~*Old Faces, New Places*~
Arya was in shock as she reached up to gently touch the assassins cheek with her hand. His hair was a little different, but his face was unmistakable. "Jaqen? Is it really you?" She asked almost in disbelief.
Jaqen nodded and stood, offering her his hand. "We must leave quickly. A girl has many enemies here." He replied calmly as he looked down at her.
Arya gladly took his hand and stood, looking up at him. She couldn't take her eyes off him, it had been so long since she had seen him last. She thought that she would never see him again, it felt that way at least. "But you said they were taking me to the nearest port, I don't understand?"
Jaqen walked over to the cargo hold door and slowly opened it, checking that nobody was there. "A girl must be quiet! They were never taking her to shore. A man told them he would kill you both himself, tonight."
Arya walked over to him and took one last look at The Hound before following him out of the cargo hold. 'Quiet as a shadow' She kept thinking to herself as she crept along quietly behind him. He led her up to the deck of Seamaiden, checking every corner and shadow as they went. 'Fear cuts deeper than swords, silent as a shadow' She kept repeating to herself, hearing Syrio's voice in her head as though he was there with her.
Suddenly, Jaqen stopped and signaled for her to hide. Arya crouched down into a shadow next to him. He pointed up to a sailor who was stood in the crows nest on watch. He crouched next to her and whispered. "A girl must stay."
Arya nodded silently and watched Jaqen as he sneaked away and started to quietly climb the rigging all of the way up to the crows nest. She gently chewed her bottom lip as she watched him get closer to the top before skillfully positioning himself behind the sailor and opening his throat with one of his daggers.
Jaqen checked around for a few moments before climbing back down and returning to her in the shadow where she had remained hidden. When he was happy that it was clear he led her quietly to the back of the ship and signaled for her to look down as he continued to look around. She did as she was told and looked down to see a small boat that the sailors had taken when looting Olde Salty before sinking her.
Arya immediately understood his plan and bravely climbed over the back of the ship before quietly climbing down the rope and into the little boat where she saw two small sacks. 'Probably supplies' She thought to herself. She looked up and watched as Jaqen gracefully slid down the rope to join her in the little boat before cutting the rope with his dagger to set them loose.
They both crouched low and watched as Seamaiden slowly sailed away into the night. Once out of sight he slipped two wooden oars into the water and started to slowly row. "Land is not far, a girl should rest." He told her, knowing that she had been through a tough day.
Arya nodded in agreement before laying on her side and closing her eyes. It had been a long hard day and she was tired from the battle and a little sore from scrubbing decks. "Thank you...Jaqen."
A small smile appeared on Jaqen's face as he continued to slowly row in silence.
Arya quietly whispered her death prayer like she did every night, before falling asleep to the gentle swaying of the boat on the calm sea. "Joffrey, Queen Cersei, Ser Ilyn, Walder Frey, The Mountain."
She walked quietly through the forest before stopping to look up at the moon and stars. sniffing at the cold air she picked up a scent. The fallen leaves crunched under her as she crept through the moonlit forest following her nose, the scent grew a little stronger with each step. Her belly was sore from hunger but tonight she would feed.
Her pace quickened as the scent grew stronger still and her ears pricked up as she heard weak bleating. The forest raced by before until she stopped and saw her pray. A wild goat stuck in a man trap, bleating as it tried to escape. Slowly she approached, sniffing at the cold night air but there was no recent scent of man. Her jaws snapped shut around the wild goats neck, breaking it with a satisfying crunch. She ripped and tore away at the goats flesh, warm fresh blood spilling over her face, goat meat filling her belly.
Hearing a snapping sound behind her she pricked up her ears and turned to face it. Something was approaching so she fled, having already gotten what she came for. She ran quickly through the forest until she reached a cold shallow stream. She stopped and listened to hear if she was being followed before lowering her mouth into the stream to lap up some of the cold fresh water.
"A girl must wake." Jaqen said as he gently nudged her slender shoulder with his hand.
Arya slowly opened her eyes and sat up, still tasting the fresh blood in her mouth. She thought of the dream for a few moments as she looked at the small patch of orange sky on the horizon where the sun was starting to rise. She gently rubbed some of the sleep from her eyes and looked over to where Jaqen was pointing. "Where are we? Where are we going?" She asked him as she slowly started to wake properly, rubbing the rest of the sleep from her grey Stark eyes.
Jaqen looked back at her as he slid the wooden oars back into the boat. "A man is taking a girl to Braavos. A girl has many names on her lips. This I can help with if a girl is willing to learn?"
Arya smiled as she watched him jump out of the small boat, making a small splash in the water before pushing it to shore. Moments later she too jumped out of the boat onto the rocky beach. "A girl is willing to learn but...how did you find me? Why are you helping me again? I thought the debt was repaid?" She asked as she helped him unload the two small sacks of supplies.
"A debt was repaid to the Red God. Three names were offered for three lives owed, but a man's debt remained. You saved a man's life...and now a man has saved yours. A man's debt is repaid."
Arya thought on what he said as they walked north along the rocky beach, the darkness slowly fading as the sun rose. "But, how did you find me?" She asked him again as she picked up a flat pebble and threw it into the sea, watching it bounce three times before disappearing into the water.
"A man never left. A man followed a girl, a man changed his face, a man waited and now here we are." He glanced down at her and gave her a small smile.
They soon climbed up off the rocky beach and looked at the land that lay before them. Wild horses roamed in the grassy hills that stretched out into the distance. "How are we going to get to Braavos from here? It must be hundreds of miles!" Arya complained as she looked up at him, realizing the situation that they now found themselves in.
"First, we ride back to Pentos." Jaqen showed her what looked liked poisoned darts, made from a type of wood that Arya didn't recognise. The darts each had a small red feather on the end which must have been from a bird that Arya did not know as there was no birds in Westeros with that color as far as she knew. He crouched down and paused for a moment as she crouched next to him. "A girl will watch and a girl will learn." He whispered to her before creeping off towards the nearest horse, a grey with a white mane.
She carefully watched as Jaqen crept closer to a nearby grey horse and blew one of the darts at it through a pipe, hitting it on the neck. The horse slowly dropped to its knees before Jaqen approached, signaling for Arya to follow, which she did.
The horse stood again, calm as Jaqen softly patted it's neck and showed Arya one of the darts again. "A man can tame all but the wildest of beasts if a man knows how."
Arya smiled and looked at the dart and examined it before Jaqen lifted her up onto the back of her new horse. "A horse needs a name?" He said looking up at her.
Arya smiled back down at him as she gently held on to the horse's white mane and thought for a moment. "A girl has a name, Sandor."
Jaqen nodded before sneaking away to choose a black horse of his own. He passed up a small sack of food for her to carry before mounting his horse Shadow with a sack of his own and they set off, heading north back to Pentos.
For the next few days they followed the coast north where the land permitted and kept their supplies topped up with berries that Arya found and fish and rabbits that Jaqen had caught. One evening while Arya was throwing rocks into the sea she found and caught a small red crab which pinched her thumb for her trouble. But, she didn't mind the pain so much with a tummy full of crab meat.
Each evening after camp had been set up Jaqen showed her how to set traps for rabbits and other small animals before she spent an hour practicing her Water Dance with Needle. Jaqen always watched her in silence never saying a word. And every night she whispered her death prayer before falling asleep. "Joffrey, Queen Cersei, Ser Ilyn, Walder Frey, The Mountain..."
Each morning Jaqen showed her how to skin and gut any animals that they had caught in their traps. "The horses rest today, a girl should practice with knives as well as her Needle." Jaqen said one morning as they ate a rabbit that they had caught in one of their traps the previous night. "A girl must learn many weapons if she is to complete her list."
Arya wiped her mouth on her grubby sleeve and pulled out the dagger that she had taken from the Frey soldier she had killed. "A girl will learn and a girl will kill all of her names." She said as she stood, determined to prove herself to him.
Jaqen stood next to her and drew a long, thin, vicious looking dagger from his belt. "A girl must copy." He said calmly as he demonstrated a few basic moves to her. Arya copied, clumsily at first but over the next few days she improved enough for him to teach her a few more moves. Each evening at camp she spent more time practicing with her dagger and with Needle after she had set her traps. She was determined to improve and be a great assassin like Jaqen, maybe even a faceless man someday.
They eventually arrived in Pentos after nearly two weeks of riding and training. Jaqen had sold their horses to one of the stables before walking to the docks to find passage to Braavos. This time she would let Jaqen do all of the bargaining after her efforts with The Hound.
"We are in luck." Jaqen said as they came to a small Braavosi ship called Sweet Lily. Arya watched as Jaqen handed his iron coin to the portly captain. "Valar morghulis." She heard him whisper into the captains ear.
The captain inspected the coin and nodded back to them both before handing the iron coin back to Jaqen. "Valar dohaeris my friend." He said to Jaqen before smiling down at Arya. "Valar dohaeris little one." He then waved them both onto the ship, showing them to a small cabin which was to be theirs for the voyage to Braavos.
Jaqen allowed Arya to claim the bed while he made do with the hammock. She placed Needle under the bed for safe keeping before lying on her back, staring up at the wooden ceiling and yawning softly. She had just about had enough of travelling, it was so tiring. She had been travelling non stop ever since she had fled King's Landing so long ago now, and not once had she reached where she had wanted to go. To the Wall, to Jon and safety, all had evaded her.
She had also had more than enough of the sea too, but this was the quickest and easiest way to get to Braavos where Jaqen had promised to help her. And, for the first time since she had left Winterfell it would be a journey where she would actually get to where she had wanted to go, so she resolved to put up with it for now.
"A girl should rest until we reach Braavos. She will need all of her strength for her training." Jaqen said as he looked down at her. "A man will take his leave." He bowed his head before leaving her alone in the cabin.
Arya closed her eyes and tried to sleep but she couldn't find any, even though she was exhausted from the long ride to Pentos. She kept having thoughts of Winterfell and her father and her mother. What would they think if they saw her now? She was just a little girl when she left Winterfell and now she was almost a woman grown travelling the world. Sure her hair was a little shorter and messier, but it was slowly growing back now that she no longer had to disguise herself as a boy.
That bought back memories of Hot Pie and his wolf bread and Gendry who insisted on calling her m'lady even though she insisted that he didn't. She wandered what they were doing, where they were and more importantly were they still alive and if so would she ever get to see them again? She hoped so, she missed them both.
Then she thought of her lost direwolf Nymeria, was that really her in the dream she had or was it just that, a dream? She hoped it was real and hoped to have another wolf dream but she didn't, not that night. That night she slept a deep dreamless sleep.
Arya eventually woke around mid afternoon the following day and she was so hungry her tummy rumbled. She got up and stretched before tucking Needle into her belt and leaving the cabin to look for Jaqen. She found him sat near the rear of the ship talking to the ships captain.
Spotting her the captain came over and wrapped a thick arm around her slender shoulders. "There she is, I thought you would never wake." He boomed with a loud voice. "Our friend here tells me that you are to train as an assassin and maybe even a faceless man."
Arya smiled up at him, taking an instant liking to the portly captain. He was a fairly tall man with a round belly and had a big bushy beard to match his bushy hair. "But I'm a girl, not a man." She smiled up proudly at him.
"Faceless man, faceless girl it does not matter. You will always be welcome on my ship little one. My family has ties with the order stretching back centuries." He smiled proudly at her.
Arya smiled back as she listened to him. He was a friend of Jaqen and she knew that she could trust him. "I'm Arya, what may I call you?" She continued to smile up at him, happy to use her real name again though she resisted telling him her full name.
"Captain Forel at your service." He bowed his head to her and noticed the curiosity suddenly appear on her face. "Yes, but that is not the first time you have heard of the name Forel is it young one?"
Arya shook her head slowly. "No it isn't, I knew Syrio Forel. He was my dancing master back in King's Landing before they executed my father. He was from Braavos. First Sword to the Sealord of Braavos." She paused for a few moments before continuing. "At least I did know him, he died protecting me."
Captain Forel looked down at her, raising his eyebrows. "Syrio is a distant relative of mine you know?" He then paused for a few moments, nodding his head slowly before booming with laughter. "But dead? No child Syrio is very much alive I can assure you of that." He continued to laugh for a few moments longer. "We will talk again soon little one, it is time I got back to my duties as captain, the ship will not sail itself." He ruffled her hair and left her alone with Jaqen. She giggled softly, it reminded her of when Jon used to muss her hair back in Winterfell. She had always liked that.
"Is it true what Captain Forel said? Is Syrio really alive?" She asked him, her face and heart full of hope. She missed Syrio so much. His Water Dancing lessons were probably her favorite memory of her time spent in King's Landing despite the bruises she had collected from training and scratches from catching cats.
Jaqen nodded his head slowly. "A girl will see her dancing master again." He replied in his usual calm tone.
Arya felt like dancing, like jumping around like a little girl again, like screaming at the top of her lungs she felt so happy. Finally things were starting to go her way.
"A girl should practice with her Needle today." He nodded his head as if to dismiss her and she eagerly went away to practice. She was determined to show Syrio how far she had come since she had seen him last, to tell him everything that she had been through and maybe give him a hug too.
It took five days to reach Braavos and Arya practiced on deck for hours each day with Needle. She also spoke a lot with some f the sailors who gladly spoke back to her, unlike the sailors on Seamaiden who had ignored her. When they departed she was sad to leave Captain Forel and his crew behind, but was looking forward to her new life in Braavos and the chance to see her friend and dancing master Syrio Forel again.
Arya followed closely as Jaqen led the way through the busy port to one of the many small islands of Braavos. There were many temples and just as many statues of gods, most of which Arya had never seen before. They crossed several wooden bridges that spanned the many canals and eventually they started to climb up a long winding set of cobbled steps. It was dark and Arya's legs ached a little by the time they reached the top and came to a large grey building which had a large double door. The left door was black and made from ebony, the right door was white and made from weirwood. "A girl must not speak unless spoken to...understand?"
Arya frowned a little but nodded, she had so many questions but she guessed that they could wait for now. "Ok, I understand." She replied.
Jaqen then pushed open the black door before entering, Arya followed him inside to step into a large bland room with several stone statues of gods that she didn't recognize set into each wall. It was gloomy with no light other than several lit candles scattered throughout the chamber. A small black pool lay on the far side of the room wth a white stone cup that sat on the edge. It looked like a temple and Arya wanted to ask so many questions but she resisted, somehow?
"A girl will follow." Jaqen said calmly, looking down at her as he led her past the black pool and over to a grey door before pushing it open. "A girl must never drink from there."
She nodded up at him and followed him down a long dark corridor and then up a wooden staircase before heading down another long dark corridor. They climbed a long spiral staircase all the way to the top and down yet another long dark corridor before coming to a large set of black and white doors. Jaqen slowly pushed them open and entered what looked like some kind of library.
Arya followed him and looked around at all the dusty books and scrolls stored on the bookcases that filled the room before spotting a withered old man with long white hair sat by a large window looking out over Braavos. He was wearing robes similar to a maester except they were dirty white instead of grey and he wore no chain. She followed Jaqen in silence and stopped to stand a few feet away from the elderly man.
"You have come to us at last Arya of House Stark." The old man said as he slowly turned to face them. He had a long white beard to match his hair and he had so many wrinkles that one seemed to blend into the next. "I am Master Paege. A long, tough journey you've had to reach us, yet a tougher one lies ahead. Many names you have on your lips and many eyes you will close." He pointed a withered finger at her but she wasn't afraid, she was a wolf. "For when a prayer is said from the heart it is heard."
Arya looked at him a little confused "I don't understand, who hears?" She asked, forgetting that she wasn't supposed to speak or ask questions.
Master Paege grinned and slowly nodded his head as he walked over to her and put a pale wrinkled hand on her slender shoulder, leaning down so that they were face to face. "Death hears, child. That is the power of prayer when said from a truly hurting heart."
Arya smiled and nodded, but she still didn't fully understand what he meant and she certainly didn't appreciate being called a child.
Master Paege stood straight and slowly walked over to his chair to sit and look out over Braavos once more. "We will speak again soon Arya of House Stark. For now you will be our guest and if you choose to take our initiation and pass you will become an apprentice in our order."
Arya nodded eagerly "Thank you...umm...ser." She bowed her head slightly and then did a clumsy looking curtsey, unsure what she was supposed to say or do to her new master. Jaqen bowed his head slightly and led Arya out of the library and back down the corridor and spiral staircase.
He led her down another long dark corridor until they reached the last door on the right. "A girl will sleep and rest here." He opened the grey door and stepped inside, Arya followed. Inside there was a bed and a heavy oak wardrobe, an iron wash basin, a heavy oak chest at the foot of her bed and a heavy oak desk and chair. There was only one small window as well as a lantern on the small oak table by her bed and a few lit candles on her desk. "A girl will begin her training on the morrow. You may go where you choose but never try to go to the basement. A girl is not welcome there...yet." Jaqen warned before taking his leave.
Arya smiled and looked around her new chamber. It wasn't as spacious as her old chamber back in Winterfell or her chamber in King's Landing, but it was hers. She opened up the oak wardrobe to find various shirts and breeches that matched her size, all of which were grey. 'It's almost as if they were expecting me the whole time' She thought to herself as she picked out some clean clothes and some clean small clothes, bundling them under her left arm. She left her new chamber to look around and search for the baths. It had been so long since she had a bath and she had almost forgotten what it was like to be clean.
After searching for over an hour she eventually found the stone baths and eagerly sank into the warm water which flowed in from a natural spring from somewhere under the building. Her aches and pains seemed to melt away as she scrubbed herself pink and washed her grubby face and her tangled hair. Once she was clean she dried herself and put on her fresh clothes, grey breeches and a grey shirt. She then headed back to her chamber to get some sleep. The morrow was to be the start of her new life.
Arya slept soundly that night. With the candles blown out and the wooden shutters on her little window closed her chamber was pitch black. Not that she minded, she hadn't been afraid of the dark since she was a small child when her father took her into the crypts back in Winterfell. Many times she used to play in the crypts with her younger brothers Bran and Rickon, but that seemed like a lifetime away now. It was also the first time she had slept in a proper bed, a bed of her own for such a long time that she had almost forgotten what it was like.
The next morning she slowly opened her eyes and rolled onto her side to wrap herself in her thick grey blanket wondering what the new day would bring. Her door creaked open and she heard footsteps as somebody entered before rolling over to see who it was.
"Arya child you are late."
Arya squinted and put her hand above her eyes because of the sudden light in her room. She recognized that voice anywhere. "Syrio? Is it really you?" She sat up slowly and gently rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
"Yes it is I, Syrio Forel and you are late for your first lesson child."
Arya didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She was so happy to see her old dancing master again, but she also had so many questions to ask him. She folded her arms in defiance as her eyes adjusted to the light and playfully pulled her face. "I'm not a child, not any more!" She told him, raising her eyebrows.
Syrio walked over to her wooden shutters and opened them to let in the early morning sunlight. "Just so, only a child would oversleep this much or I am thinking you have grown lazy, yes?"
Arya couldn't help but smile as she got out of bed. "I'm hungry, shouldn't I eat first...and dress?"
Syrio made his way over to her door. "Ah just so, the little one must eat if she is to grow big and strong."
Arya smiled and nodded at him before he closed the door so that she could dress in private. Once she had changed into some clean clothes she made her bed, gave her face a quick wash in her iron wash basin and quickly brushed out the tangles in her hair before stepping out into the corridor where Syrio was waiting for her.
"Ah there she is, pretty as ever." He said as he placed his hand between her slender shoulders and started to walk down the staircase into the entrance hall.
Syrion showed Arya where the main hall was where everyone ate and where the various training rooms were. He showed her where the kitchens were and she made herself some porridge which she eagerly ate, washing it down with some water. He then showed her where the baths were, which seemed much easier to find when he showed her. Some doors though remained locked, and she couldn't help but wonder what was behind them.
As he was leading her outside into the training yard at the back of the building she couldn't hold back her questions any more. "I thought that you had been killed by Meryn Trant? How did you escape from King's Landing?" She stopped and looked up at him, eager to find out the truth.
Syrio paused for a moment before answering her question. "Ah, the girl still has her curious mind. This is good." He gently poked her nose and made her giggle. "The man I was fighting was a fool, full of pride. Pride that could not swallow defeat to an unarmed man."
Arya thought about what he had said. "So he lied, he never beat you?"
"No." Syrio shook his head and led her over to where various training weapons hung on the wall. He picked up two wooden training swords and tossed one to her. She watched it through the air and caught it with her left hand. "Ah that is good. Now, let us see what you remember boy."
Arya frowned a little. "I'm a girl." She complained , knowing full well that he was teasing her or perhaps trying to wind her up. "Boy, girl it does not matter. Remember, you are a sword, this is all that matters." He grinned at her before taking up his Water Dancer's pose.
Arya smiled happily back at him, remembering back to her lessons from King's Landing and took up her Water Dancer's pose as she looked at him, ready to start her training. He looked back and nodded his approval before swinging at her.
Quick as a snake. They practiced for the remainder of the morning. Swift as a deer. Syrio seemed content to go over the things that she already knew, testing her to see what she had remembered from her training in King's Landing and to see what she had been practicing. Quiet as a shadow.
Syrio walked over and placed his wooden sword back after they had finished training. "You have remembered much girl, but you still have much to learn. Now, we must talk about this place." Arya smiled proudly as she put her wooden training sword back next to his.
"I practiced whenever I could." She told him "I never forgot about you or the things that you taught me." She paused for a moment before asking the questions that she really wanted to ask him. "Will I become an assassin some day? Will I be able to change my face like Jaqen? I really want to. Are you a faceless man too?"
Syrio leaned forward so that their faces were level and put his hand on her slender shoulder. "A girl must learn to walk before she can run, yes? To become a faceless man is something few ever master, not even I. They will test you, if you pass a girl may get her wish." He smiled and stood straight again.
"And if I fail?" She asked, almost afraid of what his answer would be.
"Ah, if you fail you will drink and you will leave this place, forgetting all of the secrets that you have learnt...but with my training failure is impossible, do not worry girl."
Arya looked down, she didn't want to forget this place or Syrio or Jaqen. Even though she had only been here a short time it already felt like her new home. She felt like she finally belonged somewhere and she had Syrio and Jaqen back in her life again, her new family.
"All but a chosen few like yourself come here and do not know the true nature of this place. They come to train in the art of war for honor or for gold. But only those that show true promise are chosen and offered training to become a faceless man. A long time Jaqen has watched and he sees something in you, he believes in you. I believe in you."
It was a lot to take in but Arya understood.
"Secrets you know and secrets a girl must keep! Now, go and eat for this afternoon you will be chasing cats." Syrio winked at her and she giggled happily before running off to the dining hall to eat.
When Arya walked into the dining hall there were a mix of over thirty boys and men aged between four-and-ten and five-and-thirty sat on long wooden benches around several long wooden tables. She noticed that they all wore grey the same as her, some more faded than others. They all stopped and looked up at her as she approached and sat on one of the benches next to a boy who looked a similar age to her.
He had scruffy medium length brown hair and had a slight build. He was average height for his age so he was still taller than Arya. She felt a little awkward with all their eyes on her and really wanted to tell them to stop staring, but she thought better of it. "Hi...I'm Arry, I'm new." Was all she could come up with as she smiled at the boy, hoping he could speak the common tongue.
The boy held out his hand "I'm Robert, I'm new here too." The boy replied as the rest just ignored her and carried on eating.
Arya shook his hand and smiled as the food arrived. Thick chicken, potato and carrot broth and plenty of hard bread washed down with water. It was a simple but filling meal and Arya was tempted to lick her bowl clean but again decided against it.
"So why are you here? A girl I mean, you're the only one!" Robert asked her.
Arya could tell he didn't mean to be rude and was just being curious, so she smiled at him. "I'm training to be a Water Dancer, what about you?" She asked, curious to know if he knew what this place really was or did he think it was some kind of guild like Syrio had said.
"I'm training to be an archer like my father and maybe even join the guild when I'm older." He replied.
Robert clearly didn't know the truth of it, and from the rest of the conversations that she could hear, none of them did. After they had finished eating she helped some of the others to clear up before meeting up with Syrio again in the yard for more training.
"None of them know do they...the truth about this place?" She asked him, determined to find out more.
Syrio shook his head. "They believe this to be a guild where they can serve their gods and earn honor and companionship. When the time comes, each will be tested, most will fail. You will be different!"
Arya listened eagerly. "And then they will drink and leave right? Am I the only girl?"
Syrio smiled and nodded. "Just so. You will be the first faceless lady in history, but first you must train." Arya had never been interested in being a lady, unlike her older sister Sansa. A faceless lady however was something that she was very much interested in becoming.
Syrio turned and pointed over to a grey cat that was walking across the yard. "There. I think you know what to do, yes?" Arya nodded and eagerly chased after the grey cat 'as swift as a deer'
That evening Arya sat at the wooden desk in her chamber reading a book about Braavos and how it was first founded. She found it quite boring and only picked it because she liked the look of the cover. She persisted with it though because Syrio had told her that she must exercise her mind as well as her body. If she really was to become the first faceless lady in history she would have to do whatever it took, even if it meant reading boring books!
For the next two moons her routine was the same. Up at sunrise to Water Dance with Syrio in the training yard, rain or shine. In the afternoon she would chase cats or sometimes chickens and in the evening she would read and practice her balancing by standing on one foot as she read.
She was allowed one day off every three to rest and clean her chamber, clean her clothes and clean herself. She mostly spent it practicing with Needle or practicing her archery with her friend Robert.
Occasionally she headed out into Braavos with him to explore and look at some of the many temples and take in the sights or walk around the busy market. Not that either of them had any coin to spend, but Arya wanted to learn as much as she could about her new home.
There was the Purple Harbor which was near to the Sealord's Palace where Braavosi ships docked, including Sweet Lily. And there was Ragmans Harbor where all other ships had to dock, it was poorer and rougher than the Purple Harbor but Arya didn't mind that, though Robert wasn't so keen.
On Isle of ohe Gods stood the Sept Beyond the Sea, the Temple of the Moonsingers and the Temple of the Lord of Light with it's priests dressed in red. It reminded Arya of the Red Woman and Thoros of Myr. They also saw the imposing Iron Bank which she had heard of though she knew little about it and the Aquaduct which brought fresh water into the city.
The most impressive sight though was the Titan in the distance, it dominated everything!
Arya never saw Jaqen and assumed that he was away on a mission or had changed his face again. She didn't worry though, she knew that she would see him again. And, at each evening meal should would tell Syrio a little more of her journey, from escaping from Kings Landing with Yoren all the way to her arrival in Braavos.