A/N: Guess who wants to come out and talk! I actually thought this was going to just be from Arya's POV, but Gendry got mad and wanted to tell his side as well, so I had to give in! Therefore, he has joined us now. Hope y'all enjoy this next chapter! We got some action coming up in future chapters, so get ready for that! On with the show…
All was silent as the hours ticked away into the night. Gendry knew he should be sleeping, but his mind was too heavy to relax. There was only one thing he could think of, and that one thing was driving him crazy. He always prided himself on doing the right thing, on choosing the right path, but now he was not so sure. He could not pinpoint the one thing about Arya that called to him, that drove him towards her. Perhaps, it was everything about her. She had spirit, was stubborn, and she awoke in him something that he did not know existed. She was both a meek kitten and a fiery lion. The longer he was around her, the deeper his affection for her became, but he knew that it was wrong. He knew it was a death sentence. That is why he ended it, though he regretted showing her his weakness. He regretted admitting he wanted to kiss her and that he had feelings for her.
Gendry closed his eyes, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. He felt drained both physically and mentally, yet he could not force himself to sleep. He knew the moment his eyes closed her face would be all that he would see. It was best to remain awake; at least until he was so tired sleep would take him immediately. Even then, he feared she would haunt his dreams. Around him, the forest was eerily quiet. Now and again, the sound of small footsteps would reach his ears, but overall it was quiet. Should the forest not have more noise than this? He was not so sure.
He could hear someone walking up behind him, yet he did not turn to meet the newcomer. He already knew who it was and was not ready to meet their knowing eyes. Instead, he stared ahead. The man stood beside him, staring out into the darkness. He towered over Gendry by at least a foot, yet their strength matched one another. He trusted this man with his life, yet at that moment, he was the last person Gendry wanted to see.
"You are playing a dangerous game, Gendry," the man spoke low.
Gendry sighed, not having the strength for such a conversation, but he knew that the man would not keep quiet. Once he made his mind up to speak about this, Gendry knew the man would not stop until his point was made. It was best to get it over with.
"I know what I am doing," Gendry responded.
"Do you?" the man replied, roughly. "Because from my vantage point, it looks as though you are being stupid!"
Gendry turned towards the man, looking him straight in the eyes. Though he did not feel as though he had a hold of the situation, he would lie as best he could. Had he been that obvious? Had his feelings for Arya been that out in the open? Did the others know?
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Sandor. Your vantage point is wrong," Gendry said.
Sandor watched him for a moment, his scared face unreadable. Gendry did not balk from the man's stare, but allowed the man to scrutinize him if that is what he so chose to do. Sandor was the first to turn away, and once the man did, Gendry took a deep breath. He had not realized he had been holding his breath.
"A woman like that, like Princess Arya, is told from day one that she is better than people like us, Gendry. People like her would rather spit on you than touch you any day. It is a fool's hope to believe that she could feel for you what you do for her. It is a fool's hope to keep such feelings for her in your heart. Do yourself a favor and forget those feelings. If you do not, a broken heart is the last thing you will have to worry about. Your head will be on the chopping block."
"Tell me something, Sandor, who are you trying to convince here? Are you trying to convince me…or are you trying to convince yourself?"
The moment those words spilled from Gendry's mouth, he regretted them. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Sandor flinch. It was the tiniest of movements, but he was able to see it. The man did not answer, and Gendry wondered if he would. He had never brought up what he knew of the man's feelings for a certain princess, but Gendry knew they existed. He found it ironic that Sandor would chastise him for his feelings for Ary but in a way, it made sense. It meant Sandor knew what he was talking about and not just spilling bullshit.
"Don't know what you're talking about," Sandor said, slightly angered.
"Just like I do not know what you're talking about," Gendry said low.
The two men stood in silence for what seemed like hours. Gendry wondered if he should speak. Should he apologize for taking a jab at the man when he was only trying to help? Gendry's feelings were new to him, but Sandor had had to live with his silent feelings for Sansa for over a year now. He did not need Gendry to rub it in his face.
"I'm sorry, Sandor," Gendry said, turning towards the man.
In what little light they had, Gendry saw the swirl of emotions in the man's eyes before he had time to close himself off from the world. He could count on one had the number of times he saw even one kind emotion in the man. It was a rarity to get a glimpse of what was in his heart.
"For what?" Sandor finally said, as if it were nothing. "You don't think I know my place in her eyes? You don't think I know what I am to her, a dog? I once thought like you, Gendry. I once thought I could make her happy, that I could defy the law and put my life in danger, but I learned very quickly. You will learn very quickly too! Besides, a dog and a bird could never have a life together. A monster like me would tear the bird a part."
"Sandor, just forget it," Gendry said, wanting nothing more than to change the subject.
The man shook his head, laughing, yet his laugh held no humor. "Not until you get it! In two days, you will have to stand aside while another man takes her hand, Gendry. You will be pushed over by a prince, by someone who is better than you are. When all is said and done, you will be nothing more than the man who helped her on her journey to her new life, to her new husband. The deeper you go into your feelings the worse it will be for you in the end. It will turn you into someone like me…no more than an angry fool who watches a girl in shadow and secret. Believe me; it is worse than the hells beneath our feet."
"I know," Gendry whispered.
"Do you? Cause from where I'm standing I am not so sure! More importantly, King Eddard will not think twice about having that head of yours removed. Whatever interest you have in Princess Arya is better forgotten, for the alternative has far more horrible consequences. You are no fool, so why don't you stop acting like one!"
With that, Sandor turned on his heels and walked away swiftly. Gendry watched him go, until the darkness swallowed him. Again, he was surrounded by the unusual silence of the forest. Every word Sandor had said played in his mind like a broken record. It repeated itself over and over until Gendry could recite the words himself. The man was right, was so very right, yet it did nothing to squash the longing in his heart. It did nothing to block out the sight of Arya's face in Gendry's mind.
"She will be the death of me," Gendry said, sighing heavily. For the rest of the night he watched the moon's journey across the darkened sky.
Arya had not slept a wink that night. Every time her eyes closed, his face would shine behind her closed eyelids. The way his hair fell across his forehead. The way his eyes watched her, as if he could see into her soul. The very thought of him drove her crazy. She wanted to jump from the bed and flee the tent, but she knew it would be him she would run to. Already, she had made a fool of herself. She did not want to add to her embarrassment. He had turned away from, letting her know he did not want her. She would not push him. Arya hated to admit it, but she had cried after he left her, though it had only lasted a few moments.
Her ladies and sister were already walking around the tent, up and ready to go. Arya did not yet feel like rising, but she knew that she had to. With a few deep breaths, she proceeded to get out of the warm bed. The morning was quite warm for the time of year, but it felt heavenly. Perhaps, the old timers were wrong and winter was not coming. Perhaps, it would stay summer forever.
Once again, Arya found herself in front of the vanity mirror. She looked at herself, at the bags underneath her eyes and the way her hair fell in a lump. On the side of one cheek, she saw a streak of dirt. Raising her hands to her eyes, she noticed the dirt caked underneath her fingernails. She had not had a bath since the day they left, which was two days. Looking at the other ladies, they looked as road weary as she did. Sansa just looked downright miserable. Though this usually made Arya overjoyed, she felt sorry for her sister. Always prim and proper, Sansa was not used to such rough conditions. Arya could handle a little dirt, but she knew that it was driving Sansa crazy. An idea came to her mind, one that would have to force her to come face to face with Gendry. It was no use putting it off, for she could not avoid him forever.
Arya walked towards the tent's entrance, calling to a nearby soldier. The man was before her at once, waiting patiently for her instructions. She asked the man to call Gendry to her tent and the man left to do as he was told. Arya walked out into the morning, closing the tent completely behind her. It would be the first time she saw Gendry since the night before and she did not want to have to do it in front of Sansa and the other women. It would be hard enough to look into his eyes as if nothing happened. She did not want them to have an audience.
She did not have to wait long as footsteps approached her. Taking a deep breath, she looked up and met Gendry's concerned eyes. The moment she saw him, she could tell that he slept no better than she did. He looked completely drained, as if he had stayed up the entire night. Though he tried to hide it, she could see past his façade.
"Is anything wrong?" he asked softly.
The sound of his voice almost caused her to run back into the tent. Arya had to be strong, had to overcome her hurt or it would consume her. She was stuck on this journey with him for a long while, and she could not allow her feelings to overtake her. He had made it perfectly clear that they could not act upon what they felt for one another. She held on to how dangerous it was for him. That was possibly her only saving grace in this whole mess. She would protect him at all cost if she had to.
"No," she responded, clearing her throat, "It is just that me and the other ladies have not bathed since leaving Winterfell. I noticed a river not too far from the camp sight, and I think it would do us all good if we had a bath before we leave."
At once, the concern in Gendry's face eased. It was replaced by more weariness, and Arya did not think he thought it such a good idea. If she wanted to, she could command it, but that was not the way she wanted to go about doing things. Arya had never been one for commands. She felt the person had a right to refuse her if that was their choice.
"I do not see why not. If you will allow me and a few of the men to accompany you to the river, we could go at once."
Arya looked around, embarrassed. "We-uh-we could not bathe in front of you and your men."
It was Gendry's turn to look embarrassed. She watched him scratch the back of his neck, his tanned face turning red. "You are correct, Milady. We will accompany you as far as we can. Then, we will give you and the ladies privacy."
Gendry left her to gather his men, and Arya went back in the tent to tell the others that they would be bathing before they left. The excitement was immediate in Sansa. Her smile covered her entire face, and Arya found she was glad she could make her sister happy. Though they did not get along half of the time, she still loved her very much.
A half hour later, Arya, Sansa, Beth and Osha were walking towards the river. Surrounding them were Gendry and three of his men. One of the men was Sandor Clegane. Arya watched the man out of the corner of her eye. She stared at his scarred face, wondering how the scars had happened. Whatever had happened, it looked painful. Several times, his eyes traveled to Sansa, though no one seemed to notice but Arya. The further they walked, the braver he would get, turning his entire face towards her sister. Arya found this very interesting. The sound of the river floated towards them, letting them know they were very close. Gendry stopped, along with his men, and he turned towards Arya and the ladies.
"Just around this corner is the river. We will be here, out of sight, but if you need us for any reason just call to us. We will be there immediately," Gendry instructed.
They rounded the corner, and the moment the men were out of sight, Arya and the ladies began to run towards the inviting water. Each one of them stripped in record time and ran into the water. At first touch, the water was chilly, but the longer Arya stayed in the water the warmer it got. Even Sansa began to laugh as she soaked in the clean water.
The river was quite wide. Where ever it leads to was a mystery, for it stretched around curves too far for Arya to see. The bank on the other side was a lengthy swim to reach. However, the water was amazing and clean. Arya dove under the surface, feeling the water splash onto her face. Her hands went through her long brown hair, cleaning it. When she reemerged, she could hear the ladies giggling, splashing the water in each other's faces. She joined in with them, laughing for the first time since Gendry had taken her for a ride on Titan.
Lying on her back, Arya floated on the water. She stared above her at the tops of the trees. She watched the birds fly above her head as squirrels jumped from limb to limb. For just a moment, she could imagine herself in the godswood back in Winterfell. Just for a moment, she could forget where she was and why she was here. It was the most peace she had had since she had left her home. Even in that moment, Gendry's face could not penetrate the wonders of the trees above her.
Arya felt herself relax and welcomed the water over her face. She was sinking underneath the water, yet the peace remained. Her whole body relaxed as she began sinking to the bottom. Nothing matter at that moment, nothing but the feeling of the cool water. If it were possible, she could stay down there forever. Even as her lungs began to burn, she held on just a little longer. Her arms were out at her side, floating in the dark water. She had no idea how far down she had sank, but she could not feel the bottom of the river at her feet. Arya would hold her breath forever to keep the peace she felt.
Somewhere above her, she could hear them calling to her, but she was not ready to come to the surface yet. She had enough air in her lungs to hold on for a bit longer. As soon as she could not hold out any longer, she would break the surface but right now, she would hold to her peace. Arya cleared her mind of everything, feeling nothing at all. It was wonderful.
The voices above her ceased, but a loud splash followed. The sound broke through her peaceful world, but that was not what caused her to lose the last remaining bit of air in her lungs. Suddenly, an arm came around her waist, jerking her upwards. Arya opened her mouth to scream in surprise, but it only caused her to swallow a large amount of water. Someone had a strong hold on her, forcing her to the top at a rapid speed.
As soon as she broke the surface, Arya let out a loud breath. She coughed and spit up the water she had swallowed. The arm stayed around her waist, and she could feel something solid behind her. Arya could not speak for a moment as she coughed up more water. Confusion took over at once, causing the peace to vanish as fast as it came.
"What in the hells do you think you are doing?" came an angered whisper in her ear.
Arya stilled her movements at once, hearing Gendry's voice. He held her tightly; her back pushed against his chest. She struggled against him, struggled to keep her naked body underneath the water. Had he completely lost his mind? What caused him to jump in after her?
"Let me go," she said, out of breath.
"Why? So you can dive back down there and kill yourself?" he spat.
Again, she stilled his words stinging. She turned her head slightly to look at him. His face was completely red, his eyes angered. Did he really think that was what she was doing? Trying to kill herself? Their faces were inches from each other, and she watched a drop of water slide from his eyelashes. It worked its way down his cheek to his clamped jaw and down his neck into his wet shirt. His back hair was plastered to his forehead, causing his eyes to be hooded.
"Please, let me go," she whispered. His hold on her let up, but he did not let her go. Arya could tell he did not realize she was naked, and she was desperate to keep it that way. How embarrassing this was. While she struggled to keep her dignity, he refused to let her go. "I was not trying to kill myself, Gendry. I was just about to come back up. It felt peaceful down there. Can I not enjoy a little peace?"
For a moment, he did not look as though he believed her. As the moments ticked by, his anger began to fade. He let out a deep breath, as if he were relieved. "When I saw your servant girl, Beth I think is her name, running towards me and the men screaming about you not coming up from underneath the water I panicked. I apologize for assuming the worst," he said.
His hold remained around her waist, as if he did not want to let her go. Although, she enjoyed his touch, she felt completely self-conscious. She wondered if she would have to bring to his attention that she was naked or would he recognize her state. She did not have to wait long as she felt him go rigid. Gendry even stopped breathing for a moment. Though she tried not to, Arya could not help but smile. It seemed that Gendry finally realized he was holding a naked woman in his arms.
"I-uh-I-damn it," he said, releasing her at once.
The moment they were apart, Arya covered herself with the water, only keeping her neck and head above the surface. Gendry turned as fast as was possible away from her. His clothes were plastered to his hard back and strong shoulders. The water came up to his stomach.
"F-Forgive me, Milady," he said, fumbling with his words.
"There is nothing to forgive. There was no harm done," Arya said, trying very hard not to laugh. Not that she got any enjoyment out of his embarrassment, but it was just her luck that this would happen to them.
"I'll-uh-I will leave you to get dressed," Gendry said, climbing awkwardly out of the water.
"Gendry," Arya called to him. He stopped at once, one foot out of the water as one foot remained in. He did not turn back to her, but stood with his back facing her. She could see his breath coming out in short bursts. He was shaken up by the experience. "Thank you anyway, for trying to save me."
He turned his head to the side, looking at her out of the corner of her eye. He nodded his head slightly. "I will always try to save you, Milady," he said. Without another word, he walked away.
Arya got out and dried off, slipping into a purple riding dress. She let her hair fall down her back, drying the water from it as best she could. When she walked around the corner, the only person waiting was Gendry. He did not meet her eyes, choosing to look over her head. It took all she could do not to laugh. Why she found it so amusing she could not say, but it beat the melancholy feeling from earlier.
"Where did everyone go?" she asked.
"They went back to camp after I told them everything was fine. The men are packing up and we will leave shortly."
The two began walking in silence. Arya wanted to break the ice by saying something, but she was not sure if that was such a great idea.
"I-I want to apologize again for earlier. I am quite embarrassed, Milady," Gendry said. She was surprised he said anything at all.
"Like I told you earlier, it is fine. You were just doing your job. You thought I was in trouble. I understand."
This seemed to ease some of the tension in his body. She watched his shoulders relax, watched his face lose some of its seriousness. Arya began to slow, until she stopped completely. Gendry turned to her, looking at her with confusion. If they were to continue, Arya wanted there to be no tension between them. She had enjoyed his company and had missed it greatly the night before.
"I do not like this strain between us, Gendry. Is there any way to start over I-I understand what can and cannot be, but that does not mean we have to walk on eggshells around one another, does it?"
Gendry looked away from her, a long pause between them. "No, we do not have to avoid one another. It is not what I want. I enjoy your company; enjoy talking with you, Milady. I, too, know what can and cannot be," he said softly.
"Then let us begin again," Arya said, taking a step towards him and reaching her hand out to him. "My name is Arya Stark. It is nice to meet you."
Gendry looked at her hand, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Slowly, his hand reached up and engulfed her own. Arya immediately felt the spark, but she forced herself to ignore it. The moment they touched, she could have sworn she saw Gendry flinched, as if he felt the spark as well. His eyes closed briefly. It all lasted for just a second before he regained control.
"It is nice to meet you, Arya Stark. My name is Gendry Waters," he replied.
Though she still felt her heart skip a beat, still felt a pull towards the man in front of her, Arya felt she would be happy with any kind of affection from him at this point. All she had to do was remind herself of the dangers he faced if she had her way. The truth of it was she could not allow him to face such dangers on her account. Arya would not have that on her conscious.
Together, they walked back to camp. By the time they made it back, the caravan was almost ready to leave. Gendry left her at her tent to join his men. When she joined Sansa and the other women, their questions came out all at once. She eased their worries by explaining what really happened. She explained how she was just enjoying the water. Though their concerns were still evident, they seemed to believe her. As they passed her to head towards the carriage, Arya caught Beth's eye. There was something about the girl's expression, something about the mischief floating in the girl's green eyes. Arya's suspicions were found correct as Beth winked at her and smiled. Could it be possible that the girl had caused the whole scene at the river? Did she set Gendry up to get involved? Again, the girl winked and this time she laughed. Arya had no time to ask her as she climbed inside the carriage. She made a mental note to ask Beth later.
Before climbing into the carriage, Arya looked around at the caravan. Her eyes found Gendry at the front of the line. He was standing beside Titan, staring at her. With a soft smile, he held out the reigns in her direction, inviting her to ride the large beast. Arya could not help the large smile that took over her features. Yes, she felt like a nice ride today. Gendry helped her onto the horse, and once she was ready, they began their journey again.
The whole morning was spent in small talk about Arya's childhood. She even found herself laughing softly every once in a while. Gendry walked beside her, his face looking a lot less tired. Though she could not ride like she wanted, like a man, she still felt grateful to Gendry for allowing her to ride Titan again. She found she was falling in love with the horse more and more. Perhaps, she would find her a nice stallion like Titan when she returned.
It was just after midday when the first signs of a storm began to grow. The dark clouds hung in the distance, an ominous sign of things to come. She watched Gendry watching the clouds, watched the concern begin to grow. It was the first time they had run into the possibility of bad weather. As everyone watched the clouds above them, something else caught Arya's attention. It was far off in the distance, but it slowly began to take shape.
"Gendry, what is that?" Arya asked. He looked up at her, and then to where she was pointing.
For a moment, his face looked confused, but she began to see comprehension growing in his eyes. He grabbed the reigns from her hands, slowing down the horse to a snails pace.
"Ser Clegane," he called.
Sandor kicked his horse, coming to ride alongside Arya. He looked passed her towards Gendry. "Tell me what you see," he said to the man, his head nodding towards the objects in the road.
Sandor turned and looked, keeping quiet for just a moment. "Damn it," the man said under his breath.
Gendry nodded, hearing the man's words. Arya stared before her as the scene began to take shape. Sandor was right. "Damn," she whispered. Before them, in a line from one side of the road to the other, was a group of men. They were blocking their path to get by, and Arya knew it was not going to be as simple as asking them to step aside.
A/N: uh oh! Who are these mysterious men and what are they doing in the middle of no where? Are they friend or foe? Guess you will just have to wait and see! Thanks so much for all the comments and reviews, the favorites and followers! You all know what to do. Review, review, review!
