Arya Stark

Arya Stark is Eddard and Catelyn's younger daughter and a spirited girl with an interest in fighting and exploring. She is a foil of her proper sister Sansa, whom she often describes as "stupid". Throughout her travels, Arya displays great resourcefulness, cunning, and an unflinching ability to accept hard necessity. She is said to take after her fiery aunt Lyanna in temperament. Her direwolf companion is named Nymeria.

Appearance

Arya is skinny, athletic, and often mistaken for a boy. She has strong Stark family features, with a long face and brown hair. She is generally regarded as plain.

History

Arya traveled with her father to King's Landing. On the way south to the capital, however, she was forced to abandon her direwolf Nymeria when it defended her from Prince Joffrey. Queen Cersei then ordered Arya's sister's direwolf, Lady, to be killed when Nymeria ran away, an incident that created in Arya a deep hatred for the crown prince and the queen. While at court, she trained under Syrio Forel, a celebrated Braavosi swordsman. Under his strict but creative tutelage, Arya learned to fight in the Braavosi style with Needle, a slim shortsword that Jon Snow gave her. During the purge of Starks from the Red Keep, Syrio held off Arya's attackers so she could escape. She lived on the streets until the day she witnessed her father's public execution.

With no family or home, and being hunted for a highborn prisoner, Arya became a servant to many parties under different names. First, with Yoren of the Night's Watch, she was "Arry", a boy headed to join the Night's Watch. He planned to return her to Winterfell until he was killed in a battle, where Arya saved the lives of Jaqen H'ghar, Rorge and Biter. She was "Weasel", a servant girl at Harrenhal under the command of Tywin Lannisterand, later, Ser Amory Lorch. Jaqen offered her three murders for the lives she saved. Her choices were Chiswyck, Weese, and ultimately Jaqen himself. In an effort to make her unsay his name, he helped her free the Northmen in the dungeon and stage an uprising. With Harrenhal under the command of Roose Bolton, she called herself "Nymeria, or Nan", a servant girl, and became one of Roose's cupbearer. After Harrenhal was left to Vargo Hoat, Arya escaped it with two companions, Gendry and Hot Pie, fellow boys from Yoren's party of recruits. They were captured by the Brotherhood Without Banners. Her friends joined the outlaws while they made plans to ransom her, knowing her to be Arya Stark.

Sandor Clegane then stole her away to return her to her brother Robb and win a place in his service. Clegane and Arya reached the Twins during the Red Wedding, just as Robb and Catelyn were being murdered. Clegane prevented Arya from running to them, and decided that the only place left to take her was to the Vale of Arryn, which was ruled by Arya's aunt, Lysa Arryn. On the way, Clegane took a serious wound, and Arya left him to die. She gained passage on a ship headed to Braavos by using a coin that Jaqen H'ghar had given her, along with the Valyrian phrase "valar morghulis". In Braavos Arya entered the House of Black and White, where a "kindly old man" initiated her into the Guild of the Faceless Men.

Arya's training required her to go out into Braavos under the identity of Cat of the Canals, a street urchin, and learn secrets. As her training progressed, the kindly old man put increasing pressure on her to abandon her identity as Arya. He ordered her to discard her most prized possessions, but Arya only hid Needle in a safe location. One night, she killed a deserter from the Night's Watch and accepted milk meant for "Arya". She awoke blind the next morning.

Before sleeping, Arya always recites the names of her living enemies, finishing with "Valar Morghulis", a High Valyrian phrase meaning "All men must die." She has pitilessly eliminated several names from her list. Arya is bent on avenging her murdered family.

Meanwhile, a false Arya Stark who bears many similarities to Jeyne Poole was sent North. This Stark fraud is betrothed to Ramsay Bolton, the bastard son of Roose Bolton who was legitimized by royal decree.