The Brave Companions from A Clash of Kings are a group of mercenaries. They call themselves various things...the Bloody Mummers, for example. They are quite ruthless and have no problem torturing or killing whole villages (men, women, children, infants) to get what they want (which is mostly gold). Arya and Gendrey barely escape being 'interrogated' by them. They are lead by a detestable man named Vargo Hoat.