Here is some Gendry/Arya. I bumped it up a chapter because that seems to be what everybody wants. Hope you enjoy it and please if anybody feels that i have gone out of character let me know.

Chapter 7

The days passed quickly in the forge; he worked on the thin blade he promised his friend he would make. The idea of making a blade for a lady seemed ridiculous. What kind of lady played with swords? That was before he watched her. Princess Arya was not a normal kind of lady. At first he believed that was how the women of the North were, but after seeing the other Northern ladies in the dining hall he realized that was not the truth. Arya laughed too loud and spoke out of turn; she gave her opinion without permission. Queen Catelyn was hard on the princess and her sister who was by definition the perfect lady could be cruel to Arya. Gendry watched them all quietly from the back of the room where bastards belonged. Arya Stark consumed his thoughts of late. Gendry knew that he was being foolish; that he could never hope to be anything to her other than the man that made her blade. Hell, he wasn't even sure he wanted to be anything more to her but Arya had captured his attention.

The fire and metallic music pulled him from his thoughts. He realized that Jon was standing in the forge waiting for him. "I hope there is never an attack while you are working. You would be dead 100 times over." Jon chuckled and sat a piece of cloth on his work bench.

"What is this?"

"The width of her hand." Jon said smiling. He unfolded the cloth and found a dried mud print in the middle. He looked at the small print for a few moments.

"How did you get it?" He went over several ways Jon possibly could have gotten the print.

"It was easy. I threw mud at her. Arya loves a fight no matter what kind it is. It took me an hour to get the mud out of my hair." Jon jested making Gendry start laughing if only he could have seen the mud fight.

"This gives me a pretty good idea for the pommel. I've never done anything so small though." Gendry wondered in he was capable of doing good work on such a small blade.

"She has always been tiny just do not tell her that. It will be the last thing you do. Are you hungry?" Jon glanced at his work as Gendry looked up at the sun. It was midday.

"I could eat." The hall was not near as busy as the evening meals so they were allowed seats closer to the main table. He liked the food in the North. There weren't as many spices as King's Landing but the meals were hearty and he never left hungry.

"My father is allowing me to join the Night's Watch." Jon said halfway into the peaceful meal.

"What?!" Jon hadn't ever mentioned anything to him about the Watch.

"I know I did not think he was going to let me." Jon actually seemed to be happy about it. He didn't know anybody that the Watch willingly.

"Why would you want to?" Gendry asked before thinking. Jon's gaze became hard and he stopped eating.

"The Watch is a noble charge. Many Starks have manned the Wall. My uncle is a First Ranger." Jon was defensive and angry.

Gendry thought for a few moments. "I know. I'm sorry." He hesitated. "Maybe it's different up here."

"What do you mean?" Jon broke apart his bread and pushed it around on his plate.

"The only men that go to the Wall from the South are murderers, rapists, and thieves. Nobody joins willingly." Jon just stared at his food. He didn't like the idea of his new friend freezing to death at the top of some damned wall with that lot of scum. "When do you leave?"

Jon looked back up. "Uncle Benjen will be back before you ride south. He wanted me to be certain I knew what I was giving up." Jon smirked slightly when he said the last part.

Gendry had a good idea which part of the vows Jon's uncle spoke of. "So more than wine the next time we visit the tents." He laughed when the tips of Jon's ears turned red. Gendry used to be the same way. He would blush like a maiden every time the opposite sex was mentioned but exposure to King Robert's habits had diminished the reaction. Jon finally started eating again when Princess Arya walked into the room. He caught himself watching her.

"Jon there you are." Robb walked towards them forcing Gendry to tear his sight from Arya. Robb nodded curtly at him; he got the feeling that Prince Robb didn't really care for him. "Are you ready for that fight you promised me? I have some free time." Jon agreed to go to the training yard leaving him alone at the table.

He was finishing his food when he felt someone standing near him. When he turned to look he knocked over his mead while trying to stand and bow. Princess Arya laughed at his attempts to clean up the mess and bow at the same time. "What can I do for you princess?" It appeared that Arya hated being called princess more than milady. Her eyes turned cold. Gendry glanced around the empty dinning hall.

"I do not wish to eat alone." Arya didn't ask to join him she simply sat down across from him making him glance around the room once again. Gendry cursed Jon for leaving him alone.

"I'm not sure you should be sitting with me milady." Arya kicked him underneath the table making him lift his knee into the heavy wood table top hurting him twice.

"That's not very lady like." He glared at her but couldn't help the smile on his lips.

"I'm not a lady!" Arya hissed across the table before grabbing a hunk of meat with her hands and tearing into it.

"Fine, you aren't a lady. You still should kick people. Why are you here?"

"I'm eating stupid."

Gendry bit back his retort. There was always somebody watching. He didn't' need to get in trouble because of some mouthy princess. "I see that. I've seen better manners on a hog though. Usually highborn ladies eat at the big fancy table not with some bastard."

Arya's eyes snapped up to his at the last word. There was a fire in them that made his chest tighten. "Don't say that." Arya slowly said never taking her cold grey eyes from his. The silence spread between them but neither of them would break the gaze.

Gendry's face split into a big grin. "As milady commands." Arya kicked at him again but he moved out of the way. Arya's foot connected with the heavy wooden table leg instead.

"Damnit" Arya cried out in pain. He was torn between laughing at her and helping her. He decided that helping her would only anger her more so he laughed. Arya stood in a hurry; her face was flushed with anger as she stared at him. "You still owe me a fight."

"My…" He stopped mid sentence. "Arya" Her name tasted sweet on his lips. "I don't think."

"No you don't think. You're stupid. Meet me in the Godswood before sunset." Arya commanded. He sputtered incoherently. "No argument Gendry Waters. Be there." Arya turned and left him, but not before stealing his lemoncake. Gendry looked around again. It was a habit he got into when he was introduced to court life. Only servants from the North remained. He grabbed a hunk of bread and cheese before going to the yard to watch Jon spar. By the time he reached toe training yard Jon and Robb were covered in sweat. Jon had Robb on the defensive. Jon was aggressively attacking his brother.

Gendry leaned against the fence next to a group of men watching. "The bastard has been holding back." He heard Theon say. He snorted not meaning to. "What's so damn funny bastard?" Theon was trying to piss him off, but men's words barely touched him anymore.

"Lords don't like it when mere bastards best them." Was all he said before popping a piece of cheese into his mouth. He knew he shouldn't have been so bold. Three years ago he would barely have been able to look Theon in the eye but one thing that being claimed had given him was confidence. Theon eyed him with a sneer on his face, but Gendry ignored it and continued to watch his friend out fight the Prince. When the master at arms called the fight off, Jon came his way and Robb and Theon went the other. "Should've let him win."

Jon frowned and unbuckled his armor. "He told me not to. I guess he figured out I have been holding back somehow."

Gendry thought back. "Probably when you fought me. We were going at it pretty hard." Jon just nodded and gathered his armor and weapons. "You're sister wants me to fight her tonight." Jon smiled slightly as he put up his gear. "What do I do? I can't fight the princess."

"First you never should have challenged her." Jon said. Gendry shook his head. All he had said was a Braavosi couldn't beat a knight. It wasn't a challenge. "Second, you fight her. Arya will not forget about it."

"What if I hurt her?"

Jon leaned against the wall. "You won't. Third, don't hold back. She will know and she will hate you for it."

"Can you be there?" He would feel a lot better if someone else were there to witness the fight.

"I cannot my father wishes to speak to me again." Jon sighed. "He is trying to talk me out of the Watch claiming that he has made a match for me, as if a woman could make me change my mind." Jon added the last part weakly. Gendry didn't want Jon to join the Watch either but it seemed to be what his fried truly wanted. "Good luck friend, make sure my sister does not poke any new holes in you." Gendry said goodbye to Jon and went back to the forge. Mikken was hard at work fixing some mail so he helped out where he could. He didn't want to start working on anything because he knew how he was once he started.

Time seemed to be moving slowly but that was probably because he was nervous about meeting the Princess. He knew his place but Arya seemed to want to push the boundaries of hers. There was no official entrance to the Godswood. The large wooded area within the walls just appeared on one side of the castle. The well worn path into the woods was shaded and winding. Gendry worked his way through the unfamiliar woods feeling like an intruder. A low growl stopped him in his tracks. Jon had mentioned the direwolves but surely they were locked up? The rumbling growl echoed around him once again. He glanced around afraid to turn his body. "About time you showed up." Arya dropped down from a limb hanging over the path. "I was starting to think you turned craven."

"I was about to. Is that your beast?"

"She's not a beast."

"Could've fooled me."

"That's because you're stupid. Now come on before we lose the light." Arya spun on her heel and disappeared down the path. He followed after the wolf turned to leave. It wasn't much further to a clearing in the woods. Arya turned quickly and a wooden practice sword hit him square in the chest. "You are supposed to catch it." Arya smirked.

"I beg your pardon milady. I will do better next time." He leaned down to pick up the sword and watched as her smirk turned into a scowl. He definitely knew how to irritate her. Arya lunged at him swinging her wooden weapon quickly. He barely blocked the hit in time. Arya gave him a cruel smile and sank into her strange Braavosi stance. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to fight her. Everything was different, the way she stood, her size, the hand she held her sword with, nothing was like he had been taught. He realized it was a challenge but it didn't change the fact that she was a princess. It also didn't help that he would glance at her lips or catch the flair of her hips in her breeches. Arya circled him slowly before darting in for an attack. Again he barely blocked it. "Are you going to fight or just stand there?" Arya sank back into her stance. He looked around the area. They were alone except for a sleeping wolf. It was very inappropriate for them to be here together, alone. She was highborn lady whether she liked it or not.

"Arya I'm not going to fight you." Gendry shifted his weight and Arya darted forward. Her sword cracked against his thigh. She shifted to the side gracefully and hit his arm. "Fuck that hurt." He yelled forgetting his present company.

"Fight me!" Arya demanded hitting his leg again.

"No" Gendry knocked her sword back only to catch another quick hit to his side.

"Fight!" Arya lunged again but his sword caught hers.

"No" He was not going to give in to her. Arya shifted and lunged again and again. He blocked her blows but didn't strike. She was quick almost too quick for him. Arya laid the flat of her blade against his arse as she danced around him and his anger flared. Gendry pressed the attack for the first time. He brought his sword down at her meeting Arya's. The princess buckled under his blow but slid easily away from only to land another hit to his ribs. The fight had started. Arya ducked and danced around him as he hacked and smashed his sword with hers. They fought until the light faded. There was no winner or loser just the dance. "You're very good milady." Arya smacked him again as they walked down the pathway. He laughed this time earning him another jab.

"You're not terrible but you use your strength too much." Arya stopped walking and cocked her head to the side. He wanted to laugh because her wolf did the same. "My mother is looking for me. I better go. See you around Gendry." Arya ducked into the trees; he watched until he couldn't see her anymore. As hesitant as he was to truly fight her once he pushed aside who she was he had had fun. It had been too long since he simply had fun.