A Beast's Heart (english version)

27.

The night had been exhausting. Many screams had interrupted my sleep or made my dreams even darker. Now, visibly exhausted, I walked around Tywin and went about my duties while Ser Gregor stood with him. Tywin peered through the window into the courtyard, alternately watching his men and the small arrow in his hand. It was found behind Lorch's left ear the previous day. Tywin brought it to his nose and inhaled deeply.
"Wolfsbane. A rare substance. This was no ordinary killer."
Wolfsbane? My mother had told me about some plants, including some poisonous ones, yet I could do nothing with it. I only knew that it came from the north. It didn't grow in the Riverlands, so the murderer must have carried it with him for some time. But why was I even thinking about this?
"We hanged twenty men last night," the mountain explained, but Tywin didn't seem to care.
"And even if you hang a hundred. One man tried to kill me. I want his name and his head."
I poured him new wine. Wolfsbane. Inevitably I saw Arya again in my mind's eye, shifting restlessly in the straw. A little she-wolf. A she-wolf who was worried about her brother. Had she not waited on Tywin in my absence? Yesterday morning his letter was missing. Could she have taken it? And if so, had Lorch caught her with it and had to die because of it? All pure speculation, for which I despised myself. She was a little girl, why would she do such a thing? How did she get hold of such a rare plant in the first place? Did she have help, perhaps? How could you think such a thing, I mentally rebuked myself. Although she would have had the right motives, it was about her brother. What would I have done for my brother? Everything in my power!
"We believe it was an intruder from the Brotherhood without Banners," Ser Gregor snapped me out of my thoughts. Tywin put the arrow down and rubbed his fingers briefly in disgust.
"A pretentious name for a band of outlaws. We cannot allow rebels to bully us behind our lines with impunity. We would look like fools and they would look like heroes. This is how kings are overthrown."
I listened to his words, remembering the lesson with the sword. He just lets you walk into the void and exploits your weaknesses. Much like the Stark who took advantage of our recklessness. A significant mistake for which many soldiers bled and died. But we learn from our mistakes. Those were Tywin's words. From our mistakes we learn.
"You will kill them, and you will kill them every last one," Tywin ordered. As he spoke, he had stepped away from the window and was now standing directly in front of the mountain. The latter looked down at the lord.
"Killing them is not the problem. It's finding them."
"Have you gone soft, Clegane? I always thought you had a gift for violence. Burn the villages and the farms. Let them know what it means to choose the wrong side."
That was exactly what he had explained to me. The mountain obediently bowed its head and strode out of the room. Burning villages and farms.... Throwing away innocent lives! Anger filled me as I served Tywin his lunch. There spoke within him the dreaded beast and once again the thought occurred to me that the death of my family was no simple accident.
"Is that mutton?" asked Tywin, pointing to the steaming plate. I nodded.
"Yes, my lord."
"I don't like mutton."
I bowed my head slightly. There would have been scolding from my parents for that statement that made my cheeks and ears glow.
"I'll bring something else."
"Leave it," he paced around me, "Are you hungry?"
"No," I lied, positioning the cutlery next to the plate.
"Yes you are," he replied, looking at me piercingly, "Eat!"
He suddenly gave me the same suspicious look as his men. Did he now think I was trying to poison him? Well, the idea wasn't bad, but I didn't have the means for that.
"I'll eat in the kitchen later," I said, but he shook his head.
"It shows bad manners if you refuse a lord's offer. Sit down." ...