Tower of the Hand

Yoren's party continues north.¹ As they continue, they encounter more and more refugees on the Kingsroad fleeing south and begin to see graves by the road. One of the men in the party, a sellsword named Praed, succumbs to illness. Yoren gives his longsword to the Bull. The next night, they stop at an inn to eat and wash. The innkeeper gives them a free round of beer because his brother, Lync, took the black several years ago after filching pepper from the table of a Ser Malcolm. Yoren even sends Lommy with beer for the three locked in the wagon. The patrons, including a man named Hod, warn Yoren against going north, where it is all burnt fields and raiders. There are also rumors of a large pack of wolves near the God's Eye led by a particularly large she-wolf. Arya thinks it might be Nymeria. One patron claims the big wolf stalked right into a town and ate a baby. Arya protests that a wolf would not do that, and Yoren sends her to the stables to check on the horses.

Jaqen H'ghar, one of the three convicts chained in the wagon, hails Arya as she enters the stables and asks her to get him more beer. He introduces his companions, Rorge and Biter. They are rude to her and threaten her, so Arya stalks closer and hits Biter with her practice sword right between the eyes. The Bull comes in and takes her back outside. She challenges the Bull to a fight, but just when they are about to begin, the Bull notices some goldcloaks approaching, and they hide. Their leader hands Yoren an order from the queen telling him to turn over one of his boys. Yoren refuses. The goldcloak threatens him, and several of the others, Tarber, Cutjack, Kurz, Koss, Reysen, Dobber, and even Hot Pie come to Yoren's aid. Arya thinks they are there for her, and she steps out with Needle in hand. The Bull steps out behind her, and the goldcloak says he is the one they want. Yoren puts his sword at the officer's throat, forces him to drop his sword, and tells him to leave. The officer says he will be back. Yoren asks who wants the discarded sword, and Hot Pie speaks up and gets it. The Bull asks why they would want Arya, and she retorts that there is no reason they should want him either.² She asks his name, and he tells her it is Gendry. Yoren says they must leave immediately, as the goldcloaks will be back. He tells Gendry and Arya that if the group is overtaken, they are to run and make for the Wall.