I decided to post two chapters today because you are awesome and deserve it. Now, I know the story took another turn than many of you anticipated, but I hope you're not too disappointed.

Chapter 15

Arya

Although Gendry insisted he managed to walk perfectly fine on his leg, it was a long journey and his limping was slowing them down. Arya tried to be patient with him, but found herself urging him on every now and then. She was starting to get sick of traveling; she wanted to see a castle again, to sleep in a warm bed and eat proper food. But most of all, she couldn't wait to see Jon again.

They kept going on the king's road as the terrain was much easier for Gendry to walk through. She knew he was putting all his effort into keeping up with her pace, but still she thought they were going too slow.

Whenever someone rode past them, she would hide her face under her hood, even though it wasn't necessary. No one was looking for a man in dirty garments, but a lady of Winterfell with long, brown hair. Sometimes a rider would stop and ask if they had seen a maid of six-and-ten with dark hair and gray eyes. "Usually dressed in boy's clothes," some of they would add with a sad smile on their face. Arya recognized most of the riders, and held her breath while looking at Gendry, waiting for his reply. Would he deceive her? Was he too missing the warm forge?

But everytime, Gendry shook his head, his teeth clenched. She could see that something was bothering him, and when finally alone she would ask him, but he would only shrug. Since their kiss, he had been awfully chilly toward her. She, on the other hand, had decided to act as if the kiss had never happened and it would have worked perfectly fine if she could only stop thinking about it. The memory kept playing over and over in her head every time she looked at the blacksmith beside her.

"No one is asking for a smith with black hair," he stated when the fifth rider asking for Arya disappeared back to Winterfell. Arya looked at him. So that was why he was in such a foul mood?

"They probably know we're together," she said in a poor attempt to cheer him up. Gendry wrinkled his eyebrows and shot her a skeptical look. "Why does it bother you so much anyway? I'm sure Myra and Mikken –"

He cut her off, his voice sharp and bitter. "You wouldn't understand."

"You're right! I don't understand why you always have to be so damn secretive. You keep sulking but you never care to share what's on your mind. If this is yet again about you being a bastard I've got three words for you: GET OVER IT!" she smacked him on the ears, hard enough for a groan to escape his lips.

Clutching his reddening ear, he glared at her. "What the-"

"Perhaps that will teach you to stop sulking! It's annoying me."

He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came. He looked so taken aback that she actually felt sorry for hitting him- As if he hadn't been injured enough already because of her. Ahe sighed and took a few steps closer to him, stroking his ear with gentle fingers.

"I'm sorry, Gendry," she said and gave him a little smile. "I just want you to understand that origins do not define a person unless you let it define you. Bastard or not, my brother is the greatest man I've ever known. And you-"her voice trailed off as her cheeks flush. Gendry looked at her with his piercing blue eyes.

"And I?" he asked expectantly, an amused expression on his face. Arya bit her lip and let her little arms slid around him, wrapping them around his waist.

"You're great," she whispered. He was so tall she had to stand on tiptoe for their heads to be somewhat on the same height. She moved one of her hands behind his neck and forced his head down to hers. "And now I order you to kiss me."

"As my lady commands," he said and for once, he did as he told. As their lips met, Arya felt a rush of adrenalin pump through her blood. His beard stumps tickled her lip as his hand found its way to her bristle hair. Suddenly, they heard hooves from behind, and as they jerked apart, two men rode past them, shooting them nasty looks of repulsion.

"Cocksuckers," one of them muttered and spat toward them. Arya looked after them, shocked. Then she remembered that she was Arry now, and Gendry looked more man than he had ever done with his new beard. Although he tried shaving it off any other day, it returned quickly. Although it had bothered her slightly in the beginning, Arya decided she liked the tickling sensation she got when kissing him.

"Perhaps we ought to keep going," Gendry said, stroking her upper lip with his thumb. Arya nodded and smiled, wondering when they next would get the opportunity to share a kiss so passionately it made her knees go weak.

Jon

Jon paced across the floor of his quarters, scratching his beard. He had received a raven from Bran with disturbing news, and he wondered what his next step would be. His brother had told him Arya and a bastard blacksmith had fled Winterfell, and was most likely headed for the Wall. I should send men after them, Jon thought and sank down in a chair by the large wooden desk. Although Castle black was no place for a young maid, Arya was not like Sansa. Yes, it had been years since he had seen his youngest sister, but Jon doubted she had changed much since then. She was probably just as skinny and fierce as she had been when little. He found himself missing his siblings again after all this time. He missed Robb's playful japes and Sansa's singing. He missed Bran's sensibility and Rickon's rebellious nature. But most of all he missed Arya's constantly following him, begging him for a rematch in the training yard. Perhaps she could come, if only for a few nights. He was the lord commander now after all, it was up to him. He could feed her and make sure she was warm and had a nice bed to sleep in. she would like that after traveling for several weeks. He suddenly wished Samwell were still at Castle Black to give him advice, but Jon had been the one to send his fat friend away. For his own good, of course, but he had known the road would be dangerous and had – to his horror- receive much too little information about Sam and his companions' whereabouts.

"Excuse me, lord commander? You called." a voice said from the door. Jon turned and saw his steward eye him with big, green eyes.

"Luke, there you are. I wish to send all the men we can spare to search for my sister and her friend. Search the woods and the mountains, and do not return until you have found her, is that understood?"

Luke startled. "Y-your sister, my lord?"

"My sister, yes. She's a maid of six-and-ten, brown hair, gray eyes. A skinny little girl, most likely dressed in boy's clothing. It is said she is traveling with a young man, big-built, black-hair – a smith. Oh, and also a direwolf."

The young boy nodded, bowed and disappeared. Jon frowned after him. The boy was somewhat new to the watch, and was not at all suitable to be a ranger. However, his mind was quick and sensible- much like Bran's and Sam's, and Jon found he could have use for a well-witted person nearby.

When alone, he found a piece of paper and wrote a reply to Bran.

Bran. I'll have my men look for them. If I find them, they are welcome to regain their strength at Castle Black, but only for a few days I'm afraid- winter is coming. Jon.

The raven flew into the night with the note tied to its leg. Jon watched as it soared over the castle and disappeared into the darkness.

Gendry

They had found shelter beneath a truncated branch that would shield them from the worst cold as well as conceal the pair of them. Gendry wrapped his cloak around them both to make better use of the warth. Usually, Arya would lay with her back to him, but tonight she snuggled up toward his chest and sighed loudly.

"How much further do you think it is?" she asked. "I thought we would have been there by now."

Gendry shrugged and pulled her closer. "I'm the one slowing us down. You would have reached the Wall days ago had you traveled alone."

"True, but what's the fun in that, eh?" she smiled up at him and kissed his nose softly. "I'm really glad you came after me, Gendry. I know you were only planning on bringing me back home, but I'm grateful you decided to come."

Gendry stroke her tangled her out of her eyes. "You gave us all such a fright, staying home was never an option."

"Do you think father knows about my escape?"

"I don't know. Bran would have sent a raven, wouldn't he? And your lady mother has probably returned to Winterfell by now."

"Good, then at least Talla will have a woman there when she gives birth."

They lay in silence for a while. Gendry was thinking about the forge at Winterfell, and the good food Myra used to make. And Mikken's quiet being. He wondered if they even noticed his absence.

"Do you think Sansa is happy? You know, being a lady and all?" Arya suddenly asked.

"I don't know your sister, Arya. But if she, unlike you, wished to become a lady, then I believe she's happy, yes."

Arya shook her head. "I don't. She was in love with Jory, but then she had to end it with him. when she left, her heart was broken. How can she be happy with a broken heart?"

"Perhaps Edric Dayne mended it for her."

Silence crept up on them again. They could hear Nymeria walk restlessly around them, her ears on alert.

"Gendry?" Arya asked.

"Mhm?"

"Why do you like me?" when he started chuckling, she hit his shoulder hard and stared at him with her gray, serious eyes. "Don't laugh. I mean it."

Gendry hesitated. Where would he begin? "I like you because you're not like any other girl I have ever met," he finally replied earnestly. Arya bit her lip skeptically.

"But I'm not a lady," she said. "Sansa once told me that I would never find a husband if I continued to act like a boy, because no man wanted a woman like that unless-"

Gendry snorted. "Unless they fancy other men, you mean?"

She nodded, her hair tickling his nose as she did.

"You think too much, Arya. You might not be a lady, but you are definitely not a boy! Have you even looked at yourself in the looking glass?"

She smiled then, choking back a snigger. "All I can see is a skinny girl with a long face."

Gendry stroke her cheek gently, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "Arya Stark, you truly are the most oblivious girl I have ever met."

They continued their journey before the break of dawn the next day, chewing on dried horse meat. Although it was not nearly as good as a warm meal, it was a lot better than eating bugs which Arya had suggested when their hunger had been at its worst. Luckily, she had found the taste of a caterpillar so foul, she had not been able to eat anymore and agreed on making a fire against their better judgments.

Nymeria had gone into the woods again and did only return from time to time to see if they were still following her.

"She loves it out here," Arya said as they watched the large wolf leap through the snowy trees. But suddenly, the wolf made a loud growling sound, and ran back to them, her teeth bare.

"What's wrong, Nymeria?" Arya asked. The wolf circled around them and started to run away from the road, but too late. Three riders all dressed in black came galloping toward them. Arya looked at Gendry with terror in her eyes, and Gendry felt his heart pound faster. As the men drew nearer, he could see that they were not wildlings. Perhaps they were from the village nearby?

"They've spotted us," Arya said. "It's too late to run now. If we do, they'll slay us down."

Gendry had thought the same thing. They would never be able to outrun horses, let alone on his leg.

"Look, they're dressed in black. Perhaps they are from the night's watch," he suggested. Arya's eyes widened with hope, and she did no longer look as frightened. However, he could see her left hand drawn around the skinny sword by her side.

"Who's walking here?" one of the men asked when they were close enough to hear. Arya cleared her throat, glancing nervously at him.

"I'm Lommy and this is my brother, Arry," Gendry lied quickly. The name was of one of his fellow companions who were headed for the Wall and was the first that had come to him. the men exchanged looks and started chuckling.

"I know you," one of them said, climbing down from his horse. "You were Yoren's pet. You traveled with us from King's landing."

Gendry looked at Arya. If they were from the watch, should they be relieved or scared?

"You're a deserter," another man said. They were all on the ground now, closing in around them. Gendry shook his head desperately.

"No," Gendry insisted. "I never said the words. I've never been a man of the watch."

The man grabbed his chin and pulled him closer. "Vow or no Vow. We need all the men we can get, yet still you escaped."

"Leave him be," Arya snapped through clenched teeth. She had her sword in one hand and her dagger in the other, staring at them with hatred in her eyes. Behind her, Nymeria was growling dangerously.

"Is that a…" the man backed away, staring at the wolf. "This is no boy! It's the lord commander's sister, she is."

Gendry looked at Arya. The lord commander? But Arya seemed just as confused.

"I'm not a girl," she said half-heartedly, but the men were not fooled.

"We have orders to bring the pair of you to Castle Black. Put down your blade, my lady, you will not have need of that in our company."

Arya frowned at him but did as she was told. Castle black had, after all, been their destination all along. "Who ordered you to bring us back to castle black?" she asked, her voice stern and confident -A lady's voice.

"The lord commander. Your brother. Lord snow."