Chapter 75 Chapter 74 Arya

On the gallows eroded by wind and rain outside the inn, the woman's skeleton swayed with the wind, making a "click, click, click" impact. I recognize this inn.She and her sister Sansa had rested here under Septa Mordane's care on the way south, but there were no gallows outside the gate then. "Let's not go in there," Arya decided suddenly. "There may be ghosts in there." "Do you know how long it's been since I've had a drink?" Sandor rolled off his horse. "Besides, we need to know who owns Ruby Fork. If you're afraid, stay with the horse, because I'm going in damn it anyway."

"What if someone recognizes you?" Sandor no longer bothered to hide his face, as if he didn't care, "They might catch you." "Let them try it." He let go of the long sword in its sheath, pushed the door open and entered. This is your best chance to escape.Arya can ride Coward and run off, taking the Stranger with her at the same time.She bit her lip, led the horse to the stable, and followed the hounds in. They did know him.The silence said it all.But that's not the worst.Worst of all, she knew them too.Not the bony shopkeepers, or the women, or the peasants by the fire, but the soldiers.She knew the soldiers.

"Looking for your brother, Sandor?" Polliver said with a girl sitting in his arms, and his hand had been put into her bodice, but now he pulled it out. "Looking for a drink. Shopkeeper, bring a jug of red wine." Clegane threw a handful of copper coins on the ground. "I don't want trouble, ser," said the shopkeeper. "Then don't call me 'Serge'." His mouth twitched. "Deaf, idiot? Pour some wine!" The man ran away in a hurry, and Clegane called after him, "Two glasses! The girl is thirsty too!" There are only three of them, Arya thought.Polliver glanced at her briefly, and the boy next to him paid no attention, but the third stared at her hard for a long time.He is of medium height, of medium build, with an ordinary appearance, and it is difficult to tell even his age.notebook.Notepad and Polliver.The boy was probably a servant based on his clothes and age, with a large white bump on the side of his nose and some red rashes on his forehead. "Hey, isn't this Ser Gregor's lost puppy?" The boy asked the notepad in a pretentious manner, "Isn't it the one who often pees on the straw mat?"

Notepad put a hand on the boy's arm warningly, and shook his head briefly.The implication was clear even to Arya. It's a pity that the attendant didn't understand, maybe he didn't care. "Ser said that when the fighting in King's Landing escalated, his little dog brother tucked his tail and ran away whining." He grinned foolishly at the Hound. Clegane eyed the boy without saying a word.Polliver pushed the girl away and stood up. "The kid is drunk," he said.The soldier was almost as tall as a hound, but less muscular, with a spade beard covering his chin and cheeks, thick and dark, trim and bald. "He can't drink much, that's all."

"Then he shouldn't drink." "Puppy is not afraid..." Before the boy finished speaking, the notepad casually pinched his ears with his thumb and index finger, and his voice turned into a scream of pain. At this moment the innkeeper hurried back with a pewter tray, on which were two stone cups and a wine jug.Without further ado, Sandor lifted the jug and poured it to his mouth.Arya saw the muscles in his neck quivering as he swallowed.By the time he slammed the flagon down on the table, half of the wine was gone. "Pour the bar now. Remember to put away the coppers, that's probably all you'll see today."

"We'll pay when we're done," said Polliver. "When you're done drinking, you'll torture the shopkeeper to find out where the gold is hidden. Isn't it?" The shopkeeper suddenly remembered something in the kitchen.The locals left and the girls disappeared.The only sound in the hall was the slight crackling of the flames in the stove.I should go too, Arya thought. "You are too late to find your sergeant," said Polliver. "He was at Harrenhal a while ago, and now he has been called back to the capital by the queen." He wears three weapons: a long sword on his left hip, and a A dagger, plus a thinner one...too long for a dagger, but too short for a sword. "King Joffrey is dead, you know," he added, "poisoned at his own wedding feast."

Arya moved toward the house.Joffrey is dead.She could almost see him, curly blond hair, malicious smile, soft, full lips.Joffrey's dead! She should be happy, but somehow still feels empty.Joffrey is dead, but so is Robb, so what's the point? "That's all my brave Iron Guard brethren," the Hound snorted contemptuously. "Who did it?" "Everyone thinks it's the imp. He and his wife did it." "His wife?" "I forgot, you've been hiding. His wife is the northern girl. The daughter of Winterfell. I heard she killed the king with magic, and then turned into a wolf with big leathery bats. wings, flew out of the tower window. But she dropped the dwarf, and Cersei was going to chop off his head."

So stupid, Arya thought, Sansa could sing but not magic, and she would never marry an imp. The Hound sat on the chair closest to the door, and the burnt mouth twitched. "She should throw him into the wildfire and burn him. Or torture him until the moon goes dark." He raised his glass and drank it down. He was traveling with them, Arya realized.She bit her lip, tasting blood.He's a fellow traveler with them! I should have killed him in his sleep! "So Gregor took Harrenhal?" Sandor asked. "No need to attack," said Polliver. "The mercenaries ran away when they heard we were coming, but a few remained. A cook opened a side door for us, because the goat cut off his foot." He clucked. Snicker. "We left him to cook, and a few girls to warm the bed, and the others were all killed."

"Kill them all?" Arya blurted out. "Oh, sir, still keeps goats to pass the time." Sandor said, "The Blackfish continues to guard Riverrun?" "It won't last long," said Polliver. "He's surrounded. Give up the castle, or Old Frey will hang Edmure Tully. All other battles are over, except in Raventree." Why, Blackwood and Bracken are against each other. Bracken's on our side now." The Hound poured Arya a glass of wine, poured himself another, and drank it, staring at the fire. "So the little bird flew away, didn't it? Well, nice, took a shit on the little devil's head and flew away."

"They're after her," said Polliver, "if it cost half Casterly Rock's gold." "I heard she is a cute little sister," Notepad said, "very sweet." He smacked his lips and smiled. "And very polite," agreed the Hound. "Demure little lady. Not at all like her damned sister." "She was found, too," said Polliver. "I mean the sister, who is said to be marrying the Bolton bastard." Arya sipped her drink, not letting them see her expression.She did not understand what Polliver was saying.Sansa has no other sisters.All Sandor Clegane laughed out loud.

"Damn, what's so funny?" asked Polliver. The Hound didn't even glance at Arya. "Whatever I want to say, I will naturally say. Is there a boat in Saltpan Town?" "Saltpans? How do I know? I hear some merchant ships are slowly returning to Maidenpool. After Randyll Tarly took the castle, he locked Mooton in the tower room. Nothing to say about Saltpans." The notepad leaned forward. "Are you going to sea without saying goodbye to your brother?" Arya shuddered at his question. "Ser wants you to come back to Harrenhal with us, Sandor, I bet he does. Or King's Landing... ..." "Fuck him. Fuck you. Fuck you." Notepad shrugged, sat up straight, and put a hand behind his head to rub his neck.Then, everything happens simultaneously.Sandor staggered to his feet, Polliver drew his longsword, and with a flick of the notepad, something gleaming silver crossed the hall like a vague shape.If the hound hadn't moved, the dagger would have hit the Adam's apple, but now it only grazed the ribs and was nailed to the wall by the door, trembling slightly.He laughed, a cold, hollow laugh that seemed to come from a deep well. "I'm waiting for you to do something stupid." He drew his sword just in time to parry Polliver's first slash. Arya stepped back as the longsword sonata began, and the notepad flipped over the bench, short sword in one hand, dagger in the other.Even the pudgy brown-haired squire stood up and reached for his sword belt.She grabbed the glass from the table and threw it in his face.This time he aimed better than in the Twin Rivers, the cup hit the opponent's big white bump, and the boy sat down heavily on the ground. Polliver was a calculated and methodical swordsman, and he steadily pressed Sandor into retreating, the heavy sword in his hand with precision and ruthlessness.The hound's counterattack was sloppy, and the parry was also in a hurry, with slow and clumsy steps.He was drunk, Arya realized with dismay, drinking too much too fast and not eating.The notepad runs along the wall to the back.She grabbed the second cup and threw it, but he was much faster than the squire and bowed his head just in time.He stared back at her with cold oaths in his eyes.Is there gold hidden in the village? She could hear him asking.The stupid servant was grabbing the table and kneeling up.Arya's throat filled with fear.Fear hurts more than a sword.Fear Billy Swords... Sandor let out a grunt of pain.The burnt half of the face was red from the cheek to the temple, and the ear was gone.This seemed to irritate him.He drove Polliver back in a frenzied attack, striking hard with the old Gap sword he had bought from the mountain.The bearded man stepped back, looking at a loss.Then the notepad jumped over the bench, fast as a snake, and the short sword struck the back of the hound's neck. He is going to kill him.Arya didn't have more cups, but something better.She pulled out the dagger she had copied from the dying archer and tried to fire it like a notepad.But it wasn't like throwing stones and cranberries, and the dagger flew out swinging, hitting the arm with the hilt.He didn't even feel it.He focused on Clegane. Clegane jerked sideways as the short sword thrust out, buying a moment.Blood dripped from cuts on his face and neck.Two of The Mountain's men seized the opportunity to strike back, Polliver hitting the head and shoulders, and Notepad stabbing him in the back and stomach.The heavy stone flagon was still on the table, and Arya's hands grabbed her when she took it up.The jug slipped from his fingers and shattered on the floor.She turned and found herself face to face with the squire.You idiot, you completely forgot about him.His big white pimple popped. "Are you a puppy raised by a puppy?" He held the sword in his right hand and grabbed her arm with his left, while she had nothing in her hands.So she drew the dagger from his sheath, plunged it into the stomach, and stirred.He wasn't wearing mail or leather, so the dagger went right in, like Needle in King's Landing for the stableboy.The squire widened his eyes and let go of her arm.Arya turned to the door and yanked the notepad's dagger from the wall. Polliver and Notepad had cornered the Hound into the back corner of the bench, and besides the original wound there was an ugly red gash on his thigh.Sandor was leaning against the wall, bleeding and panting loudly, looking like he couldn't stand, let alone fight. "Throw your sword and follow us back to Harrenhal," Polliver told him. "So that Gregor will finish me off?" Notepad said: "Maybe he will hand you over to me." "If you want me, grab me." Sandor pushed away from the wall, half squatted behind the chair, with the long sword crossed in front of him. "You think we can't?" said Polliver. "You're drunk." "Perhaps," said the Hound, "but you're dead." He kicked the bench so hard that it slammed against Polliver's calf.Beard didn't fall, but the Hound stooped to avoid his careless slash, and counterattacked ferociously with his own sword.Blood spattered on the ceiling and walls.The blade got stuck in the middle of Polliver's face, and the Hound pulled so hard that half of his head flew out. Notepad backs away.Arya could smell his fear.Compared with the Hound's long sword, the short sword in his hand was a toy in an instant, and he was not wearing armor.So he moved swiftly and lightly on his feet, never taking his eyes off Sandor Clegane for a moment.So backstabbing became the easiest thing in the world. "Is there gold hidden in the village?" she cried, driving the dagger into his back. "Where are the silver and jewels?" She stabbed twice more. "Where's the store? Where's Lord Beric Dondarrion?" She threw herself on him, stabbing. "Where did he go when he left? How many people were there with him? How many knights, how many archers, how many foot soldiers? How many, how many, how many, how many, how many, how many? Is there gold hidden in the village?" Her hands were red and sticky when Sandor pulled her away. "Enough," was all he said.He himself bled like a slaughtered pig, and walked with a dragging leg. "There's one more," Arya reminded him. The attendant had pulled the dagger out of his belly, trying to stop the bleeding with his hands.When the Hound lifted him up, he squealed and cried like a baby. "Forgive me," he sobbed, "please. Don't kill me. Our Lady of Mercy." "Do I fucking look like a Madonna?" The Hound didn't look human at all. "This man died at your hand, too," he told Arya, "with a stab in the stomach, and he was finished, but slowly." The boy didn't seem to hear him. "I'm here for the girls," he whimpered, "...to complete the bar mitzvah, Polly said...oh, gods, please, take me to the castle...to the maester...take me to the castle Maester, my father has money...but for the girls...forgive me, ser." The Hound slapped across the face, making him scream again. "Don't call me ser." He turned to Arya. "You, little wolf girl, do it." She understood what he meant.Arya went to Polliver, knelt for a moment in the pool of blood, and untied her sword belt.Next to the dagger hung a rapier, too long for a dagger, too short for a sword... but just right for her. "Remember where the heart is?" asked the Hound. She nodded.The attendant rolled his eyes, "Forgive me." The needle went through the ribs and killed him. "Very good." The Hound's voice was full of pain. "These three guys are fooling around here, it means Gregor has control of the Bank and Harrenhal, and the rest of his pets may come at any time. Damn, we killed enough today." "Where are we going?" she asked. "Saltpan Town." He put a big hand on her shoulder to prevent her from falling. "Get some wine, little wolf girl. Take their money, as much as you have. If there is a boat in Yanchang Town, we will go to the valley by sea." His mouth twitched towards her, and more blood came from where the ears should be Flow down. "Perhaps Lady Lysa will marry you to his little Robert. I like such a good match." He laughed, and then moaned. When leaving, the Hound needs Arya's help to sit on the Stranger.He tied bandages around his neck and thighs, and took the squire's cloak from a hook by the door.The cloak was green, with a green arrow in the center on a strip of white stripes, but it turned red quickly when the Hound rubbed it up to wipe his ears.Arya feared that any minute he would collapse, and instead Sandor managed to stay in the saddle. Whoever controlled Ruby Ford dared not take the risk, so instead of taking the King's Road, they headed diagonally southeast, through overgrown fields, woods, and swamps, and arrived at the Trident River a few hours later.Arya found that the river had become tame again, the brown rapids disappearing with the heavy rain.It's tired too, she thought. Just on the bank they found a few willows growing out of a pile of weathered rocks.Rocks and trees formed a natural fortress, sufficient to hide people in the river and the road. "Here," said the Hound, "wash the horses first, and then gather dry wood for the fire." He had to hold on to the branches as he dismounted, so as not to fall. "Light a fire? Isn't there smoke?" "Anyone who wants to find us, just follow the blood. Go wash the horses and collect wood. Well, give me the wine bag first." When everything was ready, Sandor propped his helm over the flames, filled the wineskin halfway with wine, and poured it out on a moss-covered rock, as if never to remember.Later he told Arya to wash the squire's cloak, cut it into long strips, and put these into the helm as well. "If there's too much wine, I'd rather be drunk. Maybe I should send you back to the damn inn and get two or three more bags." "No," Arya said.He won't, will he? If I'm allowed to go, I'll leave him and ride away. Sandor laughed when he saw the fear on her face. "You're kidding, little wolf girl, you're kidding. Find me a stick, long enough, not too big. And, clean up the mud." I hate the smell of mud." He didn't like the two sticks she brought first, and when he found a suitable one, the flames had blackened the tip of the dog's helmet to the eye sockets, and the red wine inside was boiling wildly. "Get the cup out of my bedroll, and half fill it," he told her, "be careful, if you spill the damn thing, I'll really send you back and get some. Take it, and pour it over my wound Come on, will you?" Arya nodded. "Then what are you waiting for?" he roared. The first time she filled the cup, her knuckles rubbed against the steel, causing blisters.Arya had to bite her lip to keep from shouting.The Hound wanted the stick for the same purpose, and he clenched it between his teeth.She worked on the wound on his thigh first, then the shallower cut on the back of his neck.The boiling wine splashed on his legs, and Sandor punched the ground with his right hand.When it came to the neck he bit so hard that the stick broke and she had to find a new one.She could see the fear in his eyes. "Turn your head." She poured red wine along the bright red naked flesh where his ears should be, wisps of brown blood and red wine flowed down his chin.This time he yelled out despite the stick, and fainted from the pain.So Arya did the rest alone.She fished a strip of cloth from the squire's cloak from the bottom of the helm, and used it to bandage the wound.When dealing with the ears, half of his head had to be covered to stop the bleeding.Dusk fell on the Trident.She grazes the horses, then ties them up for the night.There was a place between two stones where she lay down as comfortably as possible.The fire burned for a while, and finally went out.Arya watched the moon through the branches overhead. "Ser Gregor the Mountain," she whispered, "Dunson, Raff the Sweetmouth, Ser Ilyn, Ser Meryn, Queen Cersei." It felt odd to leave out Polliver and the Notepad.And Joffrey.She was glad he was dead, but wished she could watch him die right there, maybe kill him herself.Polliver says Sansa and the imp killed him.Is this true? The imp is a Lannister after all, and Sansa... wished she could turn into a wolf too, grow wings, and fly away. If Sansa is gone, there is no other Stark family but her.Jon is thousands of miles away on the Great Wall, but his surname is Snow, and the Hound wants to sell her to various aunts and uncles, and they are not from the Stark family.They are not wolves. Sang Feng moaned, she turned over to look at him.I left his name out, and she realized, why? She remembered Mikay, but she couldn't remember him, after all, they had known each other too short.He just practiced sword with me. "The Hound," she whispered, "valar morghulis." Maybe he'll be dead by morning... As a result, when the pale dawn shone through the trees, it was the toe of his boot that woke her up.She dreamed again that she was a wolf, chasing an unridden horse up a hill, followed by her brothers and sisters from the Clan, and at the moment of the slaughter his feet woke her. The Hound was still weak, and every movement was slow and clumsy.He sank into the saddle, dripping with sweat, the bandages over his ears began to ooze blood, and it took all his strength not to fall off the Stranger's back.If the man from the Devil's Mountain came after her, she doubted he could even raise his sword, but there was nothing behind him except for a crow flying from tree to tree.The only sound came from the river. Sandor Clegane was beginning to faint before noon, and there were still hours of daylight when he called a halt. "Rest." That was all he said.When he got off his horse this time, he really fell, and instead of getting up, he crawled feebly under a tree and leaned against the trunk. "The seven hells," he swore, "the seven hells." Finding Arya glaring at him, he said, "Bring a drink, or I'll skin you, little sister." She only gave water.He drank a little, complained of the smell of earth, and fell into a noisy sleep.She went over to touch it and found that his skin was hot.So Arya sniffed at the bandages, the way Maester Luwin used to treat her cuts and scrapes.He bled the most on his face, but the wound on his thigh didn't smell right. She didn't know how far Saltpans was, or if she could find it alone.I don't have to kill him, I just ride away and let him die.He will probably die of a high fever, lying under this tree, never to get up again.No, maybe I should do it myself.I killed the squire at the inn for grabbing my arm, and the Hound killed Mycah after all.Mikay, and many others.I bet he killed a hundred Mycahs.If it wasn't for the ransom, he might have killed me too. She pulled out the shiny needle, and Polliver sharpened it.Ellie turned to one side in the posture of a water dancer without thinking, and the dead leaves creaked under her feet.Fast as a snake, she thought, soft as silk. His eyes snapped open. "Remember where the heart is?" he whispered in a hoarse voice. She immediately stood there, motionless like a stone. "I... I just..." "Don't lie," he roared. "I hate liars more than cowardly liars. Come on, do it." Seeing that Arya didn't respond, he continued, "I killed your little butcher. I Ride him in two and laugh." He made a strange noise, and it took her a moment to realize he was sobbing. "And little birdie, your beautiful sister, I stood there in my white robe and watched them beat her. I made her sing me that damn song, she didn't want to. I still want to fuck her. I That should be done. I should fuck her hard and take her heart out and leave her body for the bloody dwarf." Pain contorted his face. "Do you want me to beg, she-wolf? Do it! Give me mercy... revenge for your little Mike..." "Mycah." Arya moved away. "You don't deserve mercy." The Hound watched her saddle the coward with burning eyes and made no attempt to stop her.But as she rode off, he said: "Real wolves end wounded animals." Maybe real wolves will find you, Arya thought, maybe they'll sniff you after sundown.Then he knew what the wolf did to the dog. "You shouldn't have hit me with the ax," she said, "you should have saved my mother." She turned her horse and rode off, never looking back. Six days later, one bright morning, she found the Trident widening, and the air smelled stronger of salt than trees for the first time.She clings to the river, through fields and farms, and just after noon a town looms before her.Saltpans, she thought expectantly.A castle ruled the town, but it was as small as an ordinary manor, with courtyards and curtain walls surrounding a tall square keep.Most of the shops, inns and taverns around the quay were looted or burned, and some of them appear to be still inhabited.To the east of the port is Crab Bay, where the sea water shimmers with blue-green light in the sun. There are boats here. Three, Arya thought, three.The first two were no more than river oarboats, shallow draft, used for traveling up and down the Trident.The third one was larger, and it was an ocean merchant ship with two tiers of oars, a gold-plated prow, and three tall masts. The purple sails on it were rolled up, and the hull was also painted purple.Arya rides Daredevil to the pier so she can get a real look.Here, the Stranger is not as strange and strange as in the small village, and no one seems to care who she is or why she is here. I need money.Realizing this, she bit her lip.They found a silver stag and a dozen coppers in Polliver's body, eight silver coins in the pimple-faced squire, and only a few coppers in the blotter's purse.The Hound made her tear his boots and cut open his blood-soaked clothes, and found a silver stag on each toe and three golden dragons sewn into the lining of his coat.But all of these were accepted by Sandor.unfair.We kill together, and it should be divided equally.If you give him mercy... It's a pity that you didn't do this before, and now you can't go back, and you can't beg for help.If you beg for help, you will get nothing.She has to sell the coward and collect as much money as possible. She had learned from a boy on the docks that the stable had been burned, but its mistress was still doing business behind the sept.Arya found her easily; she was a big, strong woman with a strong smell of horses.She liked Coward at first sight, and after asking Arya where it came from, she grinned at her answer. "It's a fine horse, obviously, and I don't doubt it belonged to some knight, my dear," she said, "but that knight won't be your dead brother. What a lord looks like. The horse is well-bred, and you are not." She prodded Arya's chest with a finger. "Picked? Stolen? Whatever. You can't ride a good horse for such a scruffy little thing." Arya bit her lip. "So you don't want to buy it?" The woman giggled and said, "It means that you have to take as much as I bid, my dear. Otherwise, we will go to the castle to meet the officials, and you may not get a penny, and you may even be hanged for stealing the horse." Five or six nearby Saltpan towns were busy, so Arya knew not to kill.Instead, she had to bite her lip tightly and let the other party bully her.She was given a silver coin, and the woman laughed at her when asked for the saddle, bridle, and blanket. She would never dare bully the Hound, she thought, walking the long way back to the pier.Compared with riding, the distance seems to have increased by several miles. The purple galley is still there.It would be unbearable if the boat had sailed while being bullied.She came to the side of the boat, where a cask of mead was being rolled up the gangplank.As she tried to follow, a sailor on deck shouted at her in a language she did not understand. "I want to see the Captain," Arya told him, only to hear him shout even louder.The uproar caught the attention of a gray-haired man.He was a squat man in a purple wool coat and spoke the Common Tongue. "I'm the captain," he said, "what do you want? Come on, boy, we'll catch the tide." "I want to go north, to the Wall. See, I can pay." She handed him the purse. "The Night's Watch has a castle by the sea." "East Watch." The captain poured the silver coin into his palm and frowned, "Is that all?" It wasn't enough, Arya knew.She could see it in his face. "I don't live in cabins or anything," she said, "just sleep in the cargo hold below, or..." "Take her as a ship whore," said a passing oarsman, carrying a bundle of woolen cloth over his shoulder, "and she can sleep with me." "Watch your tongue," the captain snapped. "I can work," Arya said, "scrubbing decks and stuff—I scrubbed stairs in the castle. Or I can row..." "No," he said, "you are not strong enough." He gave her back the silver coin. "It's no use even if you can, boy. We're not going north, where there's only snow, war, and pirates. When we came, we went around the Crab Claw Peninsula and saw a dozen Reese pirate ships heading north. I don't want to run into them again. .We're sailing home from here, and I suggest you do the same." I have no home, Arya thought, no Clan, not even horses. As the captain turned away, she asked, "What ship is this, my lord?" He paused, and smiled wearily at her, "This is the three-masted ship Daughter of the Titans, from the Free City of Braavos." "Wait," Arya said suddenly, "I have something else." She tucked it in her underwear to keep it safe, so it had to be pulled out deep.Seeing her eagerness, the oarsmen burst into laughter, and the captain was obviously very impatient. "An extra silver won't make any difference, boy," he said at last. "It's not a silver coin," her hand touched it. "It's an iron coin. Here." She put it in his palm, Jaqen H'ghar's little black iron coin, the image of the figure worn away. shape.It may be worthless, but... The captain turned it over, looked at it in amazement, and turned his gaze back to her. "This...how could...?" Jaqen said he would say that again.So Arya folded her arms across her chest. "Valar morghulis!" she said aloud, as if she knew what it meant. "Valar dohaeris." The captain responded, touching his eyebrows with two fingers. "You'll have a cabin."