Gendry

The prince rode off on his dragon to King's landing the minute they got to the Bloody Gate. Lord Connington said that he had urgent matters to discuss with the queen.

Their little gang was a sorrowful lot. 20 men left the Twins, now they were five and one angry little Stark girl. They lost one more man when they climbed their way to the Eyrie. They were all good men, Gendry had shared his bread with them, trained beside them and laughed at their crude jokes by the fire at nights, and now they were all gone. They rode slowly and silently to Kings Landing, their faces long and grave.

Gendry missed Haldon most of all, the kind half maester was like the father he never had. He was patient and wise, and he always knew how to make him feel better. Every time that Gendry was about to give up on his studies claiming he was too stupid to be a lord of anything, Haldon gave him reassuring smile and said the right thing to make Gendry believe in himself. Gendry thought that if Haldon will be at his side, maybe he could be the lord of Storm's End, maybe he was worthy of something.

But Haldon was dead, and Gendry was still just a stupid bastard boy. He could barely rule his horse, let alone a whole castle. Every day they drew closer to his new home, and every night he dreamt about failing. The prince must have flied off to tell the queen that he doesn't have the solution to the revolt as he thought, because the Baratheon bastard was just too damn stupid.

Soon it got dark and lord Connington called for a stop. The man started unpacking and setting up camp. As Gendry started to unsaddle his horse someone pulled his am.

"Gendry, come hunting with us!" Arya was saying to him, tugging at his sleeve. It was like she had grown even more beautiful the last few days. He couldn't explain it, but it seemed to him that she became more feminine, rounder. Her eyes were shining with something new. Ever since Nymeria had rejoined her at the foot of the mountain it seems like all the sadness and bitterness just shed from her, as if she got a bit of her soul back. She told him of how she looked forward to reunite with her favorite brother, and he was simply happy or her. He loved to see her smiling when she said her brother's name; he hoped she would smile like that when saying his name.

Nymeria nuzzled his leg fondly, calling him to come with them. He grew quite fond of the giant direwolf, she reminded him of Arya when she was younger; free and wild and willful. He shook himself from Arya's grip and bent to pet and hug Nymeria's head.

"I think I'll pass, I'm quite fatigue. Maybe next time. You two have fun!" He ruffled Nymeria's fur. The direwolf jumped at him and licked his cheek. He giggled like a little girl. Arya was eying him strangely, as if she didn't believe he would really refuse her. He gave her a little smile and turned from her. I'm done chasing you, m'lady, if you want me come and get me. I've waited five years for you; I can wait a little longer. He said to himself as he walked away from the woman he loved.

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He smelled her the minute she sneaked into his tent. She smelled of summer snows and crashed leaves and wet earth. She crawled in beneath his furs to lie beside him. Her body was soft and cold against his. He turned to face her.

"can't sleep?" he whispered to her in the darkness, she was so close, he wanted to pull her close to him and to hold her as tight as he can, so she could never go away again. She snuggled closer to him, putting her head on his chest, her warm breath brushing his skin. He stroked her hair slowly.

"Gendry?" she asked in a small voice.

"Hmmm?" he answered through her hair,

"Do you think that Jon will be happy to see me, after all this time and… and what I'd become?" She laid her arm across his chest, giving him a weak half hug.

"It depends, is he a stupid bastard boy like me?" he could feel her smiling against his chest; it made him smile in return.

"No. he's the best brother a girl can ever have!" she sounded so proud of her brother, he wished that someday she will talk about him with the same awe.

"Then I guess that he would be thrilled to see you. I bet that he would recognize you from the moment he sees you and sweep you in his arms, hugging you so tight as if he would never let you go." As I should have done.

It made her happy; she moved herself even closer to him and gave his body a squeeze. He hugged her back and gave her a kiss on her forehead. He could feel her breasts touching his skin, and it suddenly made him very aware of the fact that she was only wearing her small clothes, and he was wearing even less.. Something has changed in her, but he couldn't tell exactly what. He stopped stroking her and stared at the top of his tent, trying to clear his thoughts.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked him, he could feel her eyes burrowing into him in the darkness.

"Why should I be mad at you?"

She rolled away from his chest, lying on her back. "I don't know, you act different, you didn't want to come and hunt with us today…"

So there it was, she expected him to be her puppy and do as she pleased when she was giving him nothing back. Well, he's done with that. He wanted her to appreciate him and their friendship. He wanted her to put him in first place, and not as a meaningless toy she could throw around. He sighed as he said "Arya, I was just tired". She puffed air loudly to show her annoyance with him. Seriously, how dare he be tired? Well, maybe because some little ladies were sneaking into his bed at night and keeping him awake. He turned from her, pulling the furs with him so she won't have any.

"What are you doing, stupid?" she yelled "Give it back! It's freezing." She tried to pull it back to her side, but he was stronger than her and her wriggling and kicking didn't have effect on him.

"Quiet, people are trying to sleep", he said playfully and rolled further, wrapping himself in the covers.

"Gendry!" she hissed as she tried to pull the cover from under him, "Give. It. Back!" he smiled to himself and let his resistance go. She fell backwards and he rolled on top of her, his big arms trapping her down. "I win" he said grinning, and then let her go.

She crawled back next to him murmuring "Stupid bullheaded boy" as she got under the covers, her back pressed to his chest. He wrapped one arm around her and smiled to her hair, swearing to himself for the hundredth time that he would always protect her. He almost fell asleep when she called his name.

"Gendry?"

"hmmm?" he murmured half asleep.

"Don't ever change."

He smiled to himself, and hugged her closer. She was safe in his arms.