Arya leaned against the cool wall, she sobbed lightly.
"What does a girl cry about?" The soft voice of the red haired man seemed to come straight out of the pitch black darkness.
"What do you want?" She snapped, crunching the paper she held in her hands harder and staring into the direction his voice had come from.
"A girl is sad. A man helps a girl," Jaqen H'ghar stepped out of the shadows of the night that had hidden him. Into the moonlight which seemed to surround him, like a silvery cloud.
He slowly came closer and sat down next to the girl.
"You don't wear your armor?" Arya looked at him confused.
She hadn´t seen him in days and still was unsure who he was or what he wanted. Nor why he was creeping around in the little chamber in which Lord Tywinn Lannister let her sleep.
"A man wanted to sleep and heard a girl crying in the night," he answered lowly, his voice merely a whisper, warm air caressing the girl's tear wetted cheeks.
"What's troubling a girl?"
She handed him over the crumbled piece of paper that she had picked from a raven before it could reach the Lord.
"My brothers.. Greyjoy.. Murdered and burned them," she started sobbing again.
"A man is there. A girl is not alone," a warm arm got wrapped around her shoulder. Jaqen pulled her closer to himself. The silver moonlight reflected in his dark eyes and his scent of spices and smoke tickled her nose.
"Greyjoy.." Arya mumbled.
"Does a girl name this man?"
"Not now.." she answered in a low voice, that clearly was tired from whining and rested her head on the man's shoulder. He felt warm and she could feel his body move with every breath he drew.
Jaqen lifted his other arm to gently stroke over her face, his fingers caressing her skin tenderly.
"A girl doesn't need to cry. Her brothers are smart. A girl will seem the again," he whispered into Arya's ear.
"You mean .. they are still alive?" she lifted her head, looking him into the eyes again.
"A man is rather sure they are."
"And I´ll see them again? Do you swear it?" her eyes were staring into his now. He softly nodded, his pupils simmering like dark mist that crawls up from the dark forests north the wall.
"A man swears. But to take the oath.. A girl has to.." he got silent, the mist clouding. His fingers held Arya's chin as he softly lowered his lips onto hers.
She gasped. Never before had she been kissed. But as sudden as the moment came it was gone again and Jaqen pulled her closer to himself. His fingers were stroking over her cheek again.
"A girl doesn't need to be in fear," he slowly rocked the two of them back and forth. Back and forth.
She could've remained in this moment endlessly. The man that served Tywinn by day was a welcome companion at night.
"But.. you had your first kiss with him?" An inner voice seemed to ask her.
"It's too late now anyway," she answered it in her thoughts.
"The girl is still thinking," Jaqen's voice interrupter her interior monologue and hung in the cool air like smoke that didn't want to dissolve.
She turned her head, facing him once more and leaned her forehead against his, the tip of her nose stroking his cheek gingerly. He smiled softly and pulled her closer, into his lap.
"I can´t switch them thoughts off, can I?" Arya lifted her right hand and placed it on Jaqen's warm cheek.
"A girl is very sweet to a man," Jaqen let his thumb wander over her face, rested it gently on her lips.
Arya pressed himself against him, sobbing again, hating herself for it, but being unable to stop and just enjoyed the company. Something deep inside her wasn´t sure whether he was right about her broters. And the opportunity that they might be dead just was too overwhelming.
"A man will avenge the girls pain, " jaqen whispered, laying his arms around her and rocking them both again.