Chapter Text
She watched him dismount his horse and hand the reins to the stable boy. He had changed since last she saw him, a thousand years ago it seemed. He had shaved his beard off but his hair was the same so there was no mistaking him. For a few heartbeats she almost expected to se Hotpie coming around the corner, wining about something.
She continued on her way, Gendry would not know her in this face anyway. But she longed to talk to him, to show him that she’d made it. She may not have found Jhaqen Hagar, but she had learned. Valar morghulis.
But Gendry did not recognise the gangly girl with a hawk nose, tiny eyes and big lips. She was not Arya Stark, Arry or any of the others. She was no one.
Gendry disappeared into the tavern and no one sneaked into the stable were she had slept for the last few days. It had been harder than she expected to gather information in Westeros. All she had learned was that the queen had walked naked from the sept, that Stannis was somewhere in the north and that Jon was Lord Commander. The last thing pleased her, or it pleased Arya. Her brother who used to muss her hair, call her little sister and who had told her to ‘stick them with the pointy end‘.
She gathered up her belongings and snuck out of the stable again. Her plan had been to stay a few days in the village, but seeing Gendry had changed everything. If she followed him he might lead her to someone who could help her get to the wall. She was not foolish enough to make that journey on her own in the middle of the winter. Maybe she could find Nymeria on the way. The wolf dreams had only gotten stronger since she’d arrived in Westeros. The enormous dire wolf would be a relief to have by her side on the long journey ahead. She would get to the wall, talk to Jon and then find Sansa. It was time to get her family back together!
No one walked into the tavern, hiding Arya Stark underneath, and chose a table in the shadows of a corner. She could hear the men Gendry arrived with talk, jest and laugh with each other. But not him. He sat sullen farthest out on their tables bench and stared into the fire. He had never been much for laughs, but Arya had known him to smile.
“Oi! More drinks over here!” One of the men called to a serving girl who hurried to his side at the command. The man explored the girls body with his hands while she poured him more mead. The girl looked like she wanted to slap him and run away, but she obviously knew better. Better to get groped than raped. After the drink was poured the man gave her behind a last squeeze and shooed her away while the others laughed. Red faced the girl, who could not be much older than Arya herself, noticed her in the corner and came over.
“Can I get you anything?” She asked and gave her a curious look.
“No thank you, I’ll be on my way soon.” No one answered.
The girl shrugged and left for the kitchen. Arya watched her go before turning her gaze toward the fire, only to lock eyes with a pair of clear blue ones.
He does not know me. I am no one. She thought to herself. But there was something in his eyes that declared otherwise. She looked away, as if shy and a bit frightened. He was a big and muscular young man after all, travelling with brutal men. Girls were careful around those if they wanted to keep their honour and life. She could still feel his gaze on her however. It unsettled her. Had he recognised her voice? But it had been so long… She did not know if she would recognise his in a random tavern.
“Well off to bed lads! We have an early rising in the morning! I want no slackers!” A grey bearded man commanded and gave them all stern looks. The men rose and lumbered of, some more drunk than others, and disappeared up to their rooms. Gendry went with them, but stalled at the bottom of the stairs. He looked back at her, looked up the stairs, at her again and frowned. Then he made up his mind and walked in a few quick strides to her table. He stopped and just watched her for a few seconds. Arya let no one take control over her body and shrank were she sat.
“Do I know you?” He finally asked.
He sounded older, but what had she expected? She shook her head.
“N-no, S-Sir.”
He frowned but walked away again without another word. A part of her wanted to run after him and beg him to come with her to the wall. But now she could not offer him the protection of Rob. Rob was dead and Gendry had never wanted to go with her even when he was alive. I can be your family.
She left when he was up the stairs and walked out of the tavern. She had half a mind to steal a horse then and there, but first she needed to change her face.
Behind the stable was a big bucket filled with water for some horse. It would do.
The process was slow and uncomfortable, but on the road she wanted to be someone other than Big nose. When the face was off she stuffed the skin in her bag and started to wash the face of Arya. The familiar features were welcomed to her hands.
A sound made her look up sharply for the source, but she found her sight distracting and closed her eyes. She waited and sure enough there the sound was again. Like someone trying really hard not to walk on anything or make any sound. She let the person come closer and continued to wash her face. When she could judge that the person was less than ten feet away she turned around with Needle in her hands. She had somehow known it right away, but without no ones face she was no longer hidden.
He just stared at her.
She said nothing, but she did not lower Needle either. Gendry started forward again but Arya raised Needle an inch to make him stay. Who knew what his plans were. Trust no one.
“My lady.” He said quietly.
She shook her head. “Not anymore.”
“It really is you.” He looked her up and down.
“Yes and no.” She answered looking around, making sure there weren’t more of them.
“What happened to you? We chased the Hound for days after he kidnapped you.” His eyes had something chased about them.
“I escaped. “
He looked at her sadly. “Why didn’t you come find m… us?”
“They only wanted to sell me like everyone else.” She said, starting to get irritated.
Why did he look at her that way?
“How did you escape Ramsay Snow?”
She blinked and raised her eyebrows.
“Who?”
Now it was his turn to look confused,. “Your husband?”
She laughed bitterly. “I have no husband. Valar Morghulis.”
His eyes got big. “You actually found Jahqen Hagar?” He asked. When she didn’t say anything he started pacing. “But everybody has been so sure that you were married up in the north. And now here you are looking…” He stopped and turned to her.
“I’ve missed you Arry.”
She couldn’t help it, Needle sank to the ground. Searching for words she just looked at him, remembering every moment they had spent together. How they wouldn’t have survived without the other. And Hotpie, causing more trouble than they needed. “Say something.” He pleaded.
Arya walked up to him and threw her arms around his neck. How long had it been since she last hugged someone? Her father? Gendry tensed and stood with his arms limp for a moment. Then he returned the hug and rested his forehead on her shoulder. He wasn’t as tall as before she noted.
“M’lady” He breathed with a tired sigh.
She slapped him on the back of his head.
“Ouch!! What was that for?!”
“You can not call me that!” She whispered. “What if anyone hears you?”
He rubbed his head and gave her an exasperated look.
“You haven’t changed at all have you?” When she was about to protest he grinned.
“Shut up stupid.” Arya shot back, but also with a little grin.
“As m’Lady commands.” Gendry responded with a bow. It was as if no time had passed at all. But she shushed him anyway.
They looked awkwardly at each other in the small room. Arya surveyed the bed and then the floor. It was clean enough, she had slept on much worse after all. Just as she was about to make a space for herself in a corner, feeling more safe with a wall against her back, Gendry simply laid down on the floor.
“What do you think you’re doing?” She asked him suspiciously.
He looked up at her in surprise. “Getting some sleep?”
She narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms over her chest. “On the floor?”
His face got a bit sheepish. “I can sleep outside if you don’t…”
“Oh don’t be stupid, stupid!” She cut him off. “You are obviously going to sleep in here, on the bed.”
An understanding came to his clear blue eyes. He mimicked her body and folded his arms over his chest too, still lying on the floor. “A Lady should not sleep on the floor.” He announced.
“I haven’t been a Lady for years, Gendry!” She exclaimed. “Take the bed, I’m smaller than you.”
“No.” He didn’t move.
“Gendry Waters, get in the bed or I’ll practice with Needle on you.”
A broad grin spread across his face. “You got your sword back then, thought it looked familiar. Good, Arya Stark should have a proper sword to defend herself with.”
She groaned. “Stop being such a thickhead!”
“Get some rest Arry. We’ve got quite a bit to ride tomorrow if we’re to reach the Wall before spring.” He finished the sentence in a yawn.
She looked at him blankly. The Wall?
“You… the Wall… What?” She stuttered.
He just gave her a warm glance through hooded eyes and then closed them, breathing deeply. Her chest ached, why did it ache? But she wasn’t ready to give up the fight yet. Stubbornly Arya lay herself down on the floor a few feet away from him, positioning Needle so that it didn’t poke her skin.
Gendry peeked at her sideways with one eye. “What are you doing?” He asked suspiciously.
“Getting some rest, like you asked.” She answered sweetly. He said nothing else for awhile, not willing to be the firs to give in. Which he would be.
Sure enough, after a few minutes he snorted loudly. “This is ridiculous! Take the bed before I carry you into it.”
“No.” Her eyes stayed firmly shut.
Suddenly the floor disappeared from underneath her and as Gendry had promised, he carried her to the bed and unceremoniously dropped her on it. “There.” He started back to his floor bed, but having both younger and older siblings Arya was more stubborn than a donkey.
She quickly slid out of the bed and onto the floor again. Gendry growled above her.
“You do realize that you’re not going to win?” Arya asked with her eyes closed. Gendry didn’t answer, he just picked her up again and put her back in the bed. This time he took the not too clean blanket and covered her with it.
“You think that a blanket is going to stop me?” She asked a bit offended. He still didn’t answer her, but lay himself down next to her on top of the blanket.
This complicated things. She glared at him, the bed wasn‘t that big. He lay perfectly still, a bit stiff and he was blushing. She wondered at that.
“Fine.” She snapped. A smile twitched in the corner of his mouth.
Arya woke up comfortably warm, something she hadn’t been since the Free Cities. Unwilling to get up she kept her eyes closed. Something was odd about the bed. It moved, why did it move?
She opened her eyes and found out why. She was embracing Gendry, her head on his chest. Or was it he who was embracing her? She tried to wriggle herself free from him, slowly so she didn’t wake him up to this awkward situation. This proved more easily done in theory. He pulled her closer to him in his sleep and mumbled something.
She had no choice but to wake him up.
“Gendry?” He stirred and slowly opened his eyes.
She smiled sheepishly at him. First he didn’t seem to understand, then he noticed their entangled legs and his grip around her. His eyes got big and he flushed.
“Sorry.” He mumbled and let her go.
The rest of the day they spent in an awkward silence. The only talk was about which way was best, the weather and if either of them was warm enough or needed rest.
When they stayed for the night at an in again, with the same accommodations the silence was about to kill Arya. She half expected Gendry to make a big deal about who should sleep where again, but he silently gestured toward the bed. She squinted at him suspiciously but got into the bed anyway. He came after her, again on top of the blanket.
Arya woke in the middle of the night of the cold. She looked to her left, no Gendry. Panic shot through her body. Had he left her? Gone back to the Brotherhood?
No, there was movement on the floor. She squinted in the dark, trying to separate Gendry from the shadows. Her eyes found his shivering body, it really was cold. Stupid stubborn blacksmith. She slid out of the bed and reached for his arms. Finding them she pulled gently. His eyes flew open and he reached for his sword.
“Easy, it’s just me.” She whispered. He relaxed and now looked at her carefully. “You’re shaking.”
He didn’t answer that, so she tugged at his arms again, which were indeed shaking, to get him to come with her. He tried to give the whole blanket to her but she snorted at him in a way that made him crawl underneath it too. Arya closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. Gendry was already snoring gently next to her, still shaking but not as much as before.
Finally half asleep Arya could feel Gendry turning towards her, an arm sliding over her stomach. His head came to rest above her shoulder. An odd feeling spread inside of her. She couldn’t describe it. It felt nice, to have him there. In a way that was much different from anything that she had felt before.