Disclaimer: I do not own anything from A Song of Ice and Fire or Game of Thrones. Everything belongs to George R.R Martin.

Chapter XXXVIII - The Red Priestess

Arya POV

Arya Stark was furious at the injustice. The Hound has managed to escape freely, and Anguy the Arhcer and the rest of the Brotherhood allowed him. Her father and Alyssa haven't lifted a finger to help her, and now Arya isn't in speaking terms with them. Despite members of the Brotherhood and her father insisting that one day, Mycah will be avenged, Arya was not satisfied. She walked around the cave and found Gendry fixing armours for the Brotherhood.

"What are you doing?" Arya asked curiously.

Gendry looked at her and said, "Just mending Lord Beric's armour."

"Why?" Arya asked bewildered.

Gendry sighed and then said, "I'm going to stay on as a smith for the Brotherhood."

"Have you lost your mind?" Arya demanded. Gendry rolled his eyes, which made Arya annoyed. "When the Lannisters finds this place, do you think they'll spare the smith?"

"The Lannisters wanted to kill me long before I wanted to join the Brotherhood." Gendry replied. "When I asked Lord Stark why, he told me because I am King Robert's bastard son."

Arya looked taken back and was surprised. Gendry had the same dark hair that the King had, and even the same blue eyes. Except, King Robert was fatter. However, that doesn't explain anything, and Arya said, "Your father and my father are best friends. You don't have to do this."

"I want too." Gendry said, giving her a smile. "They need good men."

"Robb and my father needs good men too." Arya cut in. "We're leaving tomorrow. And then you could-"

"What?" Gendry interrupted. "Serve him?" Arya couldn't find anything to say, this was not how Arya was going to put it, but yes, she was thinking of Gendry serving Robb. She began to respond, but Gendry interrupted, "Now, I served men my entire life. I served Master Mott in King's Landing and he sold me to the Watch. I served Lord Tywin at Harrenhal, wondering everyday if I will get tortured or kill. I'm done serving."

"You just said you are serving Lord Beric." Arya argued.

"He may be their leader, but they chose him. He's been their brothers, they're family." Gendry said, Arya turned around, not wanting Gendry to see her tears. Gendry continued, "I never have a family, my father may have many bastards, but I never seen them in my entire life."

Arya turned back and her voice cracked, "I can be your family."

Gendry gave a smile as Arya looked at him pleadingly, Gendry then said, "You won't be my family." Arya looked heartbroken at that, and Gendry added, "You'll be my lady."

A part of Arya wanted to smile, another part of her wanted to hit Gendry for calling her a lady, but all she did was turn around and walked away.

oOoOo

Alyssa POV

Alyssa Stark was training using a sword with her father. Never before has Alyssa been allowed to train with swords, thanks to Septa Mordane and her mother's insistence. Instead, Alyssa had to use it secretly, sometimes Robb has offered to train with her, which Alyssa accepted. Robb was her closest sibling out of any of her father's children. Like Jon and Arya had a special relationship, Robb and Alyssa also had a special one.

"You're good." Ned praised her which Alyssa beamed proudly at that, trying to ignore the Brotherhood's scoff. No doubt thinking that her father let her win against him. Meanwhile, Arya is venting her frustration on archery. Sometime ago, Arya has told them of Gendry's decision to stay with the Brotherhood. Alyssa was a bit upset, but she didn't blame Gendry. If all of her family were dead, she would stay with the Brotherhood too, even if she was just a girl. Her father tried to comfort Arya, promising her that if she wants Gendry to be happy, Gendry should choose to stay there.

"There's someone out there." Arya said next to them as she held her bow. They looked back and saw rustles of trees and horses coming in. They were men in armour on horses, but they were not Lannisters. However, Alyssa wasn't looking at the soldiers, no, she was looking at a woman garbed in red cloak and hood. There were rumors that Stannis Baratheon is being advised by a Red Witch, perhaps that is her.

Thoros of Myr immediately stood up seeing her and the Brotherhood walked towards the group of soldiers with horses. Alyssa, Ned and Arya followed them too.

"We come as friends." The red woman Melisandre said lifting off her hood.

"Begging my pardon my lady, but we'll be the judge of that." Thoros of Myr said walking forward.

"Valar Morghulis." Melisandre said and for some reason Arya stood straight hearing that.

"Valar Dohaeris." Thoros replied. "I don't see many priestesses of R'hllor in the Riverlands."

"You are Thoros of Myr." Melisandre realized. Thoros nodded and Melisandre continued, "The High Priest gave you a mission. Turn King Robert away from his idols and towards the Lord of Light. What happened?"

"I failed." Thoros replied, not ashamed at all.

"You quit, you mean." Melisandre spat. "The heathen continue to slaughter each other and you continue to get drunk."

"Your worship him in your own way, I worship him in mine. Do you speak the common tounge?" Thoros asked. "My friends don't speak High Valyrian."

Alyssa remembered how when she and Arya were children, they wanted to learn how to speak High Valyrian, the same language that Queen Visenya Targaryen and Queen Rhaenys Targaryen spoke. However, High Valyrian was too difficult to learn, and they gave up on it. However, Alyssa was about to recognize some of the vocabularies, and could guess what the Lord of Light's servants said.

"Why are you here my lady?" Thoros asked. Melisandre dismounted from her horse and whispered something to Thoros who brought her into the cave, no doubt to see Beric Dondarrion.

oOoOo

Alyssa, Arya and Ned watched as Gendry took Anguy's arrows and promised to help him fixed it. Alyssa was glad that Gendry is getting happy with his new position as a member of the Brotherhood without Banners. They saw Thoros, Beric and Melisandre exited the cave, as the soldiers brought over a cart.

"I don't like woman." Arya suddenly said.

"Me too." Alyssa added, there was something about the Red Woman that striked her off.

"That's cause you both are girls." Anguy the Archer said and Alyssa rolled her eyes.

"I heard how she burns people who do not support her lord." Ned said, sitting on a fallen tree. Suddenly, Melisandre, Thoros and Beric walked towards them, Ned stood up and Gendry smiled at his new 'Brothers'. The Baratheon soldiers moved forward and Beric said, "Forgive me lad."

The soldiers took Gendry who struggled and Ned demanded, "What are you doing Beric? Let him go!"

Ned made a move to help Gendry but the soldiers merely pushed him away.

"Tell them to stop!" Arya yelled. "He wants to be part of the Brotherhood, he wants to join you."

"Stop them!" Alyssa said furiously, but Melisandre just turned around and looked at her calmly, her gaze unnerved Alyssa a bit.

"We served the Lord of Light." Beric said. "And the Lord of Light needs this boy."

"Did the Lord of Light tell you that? Or did she." Alyssa said pointing at Melisandre. Ned immediately took his daughter's hands, afraid what Melisandre is going to do to her. Although Melisandre may not have weapons, Ned could tell she could do worse then warriors do. Ned's eyes focused on Gendry, then onto the guards who brought bags of coins.

"You're not doing this for your lord, you're doing this for gold." Arya spat.

"Aye." Ned said. "And here I thought the Brotherhoods are honorable, they help the smallfolks."

"We're doing it for both, we need gold, Lord Stark." Thoros said. "We can't defend people without weapons, horses and foods, we can't have weapons, horses and foods without gold."

"You want weapons, horses and foods and gold?" Ned asked. "Take us to Riverrun and I promise you will get three times the amount of gold then that witches gives you."

"I don't doubt your honor or generosity Lord Stark, but the question is, will Riverrun fall under the Lannisters?" Beric asked.

"You told me this was the Brotherhood!" Gendry yelled behing hauled to the cart. "You told me I could join you."

Ned looked helplessly at Gendry as Alyssa and Arya looked at him pleadingly, hoping he could do something. Ned knew he could do nothing, the Baratheons and Brotherhoods outnumber him and he is only one man. Worse, the Brotherhoods could use his daughters to threaten him. He has lost all trust he had on the Brotherhoods in a day. Melisandre walked towards Gendry and looked into his eyes, "They are just foot soldiers in a great war. You will make Kings rise and fall."

Melisandre moved towards her horse and Gendry was being hauled to the cart. Alyssa, furious, immediately moved towards Melisandre, not caring her father yelling her to come back.

"You're a witch." Alyssa spat with as much venom as possible. "You're going to kill Gendry."

Melisandre looked into Alyssa's eyes, which unnerved her, she grabbed Alyssa by her chin and said, "I see fire in you. I see you with a silver haired man with three dragons and a large army. I see you riding a wolf holding a sword, killing the terrors of the Long Night."

Alyssa forced her chin out of Melisandre's hand and glared at her and walked towards her father and Arya, as they watched Gendry on a cart, looking at them.