a/n I don't own these characters or the story, they belong to GRR Martin and HBO
Chapter 2 – Gendry
1850-1855
Gendry life was largely uneventful for the next several years. It was constant stream of hard work and harsh punishments. He grew into a very large boy; he was half a head taller than many full grown men. He learned to accept the shaper pain of his mother's loss until it was more of a dull ache. Tobbo, the slave who had prevented him from interfering that day, took it into his mind to keep an eye on Gendry. Gendry liked the stories Tobbo told him, particularly anything about the north. The best stories were those about escaping to the north, where there was the possibility of freedom.
Everything changed at the Kings Landing plantation in the beginning of 1855 when the master dropped dead one night after dinner. It seemed slightly odd to everyone. The master was a fat old drunk, but he had always been healthy enough. Rumors of foul play circulated and many whispered of poisons, though no one was stupid enough to let their talk be overheard. The slaves muttered that poison was a women weapon and everyone made an extra effort not to displease the mistress.
Conditions on the plantation quickly deteriorated, Robert Baratheon had been no great man but when compared to his wife and son, he had been a saint. Joffrey Baratheon seemed to take a sick pleasure in inflicting pain; he especially enjoyed watching the women being whipped. Punishments became increasing longer and were doled out for even a minor offence. It made Gendry sick.
Soon Joffrey began to sell off Robert children that were among the slaves. Gendry was highly concerned about his fate.
A week before Gendry was to be sold Tobbo cornered him as they were coming in from the fields.
"We leave tonight boy." Tobbo stated softly, there was no one around to overhear, but he remained cautious. Gendry could barely process what he was hearing.
"Wh-hhat!" he spluttered. Tobbo covered his mouth to silence him.
"Don't ask questions just be ready to leave whenever I come for you." He said, leaving before Gendry could respond again.
Gendry didn't know whether to believe it or not. He was fifteen no longer a child and he realized just how rare it was to escape slavery. Still he was ready to leave at any moment.
Two nights later Tobbo came for him, they crept outside as quiet as possible, it was a cold winter night, but Gendry's heart beat much too hard for him to be effected by the weather. Once they were outside they broke into a run, not slowing at all, till far from the plantation and into the surrounding woods.
Gendry looked at Tobbo pondering the dark man beside him, "How long have you been planning this?" he asked.
"A while, but your kindly brother made it necessary to hasten my plans." Tobbo replied somewhat sarcastically. Gendry was awed to him escape had always been a dream that seemed entirely unattainable. It was hard to imagine his quiet caretaker had been planning on actually doing it all this time.
"Now come one boy we have to keep running, if we lucky they won't notice us gone until morning, but we can't count on it."
They met up with a black man and women at a river in the forest just before dawn. Gendry had panicked when he heard them approaching but Tobbo had told him that they were supposed to meet them. "That's our conductor he said, he'll get us up north." The woman was a fellow escapee.
The journey north was long and tense; they hid in forest and swamps during the day and ran all night. They often backtracked walked in streams and rivers whenever possible; it was all in an attempt to confuse their trail. They stopped at safe houses along the way, not exchanging names with their gracious host so that if they were caught later, the whole operation would not be compromised. They had travelled up from Georgia through the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, and finally into Pennsylvania. Gendry had never felt giddier in his life than when he finally crossed into the north. He was not sure what the future held, but as long as he was a free man he knew it would be infinitely superior to his past.
a/n next chapter will be arya's pov
