The Mountain of Ice and Fire

“Arya, I heard you’ve resumed your original appearance outside?” The Interior Elder said casually.

The more relaxed the Interior Elder spoke, the more serious the consequences.

Reprimanding Arya was necessary.

“Interior Elder, I also considered using names like Street Cat, Moresha, Beth, Justice, but a name is just a convenient code for people to use. I am Arya, whether I’m called Beth, Street Cat, or Moresha, the meaning is the same. Arya Stark died before entering the House of Black and White. Her name is just a symbol. If the Interior Elder values this symbol so much, I swear now that I will never use the name Arya Stark again. Interior Elder, please call me Street Cat, or Moresha, or Beth, or just Moresha. So, what name should I settle on now?”

“Clever words can’t hide the fact that in your heart, you don’t truly consider yourself one of the Faceless Men.”

“No, Interior Elder, in my heart, I truly consider myself one of the Faceless Men, which is why I don’t care about the symbol of a name. I reused the name Arya Stark simply because it’s more convenient and easier to act in Westeros. If I used a false name, I wouldn’t be able to become the Mountain’s guard, I would lose his trust and the trust of those around him, and I wouldn’t be able to go with the Mountain to the Citadel in Oldtown to bring back a dragon glass candle for the House of Black and White. The dragon glass candle that the House of Black and White has waited six hundred years for was given to the House of Black and White by the Mountain free of charge because of my name and identity as Arya Stark. The meaningless symbol of Arya Stark has great significance to the Mountain and the worldly people of Westeros, and we can use it, just like our narrow sword, which can help us kill enemies.”

For the first time, someone told the elders that the proper use of a name could be as effective as a narrow sword.

The Interior Elder felt a tightness in his chest.

He found himself a little embarrassed, almost speechless.

Arya's elusiveness was well-known in the House of Black and White, and her eloquence was equally famous. However, the logic she spoke seemed irrefutable. If she was forbidden to use the name Arya Stark, her implication was that she would not be able to bring back the dragon glass candle for the House of Black and White.

The dragon glass candle was the most valued sacred object of the House of Black and White. In this respect, Arya had made a great contribution that all the elders combined could not match. For the entire House of Black and White, Arya became the undisputed number one contributor because of the dragon glass candle.

The Grand Elder coughed softly. He saw the Interior Elder's verbal embarrassment: “Arya, you persuaded the Mountain to send the dragon glass candle free of charge?”

“Yes, Grand Elder. The Mountain and I are not in a relationship of lord and servant. Faceless Men have no kings, no lords, no great nobles. I am a servant of the Many-Faced God. I serve the Many-Faced God from the moment I become a disciple of the House of Black and White, until forever.” Arya's tone was very light, but every elder could see her sincerity.

Was this child pretending to be sincere again?

The Grand Elder decided not to dwell on the 'minor details'. The House of Black and White had handled many shocking events, but they were all secret and unknown to outsiders. Arya's name issue did not need to be belabored. Between major events and minor details, the Grand Elder chose major events. Arya's name was a minor detail, and the dragon glass candle Arya brought back was a major event. There had to be a weighing and balancing of the great and the small.

In fact, Arya had another 'seizable' crime, which was that she publicly stated on a large merchant ship from Braavos to King's Landing that she was going to King's Landing to kill Queen Cersei. This violated the Faceless Men's doctrine of 'assassination'. Arya's words and actions were not assassination, but blatant killing.

But that was also a minor detail that could be put on hold for the time being, because the House of Black and White was facing a thorny problem that it had never encountered before, the commission from the employer Three-Eyed Raven, which they had to deal with. The House of Black and White was the top assassin organization, and its credibility was more important than life. But in the face of the Mountain's super gift of the dragon glass candle, the House of Black and White could no longer assassinate the Mountain, unless the House of Black and White returned the dragon glass candle to the Mountain.

Moreover, the assassination of the Mountain had actually been leaked, and the secret assassination had actually become a public blatant killing. Once the House of Black and White did not terminate the commission with the Three-Eyed Raven, they would have to initiate a blatant killing, which would inevitably invite the Mountain's dragon to slaughter the island. Faced with the dragon, the House of Black and White would also face the most terrible threat of being uprooted. Compared to the Mountain's entourage of Red God High Priest, Blood God Wizard, Northern Others, High Septon, Pyromancer and other great wise men, the blatant killing plan would become extremely difficult, and the remuneration paid by the Three-Eyed Raven would be too little.

However, the House of Black and White would never offer any reason to the employer to raise the price after the fact.

This was a dilemma.

When you receive an indispensable super gift, it is often accompanied by new problems and contradictions. Gains and troubles are often twin brothers.

The Grand Elder looked around at the other elders, which was a signal that the Grand Elder was about to make a concluding statement: “Elders, if Arya had cautiously complied with all of our minor rules, our House of Black and White would not have obtained the dragon glass candle. Arya has made mistakes, but her merits outweigh her demerits. Let's postpone the punishment for Arya's minor mistakes for the time being. I propose that we first hold a sacred object ceremony to light the dragon glass candle in the Temple of the Many-Faced God, and then hold a meeting to discuss letting Arya Stark talk to Bran Stark about the commission.”

“Agreed!” The Sword Instructor said first.

“Agreed!” The Assassination Instructor seconded.

“I also agree.” The Interior Elder said third.

These matters of punishing disciples were all within the jurisdiction of the Interior Elder. With the Interior Elder's own statement, it was settled.

The last to speak was the Fighting Instructor, his face was copper-red, and at this time it was even more 'copper-red', emitting a faint red light: “I disagree. Arya not only restored her worldly name, but she also publicly declared that she was going to King's Landing to assassinate Queen Cersei. This is venting personal vengeance out of anger, which our House of Black and White cannot accept. This is a bad start. Arya's words and actions are full of provocations against the House of Black and White. Merit is merit, and sin is sin. These are two different things and cannot be confused.”

A proposal put forward at the Elder Council must be unanimously agreed upon by the seven elders before it can be passed. Here, there is no saying that the minority submits to the majority, nor is there any saying that the one with the most votes wins. As long as one person objects, it cannot be passed.

The seven elders of the House of Black and White have always advanced and retreated together.

But this time there was an exception, especially with the Interior Elder's statement made first. Normally, the five great elders do not participate in the Grand Elder and Interior Elder's management of the House of Black and White. They default to agreeing to all the Grand Elder and Interior Elder's handling, without objection. Although they usually do not participate in internal affairs management, they have voting rights, but they have not used them.

The Fighting Instructor's statement was very firm and clear, and it could be seen that he would not compromise.

The Grand Elder and the Interior Elder were both quite surprised. The elders all looked at the Fighting Instructor. The 'copper-red' elder's attitude and expression were still firm and clear.

The Grand Elder said: “Fighting Instructor, can we postpone the punishment of Arya first and let us first hold the ceremony and offer the dragon glass candle in front of the Many-Faced God.”

“Agreed!” The 'copper-red' elder had no objection to this proposal.

This ceremony of offering the dragon glass candle will be held for three days and three nights. It is the grandest ceremony in the House of Black and White, more grand than the New Year holiday in the secular world, but without the joy of the secular holiday, only solemnity that makes people awe-inspiring.

Three days later, the dragon glass candle was enshrined in front of the statue of the Many-Faced God. Although it was just a small candle flame, it illuminated the entire statue of the Many-Faced God, revealing every detail. The entire dark Temple of the Many-Faced God also had light, no longer as dark as night. As soon as the dragon glass candle was placed on the candlestick of the statue of the Many-Faced God, the light spread out, as if it had been suppressed and bound before. The miracle happened quickly. The light of the small dragon glass candle was comparable to the light produced by dozens of huge torches, but the light was not at all dazzling, just like the gentle sunlight of a virgin, giving the eyes a very comfortable bath.

*

An old man with only a few hairs left, wearing dirty yellow leather, carrying a greasy two-handed greatsword on his back, with prominent cheekbones, sunken eyes, and eyes like an eagle, stared at Arya. Arya recognized him, the former Kingsguard Ilyn Payne.

Why was Ilyn Payne at the place where Bran Stark lived?

The Three-Eyed Raven Bran Stark and the Lannister forces had already joined forces!

In 298 AC, at the ruby ford of the Trident, Arya punched Prince Joffrey, and her wolf bit Prince Joffrey's wrist. This matter fermented in the evening, and Queen Cersei personally came to avenge Prince Joffrey. It was on that night that Arya would never forget that she and her sister Sansa met Kingsguard Ilyn Payne.

The executioner Ilyn Payne gave Sansa intimidation and Arya anger.

Arya would always remember Ilyn Payne's terrible expression as he stared at Sansa. His gaze was terrifying, and it was not until Duke Renly and Barristan Selmy the Bold arrived that his intimidation of Sansa and Arya was relieved.

At that time, Arya did not know that Ilyn Payne had lost his tongue.

“Ser Ilyn, I’m here to see Bran.”

Ilyn Payne blocked the narrow little door. This door was very small, and after entering the door and passing through a narrow corridor, the space inside was very large.

Ilyn Payne's cheeks were also protruding. He was very thin, and he might not be used to this exiled life. Ilyn stared at Arya, his eyes like awls. But Arya was no longer the little girl who came south from the North to the Riverlands in 298 AC. Her eyes were indifferent, her expression was calm, and her narrow sword 'Lady of Emptiness' hung at her waist.

Ilyn Payne and Arya faced each other like this for a while. Ilyn Payne took a step back and then reached out to close the door. A purple light flashed, and a narrow sword topped Ilyn's stomach: “Ser Ilyn, get out of the way.” Arya said lightly.

Ilyn Payne looked at the child's toy sword on his stomach, and his eyes became more terrible, as if he wanted to pierce Arya's body all at once. As a professional executioner who killed people for the king, Ilyn Payne had a deathly aura that everyone feared. To be honest, very few knights were not afraid of Ilyn.

But Arya's expression did not change at all to Ser Ilyn's glare: “Ilyn Payne, I am Arya Stark.”

Ilyn knew Arya, and he knew that the little girl in front of him was indeed Arya Stark. The girl had changed a lot and looked like an assassin. It's just that the sword she used was ridiculous, and it was dyed a pretty purple.

A sneer appeared on the corner of Ilyn's mouth. He ignored Arya's threat and continued to close the door. Suddenly, his abdomen hurt. Arya's narrow sword pierced his leather, pierced the chain mail under the leather, and pierced his skin: “If you don't get out of the way, I will pierce your stomach.” Arya said lightly.

“Arya, can you use a sword?” Ilyn Payne couldn't speak, but the contempt in his eyes expressed what he wanted to say.

“Ilyn, I learned to use a sword when I was eleven years old. Jon told me to stab people with the pointy end.”

Ilyn Payne suddenly cracked his mouth and showed a smile, and his throat also made a hoarse sound, but he did not retreat, and he definitely did not mean to give way.

Arya knew that executioners like Ilyn Payne had long been unafraid of death.

“Bran, if you don't come out, I'll kill your watchdog.” Arya shouted into the door.

Ilyn Payne's throat suddenly roared. He used to be an important minister of the royal family, the king's Kingsguard, and everyone feared him. When was he scolded as a dog to his face? Besides, he was not loyal to Bran Stark, he was loyal to the Lannisters and the exiled King Tommen Baratheon and Princess Myrcella Baratheon.

Ilyn Payne took a step back. He was very tall, and the step back was also very large. This retreat broke away from Arya's narrow sword. With a clang, Ilyn Payne pulled out the two-handed greatsword on his back, held it in both hands, and slashed down at Arya.

Arya did not retreat, but stepped sideways into the door, with the narrow sword in her hand stretched forward, piercing Ilyn's stomach. Ilyn's two-handed greatsword fell from Arya's side, and his throat let out an injured roar. Suddenly, his throat turned cold, and a sharp edge pierced his throat. Ilyn Payne's eyes almost popped out. The sword in his hand stabbed towards Arya crookedly, but he was no longer strong enough. Halfway through the sword, he staggered and swayed. His left hand turned back and pressed his throat, and blood splattered, strongly impacting his trembling hand.

Boom!

Ilyn Payne fell down.

The greatsword in his hand fell, and he fell sideways, hitting the wall and bouncing back, as if he wanted to stand up with the last bit of strength. In the end, he fell hopelessly against the wall, his eyes wide open, not resting in peace.

Arya erected 'Lady of Emptiness'. The blade of 'Lady of Emptiness' was as bright as autumn water, and blood beads rolled down the tip of the sword. There was no trace of blood on the blade and body of the sword.

Arya put the sword back into its sheath, walked through the corridor, and walked into the courtyard.