It was soothing to be out on the road, away from anyone else that I should be afraid to trust. It was just Gendry and I together, and it was very simple how we went by day by day. Woke up, hunted for breakfast and rode for as long as we could, took a break here and there for the sake of the horses and then made camp for the night, sleeping near the fire we would make for the both of us. We would make time on the horses, since the last time we were on this road we had plenty of other people that would slow it down. With two people that were on a mission, it was simpler and faster.
Through most of the ride I was thinking about the Starks…my family. If only I knew who I was earlier, I could of helped them in come way, shape or form. I could of told them that I loved them all, I did. It was a different kind of love when I worked for them: a respectful love. They cared for me, having me wonder if they had some sort of clue as to who I was. All of those stares Lord and Lady Stark gave me, they must of thought that it was some kind of trick of their mind, seeing me and thinking that I was alive and their long lost daughter.
One of the nights that we made camp. I was sitting up and looking at the fire, no sleepy at all but Gendry went to bed. I didn't want to go to sleep, not yet, and I heard the horse move around behind me from being tied to the tree that we were close by to. This felt different from being with the caravan much different. Back then, I was with them for the sake of getting somewhere. But now, I knew where I needed to go. I was naive and scared then, but now I felt like I had a thick skin and a bolder heart.
Something stirred behind me, looking behind me over my shoulder. Gendry was asleep behind me, but he was shaking, facing me and looking as though he was in pain. He was having a nightmare, having me move my body around to face him and block him from the light of the fire. I gently placed my hand on his side, thinking that I should wake him and have him feel better.
"Gendry." I said his name softly, seeing him shake still and a cold sweat was on his face. This was killing me, seeing him have a nightmare. Was this what he saw when he looked over me? Seeing me shake, almost on the verge of tears, and having a cold sweat? I felt bad for him now for going through what I was in at that moment. He shook once more, waking up and blinking at a fast rate. I grabbed his hands in my own, feeling them to be cold and clammy and shaking still.
"You're okay," I said to him in a hushed tone, seeing him look up at me with wide blue eyes. His breathing was irractic, but it was calming down as he was holding my hand like a death grip.
"I had a dream….I was back at Dragonstone…..the Red Woman." He gasped out, having me shake my head.
"That's all it was: A dream." I said to him aloud, seeing him rub his eyes and draw out a shaky breath. It pained me seeing him like this, and I wished I could do something, anything, to make it all go away.
"Go back to sleep." I urged him, knowing the fire behind us was dying down. He shook his head in defiance.
"I don't want another nightmare." He said to me in almost a broken tone. Since Dragonstone, he was suffering both inside and out. I would be too if I was in his shoes, and I knew that I had to calm hime. So I pushed on his chest to lay down, seeing him lay back down on his cloak and see him watch me as I laid my cloak next to him.
"What are you doing?" He asked me as I laid down, facing him and eyed him.
"Helping you sleep." I said to him, seeing him raise a eyebrow at me.
"I'm not following." He replied aloud, his voice was soft against the wind in the air.
"You have always been there next to me when I would have a dream or nightmare, and now I wanna do the same with you." I explained to him in a shrug, as if it was nothing. He watched me, having sure this was real and not a trick. I smiled at him, seeing him ease himself back on his side to face me, having me see the crystal blue eyes intensify from the fire behind me. It was clam now, between the both of us as we only breathed and listened to the trees moving with the night.
"Sleep, Gendry." I said to him in a calm command, seeing him not move until he closed his eyes once more, his hands were out in front of him as he was on his side. I saw them twitch on his cloak as I grabbed both of them, holding his hands between us and closing my eyes as well. I repeated something to him, something that soothed me once when we were on the road together with Hotpie and Arya. I breathed out before falling asleep, breathing out what he needed to hear.
"I'm not going anywhere."
The next few days were of us trying to make as much ground as humanly possible. The same routine over and over, until we finally reached the Corssroads Inn after a week or so of traveling. I was glad that we would have a real place to stay for a nice or two, depending once we figure out what was next . The place was not as crowded as I remembered, but we had two royal families and guards with us as we rode in a turned in out horses, talking our weapons with us inside the crowded place. I could breath in the the food and the wine that was used there. We walked over to the front area, where a man was there washing down the table with a towel.
"We would like a room." I said to him, seeing him look down at the two of us, looking rather hesitant. We both looked like rough thieves, both in trousers and tunics and with dark cloaks and weapons. WE could be criminals, since we looked it. I was no longer in a dress, which seemed to be a mistake now that the man was eyeing me.
"We only have rooms with one bed, is that going to be a problem?" He asked aloud to the both of us. I looked over at Gendry, seeing him eye me and look hesitant before I looked back and answered for him.
"Not at all." I replied in a shrug Gendry might of been scared about it, but at that point I only wanted a bed to sleep on and not the dirt floor. The man nodded his head and folded his hands on the table, having me watch him analyze me.
"Weapons are left here in the font with me, and it's going to be 30 coins a night for you and your…" He trailed off, looking at Gendry who immediately jumped the gun.
"I'm her husband." I looked at him with shock in my eyes, though I tried to remain calm. Husband? What in Seven Hells? It didn't sound like something he would be interested in using as a cover.
"We're from the East, making our way to the North to see family." I explained, finding my voice once more as we looked at the man. I felt Gendry take my hand in his as he nodded his head and I pulled out the money from my pack on my shoulder. Counting out the coins carefully, he led us to out room, which did, as he said, have one big featherbed that would fit the both of us, along with a tub that had a barrier for privacy that was a wooden gate and a drawer. We both stood there awkwardly as the door closed behind us, having me feel a bit naked without my bow and sheath of arrows. We took off our packs, saying nothing for a moment before Gendry looked over at me.
"I'll let you bathe first." He said to me in s small tone, having me watch him move over to the bed and sit there, looking in his pack. Ever since we called each other husband and wife, which was to cover up who we were, Gendry has been acting a bit off. I wanted to know why, but then again I had a hunch.
I had hot water brought to the room for both of us to bathe, having me go first and feeling the peaceful and cleanness that was a bath. All of the grime and dirt from the past week was gone now, and I saw my wrists were healing, leaving a scar there from the ropes. I hate seeing the scars on my wrists, but it was a reminder that I did live through that horrid nightmare. I washed away the pains and worries from the past week in the basin, then getting out and changing in a regular dress Gaila packed for me, thinking that I needed a break from the trousers and tunic for a bit.
Once the water was swapped, Gendry bathed as I got to lay down on the bed, almost falling asleep as I braided my hair once again down my back from the top of my head, feeling clean and new once again. But then again I was used to the dirt, but this was nice and new.
I laid down, facing the wall and feeling the love of sleep coming over me form the softness of the bed. It reminded me of the song that the one Brotherhood member sang while we were around the fire. It was a beautiful song, soothing yet haunting, having me remember that at that moment I was falling for Gendry. Did he know? Should I tell him now that it was just the two of us? Would it matter? I had no certain clue.
I heard him walking from around the barrier, showing himself in full view in only his trousers that were hanging low on his hips. I stared at him, seeing that he wasn't seeing me but drying his hair with the towel that was there, his chest and stomach in full view. He got fuller in muscles since I last saw him shirtless, back in the forge of Harrenhal. It made me loose my breathe once more, but more feelings were flooding through me. It made me realize: I was in love with him.
Seven Hells.
He looked up and I looked away, having me see out of the corner of my eye him putting on his small clothes shirt and then walking over barefoot to the bed.
"If you want, I can sleep on the floor." He said to me, aloud in a small tone, as if he would offend me if he slept on the floor. I rolled over on my side facing him, shaking my head.
"You can sleep here on the bed, Gendry." I said to him aloud. He stared at the bed as if it was on fire, with fear.
"I don't think it's proper." He said in a small tone. I eyed him.
"And I don't mind at all. Really Gendry it's okay." I urged him, seeing him eye me once more and see that it was true. He then carefully walked over, one knee and then the other, laying down next to me and then facing me once more. it was just like being back in the woods, but now, instead of being covered in dirt and sweat, we were clean and looking content on where we were. I had ghost stories of this place, since Nymeria was sent away and that broke Arya's heart.
"That was clever, what you said back there." He said aloud to me but it was a small tone, almost a whisper.
"What do you mean?" I said back to him softly. I saw him smile at me, his smile against the pillow underneath him gave me butterflies once more in my chest.
"Saying that I was your husband." He replied in a light tone.
"Do you not approve?" I asked in almost a coy tone, hearing him laugh and shake his head.
"I don't. I just didn't think of using that myself." he replied in a shrug.
"That shows my intelligence is keen." I replied in almost a declaration,
"And I thought it was your looks." He replied back to me, having me look down hesitantly and shake my head.
"I'm not pretty." I said to him, almost sound ashamed. But I heard nothing at first, thinking that he was agreeing with me.
"You're pretty, Nora." I looked up, seeing that there as no more smile on his face. He called me pretty, Gendry thinks I'm pretty. I felt as though I could fly then, having me feel the blush come onto my cheeks from playing that sentence over and over in my head. Does he mean to like me then if he thought of me as pretty? Or should I be careful with my heart? How could I think that, this was Gendry, of all people. I trusted him with my life, and he called me family. And now we were alone on a bed, staring at each other and feeling content.
I then pulled myself closer to him, feeling him wrap his arms around me within a instant and rest my head against his shoulder and collarbone. We were holding each other then, nothing more as we both fell into sleep. I felt safe in his arms, as if nothing could harm me. I smiled as he rested his head against my head, his arms around me and his breath was going steady.
"Goodnight Nora," He said to me in a whisper, having me grin and feel as though that night will be a nightmare free night.
"Goodnight Gendry."
We walked out of the Crossroads in the next morning, refreshed and ready to go back on the road to the North. I woke up that morning not in his arms, to my dismay that I would never share, but saw him getting up and stretching with no shirt on, so I tried to hide the fact that I was looking and looked like I was asleep. Something happened between us that night, something shifted and made me content on being so close to each other. Although now there was a great desire burning inside of me to want to kiss him, to tell him that I loved him more than a friend, that I appreciated that he called me pretty, or that he called me his family and was never going to leave me. We were shifting in a good direction, and I didn't want to change it.
I was back in my trousers and tunic with vest, having my sheath and bow and arrow once more as well as my dagger, Gendry with his own sword and hammer as we got the horses saddled on the side of the Inn, getting ready to go. But I heard something behind me, having me look behind me and see nothing but the trees and forest on the other side of the dirt road that we would take North. I heard it again, it sounded like someone was moving. I scanned the place with my eyes, having a hand on my dagger and feeling a bit on the defensive side.
"Nora?" Gendry asked aloud in concern, but I said nothing. One more time I head it, this time I drew my bow from behind me and had a arrow loaded, but not drawn back yet.
"Stay with the horse." I said to him walking across the road and look in front of me.
"Wait!" he hissed to me, but I wanted into the forest, hearing him mutter, Seven Hells." in anger since i was being stubborn to him. I went through foliage around me, seeing noting but keeping my ears open. I was on alert, thinking someone was after Gendry and I. I would be damned if we were going to die without getting back North.
I heard a snap of a stick, having me whirl around and see a flash of gray a ways away, someone or something ran when I moved. I walked over, trying to be quiet and ready to draw. I followed without hesitation, seeing nothing at first but then another flash of gray to my left, I looked there as well, finding myself a bit in the forest with no sign of where I was.
Then, as I heard it behind me, I whirled around me and drew back, aiming at whatever it was. I was lost for words, for in front of me was a creature I never thought I would see in a lifetime, since I haven't seen her in a lifetime.
Nymeria.
She was bigger, much bigger since I saw her last. She was staring at me, head low and ear back with her teeth barring. It was a first meeting all over again and I was in shock, lowering my arrow slowly. Sure, she would kill me, but then again I wouldn't want to kill her. She was Arya's companion, whom had to be shunned because she was merely protecting her Master from the wrath of Joffrey. I saw her then look at her, her direwolf eyes were drilling into me as if she was waiting for my first move. I placed the bow and arrow on the floor, holding up my hands at her to show her I meant no harm to her.
"Nymeria." I said to her in a hushed tone, within a second her ears came back up and she no longer was threatened. She slowly, as it she was scared to, inched towards me, taking hesitant and small steps and keeping her eyes on me. I reached out a hand to her, seeing her watch my hand for a second or two before sniffing it. After a moment, a long moment that I thought she would bite it clean off, she licked it and nuzzled against it. I sighed in relief, knowing that she remembered me. I pulled her closer, hugged her tightly and breathing in her fur.
"You're alive." I said into her fur, hearing her whimper and lick my face. I never thought she would remember me, thinking that I was going to kill her. Who knew! But then I felt her growl once more, moving away from me and looking behind me, her hair was up on her back and ear were low once more. I looked behind me as well, to see what she was angry with or with who.
"Nora!" Gendry said aloud in shock, having me shoot up and place a hand on Nymeria's fur, feeling it prickle up in a threatening manner.
"Easy, girl. easy Nymeria. Down." I said aloud, seeing Nymeria look up at me and then loose her anger, teeth no long barring and her ears back up. She nuzzled into my hand, rubbing against my as I looked at a shocked Gendry.
"Is that a…" he trailed off, trying to find words.
"Direwolf." I ended for him. He nodded his head in amazement as Nymeria whined to me.
"She was Arya's direwolf, remember how she talked about her when we were together?" I asked him aloud, seeing him nod his head once more, "She must of stayed out here on her own." I then felt her tug on my sleeve gently with her teeth, pulling me with her somewhere. I looked at her, then at Gendry with a shrug. I followed her, seeing her trot in front of me and through the woods for a moment. Gendry followed, staying behind me with a sword drawn as I had my bow and arrow once more, in case we were going to into some place that was not safe. Nymeria wanted to show us something I could tell in her trot and how she would look back at us every once in awhile.
She lead up over to a small cave that was in a hall, small enough for her to fit in and for her to hide. I wonder if she was there since Joffrey wanted her killed and she was shunned by her master. If only Arya knew that Nymeria was still alive and well, if only Arya was with us. I made it my personal mission to keep Nymeria with me and teach her until her master come for her. Nymeria was under my protection now, that was for certain and permanent.
Nymeria trotted inside the cave, having both Gendry and myself wait outside and look around to see if we were followed. I heard her moving around in here, as if looking for something.
"We need to move if we want to get to Winterfell and Thesdra Ascent, we have to get there soon and face the better side of the Winter." Gendry urged from his spot next to me, having me nod I'm agreement. It was going to be winter there and it would be harsh for us with the horses and now one direwolf. But before I could say something else, I heard a whimper in the cave. But it wasn't Nymeria, it was smaller. We both looked as Nymeria came back out, nudging with her nose two direwolf pups in front of her, hearing them bark.
She had two pups.
They were tiny, blinking a few times and sniffing the air in front of their mother, whom looked at me with approval as I looked at the pups in awe. One of them was black all over his body, except his belly was dark gray and his eyes were a light brown, almost like caramel and a tint of gold to them. The other, whom I saw was a female, had a light white coat with brown tint over the top and a white belly, one eye was gray and the other a piercing blue. I gasped, it was the pup that was in my dream when I was in King's Landing weeks ago. The dream of being a direwolf, it was the same one. But in the dream it was full grown, this wasn't.
"Pups." I said aloud in amazement, placing my bow back on the sheath and the arrow within the sheath, not wanting to look like a threat to Nymeria and her children. Gendry withdrew his sword as the black pup ran over to him, skidding to a halt and running into this boot, sniffing at him and then cuddling against him. Gendry looked at him, confused as he leaned down and touched the pup. I thought Nymeria would disapprove of him touching her pup, but she only watched as her pup interacted with Gendry. It was as if the pup wanted Gendry, and I saw the same with Gendry as he smiled and scratched its ears. The pup was yipping in happiness, then having me feel something against my own leg.
The light haired female was rubbing against my leg, looking at me with her different eyes for approval. I smiled, squatting down and placing my hand on her head, seeing her nuzzle against it, yipping in happiness. Something told me to look at Nymeria, whom nudged her daughter at me and then nodded her head once. She wanted me to have her baby, to have her pup and to raise it. I thought it was a mistake, but then again the pup wanted me. Was this the same thing that happened to Nymeria when she was a pup, seeing her master Arya for the first time and loving on her? It must of been, since she was not threatened and not protective of her babies.
"She wants us to have them." I said aloud, as if I was reading her mind and looking at Gendry, who's hand was being licked by the jet black boy. He looked at me confused, looking down at his pup before at me.
"I can understand that when it comes to you." He said, having me look at him with confusion.
"Well, you are a Stark, that's the sigma of the Starks: a direwolf." I looked back at the pup in front of me, who's tail was wagging and was yipping at me once more. Was it fate then? Did Nymeria know that I was a Stark, all this time? When I first interacted with her a while back and we grew close together. She must of, she knew that I was a Stark and I was to be trusted. And now, it was my turn to have my own.
"This one wants you though." I said to him in a grin, seeing the jet black pup wag his tail while he watched Gendry. But Gendry shook his head, leaning on his back leg as he squatted like me in front of the male direwolf.
"I'm no Stark." He argued with me.
"I don't think he cares. He wants you." I said to him, picking up the pup in front of me and pulling her close, feeing her nuzzle into my chest and lick my neck in approval. I felt her kick her tiny legs in joy and her tail hitting my shirt from the wagging as I held her close. Gendry, carefully, picked up his pup whom licked his chin and face. Gendry laughed, having me pause and look at him. I never heard him laugh, not in a long time. This was a nice moment, getting three new companions and having a sense of peace in our chaotic mission. I looked at my own pup, seeing her two toned eyes on me and I grinned at her. Her brother was cautious yet can't stop moving, just like Gendry. It was interesting how the pup was just like his new master, personality and all. And with my own, she was careful yet bold in nuzzling against me, looking very kind in touch and light on her feet: just like me.
"What are you going to name yours?" I asked him aloud, seeing the pup in his arms playfully bit his thumb and hearing him chuckle. He was thinking about it, I could tell as I looked at my own pup and wondered what I would name her. Nymeria trotted over to me, licking her pup's face while I thought about it. I wanted a good name, but gentle and fierce at the same time.
"Koda." I heard next to me, having me see Gendry look down at his pup with a small smile on his face. The pup yipped in approval and nuzzled against his broad chest. It sounded like a good male name, and it did fit the male quite well who was lavishing Gendry with kisses. It was having me then think of a good name for own pup. Both fierce yet kind, something that reminded me of myself. My pup licked my face once more as I said the name:
"Astrid."