Chapter 10

In the dark, Arya nuzzled into Jaqen's chest and sighed happily. She planted small kisses where ever she could reach, and heard the rumble of him chuckling inside his chest. Her arm was draped over his abdomen, the other one squeezed between their bodies and her head resting on his shoulder, while he lay on his back, cradling her in his arms. She pushed her nose deep into his skin and inhaled his scent. Jaqen's hands traced lazy patterns up and down her back. Now and then he lowered his head and kissed her hair. Arya lifted her head, planted her chin on his chest and looked at him: "Those words you said, the ones about the moon of your life, what were they?"

Jaqen smiled at her: "Jalan atthirari ann is Dothraki, my lovely girl, to tell you, you are the moon of my life"

"I like it" Arya smiled "when did you learn Dothraki?"

"A man was once a little boy, not Dothraki but living on Essos for a while. A man thinks his father took him there on travels" Jaqen answered.

"You never told me, you remembered anything from your childhood"

"A girl never asked" Jaqen smirked and kissed her "but a man has only recently remembered bits and pieces from his time before becoming no one". He didn't want to think of the implications of the flashes of memory that sometimes appeared, when he was with his lovely girl feeling content. It had only happened a couple of times, and only when he lay relaxed with her in his arms, but it had worried him none the less. He hadn't even been aware of the Dothraki words until he spoke them. To stop the thoughts he caught her lips between his teeth while he moved his hands to her sides, tickling her. She squirmed and laughed into his kiss, and tried to tickle him back. They started fighting for control, giggling and kissing, tickling each other until the mood changed into desire, and the laughing and tickling was replaced by moans and caresses.

The next morning they awoke slowly in each other's arms. Arya turned lazily to face him, and Jaqen could see, she had something on her mind. He kissed the tip of her nose: "What is it my lovely girl?"

Arya inhaled deeply, gathering courage before asking: "Do we have to stay here Jaqen? Could we not go live somewhere else?"

Jaqen's eyes grew clouded with sadness; he had known this question would eventually come up: "A man has said sacred vows and has given his life to the Many Faced God" he sighed "A mans life is here, everything he is and everything that holds honor. A girl knows this."

Arya moved a little, feeling dissatisfied: "But what would happen, if we were to leave?"

Jaqen held her a little tighter: "A girl has not said any vows and is free to leave, but a man cannot leave without betraying everything he is and believes in. Do not ask that of me, my lovely girl"

Arya felt disappointment filling her eyes and her throat: "But what are we going to do then? I mean, if we can't leave, but we can't be together if we stay, what other option is there, other than…" she bit her lover lip and looked down.

Jaqen gently put his hand under her chin and lifted her face to his, kissing her mouth, her lips still swollen from the many kisses of the night they had shared: "We cannot stop being together, my lovely girl, but what to do, a man does not yet know. He will need some more time, to figure it out". Arya threw her hands around him, the wolf inside her shivering as if cold with premonition: "I really hope, there will be a way for us to leave this place Jaqen."

As Arya was training in the sun with other apprentices, Jaqen was summoned to the guild. They sat around the table discussing an assignment one of the others was supposed to leave for today. The other man had fallen ill and would not be able to perform his duty, another one would have to take over and leave immediately. They decided to send Jaqen, since he was their most accomplished assassin, and the one that would have the least trouble adapting to a new plan of assassination with such short notice. Jaqen didn't want to leave but knew, he could not refuse, so he set out to find the lovely girl. He had been asked to leave immediately. Arya was not to be found with the other apprentices, and Jaqen was getting irritated looking for her, when he knew, he had little time. Some of the others from the guild caught up with him wondering out loud, why he had not yet packed, since a boat was about to take of shortly, that would ensure the timely execution of his task. Jaqen hurried to his sleeping cell, packed up a few necessities and quickly wrote a letter to his lovely girl, explaining to her, what had happened. He left the letter in her room, and walked towards the boat constantly searching his surroundings for a glimpse of his lovely girl. Everything in him screamed to hold her and at least kiss her goodbye.

Arya returned to the House of Black and White an hour later, talking to her fellow apprentice, laughing and enjoying the sun. It had been a rare treat to be excused from training to go search for a specific flower, needed for the medicine they were to mix tomorrow. After dropping of the flowers Arya went in search for Jaqen.

At nighttime she still had not found him, and went to the pool waiting for him to pass by on his way back from where ever he was. She was starting to get annoyed, masking the worry, that something was not right. After about an hour the Kindly Man passed by and saw her waiting: "A girl looks distressed" he said kindly "Is she waiting for something?"

Arya tried to hide her worry. "A girl is waiting for a man, she has a question for him, but has not been able to find him all day" she said.

The Kindly Man took her hand, and Arya looked at him in surprise. This comforting gesture was not common for him, and his eyes looked sad as he asked: "A girl is looking for the man she calls Jaqen, yes?"

Arya's eyes went from surprise to chock, as the Kindly Man said the name, she thought no one knew she had named her love. The Kindly Man sighed and stroked her hair in a fatherly gesture, making Arya go from worried to terrified: "What has happened to him? Where is he?"

"The man you call Jaqen has left, and will not be coming back for a long time. He has decided his loyalties lay with the Many Faced God, and he will not return, until this place is free of distractions" The Kindly Man looked at her, waiting for her to understand.

Arya felt dizzy. What was he saying? Jaqen had left her? After the night they had shared. "He wouldn't do that", she said almost without uncertainty in her voice "he wouldn't leave without saying goodbye!" She stood up, anger and confusion filling her eyes. The Kindly man stood and once again took her hands "And yet he did child. And yet he did"

At the look in her eyes, the Kindly Man cringed inside. He knew what the real reason for Jaqen's departure was; they had framed both of them. He had seen Jaqen on the verge of panic, trying to find the girl before leaving. He had never seen his brother like that before. And he knew of the letter Jaqen had written, that no longer existed.

The girl shook her head: "That can't be true. Not after… not after…" she looked at the Kindly Man with a mixture of despair and pleading written all over her face and posture, as she knew she could not finish the sentence. She could not tell him about the nights they shared. It all had to be a mistake. Jaqen would not leave her like this, she was his lovely girl, the moon of his life.

The Kindly Man squeezed her hands to make her look at him: "I know" he almost whispered "I am not blind Arya". Arya felt, as if he had knocked the wind out of her. The Kindly Man called her Arya; this was not good. She wanted to cover her ears, but he still held her hands and continued: "I know about his struggles and the feelings that have blossomed between you. But he has made his choice. The only choice he could make. He will not return as long as you stay here, girl". Arya felt sick, her stomach tying up in knots, her head spinning. "No, no, no, that is not true" The only thing she could feel was the grip the Kindly Man had on her hands, her knees started to give away under her.

The Kindly Man felt shocked and sickened by his own actions. He had expected the girl to rage and yell, she was strong and stubborn like no one, he had ever met before. She had endured far too many hardships too early in her life, and nothing had broken her. He had not thought she could break, until now. He had thought, this would be the only way to part them, without any severe harm, but the look in her eyes was a dark abysmal of pain and fear. The Kindly Man wanted to somehow comfort her: "This was not an easy choice for him" he whispered.

Arya fell to her knees and threw up violently, heaving for breath between the cramps forcing vile up. The Kindly Man dipped a cloth in the pool and wiped her face with it. "I will go to Braavos" she said "I will stay in Braavos and then he can return here, and I can still see him now and then" she pleaded.

"It will not be enough, girl" said the Kindly Man "but we have good news for you. Your sister Sansa is back at Winterfell with the warrior called the Hound, and your two little brothers are with her. They are not dead. The man you love heard this before leaving. It was his wish you go there, and take back your old life". All blood drained from Arya's body. This was too much. Too many thoughts and feelings raced inside of her. The joy that her sister and two smaller brothers were alive and well; there were Starks at Winterfell again, she had a home. Jaqen! Jaqen did not want her after all. He wanted her away from him. She had not even had the chance to say good bye. He had kissed her for the last time. Touched her for the last time, and she hadn't known. She had had no idea. She had talked about leaving. That was probably why he had decided against her. She had pushed him away. He had asked for more time, but she had been to stubborn, she had wanted things her way. And now he was gone. She had slept in his arms. Had she known that was the last time, he would hold her, she would never had gone to sleep. Sansa was at Winterfell. Bran and Rickon were alive. And Jaqen had left her.

Her head was spinning and suddenly all went dark.