Arya Snow and Gendry Waters: Just Two Bastards

The Great War

They stood together and walked back to Arya's rooms. When they arrived, there was a maid knocking on her door calling her name. Arya quickly let go of Gendry's hand and ran to the girl.

"Alyssa," she touched the maid's back. "What is it?"

Alyssa jumped at her touch, turned around and hit Arya's hand. "Oh my lady, I'm so sorry."

Arya laughed, "Oh, my sweet girl, theres nothing to be sorry about." But after seeing the horrified look on the girls face, she knew that it wasn't about the strike. "What is it?"

The maid looked around and saw Gendry looming behind Arya. "My lady, could we perhaps talk in private?"

Gendry started to leave but Arya stopped him. "No, Gendry wait. Alyssa, this is Gendry, he's family. He will stay."

"Its an honor, my lord."

Gendry chuckled, "Woah, woah, woah, I am not a lord."

The maid raised her eyebrow, but soon shot it down after seeing that Arya was giving her the same look. "No matter. My lady, Gendry, I am very sorry to tell you this."

Arya held her breath and Gendry approached to take her hand.

"Your brother, Brandon, he isn't well." Alyssa put her head down.

"How so?" Gendry asked.

"He... well, about an hour past, lord Bran went to the godswood. To pray." She twiddled with her fingers. Arya grabbed one of her hands to focus her. "He fell, my lady."

Arya widened her eyes. "And?"

"And he has been... rather cold, my lady."

Gendry used both his hands to clutch Arya's.

"Get him warm," he said. "Maybe a hot bath, or sit him by the fire-"

"No." Arya interrupted. "He has to find his own way out."

"What do you mean, my lady." Alyssa asked.

"He has a choice now." She looked at Gendry's hands clinging on to her. "Become one of them, or fight like hell to get out."

"Become one of what." A horn blew. Arya stared aimlessly at their hands. "Arya, become one of what?" Another horn.

"We have to go." Arya said moments before the third horn blew. "The dead are here."

She held one of Gendry's and one of Alyssa's hands and took them to the formal dining hall, where all the women and children were being kept. She let go of Gendry's hand to take Alyssa's other. She looked her loyal maid and old friend in her teary eyes, and pressed her hands to her own lips. Now they were off.

They ran through the high halls, each time they passed a window a hundred more wights had appeared from nowhere. They stopped at the bridge leading from the main castle to a side tower. There they stood, in the middle of the bridge, looking at death itself.

"There, you've seen them. Now I'm taking you back to the dining hall."

Arya looked at him with disgusted eyes. "If you think I'm going to stay with the women and children, you are out of your damn mind."

"Arya, listen to me," he turned her towards him and held her face in his hands. "It isn't safe. You have to stay safe. If I lose you I-"

"You won't lose me," Arya cupped his cheek and wiped a tear from his eye. Snow fell on them, beautiful, Winterfell has never been so beautiful, Arya noticed. All at once she stood as tall as she could and pulled him close. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips and pulled away, now with tears in her eyes. "You're family, remember? In Winterfell, we protect family."

He smiled at her and nodded. He kissed her again, passionately, this time, and true.

They made their way to the courtyard, where Brienne of Tarth, Podrick Payne, Jamie Lannister, and Jon were fighting wights.

They went to the forge. Gendry took a longspear off the wall and threw it to Arya. He then grabbed an axe for himself. Both made of dragonglass.

"And one of those." Arya pointed to a long, sharp pointed dagger. Gendry grabbed it and started to walk it over. "Were losing time. Throw it."

Gendry threw it through the air and as quick as it started it stopped spinning as Arya caught it.

Everything Syrio Forel has taught her was running through her head. She ran by dead bodies and men fighting. She speared wights. "Quick as a snake," slash, "calm as still water," slash, "swift as a deer. Fear cuts deeper than swords," slash, "fear cuts deeper than swords," slash, "fear cuts deeper than-"

"Ayra!" Gendry screamed from behind. " Arya look out!"

She stopped running and looked up. It looked like a million dead men about to fall on top of her. A ladder of wights swaying in the sky. Arya stood there in disarray. The tower began to lean more and more over Arya. She closed her eyes as she held her arms out to her sides and let her head fall back, feeling the cold of the snow and wights blow past her. But before they could touch her Gendry cane barreling at her. He grabbed her and wrapped his arms tightly around her before taking them both to the ground. She struggled to escape from underneath him but he wouldn't let her go. He lifted his head and looked at her.

"Seven hells, Arya! What were you thinking?"

"Let go of me!" Arya kicked and cried. "I don't belong here. With you."

Gendry got off her. Slowly. He didn't understand what happened. Arya wasn't Arya. "What is going on?"

She limped to the door leading inside. That's when Gendry realized the knife sticking out of Arya's side. She hasn't noticed yet.

Something about dying makes that girl angry, Gendry japed to himself. The he realized what he just thought. She's dying. He ran in after her.

He saw her twisting the knife around in her ribs. Feeling nothing, so it seemed to him.

When Gendry closed the door behind him, Arya's eyes darted to him. Her once grey, beautiful eyes were turning more blue every second, he could see that from across the room. She pulled the knife out and walked over to him.

He tried to take the knife from her hand but she was too quick, she flipped it to the other hand. "Quick as a snake." she giggled creepily.

"Arya, I-"

She pulled him in close and bit his lip. When he felt the sting in his mouth he grabbed her shoulders and gently pulled her off. "What is it? Don't you love me?" Arya said in a voice like a child. She pursed her lips, pretending to be sad.

He put his hands up to her cheekbones. Cold. He thought. Too cold. She giggled so
maniacally that Gendry stepped away from her. "What's happening to you?" he said, slowly backing towards the door. He was stopped by a cold finger to his spine. He shuddered and turned around slowly. A pale, almost blue, woman covered with rips and tears in her skin greeted him. Her blue eyes met Arya's.

"I'm her mother. Once Catelyn Stark. Now I'm someone else. But I'll always he her mother." The woman said with her hand to her neck. "I want the best for my daughter."

Gendry's eyes were wide with shock. "What's happening to her?" He turned around to Arya. Who hadn't moved.

"The king is turning her. He's winning." She said sadly.

"Winning what?"

"She had a choice, that night. Die, or return to you." Lady Catelyn switched her eyes to Gendry. "My child chose you. Now, she is losing. You have to save her." She touches his cheek. "You look just like your father."

Gendry made a confused face at her and then shook his head. "How do I save her?"

"Take her. To the godswood. It's where he's waiting."

Gendry didn't think to question it. He turned around and hit the knife out of Arya's hand and slung her over a shoulder. No matter how hard she kicked and screamed, he wouldn't let her go.

"Thank you, lady Stark." He said, turning around to her. But the woman was gone.