Portrait// Sandor Clegane (1)

34. Gendry

'It is coming along great I think by the end of week it will be done.' Avalon was telling ned proudly as she caught up with him.

'You go above and beyond, you need to remember to give yourself a break.' Ned told her.

'I like it, it keeps my mind off of everything else.' Avalon told him simply.

'I meant to tell you that Arya loved the picture you drew for her, I even got her some dancing lessons to help with her habit.' Ned told her.

"Dancing lessons?' Avalon questioned but when they turned the corner they saw Arya was balancing on 1 foot at the top of the stairs.

'Syrio says that a water dancer can stand on one toe for hours.' Arya told them when they stopped in front of her.

'It's a hard fall down the steps.'

'Syrio says that every hurt is a lesson and every lesson makes you better.' Arya informed them. 'Syrio says that tomorrow I'm going to be chasing cats.'

'Let me know if you find any, I love painting cats.' Avalon told her and arya smiled down at her still balancing.

'Cats?' Ned questioned looking between the two.

'Syrio says every swordsman should study cats there is quiet as shadows and as light as feathers you have to be quick to catch them.' she said coming down the stairs slowly

'dancing?' Avalon questioned skeptically.

'Better than saying I'm teaching my daughter to fight.' Ned whispered to her.

'Maybe when Bran wakes he can live with us?' Arya asked

'Well he needs to get his strength back first.'

'He wants to be knight of the kings guard he can't be one now can he?'

'No. But someday he could be Lord of the holdfast he could sit on the kings council.' They both sat on the steps, Avalon wanted to save this moment, she was always doing that, every moment in time she wanted to freeze and recreate every curve and groove, she wanted to make a scrapbook of life. 'he might raise cattle or be Brandon the builder'

'Can I be Lord of a hold fast?' arya questioned

'You will marry a high Lord and rule his castle your sons will be knights and princesses and-' ned began.

'No that's not me.' Arya told him she went back to balancing.

+++++

Avalon squealed as she hit the metal, sparks flying in all directions. Sandor had told her of a welder that made his helmet, he was in the city and thought if she really wanted to try he would be the guy to teach her. he didn't like that said welder was a young and handsome man. But he trusted Avalon.

'My lady!' Gendry said laughing.

'I'm sorry,' Avalon said stepping back up to the metals ready to be bent and molded.

'Just relax. I won't let you get hurt.' Gendry told her. Avalon looked like a kid on name day, like she just got the best present ever.

'Okay, okay...' Avalon smiled as she hit at the metal again, Gendry helped her guiding her hand and her grip. She had a smile on her face she couldn't stop. Avalon adored Sandor, he might have threatened Gendry into helping but he did it out of love. 'Thank you Gendry.' Avalon said as he helped her pull off her gloves.

'You are a natural, when the hound said to teach you I was hesitant.' Gendry admitted.

'I'm sorry if he was less than pleasant.' Avalon added. 'He's really only nice to me, he doesn't like anyone else.' Avalon admitted.