Arya spent the first two nights, barely sleeping. On the third night in Braavos, she saved a street kid from an angry merchant and made a friend. She was introduced to a street gang. They were orphans made up of pick pockets and street performers. Their leader was older than Arya, but only by a few years.
"Can you use that sword?" The leader asked, walking in a circle and checking the new kid out.
"Yes. My trainer was Syrio Forel," she said and smiled when the other kids reacted favourably.
"First Sword of the city for nine years," he said acknowledging the name she referred to.
He lunged at her with a stick and she parried the move, making him miss. She did a quick backwards foot action, where her front foot moved behind the rear foot on her body's outside. She landed on the ball of her front foot, while her rear foot moved back to complete the stance. He smiled and nodded, analyzing her movement. They traded a few more moves and he finally stopped attacking.
"You were a good student. What other weapons can you use?" Taron asked.
"I'm pretty good with a bow and arrow," Arya replied.
He signalled someone and a bow and arrow were handed to him. "Sarra, hold this apple in your hand." He waited until the girl obeyed and then said, "hit her and you die. Hit the apple and you can join us."
"And if I do neither?" Arya challenged.
"Then girl, you'll die in the streets."
Her eyes widened as she realized he had seen through her disguise. She took a deep breath, calming her mind. Then she recalled what Anguy had taught her. The arrow sailed through the air and the apple fell, impaled. With a smirk she asked, "any more tests?"
"Nope, welcome. What's your name?"
"Ari," she stuck with the name she'd been using as a boy. "What kind of skills do you all have?"
"We're like the mice that steal the food from the rich kitchens. Or the cats that walk on the highest ledges without falling. We know everything about this city and can teach you too."
"Have any of you killed someone?"
Taron said, "yes. We may not be in a guild, but have been hired as street assassins. Because we are small and young, we have agility and can get into places adults can't."
"Okay, I'll join you… for now."
He turned to his fellow street kids, "everyone this is Ari, our newest member."
They welcomed her, but were still cautious, until the kid she'd rescued told them what had happened. Then they all told her what they specialized at. This is how her education began. More surprises came, when Arya was invited to join them for dinner. They had all the food groups and no one went hungry. Taron could tell she was impressed.
"We all work hard to make sure we eat well. You're training will start tomorrow. You'll stick to me like glue, until I say otherwise. You do as I say and one day you'll graduate to working on your own."
She nodded. Luck or fate, she didn't know what had helped her meet them, but Arya would take it. She helped clean up the meal and waited to see what happened next.
Taron sent out the street performers and pick pockets. "Everyone works in shifts, so that people don't remember our faces."
That was smart, he nodded at her to follow. "Leave your sword with Benn, on my word it will be here when you return."
Arya believed him and did as he asked. Then had to jog to keep up with Taron. He talked as they moved through the streets, "you must be at optimal weight, which means not carrying too much weight and bulk. It slows you down when scaling buildings or leaping between rooftops. Powerful strength and lightning quick reflexes are your best friend. A few extra seconds can be the difference between life and death. We all have the muscular endurance to climb a high wall or building, dive and swim under wanter, run at stop speed to avoid capture for 200 yards at least. Some of us are better than others, but we can jump over obstacles higher than our waist, which is handy when climbing buildings and hurdling obstacles when being chased. Every second you'll learn how to read the environment around you and use it to maximum efficiency."
He sounded like a drill master and she was beginning to understand why they ate so well. He explained everything, which helped her understand why he had his group train so hard. She realized that his description that they were animals, wasn't far from the truth. He could pick out his people even at night.
"So if your target is on the other side of a building and it has no ladder to get to the roof, you can scale up the wall using cracks, ledges, the windowsill or shimmy up between two walls?"
"Now you're thinking. Always try and determine the fastest path to the roof. It's like a game and often a roof is an easy way to escape. I'll help you learn how to scale a city wall, vault rooftops, balance along ledges, move in the shadows so you are unseen, unheard and unknown."
She looked at him, "how do you know all this?"
"My father was an assassin."
"Was?"
"My mother and I were a liability. He lost his life protecting us. My mother gave up on life and I vowed never to do that."
Arya understood loss, "my mother, father and brother were murdered…. One day I will avenge them." She didn't elaborate that she had other family members, because she didn't know whether or not they were dead too.
They walked in silence for a few minutes and then Taron returned to teaching. "Be creative, keep your eyes open and assess every situation."
"Right aim for the path of least resistance."
"Disguising yourself as a boy was smart, but as a girl you can use so much more to get your way. Sarra will teach you how to use your assets to your advantage."
"How did you know I was a girl? Most haven't noticed."
"Your walk and hips," Taron explained. "Wearing layers and binding your chest, worked. You're hair could've been shorter, but other than that for most people you look like a boy. We just know better and so will most of the people in Braavos."
He helped her up to a ledge and encouraged her to climb higher. Taron jumped and swung himself up the wall of the building, Arya was on. He got to the roof, before she did and hadn't made a sound. He offered her his hand and pulled her up to join him.
"Look over that way," he said and pointed away from the city.
"You can see the sea from here!" Arya was shocked. The moon lit the black water with a slight glow.
He smiled, "is that where you are from? Across the sea?"
"Yes."
"Noble born?"
"How?"
Taron put a hand on her shoulder, "The way you speak. Promise me that one day you will tell me your story. Until you pick up our street language, try not to talk much, unless it's with one of us."
"I promise, as long as you promise not to judge me," Arya replied.
"Who am I to judge?" He asked at first, then said, "I promise."