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Chapter Text

In the olden days, the land of Westeros was a melting pot of magic and myths. The Gods had blessed the people of the Seven Kingdoms with The Gift . By praying to Gods and performing certain rituals, they could earn some sort of Gift .It evolved in different ways. Some could talk with animals, some could heal wounds with a single touch and some could predict future. Even a few elements of nature such as herbs, trees and animals were ingrained in magic. Though the Gift was seen as a blessing it was a temptation to many.

A group of these humans used these Gifts for wreaking havoc in the society. They used the Gift for satisfying their selfish needs. They were called as Black priests. Soon however, efforts were made to capture them and a lot of these groups were buried alive. It seemed as if a war waged between the Black Priests and the Seven Kingdoms. However when the last known group was captured, they bewitched the entire land. This group had already known that their days were numbered. So they took their last days to perform a ritual which would make people forget about magic and would also allow the souls of their fallen brothers and sisters to torment these people. As expected the kings terminated all known groups of Black Priests.

As years passed by, the knowledge of magic faded to the extent that they were becoming “rare”. Wherever magic lost its significance ghosts of the Black priests would make their presence.

Terror spread across. People seldom went alone in the nights as they did not want to be dead bodies. It often affected the trade and life of the societies. The kingdoms would sleep as soon as the moon rises up in the sky. If you ever get late to reach your home you won’t see another day in your life. No one dares to open their door at night. This was because of the instances of the deaths of those who did. You might hear a knocking on the door and it might be of your loved one. But when you open the door it might be a Black Priest or to be precise the ghost of a Black priest. These ghosts even had the power to possess people and animals.

The seven kings formed a council and they wanted to mitigate the problem. A group of warriors who called themselves the Hunters were entrusted with the responsibility of finding a solution to the elimination of ghosts. They were offered gold and other valuable items in exchange for a solution. The Hunters thus began to search for solution. They travelled across lands hoping for some clue. Years passed by. They knew that the ghosts were stronger at night but weaker at day . Finally they found a solution. A specific potion which they named as Ghostbane was effective. They doused their knifes and other weapons in Ghostbane and were able to kill these ghosts. Thus the Hunters grew up to be a respectable position across the Seven Kingdoms.

To be a part of the Hunters group, was considered by many as an honor. However they didn't look like usual guards or knights. They mostly wore fitting breeches, normal shirt and a coat. Even the women Hunters did. They travelled across the continent torching ghosts and tackling other mythical creatures that harmed the land. Though women were recruited, it was less in number ofcourse. A few were even considered legends.

Arya Stark was a famed Hunter. Many historians attribute this to her young age. She started training since she was 8, her first kill was when she was 12. Having a Hunter couple as parents certainly helped. She looked small but she was a vile little thing. Her agility and quick wit made her a dangerous enemy. Most never dared to look her in the eyes, they say. Was that made up? No idea. Anyways, this story is all about Arya's journey.

............

"That went well..." chuckled Gordon after they disposed the body of a werewolf.

"If losing a chunk of your leg seems well to you, then it certainly did" Arya spoke.

"Anyways since we have had three consecutive kills and Gordon here being out of commission, I say, lets go for a holiday! " exclaimed Gendry.

"For how long?!" Asked Jaqen.

"Atleast a week!"

The group of four bickered as they made their way to the Riverlands.

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"Oh man, Shae was a delight! Last night was the best lay I have had so far!!"

"Watch your tongue....You seem to forget that we have a lady here Gendry."

"How many times do I have to tell you to NOT call me a lady!!!!!"

"Arry has had enough flings of her own. But, be careful Gordy, she really hates being called a lady. Isn't that right, milady?... Ow" Gendry received a poke for that from Arya. With the needle. Atleast it didn't make him bleed.

"If you all have had enough fun bickering like children, a man would suggest to look for a place for the group to stay for a while." said Jaqen.

"Remind me why the hell have I suffered this 'No one's' boring rambling for so long." Instead of a reply, Gendry received a pointed stare from Arya. He finally muttered,"Right".

"Jaqen was formerly a follower of the God of Many Faces, he still is, but he has been with us for the past 6 years."Arya told Gordon. "That explains the weird conversations.Seven hells! I've been travelling with a Faceless man, all along!" Gordon murmured. He was the latest addition to the group, having met nearly three moons ago, but was soon becoming a trusted confidant.

..........

The group reached Maidenpool and found a shelter offering stay for travellers. They decided to settle there for a week. Gordon soon succumbed to sleep, having been injured with the last hunt and nearly exhausted by the journey. Jaqen was surveying the area and possibly, trying to find any potential cases for hunts. Who knows what goes in that man's mind? Gendry and Arya decided to visit the marketplace for food. Atleast that was their intent before Gendry took off to a brothel. He invited Arya but she dismissed him. And they parted ways.

'It's been a while I have been left alone' she thinks. She decided to explore the land. She saw a woman selling dolls for little children. Though she never had any fondness for dolls, she couldn't stop sneaking glances towards them. The dolls reminded her of her sister. Sansa and Arya were never on good terms. But she still missed her sister dearly. She wondered how would her Sister have fared, if she was still alive. 'No, I don't want to go there... Not yet." She was quickly pulled out of her reverie, by a commotion outside.

"Oh not again. " She heard the lady sigh. And she quickly reverted back to luring potential buyers for her dolls. All other vendors and buyers resumed their businesses. Arya decided to go and see the incident. She could see a crowd of men attacking someone. 'Must be a thief', she first assumed. Anyways, she did not do anything as she didn't know what the incident was. They were a group of young men. After they had their fill, they pulled back and sneered towards the figure huddled in a fetal position beneath them. Their satisfied smirks seem to hint something suspicious. They looked around as if challenging anyone to stand up against them. Not surprisingly, nobody did. Infact no one seemed to be interested in the scene ensuing there. After ensuring that no one, minus Arya was staring at them, they left the scene feeling victorious.

But Arya's attention was drawn to that figure again. At first, she could only see a mop of black curls. Seems like a young man. After a while, he moved. A pale face was beneath those curls. Pale like hers, marred by angry red lines. His left eye is swollen shut which suggests that he must be in great pain. She felt an urge to help him, but she found herself unable to move. There was something innocent about him, the way he scrunched his face adorably ('Wait, am I crushing on him? ', she thought) , the way he tried to smack his lips, and tried to stand up. Slowly, he stood up and walked away, as if nothing ever happened. He moved quickly, never looking up ,covering his torso with his arms.

.........

"What took you so long? Jaqen was mumbling about a new case." Gordon enquired.

"There was a fight in the street. Besides, i thought to do some exploring."

"Where's Gendry?" Asked Gordon.

"Where do you think he might be?"Arya's knowing smirk gave it all.

"How do you suffer him?" chuckled Gordon.

"I got used to it, I guess. He has been with me ever since I was ten and two. No matter how many skirts he runs behind, he always looked out for me. He's my best friend."

"Only a 'friend'?"

"Told you, he's my "best friend".

"Is that it?"

"Nothing more, nothing less."

"So, what have you got? I'm itching for rum."

"I got it. How's your leg? "

"It's healing fine."

"So, about the case?"

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Next morning (The group gets together).........

"Arry, what makes you think that this hound is real?"

"As far as the story goes, it must be. When I asked old Walda, she mentioned that people who ended up at the moores at late night, never came out alive. So, the smallfolk never wanders that way at night. However, travellers often ended up as meat to that mutt. So, I think it's best to check it out."

"Hmm.... So, all of us except Gordon can go and check the moores tonight."

"Indeed. Gen, you will have to clean the weapons today and, no more excuses."

"Agreed!!"

"How come you two agree to this?"

"........."

(Sighs)...."Alright, I understand. You don't have to stare at me. Besides, who can do this better than me?"

.................................................................................

"Find anything suspicious?" Gendry was feeling irritated. Though he was in a good shape, the usual cries of the cricket and the occasional sound of bats flapping their wings were annoying.

"Not yet" replies Jaqen.

As hours passed by, an eerie silence pitched in. Though sleep seduced them they fought against it to their best efforts. As the clouds hid the moon, a terrifying howl echoed around the moore. Having lost all trails of sleep, the group, heavily armed, began to look around for the source. And suddenly, an angry black furry creature pounced on Gendry, but he swiftly drew an arrow. And the rest is history! With a whimper, it fell on the ground with a thud.

"That was the quickest case we have ever solved! You should thank Ghostbane for that. An ordinary arrow wouldn't have pierced that mutt."

"But no gratitude to the archer for his excellent skills..... Very well, a man could receive atleast a tiny token of appreciation, Arry" grumbled Gendry.

"You know you are.... There's no need for mentioning it."

...................................................................................

(The Next Day) "So when are we going to King's Landing? "

"Not anytime soon. Jaqen has some things planned. We cannot leave unless we finish that. I hope you still have the list Gordon gave us."

"I can be responsible whenever I want to be, milady. I also found the place that sells the medicines yesterday. It's on the way to that whorehouse."

Though they were chatting with each other, two pairs of vigilant eyes were scanning the surrounding areas. And that's when her eyes fell on that boy again. Today he was selling baked pies to the customers. There were around 20 pieces of bread. The red lines lost yesterday's intensity but still burned bright. The left eye was blackening. She lost the trail of conversation as her attention suddenly centered on him.

"Are you done ogling him?"

"Well, shall we fetch a pie?"

"If you insist.... Was he the one you were talking? That lad looks really messed up."

"I'm going now."