Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Brienne

The Abbey stands on an island half a mile offshore, where the gentle Trident River empties into Crab Bay through its wide estuary.Even if you look from a distance, you can see the richness of the island: terraced fields cover the slopes, there are fish ponds below, and there are windmills on the top. The paddles made of wood and canvas rotate slowly in the breeze blowing from the bay.Brienne saw sheep grazing on the hillside and storks walking in the shallow water around the ferry dock. "Saltpans is on the other side," Brother Meribald said, pointing to the north of the bay. "The Brothers Brothers will ferry us across at the early tide, but I'm worried about what we'll see there. Before that, let's Have a hot meal, brothers always have bones for the dog." The dog barked, wagging its tail.

Now it is catching up with the low tide, and it is receding quickly. The river that separates the island from the land retreats rapidly, leaving a vast brown mudflat, slightly flooded, with tide puddles all over it, like gold coins in the afternoon sun flickering.Brienne scratched the back of her neck as a bug bit her.She had her hair up, and the sun was warming her skin. "Why is it called the Quiet Isle?" Podrick asked. "For those who dwell here are penitents who seek to atone for their sins in contemplation, prayer, and silence. Only the Elders and Proctors can speak on the island, and the Proctors can only speak one day out of seven."

"Sisters of Silence never speak," said Podrick, "I've heard they don't have tongues." Septon Meribald smiled. "When I was your age, my elders frightened children like this. In fact, no matter when and where, this statement is not true. Swearing to keep silent is a way of expressing repentance, making sacrifices to prove to oneself piety to the seven gods of heaven A mute who swears silence is like a man without legs who renounces dancing." He led the donkey down the slope and beckoned them to follow. "If you want to sleep under the roof tonight, you must dismount now and come with me through the mud. We call it the Road of Faith, and those who have faith will pass safely, while those with malicious intentions will be swallowed by quicksand, or Drown when the tide came back. None of you harbored ill intentions? Even so, I will be careful where I step. Remember, you can get to the other side only by stepping where I have stepped."

Brienne found that the road of faith was really winding. The island seemed to stand in the northwest, but Brother Meribald didn't go directly to it, but turned to the east, heading for the depths of the bay.The sea water in the distance shone with silver-blue light, and the brown mud "squeaked" squeezed between his toes. He stopped from time to time to test the front with his wooden stick.The dog was at his heels, sniffing every rock, every shell, every clump of seaweed.But this time it was neither bouncing in front nor swimming around. Brienne followed, keeping an eye out for the trail of footprints left by dogs, donkeys, and septons, then Podrick, and Ser Hyle finished.A hundred yards later, Meribald turned suddenly to the south, marching almost with his back to the Abbey.He walked another hundred yards in that direction, leading them between two shallow tidal puddles.The dog poked its nose into one of them, and a crab pinched its nose with a vesicle, making it bark, and there was a short but violent struggle, and finally the dog trotted back, wet and muddy, With the crab in its mouth.

"Aren't we going there?" Sir Hale called from behind, pointing at the Abbey. "We seem to be wandering around, but we're not heading there." "This is the path of faith," Brother Meribald exhorted, "faith, perseverance, and piety will find the peace you seek." The mudflat glows with damp light around it, reflecting nearly a hundred mottled tones.The mud was a dark brown, almost as black, but there were patches of golden sand, patches of gray and red rock outcroppings, and clumps of black and green seaweed.Storks waded through the tide puddles, leaving many footprints, and crabs scuttled across the surface of the shallows.The air smelled of sea salt and decay, and the mud sucked on people's feet until they tried, and then reluctantly let go with a "snap" and a creaking sigh.Septon Meribald turned one turn after another, leaving footprints that quickly filled with water.By the time the ground firmed up and began to rise, she estimated she had traveled at least a mile and a half.

They climbed over the rubble that circled the shore, and the three were waiting.They wore the tan robes of their brother monks, with wide bell cuffs and pointed hoods, and two of them also had long woolen cloths wrapped around the lower half of their faces, leaving only the eyes visible.It was the third who spoke. "Septon Meribald," he said aloud, "haven't seen you in almost a year. Welcome, and your companions." The dog wags its tail, and Meribald shakes the mud off his feet. "We ask for one night's accommodation." "Of course. Fish stew tonight. Will you take the ferry in the morning?"

"Hope that's not too much to ask." Meribald turned to his traveling companions. "Brother Narbert is an overseer, and may speak one day out of every seven. These good men have helped me along the way, brother. Ser Hyle Hunt was a gallant knight of the Reach; and this boy Podrick Payne, from Westlands; this is Lady Brienne, Maiden of Tarth." Brother Nabert froze for a moment. "woman." "Yes, brother." Brienne undid her hair and shook her head. "You don't have women here?" "Not currently," Nabert said. "Women who come to visit us are sick or wounded, or pregnant. The Seven gave the Elder the healing hand, and he has restored many men and women to health that not even maesters could heal."

"I'm not sick, injured or pregnant." "Lady Brienne is a warrior woman," Septon Meribald revealed, "and she hunts the Hound." "Really?" Nabert seemed taken aback, "Why?" Brienne touched the hilt of Oathkeeper. "For this," she said. The supervisor looked at her. "You... are very strong for a woman, but... maybe I should take you to the elder. He will put you through the mud. Come." Narbert led them along a cobblestone path through an apple grove to a whitewashed stable with a peaked thatched roof. "You keep your livestock here. The Gilaman brothers are responsible for feeding and drinking them."

More than three-quarters of the stables were empty.There were half a dozen mules in the near corner, tended by a bow-legged brother whom Brienne surmised was Gilaman.And in a farther corner, a huge black stallion, separated from the other animals, neighed and kicked at the gate of the corral when he heard the voice. Ser Hyle handed the reins to Brother Gilaman, and looked at the tall horse with admiration. "Beautiful horse." Brother Nabert sighed. "The seven gods blessed, but also doomed. 'Driftwood' is beautiful, but it must have been born in hell. When we tried to harness it to the plow, Brother Lawney's shin was broken in two places. We hope Castration can improve its bad temper, and it turns out... Brother Gilaman, would you like to show them?" Brother Gilaman lowered his hood.He had short blond hair, a shaved scalp, and bloody bandages wrapped around his ears.

Podrick gasped, "The horse bit off your ear?" Gilaman nodded and covered his head. "Forgive me, brother," said Sir Hyle, "but if you come at me with the scissors, I'll bite off your other ear." The joke failed to impress the Nabert brothers. "You are a knight, sir, and 'driftwood' is but a beast of burden. The blacksmith builds horses for the labor of men." He turned away. "This way, please. The elder is waiting." The slope was much steeper than it seemed from a distance. To facilitate climbing, the monks built a wooden staircase and shuttled back and forth between the buildings along the mountain.Brienne had been bouncing around in the saddle all day and enjoyed the chance to stretch her legs.

On the way up the hill I passed a dozen brothers from the Church; men in dark brown with their hoods pulled up, watched them pass curiously but did not salute them.One of them led two cows to a low thatched barn, another was churning butter, and on the higher side of the hill, there were three boys driving sheep. The tall brother was struggling to dig a grave. Judging from his movements, he was obviously lame.He tossed a shovelful of gravel high over his shoulder, some of which fell right at their feet. "Be careful," Brother Nabert reprimanded, "Sister Meribald almost ate a mouthful of mud." The gravedigger lowered his head.When the dog came up to sniff him, he put down the shovel and scratched the dog's ear. "An apprentice," Nabert explained. They continued to climb the wooden steps. "For whom was the grave dug?" asked Ser Hyle. "Brother Claremont, may the Father judge him justly." "Is he very old?" asked Podrick Payne. "If you think forty-eight is old. He didn't die of old age, but of the wounds he got at Saltpans. He happened to be taking our mead to market the day the gangsters raided the town." "The Hound?" Brienne said. "Another gang, but no less cruel. Poor Clement had his tongue cut out, not wanting to speak. The gangster said that since he had sworn to keep silent, it was unnecessary to ask for his tongue. The Elder Learn more He kept to himself the worst news of the outside world, so as not to disturb the tranquility of the Abbey. Many of us brothers came here to escape the horrors of the world and not to think about it. Brother Claremont was not the only wounded among us, Some wounds cannot be seen from the outside." Brother Nabert pointed to the right side. "That's our summer rack. The grapes are small and sour, but the wine is drinkable. We make our own ale, too, and our mead and cider are famous." "The war never came here?" Brienne asked. "Not this time, praise the Seven. Prayer protects us." "There is still tide." Meribald reminded.The dog barked in agreement. On the brow, there is a low, unmudded stone wall surrounding a large cluster of buildings: windmills with creaking blades, cloisters where monks sleep, halls where they eat, and wooden chapels for prayer and meditation. .The windows of the sanctuary are framed with leaded glass, the wide doors are carved with images of the Father and the Virgin, and the seven-sided steeple has aisles.Behind the sanctuary is a vegetable garden where some older brothers are pulling weeds.The Nabert brothers led the visitors around a chestnut tree to a wooden door set into the mountainside. "A cave with a door?" said Sir Hyle in surprise. Septon Meribald smiled. "This is called the Hermit's Cave. The first sage who found this island lived in it. He created many miracles and attracted others to join. It was two thousand years ago, and the door was added later." Two thousand years ago, the Hermit Cave might have been dark and damp with mud all over it, echoing with the sound of dripping water, but it has changed a long time ago.The cave that Brienne and her companions entered turned into a warm and comfortable secret room, with woolen blankets on the floor, brocade on the walls, and abundant light from long beeswax candles. The furniture was strange and simple, including a long table, A high-backed bench, a chest, some tall bookcases full of books, and some chairs.They were all made of driftwood, cleverly pieced together in oddly shaped strips, polished to a dark gold in the candlelight. The Elder was not what Brienne had imagined.First of all, he is hardly an elder. The brothers weeding in the vegetable garden are all stooped old men, but he is tall and straight, full of vitality, in the prime of life; second, his face is not as kind as the medical saint she imagined. kindly.His head was large and square, his eyes were keen and shrewd, and his nose was streaked with red.Although his hair was shaved, the top of his head and thick chin were covered with a short beard. He didn't look like a saint who could set bones and heal wounds, but a thug who was ready to break joints at any time, the virgin of Tarth thought.The elder walked across the room, hugged Septon Meribald, and patted the dog. "It's always a happy day when our friend Meribald and the dog come to visit," he declared, before turning to face the other guests. "We also welcome new faces. Ah, so few new faces have been seen lately." Meribald greeted him as usual, and then sat down on the high-backed bench.Unlike Septon Narbert, the elder wasn't disturbed by Brienne's gender, but when the septon brought up the reason why Brienne and Ser Hyle were traveling, he stopped smiling and said, "I see." Then diverted the topic. "You must be thirsty. Try our sweet cider to moisten your throats after the journey." He poured them himself.The mugs are also made from driftwood, no two are alike.When Brienne expressed her appreciation, he replied, "Miss, we just carve and polish wood and make use of it. In this place, we are blessed by the gods, where the river meets the bay, and the river meets the tide. Many strange things have been washed up on the bank and given to us. Driftwood is the most inconspicuous of them. We have found silver cups, iron pots, sacks of wool, coils of silk, rusty helmets, shiny Bright swords... and, yes, even rubies." This aroused Sir Hale's interest. "Rhaegar's ruby?" "Perhaps, who knows? The battle is far upstream, but the river is patient and tireless. We have found six rubies, and we are all waiting for the seventh." "Gems are stronger than bones." Meribald rubbed his feet, the dirt peeling off under his fingers. "The gifts of the river are not always pleasant, and good brothers receive bones too. Drowned cows or deer, dead pigs swollen to half the size of horses, and yes, human corpses." "There have been too many dead bodies lately," sighed the elder. "The gravediggers never rested. The Three Rivers, the Westlanders, the Yankees, they all rushed here. There were knights and scoundrels. We buried them together, Starks and Lannister, Blackwood and Bracken, Foyle and Darry... all together, it is the river's duty to us to repay its bounty, and we do what we can, but sometimes we find women... sometimes Worse, find a child. That's the cruelest gift." He turned to Septon Meribald. "I wish you had time to confess. We haven't had a confession since the brigands killed old Friar Bennett." "I'll find time," said Meribald, "hope you have better sins than the last time I passed by." The dog barked. "See? Even dogs are bored." Podrick Payne was puzzled. "I thought there was no one to talk to. Well, it wasn't intrusion. It was the brothers. The other brothers, not you." "We are allowed to break the silence when we confess," said the elder, "it is difficult to speak out of sins with gestures and nods." "Did they burn down the church in Saltpans?" asked Hale Hunt. The smile disappeared. "They burned everything in Saltpans, except the castle, because the castle was stone... and it was useless to the town, no different than what suet was made of. It falls to me to treat the survivors until the fire dies down , when the fishermen thought it was safe to land, they carried the survivors across the bay and brought them to me. There was a poor woman who was raped a dozen times, and her chest... Ma'am, you wear men's armor, I won't Concealed from you... her breasts were bitten off and eaten as if... devoured by a beast. I tried my best to heal, but failed. The vicious curse she uttered before she died was not aimed at those who raped her, Or the beast that devoured her flesh alive, but Ser Quincy Cox, who bolted the castle gate when the gangsters came to town, and hid safely behind a stone wall while his people screamed to death." "Sir Quincy is an old man," said Septon Meribald softly, "his son and adopted son are far away or dead, his grandchildren are young, and he has two daughters. Can you deal with so many gangsters?" He should at least try, Brienne thought, rather than die.Regardless of age, a true knight swears to the death to protect the weak, putting the lives of others before his own. "You are right and wise," the elder said to Septon Meribald. "When you are ferried to Saltpans, no doubt Ser Quincy will seek your confession. I am glad you will forgive him. I cannot. ’ He put down the driftwood cup and stood up. "The bell for supper is about to strike. Friends, before you sit down to share bread and meat and mead, will you go to the sept with me and pray for the souls of the good people of Saltpans?" "With pleasure," Meribald said.The dog barked. Supper at the Abbey was the strangest combination Brienne had ever seen, but it wasn't unpleasant.The food is simple and delicious: freshly baked bread is crisp and warm, freshly churned butter is placed in a jar with honey from the abbey bee industry, and the thick stew contains crab meat, mussel meat and at least three different kinds of meat. fish.Septon Meribald and Ser Hyle drank their brothers' mead and said it was excellent, while she and Podrick were content with some sweet cider.The meeting was not dull.Meribald said his prayers before the food was served, and while the brothers dined at the four long tables one of them played the harp, and the hall was filled with sweet, soft music.After the elder let the musicians eat, Brother Nabert and another supervisor began to read chapters from the "Seven Stars Bible" in turn. After the reading was over, the last morsels of food were cleared away by the apprentices acting as waiters.Most of them were Podrick's age or younger, but there were adults too, including the big gravedigger they'd met on the hillside, limping awkwardly.The hall gradually became empty, and the elder asked Narbert to take Podrick and Ser Hyle to the beds in the corridor. "You don't mind sharing a room, do you? It's not big, but it's comfortable." "I'm going to live with Ser," said Podrick. "I mean, miss." "How you and Miss Brienne are elsewhere is between you and the Seven," said Brother Nabert, "but on the Quiet Isle a man and a woman cannot sleep under the same roof unless they are married," "We have some rough huts reserved for visiting women, whether she be a lady of the nobility or an ordinary girl of the village," said the elder. "They're not used often, but we clean them often to keep them clean and dry. Miss Brienne, will I show you the way?" "Well, thank you. Podrick, go with Sir Hyle. We are guests of the Abbey, under their roof, and must abide by their rules." The woman's hut was on the east side of the island, facing the wide swamp and Crab Bay in the distance, which was colder and more desolate than the leeward side.The slopes are steep and the paths wind through weeds, brambles and weathered rocks, with twisted and thorny trees clinging tenaciously to the slopes.The elder lit a lamp to light the way downhill.He stopped at a corner. "On a clear night, you can see the lights of Saltpans from here. Across the bay, there," he pointed. "Nothing," Brienne said. "Only the castle remained, and even the lucky fishermen who were out at sea when the gangsters arrived. They saw their houses burned, and heard the screams and cries echoing from the docks, and they were too frightened to let their boats approach When they finally go ashore, they can only bury relatives and friends. For them, what else does Yanchang Town have besides bones and bitter memories? They went to Maiden Spring City, or other towns." He used a lamp to draw a picture, Then keep going down. "Saltpans has never been a big port, but there are boats calling in from time to time, and that's what the gangsters were looking for, a rowboat or flat-bottomed cargo boat, to take them across the narrow sea. Unfortunately, there wasn't even one at the time, so they Take out your desperate rage on the townspeople. I wonder, Miss... what exactly are you looking for?" "A girl," she told him, "a noble maiden of thirteen, with a pretty face and auburn hair." "Sansa Stark," he whispered the name, "you believe the poor child was with the Hound?" "The Dornishman said she was going to Riverrun - Timon said he was a mercenary of the Brave Order, a murderer, a rapist and a liar, but I don't think he lied about it - and was robbed by the Hound on the way gone." "I see." The road turned a corner, and the huts were ahead.The elders said they were crude, and they were, looking like stone hives, low and round with no windows. "This one." He pointed to the nearest cabin, the only one with smoke rising from a smoke hole in the center of the roof.Brienne had to bend over to keep her head from hitting the door beam as she entered.Inside were dirt floors, beds of hay, hides and blankets for warmth, a basin of water, a jug of cider, some bread and cheese, a small fire, and two low chairs.The elder sat down on one of them and put down the lamp. "Can I stay a little longer? I think we should talk." "If you want." Brienne unfastened her sword belt, hung it over the second chair, and sat cross-legged on the bed. "Your Dornishman did not lie," the elder began, "but I fear you miss him. You are after another she-wolf, madam, and Eddard Stark has two daughters. Sandor Kerry Gon took the other one, the smaller one." "Arya Stark?" Brienne was dumbfounded. "You know? Sansa's sister is alive?" "Alive then," said the elder, "now... I don't know. She may have been one of the children who were massacred in Saltpans." Those words were like a dagger in her stomach.No, Brienne thought.No, that would be too cruel. "Perhaps... that means you're not sure...?" "I'm sure at the Inn at the Crossroads, the kid was with Sandor Clegane, old Martha Hyde who kept the shop, and got hanged by lions. I'm sure they're on their way to Saltpans. Other than that . . . Not anymore. I don't know where she is now, or even if she's alive. But one thing I do know: The man you hunted is dead." This surprised her again. "How did he die?" "He lived by the sword and died by the sword." "Are you sure?" "I buried him with my own hands. If you want to know, I can tell you where his tomb is. I covered him with stones so that scavengers would not dig him up, and I put his helmet on the grave to mark him. But it was a grave mistake, someone else found my tomb marker and took it for their own. It wasn't Sandor Clegane who murdered and raped Saltpans - though he may be just as dangerous - The riverlands are full of such beasts now. I wouldn't call them wolves, wolves have more dignity than them...even dogs." "I know a thing or two about Sandor Clegane. He was Prince Joffrey's bodyguard for many years, and even here we hear stories of him, good and bad, and even we Heard only half-truth, this too was a wretched and tormented soul, a sinner who mocked the gods as well as men. He served faithfully, but felt no pride in it; he fought hard, but There is no joy in victory; he drinks like water, trying to drown his feelings; he has no love, nor himself, but hatred drives him. He commits many sins, but never seeks forgiveness. Others dream of love, riches, and glory, And this man, Sandor Clegane, dreamed of killing his own brother, a thought so terrible that it made me shudder just to say it. But that was the bread that nourished him, that kept the fire of his life burning Fuel, he expected to see his brother's blood on his sword, the sad and angry creature lived for it... But now even this hope has been taken away, Prince Oberyn of Dorne with a A poisoned spear pierced Ser Gregor." "Sounds like you feel sorry for him," Brienne said. "Yes. If you had seen him at his deathbed, you would have shed tears of sympathy. I met him on the banks of the Trident, and he was drawn to me by his cries of anguish. He begged me to show him mercy, But I've sworn to kill no more. Instead, I've scrubbed his hot brow with river water, given him red wine, and put ointments on the wounds, but I've done too little, too late. There the Hound died, Died in my arms. You may have seen a tall black horse in our stables, and that was his steed, Stranger. A blasphemous name, we renamed it Driftwood, because it was by the river Found it. I'm afraid it has the temper of its former owner." that horse.She had seen the stallion, heard the sound of its kicking, and she had never believed that a war horse could be trained to kick and bite.In war they are also weapons, as are the men who ride them.like.hound. "That's true," she said dryly. "Sandor Clegane is dead." "He has rested in peace." The elder paused. "You're young, boy, and I'm past forty-four name days... I guess I'm more than twice your age. Would you be surprised if I said I was a knight?" "No. You look more like a knight than a saint." His chest, shoulders, and strong jaw showed it clearly. "Why did you give up your knighthood?" "I never chose to be a knight. My father was a knight, and so was my grandfather, and every one of my brothers. Trained me to fight from the day they thought I was old enough to hold a wooden sword. I knew I was One of them, and never disgraced them; I have had many women, and I am ashamed of it, for some were acquired by violence. I had hoped to marry a girl, a local lord's Youngest daughter, but I am the third son of my father and have neither land nor wealth... only a sword, a horse and a shield. In short, I am sad, and when I am not fighting, I drink. My life is red Write it, blood and wine." "When did it change?" Brienne asked. "When I died at the Battle of the Trident. I fought for Prince Rhaegar, though he never knew my name, which is normal. The lord I served served another lord, and this other lord decided to side with the dragon instead. Not a stag. Had he decided otherwise, I might have been on the other side of the river. The battle was bloody. The singers always make it believe that Rhaegar and Robert were the only ones fighting in the river, for a man they both fell in love with. but I assure you that others are fighting, and I am one of them. I got an arrow in the thigh, another arrow in the foot, and the horse in the crotch was killed, and yet I fought on. I I remember desperately trying to get another horse because I couldn't afford one, and I wouldn't be a knight without a horse. To be honest, that was all I could think about, and I didn't even see the blow that knocked me out. I Hearing the sound of hooves behind him, he thought, A horse! But before he could turn around, his head was hit and he was thrown into the river, where he should have drowned." "But here I wake up, on the Isle of Silence. The elders tell me I was washed up by the tide, naked as I was on Name Day. I can only assume that someone found me in the shallows, stripped of my armor, boots, and trousers, and pushed back into the deep water. The rest was all up to the river. We were born naked, and when I started my second life, I thought it was fitting. For the next ten years, I have been silent." "I see." Brienne didn't know why he told her this, or what to say. "Really?" He leaned forward, resting his big hands on his knees. "In that case, give up your mission. The Hound is dead, and after all he was never with your Sansa Stark. As for the brute with his helm, he will be caught and hanged sooner or later. The war is coming to an end, and the gangsters must be brought to justice. Randall Tully sits in Maiden Springs, Walder Frey sends troops from Twin Rivers to hunt down, and Darry has a new young lord. He is very pious and will definitely fix it. Your own land. Come home, boy, you have a home, in this dark age, many people are not so lucky. You also have a noble father, he must love you very much. If you never go back, think How sad he must be. Maybe when you die, people will bring back your sword and shield to him, maybe he will even hang them on the wall and look at them with pride...but if you ask him, I believe He'll tell you he'd rather have a living daughter than a shattered shield." "A daughter." Brienne's eyes filled with tears. "He shall have a daughter, who shall sing to him, and grace his halls, and bear him grandchildren. And he shall have a son, who shall be valiant and strong, and bring him honors. Yet when I was four years old in Galledon and drowned, when he was eight, and Alysanne and Arianne in their infancy. I was the only child the gods let him have. A monstrosity, neither male nor female." All to Bu Renee came, like black blood from a wound; the treachery, the engagement, Red Roland and his rose, Lord Renly dancing with her, the gamble of her virginity, her king and Margaret Till Lil's sad tears on her wedding night, the tourney at Bitterbridge, her proud rainbow cloak, the shadow in the king's tent, Renly dying in her arms, Riverrun and Lady Catelyn, on the Trident The journey with Jaime, the duel with Jaime in the woods, the Mummers of Blood, Jaime shouting "Sapphire!" The Taste of Blood, The Bear Pit, Jaime Leaping in the Sand, The Long Ride to King's Landing, Sansa Stark, Her Oath to Jaime, Her Oath to Lady Catelyn, Oathkeeper, Twilight Valley City, Maiden Spring City, Smart Dick, Crab Claw Peninsula, Whispering Castle, the people she killed... "I must find her," she said firmly at last. "Others are looking for her, too, and they all want to catch her and sell her to the queen. I must find her first. I promised Jaime. He named the sword 'Oathkeeper'. I must save her...or fail."