As soon as the ship had docked at the bustling port of Braavos, Gendry hurriedly collected the few extra coins he had earned on his passage before grabbing his bag and disappearing into the crowds. He'd spent most of his life in King's Landing – in fact, only the past few weeks had he seen any other cities– but from what he knew, he thought best to head away from the docks. Travelers were more likely to stay near the boats at the port, and he didn't want his face to be memorable in case some merchant ran across the Stabbington twins at some point in the future.

He kept his head down as he worked his way away from the larger canals in the city, keeping his back to the large Titan statue that his ship had passed under to enter the harbor. It was a little difficult at first as Gendry grew steadily used to using canals to cross waterways instead of merely sneaking through alleys, but at least this way it was easier to spot any potential people tailing him. He didn't see any signs he was being followed though, and so he gradually began to relax as he ventured through the city.

His first purchase had been a hooded cloak while he was near the port, and he was glad for that when he reached a waterway junction that held a series of islands with large temples to a host of different gods. He'd never been one for religion, but the largest building of white marble caught his eyes at how bright and ornate it was, even in contrast to the Sept of Baelor he was accustomed to in King's Landing.

Near it was a smaller red pyramid temple. Gendry wasn't sure what it was about it, but he trusted his instincts when the building put him on edge. He'd do his best to stay away from it and any of its fanatics.

He kept heading further away from the harbor as the morning went on, stopping every now and then to purchase food that would keep a bit longer: smoked meat, bread that he could eat stale, dried fruits. He did want to stay in Braavos, but the paranoid part of him whispered that he should keep going east, as far from Westeros as possible. For now, he'd settle with staying as far into the city as he could.

By the afternoon, he found himself surrounded by mansions of all sizes. Braavos didn't seem to care about being different, and he was surprised to see the variety of shapes and sizes there were. Some were short but long, covering a block or two, while others spiraled up and up taller than he thought a smaller mansion could be. He knew from his time roaming the streets of King's Landing at night, that many mansions owned by merchant lords were often vacant when they went abroad– and on the off chance they left behind servant staff, there was always someone that could be paid off to look the other way for a night or two. He was sure he could find an empty place he could stay in while he figured out whether to stay in Braavos or continue east.

He found a suitable location after walking a bit further. The towering mansion didn't have a large bottom floor, so there was little chance of any passers-by seeing him. He staked out the building until night began to fall, waiting to see if there was any activity inside. No one had entered or exited for all that time, and there was no evidence of motion through the windows he could see through from his vantage point across the way.

Once it was fully dark, Gendry snuck around to the back of the manor and entered through one of the lowest windows. He paused for a moment after finding his footing inside the mansion; he hadn't made any noise, but he was still wary in case anyone else was indeed inside. He heard no movement after a moment, and so began to scope out the entire building. He would only settle down in a room for the night if he confirmed he was truly alone.

The first three floors were completely vacant, save for several flickering fires; he was surprised to see them, as he hadn't noticed any lights when he was outside. There was always the possibility that the servants had made sure the fires would last until the residents returned. So, he found the next spiraling staircase and continued to explore upwards.

The only room of interest was on one of the uppermost floors of the mansion. The room was as spotless as the rest, but this one looked… more lived in. There were books neatly stacked next to the bed, and although the sheets were made, they had some wrinkles… like someone had recently been sitting on them…

Before he could even react, he felt something hit the back of his head, and the world went black.

Gendry opened his eyes to find himself tied to a wooden chair. Fantastic. He gave a few experimental tugs, but he was bound too tightly for it to make any difference.

A light cough caught his still-dazed attention, and Gendry slowly looked up. A hooded figure was standing facing him several yards away, and there was a pot clenched tightly in one of their hands. His heart sank into his stomach; he'd come all this way, and now it seemed like his time was up.

"Struggling is pointless," the figure said firmly. Gendry disliked being unable to see the speaker's face; their voice was controlled enough that he determine much about them, other than they were young. "I know why you're here. Who are you?"

"Um… what?" Was he really that obvious?

The stranger huffed in annoyance. "Who are you?"

"Uh… hello. I'm Gendry. From King's Landing," he added as an afterthought, feeling strange for the first time at how short his introduction would be otherwise.

That seemed to shake his captor. "King's Landing?" They echoed, an edge of wonder to their voice. "You're from Westeros. And now you're in Braavos."

He shrugged as much as he could in his bonds. "I was in a… situation. I had to get away from Westeros, and I needed somewhere to stay the night before I moved on…" His eyes widened as a thought struck him. "Wait, where's my bag?!" That was the only thing that could potentially save him if anyone from Westeros was coming after him.

"I hid it. You'll never find it."

Gendry looked slowly around the room. It was the same room he was in when he was knocked out, and there weren't many places it could be hidden… "It's under the bed, isn't it?" The hooded figure stiffened, before angrily marching towards him, raising the pot in their hands. "Wait, wait wait!"

Clang!

"Alright, would you stop that!" Gendry groaned as he blinked back into consciousness for the second time that day.

He could practically feel the smugness radiating off of his captor. "Now it's somewhere you'll never find it. So, what do you want with this mansion?"

"To get out of it," he hissed in annoyance, his head still pained. "You hit me with a pan!"

"Don't think I won't do it again," the stranger warned. "But, if you can behave, I'm prepared to offer you a deal. Do you know the floating lights that are sent up from Westeros each year?"

Floating lights? Gendry stared blankly at the stranger until he thought about the contents of his (now hidden) bag. "You mean the lantern thing they do for that lost girl from the North?"

He heard a mumble that sounded suspiciously like Kinvara was truthful, but he brushed it aside as the terms of this 'deal' were stated. "You will act as my guide and take me to these lanterns; only then will I return your bag to you. That is my deal."

Gendry outright laughed. They couldn't be serious. "Look, kid. The kingdom will want me dead when they find out what I did, so I won't be taking you anywhere."

He was surprised when his captor tossed back the dark hood that was covering their face. He was right, they were young– definitely younger than him. They had brown hair that fell almost to their shoulders; it was a bit long for a boy, in his opinion, but he had seen longer hairstyles from many Northerners and Essosians so this was no real issue. Their eyes are what stood out the most to him: they were a startling gray, so different from the shades of brown and blue and purple he had seen on his ship and while wandering around Braavos. He couldn't tell what the boy was wearing under his long cloak, but he was on the shorter side.

"I don't care if destiny or some god brought you here. My deal is the only reason you'll be leaving here. And if you don't take the deal, even if you tear this mansion apart brick by brick, you'll never find your precious bag."

"Let me get this right: we leave Braavos for Westeros, I take you to see the lanterns, and you'll give me back my things?"

"I promise." The boy spoke with a severity that made Gendry wonder who exactly he was speaking to. "And when I promise something, I never, ever break that promise."

He really didn't seem to have any options here. And, at least now his next few steps were decided for him. He might have enemies in Westeros, but he knew King's Landing. Being on the run in his homeland didn't seem as daunting anymore as fleeing to a whole new place. "Fine, I'll take you to see the lanterns. Now get me out of these bloody ropes!"

"Hold still, Gendry from Westeros." He didn't need to see the smirk on the boy's face to know his words held a tinge of amusement.

Gendry muttered his thanks as he rubbed the rope burns left around his wrists, but paused as he realized something. "You never mentioned your name."

For the first time, he could see the boy's surprise as he was caught off guard by Gendry's passive inquiry. "Oh! I'm… Arry." There was a slight pause before Arry said his name, and Gendry assumed it was due to his reluctance to give it. No matter. Now they were on a bit more even ground.

"Well-met, Arry from Braavos. Any chance you've got some food in this place before we leave in the morning?"