I really appreciate the reviews you leave for me. They motivate me to keep going. I am now writing the tenth chapter, or something like that, so I'd say this is going pretty good! I'll try to update at least once a week, perhaps sooner if I get really excited. R&R

Chapter 3

Arya

Aray waited for the next morning before she knocked on her sister's chamber door, and carefully entered. Sansa lay in bed with the covers thoroughly tucked around her.

"What do you want?" she snapped, her voice hoarse. Probably from crying so much, Arya thought. Sansa should stop crying all the time. She looked much prettier without the pink nose and fluffy eyes. Hopefully, this necklace would cheer her up. Arya ignored her hostile tone and sat down on the bed next to her.

"I've got a present for you," she said. She didn't mention it would be her wedding present if her wedding ever happened. That would only upset her more.

"I don't want anything. Go away, Arya," Sansa said, her voice almost pleading. Arya pulled the wrapped necklace out of her pocket and laid it down on the pillow next to Sansa's head.

"The new blacksmith made it. He's really talented," she said and stood to leave. In the doorway, she stopped, considering saying something more like 'I love you', but changed her mind and went down for breakfast. It was a dim atmosphere around the table. By now, everybody knew about Sansa's romance, and everyone feared something would happen to the wedding. Ned tried to lighten the mood by asking everyone what they had been up to the last days. Arya told them about the new smith, Gendry. When she boasted about his work, they all eyed her in interest.

"Where does he come from?"

Arya remembered his look after he had told her where he was from. She hadn't been able to figure out what it meant, but she was sure he regretted telling her. So when her family asked, she simply shrugged and continued eating her bacon.

"I haven't heard anything about a new blacksmith," Ned said wondering to his wife. "I ought to speak with Mikken. I am Lord of Winterfell, I should show some interest in the worker's lives."

Catelyn nodded before her eyes grew wide. Everyone turned in the direction she was looking and saw Sansa coming through the door, fully dressed and with her hair put up in a classy do. Arya smiled when she saw the wolf-necklace around her sister's slender neck. Sansa sat down next to Rickon at the end of the table and gave Arya a grateful look. Thank you, she mouthed. Arya nodded back, happy the necklace pleased her.

"I'm glad you joined us, Sansa," her mother said warily. Arya could see how forced her sister's small smile was. Obviously, she hadn't forgiven her mother for yelling yet.

"You look lovely, sweetheart," Ned said. "Is that a new necklace?"

Sansa nodded eagerly. "An early wedding gift from Arya," she said, showing the necklace to Rickon who nodded approvingly. Arya startled. So she had figured it out even though Arya hadn't said anything about it. Did this mean Sansa still wanted to marry Edrick Dayne?

"It's beautiful," Catelyn said.

"It's the new blacksmith's work," Sansa said, looking down at her wolf on her chest. "He's talented."

They talked about weddings for the rest of the breakfast; Sansa said she finally decided on what dress she wanted to wear, and Robb talked about how his bride-to-be Talla Tarly, would soon arrive at WInterfell and they would have their wedding.

Arya realized that they were all almost grown now. Robb was getting married and would soon have a son or daughter, Sansa would be lady of Starfall, Bran was five-and-ten, nearly a man grown, and Rickon would be one-and-one at his next name day. And she was six-and-ten, flowered and ready to become a wife and mother. She was suddenly very aware of the fact the she was the next sibling in line her father needed to find a betrothed for, and the thought scared her more than anything.

When the breakfast ended, and the servants came to clean their plates away, Arya hurried after her father as he put his cloak on.

"Father?" she asked.

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Will you force me to marry some old lord?" she blurted, dreading the answer. Her father sighed, and sat down on one of the steps in the staircase, waving her closer.

"You are a woman-grown, Arya, and one day we will have to find someone who can take care of you," he said, his voice gentle, as if he was afraid to break her. She clenched her fists and shook her head.

"But I don't have to get married to be taken care of! Robb can do it, I'm sure he won't mind. I can live with him until I'm old and die."

Ned gave her a little smile and ruffled her hair like Jon had used to do when she was little.

"Let's not worry about the future today, Arya."

"But when should I worry? What if someday you decide it's time, and you send me to some castle down south where it's always hot and sunny! Please don't force me father," she said, feeling her throat thicken. She knew her parents had delayed her wedding plans until Sansa was wedded and bedded. But how much longer would they be willing to wait?

Ned pulled her closer and put his arms around her. "When the day does come, I promise I will listen to what you have to say about the matter. I will not let you marry some 'old lord', and I will especially not let you marry if you are truly so against it. But today you are young and innocent, and you don't know what you really want. Who knows, perhaps you will wake up one day and think that now you are ready to get married and start a family."

Arya shook her head stubbornly. "No," she said simply. "That's not me. That's Sansa, but not me. I want to be a knight, not a wife."

"Like I said, let's not worry about the future, my dear." He gave her a hug and left her on the stone step. Arya felt the frustration bubble up inside of her; she didn't want to get married, she didn't want to be a lady! Why couldn't she just become a bloody knight?

Gendry

When the lord of Winterfell had stopped by the forge, Mikken had told Gendry he could take a break for a while. Gendry was grateful as he pulled his tunic over his head and disappeared out of the door. He reckoned the lord had serious matters to discuss with his master, or else they would not have asked him to leave. He had to chuckle by the resemblance between Lord Stark and his daughter. Except for her long hair, and his graying beard, they looked practically the same. Their eyes were the most obvious similarity; they had both widened by the sight of him, for reasons he yet did not know. After seeing everything that was worth seeing inside the castle walls, he followed one of the gates out into the open space around the walls. The snow was more rapid out here where the wind had free access, and his hair was soon filled with snowflakes. He wrapped his cloak firmer around himself as he strolled through the leg-deep snow. He hadn't seen snow before in his life before he had traveled north with Yoren and his group, and was surprised by how breath-taking it was. The white layer of snow transformed the landscape completely, and lay over the ground as a thick carpet.

A noise of wood hitting wood caught his attention, and he hurried toward the sound. The idea of it being dangerous seemed so absurd in this beautiful landscape, he didn't even consider it. He found his way through the trees, the sound growing louder and more rapid. When he saw movements behind in the distance, he slowed down, careful not to be seen. He caught a glimpse of a mane of dark brown hair, followed by a girl's face, wearing a furious expression. She was wearing boy's clothing and was hitting a nearby tree over and over again with a long stick. She hissed and grunted as her stick hit the tree, the sound echoing through the woods. He knew he ought to be surprised by witnessing a lady acting as she did, but Arya Stark was no ordinary lady, he had known that from the moment they met. He walked a little forward and leaned around a tree for a better look. Suddenly, a branch broke under his weight, and Arya's head jerked around. When she saw him, her expression grew even angrier.

"Are you spying on me?" she asked accusingly, her voice dripping of hostility. Gendry approached her, holding his hands defensively into the air.

"I heard a noise-"he started, but she only snorted.

"I don't care!" she snapped and started hitting the tree again. He stood there for a while, wondering what to do.

"Who's the tree?" he asked after a while. It was meant as a joke, but she only gave him a dark stare.

"You," she replied dryly, giving the tree yet another whip.

"I'm honored," he said, bowing. The gesture made Arya throw the stick to the ground and push him down after it.

"I'm no lady!" she yelled, pushing him again until he lost balance and fell into the snow. He wasn't able to hide the smile erupting on his face, and he could see how irritated it made her.

She picked up the stick again, and started whipping it towards him, missing him by inches.

"Ey, careful," he said and got to his feet, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Stop smiling," she ordered.

He bowed again. "As m'lady commands." She sneered and threw her stick after him, but he ducked and it flew over his head and landed a few feet behind him. "I hope m'lady is better with a sword than she is throwing sticks at people," he said. Arya gave him a challenging look, before she broke two branches off the nearest tree and handed him one of them.

"See for yourselves," she said and brought her arm into a starting position. Gendry hesitated. He was too old to play with sticks, besides, Arya was a girl, high-born lady no less, and he really didn't want to hurt her. But seeing her confident expression urged him into testing her theory. Mikken had told him that she was quite the swordsman, or lady, but Gendry didn't believe it before he had seen if for himself.

"Are you craven?" Arya teased. "Or perhaps you do not know how to swing a sword."

Gendry gave her a smile. "I'm only afraid to hurt you," he said, winking. She juggled the stick from one hand to the other in a graceful move. He noticed she used her left-hand, which would only make it easier to beat her. Or so he thought. When they got started, she showed she was quick and danced elegantly around, avoiding every blow he threw at her. Her petit figure worked in her advantage, as it only made it more difficult to hit her, and whenever he was even near, their sticks would meet and make a hollow sound. She ducked from one of his blows, and appeared right beside him, swinging her stick at his arm. Grunting, he backed away, and managed to block her next blow. Their sticks locked and they stood only one foot apart, staring into each other's eyes. Arya's grim expression was completely vanished, and she was smiling, laughing in between her panting. He let her give him one last blow, before he once again fell to the ground. This time however, he managed to catch her elbow, and dragged her down with him. She gasped in surprised, and punched him over and over as they lay in the snow, laughing.

"You stupid" she yelled, trying to sound angry, but her eyes revealed how funny she thought the situation was. Ha caught her little wrists and made it impossible for her to hit him.

"Are you done hurting me?" he asked firmly. Arya made one last attempt to wriggle free, before she nodded and sat down next to him. They sat in silence for a while, staring up at the blue sky. It was no longer snowing, and the sun started to peek out from behind a cloud.

"Did your sister like the necklace?" he asked.

"She loved it! I recommended you to my family, you know. You're good," her voice was serious as she said the last, telling him she wasn't lying.

"How come you were so mad today?" he asked to change subject. Arya sighed and got to her feet.

"I don't want to talk about it," she shrugged and gathered their sticks together. Gendry followed her as she started through the forest. Suddenly, her large wolf came leaping through the woods, greeting her owner by throwing her to the ground. The wolf licked her face, and Arya laughed heartedly as Gendry approached her to see if she was okay. Arya shoved the wolf away and nodded, her eyes beaming.

"She's strong," he pointed out.

"She's the best," Arya laughed and petted the wolf's fur. They walked to the castle together, Gendry avoiding the wolf as best as he could. Back in King's Landing the only animal he had ever had daily encounters with was a stray cat, begging for food. He couldn't imagine why anyone would want to have a large wolf for a pet, but wasn't stupid enough to say so out loud.

"We should duel again sometime," she said with a smile as they entered through the gates. "It was fun."

He nodded. "As m'lady wish," he said and left her side before she could push him to the ground again.