CHAPTER #12

Escape for Arya wasn't as easy as she had expected. Anguy stayed close to her side. Tonight would not be the right time, as he wasn't even drinking much. She would never forgive him for not helping her stop Gendry from being taken. But she planned on using him for protection from the other men until she left.

"Where do you think the red priestess is taking Gendry?" Arya asked

Anguy shrugged, "not really sure. Probably back to Dragonstone, as she is an advisor," he gave her a wink, "to Stannis Baratheon."

"She's a witch," Arya grumbled, making Anguy chuckle.

"Go get us another bowl of stew before it's all gone," he encouraged with a little push.

They shared a bowl, before finally going to sleep. He slept with an arm over Arya, which irritated her and made escape impossible. She would wait patiently and then act when the opportunity arose. As per usual, before closing her eyes she did her chant of names.

In the morning they continued on, the Brotherhood all eager to meet up with red cloaks. They wanted to fight. Anguy scouted up ahead and returned quickly, announcing a Lannister raiding party was near by. The men readied themselves for battle.

"We heard their men talking that Rob Stark was at the Twins, something about a marriage." Anguy reported to Beric.

"Sounds like a party we might want to attend. I doubt Stark knows that the Lannister's plan on crashing their wedding," Thoros chuckled.

Arya listened to their banter, gaining information on her family. Now she no longer wanted to go to Riverrun, instead she wanted to get to the Twins and see her brother and mother. Escape from the brotherhood was still a priority, as she didn't want her family paying any ransom to these traitors. Having no weapon herself, she stayed at the back of the group, but if the opportunity presented itself she would pick up a sword or discarded dagger.

It wasn't long before the two groups of fighters clashed. The sound of clanging swords smashed the morning into the afternoon. Screams of pain and grunting men, told the tale of the fight. She found a dagger beside a red cloak and Arya tucked it into her belt. The sword was too big for her to use effectively, but she still picked it up. One man who had two arrows sticking out of him was still alive, until Arya used the sword to stab him in the belly. She liked how the blade made blood gush out, as she removed it. There was something so satisfying in seeing it penetrate flesh.

The battle didn't last long, before all the red cloaks were dead. The Brotherhood celebrated and then picked apart the corpses.

"We should disguise ourselves in their cloaks and kill them from the inside out. They won't know what hit them until it's too late," Thoros said.

Beric nodded, "you heard him, get that gear on."

"So does this mean we are heading to the Twins?" Arya asked Anguy.

He grinned, "looks like it. You'll be reunited with your family soon enough."

Travelling with the men until they reached the Twins, would give her protection and food. She would be able to ride and not have to walk. Things were working out in her favour. Once they arrived, she'd escape and find her family. Due to the proximity of their enemy, the men disguised as red cloaks rode up front and on the sides of the group. As if they were bringing in prisoners of the war. Anguy scouted ahead as per the usual.

It was late sunset when they arrived. But Arya could see huge camps were set up on either side of the Towers. No one got up from their camp fire as they rode in. The red cloak disguise was working. The Brotherhood Without Banners dismounted, tying their horses to the trees. Then they began killing men wearing red cloaks. It didn't take long for all chaos to break out.

This was Arya's chance to escape. She made it close to the Tower on horseback, but then had to dismount as there was more fighting happening there too. She heard screaming inside the hold and knew there was no way that the Brotherhood had made it that far already. She recognized some of the men from her brother's army. But just as she was about to make herself known, the men had their throats slashed by others. Arya then realized the Lannisters had ambushed her brother's wedding. Frantically she searched for her family. She saw men kill her brother's wolf Grey Wind and couldn't shake the cold hatred that poorer over her. She hid in the shadows behind some kegs of ale.

Shouts went up that Rob Stark was dead and so was his peasant bitch. Word also travelled fast that Catelyn Stark had also been murdered. Arya couldn't stop the tears. She had been so close, but had not made it in time to save her family. She vowed to avenge them all. Her heart was torn wide open and she desperately wished she had Gendry there to lean on.

Gendry was in the dungeon at Dragonstone and had his own problems. He was expecting execution when Davos Seaworth visited him. The man had been beside Lord Baeratheon when the red priestess had tormented him with the leaches. But the man spoke to him kindly and even gave him some food.

"I recognize that accent from anywhere. Are you from Flea Bottom?" Davos asked.

"Yes, that's where I grew up."

They chatted about living in Flea Bottom until Gendry was done eating, then Davros asked, "why did you trust Melisandre?"

Gendry sighed sheepishly, "her beauty distracted me."

Davros nodded knowingly, "never been with a woman have you….so you took a chance and it didn't end well. She's not one to trust."

"My friend had tried to warn me, before I went away with Melisandre. She said she was a witch."

"She serves the Lord of Light, but she uses tricks and magic in ways that doesn't sit well with me."

Gendry's turn to ask, "so then why serve under this Lord? Why not leave?"

"Stannis was a good man once, before she manipulated him to doing wrong. I try to make him see the truth and not what this woman paints," Davros explained. "I'll come back, but now I must go."

The man left and Gendry's thoughts returned to Arya. She was where his heart and head were now. Had his body been there too, he would've been in a lot less trouble. He hoped one day they would meet again, if Melisandre and her leaches didn't bleed him dry.