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The young boy puffed out deep breaths as he ran up the stone steps. He was red faced but determined and pumped his legs as fast as they could carry him. Slowly, the air around him began to gradually get heavier with the growing storm outside. Brief periods of rain throughout the day had only hinted at the growing storm that was looming just off the coast. It wasn’t long, though, until the humid air was broken by strong breezes that whafted down through the stone tower.
Finally stepping out onto the landing of the watchtower, the boy stilled as his eyes adjusted to the muted light of the evening before running across to the silhouette that stood leaning against the large open window. The soft sound of rain could be heard through it, misting on the peaceful face that was leaning out.
“Lady Arya!” he called out excitedly, causing the woman to turn in his direction. “They’re here! They’re here!”
Arya smiled, pushing off from the window ledge. “Thank you, Arlyn.”
“I saw them! I did!” he continued, still panting and fighting to catch his breath. "And I ran to tell you as soon as I saw them! Just like you said to!"
Arya was laughing by now as she dug into the pocket of her overcoat. "I know you did. I believe you." Then, pulling out a silver stag, she took the boys small hand and placed it firmly in the palm. "As promised."
Arlyn looked at it with wide eyes and kept his palm out flat underneath it. But then he looked back up at Arya and suddenly growing shy, asked softly, "Can you do the trick?"
Fondness was the only thing found in her eyes as Arya nodded her head and took back the coin. She twirled it between her fingers while muttering a few foriegn words. In truth, they were nothing more than the Braavosi words for a few vegetables, but they sounded strange enough that it worked well as a "magical incantation" for the children of the keep. And then, with a flick of her wrist, the coin seemed to vanish from her hand. Arlyn's eyes grew as big as carriage wheels as she showed him both sides of her empty hand and he watched her wave the same hand around in the air and mutter some more words before lowering her hand to the thick curls atop his head. Her fingers dug through them and soon pulled out the magicked stag to place back in his hand.
"Thank you." he grinned, voice vibrating with delight, before turning to run back down the steps where he came.
Arya laughed softly to herself as she watched him disappear before turning to shut the window and follow close behind. Her steps were sharper, though, more determined as they carried her down the tower stairs and through Storm's End.
Thunder rolled low outside the walls as she picked her way through halls and rooms. Around her servants and guards bustled in and out with the arrival of Lord Baratheon and his men. With nearly a moon’s turn gone since he had left to meet with some of his liege lords, Arya was very much looking forward to having Gendry back within eyesight.
She was soon stepping into the entry hall and paused to scan over the faces of the men standing within. Wet and muddy boots and cloaks were being removed, evidence of the weather conditions outside of the keep. She saw an abundance of brown hair, and some that was even black, but none that came with sharp blue eyes and broad shoulders. A few more seconds of looking confirmed that Gendry was not among his men. So she sought out another face instead, this time one that contained a thick straw colored beard. It was easily found and Arya caught the man by the arm.
“Ah, Arya!” the captain said with bright eyes and a low nod.
“Did Lord Gendry not enter with you?” she asked pointedly.
“Er….he did. I’m sure of it.” the man squinted his eyes and began to scan the room much as Arya had. “Can’t say what became of him after, though.”
Arya’s eyes grew more suspicious, but she nodded. “Thank you, Garen. Have some spiced wine brought up for your men. Make sure they get warm.”
“Of course.” Garen smiled with another low nod.
And, with that, Arya was off again, slipping her way in between bodies until she had slipped through a darkened doorway.
It didn’t take her long to find the wet boot prints that lead from the entry hall. Tracking them lead her down the long corridor lined by windows, lightning flashing brilliantly outside, and when the boot prints faded away it was only a matter of picking out the other clues. A partially opened door lead her past the laundry rooms, a disturbance in the dust took her up and down stairs that lead into the maester’s supply room, and a very concerning smidge of blood on a post lead her up the grand stairs to the lord’s quarters. Dancing orange light could be seen under the large door before she pushed it open, letting her eyes adjust to the blazing light of the hearth as she stepped inside.
Gendry wasn’t hard to miss, hunched over in a chair close to the fire. What also wasn’t hard to miss was the fact that he was still dressed in his rain soaked clothes, or that he was peeling blood covered bandages off of his hands.
He didn’t look up to her, even after she closed the door firmly behind her and stepped across the room to stand in front of him.
“Gendry,” she sighed when he still wouldn’t raise his head. She pursed her lips and felt very much like she was talking to a child. “Gendry what did you do?”
Gendry finally did look up, revealing not only a split in one eyebrow, but also a trail of blood which ran from his nose down to where it had caked in the hairs on his chin. His lips parted as if to speak, but she saw anger still burning in his eyes. He shut his mouth and shook his head, lowering it to collect the red stained stips of cloth and tossing them past her and into the fireplace.
“Fine,” she sighed and knelt in front of him. “then don’t tell me.”
Arya grabbed the small pile of supplies that Gendry seemed to have gathered and scooted them closer to her. He nearly pulled his hands away as she went to reach for them, but she shot him a stern look before taking them in her own. Turning them over revealed bloodied knuckles and cuts across both of his palms, as if he had grabbed onto a blade.
“Did someone attack you?” she asked softly, an anger of her own beginning to ignite in her chest.
Gendry didn’t answer right away, but darted his eyes away and stared hard at the pattern in the rug. When he finally did nod, Arya was beginning to form suspicions.
“Did you attack them first?”
When Gendry didn’t answer, but instead pulled his hands from hers and clenched her fists, Arya let out a deep breath. She stood without another word and collected the water pitcher and basin from the bedroom. The storm was still building outside with lightning to herald it’s timely arrival. Returning to the solar showed an unmoved Gendry. His gaze was now fixed on the flashing light outside of the window, only turning when Arya knelt in front of him yet again and used the water to wet one of the clean cloths that sat in a pile beside his chair.
“Was it at least justified for Lord Baratheon to fight until he was bloody?” was her next question as she began to dab at the dried blood on his knuckles.
“It was to me.” he finally growled, voice much deeper than usual.
Arya sighed and said nothing more, choosing instead to continue cleaning his wounds. Gendry remained silent as well and only groaned softly when she turned his hands over to clean the cuts on his palms. "Stupid." she couldn't help but mutter as she inspected them closer. "You should be thankful that they're not deep."
Gendry only grunted, but Arya could feel his eyes beginning to burn into her as she dropped the cloth in the basin of water before taking up the strips of clean cloth. Slowly, gently, she wrapped them around his hands until they were bandaged tightly. Next she turned to his face. Her eyes locked almost immediately with his. They had softened, she noticed, and we're now looking at her with a hint of sadness and care.
One of her hands came up to cup his cheek, rubbing her thumb softly over the prominent bone there, while the other brought the wet cloth back up to clean the blood from his nose and chin before moving up to gently apply the same treatment to the wound on his eyebrow. It was only after she had completed that she leaned forwards and brushed her lips gently against his.
"I'm glad you're back." she whispered, leaving their noses touching.
"Me too." he replied, just as softly.
"Are you hurt anywhere else?"
Gendry paused, but nodded ever so slightly.
"Let me see."
She moved back as Gendry stood from the chair. As he began to remove his clothes, Arya made quick work of discarding the red water from the basin before filling it with fresh water. By the time she turned, Gendry stood before the fire in nothing but linen breeches, the only thing saved from the rain by his thick pants.
Her eyes slid quickly over his torso, picking out the small cuts strewn over his upper arms and chest. A long thin bruise was also making itself known across one side of his ribs, it's twin wrapping around the opposite hip.
Arya set the basin on the nearby table and motioned for him to take his seat back in the chair. Once he did, she resumed her previous spot kneeling in front of him, this time dabbing the cloth on the newly revealed injuries.
"I can only hope that whoever did this got worse from you." Arya found herself smirking.
"Aye." She could hear the smile in his voice as his hands raised to rest on her sides. "It'll be a good while before Lord Brus will be able see straight again."
Arya's hands stopped. "Lord Brus…..Buckler?" Without raising her eyes, she could see Gendry nod, more confident now than he had been minutes ago. "Of Bronzegate?" Another firm nod. "Gendry…"
His arms were around her and she barely had time to drop the cloth on the floor before he was gathering her up into his lap and holding her tightly to himself. Arya frowned and sighed, but leaned into the embrace as rain began to smatter loudly against the windows. "Why?" she asked softly as her head came to rest on his shoulder.
His grip tightened around her. Harsh wind shook the window panes. "He was talking about you." Gendry didn't continue, but Arya could feel his pulse quicken against her ear. She trailed a hand over his chest, letting him gather his words. "We were eating, and someone brought up that his wife would be having their child soon. But then I overheard him tell his men to be quiet about it...because he didn't want me coming around for a betrothal should I have an heir."
Arya closed her eyes and stilled her hand against his chest. A rumble of thunder rolled against the stonework outside.
"So I asked him why that was, and the man had the gall to turn to me and say that he wouldn't….." Gendry stopped and pressed his cheek to the top of her head.
"Wouldn't what?" she urged him firmly.
She felt him clench his jaw. "Wouldn't betroth his precious child to the spawn of a wild wolf."
She felt herself deflate against him. Not at the harsh words from Lord Buckler. No, she could care less about that, and frankly felt the statement very complimentary. What she cared about was the fact that Gendry had started what seemed to be an all out brawl over it.
"So you fought him."
"I bloodied the smug pig." he snarled. "His men jumped in but I took them too."
"Gendry, there'll be talk. The other lords will hear."
"Fuck 'em." He smoothed his bandaged hand over her hair. Lightning illuminated the dim room around them. Arya found herself pressing her lips gently to the smooth skin of his collarbone. But before she could do more, his hand was moving from her hair to grab her chin. Her face was jerked up to look at his and Arya's eyes widened at the intensity that she found in his.
"Arya," he said firmly, voice returning to the deep tone that she had heard earlier. "you're my wild wolf. And our children will be just as wild, and fearless, and they'll protect whoever they love with their lives. Just like you."
Arya's eyes never left his as she sat up and moved her legs to straddle him in the chair. "You are the most unmanageable man I've ever met." She frowned down at him as she gripped his shoulders. "And if you ever do something like that again, then you can expect a worse beating from me."
"Yes, milady." was his soft reply, hands resting gently on her hips.
Arya let her demeanor soften at the words brought her hands up to rake through his hair. "Thank you." Leaning forwards, she pressed her lips to his jaw and settled down onto his lap. "We'll deal with the Bucklers in the morning. But tonight..."
"Tonight I share my bed with a wild wolf." he growled before turning his head to bite at her ear.
Arya moaned at the brief pain and moved her lips to his neck. "Tell me, how many men did you take down?"
"T….twelve at least." Gendry stuttered out as Arya rolled her hips into his.
"With your bare hands?"
Gendry nodded and rested his bandaged hands heavier on her hips. "And a chair."
Arya's next moan was punctuated by a loud clap of thunder.