Innocence

Meanwhile, on the other side of the woods.

Arya was tied beneath a large tree, once again thinking of the strange fellow who had told her "All Men Must Die" not long ago.

"After dark, find a chance to cause some chaos. Ideally, persuade that fellow Halsen to resist."

"You're a clever girl. Make good use of your identity as 'Lady Stark.'"

"Don't forget, your brother is still waiting for you at Riverrun."

Recalling what Corleone had whispered in her ear while Stow and Halsen's group were arguing, Arya raised her head.

A sleazy-looking soldier of the North was staring straight at her with ill intent in his eyes.

He had been looking at her like that since daytime.

Though she was still young, Arya was no fool. Naturally, she knew what he was thinking.

She took a deep breath, and a bold plan formed in her mind.

"Hey!"

She raised her head, gave the soldier an innocent look, and declared matter-of-factly, "I need to pee!"

The soldier froze, then looked delighted. He was just about to agree when he seemed to remember something and refused. "Captain Stow won't let us have any contact with you, Stark."

"If you really can't hold it... just piss your pants. Hahaha!"

At his lewd laughter, Arya first widened her eyes in anger.

Then she lowered her head to suppress her fury, doing her best to recall how Sansa used to act. She timidly lifted her eyes and said softly, "That... that would be wrong. Mother would punish me."

She paused, as though coming to a momentous decision, and pleaded in a tearful voice, "Then... could you help pull my trousers down, and put them back on after I've peed?

"Please... I really need to go..."

Her helpless, pitiful manner instantly made the soldier's breathing grow heavy, his eyes fixed on Arya.

Though the little girl before him was filthy, the identity of "Lady Stark" carried a deadly allure in itself.

He had been nothing but a lowly soldier all his life. When had he ever imagined he would have a chance to get this close to a noble lady?

Let alone a lady of House Stark!

He swallowed hard with an audible gulp. Lust clouded his judgment, and all his caution vanished.

"Hehe, you're the one asking me!"

Squatting down impatiently, the soldier reached his right hand straight toward Arya's inner thigh, intending to undo her waistband.

Now!

Thump!

Arya closed her eyes and, with every ounce of strength she had, slammed a vicious headbutt straight into his face!

Crack!

"Aaargh!!!"

The crack of his nose breaking sounded alongside the soldier's piglike squeal. Blood gushed from his nose, instantly staining his lips and jaw red.

Now!

Arya grinned, then screamed at the top of her lungs:

"No! What are you doing!"

"Let go of me! I'm only a child!"

"Help! Somebody help!"

The voice, filled with terror and humiliation, instantly pierced the woods and shattered the silence.

Hearing the growing commotion around them, the soldier ignored his streaming nosebleed and hurriedly lunged forward, clamping his hand over Arya's mouth. "Stop screaming! You little brat, scream again and I'll kill you!"

But Arya's ferocity far exceeded his imagination.

"Aaargh!!!!"

Another burst of intense pain struck him. The soldier jerked his hand back and looked down, only to find a small chunk of flesh torn from the edge of his palm!

Injured again and again, he lost all reason. Furious and flustered, he slammed a fist into Arya's cheek!

The blow left Arya seeing stars, but she still did not stop shouting.

"Help! Please don't hit me!"

"Fucking little bitch! Still pretending!"

Seeing her still spouting nonsense, the soldier angrily raised his hand to beat Arya again. But just as his fist was about to fall, someone seized his wrist in a crushing grip!

The soldier turned in astonishment, and his scalp instantly prickled with fear.

"Halsen!"

"No... it wasn't me... I didn't... she started..."

Seeing Halsen's terribly grim expression, especially his bloodshot eyes filled with rage, the soldier immediately tried to explain.

But Arya was quicker.

"He tried to rape me!"

She lifted her head, revealing her swollen red cheek and the blood at the corner of her mouth, and accused him through her tears. "He... he said some strange things to me, telling me to pee on myself so he could watch... things like that."

"When I refused, he hit me and tried to force me!"

With that, she began sobbing her heart out, perfectly playing the part of a helpless little girl who had suffered terrible abuse.

The soldier nearly went mad.

After all, often only the person falsely accusing you knew just how innocent you really were.

"You're fucking lying!"

"You were the one who..."

"Shut up!"

Seeing him still trying to deny it, Halsen had no desire to hear his explanation. In a fury, he punched the soldier's already bloodied, mangled face!

Then came a kick, and another!

As he beat him, he cursed, "You utterly disgusting creature!"

"Are you trying to tell me that a lady of House Stark would use her own innocence and reputation to slander a piece of scum like you?"

"Look at her! She's still a child who doesn't understand anything!"

Under the relentless beating, the soldier felt so wronged he wanted to cough up blood.

He knew he had walked into a trap, but now no amount of explaining could clear him. All he wanted was to give in quickly and wait until Captain Stow arrived to explain, to preserve his innocence...

But clearly, Arya had no intention of letting him off.

"Boo-hoo-hoo..."

She stopped screaming and began sobbing in despair and sorrow, as though talking to herself:

"In King's Landing, Cersei and Joffrey bullied me. Now... the people of the North are bullying me too..."

"Oh, Mother! Sansa was right. Now that Father's dead, there really is no one left to protect us..."

Those words were like the sharpest dagger, stabbing deep into the softest part of Halsen's heart.

All his restraint and reason were instantly consumed by towering rage!

Shing!!!

The sharp blade left its sheath. Seeing the murderous intent erupt in Halsen's eyes, the soldier was scared out of his wits and desperately begged for mercy. "Calm down, Captain Halsen!"

"This bitch is talking bullsh-"

Shhk!

There was a dull sound as a sharp blade pierced flesh.

The soldier's body suddenly stiffened. The light in his eyes rapidly faded, and, staring straight at Halsen, he collapsed helplessly.

Halsen gave his sword a hard flick, as though trying to shake the filthy blood from its blade.

Only then did a jumble of footsteps come from the woods beside them.

Stow hurried over with the remaining men, arriving just in time to see Halsen's bloodstained sword and his subordinate lying dead on the spot.

Shocked and furious, he gritted his teeth and roared, "What the fuck are you doing, Halsen!"