Someone's Return to Westeros (Spoilers Extended)
In this post, I would like to discuss the How of Arya's return to Westeros. There are plenty of great theories on what she will do once she returns, but I would like to focus on means of her return.
How Arya gets back to Westeros
#Background
Mercy is Arya's opening chapter in The Winds of Winter.
And while Arya will probably be in Braavos for at least a few more chapters:
Jonathan Roberts, author of The Lands of Ice and Fire indicated in 2016 that he received a batch of unpublished Arya Stark TWOW chapters to help in his crafting of his map of Braavos before the publication of The Lands of Ice and Fire in 2012.
GRRM is trying to make sure that he keeps Arya's "adventures in Braavos" in line with her story arc:
Arya will be in The Winds of Winter. GRRM has enough material about Arya's adventures in Braavos that he could write an entire novel about it. The audience cheered the idea, so GRRM jokingly proposed setting aside TWOW to work on it instead.
#The Return
So at some point she has to return to Westeros and the best options that I (and others) have come up with are:
Daeron's Boots
This time she did not hesitate. "Dareon is dead. The black singer who was sleeping at the Happy Port. He was really a deserter from the Night's Watch. SOMEONE (emphasis is mine lol) slit his throat and pushed him into a canal, but they kept his boots."
"Good boots are hard to find." -AFFC, Cat of the Canals
and in conjunction with this Mel quote:
"The bones help," said Melisandre. "The bones remember. The strongest glamors are built of such things. A dead man's boots, a hank of hair, a bag of fingerbones. With whispered words and prayer, a man's shadow can be drawn forth from such and draped about another like a cloak. The wearer's essence does not change, only his seeming." -ADWD, Melisandre I
Some more thoughts on Mel's glamour quote if you are intersted.
Raff the Sweetling
A member of the Mountain's Men who has been on Arya's kill list, Arya finally kills Raff in Mercy:
"No," said Lommy. "You got to carry me."
"Think so?" The man lifted his spear casually and drove the point through the boy's soft throat. Lommy never even had time to yield again. He jerked once, and that was all. When the man pulled his spear loose, blood sprayed out in a dark fountain. "Carry him, he says," he muttered, chuckling. -ACOK, Arya V
Arya (as Mercy) returns the favor after seducing Raff:
“You’ll need to carry me.”
See? thought Mercy. You know your line, and so do I.
“Think so?” asked Arya, sweetly.
Raff the Sweetling looked up sharply as the long thin blade came sliding from her sleeve. She slipped it through his throat beneath the chin, twisted, and ripped it back out sideways with a single smooth slash. A fine red rain followed, and in his eyes the light went out. TWOW, Mercy
So its possible that Arya could use Raff's face, etc. as a way of returning to Braavos with Harys Swyft.
Justin Massey
The king was not amused. "I want you gone before midday, ser. Lord Bolton could be on us any moment, and it is imperative that the banker return to Braavos. You shall accompany him across the narrow sea."
...
"Your place is where I say it is. I have five hundred swords as good as you, or better, but you have a pleasing manner and a glib tongue, and those will be of more use to me at Braavos then here. The Iron Bank has opened its coffers to me. You will collect their coin and hire ships and sellswords. A company of good repute, if you can find one. The Golden Company would be my first choice, if they are not already under contract. Seek for them in the Disputed Lands, if need be. But first hire as many swords as you can find in Braavos, and send them to me by way of Eastwatch. Archers as well, we need more bows."
Ser Justin's hair had fallen down across one eye. He pushed it back and said, "The captains of the free companies will join a lord more readily than a mere knight, Your Grace. I hold neither lands nor title, why should they sell their swords to me?"
"Go to them with both fists full of golden dragons," the king said, in an acid tone. "That should prove persuasive. Twenty thousand men should suffice. Do not return with fewer." -TWOW, Theon I
A few lesser likely options:
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Fearing execution in the Wolf's Den, Davos writes a letter telling his wife to take their younger sons to Braavos
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Braavos is very anti-dragon/slavery, its possible they could get involved once Dany returns (if they haven't already, ex: Pate/Euron), so if they send ships to Westeros its possible
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Braavos seized the Goodheart which was carrying wildlings to sell as slaves
Please keep in mind that while she is becoming a skilled assassin, she is still 11 years old and nothing like show Arya. She won't be battling hardened knights 1v1.
Let me know what you think, or any other ideas you may have.
Also I didn't know where to post this so I thought I would add it here. What gift did the sealord give Penny/Oppo:
Penny did not seem to hear that. "It was Father's idea to do the tilts. He even trained the first pig, but by then he was too sick to ride her, so Oppo took his place. I always rode the dog. We performed for the Sealord of Braavos once, and he laughed so hard that afterward he gave each of us a … a grand gift." -ADWD, Tyrion VIII
TLDR: How does Arya get back to Westeros
Posted Jun 30, 2020, 1:17 PM UTC