Arya

They have traveled for four days now, and it didn't seem like it was ever going to stop raining. Aegon insisted that they will go under cover so that no one will bother them. So he painted his hair blue and called himself Griff. Arya thought that was stupid. Who else has violet eyes but the targaryens?

"the map says the inn should be here somewhere" Halden said as the tried to shield the map from the rain. Arya wondered how he managed to see anything.

"found it! and it has lights and a smell of freshly baked bread!" duck seemed to appear out of nowhere.

When they neared the inn a memory flashed in Arya's mind, that seemed to happen a lot since she returned to this cursed kingdom, she saw a man, his face burned…. The hound, fighting a big man. Then she was on that man stabbing him as she asked him if there was gold in the village… another flash and she was pulling needle from a young mans heart, giving him the gift of mercy.. it was that inn. She didn't want to go there. She said so.

" if you rather freeze to death or drown in the rain, by all mean go ahead. I'm getting me a warm bed and a nice mug of ale!" cunnington spat at her and walked towards the inn. He fellows following him. Aegon looked at her and gestured her to follow them.

When she got inside she heard Halden and Jon arguing with the landlady.

" We have no vacancies. This is not an inn. This is an orphanage. Go away"

"we will pay you anything you want, just for the night, sure you can find something"

"no"

Arya knew this is going to take some time so she took the liberty to look around. Suddenly she saw some stains on the floor. She bent down to look at them. Can it be? Are those blood stains?

" these are blood stains from a big fight that was here years ago."

She raised her head to see who was talking to her and came to look at a skinny young boy, grinning at her. She gave him a questioning look, inviting him to continue his tale. Halden was still arguing with the woman.

" For real! There were ten Lannister man, big and ugly, they plundered and ruined all the villages around here and everybody feared them! But not Arya Stark!" at the mentioned of her name Arya froze, "yeah! She slew all of them one by one, she was quick as thunder and very smart and they were slow and dumb. She saved the village! And she killed the awful hound too! But afterwards she thought that the Lannisters will chase her and kill her friends from the brotherhood so she ran to the forest and joined a pack of huge wolves and she is still with them today, protecting the village! It's true!"

Arya looked at the young boy, he couldn't be more than ten. "who told you that?"

" Gendry! He's a blacksmith, and a knight and he's the strongest man in the world! Honest! And she was his friend, she even saved his life once… and here he is! Shouting at your friends, they're in a lot of trouble!"

She turned to where the boy was pointing and there he was. He was tall, taller that Aegon. His black hair in disarray. He was swinging his hands violently at duck. He had much more muscles than she remembered.

She wanted to call him, to tell him to stop being stupid and that he was addressing a prince. She wanted to say a thousand things to him. Just looking at him after all these years made her feel. What it was she was feeling she didn't know. She thought that maybe' she was happy.

The fight intense and she decided she should end it before it will come to blows. She walked towards them.

"Gendry, would you mind coming here for a moment…" she said to him. He gave her one look and dismissed her with a disdainful look.

"Stay out of this Arya!" Cunnington yelled at her.

At the mention of her name, Gendry looked like he was struck on the head with a hammer. He turned his head slowly at her. His deep blue eyes scanning her grey ones. His eyes widened with comprehension. "As M'lady commands", he said and followed her to where the old blood stains were, to everyone's astonished gazes. They stood there, in silence, just staring at each other.

"you're alive." he said in a chocked voice, his eyes swimming with emotion.

"And you're still stupid. That man over there is very important. And he is my friend. Will you let us stay here for the night, even in your stables, we haven't slept for a week now. Please."

He had that look on his face when he was thinking, like it pained him to think, she had to smile at that. When he saw her smile he shrugged and went back to the waiting men. Aegon had an angry look on his face. Oh good. She was going to get a long lecture later.

" They can stay in my room, I guess three can sleep there, and we'll prepare the attic for you too. You will have dinner with us. Any friend of the brotherhood is a friend of ours." He gave a meaningful look to the woman and left. The men were happy and turned to their rooms but Cunningtom gave her a dark look full of anger. Was he angry at her for succeeding where he failed?

She took her time bathing, thinking of Gendry, she had to talk to him. She didn't have much time. He must be in his armory, she will skip dinner and go and be with him. She were to sleep in Gendry's room with Aegon and Cunnington. They were in a middle of an argument when she stepped in.

"… should execute him before he gets the chance!" cunnington said, his face flushed with anger.

" Oh Arya, Good!" Aegon said as Cunnington grunted that it was never good. "help us settle an argument, would you? Does your tall dark friend know that he's a Baratheon?"

"He's what?" Arya was at a loss for words

"see? I told you. He has no clue. If he did, do you think he was here hammering steel and feeding orphans? I can't kill him when he doesn't even know who he is or what he is"

"Then tell him who he is, and let your king's justice chop his head off." Cunnington smirked at her viciously.

"Wait! Kill him? Why?"

"Well, as far as we know, he's the only one left. And we don't want him to say he has a claim to the throne and begin another war here, now do we?"

Arya fell silent. She couldn't let him die. he would never want to be king, he hated lords and ladies and… Suddenly she thought of something.

"You can't kill him!"

"Arya, I know he's your friend but he is a threat to…"

"That's… no. I mean, you should use him. He's the only one left. And he's a bastard. And you have a revolt at storms end. They revolt started because they want a Baratheon lord. So give them one! Legitimize him and make him swear fealty to you and there you'll have a lord that will be loyal and dutiful and thankful for the rest of his life and you'll have an end to the revolt". She hoped Gendry will forgive her for this, but it was the only way.

"That's actually not a terrible idea" Cunnington murmured under his breath.

Aegon gave her one of his big smiles "that's an excellent idea!" he looked like he was going to hug her. She hoped he wouldn't. for the first time she was actually glad cunnington was there. Aegon petted her on the sholder before declaring "I'm starving, lets go grab something to eat and then I'll go talk to your bastard".

She ate a few bites before excusing herself. Gendry wasn't at dinner. She knew he'll be at the forge and that's where she found him.