The streets of Braavos were well known to him and Andrew knew each of the ways through the city of Braavos. He knew which was the shortest one, which was the longest one, which was the crowded, which would have less eyes to notice you, which is the busiest and used by the common people and which was used by the wealthiest ones, which bridge would take you where and which walkway you should use in order to take out someone without getting seen by others.
Andrew took notice of everything as he passed through to the Ragman's Harbor. The Ragman's Harbor was poorer and dirtier and noiser than the local Harbor of Braavos, the Purple Harbor. The Ragman's Harbor was crowdier than the Purple Harbor as well. The foreign ships which arrive in Braavos will be docked at the Ragman's Harbor while the locals and the ships of the Iron Bank were shipped in the Purple Harbor. So Ragman's Harbor became a good trade centre for the likes of porters, mummers, rope makers, sailmenders, taverners, brewers, bakers, beggars, and whores. They all made their living around the Ragman's Harbor which only added the noiseness and the dirtiness of the Ragman's Harbor.
The Harbor was seriously active that day with the arrival of two ships from Pentos and Myr. Braavos was economically a greater city and it was the banking centre of the modern world. The Iron Bank of Braavos is the most powerful banking institution in the known world, richer and more powerful than the banks of all the other eight Free Cities combined, and it had a fearsome reputation when collecting debts. When princes or kings default on their debts or if they were foolish enough not to honor their agreements with the Iron Bank, new princes and kings appear on their place with the Iron Bank's support. These new princes and kings then honor the previous debt along with paying back the money the bank loaned them in claiming their new power, lest they suffer the same fate as their predecessors. "The Iron Bank will have its due" is a common saying among Braavosi. The Iron Bank of Braavos had customers from almost all part of the world and it even had extended its roots to his homeland, Westeros.
The streets of Braavos were cobbled with stones and the streets were crowded with all the crew of the docked ships, the whores who tried to catch their eyes in order to earn some coppers for their living. The children ran through wildly, without even watching what is in their opposite. One of the boys running, tripped over the shop of a fisherman and sent all the oysters, clams and the fishes he had to the ground. The fisherman tried to catch the boy but the boy managed to slip away from him and vanished into the crowd, which lead to the mutterings and the shouting of the fisherman.
Andrew couldn't help but smile at that as he himself remembered the mischiefs he'd done back at his home, when he was still with his parents. Throwing snowballs at his father's guards, stealing biscuits and sweets without the knowledge of Gage the Cook. Stealing into the kennels without the knowledge of Farlen to see the the newborn puppies of the hounds. All would earn his father's scolds but his mother had been there for him always. Thinking about the past or his dreams would only seem to trouble him so Andrew tried to ignore them. He had a work to do and his thoughts of past would only get in the way from doing it.
Illola had asked him to get the money back from one of the common customers of the Foghouse, their Inn, Ballos Aenen. Aenen was a guard to a high official in the Iron Bank of Braavos and he was a good one at that. He was a good man and used to enjoy his black beer and sea foods whenever he comes to the inn. And he would cause no trouble other than throwing some ribald and bawdy comments. And he was an old friend of Syrio and himself as well. So the job would not be of much trouble, thought Andrew.
He cut through the bridges and took the one which would take him to the northern side of the city to the Purple Harbor, near the Sealord's Palace.
The Purple Harbor was neat and quiet compared to the Ragman's Harbor. The Braavosi vessels were neatly docked and were rocking gently in their respective places. The ships belonged to the Iron Bank were dominated the numbers.
Andrew took the walkway to the Drowned Town, which was inbetween the Purple Harbor and the Outer Harbor where the cavernous mummers playhall, the Gate was located. It was where Ballos spend his free time watching the plays staged by the troupe of Izembaro who was the owner of the playhouse.
Andrew soon reached the Gate as it was located in the edge of the Drowned Town. The owner of the Gate, Izembaro had raised his playhall atop the flooded stone foundations of a burnt warehouse which was there in the place before Izembaro's playhouse.
In Braavos the Dome and the Blue Lantern enjoyed more fashionable environment but Izembaro had known the secret of luring the customers. With the Gate's location being between the Outer Harbor and the Purple Harbor the troupe would never lack for sailors and whores to fill their pit just like the Foghouse had customers in the Ragman's Harbor.
When Andrew arrived there, the playhouse had been making the preperations to stage a play but he never knew when they would start it for sure. The pits were partially filled with sailors and other people as well and it wasn't hard for him to find Ballos. He was seated in a corner with a horn of spiced mead in his hands. When he saw Andrew he immediately raised his hand to indicate his position to him.
Andrew reached Ballos and took the empty seat near him. Ballos was a strong old man with a sour smell and wine drenched beard which reached his neck. Ballos took a big gulp of the spiced mead from his horn and wiped his lips with the back of his hands.
"Ah, let's just go out," Ballos said in his gruff voice. "They are not going to start it for about some more time." He stood up from his seat and walked out of the playhouse and Andrew followed him out.
When they came out of the playhouse, they went to the bridge connecting the Drowned Town and the Purple Harbor over the small canal which ran underneath. Andrew placed his hands on the side wall of the the bridge and gazed to the canal underneath.
"So still doing the killing for living?" Ballos asked pointing at Frost Andrew had worn at his back.
Andrew looked at him and nodded. "Sometimes," he told him. "And other times I used to work with Illola."
"Aye, aye," Ballos said taking another gulp of his mead. "The money, I have it." He settled his horn of mead in his right hand, securing it and took the money pouch from his worn ragged doublet with his left. "Got to be careful about the thieves," he said and gave the money pouch to him.
Andrew took the money pouch from his hand and secured it in the inner pocket of his brown jacket.
Ballos looked at him for a few minutes and then took a drink of his mead. "You know, you're wasting your skills. With your skills you could easily make a good life by becoming the First Sword of the Sea Lord and staying as the first sword for the rest of your life. I don't think he could find a better fighter than you."
Andrew looked down at the canal flowing underneath the bridge they were standing at and remembered the clean flowing water of the river Torentine he'd seen eleven years before when his mother had saved him from the hands of the Targaryens and when he had ran away from Westeros in fear of the Targaryens, leaving his mother who'd sacrificed herself to save him, his father, his family and his home. And nothing had ever troubled him like that.
Even he dreamed of the night to this day and remembered everything he had seen on that day, right from Rhaegar's laugh to Viserys'. And he wanted nothing more than to tear open their mouths and kill every last of the Targaryens. That's why he'd learnt all these skills, to avenge his parents and family, not to get a good life for him. And he'd already planned to do it so, soon enough when he gets the opportunity.
"I don't have any interest in it," Andrew said brushing off the subject. He was good as Andrew Snow in here, not Andrew Stark.
"I don't know what's with you Snow," Ballos said sighing. "Wasting all those skills for good."
I don't plan to waste them, thought Andrew but he didn't voiced it. "Well what's with you doing in the playhouse when you're supposed to be guarding your Lord?" Andrew asked him trying to change the subject.
Ballos laughed at that. "Well Lord Tycho had left for the Seven Kingdoms and had commanded me to guard his family," said Ballos. "His family was taking rest the whole day, staying in their house. So I left the guards there and came here."
That troubled Andrew. "Why has he gone to Westeros?" He asked at once.
"I don't know for sure," Ballos answered. "But it was something about an agreement between the Seven Kingdoms and the Iron Bank."
Though Andrew didn't knew much about politics, he certainly knew that the friendship with the Iron Bank was a great deal to anyone. With the help of the Iron Bank, Rhaegar's could very well raise his own army of sellswords. But Andrew doesn't need an army to kill him. All he needed to avenge his family was his blade, a right place and a right time. And he was waiting for them.
"Well let me return to the playhouse," Ballos said looking back at the gate. "The play might start soon. No one knows what the fool Izembaro would do and I don't want to miss the start."
Andrew nodded and turned to leave as Ballos turned to leave for the Gate. He took the same way back and the ways were not so crowded as they'd been in the morning.
But the time he reached back to the Foghouse, the fires in the Inn were all died out and Illola was looking at the accounts with a candle to help her see. She looked to the door at once when she heard the door open and relaxed when she saw him enter.
Andrew walked to the table and sat in the chair on the other side of the table opposite to Illola. He took the money pouch he'd got from Ballos and kept it on the table. Illola took the pouch and put it with the others not even counting it knowing how late it was and how tired they both were.
"You must be hungry," Illola said. "Ivanna bring Andrew's food," she asked her daughter to bring his food.
Ivanna came with his food and a tankard of beer. She gave a smile at him as she placed the tray on the table. When he had left the inn in the morning she was resting in her bed and Andrew was glad to see her actively working again. The bruises and the marks in her face from the beating Horano had given her had completed cured now.
"Are you alright?" Andrew asked to Ivanna and the girl nodded. He was happy to see her good and fine because Illola's girls were like sisters to him and they were the only family he'd left. He didn't wanted to lose them too.
Andrew took off Frost and started to eat his fill. He was hungry enough after spending his afternoon without food. When he was done Illola and the girls cleared the table and they made for their rooms to spend the night.
Andrew took Frost in his hands and climbed up the wooden stairs and made his way to his room. He got to his room and closed the door before getting changed for the sleep. He took off his jacket and the cotton shirt he'd worn inside, leaving only the pants on.
He got up onto his bed and thought about the nights he used to sleep in the arms of his mother, hoping that he would dream that rather than his usual one.