Faqa Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 The 'kindly man' offers Arya chances at new lives apparently for free but could it be that if she had accepted one of them, one day someone would have knocked on her door and demanded repayment? Doubtful. The iron coin seems to be her 'payment' for the services rendered to her. I'm not quite sure what it means to the FM guild, but it's likely a token of "take care of this one". The 'kindly man' seems to have come to his own conclusions as to whether or not to train Arya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jojen's Ghost Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I don't believe that she has been blinded, other than as a temporary measure, but rather that she is undergoing a transformation or beginning the next step of her training, (as per the other Blind Acolyte). The title change of the final chapter itself indicates as much, as Arya fades into Cat. By the end, she performs the execution with a dispassionate coldness and with no remorse and even thinks of it to herself as 'the gift'. Arya of House Stark left Sandor to die (or live, as it may be), but Cat of the Canals would have given him the gift without a second thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikebrennan Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Also, I am trying to determine which people are still alive in Arya's prayer (which already suits her to be an assasin, that she nightly prays for the deaths of others) Raff - ? Raff is definitely still alive- he's mentioned by name in the last Jaime PoV chapter as being among the crew that are taking Edmure away to wherever-he's-going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I'd just like to say that you guys are awesome. I wouldn't have noticed half of this stuff that you are all seeing, kudos! Anyway, off the top of my head, the original people in Arya's prayer were.. Joffery, Cersei, Meryn Trant, Boros Blount, the Hound, the Mountain, Raff the Sweetling (or Rafford I think his real name is), Polliver, Dunsen, Ilyn Payne, Chiswyck.. I think I might have missed a few out. Of those.. Joffery, the Mountain, Polliver, Dunsen, Chywick are dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dracayr Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 That's not how he was able to pull it off. In "Cat of the Canals", the waif mentions a poison known as basilisk blood that can induce "violent madness, in beasts as well as men." It also makes meat smell savory, and so is an easy thing to convince a dog to eat. then the dog could have killed anyone, not just its master. Of course, the dog was mostly near its master, but it would have been risky, and faceless men don't make mistakes dracayr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowbinding shoe Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Doubtful. The iron coin seems to be her 'payment' for the services rendered to her. I'm not quite sure what it means to the FM guild, but it's likely a token of "take care of this one". The 'kindly man' seems to have come to his own conclusions as to whether or not to train Arya. The 'Kindly man' tells her the coin let her enter the temple but that she has to do more to stay (acolyte duties, getting rid of her stuff and so on). So this offer for a new life (several in fact) is likely not a free gift. Anyway what is the explanation for the subservience of the fisher to this cult? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnomestress Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 On Arya's blindness...I don't think it's a "punishment" or a treatment that's special for only Arya. I think it's just part of moving from novice to acolyte in The House of Black and White. Taken from AFFC: Without a common language, Arya had no way of talking to the others. She listened to them, though, and repeated the words she heard to herself as she went about her work. Though the youngest acolyte was blind, he had charge of the candles. He would walk the temple in soft slippers, surrounded by the murmurings of the old women who came each day to pray. Even without eyes, he always knew which candles had gone out. “He has the scent to guide him,” the kindly man explained, “and the air is warmer where a candle burns.” He told Arya to close her eyes and try it for herself. There are also references of the priesthood taking every part of her...maybe it starts with the eyes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LannisterStark Posted November 15, 2010 Share Posted November 15, 2010 I think Arya's blindness is a punishment because she took the life of another human being. Arya had no right to take a human life. She did so without authorization. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whatever Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I hope she'll leave soon. Arya started ASOIAF as the character with the greatest personality, spontaneous, impetuous and i would be really sad seeing her as a killing-robot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estrellas Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 I hope she'll leave soon. Arya started ASOIAF as the character with the greatest personality, spontaneous, impetuous and i would be really sad seeing her as a killing-robot Arya probably has the most raw wits of any ASOIAF character, but as she is right now she is powerless. Courage and wits alone won't save a 10 year old Stark girl from dying in the game of thrones. The Faceless Men represent her best chance to have actual POWER, the ability to do something with that prayer of hers rather than flounder around Westeros hoping to come across one or more names. She would have died at the Twins if it weren't for the Hound, because of her impetuous nature. If Arya is ever to become a significant force, she needs to learn what the Kindly Old Man has to teach. It is a little disturbing to think about her entire personality being lost in the process, but I don't think that will happen. It never happened to the Waif, from what I could tell. And Jaqen seemed to have his own personality as well. I also don't think Arya will necessarily complete her training. I think the Faceless Men have a plan for her, as they clearly have some sort of scheme going on (what with Jaqen having wormed his way into the Citadel, of all places.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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