Game of Thrones is brutal by nature, but very few characters have been more transformed by their experiences than Arya Stark. Since the death of her father, she’s traded in her innocence and has become a faceless assassin in her blood-fueled quest for revenge. But as Season 7 of Game of Thrones is upon us, it appears that Arya Stark could finally find some temporary peace if she reunites with her brother and sister. Will Arya Reach Winterfell in Season 7, or will the chaotic and cruel nature of the world keep Arya from her family once again?
Arya’s come close to reuniting with the Starks once before. At the end of Season 3, she was merely one castle wall away from seeing her mother Catelyn and brother Robb get brutally murdered at the Red Wedding. That wouldn't have been an ideal reunion — so signs suggest that Arya could have a much more positive family reunion in Season 7. Based on clues from the promotional material that has been released from Season 7 so far, a homecoming for Arya Stark seems likely.
At the end of Season 6, Arya was last seen at The Twins, feeding Walder Frey a Frey pie and a knife for dessert. The Twins is located about halfway between Winterfell and King's Landing, the two places in Westeros Arya is most likely to go. King's Landing has Cersei and The Mountain, two of the only living names on her Kill List, and Winterfell is the place where she is most likely to find refuge and family. Arya's next destination is entirely up to her, but, of the two choices, it seems that promotional materials are hinting that she'll be going to Winterfell.
A picture released earlier this year from Entertainment Weekly shows Arya on horseback against a gray castle. The stones and wood behind her appear as though they've been beaten grey with decades of snow, and the cloak atop her shoulders indicates that she's dressing warm. Some fans have taken this as confirmation that she is in Winterfell, but so far there is no concrete evidence that she does arrive there.
Luckily, those in search of more evidence didn't have to wait long for Entertainment Weekly to drop another major clue on Arya's pending arrival in Winterfell. On the magazine's cover, Arya is seen holding a very particular dagger. This dagger was almost used to kill Bran in Season 1, happens to be made of White Walker-killing Valyrian Steel, and was last seen in the possession of one Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish.
Littlefinger was last seen in Winterfell alongside Sansa and Jon Snow at the end of Season 6. If Arya is on the lookout for this powerful knife, she would have to get to Winterfell before Littlefinger leaves to get her hands on it. It seems that all roads lead to Winterfell for Arya Stark, considering that the only other place she may want to go is King's Landing to scratch another name off her list. Trying to kill the active Queen of Westeros and her undead sidekick one her own isn't a very good idea. The smartest choice for Arya, if she hopes to topple the Iron Throne, would be to return home and discover that she is far from the last Stark in Westeros — then she can team up with her family to carry out the rest of her revenge.
