CHAPTER #21

Taron was busy hitting on the bartender, Byt and Sarra were working the room too. Aulix sat with his back to a corner of the room. His hoodie was over his face and he appeared to be in a drunken sleep, but he was not. His eyes were white and his mind had taken over another cat. It didn't take him long to find Arya and the roof top she sat on. As he watched her, she pointedly looked him in the eye, or at least the cat's eyes. He released the cat and decided to talk to her directly. A flick of his hand and he told Taron his intentions. Not surprisingly, Taron shortly followed Aulix. Together they found the girl.

"Don't like working the room?" Aulix asked sitting down beside her, cross-legged.

"That's not my best talent," Arya replied.

"What is your talent?"

"Killing people," she replied with no expression.

Aulix laughed, "Taron is she doing assassinations for hire?"

He shook his head, "not yet."

Aulix drilled Arya with his eyes, "whom have you killed Arya Stark? And why have you killed?"

Without batting an eye, Arya answered. She was revealing some of her story, her past. She kept her eyes on Aulix's not wanting to see pity or disgust in Taron's eyes. Then she asked, "did Taron tell you who I am?"

"He didn't have to. But he wouldn't reveal anything either. Everyone thinks you're dead my Lady," Aulix said.

Arya flinched, remembering how Gendry would tease her about her social status. She hadn't thought about Gendry in ages and a little piece of her heart hurt when she did. Her reaction to Aulix's words, was not lost on either guy.

"Relax, you're secrets are safe with us…Ari," Aulix reassured. "Who else do you want to kill?"

Taron could answer that and listed off the names, that Arya chanted every night. Aulix whistled, "that's some list. You'll need help to finish it. How important is it? Can you forget your past?"

"Never. Everything I learn, that I do, has that goal in mind." Arya said truthfully.

"Do you want to be an assassin or just a killer for your own goals?"

She thought about it and replied, "I'll kill anyone who deserves to die and who's name I know. Label me as you see fit."

"That's pretty much the same answer she gave me, when I asked," Taron explained.

The moonlight glinted in Aulix's eyes and Arya had to force herself not to shiver. She caught Taron and Aulix talking with their hands again. "Say what you want to, no need to hide your words."

"I like you. You're blunt and know what you want. I'll teach you, while I'm around," Aulix finally said.

Arya got suddenly a strange vibe and became shy, she looked at Taron for reassurance. Taron nodded and put his hand on her shoulder. "Want to tell us your whole story now?"

She opened her mouth to respond and Aulix held up his hand. His eyes went white and they knew he was checking the area around them. When his eyes returned to normal and his hand dropped, he said "it's safe to speak freely."

"Why is it so important to you? Why do you want to know?"

Aulix replied, "so we can help you and hone your skills to carry out your mission. Because we too have had people we wanted to kill. You're like Taron and I, we forge our own destiny."

She sighed and finally told them her story. As she spoke, she painted a picture in their minds of what had happened, so detailed was her memory. She told them about Gendry and Hot Pie, but not about her feelings for the former or their intimacy. She told them about Jaqen H'gar. Arya ended with how she came to Braavos and joined the street guild. Her shoulders slumped and she waited in silence for their reaction.

"You're smart and quick thinking on your feet. To survive as long as you have and as a girl, wow." Taron shook his head in amazement.

Aulix wanted to back up a minute, "tell me more about your dire wolf."

"That's so like you, focusing on the animals." Taron teased, but he knew the look in his friend's eyes. Aulix had done the same thing to him when they'd met and discovered that Taron had a mild form of Greensight.

"Ugh, enough about the past. I'll tell you about her another day," Arya said.

Taron and Aulix exchanged a look behind her back. Then they each grabbed a hand and dragged her with them. They ignored her protests and made her come into the pub. When Byt and Sarra saw her, they too enforced her participation, by giving her a mug of cider.

"We're going to play a game," Sarra said. "You'll be asked a YES or NO question. If you don't answer then you have to kiss on the mouth, the asker of the question."

Arya stood to leave, "I'm not really into games."

Aulix raised an eyebrow and challenged, "scared of facing truth?"

She sat back down and gave him a sour look. Taron poured her a mug of cider and topped up the ale mugs of the others too. Since Sarra had suggested the game, she started. "Aulix the reason you've come here, is that you miss Taron, right?"

He laughed, "yes." He looked at her and said, "that was too easy." He looked around at the people at the table. "Ari are you jealous of Byt and Sarra?"

"No," she smiled. "Taron, do you wish you could change your own rules?"

"Yes," Taron replied. His eyes holding hers a little longer than necessary. "Byt, do you want to bed Aulix?"

Instead of answering, she kissed Taron. Arya blushed, it was that hot of a kiss. But once it was over, Taron and Byt remained poker faced. Byt asked, "is it my turn to ask a question?"

Sarra smirked, "you just did. But in all fairness, you get a second one."

Byt asked, "Ari will you be staying in Braavos a few years?"

"Yes." Arya had many questions she wanted to ask, but was apprehensive to do so in present company. She went for the easy ones instead. "Aulix, you can only connect to animals and not humans, right?"

He first looked at Taron and then took hold of Arya's chin and pulled her lips closer. He kissed her and she couldn't help comparing it to Taron's kiss. Aulix's lips were soft and his mouth inviting. There wasn't the intensity that she felt with Taron. Still Aulix was skilled and his kiss promised things that made her nervous.

Aulix released her. "Sarra you resent always being sent to hit on the men, don't you?"

"No. I'm just good at it," Sarra shrugged. She looked around the table and her eyes found Arya. "Do you wish you were born a boy Arya?"

"Yes." It was the truth, one she had got over when still a child.

The game continued, the booze helping them admit truths. As the questions became more personal and involved, the more kissing resulted. Arya expected a battle of wills between Taron and Aulix, but was disappointed. Aulix was the first to kiss Taron, but two questions later, Taron returned the kiss. Arya ended up having to kiss both girls and guys eventually. She found that Byt was a gentle kisser, Sarra demanding, Taron suggestive and Aulix almost questioning or teasing.

Taron stood up, "I'm done. Have a good night everyone." He left first.

Aulix smirked, knowing exactly who and where Taron was going. He instead offered himself to the remaining girls, predicting that Arya would decline and leave next. He was right and he let Byt and Sarra lead him where they wanted. When Aulix had satisfied the two girls, he left them and leaped to a roof top. His eyes went white and as the sun lit the horizon, he soared on an updraft scanning the city with eagle eyes. He saw Arya sleeping on a roof top and took note of it's location. Then he jumped into a stray dog and using it's nose, found Taron. He licked Taron's face and gave a low woof, when his friend's eyes opened. A flick of his hands, sent the dog away. Aulix returned his mind to his body. He paid for some sweet buns and fruit, then went to wake Arya.

When she felt someone coming, Arya sat up, feeling that whomever approached was not a threat. Rubbing sleep from her eyes, she accepted the fruit handed to her. "Good morning, thank you." She rolled a shoulder, it was stiff from sleeping on the roof.

Without a word, Aulix began to massage her shoulders. At first she tried to pull away, not use to being touched by a guy in a familiar way. But his hands eased the pain and she relaxed. He continued to massage a few minutes, until he saw Taron in the street below. "See you later," Aulix said and jumped off the roof.

Arya watched them walk together, sharing another sweet bun. She wondered just how much they trusted each other and what it would be like to rely on someone other than herself. Staying here until she was old enough to finish her list, was her ultimate goal. But as she watched Aulix and Taron, another, more adult idea took root in her mind. She blushed, glad no one could see what truth her eyes held.