WiSh - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Arya's Sword Learning Experience

In a courtyard within Winterfell.

"What's in the cage?" Arya asked.

"It's a cat," said the elegant fencing master from Braavos.

"Oh!" Arya happily lifted the cloth covering the cage. "I like cats."

"Liar," she said. "It's clearly rabbits."

There were three wild rabbits in the cage.

The fencing master smiled smugly. "Arya, never listen to what people say; watch what they do. If there's a cage, lift the cloth and see the truth with your own eyes. One of the secrets of swordsmanship is to cover your ears and observe the truth with your eyes."

"Your deception is too low-level," Arya pouted.

"It's not low-level. Many deceptions in life are just a cloth away, but no one bothers to lift it. Swordsmanship is the same." The fencing master chuckled.

The fencing master had a small mustache, was lean, and carried the famous rapier of Braavos. In the eyes of the Northern guards, the sword looked like a child's toy.

"Why catch three wild rabbits? Are you still not going to teach me swordplay today?"

"Swordplay? No, no, you're not yet qualified for swordplay." The teacher opened the cage and threw the three rabbits on the ground. They darted off in three different directions. Arya's direwolf, Nymeria, sat still by her feet, uninterested in the rabbits that were fleeing for their lives.

The direwolf watched the rabbits' desperate escape with a haughty gaze.

It was said that rabbits hit by arrows ran very fast, and now these three rabbits were scared by the direwolf as if they had been hit by arrows.

"Arya, catch them. Before this hourglass runs out, catch them, and I'll teach you a sword move."

Arya immediately chased after them. Catching three wild rabbits wasn't a simple task, was it?

Several family guards in the courtyard shook their heads.

Only a wild child like Arya would listen to the nonsense of this Braavosi charlatan. Learning swordplay was one thing, but who would teach someone by having them chase rabbits around the yard?

From the third floor of the guest tower to the south of the courtyard, Cersei watched Arya chasing and shouting after the three rabbits in the courtyard. Her brow furrowed slightly. "Sansa, what is your sister doing?"

She held the silk shawl Sansa had embroidered, having just praised Sansa's needlework.

"Your Grace, Arya is learning swordplay from a wandering fencing master from White Harbor," Sansa said cautiously.

"A White Harbor fencing master?"

"Yes, he's said to be from across the narrow sea in Braavos, and was even the former chief swordsman of the Sea Lord of Braavos. He claims to have traveled extensively throughout the cities of the narrow sea, teaching sword dancing to earn a living. A month ago, he crossed the narrow sea to Westeros and soon arrived in White Harbor."

"It's said that he was planning to visit King's Landing next, but before he could set off, he was detained by Lord Wyman Manderly, the vassal guarding White Harbor, and then sent to us at Winterfell. He has many fencing friends in White Harbor, most of whom are Braavosi. Lord Wyman mentioned this in his letter."

White Harbor was a massive port city located south of Winterfell and was the fief of the Manderly family under the Stark banner. It was the fifth-largest city in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the main trading port in the North, situated at the mouth of the White Knife, the largest inland river in the North.

Due to its geographical location, White Harbor had extensive contact with the South and the lands across the narrow sea, making it a popular gathering place for mercenaries, wandering knights, bards, singers, and swordsmen. It was also home to many silversmiths and goldsmiths.

Cersei looked at the slender Braavosi swordsman in the courtyard and smiled. "Braavos does have many formidable swordsmen, but this one, I'd wager, is just a charlatan looking for a free meal."

"Your Grace, do you think so too?" Sansa's voice was both surprised and delighted. "On the first day he arrived, I didn't think he looked like a swordsman. I bet Jory Cassel could easily defeat him. He's too skinny, and his sword looks like... well... a sewing needle. Father's guards all look down on him, but they dare not show it in front of Father."

"Oh, have you seen his swordplay demonstration?"

"No, Your Grace."

"Has he taught Arya any swordplay?"

"No, Your Grace. Every day, he has Arya stand on one foot on a high wooden post for an hour, or walk on her hands, upside down, without any semblance of a lady. She goes up and down the stairs over and over. Today is even stranger; he had rabbits caught and is having Arya chase them around the courtyard for fun."

"Does your mother accept his nonsense?"

"Mother certainly doesn't like it, but since Father hasn't said anything, no one dares to drive him away."

"Arya is such a wild child, nothing like you, Sansa. You're virtuous, beautiful, and capable. I like you so much, Sansa. In a few days, you and your father will be coming to King's Landing with us, and I want to treat you well. Can you tell me what Lord Eddard Stark likes to eat? For example, does he prefer the Dornish red, the sweet wine from Meereen, or the golden wine from the Arbor, which is famous throughout the Seven Kingdoms and even sold across the narrow sea?"

"My father prefers strong spirits, and he also likes the sweet wine from the Reach."

"Oh, I must remember that. Well, you're such a good girl. Come, sit beside me and let me see your braid. What beautiful red hair, and such a lovely braid style. Did you design it yourself? It's really beautiful. Sansa, does your father have any other habits? For example, does he like antiques? Or jewelry?"

Sansa was both excited and nervous. The queen was holding her little hand! The queen was so beautiful and kind. She was determined to become a queen as outstanding as the queen in the future.

On the first day King Robert arrived, he proposed that she marry Prince Joffrey! Sansa was overjoyed.

Sansa answered all of Cersei's questions, speaking without reservation.

"Sansa, in King's Landing, besides King Robert, who else does your father correspond with via ravens?"

***

In the courtyard, Arya caught the three rabbits, but she was filthy.

She ran excitedly to her teacher, who was lounging with his feet up, soaking in the sun, and humming a tune.

"Arya, you lost. The sand in the hourglass ran out long ago."

"What? I didn't lose. I caught them."

The fencing master stood up proudly and tapped Arya's wrist with his wooden sword. Arya yelped in pain, and her grip loosened, allowing the rabbits to escape again.

"What are you doing? You almost broke my wrist," Arya shouted, glaring at her teacher angrily.

The mustached teacher didn't seem to care and laughed. "Arya, let me tell you the secret of a sword master. You must remember this: every injury makes you stronger. Therefore, a swordsman is not afraid of getting hurt. Also, you took too long to catch the rabbits; the sand in the hourglass has run out, so..."

"I'm not listening to your nonsense anymore, Syrio. I want to learn the sword today." Arya shouted angrily.

Everyone in the courtyard heard Arya's voice, and many heads poked out of the windows of the main keep, guest tower, and maester's tower to watch.

"Oh, oh, oh! Our Arya's direwolf blood is boiling. Oh, well, catch!"

The fencing master tossed a practice wooden sword to Arya, who caught it. The sword felt heavy in her hand.

It was a lead-filled wooden sword!

"Lunge," the fencing master finally began to teach Arya the real swordplay she had been longing for.

Arya mimicked her teacher's lunge, looking like a seasoned swordsman, but the sword was so heavy that the tip drooped.

"No, no, no, straighten the sword, tuck in your chin," the fencing master's practice sword tapped Arya's chin and wrist, causing her pain and bringing tears to her eyes.

"Every injury makes me stronger," Arya told herself. The teacher repeated this phrase many times a day, and Arya had long since memorized it.

"No, no, your eyes must see the enemy. Imagine who you hate the most. Yes, a swordsman's strike must have spirit, in the eyes. Imagine the person you hate the most standing in front of your sword. Yes, tuck in your abdomen."

Whack!

The teacher's wooden sword hit Arya's abdomen, causing her face to twist in pain.

The lead-filled wooden sword really hurt when it hit!

—But every pain makes me stronger. Arya repeated this mantra in her mind, and miraculously, the pain seemed to lessen a bit!

"Put your left hand behind your back and straighten your lunge."

Whack! Whack!

Her left hand and lower leg each received a blow, the pain was excruciating.

Based on experience, by the evening, the places where she was hit would be bruised.

This was not the first time Arya had been hit. Whenever she did anything wrong, including walking on her hands or standing on one leg on a post, she would be tapped with the teacher's wooden sword.

However, injuries make me stronger!

Arya remained silent.

"Good, just like that, hold the lunge for two hours without moving. Ha, this is what you asked for when you wanted to learn swordplay. If your form changes, you'll have to start over, my little Arya. If you want to go back to catching rabbits, haha, I can..."

"No, I know you've prepared three wild cats. I don't want to learn to catch rabbits or wild cats. I want to learn the sword."

"Oh, oh, oh, very well, since you think you're ready to learn the sword, don't move. This is your first sword form. You there, Hodor, please bring a high stool over. Arya, stand on the high stool. When you can stand for two hours without changing form, I'll teach you the formal swordplay: the Water Dance."

Arya jumped onto the high stool, lunged, and gritted her teeth to straighten her arm. The lead-filled wooden sword was really heavy.

"Hey, where are you going?" Arya called out dissatisfied.

"Me? I'm going to get my little wine and sweets, of course. What, do you have an opinion?" The fencing master raised his wooden sword with a smile, looking as if he hoped to see Arya's form change so he could tap her again.

He could hit any part of Arya's body, and that part would be bruised by the evening.

"No!" Arya immediately focused on maintaining her lunge, and the face of the person she hated the most appeared before her eyes—the detestable face of her fencing master, Syrio.

Syrio hummed a tune as he walked away, then stopped and turned back. "Arya, you can choose to continue catching rabbits, and then catch wild cats. When you can catch wild cats within the specified time and walk upside down through all the stairs of the main keep, I'll teach you the Water Dance. If you regret it now, if you can't hold on, just shout..."

Arya stood on the high stool, maintaining an absolutely standard lunge posture, filled with anger, and grunted, "No!"