Chapter 3

Gendry POV

The familiar pounding of metal was music to his ears. He could get lost in the music he made with his hammer and forget all about the fucked up world around him. He would often drown in his sorrows and regrets in the forge, a habit that made him such a skilled smith. But as is the norm of all things in life, even his skills as a master smith had a downfall. He was so habitual of his hammer beating down on the anvil to create weapons that he did not need to pay much mind to his task, his hands would move of his own accord, which left his mind to wander ….and wander it did to all that had happened in the past few moons that had turned his life upside down once again.

He had tried to stay alive right under the noses of Lannister and thrown himself into work so as not to draw attention to him but he could not stomach arming the Lannisters when they were the reason he was alone in this world and had no family. They had killed his father, though he wasn't much of a father but it was because of him that Gendry had felt himself more than just a bastard, he was related to one of the mightiest families in Westeros and if it weren't for damned lions, he might have had a dozen half brothers or sisters to call family. Off course that was not the reason he boiled with anger at serving the Lannisters , the reason was a slip of a girl who had offered to be his family , who saved his life time and again , the one who was brutally murdered at the twins along with the rest of her family .

His anger and resentment lead him to blindly follow Davos out of King's Landing, and when he finally came face to face with Jon Snow, it was his resemblance to Arya that made him decide then and there to be honest with him about his parentage and help him anyway he can. It was the least he could do ease his guilt, he was the reason the man was short one sister, He often wondered Arya would have reached Winterfell if the Gold cloaks hadn't come looking for him.

He was prepared to die for Jon Snow's cause if it came to it, but that did not mean he could muster the strength to speak to him about Arya. He had ventured beyond the wall but had not uttered a single word about Arya, no one needed to revisit the ghosts of their pasts when they were literally on the brink of death. He had wondered whether the king knew half his band of men beyond the wall had sheltered his favorite sister at some point.

They were taking their last rest before reaching the gates of Winterfell when she was mentioned by the King himself.

"Your home …. it's something else" the queen said as she laid eyes on Winterfell from a distance. It was said no one ever forgot their first glance at the winter castle, well they might have said it before the sack of Winterfell since you could see burns and repairs on the buildings that marred the beautiful landscape but no one could deny the place had an ethereal beauty, it was quite and dark like a shadow against the backdrop of an endless expanse of white.

"My home ….it has been many years. I cannot believe she's here" Jon snow mused looking at his castle but clearly talking about something else …or someone else. When the queen narrowed her eyes, he chuckled without humor "I lived in Winterfell but it was never my home , home was the little girl who told everybody the bastard of Winterfell was her favorite person in the world." Jon Snow smiled with such fondness one would forget his usual brooding stance.

Gendry craned his neck so fast he was surprised he hadn't damaged it permanently. He had said she was here or was his mind still foggy from running senseless beyond the wall.

"What?" Gendry croaked before he could stop himself earning quiet a few curious looks.

"I had heard they killed the young stark girl at the red wedding " Relief flooded him as Tyrion Lannister had talked over him taking the attention of him.

"No they didn't. I made damn sure of it. Had to knock her unconscious before she could run to her death trying to reach her brother." The Hound bellowed from where he rode. He must have been listening closely even though he pretended to be uninterested in the chattering monarchs.

"She was too young to have seen something so horrible."

The hound sniggered "The world is horrible, no one is ever too young to learn that. Your sister never forgot it, helped her survive "

If the King was angered by Clegane's outburst , he didn't show it. Instead, he motioned to get up and commanded them to commence the journey . The sudden end of their well earned rest earned Clegane quite a few expletives and profanities from others But Gendry didn't mind . All that talk had made him remember his own fondness for the high spirited wolf of a girl always barking orders and shouting at him.

Gendry blew out a long sigh as he finished beating the metal and plunged it into the water . Offcourse he would be motioned to the smithy after arriving , what had he expected anyways? He was a nobody , she wouldn't greet him like she had greeted the king , all smiles and tears , hugs and kisses. All he had gotten were words as cold as the north . We were friends , she had said . Gendry had wanted to shout that she was not , she was family , he was a fool to want to run after the brotherhood when all the family he wanted was right there with him. He had realised it the moment they turned their backs on him and sold him to the witch .

"Boo"

Gendry was lost in his musings that he jumped out of his skin when somebody yelled into his ear. In his surprise he had squealed in such a feminine voice it left him embarrassed and red faced as Arya doubled over laughing.

Gendry feigned anger for a moment but could not bite back his smile, her laugh quickly dissolving his sullen state.

"What did I tell you about insulting people who are bigger than you"

"Would you rather I insult those who are smaller than me "she defended.

" Offcourse not ! There's no one smaller than you my lady" Gendry guffawed

"Jerk!" Arya accused.

"Wildling" Gendry retorted smiling wildly at the familiar banter between them.

"Not much of an insult around these parts. The free folk Follow Jon and helped take Winterfell back."

"The free folk are also bleeding crazy , quick to anger and eager to fight , quite like someone I used to know. If only they could argue as well as you, they could have avoided the war altogether" Gendry continued while nudging her shoulder with the side of his arm as they were sitting side to side.

He was awarded with a smile as she wandered around looking at the looming mass of dragonglass that covered most of the forge. "What is this? I have never seen something like this . Its so..."

"Beautiful" Gendry provided walking up behind her , only he was not sure what he was speaking about at that moment. "Your brother wants me to oversee forging weapons out of dragonglass since I'm the only smith to ever venture north of the wall."

"Why are you helping Jon?" She asked turning around.

Gendry had often wondered it himself why he was so quick to join the suicide mission beyond the wall "I was tired of making weapons for the Lannisters , so I joined Davos without a second thought. At that time, all I wanted was to get away from them. But seeing your brother, how he's fighting not to keep a crown on his head but to protect his people, I knew I made the right choice."

"It's funny, how you never wanted to meet one of my brothers when I asked, yet here you are." Arya said moving away , surprisingly with no malice in her words. She shielded her emotions much better now.

"You were right all along, I was stupid and bull headed . Wanted to discover a family when I already had one" Gendry followed

"Yes , a Baratheon, I heard .I always wondered why the gold cloaks wanted you , makes sense now " Arya said completely misunderstanding who he had meant as family.

"I'm just a bastard, King's blood or not"

"Good , I find that bastards are the best people." Aaand the words made his heart soar and threaten to hammer out his chest.

He thought of Davos and his warnings , he thought of Lem clouting his ears at the brotherhood for the same reason , and in the end he thought ….fuck it .It wasn't their business anyways.

"I would have searched the seven kingdoms had I known you were alive all this time " he croaked as he moved to embrace her but lost his footing as a thunderous quake hit the ground . The sound was deafening and seemed to boom all across Winterfell.

This could not mean anything good, the air was filled with dread and foreboding around them as they made their way to the great hall , but Gendry could not bring himself to succumb to the feeling of doom as he felt her hand creep upto his along the way . At long last , he had his friend back.