Valyrian Steel

Chapter 31

Arya

Arya woke up with a startled gasp and shot straight up in bed waking Daenerys up in the process. Her friend opened a bleary eye and placed a kind hand on Arya's shoulder.

"I'm alright, just need to move." She muttered.

Daenerys nodded and buried herself further into the blankets and furs. They had taken one of the larger rooms of the Twins. Arya did not want to sleep in Walder Frey's room, it reeked of the old man's death. This was Sophia's room, large and feminine it was joined to Walder Freys room by its own private hallway and door. A room fit for the Lady of the Twins, some of Sophia's things were still scattered about and it smelled of winter apples and cinnamon. It was a nice smell, but Arya did not want to linger in it for long. She disentangled herself from the blankets and furs, Nymeria followed her out of the bed and Daenerys let out a slight protest when their warmth left the bed and her toes were exposed.

Arya tossed a shadowcat pelt onto her friends feet before feeding the fire, grabbing a pair of thick socks and slipping out. Sleeping with Daenerys was relaxing, it reminded Arya of when she shared a bed with Sansa in Winterfell. She felt safe with her, safe enough to cry. There wasn't any pressure to be Arya Stark, a lady or a faceless assassin. Daenerys saw her as all these things and it removed the confusion from Arya over who she should be. She was all of them.

Arya stopped in the middle of the hall and looked around, Nymeria was at the opposite end waiting. She knew where Nymeria wanted to go and followed.

The room wasn't under guard and Arya hesitated for a moment before silently opening the door. Gendry was still on his back and Arya held her breath listening for his and watching his chest. After what seemed like a minute, but was probably less than three seconds, he took a deep breath. She got closer and watched him sleep. He was breathing normally, not the still almost deathlike rest she remembered Berric taking all those years ago. Everything seemed normal, but what if he couldn't wake up, what if he stopped breathing?

Dread pooled in her stomach and before she knew what she was doing she poked his forehead repeatedly, and a little rougher than necessary. Gendry's brow furrowed and he opened his eyes, blue met gray and Gendry let out a frustrated groan.

"Seven bloody hells below Arya, what time is it?"

"The hour of the wolf." She said looking out the window.

"Of course he muttered." He stared at her for a time "What happened?"

"Just making sure you could still wake up." she mumbled avoiding his eyes. Gendry let out a long sigh and grasped her hand with his warm large rough, calloused hand.

"Warm, right." Gendry said gently rubbing his thumb along hers. Arya nodded hating herself for her weakness. "If you feel like I might not be breathing come and check. If you need to make sure I can wake up, wake me. I'm here. I'm alive. We're alright."

Arya stubbornly looked at him and placed two fingers along his neck to check for a pulse. It was strong, she put her hands over his heart and checked there too while he sat stiffly up.

"Arya..." he murmured looking at her oddly, he grasped her hand and moved it away. Arya took a step back and sat on a chair nearby.

"What are you doing?"

"Making sure you don't die in your sleep stupid." She snapped

"Well I won't be able to sleep with you in here." He grumbled running his fingers through his messy black hair.

"I can be quiet, you won't even hear me breathe."

"That's not the point, I'll know you're there and be on edge all night. You're too young to understand. Go back to bed" He said rolling to his side, facing away from her.

"I'm old enough!" she shot back. Gendry rolled back over and fixed her with another odd stare. In the back of her mind but Arya knew what the problem was and what she had just said. She didn't even want to acknowledge that because she knew it would mean the end and start of something that she wasn't ready for.

"You're not old enough here." Gendry said pointing to his head. "Go back to bed and let me sleep."

"Stupid Bull" she muttered.

"Stubborn wolf" he yelled out before she slammed the door.

)O(

Arya kept walking throughout the keep that night and managed to avoid most people, until she reached the great hall. Jon was kneeling over a blood stain on the floor of the great hall. Ghost and Shaggy-dog were with him and Arya knew whose blood it was. She stood by silently while Nymeria greeted her brothers and then kissed Jon's cheek before laying over another blood stain...her mothers.

The funeral was supposed to occur in the morning, Uncle Black Fish said that he would manage the funeral arrangements according to Tully tradition. Arya was grateful to him for it, her mother deserved a funeral and she did not have a head for organizing any form of social event. Sansa would have been a better choice, but she was not here and probably would not arrive in time. Rickon would be there, inside Shaggy, she hoped that would be enough. They had never been able to say goodbye to any of their lost loved ones. This was the first time Arya would have to attend a funeral for someone she loved.

Arya looked towards Jon who was still silently staring at the blood, she didn't understand why he wasn't as angry as her. Why it didn't still burn in his chest when she pulled the Freys from their keep. Rickon understood, but Jon didn't. Or maybe he just didn't want to see her become a killer. It was too late, Arya had crossed that bridge long ago.

"I only saw what happened outside, but I heard enough and the blood tells its own story." she said to fill the empty silence.

"How did you escape?"

"Didn't mean to, I was going to run in but the Hound knocked me out with an axe, I'm still surprised that the blow didn't kill me." She rubbed along where she knew there was still a scar in her scalp.

"I'm not, you were always hard headed."

Arya let out a surprised laugh and watched her brother smile in return.

"Do you remember When Theon, Robb and I were wrestling. I called out to you for help and Theon said that you were just a little girl, that you wouldn't be able to do anything. You charged at him head first but he moved at the last second and you hit Robb instead." He sat down next to ghost over the stain of their dead brother.

"I remember knocking him on his ass and splitting his lip. Mother was watching and she let out this yell when she saw the blood. You and Theon looked at me then at each other before we all ran away into the gods wood." Arya said sitting next to him and stroking Ghost's fur.

"Theon and I stayed out there for two nights while you and Robb snuck us snacks from the kitchen. Father wasn't even angry, he thought it was hilarious. It was your mother we were all afraid of." Jon brought her head to his chest and leaned back to lay down with her

"She scolded me for an hour before father sent me to sleep. I told you to let me stay with you guys in the forest." Arya added with a pout.

"Then father would have really been cross." Jon stroked her hair out of her face. "You were always his favorite. Don't even try to deny it."

"I don't remember it like that." Arya looked back and thought she was just as loved as any of the other Stark children by their father.

"You got away with more than you can remember, even when you were being punished everyone in the castle knew to sneak you sweets and to hide you from the septa. They would not have done this if they thought father would be cross over it. I remember when you were born he used to hang flowers over your crib and I swear to all the gods that he sang to you. Not very well, but you always quieted down when he did. The Lady Stark loved you but you were always Ned's girl. Every bruise, every hurt feeling or new adventure and you ran straight to him."

"And you." she added burying her face into his side.

"Aye, me too. I think your mother was jealous of me for it...I'm not sorry for trying to stop you." He said in a low voice looking away.

"And I'm not sorry for shutting you down. It needed to be done. I needed it to be done." Arya said not meeting his eyes, she didn't want to see the disappointment or concern.

"Is it done? Will it ever be done or will you keep finding people to blame?" Jon finally looked down at her and she met his eyes.

"Who knows? I just know that I felt peace. Like I was righting a great wrong and all I felt was peace. I'm still angry, but I did something about it and there's less fire there. It's not the first time, I felt it before leaving Westeros." Arya searched his face for any sign of what he was thinking. He seemed concerned and thankfully not disgusted.

"I can't pretend to like it, but I'll try to accept it." Jon answered earnestly. Arya smiled up at him and sat back up.

"Sun will be up soon, good night brother."

Jon ruffled her hair and waved her off. "Good night little sister."

)O(

In the morning Arya and her men gathered along the shore to see her mother's bones down the river. She stood next to Jon and her uncle Brynden lighting the oils in the rowboat with the first shot despite the tears in her eyes. Arya ran off shortly after with Nymeria and Shaggy-dog in tow, they followed the boat for as long as it floated and she did not return to Daenerys' bed until late into the night.