Please don't discuss major spoilers. I will, as part of adding (hopefully) useful color and context, note some minor things from the books, but I try my best to not even give a hint as to where the story is going to go. The good news (?) is that I'm increasingly uncertain as to where the story is going to go, as the show veers from the books in several ways.
"The House of Black and White"
Braavos
Arya finds her way to the Free City of Braavos. Braavos was founded by people fleeing from the tyranny of the Valyrian empire many hundreds of years ago, and the city is home to pretty much every religion in the world. Arya is dropped by the ship's captain at the House of Black and White, where she is told she will find the man she seeks...the man who gave her the coin. "All men must die", the captain tells her as he starts to row back to his ship. "All men must serve", she replies. Her knock upon the door is answered by an elderly man with a cane. She shows the man the coin Jaqen gave her, and says "Valar Morghulis" as a code word, as she did with the ship's captain and as she was told by Jaqen to do.
The man is unimpressed. He begins to shut the door in her face. "I have nowhere else to go", she pleads. "You have everywhere else to go", he replies.
Arya, at a loss, sits on the steps and recites the names of those she plans to kill. Cersei, Walder Frey, the Mountain, Meryn Trant. Over and over, through rain and sun. Finally, out of disgust, or frustration, or some other emotion, she casts her coin into the harbor, and moves into the city.
She feeds herself by hunting pigeons with Needle. One day, while taking her catch to the stewpots, she is accosted by three men, who want to take Needle from her, saying it's worth 100 pieces. "Nothing's worth anything to dead men", Arya replies. The men catch side of a hooded figure behind Arya, and recognizing the man of the House of Black and White, they run away. Arya follows him back to his temple, where he returns her coin to her and reveals himself as the man she knew as Jaquen H'ghar. He says he is no one...and that is what a girl must become. She goes inside and the door shuts behind her.
****Book Spoiler****
Braavos was founded by people fleeing from the tyranny of the Valyrian Empire. The city's founding and location were kept secret for hundreds of years. Over time, people from all over the world found the city, and as a result, Braavos is a very cosmopolitan place. Virtually every religion exists there, including that of the Many-Faced God. This god's temple is the House of Black and White from the show. That's where I'm going to end this discussion, as I'm hopeful that more will be explained in the show.
****End Book Spoiler****
On the road from the Vale to...?
Brienne and Pod stop at an inn. Pod gives the eye to the serving girl, and as he keeps an eye on her, he can't help but notice that she serves ale to Sansa Stark. Don't forget that Pod was around Sansa quite a bit when she was married to Tyrion. So, despite her newly dark hair color, and probably because she's with the recognizable Littlefinger, Pod identifies her. He also identifies roughly 10 guards in between them and Sansa.
Brienne sends Pod out to prepare a swift departure. She then approaches Littlefinger and Sansa and gives her sales pitch to be Sansa's sworn sword. Baelish points out that she was a sworn sword to the now-deceased Renly Baratheon, and to the now-deceased Catelyn Stark, so she must not be very good at her job. Sansa rejects Brienne; not necessarily due to Petyr's words but because she remembers Brienne bowing to Joffrey. Sansa feels some measure of control in Littlefinger's company, it seems, and is in no haste to turn herself over to a stranger.
Petyr suggests to Brienne that she should not wander the roads, but should stay. His men take that as an order to keep her at the inn...forcibly. Brienne fights her way out, slices some folks on her way to the road, and then kills several others as they try to (presumably) eliminate witnesses to Sansa's whereabouts. Nevertheless, Sansa and Littlefinger ride on. Brienne decides to follow.
Before we leave this story, let's revisit an interesting thing Petyr said to Sansa before they were approached by Brienne. When questioned about the raven's message Baelish received while they were watching Lord Robin in sword training, Baelish says that his marriage proposal was accepted. What do you suppose that means?
"The House of Black and White"
Braavos
Arya finds her way to the Free City of Braavos. Braavos was founded by people fleeing from the tyranny of the Valyrian empire many hundreds of years ago, and the city is home to pretty much every religion in the world. Arya is dropped by the ship's captain at the House of Black and White, where she is told she will find the man she seeks...the man who gave her the coin. "All men must die", the captain tells her as he starts to row back to his ship. "All men must serve", she replies. Her knock upon the door is answered by an elderly man with a cane. She shows the man the coin Jaqen gave her, and says "Valar Morghulis" as a code word, as she did with the ship's captain and as she was told by Jaqen to do.
The man is unimpressed. He begins to shut the door in her face. "I have nowhere else to go", she pleads. "You have everywhere else to go", he replies.
Arya, at a loss, sits on the steps and recites the names of those she plans to kill. Cersei, Walder Frey, the Mountain, Meryn Trant. Over and over, through rain and sun. Finally, out of disgust, or frustration, or some other emotion, she casts her coin into the harbor, and moves into the city.
She feeds herself by hunting pigeons with Needle. One day, while taking her catch to the stewpots, she is accosted by three men, who want to take Needle from her, saying it's worth 100 pieces. "Nothing's worth anything to dead men", Arya replies. The men catch side of a hooded figure behind Arya, and recognizing the man of the House of Black and White, they run away. Arya follows him back to his temple, where he returns her coin to her and reveals himself as the man she knew as Jaquen H'ghar. He says he is no one...and that is what a girl must become. She goes inside and the door shuts behind her.
****Book Spoiler****
Braavos was founded by people fleeing from the tyranny of the Valyrian Empire. The city's founding and location were kept secret for hundreds of years. Over time, people from all over the world found the city, and as a result, Braavos is a very cosmopolitan place. Virtually every religion exists there, including that of the Many-Faced God. This god's temple is the House of Black and White from the show. That's where I'm going to end this discussion, as I'm hopeful that more will be explained in the show.
****End Book Spoiler****
On the road from the Vale to...?
Brienne and Pod stop at an inn. Pod gives the eye to the serving girl, and as he keeps an eye on her, he can't help but notice that she serves ale to Sansa Stark. Don't forget that Pod was around Sansa quite a bit when she was married to Tyrion. So, despite her newly dark hair color, and probably because she's with the recognizable Littlefinger, Pod identifies her. He also identifies roughly 10 guards in between them and Sansa.
Brienne sends Pod out to prepare a swift departure. She then approaches Littlefinger and Sansa and gives her sales pitch to be Sansa's sworn sword. Baelish points out that she was a sworn sword to the now-deceased Renly Baratheon, and to the now-deceased Catelyn Stark, so she must not be very good at her job. Sansa rejects Brienne; not necessarily due to Petyr's words but because she remembers Brienne bowing to Joffrey. Sansa feels some measure of control in Littlefinger's company, it seems, and is in no haste to turn herself over to a stranger.
Petyr suggests to Brienne that she should not wander the roads, but should stay. His men take that as an order to keep her at the inn...forcibly. Brienne fights her way out, slices some folks on her way to the road, and then kills several others as they try to (presumably) eliminate witnesses to Sansa's whereabouts. Nevertheless, Sansa and Littlefinger ride on. Brienne decides to follow.
Before we leave this story, let's revisit an interesting thing Petyr said to Sansa before they were approached by Brienne. When questioned about the raven's message Baelish received while they were watching Lord Robin in sword training, Baelish says that his marriage proposal was accepted. What do you suppose that means?
