A/N: Yes so I finally got a new laptop! The other one crashed again and i had to yell at future shop before they replaced it. Got a samsung now and I only had to pay $250 for the warentee. Hopefully now that I have a working laptop I can update this story faster but, no promises.
I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing and commenting. I apperciate the kudos, fav story alerts and bookmarks. I read all my reviews and I just have to say that I love you all. I try and incorperate all the feedback as much as I can, so thank you for your opinons as well :D
Again very special shout out to my beta, leapylion3 and all props go to GRRM.
The sun was beaming down on her, aggravating her sensitive skin. The sunburn on her right arm grew larger in size and no amount of Calamine lotion seemed to sooth her skin. The product had been expired for about four months, but what choice did she have? They had no other medical supplies. Begrudgingly, Arya lathered on the greasy lotion every night before bed.
It seemed as if the summer would never end. It must have been at least forty-five degrees outside; the unnaturally hot weather was wearing out Arya's body. They had only been outside for a couple of hours, and already her clothes were drenched in sweat. She had been wearing a thin white blouse and a pair of tan khaki shorts but even the flimsy garments did not protect her body from the heat. Her hair – which now reached her shoulders – was tied in a tight braid that hung down her neck. Wisps of hair detangled itself from her braid and were now plastered across her damp forehead.
Arya enviously eyed Gendry beside her. He was wearing a loose grey t-shirt and a pair of baggy jean shorts. Though she could see the thin sheen of sweat covering his body, he seemed to be handling the heat far better than her. His skin was not burnt but rather carried a healthy golden glow from their time in the sun. Arya did not think it was fair that he tanned and she burned. Was it her fault that her skin was too sensitive to handle a couple of rays from the sun? Arya sincerely wished that Yoren and Lommy would return with a sufficient amount of viable sunscreen from their current raid.
Arya was right when it came to salvaging their food stores. The food they had stolen from the Walmart was almost all gone. The vast amount of food would have probably lasted Arya and her brothers for over a year, but thanks to Yoren and his 'rationing', they had gone through the entire supply in four measly months. Though Arya often complained about not rationing the food well, she could not argue with the results. She had more energy than before and she gained about ten pounds in muscle and fat. No longer could she count the ribs on her abdomen and her face was now fuller rather than the hollow structure it was before. Her arms no longer felt sore after striking down a Walker and she was able to carry on more activities before tiring.
Each member of the pack had their worth. Arya had previously been hesitant with accepting Lommy and Hot Pie into the group but both boys proved their use. Gendry would often joke that Hot Pie was the housewife of the group. He would cook every meal and occasionally assist with the cleaning. The boy was brilliant behind their dainty stove and transformed their unpleasant ingredients into something Arya actually enjoyed eating. Not only was he a good cook but he was also aware of edible plants located near the shed that they could salvage. Once, when Hot Pie, Lommy and Rickon left the comfort of the shed for a quick bathroom break, Hot Pie pointed out a shrub that grew some berries that were safe to eat. The berries were sour, but after procuring a large sum of the fruit, Hot Pie managed to turn the tart berries into a delicious sweet pudding.
Lommy was useful as well. When he was a child, his father would frequently take him out on hunting trips. He taught Arya and the others how to set up snares and hunt common animals. His snares didn't always bring home a meal but occasionally they would catch simple critters like squirrels, pigeons and one day it had even caught a rabbit. Their bodies desperately needed the protein and Arya noticed the vast differences in her own body after consuming a little bit of meat.
Bran and Rickon carried on the same tasks they always did. They would set up the fire, clean the dishes and assist with laundry. They were simple tasks but Arya was satisfied with their work load and she did not want them to partake in something dangerous. Bran did not complain about the work he was given, although Rickon wanted to do something more. Before Lommy and Yoren left on their latest raid, Rickon had begged Arya to accompany them but, of course, she refused. The task was much too dangerous and she would not compromise Rickon's safety. Rickon was furious; he claimed he was practically a man grown and fully capable of making his own decisions, yet, he threw a temper tantrum that very day. No matter how much he begged and pleaded, he could not sway Arya's decision. Her brother had been so bold to seek Gendry, in hopes that he could convince Arya to allow him to tag along. Gendry reasoned with Arya that Rickon would be safe with Yoren and Lommy but Arya silenced Gendry with a glare.
Yoren, Gendry and Arya's job was perhaps the most dangerous. Along with Lommy, the four people protected the group. Their duties would range from simple tasks, such as gathering food, to more dangerous tasks, such as killing Walkers.
Even Weasel had proven herself to be useful. No one asked much of the girl; she had only turned five recently and no one expected her to partake in any tasks, although she liked to help. She would carry out simple tasks, like assisting Hot Pie, Bran and Rickon with their duties. She also often brushed out all the knots in Arya's hair and styled it in rather impervious hair-dos. Sometimes she would tie her hair in a braid, other times in a simple ponytail, and occasionally, she would leave it down. It was for Weasel's sake that Arya did not cut off her hair. The girl found amusement in playing with her hair, and a live human was certainly more entertaining than a Barbie doll. Gendry was right; it had taken some time, but eventually, the girl had grown fond of Arya. In fact, Arya was her favourite companion in the group- she ranked her even higher than Hot Pie. Perhaps it was because she was the only other female in the group, or perhaps it was because she liked playing with her hair. At night, Weasel would often snuggle up to Arya, and Arya found that she actually did not mind the little girl's company. Arya took special care of the child and treated her like she was her own sister. Sometimes Weasel would wake her in the middle of the night, frightened due to some nightmare, and every time, Arya would recite stories that her mother used to tell her as a child, until the little girl drifted off to sleep.
"The apples should be ripe by now," Gendry announced, pointing to the tree beside them.
There were certain food sources Arya was aware of before Hot Pie and the others joined the group. There were a couple of trees near the shed which could bear fruit. Three of them were apple trees and one of the trees grew pears. Arya could not rely on the trees alone for food sources; the fruit only grew from mid spring to early autumn, and even then, sometimes it would take months before they could grow one delectable piece of fruit.
Gendry gave Arya a boost and she shimmied up the tree. This was a task that only Arya was capable of performing; Yoren and Gendry were much too heavy to climb up the trees and Lommy was afraid of heights. Some days when Arya was out on a raid, Rickon would climb up the trees but the others kept that little secret away from Arya. She would throw a fit if she realised someone was endangering Rickon's safety for something as simple as fruit. Gendry would stand guard below the tree and was always prepared to catch him should he fall- which he never did, but try convincing uptight Arya that.
If not for Bran's injury, this would be his speciality. Though heavier, he was a much better climber than Arya, and he was faster, too. Climbing was Bran's element, though Arya and Rickon were still decent climbers. It may take them a little longer to reach the top but they still reached it.
Arya continued to climb the tree, using her arms to pull her body upwards and gracefully swinging her feet from branch to branch. Once she perched herself upon a rather massive branch at the top of the tree, she noticed that the apples were indeed ripe. Perhaps Hot Pie could make them some delicious desert out of the fruit. Arya plucked each apple from the tree, where it fell to the ground with a thud. She expected Gendry to catch them but instead he let them drop to the floor. She looked down and noticed that his arms were outstretched but he made no move to catch the falling apples. No, he was prepared to catch her should she fall, rather than saving the fruits from getting bruised. Gosh, he was stupid.
"You know, I prefer my apples not bruised," Arya snarled, still atop of the tree.
Gendry cocked an eyebrow at her. "And I prefer the same about you. This is the thanks I get for saving your life."
Arya scoffed. "You didn't save my life stupid, because I didn't fall."
"No, but you could fall," Gendry retorted.
"How can someone so big and bull headed be such a huge pain in my arse?" Arya countered, using the same joke against him.
Gendry just laughed at her attempt at humour. "Oi, Stark! If you're done up there, I'd like to get home before sundown."
Arya quickly shimmied down the tree. The descent was much simpler than the climb up the tree. She did not need to rely on her upper body strength to pull herself up and she already made herself familiar with the path on her way up. Once she was a reasonable distance away from the ground, Arya jumped. She expected her feet to hit the cold even ground underneath her but her feet where still dangling in the air after she landed. She was held in Gendry's arms; he caught her effortlessly after she jumped, holding her as if she weighed no more than the apples she was tossing down.
"Told you I'd catch you," Gendry winked.
Arya thrashed her body and managed to slip from his grasp, where she landed on the ground gracefully, on two feet. "I didn't need your help, stupid!" Arya exclaimed when she broke free of Gendry's grasp.
"As milady commands." This was their regular routine; Gendry would often refer to her as 'milady', and Arya would always respond with some physical act of violence. This time, Arya kicked him hard in the knee although she wasn't angry. Gendry was laughing away and Arya was laughing along with him.
Quickly, they gathered the apples and made their way back to the shed. They only managed to procure five apples but they also caught a squirrel earlier that day- though the gang had finished it for lunch- and they still had a bag of oatmeal and a vast amount of soup stock they could eat.
"Should we check the snares?" Arya offered. Neither Arya nor Gendry ate any protein today. Arya gave up her portion of squirrel, so there would be more meat for the children, and to her surprise, Gendry had done the same. She really hoped they would come across a rabbit. The first time they caught one, Hot Pie made a delicious stew out of the critter. Arya's mouth was already salivating at the thought of succulent meat. Just one rabbit, was that too much to ask for?
Gendry shook his head. "We just checked them an hour ago; I doubt we would have caught anything."
"So? That was an hour ago. A lot can happen in an hour!" Arya protested.
Gendry shook his head and muttered something about being a pain in his arse but he started walking towards the snares nonetheless. They checked all six snares and, to Arya's dismay, they were all empty. Arya sighed and sadly eyed the snares with her grey doe eyes.
"Should have eaten the squirrel," Gendry commented.
Arya shook her head. "That was for my brothers."
"You're too self sacrificial for your own good, you know that, Stark?" Gendry joked. Arya did not respond. She continued to look at the empty snares. Gendry bumped her on the shoulder to wake her out of her trance. "We should get going. Maybe we'll catch something tomorrow."
Arya followed Gendry, as he made his way to the shed. She had to jog to keep up with his long strides. "When do you think the others will get back?" Arya inquired.
"I don't know," Gendry admitted. Yoren and Lommy had been gone for four days now, five officially when dawn comes. Two months ago, Arya travelled with Yoren and Lommy to the No Frills but the store was completely empty. For their eighteen hour journey, they had come home with only a couple of packets of stale chips, pop and candy bars they had found from an abandoned vending machine. It was quite disappointing, pathetic really, to spend all that time and effort for a couple of snacks that were barely edible.
When their food supply grew dangerously low, Arya announced that it was time for another raid. Unfortunately, their destination would have to be in the next city, considering they already raided this one dry. There was no guarantee they would find any food but they sure as hell had to try. Since the journey would take longer than twenty-four hours, it meant that the individuals partaking in the journey would have to sleep outside. Arya was terrified to fall asleep on an empty road where a Walker could attack at any minute but she refused to show her fear. She volunteered herself to partake in the task but Yoren seemed to understand she was not up to it. He assured her that he and Lommy could handle the job on their own and Arya did not argue with him.
Now, Arya regretted her decision in not accompanying the two men. Arya had never felt so helpless before; all she could do was patiently await their arrival and hope they made it back alive. She finally understood how Bran and Rickon felt when she ventured outside the shed. The longer their journey took, the more paranoid she got. Despite all her bickering with both Yoren and Lommy, she had come to care for both men.
After spending four months confined in a shed with Arya, Gendry was able to read her quite well. Arya tried bottling up her emotions but he could tell when something was bothering her. Whenever she was nervous, she would bite her lip- he actually caught that little tell the first day they met. "They'll be fine, Arya," He reassured her. She looked up to face him, her grey eyes boring into his baby blues. From her angle, and they way the sunlight shone over him, his eyes almost looked a pale green. "We've never had a shelter before and we've survived this long. What's one little trip?"
Arya nodded her head, presuming Gendry was right. Unlike her and her brothers, prior to their encounter, Gendry and the others never slept in a shelter before. One person would be assigned the duty of Walker Watch, while the rest slept out in the open wilderness. In Arya's opinion, sleeping outside was much too risky but Gendry and the others had survived this long- some part of their flawed scheme seemed to work for them.
As they approached the shed, Gendry shifted the three apples he was carrying to one hand, so he could perform Arya's secret knock. Eventually, the trapdoor opened and Arya and Gendry quickly climbed inside. Gendry took the two apples Arya was carrying and handed the fruit to Hot Pie. He seemed overly delighted about the fruit and was prattling on about some desert he could create but Arya wasn't paying much attention. She was preoccupied with securing the bindings on the trapdoor. After she concluded the trapdoor was secure, she performed her regular routine of checking the entrances. She ran her fingertips over the cracked and dented floor boards. By now, she had memorized each bump, ridge and nook in the boards. She was only feeling and looking for something peculiar.
The rest of the night passed by in a blur. They ate dinner, washed the dishes and went to sleep. Arya seldom found sleep in these past three years, so she lay awake while the others drifted off into a deep slumber. She was not surprised when Weasel made her way to her in the middle of the night, snuggling up against her body. Weasel lay her head on Arya's chest, she dug her fingers into the hem of Arya's shirt, while her other hand grasped Arya's. Arya intertwined her fingers with Weasel's hand while the other traced patterns on her back. It did not take long for Weasel to fall asleep on top of her. She felt Weasel's steady rhythm against her body, as her chest slowly rose up and down. Arya removed the hand from Weasel's back so she could her fingertips through Weasel's silky blonde hair. She combed out the few knots in her hair with her fingers and brushed the bangs out of her face.
She had no idea how long Gendry had been watching her. She assumed everyone had fallen asleep hours ago, so when he spoke it startled her. "She likes you."
Arya jumped at first but she recovered quickly. "I don't know why," Arya admitted. "Besides, she'd probably be much more comfortable falling asleep on top of Hot Pie. He's got more cushion."
Gendry bit down hard on his lip to keep from laughing. He covered the palm of his hand over his mouth, muffling the chuckle that escaped his lips, so he did not wake the others. Arya did not mean it as a joke or an insult, just a matter of fact. Though when she heard Gendry's amusement with her little comment, Arya had to bite back her own laughter.
"She's like the sister I wish I had," Arya remarked.
Gendry amusement quickly faded and his smile was replaced with a frown. "Did you really hate your sister?"
Arya shook her head. She didn't hate Sansa, she never could. Sansa was Arya's polar opposite and they frequently fought, but Arya loved her sister dearly. Sansa was always the better daughter; she was the pretty one, the smart one and the nice one. Arya, on the other hand, was referred to as a 'horseface', had a C average in school and scowled most of the time. Though Arya never admitted it, some days she was jealous of Sansa. She had a place in society where Arya was a misfit. It didn't help that everyone often compared her to her elder sister. Why can't you be more like Sansa? Sansa was a lady, Sansa was polite, Sansa had manners where Arya was considered to be a beast with poor etiquette.
They were silent for a moment before Gendry got up from his sleeping position to scoot closer to Arya. He lifted her head and laid it gently on his stomach. The first time Gendry did this, Arya had yelled at him and called him stupid but this happened so many times that it was considered another one of their routines. Arya found that she had no objections laying on Gendry. He began brushing the hair out of her face with his callused fingers and Arya found it so peaceful that she allowed her eyelids to flutter closed. She would never admit it but she liked sleeping next to Gendry; he was her anchor. For some strange reason, she found herself having nightmares less often in his arms, and even when she did, Gendry was always there to console her. Unlike Arya, Gendry was a fairly light sleeper and he would always awake when she was plagued with a nightmare. He could feel her body shivering and apparently she mumbled in her sleep as well. They didn't speak about the nightmares but he just laid there and stroked her hair until she fell asleep once more.
She shifted her head to find a more comfortable position on his abdomen. Gendry barely had any fat on him and she felt the hard ridges of his abdominal muscles against her skull. "Why couldn't you be fat like Hot Pie?" Arya whispered. "I bet he's more comfortable to fall asleep on."
Gendry laughed, but other than that, he stayed silent and continued stroking her hair. Just as Arya was about to fall asleep, Gendry spoke. "You look like her." He whispered.
Arya opened her eyes and turned to face Gendry. There was no light in the shed, so all she could see was his silhouette through the bleak darkness. "Who?" she asked.
"Weasel's mum. That's probably why she likes you so much, 'cuz you must remind Weasel of her. She was just as short as you but not that skinny. Not fat either- average, I guess. She had hair like yours, and her eyes were more of a bluish-grey. She was about ten years older than you are and she had wrinkles on her face instead of freckles, but still, you guys had similar features. The first time Weasel met you, I saw her eyes bulge out and I knew she thought you looked like her mum."
"What happened to her?" Arya inquired, fearing she already knew the answer.
"Dead." Gendry replied gruffly, a hint of anger in his voice. "Weasel and both her parents were ambushed by a pack of Walkers. Our group heard the screams but we got there a little too late. The Walkers had already devoured most of her father's body by the time we got there and her mother was still trying to protect Weasel from the rest of the Walkers. At first we thought we could save both women but the mother already had three bites. There was nothing we could do, so Yoren just..." Gendry's voice trailed off. Pain was evident in his voice and Arya did not need him to finish of the sentence to know what Yoren had done. He had given her the gift of mercy, similar to what Arya had done with her father.
Arya felt tears filling her eyes and she was thankful for the shed's darkness, so she did not have to choke them back. She let the water flow freely down her cheeks, knowing no one could see her weakness but, she contained her sobs. She clutched Weasel tighter and kissed the bridge of her nose. The child was still sleeping soundly, her hand intertwined with Arya's. Arya had never cared much for children prior to the pandemic. Sansa always prattled on about finding the perfect husband and bearing his children but Arya already knew this was not a life she wanted. She did not want to become a stupid housewife and she dreaded motherhood even more. Though now her values shifted. Even though Weasel wasn't Arya's daughter, she already held a great amount of love for this little girl. She could not replace the girl's mother but she would always care for the little girl the same way her mum would have, had she still been alive.
"I didn't know her mum," Gendry admitted. "And Weasel doesn't talk a lot about her, or anyone for that matter, but from what I saw... in the end, I could tell that her mum cared a lot for Weasel. You're a good sister- you take care of your brothers really well. So along with the physical similarities and behavioural similarities, I would find it hard to believe if she wasn't taken with you."
Arya felt Weasel's body tense against her and knew automatically the girl was having a nightmare. Without having to think about it, Arya brushed her hair and rubbed her callused thumb soothingly, against the smooth skin of Weasel's hand. "Shh," Arya whispered, "It's just a nightmare, Weasel. It's just a nightmare." Though Weasel was in the midst of her sleep and Arya was positive that the little girl could not hear her, she still felt the child body relax. Soon, her breathing grew softer and more even.
She could sense Gendry smile even though she could not see him. He brought his lips to her ear and whispered, "You're good with her," His breath was hot against her ear. She could feel the tip of his lips brush against her skin with each word he spoke. A sudden warmth filled Arya's belly and she lay in Gendry's arms contently. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep. The last thing she remembered was clutching onto Weasel's hand, while Gendry continued to softly stroke her hair.
Arya woke up to the smell of fresh oatmeal. She stretched out her sore muscles, letting out a long yawn before she rubbed the crust off her eyes. She made her way to the rest of the group, who were gathered on the far side of the shed, near the stove. Arya sat between Bran and Weasel. The little girl flashed her a pearly white smile, when she sat down next to her and Arya muzzled her hair playfully. She did not know how Weasel kept her teeth so lustrous. Arya swept her tongue over her own teeth, feeling the layer of plaque and tarter around it. She scratched her unkempt hair, which was tangled and messy. Arya was positive she looked dreadful, but she was never one to care about her appearance, and after the pandemic, she was convinced that stupid things like appearances and beauty did not matter anymore. After she settled down onto the cold hard floor, Arya noticed a bowl had already been laid out for her. She grabbed her spoon and stirred the slimy liquid around in the bowl but made no attempt to eat it. She hated oatmeal and they've been eating it every single day now. Arya knew that she should not be so picky- after all, food was food, and it was something they did not have a large supply of anymore. Still, Arya could not bring herself to eat the meal in front of her. Before Yoren and the others joined her group, Arya would go so far to dig up bugs and cook them for her and her brothers. Yet she was passing up on oatmeal?
Giving up on breakfast, Arya poured the entire contents of her bowl back into the pot and walked away. Someone else could eat her share. She made her way to the place where she stored her supplies and grabbed her machete, tucking it through her belt loop. Arya also grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste with one hand and unlocked the bindings with the other. "I'm going to check the snares," Arya announced to the group.
"I'm coming with you," Gendry declared. He ran to her side and assisted her to unlock the remaining bindings before they head out the trapdoor. It rained last night. Everyone heard the pitter-patter of the raindrops while they had eaten dinner. It made sense, considering how scorching hot the weather had been the day before. Unfortunately for Arya, the rain had come once everyone was confined in the shed, so it did not spare her from the heat yesterday. The first thing Arya smelled was the morning dew, coating the plants around them. She took a deep breath, inhaling the delightful scent. It was certainly better than breathing in the dusty air of their current residency. The shed smelled foul; like sweat, dust and piss.
Arya slowly began making her way to the pond, while Gendry trailed behind her. The weather was still warm, but not painfully hot like it had been the day prior. Before they went to check the snares, Arya and Gendry made a quick pit stop to the pond where they could both brush their teeth and wash their faces.
"Not hungry today?" Gendry commented, obviously noting the rejection at breakfast.
Arya shook her head. "I'm sick of oatmeal. I miss real food. I'm craving a Nutella and peanut butter sandwich." Her mouth was already salivating at the thought of the delicious snack.
With no purpose but to piss her off, Gendry teasingly splashed some water in her direction. "Maybe we should go out for a bath today. You're starting to smell, Stark."
Arya quickly jumped on Gendry and used all her force to dunk his head into the cool pond water. "And you needed to wash your hair. You're welcome," she teased as she ran away before he could retaliate.
He chased after her but Arya was much too quick. Though Gendry had longer legs, Arya was agile. Once she allowed him to catch up, the idiot began tickling her until she almost kneed him in the groin. Gendry easily blocked the blow but Arya continued to mutter crude insults at him.
They began checking the snares. The first five were empty and Arya began to feel her mood drop. Of course they wouldn't have caught anything, not with the way it was raining last night. She had already given up hope when they checked the sixth and final snare, but to her surprise, the last one carried two fat pigeons. Arya nearly squealed in delight as she snapped both of their necks before undoing the snares. Once they freed the birds, the pair quickly reset the snare before heading back to the shed.
"You better eat your share of the pigeon, Stark," Gendry ordered.
Arya scoffed at him. "You're like an uglier version of my mother." Catelyn would often remind her to partake in simple activities. Arya eat your food. Arya take a bath. Arya make your bed.
Gendry laughed. "Aye and you-" Gendry abruptly paused mid-sentence and a look of fear flashed across his face. He stopped walking and grabbed Arya's wrist to still her.
"What's wrong, stupid?" Arya asked him.
"Don't you smell that?" He asked her.
Arya began sniffing around until she caught the familiar scent of rotting flesh. It was quite faint but, there was no denying the smell. A Walker. A mixture of fear and adrenaline pumped through her veins as Arya unsheathed her machete. Gendry, whom had forgotten to bring a weapon, armed himself with a large branch he picked up from the floor.
"Maybe it's not here. The smell is really faint." Arya reasoned.
"Maybe," Gendry agreed. "But we probably shouldn't go back to shed until we know it's safe."
Arya nodded her head. Rickon had closed the bindings behind her when they left and she knew her brothers weren't stupid enough to leave the shed when Gendry and herself weren't home. If they went back to the shed now and were ambushed by a pack of Walkers, they could possibly infiltrate her safe haven and Arya would not take that risk.
The smell was too faint to pinpoint where it was coming from so Arya and Gendry circled the entire perimeter of the forest. Just as they were about to give up their search, concluding there was nothing in the woods, they heard a rustling by some bushes.
Arya swung the machete over her shoulder, preparing to strike. Quietly, Arya tiptoed towards the area of the rustling and she felt Gendry's presence trailing close behind her. She saw a figure move between the foliage and just as she was about to strike, Yoren and Lommy emerged from the bushes.
Arya quickly jumped back and she lost her footing, falling to the floor. Instinctively, she held out her palms in an attempt to catch herself but they just scraped against the rough pebbles on the ground. Her hands were stinging from the pain of her new wounds. Arya ignored it momentarily. Both of her allies stood a yard away from her, covered in grime, sweat and blood.
Arya quickly scrambled away from the ground and launched herself into Yoren's arms. She made sure to distance the open cuts on her hands away from the blood caking Yoren's clothes and skin. Yoren encircled his arms around her waist and lifted her up, embracing her in a fierce bear hug. Arya buried her face in the hollow notch of his collar bone. He smelled awful, like blood and death, but she did not detach herself from his embrace. She did not realise until this very moment how happy she was to see both men.
Once Yoren eased her back down to the ground, Arya turned and hugged Lommy. She wrapped her arms around his scrawny neck and he lightly patted her upper back. Once freeing herself from Lommy's grasp, she looked down at her clothing. The once white blouse was now covered in dirt, grime and blood. She would probably have to wash her top along with Yoren and Lommy's filthy garments.
Gendry did not embrace the two men like Arya did. Instead, he gave each man a firm handshake and a pat on the back. Arya rolled her eyes at the sight. She knew Gendry was just as happy to see the others finally return from their long journey, though he tried to hide it. She could tell that he feared for his friends' safety while they were away but now he diverted back to the traditional customs; men don't hug other men.
"Stupid," Arya muttered, though no one seemed to hear her.
"What took you guys so long?" Gendry asked.
Yoren and Lommy exchanged a worried glance. "We'll, um... we'll tell you after. Yoren and I are tired- we'd like to sleep first." Lommy muttered. The boy was a terrible liar, and though Arya wanted to call him out on it, she knew that both men indeed needed their rest. She could see the dark circles forming underneath their eyes. Their bodies slumped ever so slightly. Arya and Gendry quickly grabbed the bags and the shopping carts Yoren and Lommy were hauling, as the four of them walked back to the shed.
Arya could not tear her eyes away from the items protruding out of the shopping cart. She could see several items; water, old boxes of cereal, dried pasta, soup stock, spices, powdered candy. Suddenly her eye caught on a bright green bottle with a picture of a toddler on the cover, having her diaper bitten by a little dog. Arya quickly swiped the bottle and turned it over, so she could check the expiration date. Arya flashed a wide toothy smile; the sunscreen was still viable for another two years. She checked the SPF and noticed it was only thirty. This was nothing compared to the SPF eighty-five sunscreen Arya would typically use, but it was sunscreen nonetheless.
When they approached the door, Yoren performed Arya's secret knock and waited. After about a minute of waiting, Yoren knocked again. There was no pattern in his rhythm, he just continued to bang the door repeatedly until it opened. "Open up, you sorry sons of whores," Yoren gruffly spouted out, still banging the door. Gendry and Lommy snickered at his reaction.
Eventually, the door opened, revealing a very sweaty Hot Pie on the receiving end. "Alright, alright. I get it," Hot Pie muttered. He froze when he noticed Yoren and Lommy. A big smile emerged across his sweaty face. "You're back! About time, mates." He stood aside to allow the four of them to enter the shed.
Shouts and cheers echoed the shed upon their arrival. Once they finished unloading all the items, Rickon grabbed the chains from Hot Pie and began locking the shed. Arya did not bother assisting him- the day was still young and Arya intended to make a couple of trips around the forest before nightfall. She would properly secure the chains then.
Yoren and Lommy stripped off their clothing, barely giving Arya anytime to turn around. Usually, she was on her guard about this sort of thing, but both men had been gone for five days, so Arya was caught off guard. She did not have to deal with this sort of problem from the others. Gendry had easily picked up on her discomfort with that sort of thing and made sure not to piss or bathe in front of her. Hot Pie was too self-conscious to strip fully nude in front of anybody, and it did not bother her to see Bran, Rickon and Weasel nude. Lommy and Yoren, on the other hand, did not feel shame about stripping down in front of her. She closed her eyes while they changed and she felt Gendry gently nudge her by the elbow when the coast was clear.
Arya allowed her eyes to slowly flutter open. Both men were now fully dressed as they began making preparations for bed. Yoren and Lommy seemed incredibly exhausted, whether it be from a poor night's rest out in the wilderness or no rest at all. Once they finally settled down in their sleeping positions, both men fell asleep in a matter of minutes. Yoren's snores echoed across the shed and Lommy's breathing fell into a steady rhythmic pattern.
Arya tiptoed her way across the shed, searching through the supplies the two men brought home. The rest of the pack followed her lead and all six of them began silently digging through the items. There was an ample of food and some basic essential supplies. To Arya's delight, Yoren and Lommy had even procured a box of tampons. Arya was initially embarrassed because it was Hot Pie who found the box first and hastily threw it at her. They also managed to take a couple more bottles of Advil – all of which were expired – and a couple of vials of penicillin. She also happened upon an old bottle of Jack Daniels. Arya let out a sigh- only Yoren could be thinking of alcohol at a time like this.
After rummaging through most of the items, Arya proposed that they go back to work. Gendry and Rickon left the shed to wash the pile of filthy clothes as well as the soil bucket. At first, Arya offered to go with Gendry but Rickon was persistent in leaving the shed. Reluctantly, she agreed; she had to give her brother some freedom, and she knew he would be safe with Gendry. Plus, laundry was perhaps the least dangerous activity out there.
Bran and Weasel began organizing the supplies; separating food and water from other supplies and essentials from non-essentials. That left Arya to assist Hot Pie with the cooking. Arya grabbed a bag of rice, while Hot Pie began boiling the water. Arya dumped a generous amount of rice into the pot, aware of Yoren's objections should they cook too little. As Arya and Hot Pie waited for the rice to cook, they began preparing the rest of the meal. Hot Pie taught Arya how to properly skin and gut the pigeons. Though she really tried to help, Arya's pigeon was only a quarter way plucked and gutted when Hot Pie intervened. He made quick work of both birds and Arya could only sit there in awe, watching him easily skin both pigeons.
As the rice continued cooking, Hot Pie began adding a variety of spices. While Hot Pie was tending to the rice, Arya tended to the apples. She carefully washed each piece of fruit and the knife she would cut them with. For added measure, Arya doused a bit of Yoren's alcohol onto the knife, sterilizing it. Arya grabbed two smaller pieces of fruit and laid them separately for Yoren and Lommy. She then cut each apple into eight slices, leaving four slices for each member in the group. Hot Pie, Arya and Bran also agreed to leave an entire pigeon for Yoren and Lommy. Both men had taken a huge risk leaving the shed, in their attempt to save the group. It was obvious that neither Yoren or Lommy had the opportunity to eat as well as the others during their absence. It seemed only fair that the men should have a greater portion of food, if only for today.
When Gendry and Rickon returned, Hot Pie had just started mixing the chunks of pigeon into the rice. Arya told Gendry her idea of leaving the entire pigeon for Yoren and Lommy and he seemed to agree. The six of them ate their lunch in silence- a large sum of Spanish rice mixed with pigeon, a few slices of apples, and a cup of fresh water to wash it down. Each person tried chewing softly, so they would not wake the two sleeping men. Arya mentally cursed herself every time she chewed on her share of the apple, eliciting a loud crunch.
The food was delicious. The rice, pigeon and apples were a pleasant change to their regular meal of oatmeal and chicken broth. In the corner of her eye, she caught Gendry unloading some of his food into her bowl when he thought she wasn't looking. Arya was about to protest, but she was really hungry. After all, she skipped out on the meat last time and she missed breakfast this morning. Though that did not stop her from feeling guilty that Gendry was giving up a portion of his share for her. After all, he had passed on the meat last time as well, and it was Arya's own fault for skipping breakfast. Selfishly, Arya pretended that she did not notice Gendry's generosity and continued eating the bowl of rice, though this time, she kept her eyes placed firmly on the bowl so he could not try that little trick again.
Once everyone completed their lunch and finished washing the dishes, Yoren and Lommy awoke from their slumber. They already set out their food for them- two large bowls of rice, one pigeon and two whole apples. Yoren and Lommy barbarically began tearing through the food. Arya was right; they had eaten as much as they slept. She was glad she made the decision to leave them with a bit more meat and fruit than the others, as they both deserved the extra food.
Arya enviously eyed the other men as they began gorging down their meal. Arya knew she should not be angry- after all, both Yoren and Lommy had risked their lives for the sake of the rest of the group- but Arya could not stop her mouth from salivating as she watch Yoren greedily suck on the greasy pigeon bone. Though Arya had just eaten her lunch, she was by no means full. The meat looked so delectable, and Arya found herself imagining the bits of pigeon slithering down her throat, as it had moments before. She licked her lips at the thought and noticed the others were doing the same.
"We're going to go clean up," Gendry's voice called behind her.
Yoren and Lommy momentarily stopped eating to look at Gendry. Yoren wiped the grease slithering down his chin with the back of his hand. "Aye, boy. We'll join you after lunch. 'Bout time, too- you lot are starting to stink."
Arya was grateful for Gendry's interference. She did not think she could take another moment of watching Yoren and Lommy scarf down the food. Arya grabbed Bran's wheel chair outside, while Gendry carried the boy to it. It would take Rickon and Arya hours to get Bran off and onto that thing with a great deal of exertion, but Gendry lifted Bran effortlessly, as if he weighed no more than a baby.
Hot Pie, Rickon and Weasel carried a stack of towels, clothes and a bag filled with cleansing supplies as they scurried out of the shed. Arya took the stack of clothes out of Weasel's hands and laid them across Bran's lap. She then took the heavy bag of cleansing supplies and slung it over her shoulder before making her way towards the pond.
"Perhaps we should check the snares first," Gendry suggested.
The thought of fresh meat made Arya's stomach growl. It had been only a few hours since she and Gendry last checked the snares but a critter could have easily been captured in that time. "Alright," Arya agreed as she happily began marching towards the snares.
She felt a firm hand on her shoulder, stilling her movements and turned to face Gendry. "I don't think we need that many people to check the snares. Maybe you should erm... you know..."
"Oh," Arya whispered the word so quietly that the word was only audible to herself. Arya bit her lip and looked up to meet Gendry's gaze. Arya had called Gendry stupid on several occasions, but he seemed to be much smarter than he let on. In reality, they did not need to check the snares until it was closer to dinner time, as they would not be cooking any meat for a quick snack in between. Gendry just offered to check the snares, so he could give Arya her privacy in the pond.
Arya was already holding more than the necessary amount of cleansing items in her hands so she just made her way to Bran and grabbed a towel and a pair of clothes before making her way to the pond.
When Arya finally arrived at the pond, she quickly discarded her clothes before submerging herself into the murky pond water. Once she surfaced, she realised the water was much colder than she last remembered it to be. Arya slowly got up into a standing position and immediately shivered once her shoulders were exposed to the brisk cool air. An array of goosebumps began forming on her arms and it took Arya until now to realise that it was cool outside.
She was still wearing the same shorts she had worn yesterday and an even thinner shirt, but unlike yesterday, her body was not sweating profusely. In fact, Arya was not sweating at all. The temperature wasn't unbearably hot, but it wasn't cool either. This could only mean one thing...summer was coming to end. Normally, Arya detested the hot season but now she did not want it to disappear. For a first, Arya was actually dreading the cold winter months. Even though Arya did prefer the cold to the unbearable heat, winter signified the end in most of their food resources. The fruits will stop growing and there will be no more critters to catch if they are all hibernating. Not only will their natural food sources take a hit but it would be harder to procure food as well. Travelling in the hot summer sun – though uncomfortable – was far simpler and faster than travelling in a foot of snow. In winter, the days are also shorter, giving Arya and her pack less time to gather the food and run back to the shed before the sun sets.
Arya sighed. Perhaps winter was not coming after all. This could just be a cool day- it did rain a lot last night. Tomorrow could be just as brutally hot as the day before. Even if the summer was ending, it's not like Arya could do much about it. She shook the thought from her head and began cleaning herself.
It had been a very long time since Arya had last taken a bath. She and the others would only bathe when necessary – basically, until they began to reek. Typically, this meant she would bathe on a rough average of once a week. Prior to the pandemic, Arya would shower every morning. Sometimes, she would even shower twice or three times a day, depending on the amount of filth she would gather on one of her 'escapades', as her mother liked to call it. Arya enjoyed playing sports, which made her filthy more often than not. As soon as her mother would see the dirt caked under her fingernails and the soot covering her petite face, Catelyn Tully would point a finger at the general direction of the shower and Arya would have to clean herself up.
She no longer had the luxury of bathing every day. There was always some work that needed to be done which would take priority over the bath, and it was hard to detach herself from the rest of the group so she could get some privacy in the pond. She did not enjoy herself in the pond but rather scrubbed vigorously against the soot and dirt caked into her skin. She did not have time to soak her body to relish her time in the cool water; it would not take long for Gendry and the others to check the snares and Yoren and Lommy would most likely come straight to the pond after lunch.
When Arya hopped out of the pond, she was pink and raw. A faint smell of orange blossoms lingered on her skin from the soap, and she detested it. Perfume always bothered her; the unnaturally sweet fragrance gave her migraines, so she would always stay clear of scented products, but they did not manage to find any unscented soaps or shampoos. She had to make do with the supplies she had and the smell of orange was certainly more pleasant than that of sweat and blood.
Quickly Arya began dressing herself. She wore a pair of loose jeans and a black Metallica t-shirt that formally belonged to her brother Jon. The fabric was unpleasant against her skin- she must have worn it a million times, and the fabric had began to get ratty. Just as she was zipping up her jeans, she heard a faint rustle of leaves behind her. Arya turned to find Rickon approaching her to check if the coast was clear. Arya nodded her head in response to his unasked question, so he began to fetch the others.
Arya rolled up her jeans so she could waddle her way through the shallow end of the pond. With the exception of Bran, who was seated at the shallow end, the rest of the men were closer to the centre of the pond. Arya turned her back towards them so the only two people who remained in her line of vision was Bran and Weasel. Weasel could not go to the middle of the pond without assistance, as she was too short to touch the bottom and she did not know how to swim. Arya kept her in the shallow end, where she began to bathe the little girl.
Arya was scrubbing Weasel's hair with a banana and coconut scented shampoo, when Yoren entered the clearing. "What the bloody hell are you lot still doing here?" He grumbled.
"Nice to see you, too, old man," Gendry commented from the centre of the pond.
"Where's Lommy?" Hot Pie inquired.
"Aye, that boy still be finishing up his meal. Slow eater, that lad is. He'll be joining us when he's done." Yoren commented while stripping off his clothes.
Luckily, Arya had been prepared for this and she averted her eyes from the elder man as soon as he entered the clearing. Yoren waddled his way to the centre of the pool and Lommy joined the group about ten minutes after.
"Did the snares catch anything?" Arya inquired as the men began getting dressed.
"Nah," Hot Pie responded. "There wasn't anything. Too bad; now that we have flour, I could have made us some pigeon pie."
"We can set up more if you like," Lommy offered. "The more snares we set up, the more likely we are to find something or we can just hunt the animals."
Arya shook her head. "We should probably get back to the shed. We can cook some pasta and eat some of Hot Pie's berry pudding. We'll set up more snares tomorrow."
"We still have a couple of hours before sundown," Lommy insisted.
"Yeah, but we have to secure the trapdoor and you know I like to make sure the entrances are all secure way before sundown." Arya remarked.
"Right th-the... the bindings" Lommy stuttered out. "I'm going to go unlock it now. You know how long it takes to get those blasted things off." Lommy said before running off to the general direction of the shed.
"What's up with him?" Gendry asked, now fully clothed as he took a seat beside Arya.
"Don't know," Yoren admitted. "Probably still freaked out about our little camping trip. Be nice to sleep peacefully without having to worry about a bloody Walker eating your face off."
After everyone donned their clothes and gathered their items, the seven of them began making their way back to the shed. A cold gust of wind blew in their direction and an involuntary shiver went down Arya's spine. She could not believe that it was so hot only a day ago. The wind tangled her hair, blowing wisps of hair in her face. Frustrated, she took the hair tie from her arm and tied her hair into a sloppy ponytail.
When they arrived to the shed, they saw Lommy hunched over on his knees panting. The bindings were unlocked from the shed and thrown in a disarray on the floor.
"What's wrong with you, boy?" Yoren called from the distance.
Lommy jumped up, startled by the sudden call of Yoren's voice. His face was a bright red and his eyes were shot wide with fear. "N-nothing" he stammered. "Just tried to untie the bindings before nightfall that's all."
"Aye, but we still got a long time before that," Yoren retaliated.
"Yeah, but I know Arya likes securing the entrances way before the sun goes down," Lommy said.
Arya knew Lommy was acting oddly. Normally, he was so easy going and carefree about her system. He never found the importance in repetitively checking the bindings before, so why was he making such a big deal out of them now? Perhaps Yoren was right; their trip must have really frightened Lommy. She briefly wondered what happened to the two men while they were out in the road.
"Are we just going to stand out here or go inside?" Hot Pie grumbled. "It takes a while to cook, you know, so don't start complaining to me when you lot get hungry."
Arya made her way to the trapdoor and opened the door. Once the entrance was wide open, Lommy quickly looked inside. "What?" Arya demanded. He was acting much stranger than usually and it was really starting to get on Arya's nerves.
"Nothing," Lommy murmured, although he looked relived. Arya just shrugged off his odd behavior and jumped inside the shed. The crates of food and supplies were still haphazardly arranged around the shed. Arya and the others would probably have to properly arrange the supplies while Hot Pie was cooking dinner if they wished to have more room to sleep.
Yoren handed Arya Bran's wheel chair and she propped it open near the trapdoor's entrance. After securing the brakes, she signalled Gendry that she was ready to take Bran. Gendry leaned into the entrance and slowly eased Bran into Arya's arms. Her brother was getting heavier but she still managed to drag him to the wheel chair with Gendry's assistance.
"Got him, Stark?" Gendry inquired.
"Y-yeah," Arya huffed. Gendry slowly eased his weight off Bran when Arya got him close to the wheelchair. She was just about to sit him down before she was brutally knocked over.
Arya hit the ground hard as her hold on Bran slipped. She was dazed for a moment, the room spinning before her. She heard shouting in the background and everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. It was eerie- it felt as if she was in The Matrix. The voices began drowning out and her senses suddenly got heightened. She did not smell the Walker until just now. The strong perfume scented cleansing products must have drowned out the smell of blood and death, but now, the smell hit her like a ton of bricks.
The Walker climbed over her body and pinned her to the floor. It was a rather hideous looking creature. There was no skin on the Walker, simply a hideous arrangement of muscle and bones. It had long flowing white hair and the scariest blue eyes she had ever seen. Its razor sharp yellow teeth came plunging down her neck and Arya just managed to grab the Walker by the jaw before it bit her. Suddenly, everything returned back to normal speed. She struggled with the Walker on top of her. It was trashing frantically, trying to free itself from her grip so it could eat her. Arya did not know how much longer she could keep this up; the Walker was twice her size and almost triple her body weight. She could not give up now- if the Walker managed to free itself, Arya would be a dead woman. His teeth were inches away from her throat when his body suddenly slumped over hers. Gendry was on the opposite side clutching a baseball bat. Arya saw the Walkers blood seeping down the bat, there was a heavy amount of gore coated around the weapon and Arya absently wondered how hard Gendry hit the Walker. She slowly nudged the body to roll the Walker off of her. She tried pushing the body harder but it wouldn't budge. Arya suddenly grew panicked and she desperately struggled with the body on top of her. Gendry dropped the baseball bat and it hit the floor with a loud clang. He made quick work of rolling the dead body off of her and then he lifted her up by her arms, so she was now on two feet.
"You okay?" He asked her. His voice was gruff and she could see Gendry's entire body shaking.
Arya quickly moved her hand to her neck and ran her fingertips over the smooth skin. She took a breath of relief, "I'm fine. I don't think it bit me," Arya assured him.
Gendry sighed and brushed the hair away from her neck as he ran his callused fingertips over her skin. She shivered at his touch, although she figured it was probably due to the aftershocks of the attack. "I thought I'd lose you," Gendry admitted.
Arya shrugged. "Are the others okay?" Not waiting for an answer, she whipped her head behind her and saw Hot Pie, Rickon and Weasel hunched in a small semi-circle with their back facing against them. Two more Walkers lay dead on the floor, a couple of inches away from Arya's feet.
"Well, that looks like the last of 'em," Yoren announced. The wooden bat was swung around his shoulder and there was a thick layer of blood and grime coated all over his clothes, skin and hair. So much for the bath.
How did they even get inside? Arya absently wondered. She heard a sniffling coming from Rickon and suddenly Arya grew panicked. Was he hurt? No, he was outside the shed when the attack happened. The only two people inside were Arya and... Bran.
Arya ran her way over to the huddle and saw Bran lying down on the cold hard floor. His legs were still disfigured and his shirt was soaked in blood, but that's not what frightened her. Arya let out a wail as she sunk on her knees beside her brother. He had a large bite on his neck and a smaller one on his left arm. "Br-Bran," Arya stuttered, the tears falling freely from her cheeks.
He looked into her eyes and slowly raised his hand towards her. Arya quickly grabbed his hand with both palms and brought his fingertips to her lips. He looked tired- no, he looked exhausted. The three stages of a transition started with exhaustion, a high fever and then pain. No, Bran would not turn. He could not turn. He was just a boy! Just a little boy! "You're going to be alright Bran. I'll clean the wounds and-"
"No, Arya" he said calmly. "I'm not going to be okay."
"No!" Arya screamed. "No! You're going to be just fine! I just have to clean the wound-"
"Arya," Bran begged. "Please, it's okay. I'm sick of living in this world. All I did was slow you guys down. You and Rickon will be better off without me."
"No, Bran! You're not going anywhere. You're going to stay, just stay. Please, just stay with me," Arya begged. Her flow of tears were pouring heavily onto Bran's arm and chest. She pressed her head to his chest and wept. "You can't go. You can't leave me. Not yet, not now. Please, Bran, don't go." Arya cried.
She could hear Rickon's whimpers beside her and he was clutching his brother's hand as well. The three siblings were a pack- they had been ever since their father died. "Take care of them like I never could." Her father's words rung in her head, "Promise me you'll take care of yourself. No matter how tough it gets, never give up hope. Can you promise me that, Arya?" Bran couldn't die, not before her, at least. Arya made an oath to herself that she would die protecting her brothers, yet here was Bran before her, with two bites in his body, and Arya did not have the power to save him. She had never felt so helpless before.
A hand clamped down her shoulder. Arya turned around to face Yoren. His eyes were sad and sympathetic. Arya wanted to yell at him. Don't feel sorry for me! She wanted to shout. Bran's going to be fine, he has to be fine! "It's not fair to keep him like this any longer, girl," Yoren said stiffly.
Arya stared at Yoren blankly for a couple of moments. His words did not register in her mind. It was not until Lommy handed him the shotgun that Arya understood what he was talking about.
"No!" She screamed, flinging herself over Bran's body. They could not shoot him, they would not shoot him, not if Arya had anything to say about that. If they wanted to kill Bran, they had to go through her first.
To her surprise, Bran was taking the situation well; he had already accepted death for himself. But Arya had not.
"It's okay, Arya," Bran said. "I don't want to be a Walker. Remember what happened to Mom? I don't want that happening to me. You did a good job protecting me and Rickon. This wasn't your fault, none of this was your fault. I couldn't have asked for a better sister."
"No, Bran, don't say stupid things like that. You're going to be okay." Arya sobbed.
"I love you, Arya," He looked at Rickon. "I love you both."
"They shouldn't see this," Yoren announced behind her.
Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, tearing her away from Bran. "NO!" Arya screamed. She tried keeping her grip on Bran's hand but the person carrying her was much too powerful. She saw Rickon getting carried away by Lommy, and Weasel was taken by Hot Pie.
Arya thrashed her body with all her might but Gendry's grip on her was much too strong. She could hear him grunting behind her. No matter how desperately she tried to escape his grasp, she could not do it. Arya tried kicking and punching him but he trapped her limbs the same way he had done the first time they met. Arya flung her head back to head-butt him- it had worked for her before, but this time, Gendry was prepared and dodged her blow. "Let me go!" Arya screamed. "Let me go! Let me go! LET ME GO!" Arya had to get to Bran now, before Yoren-
The sound of the gun going off was deafening to her ears. As soon as she heard the sound go off, Arya's body went slack. Bran was dead. Gendry loosed his grip on her and cradled her in her arms.
"S'okay," he whispered.
That was all that Arya needed to hear before she wept in his arms.
A/N: Okay so I know i promised a plot twist but, i decided to leave off on a dramatic ending instead. I honestly thought id get in the death and plot twist before the chapter ended and it would be way less than 10 000 words but i got caught up in writing about their lives.
Ahh anywhoo we will get to the plot twist next chapter... hopefully.
Thanks again for reading :D