4. Gendry

"More mud!" shrieked Anguy, digging his fingers in the dirt.

"Wah - no - stop - I'm dirty enough already!" Gendry yelled, standing up too quickly from where he had been folding his bedroll and backing away from Anguy. "Stop, I mean it…"

Splat.

"Alright, that's it." Gendry bent and scooped a handful of mud himself. There was plenty of it, as it had rained the day before and the horses had turned up the land around the campsite. "You'd better run!"

He chased Anguy around the remnants of last night's fire and then around the horses, before lobbing the mud as hard as he could and hitting… Edric, right in the back of the neck. Anguy promptly fell down laughing.

"Aaahhh! Get if off! Get it off!" squealed Edric, to Anguy's continued delight. Edric started hopping around and pawing at the mud dripping down the back of his neck, but Lem was quicker. He clapped his hand right over the mud cake and dragged it up through the youth's golden hair, before giving him a friendly tussle.

"There, now you look quite the little lording," Lem said, smiling at his work. Anguy took advantage of the distracting scene to sprinkle more mud on Gendry's hair, dancing away from his reactive swipe.

"And you, my Prince," said Lem, mock-bowing low before Gendry, his faded yellow cloak outstretched, "You are the spitting image of royalty."

Last night around the fire Gendry had finally revealed his true parentage to his three comrades. When he had finished, all three had stared at him quietly, and then Lem had burst out laughing and immediately begun to compose a new song about the bastard Prince, with Anguy in accompaniment, and begun addressing him as "My Prince" ever since. Gendry had felt relieved; he'd been worried things would change. Later that night, however, when Anguy and Lem had begun to doze, Edric came to him and solemnly swore fealty; Gendry told him to get up and stop being ridiculous, as he'd never been recognized and his father wasn't even king anymore.

They were half a day's ride from King's Landing, where they were planning to purchase furs, provisions, and other necessities for their journey North. As nearly three years had passed since the gold cloaks came looking for him on the Kingsroad and the Lannisters no longer held sway in the Red Keep, Gendry doubted that anyone was still looking for Baratheon bastards; they had even heard a rumor on the road yesterday that the Cersei was finally dead. Still, he thought, resisting the urge to shake the dirt out of his hair, taking precautions couldn't hurt.

To rouse minimal suspicion, they had decided to split into pairs; Anguy and Lem would pose as hunters, and Gendry and Edric as farmers, both come for the markets of King's Landing.

"I don't see why you aren't putting dirt in your hair," said Edric sorely.

"That's because we, my dear Starfall, are born natural commoners," Anguy said with a grand gesture. "We don't need a disguise to be what we are!"

"Now remember," Lem added, "don't look up too much, and try to look stupid."

"Mph," said Edric.

"Alright, alright," Gendry said good naturedly. "We're dirty, we've got the right clothes, now let's go! Remember, plan is to meet at the Dancing Dove at sundown. Me and Edric will get the food, Anguy and Lem the goods, and if all goes well we can get out of the city tomorrow." As a meetup Gendry had chosen a large, bustling tavern on the opposite side of the city from the Red Keep and the street of steel - there he would have the least chance of being recognized.

After he tucked Oathbreaker down his shirt, securing the bottom of the scabbard in his belt, he and Edric mounted and started off; Anguy and Lem would follow a few miles behind, both of them joining the long queue of commoners headed towards King's Landing's markets. The ride was brief; Edric, who seemed relieved to be out of the company of Anguy and Lem, talked about his week long visit to King's Landing many years before, where he had joined up with Lord Beric to become his squire before heading to the Riverlands. Listening to him talk, Gendry couldn't help feeling a bit nostalgic for Tobho Mott's shop. He now understood why he'd had to leave to join the Yoren's group, although he hadn't at at the time. When the old master smith had gruffly told him to pack up; he'd been surprised, and hurt. He had thought himself to be the best apprentice in Mott's shop, and he couldn't understand why he had been so unceremoniously dismissed. On the road, with Arya and Hot Pie and Lommy and the others, he had refused to think of home, and before long stubbornness became habit.

They reached the city and passed through the Western Gate around noon. They made their purchases easily — except for that incident with the dog — using silver that Gendry had earned for some simple ironwork in Cider Hall. Anguy and Lem had assured him that they didn't need gold to complete their purchases. "We'll manage," Lem had said, throwing him a large wink. Gendry frowned at that, but there wasn't much else to do. Edric had offered to see if he could borrow on the credit of the Lord of Starfall, but they had all agreed that such a move would be too risky, as the Lord of Starfall was a known associate of the notorious Brotherhood.

King's Landing was just the same, Gendry thought. There had been a siege, and a riot, and the battle Blackwater bay, and two different Kings, but so far King's Landing had seemed like the same, except for the tall blackened spike where the Tower of the Hand had stood. "Good riddance," the leather merchant had said when he'd noticed Gendry staring at the former tower. Gendry had asked him what he meant, and the old man had burst out in a guffaw. "You don't know?" he said. "She's dead - that bitch of a Lannister, who burned the tower. Died in her sleep a week ago. Her sleep! Too bad it wasn't a beheading, I say."

She was dead. Not that Gendry had been afraid of Cersei. He They'd heard about the Sparrows at Cider Hall, and he knew that Cersei had no power to harm him anymore. But still he felt relieved, knowing that the woman who'd wanted him dead was no more.

"You go on ahead to the Dove, Edric," said Gendry when their bags were full.

"What? Why? What are you going to do? Remember what we said - what you said about the staying hidden. What if someone recognized you?" Edric said.

"I'll be careful, Ed!" said Gendry. "It's been more than two years. Besides, I never left Mott's shop before that— and Tobhoo wouldn't turn me in, he sent me North to keep me safe. And Cersei is dead!"

"Still—"

"Look, here, give me that—" said Gendry, grabbing a thick fur cloak they had purchased earlier and tying it on, throwing the hood up over his face. "There, I could be anybody."

"Anybody who's six foot six," grumbled Edric. "If Lem and Anguy ask, I'm telling them you gave me the slip."

"They won't care! Go get an ale!" Gendry laughed, turing away.

It was nearly dark now and the streets of King's Landing were emptying out. There were fewer people about than he remembered, but he knew that there wasn't any formal curfew anymore. Still, when he saw a band of robed brothers walking his way he made a sharp turn. He took the back way to the Street of Steel, where he was least likely to run into company.

When he emerged from the alleys he was a few houses up from Mott's shop. He sighed when he saw the familiar way. Next to him the workshop Job Rhent, the ironsmith, who mainly mended tools; beside that Petveil Strang, the silversmith; and, the Havier Adan, the goldsmith from Dorne. And there was Tohbo's shop, just as he remembered it, with the small, weathered sign of the sword hanging above the shop. He'd been ashamed of that sign when he'd worked here, he remembered; he'd wanted Tobho to get a new one painted, like the elaborate block that hung above Strang's door, with accents in real silver. Tobho had laughed. "They already know I'm the best boy. I don' wanna rub it in," he'd said.

The door to Mott's shop was closed, as he'd expected, but someone had nailed several boards across the door frame. That was strange. While he was standing there a couple of boys ran past, each perhaps around six or seven. "You there" he called, and they both halted in their tracks. "Does Master Tobho still smith here?" he asked

One boy ran off without answering but the other paused, and then in a small voice replied. "He's dead, Ser. Had a fit. Three days ago." Then he ran off after his companion.

Gendry sighed. His master had been old. At least he had met with a peaceful death, he thought. Or as peaceful as one could expect in Westeros these days. He wouldn't be able to see him one last time, but perhaps that was for the best. He turned and walked back to the alley.

The Dancing Dove was nearly full to the brim. Anguy and Lem were right in the center, and from the looks of them, several cups in. Anguy was flirting with a woman who was probably a whore, and Lem had a serving wench on his knee, who was holding the pitcher of ale just out of his reach.

"Another lass, another for this old—ah, brother!" he yelled, spotting Gendry and in his gesture of welcome accidentally knocked the serving girl off his knee, who nimbly leaped off without spilling any ale, and walked to the next table to serve another customer. "How do you fare? Ah no, girl, come back, come back here!" Lem said leaning forward with his cup and another copper piece. She obligingly sashayed over and refilled his cup.

"Aye he's a handsome one, isn't he?" she said, looking Gendry up and down. Noting the mud still clinging to his hair she added, "I like 'em dirty," with a wink. Gendry blushed slightly. The girl wasn't exactly what you'd call pretty. She was short but slender, and moved gracefully with her pitcher. Her hair was a yellowish-brown, her skin pale with a spattering of freckles, and her eyes small but intelligent. Her smile, while pleasant, lopsided. He guessed she was about six-and-ten. "I'm Kyra," she announced, sticking out her free hand.

"Gen," Gendry grunted.

"And I'm Ned," Edric piped up. He was sitting on the other side of the table and Anguy and Lem were ignoring him, like always.

"Well milords, I'll be right back with two more cups—that is, of course, assuming you can pay."

Kyra returned quickly and Gendry downed his first cup watching the woman Anguy was flirting with repeatedly insist she was not a whore, while she accepted copper pieces Anguy was pressing one by one into her hand.

When Kyra returned to refill their cups, she sat down next to Gendry (Lem clearly forgotten) and began to shamelessly flirt with Edric, who was getting redder and redder as the night went on, though from the ale or from the attention he could not tell.

"Now tell me, are you two going north with those good looking men there as well?" She asked casually after some minutes. Gendry stiffened unintentionally and she continued mockingly, "O Seven save me, is that a secret? It is my business to notice, you know. Or it was. My family, you see, is from the North - we used to trade in furs, made it up and down the Kingsroad four times in a year! And when I see a couple of rough lads with their sacks full of furs and tack…" she nodded at the Lem's and Anguy's purchases, which were sagging open under their feet "…and a couple more with a month's supply of food…" she nudged Gendry's foot, that lay next to his bag playfully…"I know where they're going, yessir I do."

"Where are you from?" said Edric dreamingly. Gendry decided the ale really must be going to his head.

"Me?" said Kyra. "I was born in a little tiny town closer to Castle Black than to Winterfell. That's where my mum was from. But the truth is I haven't lived there for more than a month since I was younger than four—been on the road since then. The whole North is my home! and the South too. I know that route better than anyone, I suspect, and not just the Kingsroad neither. In the last few years, after Robb Stark called himself King of the North, it because to unsafe to use the main road, so we went back ways, ways my father knew, that my family's known since before the Kingsroad was built."

She directed her speech at Edric, but under the table she had slipped one of her feet out of clogs and was nudging at Gendry's leg, gradually higher until he felt himself start to get aroused and shoved her foot off with one hand. "I've been trying to make it back there, actually - been saving up for a horse and tack, almost have enough. Well I've got to go, but I'll come back." And she kissed Edric on the ear and went off to fill the other customer's cups.

"Say, Gen—" started Edric, "Say Gen—" he was really slurring now. "You know what, it'd be real useful to have a girl like that with us. I mean we know the Riverlands alright…" he motioned Lem and Anugy, "but none of us have ever been North o' there, and a girl like that, she could be real useful."

"She told us the same thing earlier," Lem added from across the table. "Asked us to take us with her, in fact. I couldn't tell if she was joking, since I've never heard of a maiden, questionable virtue or no, volunteering to join a company of strange on the road. I asked if she was a whore and she said she'd thought about it but decided it was too much work. lmagine that!'"

"Speaking of whores!" Anguy said. A group of women wearing faded, garish gowns and painted faces had just entered the tavern. Because the Sparrows had taken to burning brothels, the proprietor was quickly ushering them out - but from the large group of men who got up to follow them it was clear their visit had not been in vain.

"I mean, the way I figure, if we just spent five months escorting a bunch of brats to safety for charity, the least we can do is take on a friendly wench who knows the way."

Gendry frowned. He'd wanted to skip King's Landing entirely, but they did need to restock and there was no where they could have done it more easily than here. Now to change plans because of some tavern girl? He didn't like it. He watched her making rounds, flirting with some of the men, accepting coin here and there. She didn't look dangerous. But why did she want to go North? Why now, when everyone was fleeing it?

He got up from the table, feeling more tipsy than he wanted to, and walked across the room to where Kyra was refilling her pitcher. She turned around and almost ran into him.

"Well hey there handsome," she said. "Couldn't wait for another drink?"

"Why do you want to go North?" he said, staring directly at her. She shrank. He was beginning to understand that his gaze was intimidating.

Her face instantly dropped its jovial demeanor. "My brothers. They were little, see, not even five, so we left them with my old aunt in my mum's town before our last trip… the trip when…" she looked down, and Gendry could see a tear in her eye. "I made it away, but only me. I'm the only one they have left, you see. I have to get there." She looked up at him, brown eyes brimming. Gendry immediately felt his heart soften.

"Why us?" he said. "As soon as we're clear of King's Landing, what's to stop us from raping you, robbing you and leaving you for dead."

She smiled. "Working in a tavern you learn pretty quick what sort of men there are. Those first two - your friend with the red hair and the one with the yellow cloak, they're your average sort - they might keep me as long as I was useful but they'd leave me as soon as I wasn't. I plan to be useful, so that's not a problem. But when I saw you and your golden-haired friend there, I knew I'd be safe." Her expression became a mischievous grin. "Besides, it's not every man who can resist the advances of a loose woman," she said, nudging his leg.

Gendry couldn't help but smile. "Come to our table in an half an hour," he said. "I'll think about it." She nodded pertly and he watched her swaying frame walk across the room. She reminded him of Arya, he thought; talkative, tomboyish, occasionally crude, but loyal to a fault. She would fit in well with Lem and Anguy. And they would need help.

**NOTES

The Lem Anguy bromance is fun to write. Hopefully now the last chapter makes a little more sense. Also if there are any weird references to a character I haven't introduced it's probably Kyra, I couldn't decide on her name for a while. Who is Arya now?

Also I threw in the Dancing Dove for any Tamora fans out there :)