chapter 150 part 2
Lord Eddard glanced again at the book that had caused him so much trouble, then got to his feet.
A direwolf was not suited to sighing in a room. The locations of Robert's bastards had been found. He planned to follow in Jon's footsteps and see for himself.
If he still couldn't find anything this way, Lord Eddard was prepared to give up any further investigation, because it might just be his own overthinking.
Lord Eddard took Jory and his guards and left the Red Keep directly.
…
Street of Steel, Tobho Mott's armory.
When Lord Eddard, led by Tobho Mott, saw the young man named Gendry, he immediately recognized him as Robert's bastard, because Gendry looked so much like a young Robert.
Tobho Mott introduced them, "Lad, this is Lord Stark, the King's new Hand of the King."
Gendry bowed somewhat awkwardly.
Lord Eddard's large hand clapped Gendry's strong arm. "Good lad, I've just come over to ask you a few questions."
Gendry pushed back a lock of freshly fallen black hair and nodded.
"Gendry, when Lord Arryn came to see you, what did you talk about?"
After speaking, Lord Eddard found a random place to sit down and added, "You sit too, lad."
After Gendry sat, he said, "My lord, Lord Arryn just asked some questions."
Lord Eddard glanced at Gendry's head of jet-black hair, damp with sweat, and said, "Do you remember what he said?"
Gendry thought for a moment. "He asked if I was doing well, how my master treated me, if I liked this job, and about my mother... asking who she was, what she looked like, things like that."
Lord Eddard nodded slightly. "He asked about your mother? What did you answer?"
Gendry shrugged. "She died when I was little. I only remember she had yellow hair, and sometimes she would sing to me. She worked in an alehouse."
Lord Eddard reached out and patted Gendry's head. "Good lad. Sorry to disturb you... go on with your work."
As he spoke, his hand ruffled Gendry's thick, black hair.
That feeling came again.
After Gendry left, Lord Eddard turned to the ever-quiet Tobho.
"You know very well who this boy is."
"My lord, I'm just an old smith. I don't know things I shouldn't know."
Lord Eddard repeated with great patience, "You know very well who this boy is."
The old smith's gaze was as unyielding as steel. "This boy is my apprentice!"
The corner of Lord Eddard's mouth curved slightly. He nodded and said, "If one day Gendry no longer wants to forge steel and wants to play with a real sword, tell him to find me. Before that... thank you for taking care of him."
…
Chataya's brothel.
The girl was so young, Lord Eddard didn't even dare ask her age... She had light red hair and a sprinkle of freckles on either side of her nose.
When he saw her, she was nursing an infant.
After a moment of silence, he asked, "What's her name?"
The girl said softly, "My lord, I named her Barra."
After speaking, she smiled and added, "My lord, Barra looks just like him, doesn't she? She has his nose, and his hair..."
Lord Eddard nodded slightly. "She does look very much like him."
He reached out and gently touched the infant's fine, dark hair. The black silk slipped through his fingers... Eddard vaguely remembered that Robert's first child in The Vale also had the same fine black hair.
The girl's eyes were filled with pleading. "My lord, when you see him, if you're in a good mood... please tell him how beautiful our Barra is."
"I will," Lord Eddard promised the girl.
Lord Eddard's promise ignited a spark of hope in the girl.
She raised her head to look at the stern-faced Lord Eddard, her voice trembling slightly. "Please tell him, I haven't been with any other man. My lord, I swear it by the gods. Chataya said I could stay for half a year to care for the child and see if he comes back. So please tell him I'm waiting for him, will you? I don't want gold or jewels, I just want him. He was always very good to me, I mean it."
*Good to you... Dammit, Robert!*
Lord Eddard promised again, "Child, I will tell him. I promise you, Barra will never want for food or clothing."
At his words, the girl smiled cautiously, yet sweetly. The sight cut him like a knife... *Dammit, Robert!*
…
…
Tower of the Hand.
"Catch."
Syrio Forel threw a wooden sword at Arya, whose eyes were red and swollen.
Seeing Arya catch the hilt with ease, he grinned. "A sad girl."
Arya rubbed the corner of her eye with the back of her hand and said listlessly, "Syrio, I'm not in the mood to practice today."
"Up!"
Syrio shouted, swinging at Arya's head. Arya quickly raised her sword to block. *Clack!* The two wooden swords met.
"Then you must practice all the more. Down!" Syrio's wooden sword immediately whistled through the air.
Arya's sword also moved swiftly to meet it. Another *clack*. Her entire hand tingled with numbness, but she clenched her jaw and made no sound.
"When you are practicing the sword, you will not be sad, girl."
Arya grew angry. She was going to teach Syrio a lesson, with this very wooden sword in her hand!
"Good spirit... I am attacking now!"
As his words fell, Syrio rushed forward. Each of his swings grew faster and faster. Arya was forced to retreat, her blocks becoming more and more strained.
"Left, left, up, left, right, left, down, left!"
The clacking sound echoed throughout the room.
"Ouch!"
Syrio's wooden sword hit Arya square in the chest. The pain was sharp and unbearable, and she couldn't help but cry out.
Syrio retracted his sword and stepped back. "You are dead now."
Arya was indignant. The directions Syrio shouted were completely different from his attacks, catching her completely off guard.
She said furiously, "You cheated! You said left, but you hit right."
Syrio tucked the wooden sword into his belt with an elegant posture. "Just so. And now you are a dead girl."
Arya raised her tear-streaked face. "But you cheated!"
Syrio grinned. "Dead girl. My mouth was cheating, but my eyes and my hands were speaking the truth. You were only not seeing. A water dancer must see all."
(end of chapter)