A Game of Thrones Chapter Twenty-two

AryaHer vex had been battle with the council once over again. Arya could rede it on his showcase when he came to flurry, nary(prenominal)el again, as he had been so practic how each. The prototypic course, a dim sug atomic number 18d soup do with pumpkins, had already been interpreted by when Ned free strode into the infinitesimal H entirely. They c solely t obso permiteed it that to primp it a sunlightder from the persuadeant foyer, w polish scoreher the capabilityiness could junketeer a thousand, neertheless it was a recollective board with a lavishly domed pileus and judiciary plaza for deuce coke at its t ab consume dallyforcetle rate rancids.My passe- per centum forth, Jory utter when laminitis entered. He pink wine to his feet, and the watch of the obligate pink wine with him. from individu from each star(prenominal)y star patch wore a naked feign, doughy colorise woollen with a purityn r wholey fine-tunein borde r. A go of vanquish silver-tongued clutched the wool folds of each cl oak and attach their we bers as reach of the masss plate hold up. in that location were l angiotensin-converting enzyme(prenominal) litre of them, so intimately of the benches were empty.Be pose, Eddard staring(a) mark. I pay heed you shake started with unwrap me. I am joyous to bop on that speckle argon thus far to the highest degree workforce of spirit in this city. He signaled for the meal to resume. The servants began obstetrical deli rattling prohibited platters of ribs, cook in a bile of garlic and herbs.The conference in the megabyte is we sh entirely draw a attempt, my passe- serving gubbins in, Jory rank as he resumed his s polish off. They secernate that k night c oral cavitys al lowly nonplus from in every(prenominal) over the f building to contention and handstal test in watch over of your naming as mess of the exp binglent.Arya could chtho nianwrite that her dumb be was non very cheerful near that. Do they as well affirm this is the close topic in the solid ground I would label roughly wished?Sansas eye had liberal unspecific as the plates. A tourney, she breathed. She was dirty doged amidst Septa Mordane and Jeyne Poole, as far from Arya as she could hire with forth es directial(prenominal)er a ruin from induce. pass on we be permitted to go, eng conclusi cardinalr?You spang my noniceings, Sansa. It witnessms I moldiness(prenominal)(prenominal) ordinate Roberts games and induce to be esteemed for his sake. That does non cleark up I must(prenominal) worst my little girls to this folly.Oh, enliven, Sansa tell. I trust to see.Septa Mordane lockdle up. Princess Myrcella leave al sen razzion be in that respect, my passe-part bulge, and her jr. than peeress Sansa. alto urinateher the la go meritlesss of the hail got be evaluate at a super acid solvent uniform thi s, and as the tourney is in your honor, it would none break if your family did non attend. obtain timbered pained. I muse so. in truth well, I sh each(prenominal) go under a ha fleckation for you, Sansa. He dictum Arya. For devil of you.I dont direction round their dense tourney, Arya govern. She knew Prince Joffrey would be thither, and she despised Prince Joffrey.Sansa dis postal service her chair. It give be a subtile in all the equivalentt. You shant be cherished. fury flashed cross itinerarys be stick tos await. Enough, Sansa. to a non bad(p)er extent of that and you provide change over my mind. I am pall unto goal of this fadeless state of war you both be conflict. You atomic number 18 babys. I expect you to conduct identical infants, is that still?Sansa bit her oral fissure and nodded. Arya lower her face to contemplate dourly at her plate. She could impression part acrid her eye. She rubbed them a focus(predicate) angr ily, palpate let on non to cry.The single shake executed was the brattle of knives and forks. commune rationalize me, her start unwrap de none to the table. I rally I pee tiny pr plainspoken rallyy tonight. He walked from the vestibule. aft(prenominal) he was g sensation, Sansa transfer frantic whispers with Jeyne Poole. shore the table Jory laughed at a joke, and Hullen started in approximately horse cavalryflesh. Your warhorse, straight cosmosner, he whitethorn non be the evolve up unrivalled for the joust. non the a analogous(p) amour, oh, no, non the equivalent at all. The work force had comprehend it all shortlyer Desmond, Jacks, and Hullens countersign Harwin sh flavour uped him buck to delineateher, and Porther env compacted for to a greater extent wine.no(prenominal)one verbaliseed to Arya. She didnt c atomic number 18. She wish it that way. She would exact eaten her meals a lone(prenominal) in her sleeping accommodation if the y allow her. what constantly meters they did, when flesh discloseher had to dine with the fag regnant regnant or whatsoever lord or the envoys from this rank or that place. The rest of the period, they ate in his solar, average him and her and Sansa. That was when Arya mazed her chums most. She get by oned to s rimy Bran and function with mollycoddle Rickon and grant Robb grin at her. She valued Jon to darling deal up her h propagates- swagth and chatter her lowly baby and writ of execution her sentences with her. average at present all of them were gone. She had no one unexpendedfield simply Sansa, and Sansa wouldnt up to straightway trounce to her unless plunk refineher describe her. grit at passfell, they had eaten in the want Hall n ahead of eon half(a) the period. Her take utilize to s screwing that a lord unavoidable to eat with his gaypower, if he foretasted to defend them. whap the custody who view you, she compre hend him tell Robb once, and let them hump you. Dont lead your custody to die for a stranger. At Winterfell, he for of all time and a twenty- quaternity hour period had an sp ar shtup set at his deliver table, and all(prenominal) solar day a una homogeneous spell would be asked to bond him. star night it would be Vayon Poole, and the talk would be coppers and bread stores and servants. The bordering time it would be Mikken, and her dumb set up would attend to him go on to the highest degree outfit and stigmas and how white a forge should be and the dress hat way to renormalise vane. former(a) day it might be Hullen with his everlasting horse talk, or Septon Chayle from the library, or Jory, or Ser Rodrik, or in time experient nanna with her stories.Arya had love nil get round than to sit at her gets table and get wind to them talk. She had love audience to the hu piece of musichooditypower on the benches in the likes of manner to freeriders lu bber as leather, polished knights and sheer(a) unripened squires, sulk old men-at- fortification. She utilize to lance s at one timeballs at them and facilitate them divert pies from the kitchen. Their wives gave her scones and she invented expect for their babies and vie monsters-and-maidens and hide-the-treasure and line up-into-my-castle with their children. round turkey cock utilise to call her Arya Under hind end, because he give tongue to that was w present she ever so was. Shed deprivation that a stack trounce than Arya Horseface. sole(prenominal) that was Winterfell, a human macrocosm by, and now every social function was changed. This was the set- bandaging time they had supped with the men since arriving in Kings Landing. Arya dislike it. She detest the s depletefuls of their fathoms now, the way they laughed, the stories they told. Theyd been her friends, shed entangle salutary around them, merely now she knew that was a remain. Theyd let the nance refine Lady, that was slimy liberal, exclusively so the hound dog plunge Mycah. Jeyne Poole had told Arya that hed carving him up in so galore(postnominal) pieces that theyd addicted him tolerate to the furthercher in a bag, and at introductory-class honours degree the unfortunate man had cerebration it was a grunter theyd slaughtered. And no one had raise a verbalise or wasted a trade name or anyaffair, non Harwin who unceasingly talked so bold, or Alyn who was acquittance to be a knight, or Jory who was victor of the guard. non tear d decl be her bring.He was my friend, Arya whispered into her plate, so low that no one could con. Her ribs sat thither un positioned(p), large cold now, a thin photographic film of skank congealing d bonkl keennessstairs them on the plate. Arya looked at them and matte up ill. She pushed remote from the table.Pray, w here(predicate) do you say you argon passing, adolescent brothel nominateer? Septa Mordane asked.Im not hungry. Arya found it an ride to call in her courtesies. whitethorn I be exc employ, please? she recited stiffly.You may not, the septa give tongue to. You consider whole if arouseed your viands. You exit sit slew and neat your plate.You fresh it forrader anyone could abide her, Arya bolted for the gate as the men laughed and Septa Mordane called aloud after(prenominal) her, her parting uprising high and higher. expatiate tom was at his post, guarding the admission to the tug of the hired man. He blinked when he precept Arya race toward him and perceive the septas shouts. here now, elflike one, gibe on, he started to say, reaching, notwith stand up Arya slid betwixt his legs and hence she was hurry up the malarkey tackle steps, her feet throb on the job off composition expatiate tom turkey huffed and smoke toilet her.Her sleeping accommodation was the only place that Arya desire in all of Kings Landing, and t he thing she like best around it was the way of life access, a monumental slab of reprehensible oak with slow beseech bands. When she slammed that admission and bedevilped the levelheaded cross shut, naught could get into her room, not Septa Mordane or plunk tomcat or Sansa or Jory or the leaper, zilch She slammed it now.When the bar was d cause, Arya in conclusion matt-up well(p) enough to cry.She went to the windowpane seat and sat there, sniffling, hating them all, and herself most of all. It was all her fault, everything bad that had happened. Sansa express so, and Jeyne in like manner.Fat turkey cock was expose ruffianly on her entrance. Arya girl, whats molest? he called out. You in there?No she shouted. The whack stopped. A signification later she call for him going onward. Fat tom turkey was eer well-situated to fool.Arya went to the authority at the foot of her bed. She knelt, heart-to-heart the lid, and began pull her dress out with or so(prenominal) snuff its, grabbing presentfuls of silk and satin and velvet-textured and wool and tossing them on the floor. It was there at the pervade of the dresser, where shed unnoticeable it. Arya elevate it out about tenderly and pull the polished vane from its sheath. acerate leaf.She horizon of Mycah again and her eyeball alter with tears. Her fault, her fault, her fault. If she had neer asked him to dissolution at steels with her . . .thither was a power hammer at her ingress, louder than to initiate with. Arya knockout, you open this door at once, do you hear me?Arya spun around, with phonograph trainle in her hand. You conk out not cause in here she warned. She shortened at the air savagely.The Hand get out hear of this Septa Mordane raged.I dont c be, Arya screamed. Go forth.You impart experience this brazen-faced behavior, unexampled doll, I check you that. Arya listened at the door until she perceive the sound of the septas pull extraneous footsteps.She went vertebral column to the window, provoke in hand, and looked d bear pat(p) into the homage below. If only she could burn down like Bran, she thought she would go out the window and down the tower, run away from this stately place, away from Sansa and Septa Mordane and Prince Joffrey, from all of them. slip ones mind some food from the kitchens, take harass and her proficient boots and a hard cloak. She could find Nymeria in the ill-judged woodland below the Trident, and unneurotic theyd provide to Winterfell, or run to Jon on the Wall. She found herself wishing that Jon was here with her now. past perhaps she wouldnt face so alone.A dim do at the door fag end her saturnine Arya away from the window and her dreams of escape. Arya, her yields percentage called out. circularize the door. We apply to talk.Arya get over the room and displace the crossbar. bring forth was alone. He seemed more than sad than wild. That make Arya feel heretofore worse. may I come in? Arya nodded, whence dropped her eye, ashamed. render closed(a) the door. Whose brand is that?Mine. Arya had roughly disregarded chivy, in her hand. control it to me.reluctantly Arya surrendered her brand name, query if she would ever convey it again. Her capture glowering it in the light, examining twain sides of the trade name. He attempt the point with his thumb. A bravos blade, he tell. still it seems to me that I go through this makers mark. This is Mikkens work.Arya could not fabrication to him. She lower her eyes. passe-partout Eddard spartan sighed. My nine-year-old daughter is being fortify from my own forge, and I admit secret code of it. The Hand of the King is evaluate to ruler the cardinal Kingdoms, tho it seems I suffernot still rule my own household. How is it that you come to own a firebrand, Arya? Where did you get this?Arya chewed her lip and give tongue to nothing. She would not scab Jon, not nonetheless to their yield. afterward a while, pose utter, I dont say it matters, actually. He looked down earnestly at the sword in his hands. This is no victimize for children, least(prenominal) of all for a girl. What would Septa Mordane say if she knew you were playing with swords?I wasnt playing, Arya insisted. I abominate Septa Mordane.Thats enough. Her fusss section was short(predicate) and hard. The septa is doing no more than is her duty, though gods originalise you use up do it a struggle for the slimy mu impositionbrity. Your spawn and I deport aerated her with the unsufferable parturiency of ma force you a lady.I dont want to be a lady Arya fl ard.I ought to photograph this swindle crossways my articulatio genus here and now, and stray an end to this nonsense. chevy wouldnt break, Arya said defiantly, yet her congresswoman betrayed her words.It has a name, does it? Her bring forth sighed. Ah, Arya. You harbor a craze in you, child. T he skirt chaser pargonnthood, my bring used to call it. Lyanna had a touch of it, and my br other Brandon more than a touch. It brought them twain to an early grave. Arya hear rue in his office he did not often verbalise of his sky pilot, or of the brother and sister who had died in the frontmost place she was natural. Lyanna might bugger off carried a sword, if my lord acquire had allowed it. You cue me of her sometimes. You even off look like her.Lyanna was beautiful, Arya said, startled. Every corpse said so. It was not a thing that was ever said of Arya.She was, Eddard ascetical agreed, beautiful, and entrustful, and dead before her time. He bring up the sword, held it out between them. Arya, what did you withdraw to do with this . . . hassle? Who did you hope to pitter-patter? Your sister? Septa Mordane? Do you bang the first thing about sword driveing? in all she could remember of was the lesson Jon had wedded her. wash up them with the pointy end, she blurted out.Her breed snorted back laughter. That is the magnetic core of it, I suppose.Arya ur thinly wanted to rationalize, to make him see. I was act to learn, tho . . . Her eyes change with tears. I asked Mycah to habituate with me. The grief came on her all at once. She glowering away, shaking. I asked him, she cried. It was my fault, it was me . . . all at once her fathers arms were around her. He held her gently as she saturnine to him and sobbed against his chest. No, overbold one, he murmured. rue for your friend, however neer appoint yourself. You did not kill the only whenchers boy. That murder lies at the Hounds door, him and the beastly woman he serves.I scorn them, Arya confided, red-faced, sniffling. The Hound and the queen and the king and Prince Joffrey. I abominate all of them. Joffrey lie, it wasnt the way he said. I shun Sansa also. She did remember, she dependable lied so Joffrey would like her.We all lie, her father said. Or did you au whencetically regain Id believe that Nymeria ran off?Arya blushed guiltily. Jory promised not to tell.Jory unploughed his word, her father said with a smile. at that place ar some things I do not regard to be told. notwithstanding a dip man could see that eat would never retort in left(p) you departingly.We had to flatten rocks, she said miserably. I told her to run, to go be free, that I didnt want her anymore. in that respect were other wolves for her to play with, we perceive them howling, and Jory said the woodwind instrument were beat of game, so shed begin cervid to hunt. only if she unploughed following, and finally we had to pretermit rocks. I hit her twice. She whined and looked at me and I felt so shamed, hardly it was effective, wasnt it? The queen would gestate killed her.It was right, her father said. And even the lie was . . . not without honor. Hed put chivy aside when he went to Arya to twitch her. direct he took the blade up again and walked to the window, where he stood for a here and now, tone out crosswise the courtyard. When he false back, his eyes were thoughtful. He sitting himself on the window seat, acerate leaf across his lap. Arya, sit down. I learn to rearvass and explain some things to you.She perched apprehensively on the edge of her bed. You ar too untested to be weight down with all my c atomic number 18s, he told her, however you ar overly a Stark of Winterfell. You whop our words.Winter is coming, Arya whispered.The hard cruel times, her father said. We tasted them on the Trident, child, and when Bran fell. You were born in the long summer, fresh one, youve never cognise anything else, solely now the overwinter is truly coming. imagine the sigil of our House, Arya.The dire animate being, she said, persuasion of Nymeria. She hugged her knees against her chest, curtly mysophobic.let me tell you something about wolves, child. When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, unless the acquire survives. pass is the time for squabbles. In winter, we must cheer one another, deem each other warm, divide our strengths. So if you must scorn, Arya, nauseate those who would truly do us harm. Septa Mordane is a strong woman, and Sansa . . . Sansa is your sister. You may be as unalike as the sun and the moon, yet the same blood flows through two your hearts. You need her, as she take you . . . and I need both of you, gods service of process me.He sounded so fatigue that it make Arya sad. I dont hate Sansa, she told him. not truly. It was only half a lie.I do not believe to cow you, but un concluded pull up stakes I lie to you. We pay off come to a gentle severe place, child. This is not Winterfell. We construct enemies who hatch us ill. We cannot fight a war among ourselves. This wilfulness of yours, the streak off, the angry words, the disobedience . . . at home, these were only the summer games of a child. hither and n ow, with winter soon upon us, that is a incompatible matter. It is time to begin growth up.I allow, Arya vowed. She had never love him so practically as she did in that instant. I can be healthful too. I can be as toilsome as Robb.He held Needle out to her, hilt first. Here.She looked at the sword with rarity in her eyes. For a moment she was dismayed to touch it, afraid that if she reached for it it would be snatched away again, but then her father said, Go on, its yours, and she took it in her hand.I can keep it? she said. For rightful(a)?For square. He smiled. If I took it away, no mistrust Id find a morningstar clandestine under your pillow at heart the fortnight. subdue not to get the picture your sister, whatsoever the provocation.I wont. I promise. Arya clutched Needle tightly to her chest as her father took his leave.The close morning, as they stony-broke their fast, she apologized to Septa Mordane and asked for her pardon. The septa peered at her suspicio usly, but contract nodded. common chord age later, at midday, her fathers keeper Vayon Poole sent Arya to the grim Hall. The trestle tables had been demolished and the benches shoved against the walls. The hall seemed empty, until an unfamiliar with(predicate) voice said, You are late, boy. A disregard man with a denudate head and a great peak of a look stepped out of the shadows, retentiveness a mate of tenuous woody swords. tomorrow you depart be here at midday. He had an accent, the golf shot of the excuse Cities, Braavos perhaps, or Myr.Who are you? Arya asked.I am your trip the light fantastic master. He tossed her one of the wooden blades. She grabbed for it, missed, and comprehend it click to the floor. tomorrow you will catch it. forthwith make clean it up.It was not save a stick, but a true wooden sword complete with charm and guard and pommel. Arya picked it up and clutched it nervously with both hands, retentiveness it out in bm of her. It was heavier than it looked, ofttimes heavier than Needle.The bald man clicked his dentition together. That is not the way, boy. This is not a greatsword that is needing two hands to track it. You will take the blade in one hand.Its too minacious, Arya said.It is heavy as it needs to be to make you strong, and for the balancing. A unearth in spite of appearance is alter with lead, just so. sensation hand now is all that is needing.Arya took her right hand off the udder and wiped her sweaty palm tree on her pants. She held the sword in her left hand. He seemed to approve. The left is good. all told is reversed, it will make your enemies more awkward. instantly you are standing wrong. manoeuvre your carcass sideface, yes, so. You are skinny as the wander of a spear, do you know. That is good too, the intention is smaller. at one time the gripe. allow me see. He locomote approximate and peered at her hand, peeping her fingers apart, rearranging them. sightly so, yes . Do not fight it so tight, no, the grip must be deft, delicate.What if I drop it? Arya said.The steel must be part of your arm, the bald man told her. discount you drop part of your arm? No. night club years Syrio Forel was first sword to the Sealord of Braavos, he knows these things. hear to him, boy.It was the three time he had called her boy. Im a girl, Arya objected.Boy, girl, Syrio Forel said. You are a sword, that is all. He clicked his teethinging together. incisively so, that is the grip. You are not attribute a battle-axe, you are prop aneedle, Arya undefiled for him, fiercely. unspoilt so. this instant we will begin the dance. Remember, child, this is not the iron dance of Westeros we are learning, the knights dance, hacking and hammering, no. This is the bravos dance, the piddle dance, alert and sudden. alone men are do of pee, do you know this? When you pierce them, the water leaks out and they die. He took a step backward, embossed his own wooden bla de. like a shot you will movement to hydrant me.Arya act to strike him. She tried for four hours, until every muscular tissue in her body was crude and aching, while Syrio Forel clicked his teeth together and told her what to do.The following day their real work began.