How they do it in the North.

[lonewolflives]

Of all the things she did, sometimes she enjoyed the simple act of lighting the torches, most of all. She'd done it back at the House of Black and White, different as that had been. Unable to see the result of her work, she'd had only the smell of a smoky candle to let her know one had gone out, the heat of a flame to know it was back

Comments

[babyviper]

None of the preparation had been that hard, once she'd given it some thought. O-Ren was more than able to find form-fitting clothes, and with her hair slicked back into a serious knot at the nape of her neck, she looked the part too. Though she'd brought her sword, it was not in its usual place at her hip, but in her hands, so that it would trip none of the tall plants and grasses.

She was ever silent, barely breathing.

One black, leather-gloved hand rested on a tree trunk. Almost. Bringing a small pipe to her lips, she shot at a branch near Arya, the dart soundless in the air, unnoticeable until several bright petals and leaves rained down to the path. It could be an everyday occurrence here.

Or it might not be.

[lonewolflives]

Petals and leaves fluttered down. Arya dismissed them as the usual visual noise of the jungle and took several more steps.

From where, though? Not much of a breeze, and no bird or animal that she'd seen. Syrio would have told her off for assuming.

She stopped and looked back at the leaves on the ground. It still didn't look like much. Or anything. No, she was making things up; it had been a boring walk, so far.

[babyviper]

The distraction was exactly as O-Ren had intended, and along with the rush she felt from doing this, she felt the pleasure of a job that was so far, well done.

Stepping in from the side of the path, O-Ren swept her leg out, intending to get Arya's knees, and she reached out at the same time, arm winding around Arya's ribs and pulling her in.

[lonewolflives]

She became aware of someone else a moment before her legs were swept out from under her and she was being grabbed.

Her squawk was undignified, but the twist to fall past her assailant was better executed, with the intent of using her own momentum to break out and roll away.

She'd said she wouldn't knife O-Ren, but she hadn't registered who this was yet, but she didn't have any leverage for anything more than a glancing strike on her way down, if it connected at all.