she-wolf-of-highgarden:

You know who does not get enough respect? Lady Smallwood. This woman is so underappreciated. Her husband is fighting for Robb (though they will bend the knee to the Lannisters after the Red Wedding), she has had to send her daughter away, her son died, and she is still helping the Brotherhood Without Banners. 

She could be mean when dealing with Arya and the Brotherhood. The Riverlands are being destroyed and here is this band of merry men needing food and bring children that need to be cared for. Does she complain? No. 

“Lady Smallwood welcomed the outlaws kindly enough, though she gave them a tongue lashing for dragging a young girl through the war. She became even more wroth when Lem let slip that Arya was highborn. “Who dressed the poor child in those Bolton rags?” she demanded of them. “That badge … there’s many a man who would hang her in half a heartbeat for wearing a flayed man on her breast.” Arya promptly found herself marched upstairs, forced into a tub, and doused with scalding hot water. Lady Smallwood’s maidservants scrubbed her so hard it felt like they were flaying her themselves. They even dumped in some stinky-sweet stuff that smelled like flowers.” – Arya IV, ASoS

I wouldn’t blame this woman if she had been weary or annoyed with the Brotherhood. She is not mad at them for showing up, she is mad that they dragged a young girl through the war, and she starts that even before Lem lets slip that Arya is highborn. Lady Smallwood is a kind, and Arya responds really well to that. Lady Smallwood has nothing to gain by being kind to her and yet she is. 

When Arya is leaving Lady Ravella gives her clothing, that will allow her to travel easier than had she only given her a gown. 

“

So the next morning as they broke their fast, Lady Smallwood gave her breeches, belt, and tunic to wear, and a brown doeskin jerkin dotted with iron studs. “They were my son’s things,” she said. “He died when he was seven.” – Arya IV, ASOS

What makes it seem even more sincere is that she does not give Arya clothing from some stable boy or something, Lady Smallwood gives her clothing that belonged to her son, who had died. We don’t know how many of his things she has, but she still gives some of them to Arya, probably knowing that she wont see them again. 

And to her credit the woman manages to charm Arya. Arya who has been enslaved in Harrenhal, who is starting to have identity issues, who is suspicious of people. 

For example she feels bad when she ruins the Acorn Dress. 

“I’m sorry, my lady.” Arya suddenly felt bad for her, and ashamed. “I’m sorry I tore the acorn dress too. It was pretty.” – Arya IV, ASOS 

And Arya curbs some of her willfulness in order to be kind in return to Lady Smallwood. 

“Some of the women tried to put her in a dress and make her do needlework, but they weren’t Lady Smallwood and she was having none of it.” – Arya XII, ASOS

The implication being that had it been Lady Smallwood trying to have her wear a dress or make her do needlework she might actually go along with it. That is a big compliment to Lady Smallwood. 

Lady Smallwood is a kind woman and deserves more attention for being brave enough to let these group of men crash at her place, and kind enough to feed them and to tell them off for dragging a little girl through a war zone, before she even knew the girl was a highborn. Quite frankly i hope that Lady Smallwood and Arya reunite because i loved them together.