m_findlow

Title: No one
Fandom: Game of Thrones
Characters: Arya
Author: m_findlow
Rating: M
Length: 500 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for Bingo Card Prompt - Importance at fffc
Summary: Arya has yet to find her way inside the House for Black and White.

Arya had been slow to learn the lessons dealt to her in the House of Black and White. Jaqen H'ghar who had so often been lurking in the shadows at Harrenhall was now a complete stranger to her. He was hardly seen in the dark halls, and spoke to her even less. The only company she had here was that other girl, a few years older than her. She was hard-faced and cold as ice, no matter how Arya tried to speak to her. She knew enough to sense the girl had a cruel streak in her, which was only confirmed when she'd begun training Arya in earnest.

For a while Arya had gotten used to sweeping the floors and carrying away the bodies of the supplicants who came here seeking death. With her companion, they silently washed the bodies, dressed them for death and then they disappeared through a door at the back of the room, never to be seen again. It wasn't what she'd come here for, but for a while she lost herself in the monotony of it. At least she wasn't having to flee from men who wanted her dead, and she had a belly fully of simple bread and both each day, as well as a dry place to sleep where she didn't need to clutch her sword underneath the pillow.

At least until now, as she felt the hard stick hit her side and wind her as she'd been lay there sleeping. On the other end of that stick was the girl she shared her room with, or more to the point, the girl who now had to share her room with Arya.

'Who are you?' she asked.

As much as she wanted to curse the girl, she knew what answer she had to give. 'No one,' she replied.

The girl hit her again, this time the cane snapping across her upper arm and stinging. 'Wrong. Who are you?'

'No one!' Arya repeated, receiving a third belting.

'Who are you?' The girl asked, each word slow and clear as if Arya were too stupid to understand the question.

Arya chewed the inside of her lip. Names were of no importance here. In order to become one of the Faceless Men, you had to give up the right to be considered anyone at all. How could you be someone else if you were always someone to begin with? 'No one,' Arya said, bracing for another hit, curling up her body, only to have the girl whip her exposed legs.

'A girl cannot be no one when she denies who she is.' She whipped Arya again.

'Arya!' she cried. 'I'm Arya Stark of Winterfell.'

'Arya Stark,' the girl mused. 'She sounds like someone important.'

'I'm not. I'm no one.' After so long being on the run she felt every inch like no one important at all. The Starks had all been scattered to the wind.

'If you insist,' the girl said, giving her one final lashing.