EBE #299 - Chapter 33: Erya's Study Abroad Life (Part 2)
#299 - Chapter 33: Erya's Study Abroad Life (Part 2)
Arya trailed closely, like a ghost. Finally, as the fat man turned and returned from the shadows, Arya acted decisively!
She lowered her head and darted out of the alleyway, cleverly feigning a stumble, colliding heavily with the stout man. In that instant, her right hand moved with lightning speed, a dazzling white light flashing. She held a thin, narrow, and incredibly sharp dagger, instantly piercing the fat man's left ribs, and withdrawing it with astonishing speed, the whole movement seamless and fluid.
Caught off guard, the assaulted fat man staggered, nearly falling. He angrily pushed Arya away, cursing viciously, "Bah! Damn little brat, can't you watch where you're going? If I catch you again, I won't be so lenient!" With that, he stumbled back into the tavern.
However, the fat man, having just stepped inside the tavern door and sat down at a table, suddenly widened his eyes, his face filled with astonishment, and before he could even utter a sound, he collapsed to the ground.
At that moment, Arya, hidden outside the tavern, calmly pulled out the dagger called 'Needle,' carefully wiping it clean. Hearing the commotion from inside the tavern, she knew her mission was accomplished, a satisfied smile appearing on her lips before she vanished around the corner.
Next, Arya arrived at a bustling open-air theater, quietly watching the performance on stage, her thoughts drifting away...
Since fleeing the Brotherhood's hideout, Arya had been relentlessly pursuing the group that took Gendry. Following their trail, she crossed forests and climbed mountains, finally arriving at Saltpans.
In town, Arya inquired about the group's whereabouts, but the news was disappointing—they had already left, more than five days ago, and no one knew where they had gone. Just as Arya felt lost, fate seemed to lend a hand. She encountered a captain from Braavos, and when she showed him the mysterious coin given by Jaqen, the captain, without hesitation, led her onto his ship, sailing towards distant Braavos.
Arya wasn't sure why she chose to follow the strange captain to Braavos instead of returning to the North to reunite with her family. Perhaps it was a deep-seated desire for freedom, or perhaps she was seduced by Jaqen's shape-shifting skills. At that moment, she couldn't help but recall her father's words: "You have the blood of the direwolf in you, destined to pursue freedom."
Arriving in Braavos, Arya found it full of novelty and danger. However, she wasn't intimidated by the House of Black and White's rigorous training. On the contrary, these challenges weren't too difficult for her. She knew it was all thanks to the solid foundation laid by Master Garon since childhood, and the many 'water dancer' combat skills taught to her by Master Syrio in a relaxed and enjoyable training environment.
What truly disgusted and even sickened her was the daily task of handling the cold corpses. These people came to the House of Black and White willingly, first praying devoutly in the front temple, then resolutely drinking a mysterious drug, ending their lives without pain. Apprentices like her were tasked with properly cleaning the bodies of the deceased, ensuring they departed with dignity. However, what was truly chilling was that the faces of these deceased would mysteriously appear on the walls of the front temple the next day!
The faith advocated by the Many-Faced God believes that death is not a terrible thing, but a 'gift' given to all by the gods, symbolizing the end of suffering. As long as people are willing to offer sacrifices to the gods, the gods will bestow this 'gift' upon every living being in the world. The assassinations carried out by the Faceless Men are therefore regarded as a solemn ritual filled with sacredness.
The Many-Faced God is the god worshipped by the Faceless Men. Legend has it that the first Faceless Man, in the volcanic mines of ancient Valyria, realized and believed that the Valyrian slaves from all over the world were praying to the same god, the different incarnations of the god of death.
The Many-Faced God has many names. In Qohor, it is the 'Black Goat'; in Yi Ti, it is the 'Night Lion'; in Westeros, it is the 'Stranger'. The House of Black and White is the central expression of this worship of a god with a thousand faces, the open sanctuary containing statues of many gods of death.
The scene on stage happened to be the execution of Eddard, and Arya stared at the actors' exaggerated performance. Her thoughts drifted back to that day, distorted faces constantly appearing before her eyes. At that time, she was young and ignorant, unable to understand why those ordinary people hated her father so much. After a long journey and countless hardships, she finally understood what Master Garon had said to Robb: 'The masses often drift with the tide, lacking independent thought and judgment. They are easily influenced by others, like an avalanche, no snowflake can remain unaffected.'
Just then, Arya suddenly noticed an unusual gaze, as if it had been fixed on her for a long time. She was instantly alert, but didn't rush to turn around, instead discreetly taking out a small makeup mirror. Using the mirror's reflection, she glimpsed a fleeting shadow. When she looked again, the shadow had disappeared without a trace, and the feeling of being watched became faint.
Arya decided to stay put, quietly waiting for the end of the performance. She didn't leave with the crowd, but turned and went backstage. Pretending to be a stagehand, she carried the actors' costumes, and while no one was paying attention, she climbed out of the back window.
Arya quietly walked into the dark, deep alley, her heart full of tension and vigilance. Just then, a dark shadow flashed past her.
"Who's there?" Arya exclaimed, instinctively drawing the sharp sword from her waist, ready to face the possible danger.
"It is a man." The shadow slowly emerged from the darkness, revealing his true face.
"Jaqen H'ghar! It's you!" Arya's tense nerves instantly relaxed, but a trace of confusion remained in her eyes. "I've been here for a whole year, and I've never seen you. Why have you suddenly appeared today?"
Jaqen's lips curled into a mysterious smile: "In fact, this man has been watching you silently all this time, girl. I must say, your progress is truly amazing, the 'kindly man's' careful teaching must have been indispensable."