The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Everyone was sound asleep, but Arya couldn't sleep. Her legs ached terribly.

Someone was quietly approaching her from behind.

Arya closed her eyes.

"Hey!" It was Euron's voice.

Arya pretended to be asleep.

"Don't pretend, I saw you tossing and turning, unable to sleep. This is sourleaf," Euron whispered in her ear.

Arya remained still, her eyes moving under her eyelids.

"Chew a couple, it won't hurt so much."

Arya still ignored him, pretending to be fast asleep.

Euron placed the sourleaf beside Arya's face and quietly left.

Arya opened her eyes, the faint sour smell lingering in the air.

Without moving her sideways position, she picked up a piece of purple sourleaf with two fingers and chewed it silently.

Sourleaf was indeed useful for external injuries, both for external application and internal consumption. Hot Pie's groin had a layer of sourleaf paste applied to it, but chewing it was disgusting, and it stained the mouth and teeth blood-red.

The next day, Euron bought five wagons and seven or eight donkeys from the villagers, and everyone ended their walking days. But Arya still had to walk, and the third day was the same, and the fourth day was still the same, because her legs were too sore to ride a donkey. Hot Pie was in an even worse state. Euron had to move some barrels to free up space on the wagon so he could lie on sacks of wheat. He would scream whenever the wheels hit a stone, and sometimes he would cry from the pain.

Hot Pie, though large, was still a child!

Greenhand Lommy was perfectly fine, but he avoided Arya, keeping his distance. Every time Arya looked at him, he would tremble slightly.

A blacksmith's apprentice named Gendry rode a donkey beside Arya and began to talk to her intermittently. Arya was determined to remain silent, believing it was safer not to talk to anyone.

These days, gold cloaks and red priests would come from time to time to ask them if they had seen a skinny noble girl, about nine years old. Sometimes, just as they were falling asleep, these people would barge in, rummaging around and asking the same questions they had asked many times during the day. In the middle of the night, another group of people would come in and wake them up to ask questions, and their attitude was very bad. They would be beaten if they were slow to answer.

Euron sped up the march, starting before dawn and refusing to stop after dark, missing lodging places for several days in a row. Everyone had to sleep in the wild.

Arya's leg injury finally healed, and she also rode a donkey. Hot Pie's injury was much more serious, and he still needed to lie on the wagon carrying supplies.

The first day of riding a donkey was very pleasant for Arya, and her strength was well restored.

That night, Arya slept soundly on a thin blanket spread on the hard ground. She dreamed of Winterfell, of the glass gardens, the godswood, and the training yard. She saw Robb, Bran, Rickon, and her father. She also dreamed of Jon Snow. Jon picked her up and ruffled her hair: "My little sister," he laughed, "Where have you been? We've all been looking for you."

"I miss you so much, brother," Arya said emotionally.

"I miss you too, my silly little sister." Jon reached out and flicked her nose, and she reached out and messed up Jon's black hair. The two siblings laughed heartily.

When Arya woke up from her dream, she found herself in tears.

Of the six siblings, Arya liked Jon the most, and Jon liked her the most. If Arya had to rank them in the family, she would put Jon Snow first, followed by her father and mother, then Robb, Bran, and Rickon, with Sansa undoubtedly at the bottom.

The next day, before dawn, Euron woke them up to travel. Arya suddenly wanted to go to the Wall first, and then return to Winterfell. If only the Kingsroad passed through the Wall before reaching Winterfell.

*

"Hey!" A voice came from above.

Arya was startled. She looked up and saw Gendry sitting in the fork of a tree.

Arya didn't like Gendry.

This guy was very strong, a blacksmith's apprentice. Euron thought the Wall needed a blacksmith's apprentice, so he brought him along. This kid was arrested for fighting and ended up in the jail, then he met Euron. Euron gave him a choice: have his hands chopped off or go to the Wall. Gendry chose to go to the Wall.

Gendry jumped down from the tree, his small eyes looking at Arya: "Arry, pull down your pants, let me see your little pecker."

Arya had run deep into the woods to relieve herself. She couldn't be seen by anyone, so she always went a little further.

Arya spat: "Fuck you!" and turned to walk away.

Gendry wasn't angry, he walked beside Arya with a grin: "Don't think I don't know, you always squat when you relieve yourself, pee standing up for me this time."

Arya's hair stood on end. When did this guy notice her?!

She was always careful, making sure no one was around when she relieved herself.

Gendry's eyes flickered: "Did I guess right? No wonder you never want to relieve yourself with us. Pull down your pants and let me see!" Gendry reached out to grab Arya's shoulder.

Gendry was stronger and older than Hot Pie. He was assigned to the adult group for eating and working, even though he was still a teenager.

Arya slipped and dodged, as agile as a cat. Gendry grabbed empty air.

"You're pretty slick, kid." Gendry sneered, "Let me think, a girl, deliberately cutting her hair short, dressing like a wild boy, why is that? Not only does she know swordsmanship, but she's also good at fighting. Poor kids can't afford sword teachers." Gendry's eyes stared at Arya. "Recently, gold cloaks and red priests have been going back and forth on this road like crazy. They say they are looking for a noble girl. The reward for reporting information is one hundred gold dragons, and the reward for catching the person is three hundred gold dragons, tsk tsk!"

"I'm Arry, not some noble girl."

"Then good, pull down your pants and let me see. If you're a boy, then I was wrong!"

"Don't mess with me, Gendry," Arya warned him.

"Hehe, you want to use your wooden sword to deal with me? I'm not Hot Pie."

Arya 'tsk'ed, went around a big tree, and by the time Gendry followed, she had already run far away. Two gold cloaks appeared on the road outside the woods. Arya's heart pounded wildly. What to do? She decided to hide first, and wait for the two gold cloaks to finish their search before doing anything else.

Still as water!

She said to herself.

Gendry wasn't sure if she was a boy or a girl. He just suspected, because Arya never relieved herself with them, and always went far away to do it. He just suspected.

Arya crouched down and hid in the grass. Gendry walked past her, muttering something. Arya didn't dare to say anything. After the two gold cloaks searched, they quickly left. Arya saw that Gendry didn't return to the group, but ran forward along the edge of the woods. What did Gendry want to do?

"Use your eyes to see, Arya, not with your eyes." Syrio's face appeared in Arya's mind. Arya's heart stirred, and she immediately followed Gendry, running.

Gendry turned onto the road and shouted at the two gold cloaks who were walking away: "Hey!"

Arya was shocked, lowered herself, and ran forward faster, then hid herself in a patch of grass.

The two gold cloaks who were walking away heard Gendry's shout and quickly rode back.

"Boy, what's wrong?"

"Sirs, I know a girl disguised as a boy. She knows swordsmanship and is also good at fighting. But I'm not sure if she's the noble girl you're looking for."

Clang!

The two gold cloaks' longswords were drawn, immediately pointing at Gendry's throat and chest.