The Mountain of Ice and Fire

"Elyn!" Arya's expression changed.

"You spoke his name." The Mountain stopped moving, staring at Arya. "Once a name is spoken, someone is sure to die." The sentence sounded like a proverb, or a curse.

Arya's small face immediately turned pale.

*

It would be easy to plunge a sword into Elyn's throat. Stabbing his chest would be even easier, the chest being a larger target than the throat, or a slice across the neck, the spraying blood would carry away Elyn's life.

But Jaqen couldn't do that.

When a Faceless Man strikes, the vanishing life must appear to be a natural death, leaving no suspicion. Once forced to act in a way that resembles the deeds of ordinary killers, where the murdered person is obviously assassinated, the Faceless Man must leave that place.

To stab a sword into Elyn's throat would reveal that Elyn was murdered. This is not the way of the Faceless Men, their principles do not allow it. Unless it's an emergency, or an accident.

Once a name is spoken, no matter who the owner of the name is, whether king or commoner, death is certain. - This is the golden rule of the Faceless Men.

Arya has spoken the name, now all that is needed is time!

Elyn ascended the walls of Harrenhal, he looked down, the lights on the ground were as small as starlight.

Harren the Black spent forty years, employing hundreds of thousands of laborers on this super project - Harrenhal, one of the wonders of the world.

"He who holds Harrenhal, can rest easy." A voice said from behind Elyn. The voice was charming, making one want to be close to him and befriend him upon hearing it.

Elyn turned around, in the starlight and the light of the wall torches, he saw a handsome face, a head of half-red, half-white long hair.

"Yes, legend has it that King Harren built this castle with the goal of making it impossible for anyone to break through. It's just a pity he met the dragons." Elyn laughed. He held the battlement, looking out through the observation hole in the crenellation.

Jaqen walked to Elyn's side, not far away, two guards were huddled around a fire talking about women, two six-man teams were crisscrossing on patrol. Jaqen could easily flip Elyn over, but he didn't smell any alcohol on Elyn, it would be unreasonable for a skilled veteran to fall off the wall without drinking.

"Captain Elyn, care for a drink?" Jaqen pulled out a wineskin.

Poisoning the wine is a good way to kill someone, however, colorless, odorless, and invisible poisons are very expensive, using it on a small guard captain is impossible.

Elyn took the wineskin, feeling a sense of goodwill towards Jaqen. He took a big gulp of wine, frowning as he said, "So sour!"

Jaqen chuckled, "Sir, we supply soldiers are lucky to have anything to drink." He took the wineskin, took a big gulp, almost choking, causing Elyn to laugh.

"Is your hair dyed?"

"Yes, sir." Jaqen handed the wineskin back to Elyn.

Elyn took it and took a sip, the second sip felt much better than the first.

"Soldier, your Common Tongue is very good, judging by your appearance, are you a mercenary from across the Narrow Sea?"

"Yes, sir, you have a good eye. I am from the Free City of Lorath, a small place, across the Narrow Sea. I got drunk in a tavern, whistled at a woman with a big butt, and then things happened."

"Oh? She fell in love with you?"

"No, she called three other men, with knives, wanting to show me some color, so I had to kill them all."

"Killed all four?"

"Three men, the woman can warm the bed." Jaqen showed an ambiguous smile, "Then I was issued an arrest warrant by the Archon of Lorath, I escaped by boat to Braavos, where I whistled at a young girl, and she had a swordsman by her side."

"You killed the swordsman again?"

"Yes. Then I couldn't stay in Braavos either, so I came to Westeros. After arriving in Westeros, I never whistled at beautiful women again."

"Then your swordsmanship must be very good."

"Not really, just bad luck, haven't met a real swordsmanship master yet." Jaqen sighed, "Captain Elyn, I want to earn a gold dragon a month, can you help me?"

So this kid came with the purpose of 'transferring teams', no wonder he appeared on this high wall, and specially prepared wine.

"You want to be transferred from the supply team to the guard team?"

"The supply team is not worthy of my sword!" Jaqen's tone was very arrogant, but he said it in a very humble and appropriate way.

"I'll try your sword." Elyn put the wineskin on the arrow slit, he held the hilt of his sword, "Come on, let me see your speed in drawing your sword."

He wanted to compete with Jaqen in drawing swords.

Jaqen shook his head: "Sir, I've been practicing swords since I was three years old, with wooden swords, training swords at seven, and hired to kill people at eleven."

"Draw your sword! If you want to earn a gold dragon a month, instead of seven silver stags." Elyn said, "I also want to see your swordsmanship."

"Alright!" Jaqen said, his hand also on the hilt of his sword.

The two drew their swords almost simultaneously, the two guards roasting the fire turned their heads to look over, their eyes widened, very interested.

The two men attacked at the same time, with overwhelming momentum, with a clang, the swords clashed, the sound was clear and loud, sparks flew, both of their bodies shook. Speed, strength, evenly matched!

Elyn retreated half a step, Jaqen also retreated half a step, turned in a circle, suddenly shouted at the same time, the swords drew silver brilliance, with a series of loud bangs, the Northerner's sword was mainly thick and chopping, Jaqen's sword was slightly narrower, but also equally hard to block and chop, a supply soldier against the Mountain's guard captain, unexpectedly did not lose the slightest momentum and sword moves.

Elyn was fast, Jaqen was also fast; Elyn strengthened his attack, Jaqen also strengthened his attack, every sword strike was head-on. Elyn encountered a strong opponent with almost the exact same style as him, as if he was practicing swords in front of a mirror. Except for former Prime Minister's Captain Jory Cassel, Elyn had not met such a powerful swordsman.

Another series of stormy attacks, swords clashed, the two men leaned sideways at the same time, their shoulders slammed into each other, with a loud bang, the two separated with a shake, turning into the same defensive posture of holding swords with both hands.

Elyn slowly put away his sword, and said: "How long have you been learning our swordsmanship?" The swordsmanship across the Narrow Sea is different from the swordsmanship of the Westeros continent, Elyn knows a little about this difference.

"Half a year!" Jaqen also returned his sword to its sheath, he said.

"What if you use your own original swordsmanship that you are proficient in?"

"Maybe you would have lost."

Elyn was covered in stinky sweat, but he felt comfortable, Jaqen was obviously conceited, but his swordsmanship must have taken a lot of hard work, it was indeed very good. Elyn didn't think Jaqen could win him with his original swordsmanship.

"Come to my team, I will tell the Mountain, and I will say hello to the scribe." Elyn liked the young man's polite mixed with arrogant temperament. He reached into the arrow hole and grabbed the wineskin, drinking it with gurgling sounds, spitting out a breath of alcohol, he couldn't feel the sour taste of the wine anymore.

The two squads patrolling the wall were still standing and watching, everyone enjoyed the two men's sword fight just now.

Jaqen caught the wineskin thrown by Elyn, took a sip and it was gone. He was not reconciled, shook it, but could not conjure wine.

"Want to drink more? Let's go, we'll go down, I have good wine there." Jaqen's swordsmanship made Elyn look at him with new eyes.

"Okay!" Jaqen looked at Elyn, who was drunk, the smile on his face was very charming. He had done a little trick with this bag of wine, the sour taste concealed everything, the wine strength would be very strong later.

Going down from the gate wall, because it was too high, the journey was not short, with several dangerous corners. All that was needed was to push Elyn from behind, letting him fall from the dark heights. Then, he would still owe Arya two names.

Losing one's footing after drinking is an experience that many alcoholics have. As for falling from a height, there are few who are crippled, and many who are killed.

*

A voice, panting and dissatisfied, sounded at the dangerous corner: "Elyn, you f***ing made me search for you!"

Elyn and Jaqen, who were chatting enthusiastically, were startled. A figure stood up from the base of the wall, panting, it was Ser Polliver, who was very favored by the Mountain.

"What's the matter? Ser Polliver." Elyn hurriedly said.

Polliver was already a knight, but Elyn was not. Although Elyn was the Mountain's guard captain, his position was below Polliver.

"The Mountain is looking for you."

"Now?"

"Yes, now!"

"What does he want me for?"

"I'm not the Mountain, how would I know? F***!" Polliver's temper flared up.

Elyn was embarrassed: "Uh, I understand, Ser."

"It's not that you understand, it's that you have to go with me now. What are you doing running up to such high walls at night?"

"Never seen such high walls, was curious, so I came up to take a look."

"The key is that you made me search for you, why couldn't you come up to see during the day tomorrow? Are you deliberately teasing me?" Polliver complained, full of resentment. He stepped aside, letting Elyn walk in front.

"Ser, I'm sorry, please go first."

"You drank a lot of wine too! Be careful not to fall to your death, you f***ing!" Polliver looked at the ground. It was dark, like an abyss. He reached out and pushed Elyn, letting him lean against the inner wall.

Elyn didn't care, nor did he care about Polliver's foul language, he knew Polliver was good with a sword, but his brain had problems.

But suddenly, Polliver's voice was both surprised and delighted: "It's you, recruit, what a coincidence, to meet you here, I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Looking for me?" Jaqen's voice was wary.

"Recruit, your hair is very beautiful!" Polliver's tone was very envious, and his tone was also flattering.

Jaqen was very vigilant, but casually said, "Thank you, Ser, for the compliment."

"On the way back, in the scribe's team, I saw you at first sight, I even smiled at you, don't you remember? Oh, oh, can I cut off your hair and make it into a work of art. I've already thought about it, sticking them on the picture frame, and then framing it."

"…………"

"Recruit, your face is also very handsome, your eyeballs are really good. I was fascinated when I saw your eyeballs for the first time, can you let me dig one of your eyeballs out, soak it in a small wine jar, and take it home so that my wife can also appreciate it. I promise, I will control my excitement, and only dig one out, if you agree." Polliver's tone was eager, full of sincerity.

Thoughts raced through Jaqen's mind, he suspected that his identity had been sensed, if so, Jaqen H'ghar would have to die. To die means to never use this face and this name again.

Elyn laughed: "Jaqen, don't be afraid, Ser Polliver is joking with you." Elyn understood Polliver's neurosis and special preferences, but Jaqen obviously realized Polliver for the first time.

"I'm definitely not joking." Polliver swore, "Recruit, you're called Jaqen? What a good name, a wonderful name, a hundred times better than my Polliver." Polliver enthusiastically showered him with compliments, "Soldier Jaqen, apart from your eyeballs, your nose, lips, face, every part is perfect to the extreme, if I could peel off your entire face, I would be willing to go bankrupt, although I only have a few gold dragons."

Jaqen's heart jumped again.

Jaqen could easily peel off this face, but the place where this face would stay was not Polliver's wine jar, but the Wall of Faces in the House of Black and White.

"Soldier, you are a perfect angel. You fascinated me the first time I saw you on horseback that day. It was the first time I saw half-red and half-white hair, and it was actually growing on a head, it's such a perfect work of art, are you willing to give me your hair?" Polliver's tone was eager. After circling around, Polliver returned to the hair.

Jaqen finally realized that this Ser Polliver was really sincerely asking him, not a subtle reminder from some powerful figure. There was only one powerful dark organization in Westeros, called the Strangers, Jaqen quickly judged that Polliver would never be a member of the Strangers. He breathed a sigh of relief!

"Ser, my hair is like my life." Jaqen said, "I love them more than you do."

"Uh..." Polliver's tone suddenly plummeted into disappointment, "Okay, recruit, you won't understand my love for your hair, how about this, I'll give you a gold dragon!"

"I'm sorry, Ser!" Jaqen wondered how such a person was also a knight. Who knighted him? Was the person who knighted Polliver an idiot?

Knights are not viscounts, barons, earls, or marquises, knights cannot be inherited from their fathers, they can only be knighted through bravery in battle and perfect and noble character. Knighthood is a supreme honor, and also the lowest rank of nobility. Some noble sons inherited their father's barony or marquisate, but were not knights.

Every noble son is very eager to become a knight! Their titles can be inherited, but the knighthood cannot, they can only acquire it through their own efforts.

Although Jaqen's attitude was very clear in rejecting all of Polliver's requests, Polliver did not give up.

Although the three of them had reached the ground, although the three of them finally arrived at the gate of the Tower of the King, although Jaqen decided to return to the supply accommodations first and report to Elyn tomorrow, although Elyn repeatedly stopped him, Polliver still stuck to Jaqen, babbling about his hair, eyes, nose, face, and mouth, and finally the trend even developed towards Jaqen's hands. To be honest, under the huge torch at the gate of the Tower of the King, Jaqen's hands were really like jade, with slender fingers.

In the end, Jaqen retreated in a sorry state, with Bolivar closely following him. The night wind carried Bolivar's soft request to sleep with Jaqen tonight, leaving Erin, who was standing at the gate of the Burning King's Tower, dumbfounded.

Thank you to [Faris] and [The Early Bird Gets the Worm] for your support and donations. Much appreciated! *handshake*