In Westeros, swords hold a special place. “They” happen to have characters and background stories. There are Valyrian steel swords which are stronger, lighter, and sharper than the best castle-forged steel. Then there are longswords, bastard swords, greatswords, which are mostly used by knights and lords in battles or in tournaments.

Needle is different than these swords. It was custom-made by Mikken, a blacksmith at Winterfell, on the order of Jon Snow. It was a parting gift from Jon to Arya, when she accompanied her father to King’s Landing. Jon was also going to the Wall to take the black, so they didn’t know when they’ll see each other again.

In Winterfell, Arya saw Robb as close to a guardian figure, who would become the Lord of Winterfell and take her father’s place in the future. She didn’t have that much love with Sansa, since she was better than her in being a lady. Arya hated all lady-like activities. Rickon was too small, and Bran was always a loner. Among all the siblings, Jon was truly a brother, a mentor, and a friend to her. I guess they both shared a “fish-out-of-water” situation: Jon was a bastard who wanted recognition from Catelyn that he never got, and Arya was a daughter of a lord who didn’t want to become a lady. She wanted to learn sword fight instead, but wasn’t allowed.

When Arya lost needle in the Riverlands, it was devastating for her. Needle was the last thing she had from an already distant childhood. She’d already saw her father die for her & Sansa’s lives. She was pretending to be a boy, going back home, along with fugitives, thieves and rapists. And then Polliver took Needle away from her, while killing Lommy. [“What the fuck’s a Lommy” – The Hound].

When she came across the chance of getting Needle back, it was an even lower (probably the lowest) point in her short life. Yoren, who was her only hope getting back to Winterfell, died, she was taken to Harrenhal, then she somehow escaped, then got captured by the Brotherhood Without Banners (Lord Beric FTW!), then she escaped again and immediately got captured by the Hound. For a short time she thought she might get back with her family at the Twins, then she got to know that Freys killed Robb and Catelyn. She was already a captive of the Hound, who she hated for killing Mycah. Winterfell was burnt and there’s no one left alive. The only living family she had was Sansa (who’s a prisoner in King’s Landing), And Jon in the Wall, but that is the farthest distance from where she is right now. The Hound was not going to take her there, rather he’s taking her to Eyrie. She can try to get back to Jon from Eyrie, but it is very unlikely that her aunt will let her go to a bastard.

For me, one of the most depressing descriptions on the road was Arya and the Hound through Riverlands. The crushing grief of not being able to help her mother and brother, let alone see them once before they die were too much for her. The war-torn Riverlands were also not helping her in any way. There were burned down villages, murdered corpses, raped women in broken inns in her way. Then she stumbled upon the Inn at the Crossroads, and she killed Polliver to get back Needle.

Needle was Robb and Bran and Rickon, her mother and her father, even Sansa. Needle was Winterfell’s grey walls, and the laughter of its people. Needle was the summer snows, Old Nan’s stories, the heart tree with its red leaves and scary face, the warm earthy smell of the glass gardens, the sound of the north wind rattling the shutters of her room. Needle was Jon Snow’s smile. He used to muss my hair and call me ‘little sister’ , she remembered, and suddenly there were tears in her eyes.

I think while every shit was hitting the fan she didn’t understand what Needle is to her. Needle is not just a sword, not anymore since she lost almost everyone she once loved or held dear. That realization came when she had to travel with the BWB. In one passage, GRRM delved inside her mind, and brought back what she actually felt about everything. Needle was that faint assurance that she will always be a Stark, who has the North inside her heart. She might put on a different mask time to time to survive, but deep down she’s still the Arya that loved Jon and Robb and Bran and Rickon and Sansa. Still the girl who has wolf blood in her veins.