A Beast's Heart (english version)

19.

Gendry was pushing a glowing piece of metal into a small bucket when I entered the courtyard. It hissed loudly as he paused like that for a moment. His forehead was wrinkled, he seemed highly concentrated. His upper body was naked, I could see the fresh sweat running brilliantly down his lightly tanned skin. Forgetting the lord in his tower for a moment, I trudged towards the young man. I had not spoken to him since Tywin had freed him from torture. I wonder if Arya had told him about my lie. Certainly, for his brow furrowed even more when he raised his eyes and recognised me.
"So, are you also venturing out of the warm castle again? What brings you here, LENN? Or should I call you by your real name, Lena?"
"So you caught on...", I replied, a little embarrassed, and he just snorted.
"Yes. I can't even blame you, it's clearly easier to travel as a man, Arya did the same thing-"
"Shhh," I hissed, looking around hastily, "Not everyone needs to know that she's a girl! Wait... how do you even know that? She'd only told me that, I thought..."
"I guessed it from the start. Far too soft a face for a boy. I spoke to her about it once when you were elsewhere. She came to me last night and told me about you. You've been able to hide it longer than she has."
"Not from Lord Tywin," I replied sullenly, gritting my teeth, "With him, all it took was one look and I was exposed."
Gendry's gaze softened again and he pulled the metal from the vat.
"Is that a sword?", I asked and he nodded.
"I'm a trained blacksmith. What do you think of it?"
He held the blade out to me and I tentatively stroked it with one finger. It felt smooth and cold. I had last felt this on my neck when Soldier Arn had threatened me with death.
"It...feels good?" it came from me. More a question than an opinion, "I have no idea about it at all."
"It's what you kill with," he quipped and I rolled my eyes.
"Oh no," I replied sarcastically, "I thought it was only used to cut metre-long bread or scrape crumbs off the floor."
We laughed quietly, then Gendry's gaze slid past me and his expression darkened. I turned and recognised Arya, who was talking to a soldier in a corner. A white streak adorned his otherwise brown, shoulder-length hair.
"Do you know him?", I asked Gendry without taking my eyes off either of them. Gendry followed suit, answering more passively and suspiciously.
"No... you?"
"No. Yes, wait, we know him! I saw him once with two other prisoners when we were still on our way here."
A candle seemed to light on Gendry's face as well.
"That's right! They were in a rolling cage! The one of them threatened Arya once and she just said she wasn't afraid of them."
"She really doesn't seem to be," I agreed thoughtfully, watching the scene, "Pretty daring if you ask me. I for one could never trust a Lannister!"
"That's what I want you to think," came suddenly from behind us and Gendry and I wheeled around. A soldier stood behind us and eyed me up and down. I cringed under the greedy gaze and screwed up my face in disgust.
"Why?"
"Because most of us haven't seen a nice warm cunt in weeks. I'm sure yours is lovely, let me feel it..."
He took a step towards me and was already reaching out his hand for my shoulder when Gendry suddenly slapped it aside and raised the freshly forged sword.
"Leave her alone!"
"Or what, hmm?" the soldier growled, shoving me aside before standing up in front of Gendry.
He looked like he could crush Gendry with two fingers. I suddenly remembered the scene earlier up in the tower and turned my gaze on the soldier.
"Otherwise Lord Tywin will hear about it immediately. And I don't think he'll let it go unpunished if the potential workers are endangered. Now get out!"
He looked angrily at me and spat in my face as he spoke.
"What was that?? You want to give me orders?! Maybe I should give it to you right here and now! And do it so hard that you'll lose your cockiness right away!"
"Try me," I retorted, lowering my voice to a superior whisper that sounded like Tywin himself, "But then you get to explain to the lord why he's not getting the water he's been waiting for. And when he hears he had to stay thirsty while you have your fun, your head will probably join the others up there," I pointed at the walls, "If he doesn't think up something even worse.Now excuse us, we have work to do!"
The soldier growled loudly and suddenly grabbed my chin tightly. I smelled his beer breath as he approached me.
"You wait and see! One of these days I'll catch you and you'll never walk properly again!"
Then he let go of me and turned away. Gendry watched him go and looked worriedly at me.
"Did he hurt you?"
"No," I replied tersely and grimly, "You'd better watch Arya! I need to get Lord Tywin some water now."
Without another word I turned away and ran hastily. The lord must have been raging with anger by now, where I had stayed so long....