Winter Is Our Fury

Chapter Six: Harrenhal

They walked all night and all day. Dark gloomy clouds hung over head and threatened to thunder. Aris' hands were binded like everyone else, and her tired feet ached, like everyone else. But the throbbing pain in her side made the walk all the more painful.

The guardsmen even took her quiver and the last few remaining arrows, and took her dagger and hidden knives. They made sure to pat her down and strip her of any hidden weapons.

Aris was starting to fall behind even though she tried to power threw the pain. A soldier shoved her roughly and ordered, "Move along!"

Aris stumbled on her feet and slipped on the mud. She fell into the mud with a yelp as mud splattered her face and sogged her clothes.

"Get up!" the soldier nudged her side with his boot. Aris grimaced as he nudged her side trying to hide her obvious pain. This caught the attention of Arya who turned to see Aris had fallen into the mud. "Gendry!" she whispered urgently tugging his sleeve. He looked down at her and followed her worried gaze. His eyes widened seeing the soldier kick her side and he stormed their way.

"Stop it." she muttered and spat the mud from her mouth.

"What was that whore?" the soldier pulled his sword out and pointed it to the space between her eyes. Aris' dark eyes glared up at the soldier remembering what they did to Lommy. Still she refused to move, her body had given up.

"Don't!" Gendry called marching over.

"What's this then?" the soldier pointed his sword at Gendry making him stop in his tracks.

"She's hurt." Gendry informed.

"What of it?"

Gendry looked down at the girl and back to the soldier, "She can still walk."

The soldier eyed the black haired boy for a moment before motioning for the girl to stand. Aris brought herself onto shaky legs.

"Walk." the soldier commanded. Aris silently thanked Gendry as they rejoined the walking group. Ahead a grand old castle stood in ruins, melted and broken. Harrenhal. Aris had heard many great stories about this place, but never thought she'd see it like this. Nor smell the horrible stench of rot that filled her nose.

Arya was the first to break away to admire the structure.

"What kind of fire melts stone?" Gendry asked astonished stopping beside Arya.

"Dragon fire." Arya replied.

"There's Dragon's here?" Hot Pie stupidly asked.

"No, all the dragons are dead." Gendry explained.

"What's that smell?" Hot Pie asked.

"Dead people."

Arya turned away to rejoin to moving group. A look of shock was painted on Hot Pie's chubby face. A guard grabbed the back of Gendry's clothes and roughly shoved him towards the group. "Move." and he did the same to Hot pie.

They were ushered through the gates where the ground was muddy and there were dozens upon dozen's of make shift pens filled with prisoners and people screaming.

Aris, Hot Pie, Arya and Gendry were all shoved into one pen and chained to the posts. A man was screaming with pain with the sound of a device stretching, until finally his screams stopped with a sickening crack. Aris' mouth was partly open with shock. Has this what the Lannister's have done to Harrenhal, turned it into a torture castle?

"He's dead." said an old women who stared out to nothing. Her voice was monotone, someone who just wanted to die. "It was my son. My sister was three days ago, and my husband the day before that."

"They take someone everyday?" Gendry asked the poor old women, but she remained silent.

"Does anyone live?" Arya was next to ask. Again, the women remained quiet.

Poor Hot Pie quivered in the corner of the pen with fear. It dawned over them, they might not make it out alive.

"Lets's assume we're all gonna die." Aris said under her breath. Gendry's eyes met her's, a clear look of dread at her words and he turned to lean against the post they were tied to.

➵

The clouds over head promised the rain they threatened that night. The rain soaked Aris to the bone until she was shivering. She leaned up against the post she was chained to with her legs tucked into her chest, trying to keep warm while Arya repeated the same names.

"Joffrey, Ser Ilyn, Cersei, The Hound."

Over and over again. She said those names. Aris found herself wishing she was home in her warm bed by the fire pit with her sister in the next room over and her father and mother in the other.

"You're cold?" a voice whispered. Aris opened her eyes and turned her head to Gendry who sat against the post next to her in the mud and rain. Although he wasn't shivering as much as her. The leather he wore was like a shield.

Aris furrowed her eyebrows. "N...no." she replied sarcastically. What a stupid question. Her whole body was clearly shivering.

Gendry motioned his head towards himself. Aris un-furrowed her eyebrows, was he offering to keep her warm. When she didn't move he said, "We might not make it out so what's the point?"

He was right.

Aris turned her body and shuffled closer to him. She cuddled her body close to his and buried her face in his shoulder and hugged his arm to her body and welcomed the warmth he radiated. Gendry chuckled lightly to himself when she tucked her legs into his side.

"Shut up." she murmured. Her body still shivered, but at least she had someone to keep a little warm.