The man named Jaqen H'ghar let the scent of baking bread fill a man's nose, the sound of sizzling meat fill a man's ears, and the all encompassing warmth of a kitchen consume a man's senses.
Even if only for a moment for this man had long learned to take in the smaller pleasures of life when given opportunity. Yet, it was not pleasure which had brought Jaqen H'ghar to this place. A man was in search of a particular quarry and it was in this kitchen that this quarry might be found.
Jaqen H'ghar stood unseen in the shadows of the doorway, a guardsmen's attire left questions unneeded if seen, and waited for the perfect moment. That moment came sooner than later and so with one step, then two steps, and finally three a man came silently beside the reason for coming to the castle named Winterfell.
"A boy saved a man's life." Jaqen murmured as a finger ran through some stray filling to bring it to a man's waiting tongue.
'Blackberry', was the thought that came to the mind of the Many-Faced God's servant as the boy jumped from the sudden company.
"W-what?" Asked the boy who had saved Jaqen H'ghar's life, eyes widened enough in surprise that they looked to take up the majority of his face.
"A boy gives a man drink when the man has a great thirst, the boy gives a man food when the man hurts from hunger, and a boy gives a man keys when men come for blood." Jaqen continued, heedless of the boy's confusion, before holding up three fingers with one hand while the other stole a berry from the table top. "Three times a boy helps a man, three lives a boy saves, and three names a boy will give to repay the debt."
Jaqen H'ghar awaited the boy's answer, wondering if it would be a Lord's name that would pass from the boy's lips or a lovely maid who had slighted him. In all honesty he did not expect the response he got in the end.
"Huh?" Hot Pie asked dumbly.
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It was many days after that first meeting in the kitchens and it was many days that the man named Jaqen H'ghar tried to pry a name,
any name, from the Pie Boy's lips much less
three.
It was all for naught, of course.
"Don't rightly know any names to give you." Hot Pie informed the odd 'Sossi man who'd stuck to his side since coming to live at Winterfell. Every day the strange man would come and ask for a name and every time Hot Pie'd tell him he didn't have no names to give. At first he'd given him three names right quick like: Gendry, Arry, and Lommy Greenhands. Then it turned out the names were for killing and he took back those names even quicker than he'd given them.
Imagine it, him killing his friends completely by accident! One of them Lord Stark's daughter and the other one the old King's! Mad it was, absolutely mad...he didn't much fancy being eaten by a direwolf like one of his pies whenever Arya came to visit him.
He didn't think he'd get in much trouble over Lommy though...unless he was a lordling too and nobody knew it. Not even Lommy. Hot Pie would still feel awful about it though.
"A boy must surely have at least
one name?" The weird-talking murder man pleaded, almost desperately. "A man whose position the boy covets, a man who holds the heart of the boy's beloved, a man who has slighted the boy terribly.
Someone."
Hot Pie was about to shake his head 'no' for the hundredth time before a thought hit that maybe there
was someone he wouldn't mind sending Jaqen H'ghar after.
"Well...now that I really think about it..." He began as he stroked his chin like he'd seen the merchant folk do when they were thinking of dealings causing Jaqen to lean forward with maybe the most hope-filled look Hot Pie'd ever seen. "There was that Goldcloak bastard who got me thrown in with the bunch meant for the Wall. Jem, I think his name was...Jem Ten-teeth! That's what the other one called 'im! Might could give you the other one's name too if I can remember it..."
Jaqen immediately began straightening himself from where he had been leaning over the table top, dusting flour off the front of his guardsmen outfit (Hot Pie never did ask how he got that...). "A man will do as he said...one day from now, two days, a moon's turn or after winter's passing it will be do-."
"'Course, they're probably all cooked up by now, what with the Mad King's fire an' all..." Hot Pie continued only to be startled from his thoughts by a loud thump. Looking up from kneading his dough Hot Pie saw Jaqen H'ghar face first in a pile of flour.
He must of slipped and hurt himself pretty bad because there was a very loud screaming coming from the flour which sent the powder flying everywhere like tasty snow.
