History Has It's Eyes On Us ~ Gendrya

9

They had been riding for too long. Because they were travelling so deep in the woods, it took double the time to navigate and therefore double the time to reach their destination. The nights were harsh and the frost brought bumps to their skin. Over the days of riding, Arya was slowly opening back up to Gendry. She was terrified to do it, but what was she going to do? She couldn't hide herself forever, especially not from him.

She sat in the leaves, trying to warm herself by the fire, and failing miserably. There was no atmosphere between them anymore, but there was still very little trust.

"You can talk to me, you know?" Gendry said, causing her to look at him for a moment before returning awkwardly to her food, "you've been through a lot. Problem shared is a problem halved,"

"You don't need to hear about my problems," she said, quiet, as she tried to shield her feelings.

"What happened to you, Arya? You're not the girl I-" he sighed, "you're not the girl I knew,"

"Maybe, that's for the better," she looked up from the ground at him to see his dazzling golden eyes gazing at her. For a moment, she saw the innocent shadow of the boy he once was, "we should get some sleep," she said, throwing the bones of her food away and laying on her side, facing away from the flames, "we have a long ride tomorrow,"

He made her feel nervous and shy in an indescribable way. She did trust him, she just didn't want to show it. She was too scared. Gendry sat, still, feeling the familiar aching in his chest, "Am I anything like him?"

"Who?" Gendry didn't answer. She knew who he meant, "no." Gendry frowned, disappointing, "you're kind. And you're caring and you make people happy. You're nothing like him. He was a fat drunk who got my father to do his job for him while he hunted or whored or both. You're stronger than him. Much stronger. In your heart. You look like he did, but, you remind me much more of Renly." the name hurt her chest to say.

"Renly, the traitor?"

"Renly the prince. The Lannisters accused many men of being traitors. Good men. Men like my father... Renly was no traitor. I remember the first time he ever spoke to me. I was chasing a cat," Gendry looking at her with a playfully mocking smirk, "I was training!" she laughed, "He had a similar reaction to you. I told him my dancing master asked me to do it to improve my form. He could see straight through me, and told me something that'll stay with me forever. He told me that people like me, make the world a better place. People who break tradition. He was one of those people. I remember, he never bowed like the other lords. Never. Whenever he would see me, he would kiss my hand or scruff my hair, depending on who was around. Always with a smile. But, he never bowed. He respected me more than to do that. 'Little lamb' he'd call me. 'Good form little lamb.' he'd say when he saw me trying to balance on the palace walls, 'we'll make a knight of you yet'" she looked down, "I went to him when they took my father, and he told me where I could hide. I couldn't go with him, not without Sansa and nobody could find her. Thankfully, Yoren was a friend of my father's and I knew I would be safe with him. He'd have made a wonderful King..." talking of Renly somehow brought Arya a comfort that made her feel herself again. She felt human. She had loved Renly as a second father. Septa Mordane said she thought that Sansa loved the Knight of flowers- but Arya could tell it wasn't love, even then. She felt it in it's truest form for Renly and had felt nothing like it until now. In a place where she could trust no one, his light shone through. When the news of his murder had reached her, it shattered her heart into a million fragments. 

They were silent for a while, lost in thought. Her words had warmed him. He eventually turned to face away from her, "good night,"

The wind was sharp and threatened to bring snow, causing them both to shiver furiously.