Chapter 17

The day had been warmer than she could remember it being in a long. Arya had taken Nymeria for a walk in the forest and made her way around the camp easily. She wasn`t actually supposed to be wondering out of the camp or bothering the other men but firstly she didn`t care. She still had no idea why she was being kept here and secondly everyone was so afraid of Nymeria that no one said anything to her about her wondering off. Not even Gendry, whom she hadn`t seen since that night. She was both sad and happy about that. She still hated him for what he had done with that witch but as much as she hated him she missed him. She missed having him near her, having him around had always made her feel more at ease. Finally the sun was setting and the air beginning to cool and smell like camp fire as Arya and Nymeria made their way through the camp. Arya took a few unnecessary turns so that she might walk by the make shift forge where she knew he had been spending a lot of his time only to find it empty. "That`s odd." She whispered as she continued trying to pretend she wasn`t looking inside for him. "He`s probably in his tent with his new whore." She spat quietly to herself. Arya didn't want to go back to her tent yet, so instead she found an abandoned fire near the edge of the camp where Stannis quarters sat and began to sharpen Needle. She tried to keep her mind from wandering to places it shouldn't but it was to no prevail. She thought about where he might be, why Stannis was making her stay here. Where was he? The sun had disappeared when Arya finally looked up from Needle. It only to a moment before she noticed that all of the soldiers were quite. Everyone was asleep it seemed but her and her wolf. Arya yawned and turned to Nymeria. "Well girl I guess we should get some sleep as…" but her thought was cut off when she saw to figures emerge from what seemed like a door in the ground.
One of them seemed to be wearing a cloak but that was all she could make out in the darkness. Slowly she sheathed Needle and got to her feet. She followed then as quite as a shadow, once out of the camp a lantern was lit. It was Davos she realized, but who was with him where were they going. Her interest was piqued and if for no other reason than to give her something to do beside sit alone with her thoughts she continued to follow Davos and the stranger. They made their way through the dark forest until they descended down a flight of stone steps that seemed to lead to the small sandy beach of a large lake. Arya watched them disappear and then followed silently taking one step at a time. Davos and the stranger quickly made their way to what appeared to be a row boat. She descended a few more steps when the other figure removed the hood of the cloak they were wearing and the dim candle light from the lantern fell across Gendry`s face. She felt her stomach drop and the anger flare up inside of her. Where the hell was he going and without her.

Before she could stop herself Arya`s legs seemed to be carrying her down the steps. Still silent as a shadow she was almost right beside him when Gendry looked up and saw her. The lantern light hit her face and she saw his face contort into several different emotions before he spoke.

"What are you doing here?!" He shouted.

"I could ask you the same question."

Gendry closed the space between them and grabbed her by the shoulders. She tried to step away from him but Gendry held on to her to tightly.

"First you…" Arya started but was cut off.

"Arya listen to me," his voice was so stern and serious that it almost reminded her of her father and Arya was silent, "you must understand, as long as you are with me you are not safe. It seems that everyone wants me dead. I have to run, I have to go somewhere they can`t find me. You will be in danger as long as I am anywhere near you, Davos has agreed to get you to the wall to find John." There was a moment of silence where they just stared at each other and he said something almost too quiet to hear.

"I could never live with myself if something were to happen to you."

Davos set the lantern on the sand and walked to the pathetic craft and began dropping the few bags of what could only be assumed to be food into it, leaving the two of them alone.

Gendry stared passed her not able to look her in the eye as she tried to stay angry and think of something to say, but she couldn`t.

"Where are you going?" She watched his face as his eyes slowly met hers.

He shook his head, "I can`t tell you that, you will follow me. I know you."

The anger that had subsided began to resurface. "You just don`t want me with you. Having an ugly little girl with you will only get in the way of you and your whores." Gendry balled his fists and tried to stay calm, as Arya took a step forward. Shaking with frustration.

"You fucked that woman right there, with me feet away from you! You pretended to care about me for whatever reason and now you are going to just abandon me here not knowing or caring what is going to happen to me!"

She felt tears stinging her eyes as she turned away from him but Gendry caught her by the arm and swung her around. He lowered his face until it was inches away from Arya`s his voice was low and dangerous and it sent chills down Arya`s spine as he spoke.

"I know that no matter how many times I tell you I couldn`t control what happened that night you aren`t going to believe me and that is your stupid choice, but don`t you dare stand there and pretend like you don`t know that I love you. Everything I have ever done for you, everything I have ever said to you was real. And I will go drown myself right now with you watching if you ever try to say that again."

He kept his face dangerously close to Arya`s as she stared at him her mouth in a tight line. Then silently she closed the distance between them and buried her face into his chest. She felt him freeze at her touch but then slowly wrap his arms around her shoulders, and squeeze her tightly.

"Don`t say you love me." Her small voice was barely audible buried in his shirt.

"But I do."

"Bad things happen to people that love me. They always leave, like you were going to."

"Were?" Gendry pulled her away from him. "Arya I`m still..."
"Yes and I am coming with you. I have no one else and I make my decisions not you."

Gendry stared at her for a few seconds with a look like he might try to argue and then gave in. Fine, but you have no clothes or anything to take with you."

"I`ll be fine."

"Oi! Boy come on before the sun comes up."

They had almost forgot that Davos was standing uncomfortably by himself near the water. Arya grabbed the lantern and followed Gendry to the boat.

"I`m taking two more it seems" Gendry tried not to smile.

"I figured the little wolf wouldn`t let you leave without her. She`s far too much like her father for that, a true Stark."

Arya smiled at him as she and Nymeria climbed into the boat.

Gendry pushed the boat out into the water with a look back at Davos.

"Thank you, for everything."

Davos nodded to them as they Gendry rowed them further and further out on the open water.