Chapter 23 Chapter 22 Arya

The little citadel was almost deserted, as was the big gray knight who lived in it.He was too old to understand their questions, and no matter what they asked, he would just smile and murmur: "I held the bridge and kept Ser Maynard from crossing. He has red hair and a bad temper, but he can't shake me. I was responsible before I killed him." Six wounds. Six oh!" Fortunately, the maester who took care of him was a young man.After the old knight gradually fell asleep in the chair, he pulled everyone aside, "I'm afraid you are looking for ghosts. A long time ago, at least half a year ago, ravens came here. It said that Lord Bailey gave Lannister's lackeys Caught near God's Eye Lake and hanged."

"Yeah, hanged, but Soros cut the rope before he died and let him down again." Lemon's nose was no longer red and swollen, but it was crooked as it healed, making the face look asymmetrical. "The Lightning King can't die, really." "Ah, he also seems to be very good at hiding," said the maester. "Have you asked Mrs. Leaf about his whereabouts?" "We'll ask," Greenbeard said. The next morning, they crossed the small stone bridge behind the castle and continued on their way. Gendry wondered if this was the bridge the old man was talking about.no one knows. "Probably," said Lucky Jack, "there's no other bridge."

"If only there were a song," said Tom Sevenstrings, "a sweet ballad that will tell us who Sir Maynard is, and why he wants to cross the bridge. If poor old Lychester is in his senses, Keep a singer around, and he might be as famous as Eragon." "Lord Leicester's sons were all killed in Robert's Rebellion," grumbled Lemon, "some on one side, some on the other, but all died. His head has been stuck ever since Not normal, no goddamn song will improve the situation." "What does the maester mean by 'Lady Leaf'?" Arya asked Anguy after mounting her horse.

Sagittarius smiled, "Just wait and see." Three days later they rode through a yellow mulberry tree, and Lucky Jack took down his horn and blew out a peculiar rhythm.Before the lingering sound died down, a rope ladder was lowered from the tree. "Tie up the horses, and let's go up," said Tom, half-singing.High in the branches was a hidden village, a maze of rope walkways and mossy huts hidden behind walls of red and gold foliage.They were brought before Mrs. Leaf, a white-haired old woman as thin as a bamboo pole, dressed in coarse cloth. "It's autumn, we can't stay here any longer," she told them. "Nine days ago, a dozen wolf cubs came along Harvard Avenue to search. If they looked up, they might find us."

"Have you never seen Lord Berry?" asked Tom Sevenstrings. "He's dead," the woman said gaggingly. "Caught by the Mountain, with a dagger pierced through the eye. That's what a Beggar brother said, and he has eyewitnesses." "It's an old story, and it's not true," said Lemon. "The Lightning King doesn't die so easily. Ser Gregor might gouge out his eyes, but people don't die from it. You see, isn't Jack?" "Well, yes," said one-eyed Lucky Jack. "My father was hanged by Lord Piper's Inspectors all right, and I, Gwort, were taken to the Wall, and the Lannisters killed my brothers. An eye is nothing."

"You guarantee that he is not dead?" The woman grabbed Lemon's arm, "Thank you, Lemon, this is the best news we have received in half a year. May the soldiers protect him and the red monk beside him." The next night they found shelter in a charred sanctuary in a burned village called Dancing Village.Fragments of the leaded glass of the sanctuary remained, and the old monks who greeted them said the looters even took the Virgin's costly robes, the Crone's gilded lantern, and the Father's silver crown. "They also cut off the maiden's breast, though it was only of wood," he continued, "and the eyes of jet, chalcedony, and mother-of-pearl were gouged out with daggers. May Our Lady forgive them."

"Who did it?" Lemoncloak asked. "Blood Mummer?" "No," said the old man, "Northern men, barbarians who worship trees. They say they are looking for the Kingslayer." Arya bit her lip when she heard him.She could feel Gendry's gaze, and it made her feel ashamed and angry. There was a cellar under the sanctuary, and a dozen people lived among cobwebs, tree roots, and broken wine barrels, and they had no news of Beric Donderian, not even their leader—he was wearing Blackened armor, a bolt of lightning roughly drawn on the cloak.Seeing Arya staring at him, Greenbeard laughed, "Little Squirrel, the Lightning King is everywhere and nowhere to be found."

"I'm not a squirrel," she said, "I'm going to be eleven and I'm going to be a real woman." "Oh, be careful I don't marry you!" He tried to scratch her chin, but Arya slapped his clumsy hand away. That night, Lemon and Gendry played cards with their hosts, and Tom Sevenstrings sang a stupid song about Ben with the big belly and the High Septon's goose.Anguy let Arya try his longbow, but no matter how hard she gritted her teeth, she couldn't draw it. "You need a lighter bow, miss," said the freckle-faced archer. "If there's seasoned wood in Riverrun, perhaps I can make one for you."

Hearing this, Tom stopped singing. "You're such a fool, Archer. You can only go to Riverrun to ask for a ransom, and you won't have the time to sit down and make a bow. If you take the money and run away, you should be thankful if you don't get caught and skinned. The Duke of Hoster is with you He was in charge before he grew a beard, and the bandits and thieves can only be hanged if they fall into his hands. And his son... people who hate music cannot be trusted, this is my mantra." "It's not the music he hates," said Lemon, "it's you, fool."

"Here, this is where he's absurd. That girl only wants to sleep with men, and it's my fault that he can't do anything when he's drunk?" Lemon's broken nose snorted, "Is it you who made this into a song, or is it another idiot who loves his voice so much?" "I've only sung it once," protested Tom, "and who says it's about him? It's a fish!" "A limp fish," An Gai said with a grin. Arya didn't care about Tom's dumb songs.She turned to Harwin. "What did he mean by ransom?" "We need horses urgently, miss, and armor, swords, shields, spears...all of these have to be bought with money. By the way, we also need to buy seeds. Winter is coming, remember?" He touched her. jaw. "You're not the first nobleman we've held captive for ransom, and hopefully you won't be the last."

Indeed, Arya knew, knights had been captured for ransom throughout the ages, and some ladies could too.What if Robb won't pay?She cannot fight wars, and kings are supposed to put country above kin.And my mother, what would she say?I have caused so many troubles, will my mother still want me?Arya bit her lip in thought. The next day they rode to a place called Noble Heart, a high mountain whose top seemed to see half the world.Surrounding the summit is a ring of great pale tree stumps, once tall and majestic weirwoods.Arya and Gendry walked around the hill, counting thirty-one, some big enough for her to sleep in a bed. Tom Sevenstrings told her that the High Heart was once a holy place for the Children of the Forest, and that their magic still lives there. "He who sleeps here will not be harmed," said the singer.Arya thought it true: the mountain was so high, and the land around it so flat, that no enemy could sneak in. Tom continued, people in the vicinity avoid this place, because it is said that there are ghosts of the children of the forest.Ereg the Kinslayer, king of the Andals, felled the forest and killed them, and they never rested.Arya was not afraid. She had heard the stories of the children of the forest and the Andals since she was a child, and she had been a ghost of Harrenhal herself.As a child, she also hid in the crypts of Winterfell, played castle games among the stone statues of the king on the throne, and played Beauty and the Monster. Even so, after nightfall, she still felt creepy.It was easy to fall asleep, but a sudden wind and rain woke her up again, the quilt was thrown off all at once, and she flew spinning into the bushes.As she ran after her, she heard voices. Tom, Lemon, and Greenbeard were talking to a little woman by the embers of a campfire.She was a foot shorter than Arya and older than Old Nan, all bent and wrinkled, leaning on a knobby black cane.Her white hair was so long that it almost reached the ground, and when the cold wind blew, her hair danced around her head like a white cloud.Her skin was whiter, like milk, but her eyes were so red that it was hard to see from the bushes. "The old gods are at work and won't let me sleep," she heard the woman say, "I dreamed a shadow with a burning heart on its breast killed a golden stag, yes; I dreamed a man without a face , waiting on a rickety rope bridge, with a drowned crow perched on his shoulder, with seaweed hanging from its wings; I dreamed of a roaring river and a female fish floating on the water, The cheeks were red with tears, but the eyes snapped open, ah, woke me up in terror. I dreamed these... and more. Well, where is your gift in return for my dreams?" "Dreams," grumbled Lemoncloak, "what are dreams for? Female fish and drowned crows? I had a dream last night too, and in my dream I kissed a tavern girl I knew once. You'll pay for it huh, old woman?" "That bitch is dead," the old woman hissed. "Only maggots can kiss her." She turned to Tom Sevenstrings. "I want to listen to the song, or I'll drive you away." So the singer began to perform, singing so softly and sadly that Arya completely forgot herself.The tune is somewhat familiar.I bet Sansa would know what song it was if she was around.My sister not only knew all the songs, but also sang them sweetly and melodiously.I just yell. The next morning, the little white-haired woman was gone.As she prepares to go, Arya asks Tom the Sevenstrings if the Children of the Forest still live in a High Heart.The singer giggled, "You saw her, didn't you?" "Is she a ghost?" "A ghost complaining of joint pain? No, of course not. She's just a little old woman with a queer personality and evil eyes who knows things she shouldn't know. If she likes you, she'll give it away." "She likes you?" Arya asked suspiciously. The singer laughs, "At least like my voice. She keeps making me sing the same song, damn, that's a good song, but I can play other things too." He shakes his head. "Okay, the important thing is, we finally have a clue, and I bet you'll meet Thoros and King Lightning soon." "You are their subordinate, why are they still avoiding you?" Tom Sevenstrings rolled his eyes at this, and it was Harwin who answered, "It's not 'hiding', miss...Earl Bailey is running around, rarely revealing his plans, so that no one can betray him. So far, Hundreds, if not thousands, have sworn allegiance to him, but it is no good for us all to follow him, we will only deplete the land's resources, or be wiped out by the enemy. Instead, spread out, and we can attack a dozen at the same time place, and evacuate before the enemy reacts. Even if one of us is captured and questioned, no matter what the other party does, they will not be able to understand the movements of the Earl of Berry." He hesitated for a moment. "You know what that means, 'requested'?" Arya nodded. "Yes, I know Notepad, and Polliver and Raff." She told about the warehouse by God's Eye Lake - where she and Gendry were caught - and about Notepad question. "Is there any gold hidden in the village?" he always began. "Where's the silver and jewels? Where's the store? Where's Lord Beric Dondarrion? Did any of the villagers help him? Where did he go when he left? People? How many knights, how many archers, how many infantry were there? How equipped were they? How many were on horseback? How many were wounded? Have you seen any other enemies? How many of them? Where did they go? Is there any gold hidden in the village? Where are the silver and jewels? Where is Lord Beric Dondarrion? How many people are around him? Where have they gone, can you tell me?" Hearing those screams again, smelling blood, feces, and burnt flesh again. "He always asks the same questions," she told the bandits earnestly, "but in a different way every day." "Children shouldn't have to suffer like this," Harwin waited patiently for her to finish, and then commented, "We heard that the Mountain lost half of its men at Stone Mill, so maybe this 'notebook' is walking along the Red Fork River right now." Float and get their face bitten off by a fish; if not, they've got one more crime to pay for. My lord said it started because the Prime Minister sent him to punish Gregor Clegane, and he'll do it too Mission." He patted Arya's shoulder reassuringly. "Get on your horses, miss, it's a long day's ride to Acorn Hall, and when we get there we'll have a room and a hot supper." They did indeed ride all day, and at nightfall they crossed a stream and reached Acorn Hall.This great oaken fortress was surrounded by stone walls, and the lord of the castellan went out to war with Lord Vance, so the gates were closed and barred.The castellan's wife is an old acquaintance of Tom Seven Strings, Angai said they were lovers.The archer usually rode with her. Apart from Gendry, he was the closest in age to her in the team. He often told her about the style of Dornish, but he never joked.He's not my friend, he's just here to keep an eye on me and make sure I don't run away again.Arya knows how to see the truth, thanks to the teachings of Syrio Forel. Lady Smallwood was kind to the bandits, but she condemned them for dragging the little girl into battle.Arya is even angrier when Lemon accidentally reveals that she is a nobleman. "Who will dress the poor child in Bolton's rags?" she demanded. "This coat of arms... Seeing the flayed man on the chest, many people will hang her at once." Stairs, pressed into the tub, washed with scalding hot water.Lady Smallwood's maids rubbed her as hard as if they were going to skin her, and there was something in the water that was very fragrant, and it smelled like flowers. When they were done, they insisted that she change into women's clothes: brown wool stockings and a light linen blouse over a pale green dress with acorns embroidered all over the bodice and in the hem in brown silk thread. "My great-aunt was a nun from the Oldtown Sept," said Lady Smallwood, watching over the maids as they fastened the back of Arya's gown. I can't fit in these clothes. Do you like to dance, boy? My Caroline dances sweetly, and she sings beautifully. And you, what do you like to do?" She rubbed her toes on the straw mat, "... needlework." "Oh, I can't tell, are you a quiet child?" "Well," said Arya, "I don't do it the way other people do." "Not the same? I've always felt that needlework needs to be very quiet and careful. You see, the gods have given us different gifts and talents, and we should use them well. My aunt used to say that whatever you do, just do it." It’s a prayer to be serious and reach your potential. It’s an interesting thought, isn’t it? Hope you remember that next time you do your needlework. Do you do it every day?” "Do it every day until I lose my needle. The new ones aren't as good as the old ones." "Well, the current situation is so bad that everyone has to make do with it." Mrs. Smallwood examined the dress carefully. "You look like a decent little lady." No lady, Arya wanted to tell her, I am a direwolf. "I don't know who you are, child," the lady went on. "Perhaps it's better this way. I'm afraid you're an important person." She smoothed Arya's neckline. "Under the current situation, it's best to be ordinary and not to provoke anyone. I really want to keep you by my side, but it's actually not safe. I have a city wall, but no guards." She sighed. By the time Arya finished washing and dressing, dinner was already laid out in the hall.Gendry was so happy that the wine ran from his nose just by looking at it, and Harwin gave him a slap on the ear.The meal was modest but plentiful: lamb poutine with mushrooms, black bread, pea pudding and baked apples with yellow cheese.After eating and the servants clearing up, Greenbeard whispered to his wife about the Lightning King. "News?" She smiled, "They were here more than ten days ago. There are a dozen of them, driving sheep—I can't believe my eyes! Soros gave me three heads as a thank you, you guys tonight What I ate was one of them." "Soros driving the sheep?" An Gai laughed out loud. "Yeah, I assure you, that was a weird scene. But Soros claims that, as a monk, he knows how to take care of sheep." "Yes, he also knows how to shear," Lemoncloak giggled. "Well, a fine song could be written about that." Tom plucked at his wooden harp. Mrs. Smallwood shot him a look. "Let someone else write it. People are fed up with the guy who composed and sang "Following Donderian Closely". He's so nasty. Well, this guy saw the country cow girl performing it." What is "Oh, pull my beauty to lie down on the grass", I heard that it made the stomachs of the two girls bigger." "Wrong, it's "Let Me Sip Your Beauty," Tom argued, "The cowherd girl likes this one the most, and I remember a certain lady likes to listen to it too. Haha, as a singer, you always want to spread happiness." She snorted, "The girl from Sanhe asked you to sow it all over, and everyone had to drink tansy tea. I thought a man of your age should know how to sprinkle seeds on his stomach. Blind, it doesn't seem long before you will You have to change your name to Seventh Tom!" "There were more than seven, many years ago," said Tom, "good boys, with voices as sweet as nightingales." He obviously didn't care. "Has your lord the earl revealed where he is going, madam?" Harwin asked. "Lord Bailey never discloses his plans, but there is a famine in Shitang Town and Sanqian Forest. If you want me, look there." She took a sip of her wine. "I'll tell you, I've had nasty visitors here. Not long ago, a pack of wolf cubs ran up to the city gate and howled, saying I hid Jaime Lannister." Tom stopped playing the piano. "So the Kingslayer really got away?" Mrs. Smallwood gave him a sarcasm, "If he is still locked under Riverrun, will anyone chase him all over the world?" "What did you tell them, ma'am?" asked Lucky Jack. "Ah, I said I didn't hide. Sir James just lay naked on my bed? I was just exhausted by me, so I couldn't come out to greet you. How dare a thick-skinned guy talk too much?" , I immediately asked people to shoot arrows. Then they went to Heidi Bay." Arya squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. "What kind of northerner came to the Kingslayer?" Mrs Smallwood seemed surprised at her open interface. "They were not named, boy, but they were all dressed in black, with the sunburst on their breasts." It was the sunburst of Lord Karstark on a black background, Arya thought. They are Robb's men.I don't know if they are still around.If I can sneak out of the bandits and find them, maybe I can go to Riverrun and find my mother... "How the Lannisters escaped, did they tell?" Lemon asked. "Yes," said Mrs. Smallwood, "but I don't believe a word of it. They say it was Lady Catelyn who set him free." Tom was taken aback and broke a string. "Huh?" he exclaimed. "This is crazy." This is not true.It can't be true.Arya thought. "I think so, too," said Mrs Smallwood. Harwin thought of Arya. "The subject is not for you, miss." "No, I want to listen." The bandits were determined. "Go, little squirrel," said the green beard, "just be a good little lady, and when the grown-ups are talking, you go play in the yard, go quickly." Arya left in a huff. If the door hadn't been too heavy, she would have slammed it hard.Outside the door, it was dark, a few torches were lit along the walls, that's all.The little castle was closed and barred—she had promised Harwin that she would not run away again, but that was before they had slandered their mother. "Arya?" Gendry came out after her. "Mrs. Smallwood said there's a little blacksmith's shop here. Would you like to visit?" "If you want, let's go together." Anyway, there is nothing else to do. "This Soros," Gendry said as they passed the menagerie, "is the same Soros who lived in King's Landing Castle? Red monk, fat, with a shaved head?" "I think so." Arya hadn't spoken to Thoros in King's Landing, but she knew him.He and Jalabhar Thor were the most eccentric figures in Robert's court, and he himself was a great friend of the king. "He probably won't remember me, though he comes to our shop a lot." The smallwood forge hadn't been used for some time, but the blacksmith's tools hung neatly on the wall.Gendry lit a candle, set it on the cutting board, and removed a pair of pokers. "My master is very dissatisfied with Soros' flame sword tricks, and thinks that steel should not be treated like this. Fortunately, Soros doesn't use good materials here. He often dips cheap swords into wildfire, coats them with a thin layer, and then Set it on fire and it counts. My master said it was only an alchemist's trick, but enough to frighten horses and inexperienced knights." She frowned, trying to recall what her father had said about Soros. "He doesn't look like a monk, does he?" "No," Gendry admitted, "Master Mort says Thoros drinks more than King Robert. They're the same thing, he told me, glutton and drunk." "You shouldn't call the king a drunk." King Robert might have had a lot to drink, but he was a friend of his father's. "I'm talking about Thoros." Gendry reached out with the pincers as if to pinch her face, and Arya pushed them away. "He liked banquets and tourneys, so King Robert favored him very much. But this Thoros was indeed brave. When they broke down the walls of Pike City, he was the first to rush through. Brandishing a flaming sword, Iron The people fled on fire." "I want a flaming sword too." I also want a lot of people running on fire before me. "It's just a trick. I tell you, wildfire destroys steel. After every tourney, my master sells Soros a new sword. Every time, he argues about the price." Gendry hung the pliers back, and removed the heavy sword. hammer. "Master Mort said it was time for me to strike my first longsword. He gave me a good piece of steel, and I knew what to do. Yoren took me away at this time, and took me to serve as the Night's Watch .” "You can still make swords if you like," said Arya. "When we get to Riverrun, you can make a sword for my brother Robb." "Riverrun." Gendry put down his hammer and looked at her. "You look different. You look like a decent little lady." "I look like an oak tree, full of stupid acorns." "But you are elegant, very elegant, you are an elegant oak tree," he stepped forward to sniff her, "even the smell becomes elegant." "You're not. You stink." Arya pushed him toward the cutting board, and ran, only to be grabbed by the arm.She kicked him in the crotch and tripped him, but Gendry yanked her over with him, and they tumbled on the smithy floor.Gendry was strong, Arya was nimble, and she wriggled free every time the boy tried to grab her.When she hit him hard, he laughed so hard that she was furious.Finally, Zender grabbed her wrists with one hand and tickled her with the other, and Arya pushed her knee into his crotch and broke free again.When she stood up, she found them both covered in dust, and the clumsy acorn dress had one sleeve torn. "I bet I don't look so polished now," she exclaimed. Back in the hall, Tom was singing: My featherbed is soft and sunken, My love lies in it. I would like to clothe you in silk, I would like to wear a crown for you. You will be my wife, I will be your husband-in-law. I will guard you with my sword, keep you warm and safe forever, Harwin glanced back and burst out laughing, Angai also had a stupid smile on his freckled face, he said, "Don't get me wrong, is she the daughter of a good family or not? Lemoncloak gave Gendry a scratch on the ear, "Hit me! She's a girl, half your age! Don't touch her, understand?" "I started it," Arya said. "Gendry was just talking." "Leave the boy alone, Lemon," said Harwin. "Arya started it, I have no doubts. She was like that at Winterfell." Tom winked at her as he sang: The tree fairy is fluttering sweetly, The tree fairy laughed loudly, Turning away to speak to him, I don't need a bed of feathers. Willing to wear a gold leaf dress, May the long hair be bound with grass, May you be my forest lover, I am your forest girl. "I have no gold-leaf gown," said Lady Smallwood, smiling kindly, "but Caroline has left others. Come, child, let us go upstairs and see what we can find." This time was worse than the last; Smallwood insisted that Arya be bathed again, and her hair trimmed and combed, and she changed into a lavender dress trimmed with tiny pearls.The only good thing was that it was so delicate no one thought she could ride a horse in it.So at table next morning Mrs Smallwood brought her breeches, a belt, and a tunic, and a brown buckskin waistcoat studded with iron. "It belonged to my son," she said, "and he died when he was seven." "I'm sorry, ma'am." Arya suddenly felt sorry for her, and terribly ashamed. "Sorry to tear that acorn dress, it's beautiful." "Yes, boy, you are as beautiful as it is. Please be brave."