here in the darkness.

“That’s all you got for setting an entire mountain on fire?”

‘well, i —’

       arya’s mouth opens as to deliver an ever-present retort,        counterargument, only to find that she doesn’t have one        at her disposal ; and promptly shuts it again with a click        of tooth and jawbone. how can she not listen to them,        when it transpires all so often — ? if it had been once or        twice and then left alone, might be she could have ignored        it, tuned them out and gone her own way, but the repetitions        have inevitably left their mark.

‘itry not to. it’s hard sometimes, is all.’

he nods curtly--  kneeling down until he's on eye level with youngest sister, chocolate hues flickering with a sense of genuine clarity---  all signs of telltale joking have been swept aside in favor for big brother.

         █ ▌ ♛ ▐ — — — ❬ Ѕ ❭

                 she tilts her head to the said, lips pursing                  together as  she  considers  his  words. she                  hums  softly as  she thinks.

                                            ❝  but wouldn’t it be foolish of me                                                   to say yes when i do not know                                                   what exactly i am agreeing to? ❞

   ' ---- y'think i'm going to trick you? '

he chuckles ever softly, head mirroring hers as he tilts the same direction--  calloused fingers pushing dark curls behind his ear.

     a curling amusements twists the corners of these stained      lips quite sharply, bemusement shades the gaze which      intently traces his outline and notes upon features under      the dirt and grime. without warning, they—she—laughs,      carefully pulling away the now bandaged hand to admire it.

                    ❝  what a terribly somber creature you are.                         you must be accustomed to death; wearing all black                         like a mourner, ❞ she scoffs. 

         ❝  would i be less of a beauty without my hand, crow ?? ❞

   ' -- black's quite slimming.         s'why i joined the nights watch. '

he stifles an eye roll, wiping bloodied hands on all encompassing coat  as he tucks it tighter around his form.

         █ ▌ ♛ ▐ — — — ❬ Ѕ ❭

                 he has her full attention now, and a smile spreads across                  her lips,  almost devious in  nature but she  would never dare                  label it that. a lady is not to be devious. still, the prospect of                  a trade has sparked her interest.

                                      ❝  a trade, you say? and what                                               would we be trading? ❞

   -- this side of fire haired half sister intrigues him,        and he entertains a small smile on chapped lips--         calloused digits running over thick stubble across        cold worn skin-- he's thinking.

SHE’S HALF YOUR SIZE

       in spite of — or, perhaps, because of —        jon’s shift in expression, arya bites her        lip in a futile effort to hold back a wilful        giggle ; she doesn’t even mind being        private pain in his ass, much, so long        as it means —

       and the mirth falters, as swiftly as it arose,        replaced by a stubborn set of jaw and rapidly        cooling gaze.

                     ‘ i was. sansa and jeyne were                            laughing at me again, so i left. ’

he pauses-- dark eyebrows furrowing with discontent as the bastard realizes her words to the true extent. he's never been good with words, really-- never grasped the concept of putting them together which such aptitude that robb & theon seemed to possess-- but he tries anyway. some things were worth trying for.