Arya sent to kill Jon

[John Suburbs]

No, this is why everyone on the Titan's Daughter makes sure Arya knows their name, even if they don't speak the common tongue. They know she is going to the HoBaW and why, so as long as she knows their names she, at least, won't be the one chosen to kill them if someone ever puts a contract out on them.

There are all sorts of foreshadowings for Arya's death:

"I hope your stupid princess dies."

"They'll find you in the spring with your dead, frozen hands wrapped around Needle's hilt" -- or something like that.

Whatever happens, Arya is so wrapped up in hate and revenge that I don't see a good end for her.

[bb1180]

It might be that Arya in some way inadvertently causes Jon's death, but I can't see her purposefully and intentionally killing him. She may be training as a FM, but I don't think she'll ever abandon her identity to it.

[Dan slayer of hot pies]

why would the FM take a contract to kill Jon? He just got a loan from the IB and i am sure the IB and FM work together.

[Darksnider05]

To become FM you forget yourself so you dont know anyone = can kill anyone.

Loopholes ;

I've never understood where this came from. Is working deep cover so hard to understand?

Is the FM the first taste of espionage to some readers? Like do people think there are amnesiac FM running around.

[Bael's Bastard]

I thought that the whole premise was that they, the FM, could not kill someone they know.

Maybe once they are "no one" they would not be considered to know the people their former self knew. ;)

[Warrewal Halfaxe]

I've never understood where this came from. Is working deep cover so hard to understand?

Is the FM the first taste of espionage to some readers? Like do people think there are amnesiac FM running around.

Well, Arya is supposed to be no one.

[Darksnider05]

Well, Arya is supposed to be no one.

What do you think that means? Before you begin it has nothing to do with memories.

[SevasTra82]

Part of becoming a FM is wiping your former identity away (thus becoming "no one"). Thus far, Arya has done everything BUT do this. She still reads her list, she still hold on to Needle (although hidden at the moment), she stil thinks about her family. She attempts to shed her Stark identity, but she is obviously fighting it.

FM kill people that they do not know or have ties to. I'm assuming this is *before* and *after* becoming a FM. Even the FM must realize you can't wipe a persons memory clean (ala WIll Smith in Men in Black). Thus, in the FM's mind, Arya can "know" Jon Snow, but she mentally cut ties with him.

So in short, anyone Arya knows from before *or* after becoming a FM is null and void for her to kill.

[aryagonnakill#2]

Yes, everyone on the Titans daughter knows the intimate rules of the FM, and obviously if someone paid the FM to kill them, then Arya would be the only candidate for the job. How can No 1 know anyone?

[JonisHenryTudor]

This thread reminds me of how little I care for the FM.

[Light a wight tonight]

The premise is they kill whomever the client pays them to kill

"They" may do it, or not, but it's as an organization if it's done, meaning that individual FMs may opt out of a particular assignment. Which Arya would do.

[Hank of House Hutton]

OK, so maybe there actually is a point to the plot arc and it could just involve Arya and Jon.

The big problem I have with the whole Faceless Men arc is that their entire enterprise is entirely evil and Arya is aligned with them. It is also fairly clear that ninja assassin is a job for life. So how can Arya leave the death cult and live? The House of Black and White is the only element in the book that is entirely indisputably evil - hence the name.

Incidentally, I think the name is also evidence against R+L=J. There are many characters that are shades of grey, Arya is one of the few exceptions. Lyanna and Arya are essentially the same person as far as their behavior goes. If you can't believe Arya would run off with Rheagar then Lyanna would not. Equally if you think Rheagar would have a chance of kidnapping Arya and living you have missed a lot. Lyanna is older than Arya is at the start of the books and she is a very accomplished fighter, the knight of the laughing tree. Pointing out the fact that its not a very good theory really upsets the folk with ten thousand posts who keep the monster thread going beating down anyone who disagrees with them so I'll just do it again.

So how does the crisis emerge that causes Arya to turn on the Faceless men? Well one possibility would be Cersei puts out a contract on Jon after he is revealed to be a Targarean. Arya hears of the contract and leaves the FM to foil the attack.

Arya faces a conflict between her loyalty to her family and the Faceless Men. This takes many milliseconds for Arya to resolve, about as long as it takes for her to retrieve needle and stick a few faceless men with the pointy end.

The problem with Arya's plot arc is that if she stays in the House of B&W long enough to train as a ninja, all her targets will be dead before she graduates. I don't think she kills Cersei, I think thats Jamie. So apart from Ser Meryn who is obviously going to get the gift soon enough and Dunsen, that does not leave a lot of potential targets. There are Dunsen and Raff the Sweetling, but thats it.

"The House of Black and White is the only element in the book that is entirely indisputably evil"

why do you say this? i didnt get the feel they were indisputably evil when i read. i only read through once though so i could have missed something/

Someone care to enlighten?

[John Suburbs]

Yes, everyone on the Titans daughter knows the intimate rules of the FM, and obviously if someone paid the FM to kill them, then Arya would be the only candidate for the job. How can No 1 know anyone?

Give the coin to any many from Braavos and say the words and they know exactly what to do. They know where she is going and the they know the FM require a name in order to kill someone. That's why everyone on the ship, even those that only speak Braavosi, make damn sure that Arya knows their name.

They can't go around introducing themselves to every FM on the planet, but at least having this one FM trainee know their name provides some assurance that it won't be her someday.

[hallam]

"The House of Black and White is the only element in the book that is entirely indisputably evil"

why do you say this? i didnt get the feel they were indisputably evil when i read. i only read through once though so i could have missed something/

Someone care to enlighten?

Umm... you really need someone to explain why murdering people you don't know is bad?

There are a couple of historical precedents, the Tuggi cult in India, allegedly certain Japanese cults but in most of those the assassin was required to kill themselves after the hit.

As for it looking like Arya is headed for a bad end in the books, I agree absolutely and that is why I suspect she will survive. She is such obvious roadkill that I don't think it will happen. What I expect will happen instead is she will come very close to killing Cersei and then decide not to. just like she decided not to kill the hound. And then Jamie will do the deed a little later.

[Ismael Martà nez González]

Jon is already dead. No need on Arya nor anybody to kill him again.

[Bael's Bastard]

Jon is already dead.

As of the end of the last book he was still alive.

[Davos's Missing Fingers]

This perhaps is the result of her going away, similar to Rickon?

I think Martin has divided the Stark children so they can hone their individual skills. When they come together, each of them will bring something unique to the table. So like you, I don't see Arya as inconsequential.

Is it bad that my first thought was, "So Rickon's skill is cannibalism?"

[JonisHenryTudor]

Is it bad that my first thought was, "So Rickon's skill is cannibalism?"

Nope. He is hungry for Frey Pies.

He is still young, but I think he will be the hot headed warrior type.

[thisistherevolt]

Am I the only one who thinks Valonquar is another mistranslation? My pet theory is Arya will be the one to kill Cersei. The "younger sibling" NOT brother. Sansa will still be the one to cast her down though.

[DireWolfSpirit]

I don't consider Arya honing her skills for vengence troublesome at all.

I embrace it and root for her to continue this journey. I think those she puts away will

have earned it.

The FM are just a stepping stone she will leave in the dust when she feels she has gained what she wants out of them.

They aren't going to use her, she will end up using them I bet.

Of course others will dispute that view and are free to do so. I don't think it will change my opinion.