Chapter 39 Chapter Thirty-Nine Arya

There was clanging and chaos in the castle.Men stood on the wagons, carrying up casks of wine, sacks of flour, and bundles of freshly feathered arrows.The blacksmiths were busy smoothing swords, knocking out dents in armor, and shoeing horses and laden mules.Mailmails were thrown into barrels of sand and rolled along the uneven ground of the Flowstone Yard to scrub them clean.The women under Weiss were assigned the task of mending twenty cloaks and cleaning more than a hundred more.Inside the city, both nobles and soldiers crowded into the sanctuary to pray; while outside the city walls, tents were dismantled one after another, attendants brought buckets to pour out the campfire, and soldiers took out millstones for the last time before going into battle. Sharpen the knife carefully.Horses neighing and panting, lords giving orders, soldiers swearing at each other, camp prostitutes bickering and bickering, the noise culminates like a rising tide.

Lord Tywin Lannister is leaving at last. Ser Adam Marbrand was the first to leave the city, a day before the others.He was handsome and handsome, with a sprightly red horse on his hips, a mane the color of copper to match Ser Adam's long shawl, and a harness dyed bronze, emblazoned with the sigil of the Burning Tree to match. Rider's cape.Many women in the city watched him leave, crying uncontrollably.Weiss said that he was proficient in riding and swordsmanship, and was the most powerful officer under Duke Tywin. Let him die, Arya thought, watching him ride out the gate.His subordinates lined up in two files behind him and filed out.Hope they all die.They were going to fight Robb, she knew.Arya had been hearing people talking about it lately as she went about her work, and it seemed that Robb had won a great victory in the West.Some say he burned Lannisport, others say he just meant to.Some say he took Casterly Rock and killed all its inhabitants, others say he's besieging the Golden Tooth, theories vary...but something happened, there's no doubt about it.

From morning till night, Wes sent her around delivering messages, sometimes even asking her to leave the castle and go to the muddy and frenzied camp.I could run away, she thought, watching the wagon rumble by, I could jump in the wagon and hide, or join the camp, and no one would stop me.If it wasn't for Wes, she probably would have done it.But he warned them more than once that anyone who tried to run away from him was to be treated favorably, "I won't beat you, oh no, I won't touch you with a finger. I'll just lock you up and then To the Qohols, yes, I'm leaving you for the guy who likes cripples. His name is Wag Hurt, and when he gets back, he'll chop off your feet." Maybe Weese's dead, and I It will… Arya thought, but not yet.He can smell what you're thinking just by looking at you, he always said.

Wes, however, never expected her to be literate, and never bothered to type the letter.So Arya peeped through everything, and couldn't find anything useful, all stupid things like sending this car to the barn and that car to the armory.There was once a letter asking for gambling debts, but the knight who received the letter could not read, so she had to tell the contents of the letter. As soon as he heard it, he hit him, but Arya dodged it, and slipped from his saddle He grabbed a silver horned cup and ran away.The knight roared after her, but she nimbly slipped first between two carts, then slipped through a group of archers, and leaped over a urinal.And he was wearing mail armor, so he couldn't catch up at all.When she handed the horn to Wes, he complimented her, saying that a smart little weasel like her deserved a reward, "I've spotted a fat rooster, and I'll get him for dinner tonight. We split It, me and you, you'll love it."

She was looking for Jaqen H'ghar wherever she went, just to whisper one more name to him before all those she hated were gone.But in the chaos and chaos, this mercenary of Lorras could not be found.He still owed her two lives, and she feared that if he went to war like the others, she would never have the chance to pay.Finally, she mustered up the courage to ask a gate guard. "He's one of Lodge's men, isn't he?" said the man. "Then he won't go. His lordship has made Ser Amory castellan of Harrenhal, and all his men must stay here to defend the castle. The Mummers of Blood was ordered to stay on, too, to take charge of the fodder. Hey, Wag Hurt that goat is going to spit and curse again, he and Rocky never got along."

But the Mountain was leaving with Lord Tywin, who had been appointed to command the Vanguard, which meant that Dunson, Polliver, and Raff would all slip through her fingers.Unless Jaqen is found in time to kill one of them before they leave. "Weasel," Wes said to her that afternoon, "go to Lucan at the armory. Ser Leonor dents his sword in practice and needs a new one. Here's his credential." He handed her a Zhang Sifang's list. "Come on! He's leaving with Ser Kevan Lannister soon." Arya took the order and ran out.The armory adjoined the smithy, a long, high-roofed building with twenty stoves built into the walls, and long stone water troughs for blanching the steel.Half the furnace was running when she went in.The sound of striking hammers echoed between the walls, resonating.Burly men in leather skirts bent over bellows and anvils, sweating profusely in the stagnant heat.She squinted at Gendry, his bare chest smooth and smooth with sweat, his blue eyes under his thick black hair still with the stubbornness she remembered.They were all caught because of him, and Arya wasn't sure she wanted to talk to him anymore. "Which one is Lucan?" She handed out the paper. "I will fetch a new sword for Ser Lyonel."

"Leave Ser Lyonel alone." Gendry took her hand, pulling it aside. "Hot Pie asked me last night, and he said, did you say 'Long Live Winterfell' when we fought together on the Manor Wall?" "I didn't yell!" "But you did. I heard it too." "Everyone was yelling," Arya said defensively. "Hot Pie was yelling 'Hot Pie!' at least a hundred times." "What matters is what you yell. Anyway, I told Hot Pie to clean his ears, and you yelled 'Go to hell!' If he asks you, don't say the wrong thing."

"Okay," she said, not daring to reveal her real identity to Hot Pie, though she thought 'Go to Hell' sounded stupid.Maybe I should tell Jaqen the name Hot Pie. "I got Lucan," Gendry said. Lucan grunted at the writing (Arya thought he couldn't read), and drew down a heavy longsword. "That fool is not worthy of such a good sword, you tell him, I said so," he said, handing her the sword. "Okay," she lied.If she really said that, Wes would definitely beat her to pieces, and Lucan would come and teach her himself. The longsword was much heavier than a sewing needle, but Arya liked the feel of it.The weight of steel in her hand made her feel strong again.I may not be quite a water dancer, but I'm definitely not a mouse.A mouse can't use a sword, but I can.The gates of the city were wide open, soldiers came in and out, carriages drove in empty, and came out fully loaded, creaking and shaking.She longed to go to the stables and tell them Ser Lyonel wanted a new horse.She had the list in her hand, and the groom was as illiterate as Lucan.I can ride straight out of town with my sword in hand.If the guards stop me, I'll show them the bill and say I'm taking something to Ser Lyonel.But she knew neither what Ser Lyonel looked like nor where he resided.If they asked her, she would tell, and Wes... Wes...

Just as she was biting her lip, trying not to think about what it would be like to have her feet chopped off, a group of archers in leather armor and iron helmets came over, their bows slung over their shoulders.Arya overheard some trivial conversation. "...Giant, I tell you, he brought a twenty-foot-tall giant from outside the Great Wall, and followed him like a dog..." "...It's really scary, in the dark night, he suddenly came out to attack. He doesn't look like a wolf at all, and everyone in the Stark family is like this..." "...fuck you wolves and giants, that little brat would've pissed his pants if he knew we were coming. He's not a man to come to Harrenhal, is he? He went the other way, Shouldn't he? If he'd been wise, he'd run away with his tail between his legs."

"Whatever you say, but I think that kid knows something we don't, maybe it's me who should run away..." That's right, Arya thought, that's right, it's you who should run, and Duke Tywin, and the Mountain, and Ser Adam, and Ser Amory, and that idiot Leon who doesn't know who it is You had better get away, Sir Noble, or my brother will kill you all.He's a Stark, more wolf than man, and so am I. "Weasel." Wes's voice cracked like a whip.She didn't even notice where he came from, but suddenly he was there. "Give me the sword! Go for so long!" He snatched the sword from her fingers, and gave her a hot slap backhand. "Hurry up next time!"

A moment ago, she turned into a wolf again, but Weiss' slap canceled everything, leaving only the smell of blood in her mouth.When hit, she bit her tongue.She hates him. "What? Missing a fight?" Weiss asked. "Don't you put on such arrogance for me! I'll have you! Go, go to the brewhouse and tell Trevor Bailey that I've got two dozen casks for him, but he'll send the boys to fetch them himself. , or I'll give it to someone else." Arya turned and left, and Wes thought she wasn't fast enough. "Do you still want to eat tonight? Run away!" he yelled, completely forgetting the fat chicken he promised earlier. "Don't wander around this time, or watch how I beat you!" You won't, Arya thought, and you won't ever.But she ran anyway.The ancient gods of the north guide her steps.On the way to the brewhouse, when she passed under the stone arch bridge that connected the Widow's Tower to the Burning King's Tower, she heard harsh howling.Rorge turned the corner with three others, all of whom had Ser Amory's manticore badge sewn on their chests.When he saw her, he stopped and grinned at her, revealing a mouth full of crooked brown teeth under the nose guard that hid the hollow of his face. "Yoren's little whore," he called her. "Now we finally understand why that black bastard took you to the Great Wall, right?" He laughed, and the others joined in. "Where's your stick?" Rorge asked suddenly, his smile disappearing for a moment, "I remember I said I was going to kill you with it." He took a step closer.Arya backed away slowly. "I'm not chained, you little bastard is scared out of your wits, isn't it?" "I saved your life." She tried to keep a distance from them, ready to escape before he could grab her, swift as a snake. "Oh, I should fuck you one more time to say thank you. Say, does Yoren fuck you down there, or do you like your tight little asshole?" "I'm looking for Jaqen," she said. "I have a message for him." Rorge stopped suddenly.In his eyes...could he be afraid of Jaqen H'ghar? "In the bathhouse! Get out of the way!" Arya turned and ran, fast as a deer, her feet skimming the cobblestones, all the way to the bathhouse.Jaqen soaked in the tub, steam rising around him as the maid showered hot water over his head.His long hair, red on one side and white on the other, fell over his shoulders, wet and heavy. She tiptoed forward, silent as a shadow, but he still opened his eyes. "Girls were sneaking around like little mice, but someone overheard," he said.How could he hear it?She thought suspiciously, and he seemed to be able to hear even thoughts. "Leather against stone is as loud as a trumpet to someone. Smart girls don't wear shoes." "I have a message." Arya looked at the maid hesitantly, as if she didn't intend to avoid it.So she leaned over and put her mouth next to his ear. "Wes," she said softly. (Wen'heart'hand'beat'group'hand'beat'organization') Jaqen H'ghar's eyes closed again, and he lazily soaked in the water, seemingly falling asleep. "Tell your lord that someone is on call." With a sudden jerk of his hand, he splashed hot water on her, and Arya jumped away to avoid being drenched. Then she told Trevor Bailey what Weiss said, and the winemaker yelled angrily: "You go tell Weiss, my boys are not idlers, you tell him, tell this boiled bastard, the seven hells are frozen Before, he didn’t want to drink me another glass of ale. If he doesn’t bring the barrel within an hour, I will report to Lord Tywin, just wait and see!” Of course, Arya omitted the "boiled face" part when she reported back, but Wes was still mad with rage.He was furious and cussing, but at last he found six men and muttered to them to take the barrel to the brewhouse. Supper that day was gruel with onions and carrots, and a piece of stale brown bread.A woman was called to have sex with Wes, so she got an extra piece of ripe blue cheese and a chicken wing—ripped from the chicken Wes had mentioned that morning.The rest he had to himself, glistening with grease that trickled down the festering boils at the corners of his mouth.When the chicken was almost finished, he looked up from his plate to find Arya staring at him. "Weasel, come here." There were still a few mouthfuls of charred meat attached to a chicken leg.He forgot, and only now, Arya thought, maybe she shouldn't have asked Jaqen to kill him.She left the bench sadly and walked towards the front of the table. "You're looking at me, I see it." Weiss wiped his fingers on the front of her clothes, then grabbed her neck with one hand, and slapped her with the other. "What did I tell you?" He slapped his backhand again. "Don't look around! Otherwise, I'll pick your eyes out to feed the bitch!" She was pushed to the ground, and when she fell, the edge of her clothes caught on the nails in the cracks of the wooden bench and broke. "You won't sleep tonight until it's patched!" Weiss announced, tearing off the last bit of chicken.When he was done eating, he sucked his fingers noisily and threw the bone to his ugly Dalmatians. "Weese," Arya whispered that night as she leaned over to mend her dress. "Dunson, Polliver, Raff 'Sweetmouth,'" she called out a name as the bone needle sewed once through the faded wool. "The notebook and the Hound. Ser Gregor, Ser Amory, Ser Ilyn, Ser Meryn, King Joffrey, Queen Cersei." She didn't know how long Wyse would stay in her prayers, and she hoped tomorrow morning When she woke up, he was dead, she thought and thought, and finally fell asleep. It was business as usual, and it was the toe of Weese's boot that woke her up the next day.Over breakfast of oatcakes, he told them that the main force of Lord Tywin's army would be leaving today. "Don't ever think that you can rest easy when Lord Lannister is gone," he warned. "I promise, the castle won't get smaller, it's just that there are fewer people doing the work. I'm going to show you slobs what real work is, just wait and see." Not you, Arya thought, breaking the oatcakes.Wes frowned at her, as if smelling her secret, so frightened that she hurriedly lowered her eyes, stared at her food, and never dared to look up again. Lord Tywin Lannister had left Harrenhal as the pale light of dawn broke into the courtyard.Arya climbed to an arched window in the Wailing Tower to watch.His steed was clad in crimson enamelled scale mail, with a gilded neck guard and hood, and Lord Tywin himself wore a heavy ermine cloak.His younger brother, Sir Calvin, rode beside him, equally regal.Four flag bearers walked in front of them, holding high the crimson banner, roaring lions and waving in the wind.After the Lannister Brothers, followed the lords and officers, and the banners flew in all colors: red bulls and golden mountains, purple unicorns and bantam roosters, dappled boars and badgers, silver gliders and multicolored entertainers, As well as the star, the sun, the peacock, the panther, the horn, the dagger, the black hood, the blue beetle and the green arrow. Ser Gregor Clegane came last, in gray plate mail, on a horse as ill-tempered as himself.Polliver rode beside him, bearing the banner of the Black Dog and wearing Gendry's horned helm.He was tall, but walking in the shadow of his master he looked like a half-grown child. Arya watched them file out from under the great iron gates of Harrenhal, and a shiver ran up her spine.Suddenly, she realized that she had made a huge mistake.I'm so stupid, she thought, what is Wes?What is Chiswick?These people are important people, and I should kill them.She would have whispered any of their names to Jaqen if Wes hadn't beaten her up last night and pissed her off about the roast chicken.Lord Tywin, why didn't I say Lord Tywin? It may not be too late to change your mind!Weiss is not dead yet!If she finds Jaqen, tell him... Arya put down the work in her hands, and rushed down the curved stairs.As she ran, she heard the rattle of the chain, the slow release of the gate, the spikes at the bottom piercing the ground... and finally a scream, full of pain, full of fear. More than a dozen people rushed to the scene before her, but no one dared to approach.Arya squirmed through the crowd and got ahead.Wes was curled up on the cobblestones, his throat bloody and his eyes rolled up, staring dumbfounded at a gray cloud.His ugly spotted bitch was licking his chest at the blood that was gushing from his neck, tearing a mouthful of flesh from the dead man's face every now and then. Seeing that Weiss' ears were about to fail, someone finally brought a crossbow and shot the bitch to death. "Damn thing," she heard someone say, "he raised it up." "Cursed is this place," said the man with the crossbow. "Herron's ghost did it! Yes!" said Mrs. Emmabel. "I swear I'll never sleep here again! Not even one night!" Arya looked away from the dead men and dogs to see Jaqen H'ghar leaning against the wall of the Wailing Tower.When he saw her, he put his hand on his cheek, and stretched out two fingers as if nothing had happened.