Asha Greyjoy

As a child, Asha was a skinny girl with knob knees and a face full of pimples. Now in her mid-twenties, Asha is lean and long legged, with dark eyes and black hair cut short. Her face is thin, with a big, sharp nose, and wind-chafed skin. On her neck is a faded pink scar. Asha's brother, Theon Greyjoy, believes her hawk-like nose is too big and sharp for her small face, but he feels that her wicked smile makes up for it.

Asha is a wild and headstrong young woman, raised by her mother to be bold. There is a boldness to the way she walks; part saunter, part sway. She possesses a sharp wit, and has no problem with holding her own against men, both in a verbal battle and in a physical fight. Asha enjoys ale and wine. Defying the classical gender roles of Westerosi culture, Asha was appalled early on by the idea of becoming a lord's wife. After her older two brothers died and her younger brother was taken hostage, Asha's father Balon began to see her as his heir, treating her like he would a son.

Asha's attire includes a brown quilted tunic, breeches of black or green wool, a studded belt, and salt-stained high leather boots. She sometimes wears a sleeveless leather jerkin half-unlaced, and she also owns a green leather jerkin covered with overlapping plates of steel. Asha prefers throwing axes, which she has been practicing with since she was just a little girl, but she also keeps a dirk with her.

Asha personally leads her men into battle. She captains her own ship, Black Wind, and has the devotion of her crew, who take a perverse pride in the deeds of their female captain. According to Asha, half of them love her like a daughter, while the other half want to sleep with her. Regardless, Asha loves her men, and is willing to die for them, as they are for her. Asha is also well liked by the servants of Pyke and people of Lordsport. Asha is not devoted to the Drowned God.

Asha was fairly unattractive in her youth. Her uncle, Victarion Greyjoy, remembers Asha as a little girl swimming naked in the sea and playing with her doll. Asha's eldest siblings, Rodrik and Maron, died during Greyjoy's Rebellion, and her younger brother Theon departed for Winterfell to be Eddard Stark's hostage and ward. Asha thus became Lord Balon Greyjoy's only remaining child in Pyke. Asha had her first flowering during the war.

Asha's mother, Lady Alannys Harlaw, fostered five boys at Pyke after Theon's departure. Asha experimented with Tristifer Botley, the boy closest to Asha in age, during puberty, although his feeling were stronger than hers. Tris was sent away to Blacktyde after Maester Qalen caught the youths together.

Asha grew into an attractive and bold young woman, and Balon effectively raised his wild and headstrong daughter as his heir. However, Asha preferred Ten Towers, the seat of her uncle Rodrik Harlaw, to Pyke. She lost her virtue at age 16 to a sailor from Lys. In 293 AC or 294 AC Asha sailed Black Wind on a trading voyage which included stops at Fair Isle, Lannisport, and the Arbor, where she introduced peaches to one of her lovers, Qarl the Maid. Asha was away raiding Lyseni pirates at the Stepstones when her father exiled her uncle, Euron Crow's Eye, from the Iron Islands in 297 AC for having impregnated Victarion's third wife.