*clank clang clank*

Gendry watched Tohbo as he hammered the red hot steel into a thin sheet. The sweat drenched the blacksmith's shirt, and gathered around the hem of his britches. It was a hot day, and Gendry's own smallclothes were damp with his own sweat. Tohbo grunted, and the muscles in his flabby arms were defined for just a moment as he raised the hammer before dropping it down again. Gendry watched from behind the barrel of water, waiting for Tohbo to submerge the burned steel.

The streets were alive around the small smithy. A baker was calling "Rolls for sale! Three for a copper!". A woman walked from fruit stall to vegetable stall, trailing 4 small children together. The eldest of the four seemed to be herding the smaller ones; making sure they didn't get trodden on or lost within the crowd. A small tangent of the King's Guard walked around and through the people of King's Landing. They walked with their noses up, and their ivory white capes flowing behind them. They think they're so high and mighty… Gendry thought spitefully.

Although the though was spiteful, he envied them. They were men who were knights, who had the honour of serving the King and Queen, who lived in the castle, instead of here like him, in Flea Bottom. They probably ate like kings every night; hot stews and tart wine, duck and boar's meat, with an assortment of vegetables Gendry had probably never heard of from all over Westeros. A guard turned his head so survey this side of the street as he walked by, and met Gendry's own gaze; but just for a moment.

As Gendry's head was turned, Tohbo turned to cool the steel. The guard's eyes widened, and the sweet smell burning flesh tickled Gendry's nostrils. Gendry turned back, pain flashing like fire behind his eyes. Tohbo's visible panic was drowned out by a shrill scream, and just before blackness took him, Gendry saw Coralie rushing to catch him.

When Gendry opened his eyes next, the smell of Flea Bottom was cloaked in scented candles and clean air. He blinked a few times, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness of the room he was laying. He rustled the fingers of his right hand, feeling the softness of the cot beneath him, the prickly straw beneath him, and the dampness of the air around him. He wiggled the fingers of his left hand and choked back a yelp of pain.

The sound he made alerted the weary old woman sitting at the table by the door. "Be still, child." She stood slowly and made her way to Gendry's bedside. "You've had quite the burn… Come now, sit up slowly." She moved Gendry's arm along with his own movements as she sat him up on his pillow. Gendry looked down for the first time.

There was a blistered gash down his left arm, curved from the middle of his forearm almost to his shoulder. The skin was red and raw, the blisters beginning to puss inside. Gendry's stomach turned. The septa noticed the paleness of this face and handed him a bucket. Without any more warning than that, Gendry emptied his stomach into the bucket, as the septa wiped his face with a cold cloth.

Gendry sat back and Coralie was standing in the doorway. "Hey Little Bull." Her eyes were sad. "Tohbo's awful upset with you…" Her voice was soft as she approached his cot. The septa busied herself cleaning the wounds. Gendry winced and hissed as the wine seared through the boiled flesh.

"I didn't mean to get hurt." Gendry said. "I only looked away for a second, promise." Tears welled in his eyes, and the septa sucked her teeth at him. "Don't cry now, boy."

Gendry swallowed hard, and looked at Coralie. "Cory, do tell Master Tohbo I'm sorry. I'll be back to helping him this afternoon, I promise."

"Can he?" said Cory, addressing the septa.

"S'long as he keeps it clean. Come see me if it gets to hurtin'." She finished wrapping the bandage around his wound. It felt clean and soft on Gendry's skin.

"Come, Little Bull…" Cory took him by the shoulders and said her thanks to the septa, who blew the candles out in the room as she left. "You almost hit that head o' yours… Some guard called Ellsemer caught you first."

Gendry's eyes traced the stones on the floor as they left the Sept and broke out into the sunlight. "Did I cry?" He hopped he hadn't. It was embarrassing enough that he'd fainted, but for a boy so close to manhood screaming like a little girl was a shameful thing.

"You let out the saddest scream I 'er heard, that's for sure." Cory shook her head. "Thought someone had died in the streets again…"

Gendry's head seemed to droop lower in his shoulders. They walked the rest of the way in silence, until Gendry could hear the familiar eating of metal echoing from up the street. His palms got sweaty, and he felt a cold chill go down his spine. He'd always been intimidated by Tohbo, but never so scared as this.

"Boy!" The gruff blacksmith looked up without missing a beat in his rhythm. "How's that damned arm o' yours?" He stopped beating the sheet of metal and wiped sweat from his brow, look up to Gendry's eyes.

"Burnt, Ser. But I can work! I promise!" He said eagerly, yet still nervous under Tohbo's gaze.

The smith sniffed and eyed Gendry's bandaged arm. "Damned right!" He exclaimed, startling the 9 year old. " But tomorrow. Today, you can go with Coralie to the market. She could use a hand in the kitchen tonight, son." He stepped around the worktable to clap Gendry on the back. "Glad to see you're alright, boy."

"Ser." Gendry nodded. Tohbo snickered. "You're too polite, boy."

"Come now," Cory grabbed her basket from the pantry and the small bag of coin from Tohbo's room. "My sister is coming to visit tonight"