for the survival of Westeros and life itself. They represent the two essential Celtic spirits of life and death. Both essential and neither evil

Bran is Summer` and life but must endure a period of "death" ie in the cave.

Arya is death or perhaps better referred to as fate. There must be death for life to come.

I think that both will return for a time to their Stark identities but long term not sure what the future holds for them

[Little and Less]

Hey I like your theory OP - a twist on it could be Arya letting Nymeria's pack into KL via the sewers...Cersei being killed by Nymeria has a nice feel as well. Let's remember didn't Cersei want to kill Arya and Nymeria (I think Jaime says in his POV that had he found Arya first when Joffery had been attacked going back to KL she' be dead. Wow Jaime's got to lay off killing children...)

[Ser Harry Darkenshield]

I do wonder though, whether Arya will be reunited with Nymeria. Considering that the direwolf is alive and well, it would be sweet to see them reform a relationship. The likelihood is unclear however, GRRM has not written books purely for adventure and fantasy reasons, these novels and chapters must all be realistic as life is. Therefore, it is hard to determine something we wish to see happened. But for arguments sake, lets say Arya finds Nymeria or the other way around, together they will shed blood for the cause of Starks. That much is certain. They both want revenge, for Catelyn, Robb, Grey Wind, Lady, Ned Stark and all northmen that has died in this damn war. We as readers want to see the enemies of Starks bleed. What will it take? The iron born are almost already repelled from the mainland. That leaves Lannisters, Freys and Boltons. First and foremost, bad things are starting to happen to all the Lannisters (Tyrion exempted). Hopefully, Stannis will crush the Bolton host and take Roose and his bastard son alive or dead. The Freys are a key enemy, with no class or any honor. Dont know how likely it is for the Twins to get sacked but it would be a pretty nice read if it does happen. They are the main enemy of the Tullys. Arya witnessed the downfall of her beloved North at the Red Vedding. That is the last thing she remembered before heading of to the free cities. If she comes back, with bitter tast in her mouth she will think back to her own mothers mutilated dead body as the last thing she saw when at the Twins home the freys. Question is, when will she return back to Westeros and how well will she be trained? Impossible to say, hopefully and probably she returns soon before she is 16 years of age. Maybe she will be a powerful assasin by then. It is possible that she just might play a huge part in turning the tide of the war, or simply ending the war. So far I have not found her to be a character of impact, this might change in the upcoming books. Jon Snow if alive is the only Stark that is a warrior and therefore is the most important of Ned Starks relative. Sansa Stark might become a player in the game, and therefore a character with means to determine the outcome in favour of the Starks. Bran and Rickon can become important, but they're just children despite Bran being a greenseer and warg. And then there is Arya, filled with rage towards her enemies, it is my hope as a Stark fan like most of you that she will become deadly and unleashed upon their enemies in uncharacteristic GRRM chapter to bring redemption to all Starks by wanquishing the Freys in a horrible painfull bloodbath. It would simply be too good to be true. Probably not likely, but it would certainly make things as interesting as if it were not too happen. Bring back the direwolf Nymeria and let her have a bite at old walder freys troath, that would be satisfactory to Grey Wind's head being put upon Robb Starks body. Still makes me mad. All freys must suffer painful killings. Better they die through a wolf's teeth then a sword I predict.

[benalapin]

It would be pretty ironic if either the OP's theory or the RatCook theory is true. The first one because Walder Frey lied that Robb Stark turned into a wolf and started killing everybody, and in the end he gets eaten by wolves. The second one because of the whole guest right thing :L

[KingHodorTargaryen]

It would be pretty ironic if either the OP's theory or the RatCook theory is true. The first one because Walder Frey lied that Robb Stark turned into a wolf and started killing everybody, and in the end he gets eaten by wolves. The second one because of the whole guest right thing :L

Why not both? Walder Frey gets om nomed by Nymeria, the rest of the Freys kill each other (ratcook) for the lordship.

[Jon Targaryen the First]

I think she would save Lord Walder for herself and make him suffer though. Not like torture or anything but tell him who she is and why its happening. I can definitely see the old dude piss himself in terror.

[cealicu_ca]

I hope Lord Walder gets a painful bloody death, he doesnt deserve dying of old age or something comfy. .

and since when do ASoIaF characters get what they deserve? :-)

[Phonzadellika]

I agree with the OP, I think Arya kills the Freys.

The Ghost of High Heart said to Arya "I see you. I see you, wolf child. Blood child. I thought it was the lord of smelled of death...your are cruel to come to my hill. cruel. I gorged on grief at Summerhall, I need none of yours. Begone from here, dark heart. Begone!"

Sansa Stark saw the Twins collapsing in the clouds, IIRC.

I think that the Ghost is making a comparison of what Arya will do to the palace at Summerhall burning down. If you like the Maesters-taking-over-the-world conspiracy theories then maybe the Maesters hired a faceless man to burn down Summerhall while Aegon was trying to hatch his eggs. Maybe it was really just a dragon-egg hatching ceremony gone awry. In any event, the Ghost talks about Summerhall because a lot of people burned to death there.

I think that Arya will get a faceless man contract for a Frey through Justin Massey, who needs access to the Twins for military reasons related to Stannis' war. At one point in AFFC she said that she'd put the Freys in her prayer but she didn't know any.

I think that Arya is going to stick with her Faceless Men training. I think that she'll basically avoid killing people on her list because she's going to try to stick with the Faceless Men program. She'll be able to get the revenge she wants because she doesn't know any Freys except for the one that she met at Harrenhall so she can give them the gift.

I also think that she might only be asked to kill one person but she'll arrange things so she can go overboard and kill a lot of people. Not sure how narratively it would be arranged that Justin Massey would only need 1 person at the Freys killed to gain Stannis access to the Twins. Maybe the Twins will be lightly guarded because Stannis won the Battle for Winterfell and the Freys are going to send some men to the Dreadforte to support the Boltons, and Massey has a deal with someone on the inside but needs someone else to die.

Also think that Nymeria could be involved somehow.

[andrea_ashford]

I honestly think Arya will learn many more skills while in Braavos. I think she will learn other types of magic from the other houses on the Isle of Gods, including someone who explains to her the art of wargging. From there she will learn to control Nymeria from afar meaning she could really be in two places at once.

Also, Summer, Nymeria and Ghost should all meet again at some point. Martin loves threesomes (3 Targaryen conquerors, 2 generations of 3 lannister children, 3 dragons). There is not way something is not going to happen between the 3 warg Stark children!!!

[A Bastard Brother]

The Arya mark I could see that gives a "happy ending" in this series would be killing (f)Arya.

Reasoning:

1. Arya has never given up her Stark side like the FM require.

2. Arya was a young girl when she left and has been gone for a few years. (f)Arya is possible to pull off, everyone in Winterfell was put to the sword so most who saw her regularly are gone.

3. Arya would be able to to possibly begin the Stark reunion, by exposing a fake if/how Jon survives. Sansa hearing the news could push to show she is Stark and not Stone, and if Arya is proven real, maybe through Jon, Arya can prove Sansa true.

4. It exposes an attempt to place a fake in the Stark house to push the North even further into rage over the IT if possible at this point.

5. If Arya does this and speaks up she would be giving up her role as a FM. She would then be expected to be that women who has little babies to grow up to be knights and what not, what Eddard said to her and she is not that person. This could be the bittersweet part that GRRM likes to do to most of his characters.

6. If Arya does it and does not speak up and remains a FM the assumption will be that (f)Arya was real and is dead or the real Arya is already dead.

7. If Arya is believed dead what happens to Jon and Sansa? Is there a need for them to ever try and reunite or do they just assume all Starks are dead? I see Arya like the glue to them at this point. Jon and Arya were close, Sansa and Arya close (for sisters who fought), but Sansa and Jon are never mentioned as close.

8. Arya's first target should be easy for her. Infiltrating Winterfell (her former home) and more specifically the areas of the castle reserved for the Lords of Winterfell would be easy for her since she was raised there. Infiltrating a completely unfamiliar place like the Twins to reach the Lord would be hard for a new FM.

Reasons it won't happen:

1. Faceless men don't know their targets. Arya knows (f)Arya.

2. It creates a neat way to bring Starks together with ways to positively identify them all.

3. I want it to.

4. GRRM

Let me know what you think. Should I make this an independent topic?

[Sgt. Pepper]

GRRM is too gritty to go for such a fantastical option. The way I see it, either of two things will happen. Either

• Arya completes her training as a FM and abandons all attachments with her past, including her thirst for vengeance. She spends out her days as an assassin fulfilling her services to her new god, or
  
• She abandons her training midway and comes back to Westeros to exact her revenge. In this case, it will most likely be her partial skills as an assassin that will be her undoing
  

[Talking Hodor]

One of the hits Arya might be given could very well be a Frey. I don't think anybody in Westeros likes them, and I could see any number of people wanting to hire a FM to take old Walder and co. out. She doesn't know any of them, so it'd be a suitable contract kill for her. While completing this mission, she might link back up with Nymeria and decide to abandon the FMs, thinking that killing Freys is more fulfilling.