Gendry came back to their room not long after Jaqen had vanished from sight. Arya knew that she wasn't ever going to see him again and that he had tried to kill the people she loved but she was also grateful to him. If it wasn't for him she would have been killed or worse in Harrenhal. There was a bit of blood on the side of Gendry's face but aside from that and him holding his bad arm he seemed like he wasn't hurt. Arya wanted to climb out of bed and hug him but she didn't want to make her leg worse. Gendry smiled sadly at her and climbed into bed and held her tightly.
He told her that Jon was fine as well and that Melisandre of all people was the one who saved their lives. He also told her that his cousin had finally been avenged by Davos and that she was dead. Arya told him about Jaqen coming and taking the coin in exchange for saving Sansa and Bran's lives. Sam had stopped by and told her that they were going to be okay and should be waking up soon. Arya was thankful to hear that they were going to be safe. She told Gendry that they had lost Tyrion but that Daenerys should heal fine. They were lucky that they only lost one man considering they were going up against a faceless man. The maid was likely Jaqen as well and Arya was thankful to hear that it didn't seem to be a maid from the castle.
The next morning Gendry left early to go and work in the forge for a little while. Arya was told to keep off of her leg but she managed to make her way to both Sansa and Bran's rooms. They were awake and no one thought there would be any lasting effects from the poison. Daenerys had her arm in a sling and worked with various soldiers to get a funeral pyre ready for Tyrion. She heard from various people that Jaime was very quiet about the entire thing and wasn't even talking to Brienne.
Arya could walk without any problems the next day and they all gathered outside to hold the funeral for Tyrion.
"He was my Hand," Daenerys said quietly as they stood before yet another pyre. "He pledged himself to me and I trusted his guidance. He wanted me to be better and he wanted me to be good for Westeros. I cannot begin to thank him enough for the sacrifice he made. I would not be standing here without him and for that? I can never repay my debt to you, Ser Jaime. I lost my Hand but you lost your brother and I am sorry that this happened." Jaime shifted where he stood nearby and looked like he wanted to say something.
"My sister did this," Jaime said softly. "My sister sent a faceless man here and gave him a list of names. He wouldn't have killed Tyrion unless she paid for it to happen. She didn't need to do that but she did. He was our, my, little brother and she had him killed." Jaime took a deep breath and released it slowly. "My brother pledged to see Daenerys on the throne and I also pledge to see that happen. Queen Daenerys, I will help you lead your forces south and I will help you take back the Iron Throne in the name of my brother."
"I accept," Daenerys with a small bow. She handed Jaime the torch and he lit the pyre. Brienne stood close to him but she never reached out and touched him. "Cersei Lannister is sending assassins to kill us in the night. I fear that now that one has failed only more will come. I know we are still healing but we must begin the journey south. I fear that the longer we stay here the more lives will be lost. We can finish recovering once we land on Dragonstone. Do you agree with this plan, King Jon?"
"I won't risk more people like Sansa or Bran getting caught in this violence. The sooner we leave the better I will feel," Jon replied. "The North stands with you in the fight for the Iron Throne. We begin preparations to make for Dragonstone and King's Landing as soon as possible." Everyone nodded solemnly and Arya reached over to take Gendry's hand. He squeezed it tightly as they watched the pyre burn. They might be leaving to avoid more loss of life but Arya knew that the battle for the Iron Throne could only end one way; bloody.
Now that they knew they were going south it became a matter of discussion as to how they would go south. They could go by sea which would give everyone a chance to recover more but they didn't know where Euron and the Iron Fleet were. There was a chance that they could come out of nowhere and no one wanted to take that chance. They sent several ravens to Yara but so far no one had heard anything back. Now they were talking about going on foot which would take much longer. The fact that people were still wounded meant that it would take even longer and a generous guess put them at three full moons of walking. Daenerys was not exactly thrilled with this idea. They were sitting in the Great Hall having yet another meeting and Arya wished that she didn't have to attend things like this.
"Three moons is more time for Cersei to fortify the city and hire more sellswords," she said.
"If her rule was going well I'd agree with you," Jaime replied. He was the one that everyone was talking to about this march because he was the one that had the best knowledge about what they were walking into. He was also the one that knew his sister, madness and all, and what they could expect from her. "It's not though. The Crownlands and the Westerlands are only loyal because they have to be because she's queen and a Lannister. The Stormlands aren't exactly eager to come and, as far as I know, ignored her calls to war because they still don't like what she did to Robert with me. She still has Ellaria Sand so she might be able to blackmail Dorne but they would do their best not to come. The Riverlands will be under Lord Tully's rule soon. As for the Reach, well, they might be angry about House Tyrell taking Highgarden the way they did generations ago they are angrier about her executing an entire house including a Queen and Knight that they were proud of.
"This is not including the fact that anyone who worships the Seven is still angry at her for what she did to the Great Sept of Baelor," Jaime continued. "She's been using anyone she can to keep the entire city from rioting for months. I don't expect the people of King's Landing are going to get less angry as time goes on."
"Your Grace," Edmure said. "I need to take back Riverrun in your name and my family's name. If you're there it would help with your cause and make sure that I can leave the castle and my family safely."
"Of course, my lord, I would not want anything to happen to Lady Tully or your son," Daenerys said. Arya could tell that walking was the last thing that Daenerys wanted to do but she was not a stupid woman. One of her men was asking for help and she needed to make sure it was given. Winter was here and going south meant getting away from the harsher conditions of the North and Daenerys' dragons were not doing well. "Perhaps we can come to a compromise. Dragonstone is my ancestral home and I do not want to leave it unguarded. We will split our forces with half going by sea and the other will walk."
"Your Grace," Theon said. He was still far too pale but he was up and walking on the leg that Gendry managed to create for him with the help of Tyrion before he passed. "Please, wait for my sister to contact us before you sail. We don't want to be caught unaware by Euron. He won't spare anyone and after the Battle for the Dead none of us can afford to lose more people."
"She is building Scorpions," Jaime said quietly. "You saw them when you attacked outside of Highgarden and you know what they can do. There is no doubt she'll make sure all of Euron's ships has one of those bloody things mounted to it. I know she would because it's what I would do if I was leading her army."
"I understand not wanting to leave your home unguarded," Jon said. "You have no idea how much I don't want to leave Winterfell right now but going by foot is the best solution for all of us. We need to make sure that we don't lose any more men if we're going to take the throne with as little bloodshed as possible."
"Your Grace," Varys said. "I still hear from my spies in King's Landing from time to time. They say that the city is as Ser Jaime says. Cersei is a threat but she is not a threat that can move quickly. Not right now. She doesn't have the support, the manpower, or the money."
"The Scorpions would pose a risk to my children and after almost losing Rhaegal I couldn't bear it if one of them got hurt because of my rash actions," Daenerys said and she released a slow breath. "Very well, we'll be walking out. Lord Tully, I ask that you leave two weeks before the rest of us. I will send a group of my Unsullied to make sure you can take your home."
"Your Grace," Meera said. "I believe that might not be wise. Westeros can be small-minded and they might not trust Lord Tully with the backings of foreign soldiers. I would instead like to send the remaining men from the Neck to help Lord Tully take his home."
"Thank you, Lady Meera," Edmure said with a nod of his head and he very much looked like he meant it.
"The remaining Knights of Vale will also help you take back Riverrun safely, Lord Tully," Lord Royce said.
"Very well," Daenerys said. "If King Jon is amenable I would like us to leave in a sennight."
"I am," Jon said and it was decided. Even though Daenerys herself had her arm in a sling and most of them were still wounded they had less than a week to plan to march an army south 1000 miles. Arya reached over and took Gendry's hand into hers. They both knew about walking long distances and she knew that neither of them was looking forward to it.
Meera sat with Bran as he continued to recover from the poisoning and was there the first time he opened his eyes. The relief she felt was unlike anything she had experienced when he looked into her eyes and smiled. Meera didn't care that he was weak and recovering; she threw her arms around Bran and held onto him for dear life. She didn't even realize that she was crying until Bran started to rub her back and told her that it was going to be okay. Meera climbed into his bed and the two of them spent a long time holding each other.
"I was worried you hated me," Bran confessed.
"It would be easier if I did," Meera confessed which was true. Sometimes she wished she hated him because then she could leave. Now, as she was lying in this bed and being held by him, she realized that she couldn't leave even if she wanted to. This man next to her bound her to Winterfell and to the North in a way she never really expected.
"When your men leave, are you going with them?" Bran asked and Meera sat up so she could look down at him. This was the first time she had ever heard Bran Stark sound so unsure about something. She thought he was sure about everything yet here he was, looking at her with big wide eyes, and she was reminded that he was younger than her by quite a few years.
"No," Meera said. "No, I'm not leaving. You need me so I'm staying." Bran's smile was like watching the sunrise and after so many years of never seeing it, there was something magical about it.
"You know what people will expect if you stay," he warned and Meera couldn't help but smile at how uncomfortable he looked at that moment. "Jon would never make us, of course, but people are going to talk. They already are."
"Are you asking me if I would like to marry you someday, Bran Stark?" Meera asked with a raised eyebrow and she could see him panicking. It was one of the most human things she had ever seen Bran do.
"I mean, I would never make you, and I wouldn't be that kind of husband," Bran stammered out and Meera continued to look at him. "I just mean that you and I, we don't know what's going to happen. And you're a lady but you're also not a lady kind of like Arya but I also mean-" He was working himself into some sort of panic attack and Meera couldn't let that happen. She leaned forward and captured Bran's lips into a soft kiss. He flailed for a moment and then seemed to finally relax. It wasn't chaste but it didn't go any further than a kiss. Meera pressed her forehead to Bran's and they both closed their eyes as they breathed softly.
"I would be honored to become a member of your family, Bran Stark, and I know it's what our fathers would have wanted," Meera whispered against his lips. He held onto her tighter and eventually, Meera rested her head on his chest. She felt Bran kiss her forehead and whisper thanks onto her skin. Somewhere inside Meera knew that she wasn't going to go back to the Neck, not right now, and despite the hole in her heart left from Jojen and her father dying this place felt like home and she felt home in this man's arms.
The week went by extremely quickly and Arya didn't want to think about it too much. Bran and Sansa were going to be okay and there didn't appear to be any lasting damage from the poison. It seemed that Jaqen was many things but he was a man of his word which she was thankful for. The splint came off of Edmure's leg and she said goodbye to her uncle, aunt, and cousin as they set off the day after everyone decided that they were heading south. It was going to give him some time to try and call the banners. Arya hoped that they were going to pass by the Twins so the Frey's could see Daenerys and her dragons.
The dragons were a problem though. Rhaegal's wing was damaged and he couldn't fly no matter how hard he tried. It looked like there was a very good chance that they were going to have to leave the dragon behind which Daenerys looked heartbroken over. Sansa didn't look entirely happy about it either since Rhaegal only let Jon fly on him and answered to Daenerys. She mentioned it two days before they were set to leave how worried she was about no one being around that could control the dragon.
"He's my son and I would do anything to have him come with us," Daenerys said. "I cannot stay here to be with him though and neither can Jon."
"I'd like to meet him," Bran said out of nowhere. Everyone turned and looked at him like he had completely lost his mind but Meera was smirking like she knew something the rest of them didn't.
"Very well," Daenerys said and they took Bran out to the dragon. Rhaegal seemed to know that they were getting ready to leave and seemed on edge but he calmed down as Daenerys approached. Jon pushed Bran's chair forward and, without a moment of hesitation, Bran reached forward and touched Rhaegal's nose. Daenerys paled and looked like she was ready to try and figure out a way to save Bran's life but nothing happened. Bran closed his eyes and the two of them almost seemed like they were breathing together for a moment. Bran removed his hand and smiled at Rhaegal.
"We've come to an understanding," Bran said like he just had a conversation with a dragon and that wasn't a big deal or anything. "He knows that you need to leave but also knows that this is a place that needs protecting. I asked him if he would help protect Winterfell while Jon was away and he agreed. He'll listen to me and he won't hurt anyone but I won't be riding him anytime soon so don't worry about that."
"Not for lack of trying I'm sure," Meera muttered and Arya had to bite back the laugh from the moment because if there was anyone who would try to ride a dragon without any dragon blood in his veins it was Bran.
"Are you staying?" Arya asked because no one had since they all decided that it was time to go south.
"Yes," Meera replied and she sounded confident with the decision. "I love him and he loves me. Bran will need someone to keep him in line and I want to help make sure that the Stark line does not die. There are plenty of cousins of mine who can watch the Neck for me. Bran told me that he thinks our parents would have approved of this match and I think I agree with him. It's good politically but we also love each other and, as you know, a woman rarely gets to marry for love."
"I'm happy for you and him," Arya said as she reached forward and took Meera's hand. "He's better with you and we probably would have lost him to the Night King long before the battle had started it wasn't for you. I don't think I can ever thank you enough for what you did for my family."
"You have," Meera replied. Jon pushed Bran away from Rhaegal and he looked a bit like he had just swallowed a lemon. He wasn't happy about the idea of Bran being near a dragon, Arya could tell, but they needed someone to watch the beast.
Rhaegal and Meera weren't the only ones that were staying behind. Theon could walk now but he couldn't get very far very fast and said that he wouldn't be much help. He was going to try and get in touch with Yara and help in Winterfell with Sansa. Brienne also said that she was staying behind. They could use her in a fight but she insisted that her place was by Sansa's side. Brienne felt like she had failed when Sansa got poisoned but Jaime took her hands in his and insisted that there wasn't anything she could have done. She couldn't have known that the maid was an assassin.
Jon didn't want to leave Winterfell in the state it was in. There were too many risks and he could only leave so many men behind. As the day they were meant to leave got closer and closer he got more and more worried. He asked the Free Folk if they would stay and help guard Sansa, Bran, and anyone else who was staying in the castle. Tormund heartily agreed since they have no intention of going south to help with that war. Arya privately went up and thanked him for staying since it was going to make it a lot easier for Jon to sleep at night.
They were breaking their fast the day before they were supposed to leave when Sandor walked up to Sansa and looked down at her with that familiar look on his face.
"Your brother and sister are going south, right little bird?" he asked.
"That's correct," Sansa replied as if it wasn't a big deal that a man like Sandor was just walking up to a princess like it was no big deal. Several lords looked like they were about to fall over.
"My brother is still alive at least that's what the golden handed cunt tells me," Sandor said and several people gasped at his language. Sansa, meanwhile, just blinked once and didn't say anything. Jon was rubbing his temples like he was getting a headache and Daenerys was trying to hide her smile behind one hand as her other arm was still in a sling. "Your brother might be a good swordsman but my brother isn't even human anymore. I'm going with them so they don't die."
"Thank you, Sandor, I appreciate that you're volunteering to go," Sansa said. He grunted and eventually turned to look at her and Gendry.
"Make sure I have good weapons so I can save your life. I don't want the little bird to get hurt anymore," Sandor said to Gendry who raised an eyebrow.
"Anything for Sansa," he said. Sandor muttered a curse under his breath and walked away without another word. Theon looked a little pale but he also looked like he was about five seconds away from laughing. For some reason it made a few people smile and try to hide their laughter. It felt light like someone releasing their breath after holding it for too long. Everyone was panicking about leaving the next day but now they were talking and laughing.
"You Stark's attract the strangest company," Gendry said.
"You mean "we Stark's" since you are one," Arya reminded him. Gendry got a strange look on his face and then he smiled. Arya loved that smile and even though it broke her heart a little how much he still didn't consider himself part of the family the look on his face when he remembered was worth it. For the rest of the day, they all spent their time running around the castle to try and get ready for the journey the next day. Gendry spent most of the day in the forge as he frantically tried to mend weapons and armor as they got ready to go south. Arya saw him a few times during the day but it was only the apprentices when she went to get him for dinner.
It wasn't hard to follow his footprints out into the godswood and he was standing in front of the weirwood as the snow slowly starting to fall. Arya didn't think she would ever tire of seeing Gendry in the snow. His eyes somehow seemed ever bluer and the white snowflakes that would collect in his black took her heart away. She walked up and to join him in front of the tree.
"I want to come back when we're done," he said and Arya looked at him. "I know you were worried about whether or not I would be happy here and I want you to know that I want to come back once Daenerys takes the throne. I want to stay in Winterfell and help it rebuild. I want to help the North and I want to prove to them that I'm a man worthy of one of their princesses."
"You have nothing to prove to me," Arya reminded him but she knew what he meant. It was the same way Jon was always working himself to exhaustion because now they were seemed to think they needed to prove themselves worthy of the Stark name. Arya didn't know how to tell them that they wouldn't have the name if they weren't already worthy but she also knew that this was something that the two of them needed to sort of out for themselves.
"I was there when Davos killed Melisandre," Gendry said out of nowhere which surprised her. No one had really talked about what had happened to Melisandre in the godswood that night only that she was dead by Davos' hand. "It was strange and I don't know how I feel about it." He touched the scars on his arms that he bore from the time she took him captive. "Davos got his revenge, I guess I did too to an extent, but it feels empty. It was justice too though. She tried to kill me, she burned countless people to death including my cousin, she summoned a demon that killed my uncle."
"You think I'm going to feel the same way when Cersei dies," Arya said and Gendry nodded. She could admit that she had thought about it too and how she was going to feel when Cersei died. It was hard coming to terms with the fact that she wasn't the one who was going to kill her and Arya wasn't even sure she could even lay claim to that right. Cersei cost a lot of people everything and she wasn't the only one who lost a loved one. "I just want to come home again with you and Jon and anyone else who wants to make a home in the North."
There was a feast that everyone was attending that Arya didn't really pay attention to. She remained sober and ate the food that she barely tasted. They would be leaving at first light. Jon asked the family to come up to his solar after the food. Sansa, Bran, Meera, Theon, and Gendry were all there as they settled down near the hearth. They passed around goblets filled with wine and sat in silence for a long time.
"Sansa," Jon said after a moment of silence. "I want you to know that should something happen in the south I've asked Daenerys to name you the Queen in the North. You're my heir and I want you to know that I have complete faith that you would make our family proud with your leadership."
"Thank you, Jon, I'm honored," Sansa whispered. "But you're coming home. You have to come home. We just got our family back together and now three of you are leaving."
"If we stay here she'll just send more assassins," Arya said. "She sees Gendry and I as threats to her reign, much more so than you and Bran. If she has us to focus on then maybe she'll leave Winterfell alone while we're heading south. And I-" She cut herself off as she felt Gendry take her hand. "I need to be there when she dies or I don't know if I'll ever find real closure. I need it in a way I can't really explain."
"I understand more than you could ever know," Sansa said. "And maybe I got some of them because I was there when Joffrey died. Just, look out for each other and come home to me."
"We'll do our best," Jon replied because that was all he could promise. Despite the fact that they needed to leave at first light they all stayed up far too late talking and just being together. Bran and Meera revealed to everyone, formally, that they were planning on getting married someday and Sansa burst into happy tears. When Arya saw the two of them kiss it was like seeing her mother and father again and it made her heart hurt. Theon told them that he had no intention of returning to the Iron Islands and wanted to serve his penance for the farm boys he murdered in Winterfell. Theon's suffering was marked all over his body but he pledged to serve House Stark to the end of his days, in whatever capacity they would like him in, and would accept any punishment that Jon would give him in the future.
Arya wasn't sure if Jon would punish Theon but now wasn't the time to talk about it. There was a dragon staying behind that could protect the castle, the Free Folk, Brienne, and a small group of Northmen and the few members of the Black Brothers that had survived. Jon clearly wanted to leave more but they were already heading south with very few numbers.
It was many hours later that they all went to sleep and Arya's dreams were troubling her. She woke up three different times with a strange feeling in her stomach that she couldn't ignore. Gendry held onto her a little tighter each time that she woke up. By the time the sun began to creep over the horizon, Arya didn't feel like she slept at all but she got up nevertheless.
She held onto Sansa like a lifeline and tried to fight the tears that were threatening to fall as they hugged each other. Arya never thought she would be this close to her sister yet here they were crying over each other. Theon let her hug him and Arya whispered for him to keep Sansa and Bran safe. She ignored the fresh snow on the ground and dropped to her knees so she could hold onto Bran. It was so good to see him being himself again and to see him happy with someone like Meera. Meera hugged her tightly and handed Arya her spear to take south for the fight which she gladly accepted.
Everyone was saying goodbye to someone and it was mid-morning by the time everyone was getting ready to leave despite the intentions to leave at first light. Neither Daenerys or Jon seemed inclined to hurry people with their goodbyes. Out of the corner of her eye, Arya saw Jaime and Brienne hugging each other tightly and softly speaking to each other. Daenerys opted for riding a horse instead of a dragon with her arm still wounded. Missandei took her place at the head of the Unsullied. Everyone climbed on their horses and for the second time in her life, Arya had to say goodbye to Winterfell and her home. She didn't think it could hurt more than leaving as a child but it did only this time was different. When she left as a child Arya knew, deep down, there was a good chance she wasn't going to come home. Even if she didn't want to admit it Arya knew that she came south so her father could find her a husband. When she left Winterfell as a child there was a chance she wasn't going to come home again.
This time, as Arya climbed on her horse and looked at Gendry as he climbed on his, she was able to come home. It gave her something new to fight for. She wanted Cersei Lannister dead because she wanted to come home to Winterfell and be safe and not just for revenge and not just for justice. It made walking out of the gates harder and easier.
Arya wasn't surprised to see the wolves on the edge of the woods and she was so happy to see Nymeria and Ghost still alive. Both of them bore scars now; Ghost was missing an ear and Nymeria was missing an eye but they were both alive. Ghost broke from the much smaller now wolfpack and ran back into Winterfell. He would help guard Bran, Sansa, and the others. Nymeria howled and lead the wolves into the woods; it seemed she intended to go south with them at least part of the way.
"Looks like my mama wolf is back to make sure I don't freeze before we get south," Gendry said and for some reason that made Arya burst into laughter. The tears were streaming down her cheeks and yet she laughed as the armies marched south.