It was a cold night, with Hotpie and Arya already asleep having me hear the forest hum its melody around us, having me look at the trees above me and feel the fire we started in front of me. I couldn't sleep, too much was on my mind and I was looking down at the bow in my hands. Since we left Harrenhal, I was more quiet than I was before. For some reason, I needed to have some time to think to myself and not talk, which was a bit of a bother for Arya since she thought I was mad or angry. I was…a bit. Gendry and his stubborn ways were getting under my skin, since he only looked at the negative and not the positive, having me almost snap his head off back when he talked about it being worse out here. I thought this was much better, this was paradise for instead of that place back there that was filled with nightmares and fears. Every night back there I was afraid of being captured…or even worse since I was a female. Those thoughts haunted me, and I have lost hours of sleep because of it, which was why I was staying up later than the rest of the group. I was afraid to sleep, very much afraid to close my eyes and see those men looking at me with lust. To ease and occupy my mind I was humming to myself once more, the same song I was humming what seemed likes ages ago back at King's Landing...the working song. It reminded me of home again, having me hear the creaks of the castle walls against the wind and the hammering of a nearby anvil. Home...think of home again. It's not that hard, is it?

"Nora." I looked up, seeing Gendry walking over to the fire with a pile of firewood in his arms. I had my arms wrapped around my knees as I saw his face from the fire, his blue eyes contrasting with the orange light on his skin. He looked rather timid, having me see him gaze me eyes on me longer than he should and then placing the firewood on the ground, next to Hotpie's head. Hotpie stirred in his sleep, but was still out as Gendry placed a few of the sticks on the fire, having me see the fire grow slightly and cackle in the night. He walked over, sitting next to me as I tried not to make eye contact with him at all. A part of me was still angry with him, on how he talked to me in such a way that was not him to begin with. But another part of me felt terrible on how I myself talked to him. Either way, looking at him at that point.

"Why aren't you asleep?" He asked me in a soft tone.

"I can't sleep. Everytime I close my eyes…I'm back in that place…worried that I would die." I replied back to him, seeing him watch me from my spot. It sounded depressing, but it was true at that point that night. I wanted to think of something else, anything else, but it was far too much for me when the images would come back.

"I'm sorry." He said aloud, having me finally look over at him and see him watch me from his spot. The stubbornness that was in his eyes earlier that day when we were walking in the morning, was gone and now was replaced with his softer eyes once again. It was as if we were back in King's Landing together, nothing to fear or worry about, just having a simple conversation between each other once more.

"I didn't mean to upset you earlier today." He said aloud, his voice rung in the quietness of the forest.

"It was my fault for snapping at you." I reminded him, feeling a bit bad at that point. but he shook his head.

"I should of said that to you, calling you stupid and bull. That was uncalled for." He insisted, having me nod my head and look at the fire, but he still kept his eyes on me, "But what you said….about being sent to the Brothel…is that true?" That hung in the air, having me cringe when he brought it up. But I knew he wanted to clear the air and make sure what was said was in fact true. It brought back the memory of that women in the area where we were held, telling me what was going to happen to me and it made me squeeze my knees with my hands.

"She told me the women were going to be used by the soldiers until they were satisfied." I replied aloud in a cold tone, having me draw out some breath, "Either that or take us immediately to the Brothel."

"Seven hells." he muttered from next to me, having me see him out of the corner of my eye look at the fire with fear and a bit of anger in his own eyes.

"I'm thankful to the Gods I'm out of there, and that Arya saved me." I said aloud, loping through the fire to see her sleeping, facing the fire and having me see her face. For the first time that whole day, even after the last couple of days, Arya's face soften and looked content. She was clutching something in her hand, something small and it was against her stomach, looking like she was holding it in a death grip.

"She's tougher than I thought." Gendry said in a murmur, looking at her as well.

"She's a Stark, she doesn't know the meaning of defeat." I added to the conversation. I then looked over at Gendry, seeing hold a skinny stick in hand and draw something in the ground.

"Gendry." I said aloud, seeing him incline his head to my direction but keep his eyes on the dirt drawing, "What are you going to do when we reach Winterfell?"

"Don't know." he replied in a light tone, having me watch him,"Maybe I'll find work up there."

"You could work with Arya and her family, I'm sure they would want a smithy as good as you." I reassured him aloud in a shrug of my shoulders, my red hair framing my face.

"I'm not that good really." he said in a mutter. I sighed, grabbed the my dagger and holding it between us to have him see it with his eyes.

"I think you're pretty good." I said to him in a small smile, watching him look at the dagger with his eyes. As stubborn as he was when it came to his job and how gifted he was, I knew silently that he was accepting that fact that I was complimenting him. That was a huge deal for me as I placed the dagger on the ground and looked at the fire once more. It was a moment of silence between us, the sound of the fire and the breeze in the trees was all that was heard, that and Hotpie snoring softly.

"Maybe you can come to Thedra Ascent, if you don't want to go to Winterfell. I know that we would need an extra Smithy, and Lord Aaron welcomes anyone that works." I suggested aloud, really thinking about it. It was a open invitation, and I tried hard to not make it sound more intimate but more of a business deal. Thedra Ascent was really need another Smithy, and I doubt Gendry had another place he would want to go to. He looked over at me, a hint of worry in his face.

"Really?" He asked me, having me nod my head in return. He hesitated and then poked the ground with his stick, "I doubt they won't want me."

"Why?" I asked him, wondering why he was playing stubborn once more.

"I'm a Bastard, Nora." he said in a low tone, pausing as Arya turned in her sleep to face away from us. I passed as well, seeing how it pained him to say it aloud.

"It shouldn't mean anything ." I said to him, trying to bring him back to a lightness in the conversation.

"It means everything. It means that I am lower than lowborns, a disgrace." He explained to me, having me only watch him as he was gripping the stick in a death grip. Gently, since I knew that quick move around him would scare the Seven Hells out of him, I placed my hand in top of his and saw him freeze in his spot next to me. I wanted to show him that he was wrong, that being a Bastard, to me, should mean nothing and not rule his life.

"You would like Thedra Ascent. It's a good place to stay at, Gendry. I grew up there, it's safe and I don't think anyone would care if you're a Bastard or not." I explained to him, "I know how you are and how you feel as though you're nothing because you're a Bastard. But you're not nothing, not to me." I paused thinking I said too much and I felt blush coming up into my cheeks. He was more than that, more than the label of Bastard. For some reason, my need to have him around was increasing as the days went by, because he was remaining me of safety and happiness, of contentness a unusual feeling of home. Slowly but surely he was growing on me, and slowly but surely, I didn't want to let him go.

He then looked over at me with a raised eyebrow, having me watch him from my spot. I saw he had a question on his mind.

"What's the Thedra saying?" He asked me aloud in wonder.

"Saying?" I asked him aloud. He thought to himself for a moment.

"Sigma?" He asked me in a shrug, thinking it got it right. I smiled at him, nodding my head as he got it right.

"House of Thedra: Survivor or Evil." I recited to him as if it was part of my life. I saw him smile at me, a smile that I have missed for a very long time as I rested my chin on my knees.

"You live by that sigma, Nora." He replied to me, having me finally blush in front of him for the first time. It was hard to hide it now, and now I was over trying to hide it in front of him. It could of been worse if Arya saw it, even Hotpie would tease. I blinked a few times, knowing that I was in fact getting tired and sleep was inviting me. I rubbed my eyes, moving my hands away from him and seeing him watch me.

"You need to sleep." he said to me aloud, but I shook my head.

"I don't want to sleep." I muttered back him.

"I'll be here when you wake. I'm not going to bed anytime soon anyways with Hotpie snoring." he reassured me with a small smile and a nod of his head. I smiled at him, shifting over a bit and laying down behind him, seeing his siiloutte from the fire in front of him as I wrapped the cloak around me, trying to fight the fear of falling asleep and being surrounded by nightmares. But it was when Gendry looked over his shoulder at me with a small smile on his face that made me feel better.

"I won't go anywhere." He promised, having me feel my heart burst inside my chest. I smiled at him, slowly closing my eyes and hearing the fire and wind die away as I fell into another dream. But this time, it was no nightmare. I dreamed of when I was a child, back when I visited King's Landing with Sophia, when I saw Gendry for the first time.

"I'm just trying to understand." Gendry said aloud in a huff as we walked in a line through the woods. A couple of days came and went, us moving in the day and me having a failed attempt to shoot down some rabbits for us to eat. Thankfully Arya helped me with the archery and the helping, and after we grabbed some meat I would skin and we would split the meat between the four of us. It was routine now: wake up, walk, eat walk and sleep. But now we were back on the conversation of Jaqen, which was something Arya clearly didn't want to talk about.

"Would you please shut up about it!" She growled back at him from the back of the group, behind Hotpie as I was in front of Hotpie and behind Gendry.

"Jaqne H'ghar offered you three kills!" Gendry started.

"I'm not listening."

"But just explain it to me, he offered to kill any three people you wanted. Dead. All you had to do was give him the names. Anyone. You could of have picked King Joffrey."

"Shut up." Arya snapped at him, I heard the bitterness in her tone.

"You're really not helping Gendry." I added to the conversation, but Gendry ignored me.

"You could have picked Tywin Lannister."

"Jaqne got us out of Haren hall so why are you complaining?" Arya asked aloud with annoyance.

"But you could of ended the war,"He said to point it her, making me want to smack him upside the head. Even though he had a point, it wasn't making her feel better.

"Shut it, the both of you." I said to them both, sounding like a mother to two children fighting over food. Gendry sighed aloud in annoyance.

"Where are we going?" Arya asked aloud, the three of us stopping and looking at her.

"North."

"If we were going north, we should have come to the red ford river by now." Arya explained to us, having me rearrange the bow in my hands and the arrow that was prepped and ready to pull back.

"Maybe we already passed it." Hotpie said in a shrug. But Arya looked at him with disbelief.

"It's 100 feet wide, how could we have passed it?" She asked in a low tone, having me see Hotpie look uncomfortable from her scolding him, "If we hit the red fork, we can follow it west to Rivverun. My mother grew up there. My grandfather's a lord; he'll protect us." She said in reassurance. But right after she said it, a strange sound filled the air in the woods. We all bolted to the ruins we were next to hiding behind the wall thinking someone found us or heard us. I was scared then, holding the bow low and still armed as Gendry was holding his sword, along with Arya with her own sword.

"Could be a minstrel." Hotpie whispered.

"Shut up." Arya replied, all of us pressing against the stone of the ruins to make sure we didn't make a sound.

"Minstrels got gold sometimes." Hotpie went on, "We could jump him, tie him up, steal his gold, and but some food." Arya shushed him from her spot harshly as I looked over at Gendry, seeing him look at me with both reassurance and determination. He nodded his head at him, silently telling me that it was going to be okay.

"What's lurking behind that wall?" Someone called out, "A lion? A wolf?"

"Just dirty little thing." Another voice replied.

"Loose a few more shafts." The first voice said aloud in command. I snapped my head over to Arya, who's eyes went wide as she jumped out into view, having me move to grab her but Gendry pulled me back harshly against him.

"Don't!" She said aloud, having her sword towards them in a fierce manner.

"Put the sword down girl." I heard from the man.

"You go on down the road," Arya said aloud, "Just keep on singing so we know where you are. Leave us be, and I won't kill you." I heard the man chuckle, having me wonder what she was doing.

"Generous." he said aloud, "You're a dangerous person. I like dangerous people. Why're your friends shyly?"

"What friends?" She asked aloud, still looking fierce in her spot with the sword in hand.

"The fat one to your left, the young lady with the bow, and the lad next to her." the man answered. I then looked back at Gendry, seeing him sigh in resigning attitude he move out to the open. I followed right behind him, bow still draw in front of me, watching as I saw the group of men in front of us. I scanned them, not one of them looked like a solider. Hotpie followed reluctantly, the four of us moved back as the man hoped the wall to be on our level.

"Four young ones on the run, carrying castle forged swords and a bow…" He said to us in a sly manner, "Have you escaped Harrenhal?"

"Who are you?" Arya asked aloud.

"Thoros of Myr," He answered her, "And the fellow where with the bow is Anguy." I eyed him as he said this, seeing the man with the bow. The man looked back at me as I held onto the bow tightly, almost as if I was sizing him up and down.

"No, who do you fight for?" Arya asked them.

"The Brotherhood Without banners," he told her, "Now come along. I want to hear how two boys, and young woman and a very dangerous girl escaped Harrenhal."

"I'm not going with them!" Hot Pie protested in despair, "The Brotherhood? That's who The Mountain and all them was looking for! They'll bring us back and put rats in us."

"You've got nothing to fear from us, son. The Lords of Westeros want to burn the countryside. We're trying to save it. Now come on, we'll talk some more over bread bread and stew. And then you can go on your way," Hotpie still wasn't moving, so the man with the bow drew and aimed at him.

"Here's the thing, Fat Boy." He aimed the bow straight up above us and released it, having me see it fly straight up in the air into the blue sky, "When I'm down talking, that arrow's falling down on your fat head. So I advise you move, because I am down talking." Hotpie searched the sky then, jumping forward and having me hear the arrow hit the ground behind him as soon as he moved. The man chuckled, having me aim and released, hearing the arrow hit the tree next to him and barely miss. He looked at the arrow, which was mere inches from his head and then back at me. In fact, al of them were looking at me as I pulled out another arrow and aimed at him, straight at his chest. Gendry took a step at me, assuming that he as going to stop me, but I pulled back and waiting for him to move.

"Here's the thing, old man." I said to him in a low tone, seeing him eye me with both shock and fascination, "All we want, is to go home. I don't mind killing you if you're going to stop us. I've come too far to stop now." The last part was almost in a growl, since I have had enough with not being able to go home just yet.

Slowly, I saw the first man place a hand on Anguy and eye me carefully, placing his spare hand up to show that he wasn't going to do anything.

"And we will help you get home, young lass." He reassured me, nodding his head,"You have seemed to have been through some trouble, I can see it in your eyes. Nothing's going to happen to you lot, not whilst you're with us." Gendry placed his hand on my lower back, having me look at him and see him stare at me softly.

"It's okay." He said to me in a soft tone, having me slowly lower the bow and loaded arrow and placing it back in my sheath. They might of really wanted to help us, but then again I didn't know know to trust. So, with Arya showing signs of trust towards the Brotherhood, we decided to join them in hopes that we would get to Riverrun where Arya wanted to take us. But with me, I just wanted to get back to Thedra Ascent in one piece. We were now with the Brotherhood.

The Brotherhood Without Banners.