The Mountain of Ice and Fire

"No refund of the gold, nor a change of name. Let this be the starting point of the House of Black and White losing its faith and glory," Bran Stark said calmly.

"The Mountain has done great deeds for the Starks. Even sacrificing your life and mine wouldn't repay the Mountain's kindness," Arya said, staring at Bran.

"Arya, you are a Faceless Man, an elder of the House of Black and White. Any family or worldly entanglements and obligations are irrelevant to you now."

"My name is Arya Stark. You were just calling me Arya. I have never forgotten my identity. In fact, no one can forget their origins, and neither can you. Bran, you cannot and must not pass judgment on me. The only one who can judge me is my god."

"You are doing something completely contrary to your faith. If you rashly break my contract, you will ruin the future of the House of Black and White and cause the glory of the Faceless Men to fall."

"Bran, the Faceless Men are assassins, but they are assassins with their own rules. We never kill the innocent indiscriminately. In the faith of the Red God, we must save one person for every person we kill. But you are doing something completely contrary to your nature. If you were Bloodraven Brynden Rivers, I wouldn't want to harm you either, because you have merged with Bran Stark. The reason you can sit here and talk to me properly is not because of Brynden Rivers' prophetic abilities, but simply because you are the Bran Stark part, you and I are of the same clan and blood."

Arya's words contained an undisguised threat.

She wasn't threatening Bran Stark; she was threatening Bloodraven Brynden Rivers.

There are ways to force a prophet or alien out of a person's or beast's body. The most effective way to harm a prophet who has possessed someone is to kill the possessed person at an extremely fast speed, causing the prophet or alien to die because they cannot find another person to possess in a short amount of time.

"Arya, if I don't withdraw the contract, are you going to kill me?"

"Yes."

"Parricide?"

Parricide and incest are the most intolerable acts of rebellion for the people of the North. In the faith of the North—the teachings of the Old Gods—parricide and incest are intolerable.

"I am a Faceless Man, Bran. You just told me that you hoped I would remember that worldly family and relatives have nothing to do with me anymore."

Bran snorted softly, "Arya, you are protecting the Mountain precisely because your worldly family has received kindness from the Mountain. I didn't expect you to become so shameless, untrustworthy, and without honor."

"Bran, I also didn't expect you to become so unfeeling, your nature misled by a Bloodraven, unable to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, and single-mindedly focused on allowing the Targaryen family to regain the Iron Throne, forgetting the Stark part of your humanity."

Arya could be ruthless, value kindness and righteousness like mountains, fear nothing, and be sharp-tongued.

咻!

With a soft sound, Arya's narrow sword was drawn. Needle was incomparably sharp, and the cold air was like ice.

The gaze of the always calm and indifferent Bran Stark sharpened.

With a flash of purple light, Needle pierced Bran's clothes, pierced his chest skin, and stopped at Bran's heart. "Bran, whether you agree or not, the assassination plan against the Mountain is terminated by the House of Black and White from now on. Whether you are willing or unwilling to withdraw your gold, I will send someone to return the gold to the Iron Bank."

"Arya, I see the scene of the House of Black and White declining because of your appearance. You have made a big mistake that your life cannot bear."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, I am absolutely certain."

咻!

Arya's sword was withdrawn. "Someone, come here."

The door opened a crack, and Little Wraith and Senior Sister Longface silently emerged and came before Arya.

"Little Wraith, capture Bran Stark and lock him in the Water House."

"Yes, Destiny Elder."

Little Wraith walked over, pushed Bran's wheelchair, and pushed Bran out of the hall.

Bran had no power to resist while sitting in the wheelchair. His skill lay in foresight and the wisdom accumulated over hundreds of years.

Bran encountered Arya Stark, who absolutely did not play by the rules of faith and conventional doctrines. Those points of faith that he thought could threaten Arya were not valued by Arya at all.

Arya could be said to not care at all!

"Arya, your act of locking me up is declaring war on the Iron Bank and the Sea Lord."

Arya stood up, too lazy to talk nonsense with Bran.

Bran did not give up. He was unwilling to fail: "Arya, you are also declaring war on all the warriors, passionate generals, and every citizen who loves their homeland on the continent of Essos. I can persuade the Iron Bank to support me and persuade the Sea Lord to support me, not because I want to kill the Mountain. If it were a private matter, the Iron Bank and the Sea Lord would have no interest, and they would not treat me as an honored guest. The Mountain threatens the future of the Iron Bank and the Sea Lord's kingship. The Mountain will launch a full-scale war against the continent of Essos. This is like someone carrying a long sword to conquer the North and the Starks. The Northmen and the Stark family will not yield, they will choose to fight, and the people of the continent of Essos are the same."

"Little Wraith, seal his mouth," Arya said indifferently.

The next moment, Bran's mouth was勒 into a white cloth strip as if it had been prepared long ago, and he could no longer speak.

"Senior Sister, go outside and control all the people Bran brought. Whoever dares to resist, kill him."

"Yes, Destiny Elder."

Arya watched Little Wraith push Bran Stark away and watched Senior Sister's figure disappear at the door. She fell into contemplation.

Bran said that the Mountain would launch a full-scale war against the continent of Essos, and the warriors and citizens would not yield, just like if someone were to conquer the North, the Stark family would inevitably lead the Northmen to fight to the end. These words were not without reason, and Arya also understood that the Mountain would indeed launch a full-scale war, but she had already made a choice. She was the Destiny Elder, the person chosen by divine prophecy. The Many-Faced God had chosen her, so Arya believed that her choice was also the choice of the deity of the House of Black and White.

The eyes of the gods must be staring at everything she does in the sky. Arya understood her personality, so the omnipotent Many-Faced God must also understand this personality of Arya.

What kind of personality will make what kind of choice.

Every time a Faceless Man kills someone, they will let go of or save a person who is destined to die. This is the Red God's balance of life. And the Mountain killed the Night King in Winterfell in the North, ending the Others' war against the human race. In this sense, the Mountain saved hundreds of thousands of people in the North and millions of people on the continent of Westeros. He took millions of lives from the hands of the Red God. According to the Red God's life balance, must the Mountain kill millions of people to repay the lives owed to the Red God? Is this also maintaining some kind of balance of life?

Arya couldn't be sure.

Or rather, she didn't know what the will of the Red God was. Her private speculation was just based on the Faceless Men's doctrine of killing, but the Mountain was not a Faceless Man. The Faceless Men's faith doctrine, placed on the Mountain, might not be appropriate at all.

*

A little while later, Senior Sister Longface entered the council hall to report.

"Destiny Elder, Bran's followers have all been captured," Senior Sister Longface said, bowing slightly before Arya.

"Okay, send the two Sand Snakes back to Sunspear in Dorne and hand them over to Arianne Martell or her representative for disposal."

"Yes, Destiny Elder."

"Send Roose Bolton and Ramsay Bolton to Winterfell in the North and hand them over to Lord Eddard Stark for trial."

"Yes."

"Send the Twelve Swordsmen back to the Sea Lord and tell the Sea Lord that, according to divine prophecy and Bran Stark's own wishes, the House of Black and White has withdrawn the assassination operation against the Mountain. The Sea Lord's letter of guarantee will also be returned. The gold from the Iron Bank will also be sent back."

"Yes!"

"Also, go and bring Littlefinger Tyrion Lannister to the House of Black and White. I have something to say to him."

"Yes, Destiny Elder. What about Jaime Lannister?"

"Lock him up first and deal with him after I finish talking to Tyrion Lannister."

"Okay!"

Senior Sister turned and walked out to complete the many tasks Arya had assigned.

Remembering how the once cold and ruthless Senior Sister had obeyed her every word and been respectful, Arya slowly sat down. She was not suitable to be an elder, and she knew this well. As long as Senior Brother returned, she would appoint Senior Brother as the Internal Affairs Elder of the House of Black and White in the name of the elder, responsible for managing all internal and external affairs of the House of Black and White. Then, she could regain her freedom and cross the Narrow Sea to attend Sansa Stark's wedding.

She had to tell the Mountain about everything that had happened here as soon as possible.

Arya slowly took out her iron coin from her pocket. As long as she took this iron coin to the port of Braavos, she could easily find a merchant ship to Gulltown and send the message to the Mountain as quickly as possible. The captain of the merchant ship would hand over the secret letter to the lord of Gulltown, and the lord would send a raven to the Burning Men in the Mountains of the Moon.

*

Night. Mountains of the Moon. Below the misty mountains, the garrison camp of the Mountain's personal guard.

Melisandre stared at the brazier in front of her, slowly tilting her head, her beautiful eyes filled with scrutiny and thought. Her snow-white neck was slender, her face was fair and rosy, and her eyes were like two red gems.

Melisandre saw a bad omen in the flames, but she couldn't yet comprehend the meaning of the omen.

Before becoming the Mountain's accompanying priestess, Melisandre had made many wrong judgments. The mistakes did not come from the omens of the flames, but from the interpretation of the flame prophecies.

A flame prophecy can be interpreted differently by different people.

Melisandre was somewhat unable to interpret the prophecy she saw before her.

She saw Arya Stark in the flames. She was running, houses were collapsing, and many people were buried in the sea of fire.

Melisandre knew that Arya Stark would not be afraid of flames, or rather, ordinary flames could not harm her. Most of Arya's flame abilities came from Melisandre's teachings and the transmission from the Grand Sage of the Guild of Pyromancers.

This was Arya's secret, and no one outside would know this secret.

Were those big flames the flames spewed out by a dragon?

If not a dragon, then it was man-made.

Melisandre saw Arya rush out of the sea of fire, but she was facing many enemies.

The flames flickered, and Melisandre fell into contemplation.

Arya Stark would encounter flames and enemy attacks. When would this happen? Was it in Braavos or in Westeros?

Melisandre couldn't interpret the specific time and place.

She was focusing on the flames and didn't expect to see Arya's situation.

Melisandre took out some colorful powders from her sleeves. The powders floated into the flames, and Arya's shadow and the enemies' shadows became clearer. Melisandre stared intently and recognized that the swordsmen besieging Arya were using the same narrow swords as Arya.

Were Faceless Men besieging Arya?

Melisandre couldn't answer this question.

The prophecies given by the Red God were always fragments, a shard, headless and tailless, requiring the priest to interpret them himself.

Melisandre's hand swept over the brazier, and the anomalies in the flames completely disappeared, turning into ordinary natural flames.

Melisandre stood up and walked out of the tent.

She walked towards a huge tent not far away.

In the darkness, someone flashed out from behind a large tree: "Lady Melisandre, please stop."

"Teem, I want to see His Majesty the King."

"Madam, His Majesty the King has ordered that no one shall disturb him tonight."

"I am an exception." Melisandre's beautiful eyes flickered with two points of flame, and the ruby on her neck was also shining brightly.

But Teem was not afraid of Melisandre's anomalies. This mountain tribe warrior, who had dug out his left eye and threw it into the flames to show his courage, feared nothing: "It's really not possible tonight, Madam."

"Is His Majesty the King living with Daenerys Targaryen?"

"I don't know. I only know that His Majesty the King ordered that no one can enter his tent to discuss matters with him tonight. If there is anything, go to him at dawn."

"What if I don't?"

"Then please kill me, Madam."

咻!

Teem drew the long sword from his waist.

Melisandre reached out and took the long sword, the long sword pointed at Teem's throat, Teem took a step back: "Madam, do you really want to kill me?" He thought that if he drew his long sword, the madam would retreat in the face of difficulty.

"This is your own request, not something I forced you to do."

"I was just joking with the madam." Although Teem retreated, he did not give way.

"I have very important things to see His Majesty the King, much more important than His Majesty holding Daenerys Targaryen. Daenerys has come to the Mountains of the Moon with her guards. His Majesty the King has many opportunities and time to sleep with her, but this matter cannot be delayed. I hope you can report it."

"I can't report it, Madam. His Majesty the King said that whoever reports it tonight, he will crush their head."

"I don't believe that His Majesty the King would be so infatuated with Daenerys' beauty," Melisandre said, raising her leg and walking forward. Teem reached out to stop her, but blocked an empty space. Melisandre was like a tangible and intangible shadow, and walked past Teem, and in her hand, she was still carrying Teem's long sword.

Red God, the god of flames and shadows.

In a short period of time, Melisandre's magical power became even stronger.

The reappearance of the great dragons, and the birth of new dragonlings, the rare resurgence of the dragon race, all further revitalized the magical power of this world. And Melisandre lived at the foot of the Misty Mountains, very close to the dragon race halfway up the mountain, which had an invisible strengthening effect on her magical power.

Thank you 【Chau534】 for the reward, thank you, handshake!