Thank you to everyone who seems to be enjoying the story so far! I really appreciate the reviews and follows! Any-hoo, here's chapter two. Keep in mind that things will start to pick up now that Gendry and Arya are exactly where I want them. If you have any questions, don't be afraid of asking! And remember to review!
Chapter Two
It took three men to drag her away from Gendry. Snarling and cursing, she lashed out with every ounce of strength she could muster. The young man seemed more perplexed by the display than anything.
How could he not recognize her? It was his fault, it was all his fault. If it hadn't been for him, they never would have been caught and taken to Harrenhal. If he had stuck by her side- she never would have been a mouse instead of a wolf. If he had chosen her over the brotherhood, they never would have sold him- they could have gone to Riverrun, they could have reached her mother in time. How could he not remember? It was his fault she had no one. He was the reason she became no one. She never would have crossed the narrow sea. She would have stayed. They could have gone home- they could have been a family.
She recognized most of the men in Gendry's party. They had taken care of her once- on the promise of a reward. She hated them just as much as she hated him. Anguy and his mischievous grin, Lem and his yellow cloak, she hated them all. Thoros she hated most of all, him and his God of light, but he didn't appear to be with them. She hoped he wasn't dead somewhere; she wanted the sweet taste of killing him herself.
Lem held her tightly from behind, his hold as strong as iron- urging her to remain calm. Gendry, still on the ground, crossed his legs and leaned back leisurely, staring at her with a vacant expression. His hair was a dark, tussled mess- shadowing the sharp lines of his face. The little amount of boyhood she remembered of him was gone. His jaw was strong, his eyes sharp and his body built like a man grown- broad and lean with muscle.
It was the fat boy who spoke first- the one who had been dumb enough to think he could catch her on foot. He was exceptionally round- his husky belly peeking through the gaps in his leather. He too wore a handkerchief around his face, resting just below his plump, rosy cheeks.
Removing his mask, he ran a hand through his unruly curls. She knew him in an instant. Seeing him made her feel as if she had stepped back in time. She was very much surprised and felt a tingling behind her eyes. He looked so big- bigger than she remembered, and very much out of sorts dressed in leathers and mail with a sword at his hip. In fact, the sword looked like nothing more than a toothpick strapped to his massive waist. But even being dressed for battle, as he would have put it, he still looked like the baker's boy she had reluctantly grown fond of.
"It's Arry!" he exclaimed, his mouth spreading into a crooked grin. "I can't believe it! It's Arry!"
Anguy squinted at her for a moment before folding his arms over his chest, "What are you going on about, Fat-pie? Who in seven hells is Arry?"
Men from across the narrow sea use to eye her hungrily, fascinated by the strange, little foreign girl. Their gaze would comb up and down her body, taking in the curves they liked and the things they could do without. Gendry eyed her in almost the same manner, drinking in every detail- only- she knew he was comparing what he saw now to the girl who played the boy. She refused to look away. She met his even stare, determined to watch the recognition flood his face.
A storm brewed behind his eyes, his face flashing so quickly from one feeling to the next.
After making up his mind, Gendry lifted himself from the ground and turned away from her.
Ayra hoped that looking at her was painful- she hoped with every ounce of her being that he felt guilty for the path he had chosen. She hoped-
"We're leaving," he said, interrupting her thoughts, his voice low and layered in ice. "Bind her hands. She's coming with us."
Dumbfounded, Arya opened her mouth, "Bind my-"
"Gendry!" interjected Hot pie. "We can't tie Arry up. It's Arry."
"Anguy, finding whatever horses are still around- it'll be faster than travelling on foot," said Gendry, ignoring Hot pie. "I want us out of the area before nightfall."
The authority he carried was astounding. Arya couldn't remember Gendry ever taking charge of anything. He had always been so silent- a follower who did as he was bid. Who was he now? Not her Gendry.
She was confused beyond belief. The anger and resentment she felt towards him, which in all honesty had only been a thin layer atop so many other feelings, died in the back of her throat- replaced by a hollow sensation in the pit of her stomach.
While Lem worked on strapping her wrists together behind her back, Hot pie reached out to Gendry- placing a meaty hand on his shoulder.
"Gendry... Think about this. It's only Arry," protested the baker's boy, trying to play the voice of reason.
Arya didn't bother struggling with Lem- there was no point. She was numb with shock and he was too strong.
A soft breeze swept through the woods, rustling the trees and underbrush. Gendry swivelled around, his stare as cold as the words he had spoken. With his shoulders back and his fists clenched at his side, he glared at her. She couldn't read his face. It was blank; guarded. She could tell he was hiding something, having been trained in the art of seeing with all her senses, but she couldn't decipher his secret. It was almost as if his eyes and body spoke a different language. He had changed in a way that made her uneasy.
"She isn't Arry, Hot Pie. Arry doesn't exist anymore. She's Arya Stark- sister to the king in north and daughter of Lady Stoneheart."
Lady Stoneheart. She had heard stories of the woman but none of them seemed to add up to the same thing. She had no idea who she was- there certainly couldn't be any relation.
"Who the hell is Lady Stoneheart?"
"You always were wonderful at playing pretend," said Gendry with a bitter laugh. "Why are you here Arya? Why are you really here? Your bastard brother or your twisted mother?"
"Gendry, I don't think she-"
"Keep your mouth shut, Hot Pie. She's been gone for nearly six years, and what, just appears out of thin air? A bit convenient, don't think? Stoneheart's men are hunting us all over the country and you're telling me you aren't the least bit suspicious?"
Lem interrupted the young man's rant, "And if she's an envoy for Jon stark?"
"Jon Snow," said Gendry, correcting the man though not in a way that was unkind. "He is a bastard who has made himself a king but he is still a bastard. He takes pride in who he truly is."
She could hear the indirect insult in his tone- aimed towards her. If only he knew she was truly no one.
"And if she is with him," continued Gendry. "We'll send her back with a bloody fruit basket. We don't need his help- this is our fight."
"I don't understand what any of you are going on about!" she seethed, finally losing her temper.
Her wolf's blood, as he father called it, was starting to reach boiling point, "Will someone just explain to me what's going on?"
Nobody seemed to hear or notice her. They were too busy arguing amongst each other. It was only after Anguy returned with the horses that their attention found her again.
"There are only five," said Anguy, referring to the horses. "And five of us- where do we put the girl?"
Gendry slowly made his way towards her. Roughly he grabbed the front of her cloak, pulling her closer. He was tall, nearly twice her height. She felt like a mouse in his shadow. She never would have thought Gendry capable of ever making her feel so small in so many ways.
"Milady," he sneered. "Will ride with me."
One of the men in his party, equal in size to Gendry himself, led a horse towards them. The hood of his cloak hid his face- but there was something about the way he moved...
"Do we continue our search for the Blackfish?" asked the man, his deep, raspy voice sparking a sense of familiarity with Arya.
"No. He'll be long gone by now. A useful ally, but an impossible one to find. The siege at Riverrun ended nearly a fortnight ago- he may not even be in the Riverlands anymore. Besides," said Gendry, still gripping Arya by her front. "We have more important matters to attend to."
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