She turned from him and pulled his cloak from where it had fallen on the floor to cover them.

The distant hum of activity brought them back to reality. "Will you stay a while?" He asked quietly. When she didn't answer he decided for her and pulled her to him, kissing her hair. "What happened, after I left?" He asked

"Life. Death."

"Even for a high born you can do better than that..." he tried to make her laugh, to make her smile. "Thought you were going to your brother, King Robb...When I heard what happened..." he took a sharp intake of breath "I thought...Others thought...How in seven hells did you escape?"

"I was too late...Too late to save them." She scrunched up her eyes. She had fought against feeling for so long and by letting her guard drop with him it threatened to break her dam and flood her.

"You couldn't have. You do know that don't you Arya?" He asked concerned.

"Winter came for House Frey." She replies coldly. Minutes passed and neither moved until she turned to face him. His eyes had been closed until he felt her turning. He pulled her in closer. The last few nights, since he had first seen her in the gorge he had fallen asleep imagining what it would be like, to have her in his cot. His little rich girl. But she had always been more that that. First a lad who was smaller than the rest he needed to protect, then a puzzle to be solved as to why she was having to hide she was a girl. A chatty, pain in the arse stubborn little thing. He had told himself that he was protecting her like a brother would. He had always wanted a brother or sister or anyone that was family. He struggled to remember his mum.

He convinced himself that she was safer lying next to him at night. It was only after that he realised he felt safer with her there. He felt needed. When he heard about the murders of the Starks, he had told himself the grief was for a friend, nothing more, for what did he know of love?

He had carried on sculpting metal in the forge, waiting for someone, anyone, who would need him. There had been one, Marina, but her needs were merely for the coins he could give her. He had been tricked again into thinking a woman wanted him. Never again. Instead he paid for his release, he knew then what it was for. A simple transaction. He wouldn't do it often, he was not his father, but from time to time, he relinquished his coins. He always asked them to stay. Allanys would laugh at him as she dressed. He didn't see her again. He heard she died when the Sept blew up. Jeyne had looked at him with pity.

"It's not me you want to stay."

And he knew she'd been right.

The very feel of Arya in his arms reminded him of when he had grabbed her when she tried to kill Clegane.

"Burn in hell" she'd screamed and tried to break free from his hold. He had thanked the gods for his years at the anvil, as she fought to free herself from him. Perhaps that's when he knew, when he admitted to himself that she was more than just a pain in the arse kid.

He had kept himself busy in the day, not that he had a choice, especially when he thought he caught a glimpse of her in the shadows.

If death awaited him tomorrow... as long as she was safe. She had promised to be his family and he wanted her safe.

"When they come...I know you're not scared. I know you can handle a dagger or a sword but...just please..."

"How many men have you killed? How many of them have you killed?"

"Too many."

"You haven't kept count?"

"Have you?"

She smiled and closed her eyes "Not enough."

"I should have come with you. I could have protected y-..."

"I don't need protecting. If anything I would have been protecting you from that witch."

"Your list... do you still say it every night ?"

"Yes. But it's shorter now."

He shook his head to try and rid himself of the memory of when he first saw her scars.

His fingers brushed over them again.

"Will you tell me about them?"

"There's nothing to tell."

"If by some chance I survive tomorrow, will you tell me then?"

"You better not die on my Gendry. Or I'll haunt you for eternity."

"I won't die if you won't die."

He squeezed her to him and let the tiredness and emotions of the day take hold of him. The slow, constant beat of her heart combined with the happiness he felt and the warmth of skin in skin lulled him into a deep sleep.