Chapter 15

Arya made her way in the direction Gendry had been led earlier. She had finally convinced the maidens that were sent to help her bath that she was clean and was tired and wanted to be left alone to get some sleep. When they finally left her she snatched up Needle, which she had found waiting for her in her tent when she had arrived. It must have been Derik, he knew how much it meant to her. With her sword on her hip she left her tent to find Gendry and figure out an escape plan. There was medium sized tent only a few yards from Stannis`s she figured this must be where they were keeping Gendry. When she reached the guards, just like she had expected they stopped her. "Sorry little lady we can`t let you in there."

Arya glared at the man, and then smiled coldly. "Fine I will let myself in then." In a swift motion she unsheathed Needle and sliced at his belly deliberately meaning to only wound him. When he doubled over she brought the hilt down hard into his skull knocking him unconscious before he could make a sound. The other man was unsheathing his sword when Arya kicked him as hard as she could between the legs. The man`s face turned white and he gasped falling to the ground.

Arya grabbed his sword and tossed it away before looking around to be sure that no one had seen or heard anything. There was no one in sight, but she could hear strange noises from inside the tent. It sounded as though Gendry wasn`t alone. Pulling back the tent flap she stepped inside, her heart stopped beating and her stomach felt as though it had dropped out of her. She stood there her insides burning with rage and betrayal as she watched Melisandre fuck Gendry, as she watched Gendry fuck Melisandre. Needle was still in her hand and it took everything in her power not to remove Melisandre`s head from her shoulders and Gendry`s cock from his body.

"What the hell!" It slipped out before she could stop it. They both turned their faces to look at her and Arya noticed the glazed look on Gendry`s face fade and a look of fear and sorrow take its place. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, she did her best to blink them away when their eyes met.

"Arya please!" Gendry looked at her with a pleading look but Arya couldn`t look at him, she could feel the bile rising in her throat. So before he could stop her she turned and took off into the night. She ran as fast as her legs would allow her without being caught through the camp and out into the dark woods. When the sounds of the soldiers had all but faded and she could no longer see any light she figured she had gone far enough. She sat down her heart racing her legs aching and tears streaming down her face. How could he, how could he do something like this to her. After everything, it didn`t make sense. She could not forget that look on his face though, it seemed as though he was in a trance. The red bitch could have forced him to do it, but then again most men have that glazed look upon their stupid faces when women are around. He wasn`t as strong as Arya had believed him to be. She felt numb and the image of what she had just witnessed kept playing in her mind over and over again. Arya tried to push it away and breathed in the cool night air. She needed to move before they realized she was missing and someone came looking for her, but she didn`t know what to do. If she left now she left alone. She hated Gendry she wanted to take Needle and stick him with the pointy end, but at the same time she was afraid what Stannis was going to do with him. If anyone was going to kill Gendry it would be Arya. She did not wish to go back and look at his face ever again but she also had no food, no horse and no idea where she would go. She sat in the dark silence for a long time before deciding to return to the camp. It took every ounce of strength she had to make one foot move in front of the other as she made her way back, but she didn`t know how she would survive on her own at here. At least not without some sort of plan. Her mind was somewhere else, thinking about what she would do when she decided to leave. How she would get to Winterfell and kill the bastard and imposter. How Gendry`s face looked as Melisandra rode him. The sounds that he made, his hands on her hips. She shook her head. "Stop it," she hissed at herself. Then she heard something up ahead someone or something was making its way through the trees toward her. Arya froze, what would she say if it was one of the soldiers. She tried to escape, "but wait" she thought "they weren't exactly holding her prisoner." She straightened up and unsheathed Needle. The sound of falling footsteps was getting louder and louder but she still could not make out anyone in the darkness. There was a glow ahead from the fires of the camp that allowed her to see a little better but not much, and then her heart stopped. She heard a low growling sound. Whatever was coming toward her was no human. She scanned the darkness in front of her straining her eyes for any sort of movement. All of a sudden as if out of nowhere to large yellow eyes appeared. As they came closer Arya could make out the outline the huge wolf body. This was no ordinary wolf, it was a Direwolf, but where was his pack. Then Arya panicked they could be all around her she shot quick glances in each direction but saw nothing. The beast continued to make its way toward Arya slowly. A low rumble constantly sounding in its chest. Arya slashed her sword at it but the wolf didn`t so much as flinch. Then it stopped, everything was eerily quite. Arya didn`t know what to do, she wanted to charge the beast and kill now before it could kill her but something was stopping her, her body wouldn`t move. She took a few steps forward to her surprise. Then it all made sense, Arya stared at the wolf for a long time, she could not believe it could this creature really be Nymeria. It had been so many years she had almost forgotten what she looked like. Her large eyes, and light colored fur. Arya put her hand out and the wolf tilted it`s head to one side staring at her curiously.

"Nymeria?" Arya whispered and with that the wolf licked the palm of Arya`s hand and nuzzled her face up her arm. Arya felt tears well up in her eyes as she through her arms around her old friend. The direwolf knocked her over backward and licked every inch of her face. Arya laughed and squeezed her tightly. "I thought you were dead girl." She buried her face in the smelly fur. The wiped her eyes and stood up. "Come on girl, there are some people I would like you to meet. She started off back to the camp with Nymeria in toe. She couldn`t help the small skip she now had in her step. Her best friend had found her.

As they entered the camp men starting shouting at her and scrambling away. Arya kept her hand on Nymerias back at all times just in case. She could not believe it, Nymeria was alive and here with her. As they were walking through a particularly large crowd of men, one of them screamed while the others scurried for their weapons.

"Girl get away from that monster before it tears you to pieces! Do you know what that is?"

Arya smirked at him. "Yes, she is a direwolf and she is mine. No one is in any danger where she is concerned. Her name is Nymeria."

The man look at her stunned. "What are you a bloody Stark? Direwolfs aren`t pets."

Again Arya just smiled slyly at the man. I am of House Stark and this direwolf is my pet. The first person that tries to hurt her will be…

"ARYA! ARYA!" Gendry was running as fast as he could toward her. Her stomach flopped and her jaw locked. The terrified men just looked at her.

"Arya?" One of them whispered but before they could ask her any questions Gendry pushed passed them and came hurtling toward her until Nymeria stepped forward in front of Arya defensivley and Needle was pointed straight at his chest. He came screeching to a halt before he impaled himself. His eyes grew wide at the sight of the wolf and wider still at Arya holding a sword to his heart. He looked at her as though his insides were shattering, she hoped they were.

"Arya please let me explain, that was not what it looked like it," He paused for a moment, "Well actually it was what it looked like but you don`t understand I didn`t."

Arya poke him in the chest with Needle and in the cruelest voice she could muster she snarled, "I don`t want to hear what you have to say. You are weak and if you ever come near me again, I will kill you. You were all I had, I cared for you in more ways than one and that is how you repay me for it? I hope she drains your blood for a sacrifice." She lowered Needle and sheathed it. She felt like a monster for saying what she had just said but she hated him. It served its purpose however she watched his face fall to heartbreak and she had to blink away her tears as she and Nymeria walked past him and back to her tent. Once inside she clung to Nymeria and let the tears over take her. She sobbed so violently for so long that at some point she fell asleep. She dreamed of her and Gendry and Nymeria being in the forest running and shooting. Gendry kissing her forehead but when he pulled away from her his face was cruel and twisted and she could see flames burning in his eyes. He put his hands around her throat and started to squeeze, then she woke up.