A Clash of Kings-Chapter 47
| Arya IX | ||||||
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| A Clash of Kings chapter | ||||||
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| POV | Arya Stark | |||||
| Place | Harrenhal | |||||
| Page | 493 UK HC (Other versions) | |||||
| Chapter chronology (All) | ||||||
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Arya VIII ↑ | ||||||
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↓ Arya X | ||||||
The Bloody Mummers bring 100 northmen to Harrenhal as prisoners. Arya sees this as an opportunity to free the men, take over the castle, and escape. Gendry refuses to help her, but when she meets Jaqen H'ghar, she is able to persuade him and they free the men together. Arya is forced to take on yet another pseudonym, Nan, and is named Roose Bolton's cupbearer.
Synopsis
Arya and Hot Pie are eating tarts in the kitchens when the Bloody Mummers return, this time with nearly 100 northmen as prisoners, along with their lord commander, Robett Glover, and Aenys Frey. Vargo Hoat claims that Lord Roose Bolton fled with his host after the battle. Ser Amory Lorch has the men imprisoned in the Widow's Tower. Arya tries to convince Gendry to help her free the northmen, but the apprentice smith is happy enough where he is and wants no part of it. Arya later goes to the godswood to practise with a wooden stick, and she meets Jaqen H'ghar there. The Lorathi tells her he would have done with his promise, and asks her to name a third. He also knows her to be Arya Stark, and tells her that some people have many names. She asks him to help her free the northmen, but Jaqen reminds her that she has only one name left. When Arya asks if she could name anybody, even the king, Jaqen tells her, "Speak the name, and death will come. On the morrow, at the turn of the moon, a year from this day, it will come. A man does not fly…but one foot moves and then another and one day a man is there, and a king dies." Arya whispers "Jaqen H’ghar", and stuns the man. But Jaqen is unafraid, and a dagger appears in his hand, telling her she would lose her only friend. Arya says that a friend would help her, and Jaqen agrees to help her if she names another name. They go and find Rorge and Biter, and Jaqen tells her, "The hungry gods will feast on blood tonight, if a man would do this thing", but Arya is resolute.
Jaqen brings Arya along, and has her demand several kettles of hot soup from the cooks. Each man takes one of the huge kettles, with Rorge carrying two, and they invade the tower where the prisoners are kept. Boiling soup flies everywhere as the guards are dispatched, and when Rorge unlocks the door to the cells, Robett Glover thanks them and asks if they are from the Brave Companions. Arya is confused, but has no time to ask him what he meant when fighting breaks out in the great castle. Jaqen wipes blood from his sword on Arya’s shift, telling her this is her work. Later, Arya takes back the name, and asks if she still can name a third, but Jaqen responds that she has gotten far more than three deaths. As she watches, Jaqen tells her the debt is paid and that he must die, and his features change as he passes a hand over his face. Arya asks who he is and if she could learn to do the same, but Jaqen tells her she would need to go with him across the narrow sea. He leaves her with a coin, of great value in the right place, and tells her that if she ever needs to find him again, she should give the coin to any man from Braavos, and say "valar morghulis". Jaqen, who claims his name is as dead as Arry, then disappears into the night.
Lord Roose Bolton arrives in the aftermath of the fall of Harrenhal, and Vargo Hoat turns the castle over to him. The prisoners were all a ruse to begin with, and apparently Bolton had bought the services of the Qohorik sellsword. As Roose Bolton takes control of the castle, Shagwell grabs Arya and presents her to her brother Robb's bannerman as the weasel who made the soup. Bolton asks her name, and Arya tells him ‘Nan’. The Lord of the Dreadfort then asks if she is afraid of leeches, for he claims that a man must purge himself of bad blood. When Arya tells him she is not afraid, Bolton names her his cupbearer. The banners over the gatehouse are changed to the flayed man of the Dreadfort and the direwolf of the Starks. Arya watches as the Bloody Mummers parade Ser Amory around naked, then feed him to a caged bear, and she thinks to herself, a bear all in black, like Yoren.
References and Notes
- The synopsis was copied from AOL member vbkorik27 previously at [1].
- Analyses and summary of the chapter in the course of a 10th reread by Slynt.
- Review and summary by Leigh Butler.