The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Arya bent down to fetch water when, with a *plop*, a stone landed in the stream, splashing water all over her face.

Across the stream, two children were laughing.

One was a chubby boy named Hot Pie. Before his mother died, he pushed a cart around King's Landing, shouting 'Hot Pie, Hot Pie' every day, and that's how he got his name.

The other, a skinny kid, had green arms from working in a dye house before becoming a thief. He was caught stealing a coat and thrown into jail. Because his hands were stained green from the dye, everyone called him Green Hands.

Both boys were taller and stronger than Arya, and much older.

Arya wiped the water from her face, stood up, glared at Hot Pie and Green Hands, and said, "I don't want any trouble, so leave me alone."

"Or what, boy?" Green Hands said. "What's with the wooden sword on your hip? It's not a real sword. What are you pretending to be?"

"Green Hands, I bet Arry doesn't have a real sword," Hot Pie said.

"Arry, toss your wooden sword over here," Green Hands said. "Swords belong on the hips of strong people, not little boys like you."

"It's a practice sword," Arya said. "My dancing master made it for me. I won't give it to you."

*Boom!*

Green Hands threw an even bigger rock into the stream, but this time Arya saw it coming and jumped away before the water splashed.

"You dare dodge?" Green Hands shouted. "Hot Pie's angry, boy. You better bend over and let us smack your butt a few times, or you're dead. Let me tell you, I was a tough guy in jail, but Hot Pie's tougher. He's killed people."

Arya thought, *I've killed people too.*

The day the red cloaks came to the Tower of the Hand to arrest people, Syrio Forel blocked all the gold cloaks for her, buying Arya time to escape. After fleeing from the dance practice area, she specifically returned to the Tower of the Hand. She saw that the servants and guards had been killed. She rushed back to her bedroom to grab Needle and another practice sword before fleeing through the back door. When she was exiting the stables, a chubby page from the court recognized her as the Hand's daughter and stopped her, saying he was going to catch her and hand her over to the Queen Mother for a reward. Arya stabbed him in the stomach with her sewing needle, and the chubby boy died on the spot.

Arya said, "Get out of here. I'm working, or I'll tell Euron."

"Go ahead and tell him," Hot Pie said, throwing a rock that hit a small iron pot by the stream. With a *clang*, the pot wobbled. Arya was startled. If the pot broke, Euron would beat her severely. Arya's eyes widened, while Green Hands and Hot Pie laughed.

Outside the woods, a dozen people were resting, a campfire already burning.

Arya hurried to check the pot. Luckily, it wasn't broken. She looked up. Green Hands and Hot Pie were gone. Arya was furious. She threw away the rock that had hit the pot. She had to wash the pot and boil water in a tin can for everyone to drink, a task Euron had assigned her.

"Quiet as water!" Arya told herself. Her dancing master Syrio Forel's words seemed to have a magical power, calming Arya's anger. She began to scrub the iron pot with grass.

Quiet as water!

She told herself again.

After washing the pot, Arya filled the tin can with water and stood up. Suddenly, she felt a tug at her waist. Someone was trying to pull her practice sword from behind.

This was the practice sword that her dancing master Syrio Forel had made for her. Arya had been thinking about her father the most lately, and Syrio was second.

Arya turned swiftly, swinging the tin can in her hand, splashing the water out. Green Hands quickly let go and jumped back, but he was still too slow and got soaked.

Green Hands raised his hand to strike Arya in the face. Arya ducked and jumped ashore. She dropped the tin can, which fell to the ground with a *clang* and rolled several times.

Arya reached for the hilt of her practice sword. "Green Hands, don't bother me again. This is your last warning."

Green Hands looked at Arya's serious expression and burst out laughing.

Arya was the smallest in the group, and the youngest. Who could she beat? Since they'd been traveling together, Arya had been beaten by Euron more than anyone else. No one would help her. Green Hands was sure of it.

"Arry, give the sword to Hot Pie, and it's over," Green Hands said casually.

"It's just a practice sword, not a real one." Arya didn't want trouble. Euron had already punished her once this morning. She really didn't want to be beaten by Euron twice in one day.

"How could a little orphan like you have a practice sword? Who would train you?" Hot Pie said.

"He must have stolen it!" Green Hands concluded.

"If it's stolen, then it's not wrong for us to take it. It's not his anyway," Hot Pie said.

"That's right, Arry. Just hand the sword over to Hot Pie, and you won't get a beating. Hot Pie's killed people," Green Hands announced.

Hot Pie said proudly, "That's right, Arry. I kicked a guy to death in Flea Bottom not long ago. He didn't pay for his bread, so I punched him to the ground and kept going until I got tired."

Green Hands held out his hand. "Give it here, Arry, or you're dead."

"Get lost!" Arya said. Her teacher made this practice sword. No one could take it from her.

Steady as a mountain!

She told herself. The teacher's words gave her magic again. She turned sideways to face Green Hands and Hot Pie, gripping the sword hilt, striking a standard dancing pose. She was calm, steady as a mountain, unassailable.

At the edge of the woods, the kind young man with straight, half-white, half-red hair saw Arya strike the standard Water Dance fighting pose through the trees.

Green Hands stepped back. "Hot Pie, it's up to you. Teach Arry a lesson!"

Hot Pie strode toward Arya, raised his chubby fist, and punched at Arya's head.

Move like a rabbit!

Arya thought. Her practice sword came out of its sheath, stabbing Hot Pie's wrist. Before Hot Pie's fist could land, a groan sounded. Hot Pie was furious. He swung his other fist wildly. Arya ducked, passing by Hot Pie, and her sword struck Hot Pie's neck as he stumbled off balance.

Hot Pie screamed again!

Arya's practice sword was filled with lead. Syrio had done this to strengthen her arm strength.

* *

Green Hands stared, dumbfounded.

The small Arry had beaten the big Hot Pie without giving him a chance to fight back.

Hot Pie's right hand had been struck again by the sword, and he was flailing it and screaming, not knowing if his finger bones were broken.

Hot Pie's screams terrified Green Hands.

"Stop!" Arya said. "Hot Pie, you lost."

Hot Pie's screams had attracted the attention of a dozen people at the edge of the woods. This was bad. Euron forbade her from fighting and using the Water Dance sword technique. That was the agreement between them before Euron had taken her on the road.

Before Arya returned to Winterfell, she was not to reveal that she had learned swordsmanship. Needle was not to be taken out, but given to Euron to hide until they reached Winterfell. Along the way, she had to be called Arry, and everything had to be completely at Euron's command. Arya had promised Euron these things.

Euron was a terrible old man, and these damn conditions were terrible, but Arya had promised.

Arya decided to stop.

She raised the flag of truce first.

Hot Pie held his right hand with his left, looking at the small Arry with fear.

Arya turned and reached for the tin can on the ground. She had to fetch water and boil water for everyone to drink.

Hot Pie picked up a sharp rock on the ground and slammed it at the back of Arya's head.

Arya seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. She dodged to the side, and the rock landed beside her. She drew her sword, and Hot Pie grabbed a wooden stick on the ground, rushing at Arya, swinging the stick.

The wooden stick whistled through the air with great force.

Float like a butterfly, move like a rabbit!

Arya ducked, dodging Hot Pie's wooden stick. She and Hot Pie switched places. When Hot Pie turned around, Arya's sword stabbed him between the legs.

This time, Hot Pie's screams shook the heavens and earth.

If she had used Needle, Arya thought it would have pierced through Hot Pie's bunghole.

The wooden stick fell from Hot Pie's hand. He collapsed to the ground, convulsing, his limbs shaking. A stench rose. Hot Pie shit and pissed himself, as if he were about to die.

Arya turned, pointing the sword at Green Hands, her eyes flashing fiercely.

Green Hands was so scared that his legs went weak. He knelt down, covering his face with his hands, not daring to look at Arya, saying in a trembling voice, "Go away, you little demon! Go away!"

Footsteps sounded in the woods. Euron strode through the trees toward them. Arya's face turned cold. She knew she was going to be punished again, but she didn't care. She sheathed her wooden sword and reached for the tin can. She was going to fetch water from the stream, but she didn't move after standing up. She watched Euron walk over with an angry expression.

Euron grabbed Arya's shoulder. Arya was skin and bones, her shoulder just bone. Euron lifted Arya off the ground and shouted, "How many times have I told you, Arry, don't fight your brothers?"

"They're not my brothers!" Arya shouted in her heart. She didn't say it, because it would lead to even harsher punishment from Euron.

Green Hands said, "Lord Euron, he seriously injured Hot Pie. He attacked a brother of the Night's Watch with murderous intent, violating the rules of brotherhood."

"Shut up!" Euron roared at Green Hands.

Green Hands shuddered and immediately shut his mouth.

"Take the iron pot back and boil more water in the tin can," Euron said to Green Hands.

"Yes, my Lord!"

Green Hands stood up obediently to fetch water and boil it.

Euron carried Arya into the depths of the woods.

"There's no one here. Stand still." Euron's face was as black as iron.

Arya obeyed.

Euron produced a wooden stick. "Arya, how many times do I have to tell you before you listen? Today, the gold cloaks and red cloaks searching for you have appeared many times. This has never happened before. And those nineteen people outside are not good people. If any of them realize you're a girl, you and I are in danger. They're not as kind as your bastard brother."

Arya limped out of the woods, back to the group. She noticed the adults were gathered around the campfire, and when they looked at her, it wasn't with much concern. However, the three people in the prisoner wagon stared at her with wide eyes. The kind-faced young man was smiling at her.

Hot Pie was lying on the supply wagon, groaning in great pain, unable to stand. She looked towards the group of younger boys. All of them immediately turned their heads away, avoiding her gaze. Gendry, even more frightened, cowered back, his hands trembling slightly as he held a cup of hot water.