The Lady and the Bastard
Chapter 3: The She-Wolf
Gendry had not talked to Arry, or in this case Lady Arya, in weeks. He told Mikken that he was feeling ill and his master had let him rest for a while. It was close to a week when Mikken decided that he should be well rested now.
"I have too much work and you're here to help me, not to just lie around and watch me," he had said when Gendry protested.
So, Gendry was forced to continue on with his work, but laid low while out in the forge. He worked and continually looked around his surroundings for that little mouse. And when he laid his eyes on her, he ran back inside Mikken's house and made up an excuse every time his master asked why he was in there or why he was going back inside. It was the second week when Mikken finally realized why he was acting queer.
"Is something bothering you?" Mikken asked Gendry while they were both in the forge.
"No."
"Arry came by the night before. She's been asking for you."
"I've been busy. You should know, with all these work to do."
Mikken had smiled. "I don't think she cares about that too much, which you should know. Why don't you call her over or do you have another excuse?"
Gendry ignored him, but knew well enough that Mikken realized he was avoiding her. Gendry wasn't even sure why he was. She's a lady, Gendry though, why should she be hanging around lowborn scum like me.
The next week after that was when he involuntarily confronted with her. Arry had sneaked up on him from behind and punched his back as hard as she could with her left hand.
Gendry yelled out in pain. "That hurt!" He glared at Arry when he met her eyes.
"Can't take a punch from a little girl?" she taunted. Gendry had turned around and continued to hammer on. He heard Arry sigh behind him. "Why have you been avoiding me?" she demanded.
"I haven't," he answered without turning to look at her.
"Liar," she accused him rightfully.
"You know you shouldn't insult people that are bigger than you are."
"Then I wouldn't get to insult anyone."
Gendry couldn't help but smile to himself.
"Why?" Arry insisted on getting her answer and punched him again thinking it will convince him to talk. "Tell me why you're avoiding me. Or else…"
"Or else what?" Gendry cut in. "What will you do? Punch me again or call me a traitor and ask your father to cut my head off."
"What?" she asked abashed.
"Do you think I'm some stupid lowborn," he asked furiously, but not sure where the anger was coming from, "m'lady," he added.
"How did you?"
"So you are a lady?" he said in an accusing manner.
"No," she began to say, "Well yes. My mother was a lady and my sister, but-"
"Yeah, but you're a lord's daughter, and you lived in a castle. Did you find it fun to play around? Were you just playing some game?" Gendry had to ask himself why he was so angry. He shouldn't be yelling at a little lady. But he could not stop his fury.
"I wasn't playing any games!" she answered back angrily too.
"Then what were you doing, m'lady?"
"Stop saying 'm'lady'! I am not a lady!"
"Then what are you?"
"A wolf," she said fiercely like she was a she-wolf. Gendry recalled that the Stark sigils were a direwolf and he knew they kept some of their own.
"Well, little wolf lady, don't you need to run off and go back to your pack. Go on and do your duties."
"Fine. I will," Arry said haughtily and under her breath said, "You stupid bull." The she-wolf stalked off indignantly. I'm not a bull, Gendry thought, just some stupid bastard.
A week passed and they have not talked to each other once again after their fight. It's probably for the best, Gendry forced himself to think, but he very much missed his little friend. Why did she have to be a noble?
Life was a lot boring to Gendry in Winterfell. No excitement, no conversations, and no laughter. Nothing interesting really happened until Mikken had told him he had a special assignment for him, a special order from one of the Starks themselves.
"You'll need to make something small and light, but deadly. A sword for someone weak but quick," his master had told him. And Gendry went on to forge the sword, making it as perfect as can be. He designed it just as Arry would have liked it. She looks like someone that would love to swordfight.
It took him about a week or so to finally show his finished product to Mikken. He inspected it and smiled in satisfaction. "You're good with this work, with more practice you'll be better than me soon enough." He laughed and returned the sword. "Do you mind if you deliver it for me, son?"
"And to who shall that be, Master Mikken?" Gendry felt uneasy walking up to one of the Starks and handing them something.
"Lord Snow." Well, at least it's him, Gendry thought but then once again felt anxious. What if Arry had told him? Would Lord Snow be angry with him? "He's over there practicing with his brothers."
Mikken returned the sword to Gendry and began to walk towards him. He could see the Jon Snow and the heir of Winterfell, Robb Stark sparring with each other. Jon had seen him from the distance and noticed the sword in his hand. Gendry could tell Jon called their spar off and approached him.
"Your sword, m'lord," Gendry said politely and handed him the sword he had forged. Lord Snow had unsheathed the wrappings and the sword and examined it.
"Didn't I tell you not to call me that? I'm no lord, just the son of one," he replied smiling to him. Gendry wondered why he had need of a sword as light as the one he made. Jon Snow looked like he was strong enough to wield a great sword. Hopefully, it was to his liking.
"Is it suitable, m-" He had to stop himself before he said "m'lord" once again. It's just he was so used to addressing lords, m'lords. His master back at King's Landing made sure he was respectful to the lords and ladies.
"Yes, it's just what I needed. You have my thanks and give mine to Mikken's too," he smiled at him and walked off with his new sword. Curiosity had beaten him though.
"If you don't mind me asking, whose sword is that to be? I'm sure you would like a bigger sword than that."
He smiled at Gendry once again. "It's not for me. I wanted it to give a gift before I joined the Night's Watch to my little sister, Arya."
"Oh," was all he could say and just walked away stupidly. He had made that sword for "Arya". Did Mikken do that on purpose? He must have known it was for her. Gendry could just strangle him for that, but he wouldn't of course.
They dined together when he returned.
"Did you know that was for the Lady Arya?" Gendry asked him in impulse.
"Aye, I did," his master admitted.
"Then why did you make me forge that sword?"
"I wanted to see how well you can do." Gendry did not believe that was the reason though. "And I'm sure you did a better job than I would. You know her better."
"I didn't even know I was making it for her." He only imagined making it for her. And in a quieter voice said, "I don't even know her that well."
They continued to eat their supper quietly and both went to sleep. But Gendry could not make himself fall asleep. His mind was racing too much for it to just rest and drift off to sleep. He got up and sighed to himself hopelessly. He stood up and found some clothes to put on and left the house to go outside. Maybe he just needed some fresh air. Fresh air would be nice and refreshing.
He neared the godswood, which the northerners were known to worship, and noticed the iron gate to enter was open. He speculated to who could be there at this time of the day. No one should be awake at this hour. Hesitantly, he entered the godswood and saw a silhouette of a short, slender person wielding a sword and swinging at the leaves that fell from the tree with the face on it.
Gendry had walked one more step and probably made a sound, since the person had gasped and turned to look at him with the sword in hand ready to attack. It was Arry.
"What are you doing here?"
Gendry did not know what to say to her. Should he retort something back at her or should he apologize. He was angry with her, but he also missed her company.
"That's my sword you're playing with," he said instead.
Arry had held the sword to her chest protectively. "No it's mine. Jon gave it to me. And I'm not playing with it, I'm practicing."
A small smile formed on his lips. "Little ladies shouldn't play with swords."
"I'm not playing with it! Stop that, I have the sword." She pointed the blade at his chest as if she was about to attack.
Gendry tried to look frightened. "You're such a little fearsome wolf with that sword. I hope you could forgive me."
She knew she was being mocked and yelled at him not to. Gendry couldn't help from laughing. For some reason, she was just so amusing to him.
"If you're just here to laugh at me, why don't you just go on and leave me alone," she said turning around and facing the heart tree. There was a tone of sadness in her voice and it made Gendry feel sorry. His face did not show any amusement now.
He let out a deep breath and rushed the words out of his mouth. "I should never have yelled at you. I really am sorry." Gendry felt her smile. He knew she wanted him to apologize, especially since he was so stubborn. She loved getting it her way, but she showed no response. Arry's face was still at the heart tree with the weeping face. Gendry noted at how sad it looked. Why would the northerners worship something as sad as this?
"But why… Why didn't you tell me before?"
"So you could call me 'm'lady' and tell me to go away and talk with the other ladies?"
"But that's who you should be with, not me." Gendry's voice broke at the end of the sentence. He never really cared too much on his status. But he knew well enough he was lowborn, as low as there can be. Highborn ladies should not waste their time around him. But Arya was different.
"I don't care about that. That's not me. I could be friends with whoever I want. No one's telling me any different. And you can't tell me what to do." She had finally turned to look at him and Gendry decided that protesting with her was futile. She'll always win. Arry gets what she wants. "So how is this your sword?" she asked changing the subject and sounding just as she did before he realized she was a lady.
Gendry truly smiled once again. "I made it."
Arry's eyebrows went up in impressment. "You did? Well, you did a wonderful job. I love Needle," she said swinging her sword as if she was fighting someone.
"Let's see how much you love it." Gendry picked up a thick stick from the ground and held it like it was a sword. Arry just laughed at him.
"I'll slice that out of your hand," she threatened and ran forward to strike at him. He parried her attack and they went on for a while. Gendry was able to block most of her strikes, but she was too quick. Arry was able to knock the stick off his hands and had Needle pointed above his heart.
Gendry only smirked at her and kicked his feet to knock her feet. She fell to the ground, Needle flew out of her hands, and he and her wrestled on the dirt floor. She was quick, but Gendry was stronger and when he was able to get her wrists into one of his hands, he started to tickle her. Arry only kicked him in his groin, which painfully hurt, and was able to wriggle free while Gendry was in pain.
"Don't look so much like a lady now, do I?" They both laughed.
It was close to dawn when Gendry had returned to his cot. He was sure to be tired the next morning and half asleep, but he felt whole now. He awfully missed Arry and they were as good as friends now. He felt ecstatic and finally was able to rest. Gendry fell asleep with the thought: Aye, you're no mouse; she's wild as a wolf.
A/N: I know, it's been too long, but I had exams and all and I just had a temporary writer's block. Hopefully, that's over with and gone. I personally like how this went and I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I wrote it. The story could end of here, but if you guys want and if I feel like writing more there could be more to this story. So please review in what you thought of this chapter. Most likely, there will be another chapter so yeah... Thank you so much for reading and thank you guys for who have reviewed already. :)