Meera was lost. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do now that she felt so alone in the world. There were cousins back in the Neck that were still alive but they were only cousins. Her mother was still alive but Meera hadn't ever been close to her. Meera was close to only two people before life guided her North and that was her father and Jojen. Now they were both gone and the man that they both died protecting sat in the same room as her. Meera shared his bed and even before the battle, she let him touch her. He said he loved her and she said it back but that love didn't get rid of this emptiness that she felt. Meera felt alone in the world and going back to the Neck seemed like the only way to fix that. At the same time, the thought of leaving Bran alone was terrifying enough that she nearly panicked.
When the blood on the ground was dry Sansa was the only person that Meera could think to go to and talk about this. Sansa was there the day that Ned Stark died, she saw it all, and she knew what it was like to lose a father like that. Sansa told her that the ache she was feeling wouldn't ever go away. She told her that it was going to haunt her for the rest of her days and there wasn't anything she could do about it. Sansa also assured her that the ache would be less all-consuming as time went on.
"I look at Bran and all I can see are my father and Jojen dying for him," Meera whispered. "I don't blame him but I can't look at him without thinking of them."
"I can't tell you whether or not that will change with time," Sansa said. "What I can tell you is that my brother adores you, worships the ground you walk on, and if he knew that being away from him brought you less pain he would send you back to the Neck himself." The idea of Bran sending her away somehow hurt even more than the idea of staying with those constant reminders. Meera knew it was selfish but she wanted Bran to fight for her. She wanted him not to give him but she also knew that she was going to have to do some of the fighting as well.
Jon was the King and she had thrown House Reed's support his way. It was the right decision to make and Meera now realized that this was the big secret that Bran and the rest of the Stark's had kept right before the battle. They were planning on going south as soon as everyone was recovered which should be in a little under a fortnight. If she wanted, Meera knew she could travel with the rest of the men from the Neck and go home. She could leave the Stark's behind, leave Bran Stark behind, and try not to think about the pain this family had caused her. She wasn't sure what frightened her more; the thought of leaving or the thought of staying.
A maid arrived with two cups of tea that looked like they were so hot they were nearly boiling.
"Milady and milord, the tea is very hot, I would let it sit for a moment and cool down before you drink it," she said. There were two other cups on her tray and Meera could see a little honey set aside so she assumed they were going up to Sansa and Theon. Theon was recovering from the loss of his leg and despite Gendry's best efforts in the forge making Theon a new one was taking time. Meera was comfortable on the bed and not really in the mood for tea but she got up anyway and moved the cup to the windowsill where Bran was looking outside. He looked up at her and smiled softly. Meera heard someone rushing down the stairs but she figured it was the maid and didn't bother to look.
"Thank you," Bran said as he looked out the window. He seemed very interested in what was going on outside and Meera looked. Daenerys was out there with Tyrion and they were talking with some soldiers. Jon was nearby as well and she could see Davos close as well. Gendry and Arya were walking toward the castle and talking to each other quietly. It didn't seem like anything interesting was going on and Meera couldn't figure out why Bran was staring. He took the teacup into his hand and took a long drink. Then he frowned deeply.
"Not the tea you wanted?" Meera asked but Bran didn't move. She shook his shoulder a bit and took one of his hands into hers the way she would when he would get lost in his own head. "Bran?"
"Something is wrong," he said. Meera was about to ask what was wrong when his entire body seized. He clenched her hand so tight Meera swore she heard bones breaking but she didn't care. Bran's eyes were rolling into the back of his head and it sounded like he was choking. Vaguely, she thought she heard someone that sounded like Theon calling out for help but Meera didn't think about that. She screamed for a guard, a maester, someone, and when she looked out into the courtyard all she saw was chaos.
Gendry knew that at this point he shouldn't be surprised when things went to hell quickly. After so many years of fighting for his life and after the battle against the dead he should have known that things could go bad very quickly. The dead being gone had lured him and others into a false sense of security and they should have known better. That didn't stop Gendry from being surprised when a crossbow bolt came out of the darkness and struck Daenerys in the shoulder. She cried out in pain and everything around them turned to chaos. Tyrion immediately ran to the queen's side and threw himself in front of her. He was doing what he could to protect her. Jon shouted orders to everyone to find out where that bolt came from. Arya took Gendry's hand and pulled him into cover.
"The scouts didn't say there was an attack coming," he said.
"No, but we know that Cersei sent Jaime here intending to kill as many people as possible. It stands to reason that maybe she'd send a few more," Arya replied. Gendry was about to say something else when they heard a cry from inside the castle. Someone was yelling about Sansa and Bran and he watched as Arya paled considerably. Another crossbow bolt came out of the darkness and hit Tyrion in the back. He grunted and Gendry heard Daenerys scream. Brienne and Jaime emerged and threw up their shields to try and keep people from getting hit but more and more bolts continued to come from the darkness.
"I have to get to them," Arya said. She was safe in cover and Gendry took her arm to keep her from running out into the courtyard but Arya was always faster than him. He yelled her name to try and get her to stop but she ignored him and ran to where the bolts were coming down from the sky. Jon was yelling too, he kept telling her to go back to cover, but Arya wasn't listening. When the bolt hit her leg Gendry's entire world seemed to come to a halt.
"Someone is on the roof!" Jon yelled and the bolts stopped. Gendry didn't hesitate as he ran to Arya who was wincing at the bolt that was in her thigh. Jaime fell to his knees nearby as he tried to talk to Tyrion but Gendry knew what a mortal wound from a crossbow looked like. Daenerys was telling him to hold on, that he would be fine, but there was blood on his lips and that was not a good sign. Brienne knelt down next to Arya but made sure to keep her shield up.
"You're going to be okay," Gendry whispered as he took one of her hands into his.
"Someone said they saw someone run into the godswood!" one of the guards shouted and Jon nodded.
"I want guards spread out throughout all of Winterfell and bring me, anyone, that we don't know. I want guards to keep all of the Lords and Ladies safe and no one is to leave their rooms. Call for Wolken and Sam and make sure the wounded are treated. I will search the godswood myself," Jon said.
"Go help my brother," Arya said. "Get your hammer and go make sure that Jon is safe. I'm going to be okay."
"I'm not leaving you here with a crossbow bolt in your leg when someone is running around trying to kill people," Gendry said.
"Ser Gendry I will stay with the Lady Arya and keep her safe," Brienne said. "Someone needs to go with the King." Gendry looked at Arya and she nodded. Her wound was not fatal, not at the moment, and what she needed was rest and treatment. He also knew that she would worry if Jon went into the godswood by himself.
"You better be in our room getting treatment when I get back," Gendry warned and Arya pulled him forward for a brief kiss.
"Keep my brother safe," she whispered against his lips. Gendry nodded and pushed himself to his feet. He called out to Jon who was heading for the godswood.
"Let me get my hammer and come with you," he said. Jon hesitated but nodded. Gendry had left his hammer in the smithy and it was a quick run to grab it and meet with Jon at the entrance to the godswood.
"They were trying to kill Daenerys or anything else of high standing," Jon said as they walked in. "There is really only one person that would do something like that."
"Cersei sent assassins," Gendry said and Jon nodded. If that was the case then whoever was in the godswood would want both of them dead as well. Gendry glanced at Jon and nodded as they walked into the quiet woods. The rest of the guards were busy keeping the rest of the castle safe so it was just the two of them and they were going to have to look out for each other.
Jon was glad to have someone else with him as he ran into the godswood. At the moment he was too focused on making sure that everyone was safe that he couldn't think about keeping himself safe. Gendry's arm wasn't completely healed but he was carrying his hammer like a man with a purpose. Jon also couldn't think about the way that Tyrion looked with that crossbow bolt through his back. He had seen the blood on the man's chest which meant it had gone all the way through and there was a good chance they were going to have to bury another body. Jon couldn't think about the way people were screaming and that Bran and Sansa's names were brought up. That the crossbow might not be the only way this person tried to kill people. He couldn't think about the blood on Arya's hands or any of it because his mind needed to be in this fight.
"Stay close to me. I know you're still healing," Jon said because if Gendry died in this fight Jon was pretty sure Arya wouldn't ever fully recover and that was something he could focus on right now.
"I'll stay close," Gendry said as they walked into the quiet godswood. Ghost and Nymeria had scattered to the woods after the fight with the dead, no doubt to heal among their own kind, and hadn't returned since but Jon wished that they were here right now. They could use two wolves to help them track this person. There were footprints in the snow and Jon could follow them but they seemed to pause for a moment and then the next step they took was different. It was like their foot changed sizes.
"Gendry, do you see this?" Jon asked and Gendry knelt down as he looked at the prints. "Does it look like they changed to you?"
"I feel like I'm forgetting something," Gendry whispered. "Yeah, they do look like they changed. Let's keep looking." They continued into the woods until Jon saw someone moving among the shadows. He silently gestured to Gendry and the two of them followed the person who was moving far faster than Jon had ever seen a man move. Jon turned and corner and ducked before a thin blade nearly took off his head. The man that was attacking him moved strangely but it also seemed weirdly familiar. His blade was thin, it looked a little like Needle, and he had a cloak covered his head.
Gendry tried to move behind the man but he ducked out of the way from them. There was a crossbow on his belt and a small bag on his back. Jon thought he could see a little red hair peeking out from the hood.
"Who are you and why did you attack people here?" Jon asked as he slowly approached the strange fighter.
"A man was given several names and a man is here to claim them," the stranger said and Jon watched as Gendry jerked like someone had just slapped him.
"I know you," he whispered. "I remember you. You were that creepy fucker who hung around Arya at Harrenhal. You helped break us out and you gave her that coin." Jon tried to remember what Arya and Gendry had told him about Harrenhal. About the strange man with the red hair that killed anyone that Arya told him to because he thought he owed her a debt. A man that Arya swore changed his face right in front of her.
"He's an assassin," Jon said. "And I can only guess who sent him here to kill people."
"A man was given a list of names and told to kill as many as he could," the assassin said as he pulled out a second blade. "Names that included both of yours." The assassin moved incredibly quickly and Jon couldn't remember the last time he went against a swordsman that made him feel like he was constantly on his back foot. He was fighting both of them with no issues at all and when his hood fell away Jon could see his red hair with the white streak in it. Gendry bared his teeth as he struggled but Jon could see that he was tiring and already favoring one arm over the other.
"Arya still has your coin," Gendry said and the man didn't react. "You saw something in her and you're going to kill two of the people that mean the most to her."
"The lovely girl had potential but decided not to use it," the assassin said and he used the butt of his blade to knock Gendry across the temple and send him down into the snow. He didn't get up and Jon struggled to fight against the full force of this assassin. He'd been training in ice and snow his entire life but Jon still lost his footing just long enough for the assassin to knock Longclaw from his hand and send him into the snow the tip of the blade to his neck. Gendry was groaning but he wouldn't get up fast enough to save Jon's life.
"A Faceless Man," an all too familiar voice said and Jon managed to look over to see Melisandre walking out of the darkness and into the moonlight. Jon thought she was dead, she had said that she wasn't going to live through this battle, yet here she was walking back into their lives. She had that same smirk on her lips like she knew something that the rest of them didn't. "I assume you are here to collect the names of these two men?" The assassin didn't move which was a good thing because Jon got to keep his neck. "Tell me, what are the names you are here to collect?"
"A man is here to collect the names of as many people as a man can but their names are Jon Snow and Gendry Waters," the assassin said in that deadpan voice that made Jon's skin crawl.
"It's a very important part of your ritual that you collect these names. I've read about your order many times," Melisandre said and she smiled. "But you see those aren't their names anymore. You are here to collect Jon Snow but he is no longer Jon Snow but King Jon Stark. And you are here to collect Gendry Waters but he is no longer Gendry Waters but Ser Gendry Stark. You have the wrong names." Jon had no idea what she was talking about but he could see the way the assassin shifted just a little bit. "They have no direct quarrel with your order, you are a man that was given an assignment that needed to be carried out. The person they will take revenge on is the person that hired you. Is that correct, King Jon?"
"We want the woman that hired you and not your people," Jon said because that was really the only option he had.
"You have claimed a name in the name of your god, No One, so depart now and we will make sure the ire of the Dragon Queen and the North remains focused on the person that hired you and not you," Melisandre said as she folded her hands in front of her. The assassin narrowed his eyes, removed the blade from Jon's neck, and nearly vanished into thin air. Jon realized that he was lying in the snow, his good brother was barely able to sit up, and neither of them had any weapons against the madwoman that was standing before them. "I should really ask you, bastard boys, to pardon me after all of the times that I've saved your lives. If I hadn't come that man would have cut you both to pieces and maybe even cut your faces off. Imagine what an assassin could do with the faces of the former King and the face of a man that looks like he should be one."
"I told you to leave if you value your life. Apparently, you don't," Gendry muttered.
"You knew she was alive?" Jon asked as he tried to move toward Longclaw but the blade was a significant distance away.
"Of course he did. He let me go because I was the one who told him how powerful his King's blood would be and it helped save us all. My words impacted him which impacted you," Melisandre said with a small smile. "Perhaps all of this will be enough to earn me a pardon."
"It's not." Melisandre turned around to a familiar voice and a sword went through her stomach. The blood seemed to blend into the red of her dress as she looked up at Davos who had emerged from the darkness. "You burned a little girl alive, witch, no deed will ever wipe your hands clean of that." Davos ripped the sword from Melisandre's stomach and let her fall to the snow. She looked surprised like she hadn't expected this to happen just yet, but Davos didn't even spare her a second glance. He walked over to Longclaw and handed it to Jon. He helped Jon to his feet and then pulled Gendry's good arm over his shoulder to help him walk out of the godswood. Jon looked down at Melisandre as she bled out in the snow.
"The only thing I will give you, in the name of the help you've provided, is I will honor whatever you want to be done with your body," Jon said.
"No need, King Jon, there is no need." The red of Melisandre's eyes seemed to fade just as the light on her ruby died out as well. Before his eyes, Jon watched as her body faded into nothing but dust that blew away with the cold winter wind.
Sam and Wolken took care of the bolt in Arya's leg but they raced off to try and help Bran and Sansa who were poisoned by something unknown. She told them to save her siblings and closed the door as she hoped Jon and Gendry would return soon. It was a terrible thing to watch Jaime hold Tyrion as the man blew out in his arms but the bolt went straight through and there was no chance that he would survive. Daenerys had lost a lot of blood and would be weak but Tyrion taking the bolt for her had saved her life. They just kept losing people.
Arya closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them Jaqen H'ghar was standing in front of her. He hadn't changed at all in the many years since he had offered her a coin and a very different life. She knew, immediately, that he was the one responsible for all of this at least on some level. Arya also remembered that he was a man that had some honor and helped her and her friends when they needed it most.
"A girl chose a very different life than the one a man once offered her," Jaqen said. Arya was confined to her bed because of this wound so she couldn't fight him off even if she wanted to.
"I did," she said carefully. "But you made me that offer because you saw something in me. I hope that maybe you could honor that now."
"A girl, who is Arya Stark, does know that a man was given her name to take," Jaqen said.
"A girl does know that. She also knows if a man wanted to kill her a man would have made the shot but didn't," Arya replied. "A girl would offer a man a trade. A girl still holds the coin that a man gave her but a girl would give up that coin for the antidote to the poison a man used on Bran and Sansa Stark." Jaqen watched her carefully as Arya reached into her bag near the bed and pulled out the coin.
"A girl's brother and husband promised a man that they would not seek revenge against a man. Can a girl make that promise as well?" Jaqen asked.
"Yes," Arya said. Jaqen took the coin and handed her two small bottles of liquid. She swore that she only looked down for a second but the moment she looked up Jaqen was gone. Arya knew she wouldn't ever see him again and even though she had no reason to trust him she knew that these were the antidotes to the poison currently killing her siblings. Jaqen mentioned Gendry and Jon which meant that they were alive. She called the guards in and told them to give the bottles to Sam and Wolken and what they were for. Arya fell back against the sheets and closed her eyes; even though there was no love lost between her and the Lannister's she knew what it was like to lose a sibling and she mourned for Tyrion Lannister.