Arya,why does the kindly man carry on with her training.

[Lady of Long Lake]

I have a theory that the Iron bank and the House of Black and White are connected and jointly run. If so, look at the players that they are backing:

Arya training as a Faceless Man

Jon was given money to feed the Wildlings and the Watch by the Iron Bank

Stannis was given funding by the Iron Back

Theon and Asha were given aid and safety by Tychos/Iron Bank

We now have two Starks, one Baratheon, two Greyjoys, thousands of Wildlings that the IB has assisted. I think this is the beginning of their "Obliterate the Lannisters" plan. It's odd that everything they are doing benfits the North tremendously and hurts the South.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

I have a theory that the Iron bank and the House of Black and White are connected and jointly run. If so, look at the players that they are backing:

Arya training as a Faceless Man

Jon was given money to feed the Wildlings and the Watch by the Iron Bank

Stannis was given funding by the Iron Back

Theon and Asha were given aid and safety by Tychos/Iron Bank

We now have two Starks, one Baratheon, two Greyjoys, thousands of Wildlings that the IB has assisted. I think this is the beginning of their "Obliterate the Lannisters" plan. It's odd that everything they are doing benfits the North tremendously and hurts the South.

It never occurred to me that there might be a link between Arya's training and Jon and Stannis securing their loans. Interesting. And yes I think her being a warg is their primary interest in her. I also don't think them going after Dany (or at least her dragons) has to conflict with them being anti-slavery, seeing as ownership of the dragons after Dany's death is a legitimate concern. No way to guarantee a non-slaver gets them then, so best to pre-emptively try to kill them.

[Iona]

Jaqen's view on the stealing of three deads from the Red God has always made me ponder. FM operate under the umbrella-style Him of Many Faces, so I'm thinking that if they would have been in danger of drowning, would Jaqen have said "You stole three deaths from the Drowned God"... :/

[Harlaw's Book]

I have a theory that the Iron bank and the House of Black and White are connected and jointly run. If so, look at the players that they are backing:

Arya training as a Faceless Man

Jon was given money to feed the Wildlings and the Watch by the Iron Bank

Stannis was given funding by the Iron Back

Theon and Asha were given aid and safety by Tychos/Iron Bank

We now have two Starks, one Baratheon, two Greyjoys, thousands of Wildlings that the IB has assisted. I think this is the beginning of their "Obliterate the Lannisters" plan. It's odd that everything they are doing benfits the North tremendously and hurts the South.

I'm intrigued. Do you think the IB's plan will include taking charge of the wildings from Hardhome that were on the ship the Sealord seized?

[Ice and fire freak]

I'm not sure the Faceless Men are necessarily as doctrinaire about giving up your identity as is being assumed here. The whole "you stole three deaths" thing doesn't seem to be a House of Black and White philosophy. I think that is Jaqen's old faith coming through. I think that was his interpretation of the many-faced god based on his personal background. It didn't matter that he acted out of personal preference because the character he was playing at the time was basically just a dangerous foreigner. Weird beliefs fits in perfectly with this (also, I have no clue what he was doing in the black cells to begin with). The order worships the common aspects of the god of death but I don't think the repaying of stolen deaths is part of the worship of the Stranger, for instance. I think that this is evidence that they allow people to keep a certain aspects of themselves. The key while being trained is being able to hide those aspects from those around you. You have to have the appearance of being no one. After all, in order to be a FM, you have to retain at least the FM part of your identity when you assume various disguises.

This is a very comforting post actually for fans of Arya,I've read that she'll become a FM and at some point remember who she were but according to this shell always know who she is just very good at hiding it when she needs to which is what she's done all along anyway I guess?

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

I'm intrigued. Do you think the IB's plan will include taking charge of the wildings from Hardhome that were on the ship the Sealord seized?

Another good point. There's actually a lot, once you look, tying Braavos to the Wall/North.

[sertravisredbeard]

I think one skill that Arya is developing that doesn't get discuss much on here is the ability to detect lies. We know she's developing a cold, calculating personality. She's learning how to use different poisons with different methods. She will be training and learning how to kill people a variety of ways,

If and when she returns to Westeros, I assume she'll be a human lie detector after training with the Faceless Men from such a young age. I don't know how the aftermath of the GNC will play out, if Roose and Ramsay will be executed automatically along with the Freys and any remaining Lannisters. If they're not though, I bet whoever's left will try to weasel out of taking any responsibility. If there are any prisoners before Stannis/Manderly/Jon/Rickon/whoever's in charge, they'll try to pass off blame as much as they can.

Arya showing up to help deal with this could be more useful than all of her assassin skills. Whoever is being interrogated will still insist that it's their word against hers, but if she successfully pinpoints the exact lies in an alibi of bullshit the prisoner will probably get unnerved after a while. It'll be pretty hard to get away with lying to a Faceless Man with a pet direwolf.

[juanml82]

I think one skill that Arya is developing that doesn't get discuss much on here is the ability to detect lies. We know she's developing a cold, calculating personality. She's learning how to use different poisons with different methods. She will be training and learning how to kill people a variety of ways,

If and when she returns to Westeros, I assume she'll be a human lie detector after training with the Faceless Men from such a young age. I don't know how the aftermath of the GNC will play out, if Roose and Ramsay will be executed automatically along with the Freys and any remaining Lannisters. If they're not though, I bet whoever's left will try to weasel out of taking any responsibility. If there are any prisoners before Stannis/Manderly/Jon/Rickon/whoever's in charge, they'll try to pass off blame as much as they can.

Arya showing up to help deal with this could be more useful than all of her assassin skills. Whoever is being interrogated will still insist that it's their word against hers, but if she successfully pinpoints the exact lies in an alibi of bullshit the prisoner will probably get unnerved after a while. It'll be pretty hard to get away with lying to a Faceless Man with a pet direwolf.

That would be so awesome :drool:

[Ice and fire freak]

I think one skill that Arya is developing that doesn't get discuss much on here is the ability to detect lies. We know she's developing a cold, calculating personality. She's learning how to use different poisons with different methods. She will be training and learning how to kill people a variety of ways,

If and when she returns to Westeros, I assume she'll be a human lie detector after training with the Faceless Men from such a young age. I don't know how the aftermath of the GNC will play out, if Roose and Ramsay will be executed automatically along with the Freys and any remaining Lannisters. If they're not though, I bet whoever's left will try to weasel out of taking any responsibility. If there are any prisoners before Stannis/Manderly/Jon/Rickon/whoever's in charge, they'll try to pass off blame as much as they can.

Arya showing up to help deal with this could be more useful than all of her assassin skills. Whoever is being interrogated will still insist that it's their word against hers, but if she successfully pinpoints the exact lies in an alibi of bullshit the prisoner will probably get unnerved after a while. It'll be pretty hard to get away with lying to a Faceless Man with a pet direwolf.

It's easy to forget about her wolf as its been so long that they were parted,it's a given though that they'll be back together surely?

Personally I think she'll go after the names she's been going through in her head,that's if they are still in the game of course.

[sertravisredbeard]

I don't think GRRM will have left Nymeria alive for this long after killing Lady without the chance of Arya and Nymeria being reunited. It's a longshot but we can all hope.

[Beathag]

I'm not sure the Faceless Men are necessarily as doctrinaire about giving up your identity as is being assumed here. The whole "you stole three deaths" thing doesn't seem to be a House of Black and White philosophy. I think that is Jaqen's old faith coming through. I think that was his interpretation of the many-faced god based on his personal background. It didn't matter that he acted out of personal preference because the character he was playing at the time was basically just a dangerous foreigner. Weird beliefs fits in perfectly with this (also, I have no clue what he was doing in the black cells to begin with). The order worships the common aspects of the god of death but I don't think the repaying of stolen deaths is part of the worship of the Stranger, for instance. I think that this is evidence that they allow people to keep a certain aspects of themselves. The key while being trained is being able to hide those aspects from those around you. You have to have the appearance of being no one. After all, in order to be a FM, you have to retain at least the FM part of your identity when you assume various disguises.

This has bothered me too. All the gods are in the House of B&W and seem to have equal standing. Yet Jaquen clearly was a follower of the Red God.

And Arya seems too strong a character to become "no one." I would have trouble with her character (in the books) if she went this way,

How many FM can there be? If Jaquen who accompanied Arya to the North, is the same FM who killed Balon Greyjoy, and then Pate, hasn't he wasted a lot of time wandering around? How is this cost effective?

Silly question. Could a person hire an FM to protect them against another FM's attack?

[The Weirwoods Eyes]

Snip

So forget about that "She is still only 11" stuff. She's 13 and is grown up a lot.

Idler You are not alone quite a few of us find the situation with Arya" the girl who is not allowed to grow up" frustrating. Lots of people are unwilling to acknowledge she is no longer a little girl. (disclaimer; yes by our modern standards 12 is still a little girl but we are talking ASOIAF universe and 12 is almost a woman grown please don't get into the never ending argument about what constitutes grown up.)

Seriously the amount of posts I read that refer to Arya as being 9, 9!! They can't even grasp that she has aged since AGOT let alone that the time she's been in Bravos is quite long enough to get her to at least 12. If not as you pointed out possibly 13.

I can't wait for Arya to start bleeding in TWOW and come read all the shocked responses on here.

[Le Cygne]

Rock on, The Weirwoods Eyes!

They do the same thing with Sansa (who some have calculated to be 14 at the end of ADWD).

GRRM said repeatedly flowering = adult in Westeros context:

http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/07/12/george-martin-talks-a-dance-with-dragons/

[The Weirwoods Eyes]

I want that Like button that everyone says we used to have on here Le Cygne.

:cheers:

[Facebookless Man]

It might just be that the training is difficult and you're not expected to become no one in just a couple weeks.

...but that would be boring so she's probably a hidden Targ and their endgame is to put her on the throne...

[Iona]

This has bothered me too. All the gods are in the House of B&W and seem to have equal standing. Yet Jaquen clearly was a follower of the Red God.

I would argue against this. Remember that JH, Rorge and Biter were about to burn. That's why he said three deaths were stolen from the Red God. If, let's say they would have been in a ship that was about to sink and Arya saved them I bet Jaqen's line would have been "You stole three deaths from the Drowned God".

[gougef]

Let's not forget the weirwood door at the House of Black and White.

They may know more about the Old Gods (warging, etc) than we think. I think that things run a lot deeper with the FM then we see.

[Shebara]

I also think they don t know anything about her warging.

They critisize her when they still see traces of her own personality because they want to destroy that...but that does not mean that they regard her as useless...it is just some kind of psycho terror they are using to break her personality when they say she is no good and useless. But nonetheless she has the possibility to leave. It is kind of: you can leave but if you stay you have to do exactly as WE want.

[Brienne for Queen]

This has bothered me too. All the gods are in the House of B&W and seem to have equal standing. Yet Jaquen clearly was a follower of the Red God.

And Arya seems too strong a character to become "no one." I would have trouble with her character (in the books) if she went this way,

How many FM can there be? If Jaquen who accompanied Arya to the North, is the same FM who killed Balon Greyjoy, and then Pate, hasn't he wasted a lot of time wandering around? How is this cost effective?

Silly question. Could a person hire an FM to protect them against another FM's attack?

But is the faceless man Jaquen (sorry about the spelling) the SAME faceless man that took over Pate's body? There are probably numerous faceless men out there. I remember Jaquen talked REALLY weird, saying "This man" instead of "I" and "this girl" instead of "you". Why, once he changed his face, did he change the way he talked as well? None of the same people were around him to recognize his voice. Now this may be REALLY stretching it, but the only other type of people I remember coming across who would not refer to themselves as "I" are.... the unsullied. And possibly Missendei? I forgot how she talked, besides being very sweet, one of my fave characters.

[Ice and fire freak]

This has bothered me too. All the gods are in the House of B&W and seem to have equal standing. Yet Jaquen clearly was a follower of the Red God.

And Arya seems too strong a character to become "no one." I would have trouble with her character (in the books) if she went this way,

How many FM can there be? If Jaquen who accompanied Arya to the North, is the same FM who killed Balon Greyjoy, and then Pate, hasn't he wasted a lot of time wandering around? How is this cost effective?

Silly question. Could a person hire an FM to protect them against another FM's attack?

This is a good question and I've been wondering this myself,I think it's very likely that there are a few floating round in the books and because they're so good at what they do ie disguising theirselves we wouldn't really know them.

It's been mentioned a lot that Missandie(can't spell her name)could be a FM,it mentions on many occasions her sneaking up on Dany n Barristan and she's certainly too clever for an average child looking at scrolls and giving advice.

If she is a FM then I can take heart from it as she gets in a bath with Dany and there's no mention of her missing private parts,it's been suggested by some that this could be one of the things needed to be a FM a bit like the unsullied but I dont think it's a literal thing as the KM reels off a whole list of things that they would take such as her eyes legs ect and nobody comments on a one legged JH,not sure how that works to be honest.

We also had Syrio who seemed to start her training witch was mentioned in the first chapter when she meets the Waif,I'm sure that's no accident mentioning Syrio in this chapter and also the Cat of the Canals seems related as well.

Tohbo Mott would seem a likely candidate as well,his place also has Weirwood in it also,what a great place to have an assasin in Kings Landing too,imagine the information and gossip in the arms workshop from customers?

I think we'll find out in the next book or the last just how many FM there are..