"Your master sold you out" Varys pointed out in a hush so only Gendry could hear him. "Are you truly alright?"
"He was being threatened and would have been killed" Gendry pointed out, "I would have done the same thing. What I am more bothered by is seeing all the children being killed. Because they were the King's bastards."
"They stood in competition to Joffrey's rule."
"And does that give him the right to kill innocents?" Gendry snapped, tone louder than Varys'. It drew the attention of people to them.
"I never said it was the right thing" Varys pointed out.
"You never said it wasn't the right thing" Gendry countered.
Varys blinked slowly.
"I suppose I did not."
Over on the other end, Robert watched his bastard closely. That was the only one of his children to have survived Kings Landing. Well, they were alive still and some were yet to be born. He'd think of a way to protect them, the children that were his.
[Water can be heard trickling down. Arya is sitting by a pool of water in the woods. She turns her head to the left. Then some leaves rustle, and she turns to the right. A horse whinnies, and she walks towards some other people. Many of them are gathering wood, and she joins in. Three men watch her as she walks past their cage. One of them whispers to Arya and she looks up at the cage.]
"A man has a thirst. The man does not drink for a day and a night. A boy could make a friend."
"His accent isn't Westerosi" Margaery noted.
"He speaks like the dance master" Sansa added with a frown.
A pang passed through Arya. She didn't see Syrio Forel yet, which could only mean one thing…
"I have friends."
"Give us a beer. Before I skin you."
"That one sounds more like scum you'd find in the Dark Cells" Renly snorted.
"A man does not choose his companions. These two, they have no courtesy. A man must ask forgiveness. You're called Arry."
[Arya nods.]
"This man has the honour to be Jaqen H'ghar. Once of the Free City of Lorath."
"Interesting" Oberyn mused.
"Hey, you little shit. Get us beer!"
[Arya throws down the wood she was holding and looks at Rorge angrily.]
"You should have asked nicely."
"Oh, Arya" Catelyn chided her daughter with worry. Her wild child always got in trouble with that attitude. She could only fear the danger she was putting herself in right now.
Ned on the other hand had a different kind of worry seeing Rorge. These were the kind of men being sent to the Wall. How long until they band behind someone and cause a riot? The wall was already undermanned, what would they do if these men stood against them?
[Arya begins hitting the cage with a stick, trying to hit Rorge. Rorge tries to claw back. Jaqen laughs at the exchange. Biter looks on.]
"Arya!" Sansa exclaimed in half worry and half anger. "You're going to get yourself killed!"
Arya made a huffing noise and looked away.
"Come closer. And I'll shove that stick up your bunghole and fuck you bloody."
"The boy has more courage than sense."
"She does" Jon snorted, earning a slap on the arm from said 'boy'.
[Rorge reaches out at Arya. Gendry walks past holding wood. Arya joins him.]
"Yoren said none of us were to go near of those three."
"They don't scare me."
"Hmm? Then you're stupid. They scare me."
Arya threw a withering glare at Gendry present at the Hall.
Gendry met her glare with a plain-faced raised eyebrow.
[Two gold cloaks ride in on horseback. Gendry puts down the wood he was carrying. Arya attempts to hide under some wood.]
"What are you doing?"
"They're looking for me."
"Not this time" Gendry chuckled dryly.
"You're in command here?"
"You're a long way from home."
"I asked you a question."
"Aye, you did. You asked without manners. And I chose not to answer."
"I like this man" Brandon the Elder chuckled. "A shame he's a black brother. You could use men like him in the ranks."
"Need I remind you that he is a wandering crow, and wandering crows are hardly if ever good at combat in any form" Rickard pointed out.
"Hardly, meaning there are some who are" Brandon pointed out with a grin.
Rickard rolled his eyes at his eldest.
[The Gold Cloak Pulls out a rolled-up paper and hands it to Yoren.]
"I have a royal warrant. For one of these gutter rats you're transporting."
[Gendry looks at Arya. Arya looks back, pursing her lips.]
"Well, the thing is, these gutter rats belong to the Night's Watch now. That puts them beyond the reach of kings and queens."
[The gold cloak tries to pull out his sword. Yoren quickly pulls out his dagger and puts it on the man's leg.]
"It's a funny thing. People worry so much about their throats, they forget about what's down low. Now I sharpened this blade before breakfast. I could shave a spider's arse if I wanted to. Or, I could nick this artery in your leg and once it's nicked, there's no one around here who knows how to un-nick it."
"See? He knows how to use a weapon" Brandon the Elder pointed out to his father.
Rickard Stark rolled his eyes once more.
[Yoren takes the gold cloak's sword. The other gold cloak pulls his out.]
"We'll just keep that. Good steel is always needed on the wall. Seems you have a choice. You can die here at this crossroads a long way from home. Or you can go back to your city and tell your masters you didn't find what you were looking for."
"I like this man" Robb nodded his head. Perhaps the next time this one visits Winterfell, he can get to know him better.
"We're looking for a boy named Gendry."
[Gendry and Arya look shocked.]
"He carries a bull's head helmet. Anyone turning him over will earn the King's reward. We'll be back. With more men. And I'll be taking your head home along with that bastard boy."
[The gold cloaks ride off. Gendry and Arya stand up. Everyone in the party turns to look at Gendry.]
"And now everyone has their eyes on you. And everyone wants the King's reward" Varys said with a smile.
Gendry buried his face in his hands and groaned softly.
[KING'S LANDING, RED KEEP]
[Tyrion walks through a room and into a hallway, whistling. As he opens the door to his room, Shae laughs, and he stops whistling. Shae and Varys are sitting at a table. Varys stands up, and Tyrion looks at Shae, and closes the door.]
"So much for her being a secret" Tyrion sighed.
Varys merely giggled behind his sleeve.
[BEYOND THE WALL, CRASTER'S CAMP]
[Sam, Edd, and Grenn are standing at a table. Edd and Grenn are cutting food.]
"Then I said, if the gods wanted us to have dignity, wouldn't make us fart when we died."
"We fart when we die?"
"You shit when you die" Brandon the Elder informed his nephews, both of whom looked inquisitive and then disgusted.
"I guess a clean death is a myth then" Jon muttered.
But both Brandon and Robb had heard him. And both of them snorted a laugh, caught off guard by the remark.
"My blessed mother was holding her own when she left this world. She farted so hard, the whole bed shook."
[Edd makes farting noises with his mouth as they continue to cut food. Sam looks up and watches Gilly walk past.]
"Seems a bit greedy for one man to have so many wives. Wouldn't two, or three, be enough for him?"
"And there he goes" Margaery sighed. She knew it was only time that held off Sam's urges. He was a man, after all, a kind one but still a man.
[Grenn looks up to watch some of the women.]
"Would you look at that."
"Nothing like the sight of a woman walking away."
"I prefer watching them come towards me."
"I'm sure that's nice too."
"We need more potatoes. And get another sack for the sludge. Get the turnips too."
[As Sam continues walking, a dog barks. Then a woman screams. Sam turns around to see Gilly backed up against a fence post. Ghost stands in front of her, eyeing the meat she is carrying. Sam begins slowly walking over.]
"Poor boy's just hungry" Lyanna sighed, making her brother sweatdrop at her.
"No. Ghost, no. No. Ghost, away. Shoo. Shoo!"
[Ghost walks away.]
"You all right? Did he frighten you?"
[Sam reaches out to touch Gilly, but she flinches back.]
"Oh that is not a good sign" Margaery winced.
"You doubted they weren't abused?" Olenna raised a brow at her granddaughter.
"A hope, grandmother" Margaery sighed.
"You shouldn't touch me."
[The view shifts to Jon sharpening his sword.]
"He looks so much like Father here" Robb commented, much to Catelyn's dissatisfaction.
Ned on the other hand shook his head and stole a glance of his sister.
[He stops and looks up as Sam and Gilly approach him.]
"What're you doing?"
"This is Gilly, she's one of Craster's daughters."
"Hello, Gilly. What're you doing?"
"So polite" Lyanna chuckled.
Jon lowered his head and pursed his lips.
"Sam said you could help."
"I'm sorry, Sam knows we're not supposed to -"
"She's pregnant."
[Gilly encourages Sam to continue.]
"We have to take her with us when we leave."
"Mother have mercy" Margaery rubbed her forehead.
[ESSOS, DESERT]
[The view pans across Daenerys's people, many of whom appear tired and weak. Jorah and Daenerys sit near each other.]
Daenerys perked up when she was shown. It had been a while since she'd been on.
[After looking out for a few moments, Jorah takes a sip of his water and then sighs. Then a horse can be heard approaching. Jorah looks up at it, and it is shown to be riderless.]
"That does not look good" Rhaegar muttered.
[Daenerys looks up at the horse. Jorah gets up. The horse is covered in red paint. Jorah walks over to it. A soaking-wet sack is attached to it. Some hair can be seen poking out of the top. Flies can be heard buzzing. Jorah feels the hair, and Daenerys gets up from where she was sitting to approach the horse. Jorah pulls the object in the sack out a little bit by the hair, revealing it to be a human head. He then puts it back in the sack. Jorah picks up the ponytail of the head, which has been cut off.]
"Gods" Daenerys gasped. Try as she might, she couldn't help but feel for these people. They were not her husband's men, they were hers now. And surely it was she who sent him off.
[Daenerys looks in the sack, and then quickly looks away.]
"Who did this?"
"Khal Pono perhaps, Khal Jhaqo They don't like the idea of a woman leading a Khalasaar."
"They will like it far less when I'm done with them."
[Irri walks over and sees the head. She then falls to her knees, crying.]
[Speaking Dothraki, to Daenerys]
"They killed his soul!"
[Speaking Dothraki]
"Shh. They cannot kill his soul."
[Speaking Dothraki]
"They did! They butchered him like an animal. They did not burn his body. He can never join his ancestors in the night lands."
"These savages are quite superstitious people" Olenna commented idly.
"Do you not believe in souls, grandmother?" Margaery questioned.
"Does it matter what I believe in?" Olenna questioned. "Once you die, that is it. There is nothing on the other side for your soul to feel or not, to join your ancestors or not. There is simply nothing."
Margaery nodded, a faint sad smile on her lips. Sometimes she felt saddened by the beliefs of her grandmother.
[KINGS LANDING, DINING ROOM]
[The scene begins zoomed in on Podrick pouring Janos a glass of wine. He then spills, and we see Tyrion and Janos sitting at a table.]
Robert made a threatening noise in the back of his throat.
"Leave us, Podrick. I believe we know how to pour our own wine."
[Podrick leaves.]
"Is that your new squire? Could have found you a proper lad."
"Myself, I prefer the improper ones."
"A fine dinner, my lord."
"Call me Tyrion, please. I'm sure you're getting used to fine dinners, now that you're a lord."
"Maybe I'll hire this cook of yours."
"Wars have been started for less."
"You're far too friendly with this man. What are you up to?"
"Patience, brother. I'll let you know once I see what I'm up to for myself."
[They both laugh. Janos sips his wine.]
"I heard there was some trouble in Littlefinger's brothel the other night."
"Hmm. Nasty business, had to be done."
"Had to be done!" Robert fumed.
"Robert" Jon Arryn warned and the King deflated slightly.
"Yes, of course. City Watch must keep the peace. Only, I hadn't realised peace depended on killing babies."
"Orders are orders."
"Quite right. Especially the queen's orders."
"I never said they were the queen's orders."
"No, but who else would want to murder King Robert's bastards?"
"Joffrey" Robb drawled, loud for everyone to hear.
"She's always been a jealous woman."
"You know your sister better than I do."
"You've heard the awful rumours about my brother and sister."
"I don't listen to filth."
"Sure he doesn't" Jon snorted.
"That's good of you, but you have heard them. I suppose people who do believe that filth, consider Robert's bastards to be better claimants to the throne than Cersei's children."
"Joffrey is my king, the rest doesn't interest me."
"How long until his loyalty turns?" Robb whispered to Jon.
"If Lord Tyrion offers him coin now…"
Robb snorted.
"I appreciate your loyalty. Tell me. When your men slaughtered Ned Stark's men in the throne room, did you give the order?"
"I did. And I would again. The man was a traitor."
Every one of the Stark children and Robert puffed up in outrage.
"He tried to buy my loyalty."
"The fool! He had no idea you were already bought."
"Are you drunk? I'll not have my honour questioned by an Imp."
"I'm not questioning your honour, Lord Janos. I'm denying its existence."
"You think I'll stand here and take this from you, dwarf."
"Oh, he messed up" Jaime winced. He knew just how much Tyrion hated being called a dwarf. Even if the man never showed it.
"Dwarf? You should have stopped at imp. And yes, you will stand here and take it from me, unless you'd like to take it from my friend here."
[Tyrion gestures towards Bronn, who has appeared in the room.]
"I intend to serve as Hand of the King until my father returns from the war, and seeing as you betrayed the last Hand of the King, well, I just wouldn't feel safe with you lurking about."
"Ah that makes more sense" Jaime nodded, much to Tyrion's annoyance.
"I can be civil" the imp said hotly.
"Not with men like Janos Slint" Jaime cleared.
"Not with men like Janos Slint" Tyrion sighed.
"What are you ta- My friends at court will not allow this. The queen herself -"
"The queen regent. And you're a fool to believe she's your friend."
"We shall hear what Joffrey has to say about this."
"No, we shan't."
[Tyrion nods at Bronn, who gestures for some armed men to enter the room.]
"There's a ship leaving for East Watch by the sea tonight. From there, I'm afraid it's rather a long walk to Castle Black. I hope you enjoy the Wall. I found it surprisingly beautiful, in a brutal, horribly uncomfortable sort of way."
"Would be wonderful if he falls overboard on the way" Arya muttered under her breath.
"The lads will escort you. The streets aren't safe at night, my lord."
"These men are under my command. I command you to arrest this cutthroat."
"His name is Bronn... and he is the new commander of the City Watch."
[The gold cloaks in the room escort Janos out. Janos begins shouting as they take him.]
"Who put him in charge of the Gold Cloaks?" Robert questioned.
"He came with Baelish's recommendation, I didn't have a different opinion that told me otherwise" Renly shrugged.
"Baelish" Robert growled low.
"Baelish…" Jon Arryn fisted his hands. He had been the one to bring that disgrace to court. He was his responsibility. And he will take his responsibility and deal with him.
[WOODS, CAMP NEXT TO A RIVER]
"What do the gold cloaks want with you?"
[Gendry turns around] "No idea."
"You're a liar."
[Gendry walks to the campfire.] "You shouldn't insult people that are bigger than you."
"Then she wouldn't get to insult anyone" Sansa scoffed, angering Arya for the jab.
"Then I wouldn't get to insult anyone."
The anger faded and the sisters shared a look of horror at saying the same thing. Much to the amusement of their brothers.
"Well, I don't care what any of them want. No good's ever come of their questions."
"No good's ever come? Who asked questions before?"
"How can someone so small be such a huge pain in my ass?"
"It's a Stark trait I fear" Jon sighed dramatically, earning whacks from both Robb and Arya.
"You're a Stark too" Sansa commented off-handed, "half as you are…"
Her comment caught all three by surprise and made Robb and Arya stop their whacking. They all looked at a flustered Sansa, who shrugged and looked away.
"Who asked questions?"
"The Hand of the King. Er, hands of the King. Lord Arryn came first, a few weeks before he died. And then Lord Stark came, a few weeks before he died. See? Asking me questions is bad luck. You'll probably be dead soon."
"It's not that they asked you questions, it's that they were so brazen in doing so that got them killed. Amongst other things" Renly explained to his bastard nephew.
"What did they ask about?"
"My mother."
"Who's your mother?"
"Worked in a tavern. Died when I was little."
"And who was your father?"
"She's asking the right questions," Olenna said with a small smirk. "That Stark girl has a good head on her when she applies herself."
"Both of them do, I would like to think" Margaery smiled. It was a feeling.
"He could be one of those gold-hatted bastards, for all I know. What about you, anyway? You thought they were after you, why? Did you kill someone, or is it just because you're a girl?"
"See? You'd be a bad boy!" Bran pointed out.
Arya blew a raspberry at him.
"I'm not a girl!"
"Yes, you are. You think I'm as stupid as the rest of them?"
"Stupider. Night's Watch doesn't take girls, everyone knows that."
"That's true. You're still a girl."
"I am not!"
"Well, pull your cock out and take a piss then."
"I don't need to take a piss… Lommy and Hot Pie can't know. No one can know."
"They won't. Not from me."
"My name's not Arry. It's Arya. Of House Stark. Yoren is taking me home to Winterfell."
"He was your father. The Hand. The traitor."
"He was never a traitor! Joffrey is a liar."
"So you're a highborn, then. You're a lady."
"No. I mean yes. My mother was a lady, and my sister –"
"So are you" Jon pointed out. "Sinc your father is a Lord and mother his Lady wife."
Arya huffed.
"You were a lord's daughter and you lived in a castle. Look, all that about cocks. I should never have said that. I've been pissing in front of you and everything. I should be calling you milady."
"SO you do have some manners" Varys teased.
"The smith master would clout me if I was rude to highborns. It stuck" Gendry shrugged.
"Do not call me milady."
"As milady commands"
[Arya pushes him.]
"Well, that was unladylike."
[Arya pushes Gendry to the ground. He laughs, and she stomps off.]
"I'd say these two might just turn out to be like us Ned," Robert said with a smile.
Gendry and Arya looked at one another.