Sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting patches of light across the woods.
Arya trudged along, exhausted and hungry.
She had lost track of how far she had walked. She had barely stopped since yesterday, only dozing against the roots of a large tree in the middle of the night. When she woke, her whole body was stiff and shivering with cold.
She felt the purse at her waist.
She had taken it from the Hound, and it held plenty of silver stags and a few Gold Dragons.
But out here in the remote wilderness, miles from any village or inn, even a whole bag of Gold Dragons could not buy her a mouthful of hot soup.
Not far away, a small stream wound downhill, its water so clear she could see the pebbles and fish beneath the surface.
She stared at the fish for a long while, her stomach rumbling.
She had considered catching some to eat, but she had no tinder.
Even if she caught one, she would have to eat it raw.
She remembered the raw fish she had eaten while fleeing through the Riverlands. It had been fishy and cold, and her stomach had hurt for ages afterward. She did not want to go through that again.
She crouched beside the stream, deciding to wash her face first to wake herself up.
The cool water splashed against her face, washing away some of her fatigue.
As she scooped up another handful, she suddenly felt something wriggling in her palm.
She looked down. A dark bluish-green worm lay in her hand, twisting its body.
"Ah!"
She shrieked and flung away the water and worm together, stumbling back several steps and shaking her hands in disgust.
Once she had steadied herself, she noticed more worms drifting down from upstream,