The Old Bear's Daughter

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During the nights, Arya and Juliana shared a room with many other women and at daytimes Arya served Tywin Lannister while Juliana spent most of her time in the kitchens with Hot Pie, cooking meals or helping them being cooked.

They only had little free time but what time they did have they usually spent with Gendry, watching him work while they were eating as he usually ate while they were working.

It was currently one of those times and Arya was eating a piece of bread while watching Gendry make a sword. Hot Pie was still in the kitchens, since he seemed to like spending his time there, and Juliana was also watching, only that she found Gendry's shirtless state more interesting than his sword.

As Gendry pulled the sword out of a water bucket he had dipped it in, he swung it a few times.

"You should stand sideface," Arya told him.

"Sideface?"

"Sideways," Juliana explained.

"Why?"

"It makes it harder for the opponent to hit you if they have a smaller target."

Gendry looked around, "Am I fighting someone?"

Juliana pulled one of the swords he had made earlier from a stand and stood in front of him, challenging.

Gendry went to attack her but stopped as they heard someone yell.

"Guards!"

"Help!"

"Did you see anything?" a man asked as they went to see a man lying on the ground motionless.

Walking closer, Juliana could see that it was the Tickler (the man that had led the torturing) who had fallen from a bridge after having his neck broken.

*****

Juliana was chopping off some carrots for a stew when Arya walked into the kitchen.

"Do you know where Jaqen is?" she asked.

"Who?"

"One of the men Yoren had in the cart. The one with the red hair."

Juliana shrugged her shoulders, "Can't say I've seen him anywhere recently, why?"

Arya turned around again, "I need to find him."

Juliette put down her knife and followed the girl as she walked through the courtyard and came up to Hot Pie who was telling Gendry about Cherry Pies, the latter didn't seem overly interested.

"Where is Jaquen?" Arya asked.

"How would I know?" Gendry asked back.

"I need him now! Lord Tywin is marching tonight."

"You need him?"

"He's helping me."

"I saw him," Hot Pie told her.

"Where?"

Hot Pie shrugged so Arya walked to him and took a hold of his ears, "Where? Where?"

"They went riding out the gates a few hours ago. On patrol. Let go of my ears."

The sounds of horses neighing made Arya turn around so she could see Tywin mounting his white stallion, at least Juliana assumed it was a stallion.

"What do you want with him anyway?" Hot Pie asked as Arya walked towards the Lord.

Juliana turned towards Gendry, "Does she not know how suspicious that sounds?"

Gendry shrugged as he continued his work, "She's probably too young to know."

"Know what?" Hot Pie asked, making them both turn to him.

"That it sounds weird when she tells us she 'needs him'," Juliana explained, "Although, thinking about it, she's probably never been with a man."

"What, and you have?" Gendry asked.

Juliana snorted, "I pretty much grew up at the wall, a place full of men and boys. They may not be allowed to marry or have children but their vows technically never forbid them to lay with someone."

*****

Arya had told Juliana to meet Gendry, her, and Hot Pie at midnight and bring whatever she deemed useful.

So here she was, a bag with food slung over her shoulder as she waited with her group of friends. Hot Pie had also brought food while Gendry and Arya had stolen weapons so Juliana had a dagger in her boot and a sword strapped to her waist.

"What did he want us to do about those guards?" Gendry asked, referring to Jaquen, who was supposedly helping them get out of Harrenhall.

"He didn't say. He just said, 'walk through the gates.'"

"What about the guards?" Gendry asked.

"He didn't say anything about the guards."

"What he left that bit out? It's a pretty important part, don't you think?"

"We have to trust him," Arya told them.

"We barely know the guy," Juliana hissed, "he could have told the guards we're coming for all we know."

"I want to go back to the kitchens," Hot Pie said.

"Shut up. Stay here if you're afraid," Arya told him before standing to walk through the gates.

"Arry, don't."

Arya ignored Hot Pie's word and continued walking so Juliana cursed and pulled Gendry up, following the girl, "I promised Yoren to get you two north. I intend on keeping that promise."

They walked to the gate, followed by Hot Pie and saw that the guards were hanging from it as they passed through it.

No one stopped them as they left Harrenhal so they made it out without even spilling a drop of blood.

The group of friends marched on through the night, not daring to stop. The only time they stopped was when Arya said goodbye to her strange friend before they continued on their journey north.