Chapter 9

They were running through Flea Bottom, which on any other day would have looked strange, but today the entire square was in chaos. Ser Jorah had brought the two more cloaks and they ran to some unknown place. All the places Arya had been in the last five years were unknown, they were what kept her hidden. She was good at staying hidden.

Aegon was still holding her hand. She assumed it had lost all feeling as she had spent the entire morning squeezing it. She was dragging him along. She wanted to run. The fear was tangible and giving her some strength. She had abandoned her fancy slippers some where back near a run down bakery and was now barefoot and wishing that her guide was not so slow. She did not like waiting. She wanted the end, not the transitions.

The building were becoming more and more run down and there were less people. They passed a whore house that was missing a wall but was shelter by some overgrown weeds. There were a few whores sitting at a table paying them no mind.

She was panting the excitement getting the better of her. After waiting so long for something to happened, it did and she had not knowledge of what had happened. After what felt like only a few minutes they stopped in the shade of an abandon house. Ser Jorah offered them a flask of water which she took greedly, though she could not bring it to her lips. There was still danger. She looked around and took in the overall feel of lifelessness in the area. She saw some places had been burnt and remembered hearing of the battle between the Lannisters and Stannis Baratheon, though it had happened a few years ago there was no sign of life even attempting to grow here, even the grass had stopped. She realized she was still holding Aegon's hand and they both looked at each other, remembering they were not allies by choice and their moment of comradery what focused on Ser Jorah instead.

'What happened?" She forced out. Her heart was pounding against her chest and she was sure it would explode. Everything was too quiet and she still didn't understand the role she and Aegon had just performed.

Ser Jorah looked around to make sure they were not being followed. He was a massive man and hairy all over she imagined except his head. She could tell that in battle, he would not make the first move but rather let his partner dance about and tire before striking down. He was a cautious man. He motioned for them to follow him into an old house. It was more a shack but when they entered it was hollow and leading to a ditch in the ground.

"We needed a distraction but it had to be something that would effect all involved. What would be better then bringing back the main players in the war?"

"A distraction? For-"

"At this time it is best not to know." Ser Jorah rushed. "We're not far now."

He jumped into the almost seven foot deep ditch and was followed by Aegon before she jumped in. She could feel that it was more of a tunnel then anything else. With no light she had to trust her ears and feet primarily, an easy feat except usually she knew what she was looking for.

"Hold onto the roots and you'll be led to the house." And sure enough she found the roots though they felt dry and dead. She liked the darkness usually, it often made thinking easier and awareness more apt. Down here she felt like she was in a grave, the taste of dirt and rot was thick in the air. The only comfort was the sound of the men in front of her; their breathing and walking steps it was like a song people would play before a fire, perhaps the first people had made it. She missed the stories old Nan would tell of her ancestors- of true warriors.

She was beginning to taste salt but there was a light, she could see the vague outlines of the men and she could hear muffled voices up above. Ser Jorah was pulled up followed by Aegon and followed by her.

They were in another abandon house, bigger than the other it smelt of old sweat and fish. She assumed it was closer to the sea. The wood was old driftwood and held together with some mud and rubble. The building might have been an old whorehouse as it was close to an abandon harbour.

As her eyes adjusted to the light , she realized it was sunset. She realized that it wasn't just her, ser Jorah or Aegon in the room. There were seven others, two sellswords- by the looks of them- Lord Connginton, Lem, Anguy and-

"Arya?" Yes. Him. His eyes were on her wide as serving plates, his mouth lax and open. He looked slow. But he also looked older and stronger. His coal black hair was dishevelled and matted. His eyes were bloodshot making them all the more blue and all the harder to avoid.

She looked silly in her fancy dress which was now covered in dirt and grime. Arya wanted to look away but she couldn't stop drinking in his image, like he'd wash away if she took his eyes off him. She took a step forward and froze. She had thought about seeing him for many nights after finding him in the cells but now that he was actually free and before her, she couldn't move. What if he blamed her? What if he was mad that she hadn't tried to spring him out?

All her thoughts were dashed when two strong arms wrapped around her and picked her up off her feet. She could feel his whole body against hers. They had never touched like this, not really. Only when they play fought, when it didn't mean what she thought it meant now. She held him tighter to her when she realized how horribly wrong every thing could have went.

He lowered her back to the floor. It felt strange. Arya had never been this close to him before. They kept staring at each other, unashamed. They didn't even notice when Varys entered the house.

When someone cleared their throat, Arya and Gendry looked toward Varys both with looks of two caught thieves; embarrassment but no guilt.

"Well is this not an interesting event? Here we have a True Targareon,a Stark She- wolf and a Blacksmith Baratheon."

Gendry dropped his arms from around her. The room seemed different as soon as the words left Varys' powdered lips. Blacksmith Baratheon was that…

"Gendry?" He didn't look down at her but she could see something forming in his thick skull. The subtle links forming a long chain of unbreakable truth. She looked at him, truly for the first time and saw it herself. The time those knights came looking for him so long ago on the Kings road. The eyes and the hair, the muscles. It was all there. But…

"He looks nothing like Joffrey or Tommen." She pointed out. Aegon answered her,

"That's because they are not his true children only Cersei's and her brother, Jaime Lannister." He had been out of the country longer than her and still knew more, but she still knew more than Gendry and that made her feel awful.

"He is the utter resemblance of young Robert." Varys stated quite bored, he must have known for some time. But kept it hidden.

Lem and Anguy were looking at Gendry too. He had everyone's full attention, like a piece of meat for inspection. She saw his jaw clench and the anger building in his eyes. He looked stupid when he was mad but that didn't make him any less dangerous. She was sure he was going to punch someone maybe Aegon or perhaps Varys. Instead he just stomped up the stairs, loud as a bull. Arya smiled. Somethings would never change.

" Did it work?" Arya can tell that is the question that they all wanted to ask but it was Aegon who asked. To her it had to if worked if the queen reacted, she was still alive and best of all Lem, Anguy and Gendry were to.

Ser Jorah, Varys, Cottington and Aegon continued their conversation. Since she was not told to officially join the conversation went to talk with Anguy and Lem who were all by forgotten in the corner of the room.

They looked the same, which wasn't very surprising to her. Lem still wore the same ratty yellow cloak and Anguy was still speckled with freckles. Neither one hugged her like Gendry had and she would have been shocked it they had.

"By the gods who woulda thought this one could actually look like a lady." Anguy teased to Lem who didn't laugh but smiled only slightly.

" Well everyone knows I can beat you." She laughed an actual laugh. Not the fake ones she was taught with Izembaro. "But where are the others? Tom and Greenbeard?"

The archer's smile dropped and Lem answered "Tom was killed on the way. The queen doesn't like singers."

They were silent for a while and Then Anguy's smile return. "You see how our boy Gendry ran to M'lady." Arya had the decency to blush.

"I didn't think he'd remember me." She admitted, thinking about the little trinkets she'd put in his food. This about it now she was rather embaressed.

"I sure do " Lem added rubbing his nose. They all laughed at the memory from so long ago. The whole feeling was that of relief . Relief; that they were alive, safe and not in the Queen's custody any more. Arya was feeling more like herself the more she was with them.

Arya saw that Gendry had not come down yet. She wanted to hear more about them but she wanted to see Gendry more. She knew that at this time he would want to be alone but she didn't want him to. Excusing herself she went upstairs but not before catching the look Anguy gave her which made her blush all the more red.

The stairs were old and would have creaked under her feet if she had not learned how to be quiet. It was not very hard to find him there were seven tiny rooms and only one had a light. The door was direct parallel to the window, with the moon reflecting off the sea. Gendry had his back to her. He was even more muscled; she could see it in his back. She stayed silent and just watched him with a girlish curiosity. She felt a shiver danced down her spin, but she put it to the open window.

Gendry straightened and turned. When he looked at her there was something she liked about it. How his blue eyes were on her like her father's used to be on her mother. She felt uncomfortable, she felt naked. She had never felt that way with him. She never thought she'd like it. She wrapped her arms around herself and saw him shake off that look.

"They dressed you like a girl. Must've hated that." He offered.

"I feel stupid. I feel like my sister." She plopped unto the bed beside him. They were close their shoulders almost touching, like it had always been. He looked so confused and drawn; he looked like a man.

"My father and yours were friends-"

"At this moment, m'lady, I'd not want to hear about fathers."

She hated this; how he could sulk so much. She thought he might be happy to find out who is father was. She remembered how Jon was about not knowing his mother. He used to look at her other brother and sisters with hopeless longing whenever they received love from their mother Catelyn. But Gendry lost his mother at a very young age and he had no father until today, and his father was dead now too. He had only gained a father to loose him. The thought made her somber. She had had everything he could never have. Lowering her head she looked at her stupid lap in this stupid dress.

After what felt like years she tried again. Her voice was shaky with something like nerves.

"Did you get my-" she was lost for words and was realizing how stupid she must have seemed.

"Gifts?" He offered. Sure it was as good a word as any. And now he looked amused.

"S'pose we call them that." She muttered. He pulled out from his jerkin a ratty cloth and opened it to her. Inside it she saw the acorn, a peach pit and the bull button. She was felt her cheeks go red again for what felt like the hundredth time that night but this warmth was from some happy place. He kept them. He treasured them. She saw how he held them, like any moment they would turn to dust and blow away.

"I almost choked on the acorn." He laughed, "Why couldn't you just tell me."

"Because it's dangerous to be a Stark in Kings Landing." But that wasn't the real reason she knew that even if he didn't. She still felt bad for him.

"Because, I trust you the most with my secrets." She knew as soon as the words left her mouth she sounded dumb. She could feel Gendry looking at her again and it just made her uncomfortable. She tried to ignore him, staring out the window and pretending she wasn't there. But he was there and she needed to see his face.

He had his eyes on her the entire time. Just staring at her like no one had ever stared at her; only him. That time when they were so young and so dumb, wandering after Yoren's death. When he figured out she was a girl, when she turned around and saw him looking at her. It was the same look.

"Stop it!" She commanded, with her red face. He looked down at the bed with that smug amusement that came with becoming a man. She wished he were still awkward and angry so she could clobber him. But not really… He looked at her again and then moved closer, shuffling on the old linen sheets. She felt her breath leave her and his forehead touch hers at he leaned in. His hands were on either side of her head.

They were at perfect eye contact, or so she thought; He was so much taller than her. They were so close, she could smell him. He stank. She could smell the unwashed skin and sweat and dirt and piss from being locked up in a dungeon. But she could also smell Gendry. So she leaned in closer and inhaled. Her arms snaked around his neck. She heard-no felt- him sigh , with his warm breath tickling her chin and neck.

"There is none like Arya Stark."

AN/: I heard that bitches like Gendry and Arya...Bitches love Gendry and Arya... lmao I'm sorry I have the sophisticated humour of an eleven year old boy. Hope you enjoyed. and PLEASE REVIEW...god, do I sound desperate enough yet? :/