Chapter Text
It was the middle of the night when the sound of a wolf howling jerked Arya from a very deep sleep. She knew, deep down in her bones, that Nymeria was out there somewhere. She remembered the last time that Nymeria saved her and Gendry's lives, and the selfish part of her wanted it to happen again. However, she could see Griffin getting his sword and cutting her beloved wolf to pieces. Arya wasn't sure of a lot of things at that moment, but she was convinced that she could not handle seeing such a thing play out in front of her.
Arya pulled Gendry closer to her and closed her eyes. She knew what a warg was, and she knew that the Stark's had a deep connection to the North. There wasn't anything more North than a direwolf, and Arya knew that despite the many years apart, she was still connected to Nymeria.
'Stay away,' Arya thought. 'I know you want to help, but I need you to stay away. There's too many of them, and I couldn't stand to see you get hurt.' There was a feeling in her head like someone replying to her. She heard a mournful howl as Nymeria seemed to say that she understood that she would stay away because now wasn't the time. There was a time that they would see each other again, she was sure of that, but it wasn't now. Arya opened her eyes and looked at Gendry's sleeping face. He seemed almost younger in sleep, and over the last week from their escape attempt, he had done his best to preserve her modesty in front of Griffin and his men while keeping her warm at night. The cut on his neck was healing, but there was a chance that it was going to leave a scar. It was a constant reminder of how she almost got him killed and how he wanted her to leave him behind like he didn't matter.
Arya shifted away from Gendry so the mercenaries wouldn't know how close they were just yet. They would find out eventually, but she wasn't ready for that. The sun was coming up, and Arya hoped that today they would let the two of them out of the cage and let them walk around a little. She was starting to get worried about Gendry's legs and back.
Griffin and his men were running into another problem. They seemed to think that they could talk the villages into admitting whether or not Arya and Gendry had ever helped them. The problem was they saw right through the act and kept their mouths shut. Arya had worked very hard over the years to leave little to no trace of their presence. Gendry's blacksmith work was good but unremarkable. She made sure everything she taught people was something anyone could use and nothing that could be traced back to her. Despite how much she wanted to teach other little girls water dancing over the years, the risk was just too great.
A familiar house emerged on the horizon, and Arya felt her stomach drop; that was Mina and Prycella's house. She had no idea whether or not the two old sisters were still alive, but they were healers and often spoke to her about how they would help anyone. A few of Griffin's men were still limping from the escape attempt and needed a healer.
"Stop here," Griffin said, and he turned to the two of them. "If I let the two of you out, are you going to try anything?"
"No," they both said, and this time neither of them was lying. Arya knew they needed to escape but now was not the time, not when Griffin so obviously wanted blood still. He opened the cage door and gestured for Gendry to move forward. He tied Gendry's wrists with a thick rope and nearly pulled him out of the cage. Gendry stumbled, his legs no doubt numb after a week of being unable to move, and Griffin sneered at him.
"Get up bastard unless you want to stay down there," Griffin warned. Gendry glared at him but pushed himself to his feet. He stared Griffin down, his blue eyes bright with the promise of something terrible to come, and Arya loved him so much for not giving him. Griffin broke their stare first, a small victory for her and Gendry, and gestured for Arya to come forward. He pushed Gendry to another soldier and tied her wrists. "If you try anything funny, I will cut a piece off of him in your honor," Griffin whispered loud enough for only her to hear. "Do you understand me?"
"Yes," Arya said as she struggled not to do anything stupid. She was a wolf, and a wolf didn't belong in a cage like this. She wanted to run free, and right now, Arya wanted to tear this man's throat out. With her wrists, secure Griffin let her out of the cage but kept a firm grip on her arm.
"Healers!" he yelled. "We are in need of your services!" Arya wasn't entirely surprised that a man like this just yelled for someone to come out and serve him. She heard the way he spoke; sometimes, Griffin was low born, and no doubt, his position with these mercenaries afforded him some power. Like most men, the moment he got some power, he let it go to his head.
Arya didn't pray often, but right now, she prayed that Mina and Prycella were no longer in this house. She prayed that they were somewhere safe. If nothing else, she prayed that the two sisters wouldn't react when they saw her and Gendry prisoners. The door opened, and both Mina and Prycella walked out. These two women were veterans of several wars, and they scanned the group carefully. Arya held her breath when they looked at her and Gendry, but neither of them reacted.
"Good sers," Mina said with a smile. "What can my sister and I do for you?"
"We are transporting two prisoners of the crown, and they attacked my men. Some of them are in need of a healer," Griffin said as he jerked Arya's arm. "Do you know these prisoners?"
"I'm afraid we don't ser," Prycella replied, and Griffin narrowed his eyes.
"You've never healed either of them? I was under the impression that you would help anyone. That is what a nearby village told my men," Griffin said.
"While we will treat anyone who comes to our doors, they never passed through here sers," Mina said. Arya was very impressed by how well these two could lie, but then again, she supposed that they wouldn't have lived through several wars if they couldn't lie. Griffin stared at the two sisters as if he was trying to figure out whether or not they were telling the truth. Arya glanced at Gendry, who was doing his best not to look nervous. Finally, he nodded and gestured to his men.
"Is there a secure place we can keep our prisoners while you are treating my men?" Griffin asked.
"There is an old storage shed out in the back that we no longer use," Prycella said. "Please follow me." Griffin and his men tugged Arya and Gendry over to the old storage container. It was empty and looked like it was sturdy enough, so even if they tried to break it down, it probably wouldn't work. Not to mention, it would make a lot of noise, and they couldn't risk that. Griffin pushed Arya inside, and Gendry followed moments later.
"If either of you tries anything, I'll take a finger from the other, and I won't do it quickly," he warned. Behind him, Prycella frowned but otherwise did not react. One of the soldiers tossed in two thin blankets, and the door slammed shut. Arya could hear Griffin locking it, and he told one of the soldiers to stand guard but not to open the door. He said something about not giving them a chance to fight. Arya listened as the men walked away, and soon, it was quiet. The door to Prycella and Mina's house opened and closed, and there was silence.
Gendry crossed the space between them in two large steps and pressed his lips to hers. For the first time in weeks, he could touch her and not have to worry about someone cutting off his hands. Said hands were still bound tightly with rope, but that didn't stop Gendry from kissing her within an inch of her life.
"God, I've missed you," he whispered as he pressed his forehead against hers.
"Not as much as I've missed you," Arya replied. The two of them sat down together, so they were shoulder to shoulder. Arya ached to touch her husband, but there was nothing she could do about it right now. They needed to make sure that they talked quietly enough that the man staying guard wouldn't hear what they were saying, what that meant that Gendry drove Arya a little out of her mind when he leaned forward and whispered in her ear close enough that his lips touched skin.
"Do you think Mina and Prycella are going to be okay?" he asked, and Arya shivered.
"Yes, you don't live through as many wars as they did without learning how to lie extremely well," Arya replied. She made sure that she also got as close to Gendry's ears as possible and loved the way he shifted like he was suddenly uncomfortable.
"You should have run," Gendry said softly, and this time he didn't look at her after he finished speaking. "You could have gotten away."
"And you'd be dead," Arya said because that was the main thing that mattered. She reached up with her bound hands and touched the thin white scar that was on Gendry's neck. So far, it still hadn't faded, and she wasn't sure that it was ever going to.
"I wanted you to run. I wanted you to get away."
"Of course you did. For some reason, despite all that has happened over the many years we've been together, you still think my life is somehow worth more than yours. While that might be true to Griffin or Cersei, it isn't true to me. To me, you're everything, and I'm not going to sacrifice you." It took some effort but reached forward and put her hands over Gendry's. "We're going to get out of this, and we're going to do it together. Then we're going to get North as fast as humanly possible, and my brother and sister are going to keep us safe."
"Do you really believe that?" Gendry asked.
"Yes," Arya said without hesitation. "We are going to get away from these people if it's the last thing I do. We either go together or not at all. One of leaving the other behind is not an option. You wouldn't leave me behind, would you?" Arya asked.
"Never," Gendry replied without hesitation.
"Then why do you keep expecting me to leave you behind? It's not happening, and I'm not going to let you throw your life away for mine either. We keep each other safe." Arya leaned forward and pressed her lips to Gendry's. "You're my husband, and nothing is going to change that." He smiled softly, and they spent the next several hours enjoying each other's presence. They had to move apart to keep anyone from seeing them so close when Griffin came out and brought them food. He announced that they were going to spend the next three days at the healer's home, and they should get comfortable. Gendry looked like he really didn't mind being able to stand up and walk around for the first time in days. Arya rested her cheek against Gendry's shoulder and closed her eyes. She just hoped that Griffin didn't find out that Mina and Prycella had helped them in the past.
+++
Arya was running through the forest as fast as her feet could carry her. She knew that Griffin and his soldiers were right behind her, and it was just a matter of time before they caught up. Gendry was bigger than her, and he was somewhere up ahead in the dark. It was a miracle that they managed to get away at all, and this time Griffin wasn't going to let them walk away with bruises. He was going to remove a body part, or Arya was going to have to watch Gendry die.
She stumbled into a clearing and froze. The Red Woman was waiting for her, hands folded in front of her, with a smile on her red lips.
"What are you doing here?" Arya asked.
"You didn't really think you could keep the boy safe from me, did you?" she asked. "You made me miss out on his blood once before, and I won't let it happen again. He needs to die for the good of Westeros."
"I refuse to believe that." Arya looked around and realized that she couldn't hear Griffin and his men anymore, but she couldn't see Gendry anywhere either. "Where is he? What did you do to him?"
"He's fulfilling his purpose," the Red Woman said, and she stepped aside to reveal a large burning fire. Arya could tell that it was Gendry burning in the flames, but he wasn't screaming, he was already dead, and the fire seemed to be spreading. It was like the woods were suddenly on fire, and everything around her was burning. The Red Woman stood among the flames and smiled. "You can run and hide as much as you want, but you cannot stop the will of the Red God. He wants the boy dead, so he will die." The flames seemed to consume Arya as she watched her husband turn to ash.
She screamed.
+++
Arya jerked awake and heard someone telling her to calm down. She was cold, but she was also covered in a thick layer of sweat, and her hands, which were still bound, were shaking so hard she didn't know how to make them stop. Arya blinked in the darkness and saw Gendry telling her that she was going to be okay. Griffin had told them that they were leaving in the morning, and every step that they took to King's Landing made Arya feel sick. Now she thought about Red Woman and the fact that she might be alive and out there looking for them.
The door to the shed opened, and the guard walked in.
"What's with all of the noise?" he asked.
"She had a nightmare," Gendry said. "Everything is fine."
"And who are you to comfort a high born lady from a nightmare, bastard?" the guard asked with a smirk.
"I asked him to," Arya said though her voice was surprisingly raspy. The guard, however, didn't look convinced. He was staring the two of them down with an evil look in his eyes.
"I've seen the way you two act around each other. I think it's more than that," he said. Gendry narrowed his eyes and stood up. He was imposing even though his hands were still bound.
"I don't like what you're imposing about the lady. Perhaps you should return to your post," Gendry said. Arya also stood and tried to ignore the way she was still shaking. The guard smirked and advanced on the two of them. He threw a punch at Gendry, who managed to duck, but without the use of his hands, it was only a matter of time before the guard landed a hard blow to Gendry's stomach. He stumbled and struggled to get his breath back, and the guard focused on Arya.
"I think you've soiled a high born lady," the guard sneered. "Which means no one will notice when I have a little fun with her." Arya knew precisely what this asshole was implying, and she wasn't going to stand for it. Not now and possibly not ever. She clenched her fists as Gendry stumbled to his feet and tried to get his breath back. There was a good chance that the blow had bruised a rib or two. The guard advanced on her, and Arya managed to get away from him. She eyed the door that was hanging open. Maybe if they took care of this guy, they could make a run for it even if her nightmare was lingering a bit too close to home right now.
"You're not touching me," Arya said lowly. Gendry was on his feet, and the two of them began to circle the guard. He didn't look too worried probably because he was underestimating just how much damage they could do with their hands tied. Arya ducked away from him again and landed a sharp kick to his stomach. The guard stumbled back into Gendry, who managed to loop his bound hands around the man's neck and tried to put him into a chokehold. The angle was wrong, and the guard threw his head back into Gendry's nose. The guard got away from Gendry's arms and punched Gendry in his already bleeding nose. Gendry stumbled to the ground as the guard pulled out a dagger.
"I'm going to gut you, boy, and then I'm going to take the Stark girl," he said. Arya ran at him and threw her entire weight into the guard. It was enough to knock him off of his feet, and Arya struggled to use her legs to cut off the man's air supply. He was struggling, hitting her hard enough to bruise, but if he got up again, someone was going to get hurt, and she couldn't stand for that. The guard was just starting to settle when Griffin ran into the storage room.
"What the fuck is going on here?" he demanded. The room was suddenly filled with mercenaries who yanked Arya away from the guard and pulled a dazed Gendry to his feet. His nose looked crooked, and Arya wondered if it was broken.
"I caught them trying to escape," the guard said. "Then, they attacked me."
"Liar," Arya hissed. "He let himself in here and was threatening to rape me. We were defending ourselves."
"Your soldier thought he had the right to lay his hands on a highborn lady," Gendry said as he spat blood on the ground. "Get better control of your men." The taunt was probably not the best idea, but Arya could see some of that legendary Baratheon fury in Gendry at that moment. He looked like he wanted to tear all of these men apart with his bare hands. Griffin narrowed his eyes as he looked at the two of them and then at his guard.
"Come on, Griffin, don't tell me you believe these two over me," the guard said as he laughed bitterly.
"If we were trying to escape, the first thing we would have done was untie our hands," Arya said as she held up her still bound with rope. "If you check both of us, you'll see we never even got the ropes close to being broken. He was going to try and rape me, and you need to do something about it." Griffin stared her down for a moment and then nodded to his men. They took the guard and dragged him out of the shed as he screamed curses at both of them.
"I warned you what would happen if you tried anything," Griffin said lowly.
"We were defending ourselves," Gendry snapped, but Griffin ignored him as he walked up to Arya and took her chin in his hands, so she was forced to meet his gaze. Her first instinct was to spit in his face, but she managed to convince herself that it would be a terrible idea.
"Why did he think touching you would be okay?" Griffin asked as he looked her over. "Did he know something about you that I don't?"
"Even if he did that doesn't give him the right to touch me or any other woman that doesn't want it," Arya said. Griffin laughed a little and nodded to the men who were holding her. One of them pulled back and hit her in the stomach as hard as they could. It knocked the wind out of her, and Arya could feel herself struggling to breathe. As she tried to get her breath back, one of the men backhanded her hard enough that she tasted blood.
"Don't touch her you--" Gendry started, but Griffin nodded, and one of the men punched Gendry in the face three times, and when they let him fall to the ground, they kicked him in the stomach until he wasn't moving. Griffin smirked as he looked back at her.
"Call the healers and have them take a look at these two, then I want them back in the cage. We leave in the morning."