I know, I can’t put down the Game of Thrones even though the series for TV ended 6 months ago. I have been thinking about the Waif character that appeared in Seasons 5 and 6. That’s when Arya Stark apprenticed with the Waif and Jaqen H’ghar at the House of Black and White in the City of Braavos.
A complete rundown of the character’s doings is available here. Perhaps it will useful to read it, as this article refreshes memory.
“Later, the Waif continues training Arya in the House of Black and White. The Waif plays the game of faces with Arya, questioning her about her family, the Hound, and the people on her kill list. Arya recites her list for the Waif who comments that it is short and cannot be everyone she wants to kill, she then queries if Arya is forgetting ‘someone’, implying herself, Arya then asks which name the Waif would like her to speak suggesting the Waif is not on her list because Arya does not know her name. The Waif spars with Arya on a large stone tablet, during which the Waif hits Arya with a fighting stick, despite Arya having no vision. These fighting lessons seem to go on for at least several days. At first the Waif constantly outmaneuvers Arya, repeatedly knocking her to the ground, but eventually Arya manages to respond and defends herself with her own fighting stick to the point where the Waif becomes visibly distressed. When Arya lands a blow of her own, the Waif seemingly becomes overwhelmed with anger and makes a rash move which Arya intercepts, while Jaqen observes. The Waif then reluctantly leaves Arya alone with Jaqen, who restores her sight after deeming her worthy of becoming a Faceless Man .
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The whole task of “becoming no-one” is really emptying oneself of one’s cherished personal history. With personal history, there is no freedom.
Arya Stark defeats the Waif by forcing her to fight in the dark, turning a previous learned skill and handicap -loss of eyesight – into her battle advantage. Why am I even paying attention to this ? My readers know I am a student of warfare and strategy.
The ultimate skill in life is to turn your enemies advantages against them.
Notice I said their advantages [not disadvantages].
Interestingly, in a Song of Fire and Ice novels, “the Faceless Men will at times refuse a contract if they feel that it clashes with their strange and at times inscrutable religious beliefs. Other times, they choose bizarre “payments” according to what they feel is due: sometimes, if a powerful lord asks them to kill the child of one of his enemies, the Faceless Men give as their “price” that in return they will kill the lord’s own child (the lord can reject this, but it also means rejecting the entire contract). –Source
Your weaknesses don’t lie where you think they do. Your strengths are not as strong as they appear.
Arya Stark chose the “path with a heart.” That’s why we love her. That’s why she failed to become a “Faceless Man” in that temple. She didn’t want to comply with the House of Black and White SOAPs (rules of operations).