When they told him she had left with the Hound, Gendry began thrashing around and was geared up to follow them to wherever the man would have taken Arya. However, the members of the Brotherhood brought him back to reason. The Hound would bring the Lady where she belonged – to her family.

Gendry sullenly accepted the fact and tried to let her go from his mind although he knew he would never forget Arya Stark.

Then, several days later word from the Twins arrived. The Freys together with the Lannisters and the Boltons had betrayed the King in the North, slaughtering him and the wedding guests at the feast they were attending inside Walder Frey's hall.

The feast where Arya would have been as well.

When Gendry had finally comprehended the message he felt knocked out by the feelings spreading inside of him. He felt a heat creeping from his feet to his head. He felt himself choking on the anger. The wrath was making him dizzy and he thought he would faint. He clenched his fists until his nails drew blood. He let the fury devour him and screamed. He screamed her name and cursed everything. He cursed the gods, he cursed the seven kingdoms, he cursed the houses, he cursed the Freys, he cursed the Hound and he cursed her for leaving him.

Until he felt so powerless that he began his weeping. He wailed and he mourned where no one could hear him until he fell asleep when the first rays of sunshine were already emerging.

He woke up to the sun warming his face, with a stiff neck and an entire aching body. He must have fallen asleep on the ground. Then he recalled the evening before. The cold reality hit him again and filled him with nausea. Her face was dancing inside his mind and he felt thick, hot tears leaving his eyes. "Arya", he breathed soundlessly.

It was not possible. She could not be dead. Not the fierce, powerful warrior queen of the North. Not the feisty, stubborn girl that had lived through so much with him. They had survived the Gold Cloaks. They had survived Harrenhal. She could not be dead. Not Arya.

He got up from the ground and walked inside the Hollow Hill to where Lem, Anguy and Tom were sitting together discussing something with hushed voices.

He felt disgusted by the sight of the casually conversing men, whereas for him the world seemed to come tumbling down.

"I will find her", Gendry said with a firm and determined voice as he had reached the men.

The older men were sighing, consternation on their faces. Apparently they were expecting this. "Lad...", Lem began.

"I will go and find her and never leave her again."

"She's dead," Tom tossed in.

"Then I will avenge her."

The men were exchanging troubled glances. "His is the fury, indeed", Anguy said to Lem with a low voice. It confused Gendry. He was clearly missing something. "You'll get yourself killed", Lem tried to soothe him again. It merely annoyed Gendry and boosted his anger.

"I don't care."

"The Lord of Light has other plans for you", Thoros spoke behind him.

Gendry turned around to find him and Lord Beric Dondarrion. The boy twisted his mouth and raised his head with a defiant expression. "I don't care about your Lord of Light. Or about any god, for that matter."

"Even a King needs the Lord's guidance", Lord Beric argued calm and patiently.

"Screw your Lord of Light. I don't care. I will get her back."

"Gendry...", he heard Lem saying. "She died."

"No. The message only spoke about the King in the North and his mother. There was no mention of Arya. She might as well have escaped. As long as I haven't seen her dead, I will not believe her dead", by now Gendry was screaming.

Anguy let out a long breath and threw his hands in the air exasperated. "And what d'you plan to do? March inside Frey's castle and demand her body? You'd only get yourself killed and do no one any good."

Gendry attempted to shout again but was interrupted by Beric. "Ser Gendry, you're a knight know. You can become much more."

Gendry furrowed his brows and looked to the ground. "I'm a bastard."

"This you are. A bastard knight. But you can even become a bastard lord. Why throw your life away?"

"I don't need no title. I only want her back", tears were threatening to escape his eyes again.

"Fight for her, Gendry. Fight for Westeros. And if it is R'hllor's wish, you someday may be worthy of the lady."

Gendry gasped. He felt the hope returning. "She's alive then?"

Thoros nodded slowly. "The flames did not show her. Neither dead nor alive", yet it was enough for Gendry.

"She lives. Arya lives", he was smiling although tears were wetting his cheeks.

"She might, Gendry", Beric once again interjected. "Don't let the fury devour you. Let the fury strengthen you, for yours is the fury."