Part One
Revenge is a kind of wild justice, which the more a man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out. -Francis Bacon
Arya didn't know if it was fate, or destiny, or luck, or if the Gods finally heard her prayers that she overheard that conversation. Lord Beric was talking to the Red Woman while Arya just passed by. She could hear them talking about someone, a person, that they wanted to buy which didn't make any sense to her. They didn't have any slaves in the Brotherhood Without Banners. The Red Woman said "the bastard boy" and Arya felt like someone dropped her into a frozen lake. It was Gendry, they were going to sell Gendry, and she could hear them talking about price as if he was a thing and not a person.
They needed to leave and they needed to leave now. The camp was mostly asleep and it sounded like they were planning on taking Gendry in the morning. That meant that Arya didn't have a lot of time to not only convince him to leave but also get them as far away from these people as she possibly could. Arya could see him sleeping next to one of the small fires in the camp and thankfully there didn't appear to be anyone nearby. She knelt down next to him and roughly shook him until he woke up.
"Arya? What's going on? Is there an attack?" he asked still half asleep.
"I need to talk to you, immediately," she said.
"It's the middle of the night-"
"This can't wait," Arya said as she stared directly into his oh so blue eyes. "Please." Arya didn't know if it was the "please" that ultimately convinced him but Gendry pushed himself to his feet and followed her away from the camp and into the woods. When they were a decent distance away she turned to him and tried to think of the best possible way she could do this. "Gendry, the Brotherhood isn't safe and we need to leave immediately."
"Arya, I know you're worried about the whole "ransom" part of this but you have to know I wouldn't let them hurt you," he replied which threw her a little but there wasn't time to dwell on it.
"No, it's not safe for you," Arya said. "I heard Lord Beric talking to that Red Woman and he and Thoros are planning to sell you to her. She's here for you." Gendry frowned and looked a little lost for words.
"What would a woman like that want with me?" he asked quietly.
"Anyone willing to trade a person for coin isn't up to any good," Arya said. "Please, we need to leave right now. We need to get as far away from them as possible. They were planning on taking you in the morning so that only leave us a few hours." Gendry was still frowning and looked like he didn't entirely believe her. "Please, I wouldn't lie to you about something like this. Do you trust me?"
"Of course I do," he replied without hesitating and then it seemed to dawn on him what that meant. "Okay, so we need to leave. If we go back to the camp and try to steal something then someone might catch us."
"The faster we get to Riverrun the faster we're safe," Arya said as she began to make her way deeper into the woods. Gendry reached out and took her by the arm to stop her. He looked a little sad and she didn't understand why.
"Arya, the first direction they are going to go to look for us will be toward Riverrun. We can't go to your family or they'll catch us," he said sadly. Arya was about to argue with him, tell Gendry that they would be fine and that getting to her mother and Robb was the only way they would ever be safe, but she also knew he was right. She didn't risk everything to get him away from that woman only for them to get caught again. Arya could picture what that woman would do to try and get him back, who she would hurt, and hurting him in the process. It wasn't acceptable, the risk was too much, but that didn't make it hurt any less. "Arya," Gendry said and she realized how long she'd been staring at him without saying a word. "Look, why don't you make your way to Riverrun and I'll head the opposite direction. I can make my way back to you, take the long way, that woman will give up eventually."
"No," Arya snapped and her voice was much angrier than Gendry must have expected because he flinched like she had struck him. "You were going to leave me for the Brotherhood. I'm not letting us get separated again. It's not an option. I'll just have to wait a little longer to see my mother and brother. I can wait a little longer if it means keeping you safe."
"You'd do that for me?" Gendry asked after a moment of silence. Arya was about to call him stupid when she saw how wide his blue eyes were, how shocked he looked, like he couldn't comprehend the idea that someone would place his needs above their own. Arya was ashamed to admit that she sometimes forgot how different their upbringings were. While she fought against the trappings of a noble life she went to bed at night knowing her family loved her even if she drove them crazy sometimes. Gendry's mother had died when he was very young and he didn't know his father. His master sold him off like he was nothing and now the Brotherhood had tried to do the same. She wondered if anyone in his life had ever thought of him first.
"Yes, without hesitation," Arya replied because he needed to hear those words. He needed to know that she was willing to wait if it meant keeping him safe. "Riverrun is East so let's head West. Maybe we can find a village or something." Gendry was still staring at her like he couldn't believe she was real and Arya was about to say something when Gendry wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. She couldn't remember the last time someone held her like this and memories of her father came rushing forward but she didn't cry. She couldn't, not yet, not until they were safe, but she hugged him back in the dark right before they needed to run for their lives.
They didn't stop to rest for the rest of the night. There wasn't enough time and they still needed to put some distance between them, the Brotherhood, and the Red Woman. There was no doubt in Arya's mind that she was going to be looking for them and distance was the only thing that could keep them safe. For the next three days they slept only a few hours a night, age and drank very little, and ran until they both nearly collapsed. She knew they needed to get far but that didn't stop her from being bone tired by the time they stumbled upon a small village. A few of the houses looked burnt and Arya realized that this village had recently been attacked either by bandits or the Lannister's. She wasn't sure which option made her angrier. There was a small inn but neither of them had any coin.
"I have an idea," Gendry said when she mentioned how they had nothing to trade for food and shelter. Arya didn't know what he had planned but Gendry walked into the inn and found the keeper. "Pardon me sir," Gendry said. The innkeeper looked up from the broken glass he was trying to clean. "I see that you and yours had some trouble recently."
"Aye, trouble would be one way of putting it," the man replied and he was eyeing them like he wasn't sure if they were going to be trouble too.
"My sister and I are in need of somewhere to stay and some food but we don't have any coin so I was wondering if a bargain could be struck," Gendry said and the innkeeper narrowed his eyes.
"Go on," he said.
"I'm trained as a smith and in exchange for forging any nails or fixing anything that needs fixing you let my sister and I stay here with a meal a day." Arya raised her eyebrows because that was a good idea and the innkeeper looked surprised as well.
"And what will your sister do to earn her place?" he asked.
"I can teach you how to defend yourselves from more attacks like this," Arya said. "I was trained by a great swordsman and I know enough to teach the men and the women of this village how to keep themselves safe." The innkeeper looked at the two of them and seemed to realize that he had nothing to lose aside from a room and two meals.
"Very well, let's see what you two can do."
For the next ten days, Arya and Gendry worked in the village. Gendry forged all sorts of things for the villagers from nails to weapons to whatever they asked. The forge was tiny, basically a single room where one blacksmith could work, attached to the inn. The innkeeper, a man named Josef, saw that they were more than worth the room and food that he was giving them. The village couldn't seem to understand what they were doing or why they were helping but they didn't turn it down either. Arya could climb and she would often find herself on the roof of older people in the village learning how to fix leaks and put down wood. It was hard work but it was the kind of work that left her feeling satisfied by the end of the day. She also offered to train whoever wanted to learn which was helpful too.
Gendry managed to find her an old dagger that one of the villagers gave him as a thank you. He fixed the bent steel and even put a small direwolf near the hilt of the blade. Arya smiled and hugged him tightly for the gift. On day ten, though, a man rode into town. Arya was getting ready to eat dinner when the man nearly kicked in the door of the inn and demanded a room. Josef didn't look thrilled about this but he gave the man a room nevertheless. Josef's daughter, who was younger than Arya, was helping her mother serve the food. The man leered at the girl in a way that made Arya sit up a little straighter. She had a bad feeling about all of this.
"Oi, innkeep," the man yelled at Josef. "How many coins do you want for a night with the girl here?"
"I can give you room and food and that's it," Josef said but Arya knew that he didn't have the strength to defend his family from this man and the man knew it. The door to the inn opened and she saw Gendry walk in with his smith's hammer still in hand. Arya knew that he was deadly with it when he could be, he told her how he killed a few Gold Cloaks with it when Yoren died, and judging by the white knuckle grip he had on the hammer he was feeling deadly again.
The man reached for Josef's daughter and Arya acted without thinking. She would never let a woman get hurt like that in front of her. The dagger was in her hand and she slashed the man's hand.
"You little bitch!" he screamed as he reached for his sword. It was the distraction that Gendry needed because he calmly walked up to the man and smashed his skull in with the hammer. The would-be rapist fell to the ground and judging by the blood pool he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. Arya looked up and saw that all of the other patrons in the inn, including Josef, were staring at them. She wasn't sure what to say and the sound of the girl bursting into tears made the two of them jump. She ran over and threw her arms around Arya in a tight hug.
"Thank you," she whispered. She broke away from Arya and gave Gendry the same tight but brief hug. He looked very confused by that and awkwardly patted the girl on the back. Josef told them that they could have whatever the man on him since the kill was theirs. Arya and Gendry gained a sword, another dagger, and a small coin purse with a little money in it. Josef and his family helped the two of them drag the body out into the woods where the wolves would hopefully have a feast.
"Two daggers and a sword. We might be able to defend ourselves now," Arya said. Gendry was looking at the sword with a clinical eye that told her that he was not impressed with what he saw. "What is it?"
"This blade is mostly useless. I'm thinking of melting it down and starting over," he said and then he looked at Arya. "I bet if I use both of the daggers I could forge you something similar to Needle." Arya wasn't sure what to say to something like that. She missed her beloved sword like she was missing a limb and the idea of having a replacement felt wrong. However, she was much more talented with a sword like Needle than two daggers.
"I'd be honored," she said and Gendry smiled at her.
Two days later Gendry was taking apart the sword to make it into something else when the sound of horses began to approach the village. He looked up at Arya and the two of them moved to the wall near the entrance just below the only window in the forge so they were hidden. There was a chance that this was just someone passing through, some more travelers, but the Brotherhood couldn't be happy that they had lost their ransom and the Red Woman was dangerous. There was no telling what she would do if she found Gendry again. Arya wouldn't let her have him, she already decided this, and that hasn't changed.
"Good sir," the Red Woman's voice said and Arya saw Gendry visibly flinch. He had his hammer in one hand and he was doing his best to look brave but Arya could see that he was afraid. Arya, with her dagger in her left hand, reached over and took Gendry's avaibile hand into her own. He glanced at her and looked a little relieved but still nervous.
"Can I help you, my lady?" Josef said.
"Perhaps, my men and I are looking for a boy and a girl. The girl is young with short brown hair while the boy is a little older with black hair and blue eyes. There is a chance they passed through this area, have you seen them?" This was not good and Arya could feel herself getting ready for a fight.
"Can't say that I have, my lady," Josef said and Arya froze. "May I ask why you are looking for them, my lady? What did they do?"
"Stannis Baratheon, the rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms, is in need of the boy. The Lord of Light needs him and that is all you need to know," the woman said and she didn't sound happy that someone was asking her questions.
"We haven't had any travelers recently, my lady, I apologize," Josef said. There was a long beat of silence and Arya wanted to look out the window more than anything to see what was happening. The last thing she wanted was someone to get hurt because of them. She knew that Gendry would never forgive himself if this woman hurt Josef while looking for him.
"Very well. We shall continue our search," she said. The sound of horses and a cart being drawn followed. Neither of them moved for a long time and Arya wasn't sure when it was safe to do so. She heard someone walk into the forge and Josef looked down at the two of them.
"They're gone," he said.
"Thank you," Gendry replied. "You didn't have to do that for me."
"You helped my daughter so I consider us even," Josef said. "That being said, I think it's time for both of you to move on. No one here wants soldiers looking for two fugitives no matter how helpful they are."
"We understand," Arya said.
"You can stay the night but I'd like you both gone at dawn," Josef nodded to the two of them and walked out of the small forge. Gendry slumped back against the wall and closed his eyes. Arya kept her had interlocked with his because she had a feeling that he needed something to ground him in this moment.
"Gendry-"
"Why me?" he asked softly. "Why do all of these high borns want something to do with me? First the Gold Cloaks and now this King? I'm no one."
"You're not no one," Arya replied softly.
"People keep dying around me when they ask who I am," he said as Gendry opened up his eyes and looked at her. "You aren't safe with me."
"People are looking for me too," Arya said as she squeezed his hand. "You're just as much of a danger to me as my own last name." He didn't look like he believed her but he looked at their intertwined hands. "We're family, we're pack, and pack doesn't leave when things get hard. You said you've never had a family and now you do, me, and I'll protect you. No one is going to hurt you while I'm standing."
"You would try to make that promise," Gendry replied but he was smiling a little again. "No one will hurt you as long as I'm standing either."
Gendry spent the rest of the day taking apart the useless sword and making something new. Arya helped around the village as much as she could and by the time the sun went down she let herself back into the forge. Gendry was leaning over the small table working on something. Arya walked over and saw a large warhammer getting polished. On the bottom of the mallet was a small sigal of a bull.
"We can't tell people our names," Gendry said as watched her look at the hammer. "So I figured going by "the wolf" and "the bull" might be our best bet. What do you think?"
"Why a warhammer?" Arya asked and Gendry shrugged.
"A hammer is what I know so it makes sense. Josef said I could keep the smith's hammer too so now we have more than one weapon each."
"We'll make my sword at the next forge we go to," Arya said. "Let's get some supper and sleep. We need to leave in the morning."