Cured Meat Street The night wind brought the unique coolness of late autumn from the direction of the Heishui River, picking up the dead leaves on the ground and swirling them under the street lights.
Barristan Selmy was walking on the stone road. There were not many pedestrians on the street. Occasionally, one or two drunkards wandered out of the pub, cursing and peeing against the wall.
In the distance, the lights of Ring of Order are brightly lit, and the cheers of gamblers can be vaguely heard.
He should go back to the hotel.
There is still a lot to do tomorrow.
Maybe I have to go to House of Order again to see Corleone in person and make a final decision.
Queen Daenerys is waiting for news from him. The situation on the other side of the Narrow Sea is getting more complicated day by day. He has no time to waste in King's Landing.
But his pace became slower and slower, and his mind was filled with the guy who called himself "Sweetmouth".
Ralford.
Barristan stopped and stood under a street lamp, with orange light falling from above his head. However, the old knight frowned and thought about the details in Restaurant just now.
Ralford said he was the Adjutant of Gregor Clegane Ser, but the name The Mountain is almost synonymous with "atrocity" in Westeros.
There are so many rumors about the Mountain that they are outrageous. They burned down villages, robbed, raped, and killed people in the Riverlands... They did all kinds of evil. Some even said that the Mountain and his men were keen on snatching babies from their mothers' arms and throwing them to death on walls.
Those stories are true or false, but the truth is enough to make people sick.
Ralford As a subordinate of Magic Mountain, he will definitely not be any better than Magic Mountain.
Barristan has been in the Kingsguard for nearly forty years and has seen too many soldiers like this. They follow a cruel lord and become cruel themselves.
They take pleasure in oppressing the weak, take pride in killing, and regard the suffering of others as entertainment.
Thinking of the last look Ralford gave him, Barristan's right hand unconsciously tightened the hilt of his sword.
That guy definitely didn't let me go just because of a few Gold Dragon. Maybe he recognized me...
Damn it.
Barristan cursed in a low voice, turned around and ran back without control of his legs.
The rapid sound of boots on the stone slabs was particularly clear on the quiet street. The streetlights passed by him one by one, and the orange light flickered on his face.
The cloak flapped behind him, like a flag being blown by the wind.
He didn't know why he wanted to go back. It was none of his business. After all, he was no longer the Kingsguard. He was just "Whitebeard", an old knight who came back from across the Narrow Sea.
But the pace under my feet just couldn't stop.
That's why he can't be a statesman like Jon Arryn or Tywin Lannister, unable to be in power,
The trade-off between morality and conscience.
He is just a knight, a knight who can only draw his sword to protect the weak and do what he thinks is right... a knight.
Restaurant's door is ajar.
Without saying a word, Barristan kicked him away and rushed in.
It was a mess inside, with tables overturned, chairs falling apart, and wine bottles broken on the floor. The air was filled with a strong smell of blood, mixed with the pungent smell of alcohol and some unexplainable sweet smell.
Immediately afterwards, Barristan was stunned.
Because there were more than a dozen corpses lying on the ground, all of them Lannister soldiers from before.
They fell to the ground in a mess, and without exception, all of them had black lips, bloodshot eyes, and blood overflowing from their mouths and noses. It was obvious that they were hopeless.
Poisoned???
Barristan frowned, and his eyes swept over the corpses and landed in the middle of Restaurant. He saw Ralford, who he was extremely worried about causing trouble after he left, lying on his back on the ground, with a small wound on his throat, as if he had been pierced by a needle.
His eyes were still open, and he seemed to be unwilling to close his eyes.
Next to the corpse of Ralford, a young woman was pulling out a thin sword from the throat of the last corpse.
The sword was very thin, and the blade was only as wide as a finger. It looked very much like the sword that the water dancers in Braavos were good at using.
"Ellie???"
Barristan screamed in surprise, never expecting to see such a scene.
Old John's daughter, killed a dozen Lannister soldiers with her own hands?
Is this a fucking black shop?
No.
Impossible!
Because Old John was huddled in the corner at this time, holding his head and shaking all over, and even wet his pants.
Barristan looked at the young woman not far away, and slowly put his right hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
"You are not Ellie."
Hearing this, "Ellie" raised his head and looked at him.
Her eyes were brown, a very ordinary brown, but her expression was extremely calm. It seemed that killing a dozen people was no more difficult for her than handling a few slices of pork.
"Who are you!"
Seeing that the other party was silent, Barristan immediately asked coldly, his sword already half an inch out of its sheath.
However, "Ellie" still didn't answer. She just stood there with her right hand hanging by her side and hiding the rapier in her sleeve, with only a small tip of the sword exposed.
Her eyes swept across Barristan's face, fell on the hilt of the sword at his waist, and then immediately assumed a fighting stance.
Barristan noticed this subtle change, pulled out the Longsword, took a step forward, and said aggressively, "Kill them."
"A dozen Lannister soldiers, in Old John's Restaurant, do you know what consequences this will bring to him?"
Hearing this, "Ellie" did not explain, but moved the corner of his mouth slightly, and said in a cold voice, "A girl wants revenge, she must do this."
But as if out of conscience, she turned her head and glanced at Old John who was huddled in the corner, and said slowly, "She's fine."
"When I finish taking care of things here, you will see your daughter."
As soon as these words came out, Old John was still trembling with fear, but the nervous look in his eyes softened slightly, and he seemed to be relieved.
"Are you the Faceless One?" Barristan stepped forward again and continued to question.
"Ellie" neither denied nor admitted, and then without any warning, his legs slightly bent, and he jumped forward like a cat that is hunting prey!
That's right, it's a jump!
The movement was so fast that even Barristan barely saw it clearly, and it was already in front of him. The rapier slipped out of his sleeve and stabbed Barristan directly in the throat!
But after all, he was an old knight who had experienced hundreds of battles. Barristan's body reacted faster than his brain. He instinctively dodge sideways and swung his sword to block at the same time.
Ding!!!
The sword blades collided, making a crisp sound.
Barristan was secretly surprised, because the opponent's strength was not great, but the angle was extremely tricky, and the tip of the sword brushed against his and slid straight towards his eyes.
Such a fierce attack forced him to take half a step back and readjust his posture.
However, "Ellie" did not give him a chance to breathe. The second sword followed closely, targeting his chest.
Barristan swung his sword to block again, but the thin Longsword tip changed its direction again at the moment of contact, passing under the half-hand blade and stabbing into the abdomen.
Old Kingsguard had to retreat again and again.
Soon, the two had fought more than a dozen times. Under Barristan's confused gaze, the blade in the girl's hand became faster and faster, and the angle became more and more weird.
Every time her sword came out unexpectedly, it went straight to her vital points. Her swordsmanship was unlike anything he had seen in Westeros. It was similar to the Water Dancer, but lighter, faster, and extremely deadly.
It's like encountering a water snake while swimming in a deep pond. You never know where it will bite you in the next second.
It is indeed the Faceless One!
This kind of fighting method that was entirely aimed at taking human lives made Barristan feel awe-inspiring, but it also made him more certain of his own judgment.
He had heard of them back in Westeros, the assassins from the House of Black and White in Braavos.
Legend has it that these guys who believe in the Thousand-Faced God have no names or faces, but they can disguise themselves as anyone and take the lives of others at any time and anywhere.
When Robert Baratheon planned to send someone to assassinate Daenerys, he had the idea of hiring faceless men to assassinate her, but it was vetoed by Petyr Baelish, then Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Because the charges of the Faceless Men are too expensive!
Even if it is to assassinate an ordinary businessman, the price is enough to afford a hired Mercenary group of dozens of people, let alone assassinating the queen who already owned three dragons at that time, that would be an astronomical figure.
Therefore, King Robert, who was well aware of his financial situation, had no choice but to give up.
Barristan never thought that he, who had never dealt with any Faceless Men in the Eastern Continent, would actually fight against Faceless Men in a small Restaurant in Cured Meat Street!
And it's a girl who looks less than twenty years old!
No, the other party may be much older than twenty years old, but it is just a disguise that hides his true face.
Maybe this guy isn't a girl after all!
With this thought, Barristan decided not to hold back anymore.
Under the extremely fierce attack of "Ellie", he chose to take a big step forward and slashed diagonally with the sword in both hands.
This sword is full of power, and the blade of the half-handed sword makes a sharp and piercing sound, as if something is screaming!
Facing such a sharp sword, "Ellie" could only dodge sideways, but Barristan's sword was faster than she expected.
The blade of the sword grazed her shoulder and cut off a piece of clothing. The girl staggered back several steps.
However, Barristan did not pursue him. He just pointed the tip of his sword diagonally at the ground, and his breathing was still steady. It seemed that the fierce battle just now did not cause any trouble to his physical strength.
"You are no match for me."
"Your swordsmanship is very good, but your strength is not enough. If you continue to fight, you will have no chance of winning."
Old Kingsguard naturally dissuaded him, but "Ellie", who had regained his footing, was obviously unconvinced. He clenched his rapier in his right hand, stared at Barristan, and charged forward again.
Seeing this, Barristan shook his head, then stepped forward, pointed the tip of his sword directly at the opponent's chest, and stabbed away.
"Ellie" instinctively retreated and raised her sword to block. However, at this moment, Barristan stretched out his right foot and kicked her hard in the chest.
Bang!!!
With a powerful and heavy kick, the girl was kicked backwards for more than ten feet and fell heavily to the ground!
However, after only a moment's hesitation, she immediately stood up, supporting the ground with one hand, and still holding the thin sword in the other hand.
A trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were still staring at Barristan, like a wounded beast sizing up its prey.
Just then, a gust of autumn wind blew.
The wind poured in through the kicked-open door of Restaurant, lifting Barristan's hood, revealing his gray hair and weather-beaten face.
"Ellie" looked at that face, and the light in his eyes suddenly became a little unbelievable.
"Barlistan Ser?" she blurted out.
As soon as these words came out, Barristan, who had originally planned to step forward and subdue him, was stunned.
Does this girl know me?
No, it's impossible.
He had never seen her, at least not this face, and he had never interacted with any Faceless Men.
Under doubt, Old Kingsguard carefully looked at the young woman in front of him.
She was half-kneeling on the ground, one hand supporting the ground, the other hand holding the rapier, and her body leaning forward slightly.
Such a gesture...
Inexplicably, a picture suddenly flashed in Old Kingsguard's mind.
That was a year ago.
In the corridor of the Red Keep, a little girl crouched behind a pillar and chased a cat. The cat Black Cat was named Balerion. It was an old resident of the Red Keep and never let anyone get close to her.
The little girl chased it all afternoon. Barristan happened to be on duty in the corridor that day, and he couldn't help but laugh when he saw her running past.
The girl stopped, turned around, stared with her big eyes unconvinced and shouted, "Why are you laughing?"
That kind of demeanor is like a wolf baring its teeth at any time and planning to rip out others' hearts and lungs.
Later, Barristan learned that the little girl's name was Ellie Ya Stark, one of the daughters brought by Prime Minister Eddard Stark from the North.
Barristan lowered his sword slowly.
He looked at the young woman in front of him, her brown eyes shining with stubbornness and unwillingness to admit defeat, like a flame burning in them.
That's the look!
Barristan felt as if he had guessed something, but instinctively denied it secretly in his heart.
After all, when Ellie Yar Stark disappeared, he was just a child who couldn't even hold a sword.
Barristan knew that the training of the "Faceless Man" should be quite difficult, but even so, reason was telling him that even if she was really talented, it would be impossible for her to go out and complete such a complex assassination operation in just one year.
However, out of caution, Old Kingsguard couldn't help but test it softly. "Ellie ya·Lady Stark?"
As soon as these words came out, "Ellie"'s body froze for a moment.
It was only a moment, very short, but Barristan captured it clearly.
But just when Barristan was about to take the initiative to reveal his identity so that the other party would lower his guard, a cold light came straight to the door!
Danger!
His body's instinct made him fall to the side, and a cold dagger passed by his ear and was nailed to the door frame.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the girl suddenly jumped up from the ground, passed by Barristan, and rushed towards the door.
Her speed was so amazing that Barristan only felt a gust of wind blowing past him, and then her back was already at the door.
"Wait!"
Old Kingsguard quickly got up and shouted, "Tell me your name, girl!"
Hearing this, "Ellie" stopped, and Barristan seemed to be able to see that her shoulders were shaking slightly, but they seemed to be as steady as a rock.
"I... am just a nobody."
She didn't look back, her voice was as soft as the wind blowing through dead leaves, and then she took two steps and disappeared into the night.
Barristan did not chase her, but stood there and stared at the place where the girl disappeared. He seemed to hear a faint whisper in his ears.
"The North."
"Never forget...