A Song of Ice and Fire - A Chapter a day discussion

I think Arya grows so much in this chapter! Is unreal!

1-We know this isn't the first time Arya gets hit in her dancing lessons, but it seems like she took a lot. I really like the way Syrio teaches her though, and I smiled when he said left and went right. I also liked this: “My words lied. My eyes and my arm shouted out the truth, but you were not seeing.”

2-It's a really cool story how he became the First Sword of Braavos. Really cool. And I think the seeing lesson will help her a lot.

3-Syrio said yes to go to Winterfell! It's sad he probably died, I really liked him. He said Arya would practice there with Needle. She started saying something about Jon and she couldn't finish. I wish she had!

4-Ser Meryn Trant and 5 other Lannister men came looking for Arya, and she was about to go, not seeing it was odd until Syrio spoke. They were just talking about that, lol. She didn't want to go, and Trant just stood there for a long time and just gave orders, instead of getting her himself. I don't like him.

5-Syrio fights with the men, and he told her twice to go, but she stood there most of the time. She must've been so scared, but at the same time she realised how good Syrio was. I mean, fighting armored men with a stick? He's awesome! But after he killed some, and left some dying, Ser Meryn fights Syrio and broke his stick. It's so sad, she left sobbing because I think she knew what it was about to happen.

6-This is so awful! She is 9, and so afraid. She remembers the phrases Syrio told her (all of them cool I got to say), but she is still scared, of course. But she did follow one of his advices, to never to what is expected of you, so she took another turn. I think his lessons really sticked with her. which is good. She later sees the Tower of the Hand, and a man dead in the ground and all the mess. She fears about her father as soon as she sees this man. Poor girl!

7- Arya went to the stables, see more dead men she knew, like Hullen, who was master of horse back in Winterfell, as was still alive and told her to warn her father. This situation is so stressful! Arya really holds it together. She also saw Desmond, who told her they'll protect their father. She is so mad she kicked his body. The feelins this chapter brought!

8-They were loading Sansa and Arya's things when they got killed, so she finds her chest, and Needle in it. When this boy shows up and she asked him to help her, the first time I thought poor girl, she thinks he's good. But now I got the vibe she knew he was gonna take her to the Queen, and said this to make more time. He told her her father's dead, and at this point she doesn't know what to believe. She forgot everything Syrio told her, but remember Jon's words when he gave her Needle, so she did a little more that stuck him with the pointy end. She killed a person at 9! This is so brutal.

9-She is really smart for such a young girl, she knows the gates will be locked and guarded. But she knows she has to leave, and go to the monsters room to do so. Omg when she crossed the yard, and walking! She is so brave, probably the best way to don't get the guard's attention, but that must have been terrifying. She got lost for an hour until she found the room, I was so scared for her even when I know what happens. She realises the monsters were dragon's skulls, but she didn't have a candle with her the first time she was there.

10-The story of her and her siblings on the crypts, and Jon covered with flour, it made me so happy and so sad at the same time. Also, the Arya at the end of the chapter has grown so much in just hours. It's awesome. But she is my favourite character, so of course I think everything she does is awesome.

1. I like how Syrio tells Arya she's dead now, and she is angry that he tricked her, saying left when he went right. "Just so. And now you are a dead girl." :) "Watching is not seeing, dead girl." Ha!

2. He says he came to be the best in Braavos because he had 'true seeing.' Forgot about his story with the fat yellow cat -- telling the sealord what it was. Just another cat.

3. Intersting: "The heart lies and the head plays tricks with us, but the eyes see true."

4. This is so sad...just as Syrio tells Arya she will soon be ready to use Needle, and she can't wait to show Jon, the kingsguard and Lannisters enter and ruin everything: Ser Meryn Trant, with five Lannister guards.

5. Arya defies them, ballsy of a 9-year-old girl! Love how Syrio protects her with just a wooden stick!

6. Love this: "You are quick, for a dancing master," said Ser Meryn.

"You are slow, for a knight," Syrio replied. :)

7. Also love how Arya was taught to obey him when he tells her to leave. "Swift as a deer," she whispered.

"Just so," said Syrio Forel as the Lannisters closed.

-As she retreats she sees just how badass he can be. She'd never seen a man move so fast. He makes quick work of the Lannister guards, but Ser Meryn is in all armor, and when she sees the kingsguard break Syrio's wooden sword, she cries and runs away. Note how she didn't actually see Syrio be killed, though! He might still be alive!

8. When Arya gets to teh Tower of the Hand, she sees Stark guard corpses everywhere. Something very bad has happened. The Red Keep is also abandoned.

9. Arya decides to steal a horse and ride hard to Winterfell on the kingsroad but before she can get a horse a stableboy tries to seize her, and at that moment she is so afraid that she forgets everything Syrio ever taught her and the only thing she remembers is Jon's lesson: "stick them with the pointy end." Nice! Her first kill.

10. Arya just remembers the gates will be closed and they won't let anyone out, so she gives up on the horse.

11. Very interesting how the voice in her head startles her so much she drops her bundle of clothes. She can't tell if it's her own voice or Syrio's, odd. Is she under that much stress she can't recall who or what she's thinking about? I suppose this makes sense. Regardless, the voice calms her. It helps her walk calmly across the yard, and miraculously no one raises a cry.

12. She finds the room with the dragon skulls again and retraces her steps to escape the Red Keep as she did last time. With a candle in her hand, the skulls are no longer frightening -- almost like old friends. Interesting! Probably because of the fire. They "watch" her pass by them again.

13. While walking down the tunnel, she realizes the crypts at Winterfell are way more scarier than this place.

14. Oh gods, I LOVE her memory of how Robb and Jon scared Sansa, Arya, and baby Bran in the crypts at Winterfell! Jon decked himself out as a ghost, made Sansa run for her life and Bran cry. Arya, while scared, stood her ground and punched the ghost, lol! She calls him stupid and he scared the baby, ha! Robb and Jon kept laughing, and even Arya and Bran join in. I think this is an important part to the story because it shows us a lot about the Stark children's personalities in only one paragraph.

15. When Arya recalls the memory she smiles and is no longer afraid of the dark. I'm thinking this is going to be an important, recurring motif: For the Stark children to not fear the dark. "For the night is dark and full of terrors..." perhaps need not apply to them. :)

I hope Syrio is alive, I love him so much! She never sees him, but she sees how well armed Ser Meryn was. But he could have lived, he is so good!