AN: Sorry if this is confusing, but I made a few changes. Enjoy. P.S. Thanks for all the comments! A couple of you mentioned doubt that Arya would have given up her list so easily. I'm working it into an upcoming chapter!

They spent much of the morning examining Winterfell's armory, taking stock of what weapons were in good shape, which ones they needed made and which needed repaired. Gendry made friends with Mikken the blacksmith, one of the scarce folks who had managed to survive the Grejoys and the Boltons. They compared techniques and designs until Arya came over and presented Needle to Mikken for inspection. He looked it over, smiled and handed it back. Arya looked into the large man's eyes and said, "Thank you for making my sword. Sometimes, it was all I had of home, and Needle protected me well all these years."

"I am honored, Milady," the usually-gruff man said, before bowing and turning away to hide the tears in his eyes.

Gendry whispered to his wife, "I thought you 'never say the right thing,'" and kissed her cheek. "Mikken, could you make another sword like Needle? I hear we have a fierce young lady coming to visit, and I'd like to have a proper gift for her."

"And I could teach her to use it!" Arya exclaimed.

Jon gave a small smile, picturing such a lesson. "Not as skinny as Needle, though. Rapiers are good for duels, but Lady Mormont will likely want to ride into battle before long. She'll need a narrow cut-and-thrust blade, like a proper Bear Island sword, just smaller and lighter."

"You'll let a girl ride into battle?"

"I don't know about 'let.' I was relieved she didn't try to ride into the last one. Now that I'm her king, I could order her not to, but she'll only accept it for so long. She's Lady of her island." Jon stopped to think. "Maybe it's time to make you a proper sword, Arya. You're bigger and stronger now."

"What's wrong with Needle?" she asked, frowning at him. "Needle's light, so I can strike fast! Fast is better than strong."

"I'm afraid I agree with your brother on this," Gendry admitted. "Needle is light and fast, but she's also short. You have to get too close to your opponent."

Arya considered this. "A longer rapier, or a cut-and thrust blade? You'd have to teach me battle fighting!" Jon nodded. Arya turned to her husband. "You could make something longer and broader, strong, but not so heavy that it slows me down?"

"I'm sure Mikken and I could figure something out," Gendry said.

"I can't wait to see it! Now stop stalling and pick out a practice sword!"

Gendry had taught himself some basics over the years from watching others, and Arya had given him some tips when they first met. Jon took the lead now, as Gendry would be expected to wield a longsword or a broadsword, not a rapier. He was strong from years of hard work and better at taking directions than the average noble boy, as he was used to it. Jon thought Gendry would have done well at The Wall. Arya kept popping into the lesson, though, contradicting her brother.

Before anyone knew what was happening, the siblings where dueling, each with an edgeless blade, though Arya was using the smallest, lightest one—usually reserved for small boys. Jon's moves were bold and powerful, but Arya's were quick and unexpected. She didn't telegraph her moves, and she didn't have a cape weighing her down. She did have the disadvantage of wearing a dress, but it was one she'd bought on the road, selected because it was warm but light-weight and didn't constrict her movements.

They were an interesting pair to watch. Jon was known for his power with a sword, but Arya's fighting style was like nothing anyone in the North used. Instead of blocking his sword in a straight collision of blades, Arya would use her sword to guide Jon's to a slightly different place, diverting most of the kinetic energy instead of absorbing it. The power of his strikes still jarred Arya. They parried for some time. Finally, she darted forward and thrust her blade, jabbing Jon right over his heart, then darted back and said in a Bravossi accent, "You are dead." The courtyard erupted into cheers, applause and a few jeers at Jon for getting beaten by his little sister.

Jon dropped his sword in frustration. "Most people say I'm good at this."

Arya nodded, shrugged and raised a mocking eyebrow. "Rematch?"

"First show me that pivot you did earlier…"

"I thought this was supposed to be my lesson," Gendry mused and wandered back to the forge to discuss two special swords with Mikken.

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