[ADWD SPOILERS] The Ugly Little Girl

[Ojji]

I can't recall how did the Faceless Men choose their victims. Do they kill people who deserves it (as in bad people who does bad things) or do they kill people who wishes it on themselves (the gift of death)?

[kephv]

They kill people if the asking person makes a necessary sacrifice - a large part of their wealth or perhaps something else - and after prayer (what exactly that entails hasn't been explained). From what's been said, it seems like pretty much everyone is open to assassination, not just bad people.

[R'hllor-Is-The-Truth]

I think its a great thing that Arya joined The Faceless Men. Because her anger and hatred made her make very dumb choices. In A Clash Of Kings when Jaqen offers her 3 kills, she wastes them on wease and some other dude. She could have ended the war then and there by killing Tywin and Gregor. So yeah now that she is getting training on how to control her emotions, she will be the most bad ass character EVER.

[The Bread Viper]

I don't think that Arya was ever really ugly, but I do think she was awkward looking. They always mention how scrawny she is and that she has a long face, maybe too long for her body. I think that is what she is growing out of. They keep going back to how alike Arya and Lyanna are, both in looks and temperament, so she'll probably grow to look like her.

Everyone knows all the kinda weird looking girls at school grow into them selfs and become much hotter as they reach adulthood and have better personalities not having relied on looks all their lives, where as the so called pretty girls invariably just end up looking like plain jane, stepford wives types.

Did anyone else notice that Arya thinks about how she had a fondness for lemon cakes in the past? In the previous books, I don't think there was ever a single mention of how Arya loved lemon cakes but we had multiple instances of how Sansa was fond of them. I'm assuming this was deliberate on GRRM's part? Is Arya making so much progress forgetting who she was that she's starting to blend character traits with her sister when thinking back on the past?

I could be wrong but after she escapes from the castle in GOT before Ned gets killed doesn't she try barter for a lemon cake with a pigeon? Not sure if I can remeber any othe instances?

[kephv]

I think she was thinking of Sansa when she thought of lemoncakes.

[Laohu]

I think a few posters in this thread are circling around a very important clue in regards to the requirement for a lack of identity in Faceless Men. A couple people have already touched upon it in their posts. If the Faceless Men from the dinner discussion (where Arya was a serving girl) were declining assassination missions because they knew the target, does this not provide evidence that they have not, in fact, lost their identities?

I think they even alluded to this in a separate conversation between Arya and the boy with the diseased face. In that exchange, Arya insisted that she did not have an identity by saying "no one" cannot know anyone. Except for their relationships within the House of the Many-faced God, these assassins should not be close to anyone.

With that in mind, it seems that this rigorous test for Arya to become "no one" is just to hone her lying abilities and remind her that the Faceless Men do not kill on account of personal vendettas and the like. This still does not change the fact that the Kindly Man would probsbly be displeased if he discovered that Arya hid Needle under the steps in front of the temple. I wish we could have more chapters from her PoV.

[Glyn Tarvoke]

I think most of the faceless men don't live in the temple but live out in the world adopting some guise. Then they use the masks for when they do their assassinations. I would also expect that they would have infiltrated most large institutions--the better to kill people with my dear. If they are out in the world, that would explain why they know people.

At the end of the Arya chapter, the kindly man says he'll send her to Izembaro for an apprenticeship. II couldn't figure out what "Izembaro" meant. Is it a place? A person? There was no Izembaro on any map so I guess its a person.

My odd guess is that "Izembaro" is the Second Son's paymaster, Inkpots, and I based this guess on the admittedly flimsy evidence that Inkpot's true name--Tybero Istarion-- sounded close to the word Izembaro. Kinda sketchy but I thought to throw it out there. Hopefully, I'll find out in four years.

[kephv]

I think a few posters in this thread are circling around a very important clue in regards to the requirement for a lack of identity in Faceless Men. A couple people have already touched upon it in their posts. If the Faceless Men from the dinner discussion (where Arya was a serving girl) were declining assassination missions because they knew the target, does this not provide evidence that they have not, in fact, lost their identities?

Right. In fact, we know they're not just a bunch of blank slates who've forgotten who they are (as if that was even possible). The waif tells Arya her story so she clearly remembers as do all of them. It's as you said, they're just trying to turn her into a really good liar (that's all they are), so they can outwardly become no one so as to become anyone.

At the end of the Arya chapter, the kindly man says he'll send her to Izembaro for an apprenticeship. II couldn't figure out what "Izembaro" meant. Is it a place? A person? There was no Izembaro on any map so I guess its a person.

It sounded like a place to me. Whether it's in Braavos or not is an entirely different matter. (I'm assuming it is.) Just a guess but I'm thinking she's going to become a courtesan in training next. It goes along with why he gave her a pretty face.

[Hélio Mothci Pereira]

I don't think the faceless man wants to be "no one" but be able to lie well enough to become "anyone"

And what's the difference?

when you become so good at lies, the truth does'nt matter anymore because no one will never be able to tell the difference between your lies and truths

[Hélio Mothci Pereira]

And one more thing, in the first books they say that the FM are the most expensive assassins in the world... but in none of Arya chapters is mentioned any kind of payment.. so, maybe th FM that can be hired atre peolple who, like Arya, had been trained but left the temple to live their lifes the way they wanted... What H'gar was doing there when he met Arya?

I think she'll get trained and then just go back to Westeros and start the killing spree.... and with her Skinchanging abilties she will be the deadliest girl on westeros

[never trust a bard]

And one more thing, in the first books they say that the FM are the most expensive assassins in the world... but in none of Arya chapters is mentioned any kind of payment.. so, maybe th FM that can be hired atre peolple who, like Arya, had been trained but left the temple to live their lifes the way they wanted... What H'gar was doing there when he met Arya?

I think she'll get trained and then just go back to Westeros and start the killing spree.... and with her Skinchanging abilties she will be the deadliest girl on westeros

Well, if you have to make great sacrifices in order to get them to kill your target than that would be considered expensive, right? Expensive doesn't necessarily have to be coin.

[SI Monster]

But we're pretty close to end of this novel and there's still not even a hint as to how her story will converge with that of any other character that we've met...I know we've got two books left but damnit I want Arya to do something! :worried:

Also, the room full of faces creeped me the fuck out. :wideeyed:

Well, in this world of chaos and backstabbery (is that a word, it is now) there is always somebody in need of some killing somewhere... like Ramsey Bolton who must die.

[Blue Rose Direwolf]

Regarding the idea that Jaquen is the man with the plague face, I thought Jaqen was in the Citadel pretending to be Pate? I doubt even the FM could be in two places at one time. Unless I've got my time line messed up and it's not the same time.

[Born by Fire]

Anyone else catch the "weirwood and ebony" doors? Immediately made me think of the House of the Undying with the warlocks who were dressed in riches. Dany figured them as fake quickly. But does anyone think there is a connection to Dany's visions here? Or is it that weirwood and ebony doors seem to be figurative for places of dark magic/death?

[Lady Blackfyre]

Anyone else catch the "weirwood and ebony" doors? Immediately made me think of the House of the Undying with the warlocks who were dressed in riches. Dany figured them as fake quickly. But does anyone think there is a connection to Dany's visions here? Or is it that weirwood and ebony doors seem to be figurative for places of dark magic/death?

Personally I don't think there's any direct connection (though I may be wrong). I believe ebony and weirwood are somewhat expensive woods in Westeros, and the intention was just to make those two doors sound fancy. Notice that the door to Tobho_Mott's shop in King's Landing also has an ebony and weirwood carving - and I don't think Mott is connected to the House of the Undying or the House of Black and White.

[Moon Child]

I am also sure that the FM don't actually expect her to lose who she is entirely, but only to be able to hide who she is perfectly in order to be anyone. But she cannot be made aware of that, or she would get sloppy... Facelesss here means no personality, no ego-an important requirement of any assassin. To be able to lie so well that she fools even herself in a way, I guess.

The part where they require her to forget everything that she was and everyone she knew reminds me of the Watch and the way Jon is also struggling with that part of his own vows... and they both warg into their direwolves at night. They are so far apart but closer than they know.

[Crown]

Dafuq did I just read, seriously, what the fuck, the room with all the face was scary as hell. I have no idea what they did to her, it was strange, really strange.

[OldCorvid]

How did they put the face on Arya? Did they just like cut her face up and sew the new on? was pretty creeped out by that tbh.

I imagined something similar to the movie Face/Off, but with ancient sorcery instead of the futuristic technology.

[The Sun's Son]

One of my favorite chapters in the book, along with the Reek chapters. GRRM has such a talent for showing us the inner-turmoil of these characters. Just as Reek had to remember his name, Arya is now forcing herself to block out parts of her past and become "no one".

She seems to be really conflicted. She obviously has no problem killing people but she doesn't want to give up herself. When the kindly man asked her if this was truly the path she wanted and she thought that it was the only path for her because she has nowhere else to go, that just proved to me that she won't ever be a truly committed "Faceless Man". It will be interesting to see what happens to her once she gets back to Westeros. To me, it will be just as interesting to see HOW she gets back to Westeros.

[Artemis]

That is such a genius way of killing someone.

I thought so too when I first read this chapter. At first I was incredibly confused as to how she killed him but then it all fell into place.

The thing about Arya is that because of her forthright impetuousness and rash manner, her intelligence is rarely noted nor commented on. I think Arya's an exceptionally bright young girl. In the beginning of AFfC, we see Jaqen (as the Alchemist) kill Pate the exact same way and Jaqen is a veteran FM. I think it says a lot about Arya's cunning. The other example that stands out in my head is when she whispers "Jaqen H'ghar" as the third name to Jaqen himself in Harrenhal. It was just so badass and made me actually feel quite in awe of her for the first time in the series.