For Want of a Better King

On the Road 3

A/N: Dark stuff, be warned.

Arya

"Well what you lot waiting for? Clean up, go about yer business." Yoren instructs. Arya waits for everyone to get distracted before making to follow Yoren, except Gendry stops her.

"Ari..." He starts. And she imagines he must be going crazy, being left in the dark. She remembers following her father around, snooping through his things, just wanting to be let in on the secret. And this is even about him.

"Come on." She invites. He follows, but he's nervous, she can tell.

Yoren is quite far out, not wanting to take the chance of being overheard. He turns at the sound of their footsteps, and looks unsurprised that Gendry is there too.

"They'll be back, ya know. Make no mistake."

"I know. Yoren, I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen, to get you in trouble. I..."

"You're trouble enough. But when your father asked me to take him, I didn't expect any o' this. Whatta they want with him?" He asks motioning to Gendry. Gendry looks at her expectantly. She opens her mouth to respond. "Never mind, I don't want to know. The less I know the better." She nods, thinking that wise.

"What, exactly, did my father say?"

"Just to take him, keep him from taking the black." Well, that's news to her. Gendry straightens up as well.

"Does The Watch do that?" Gendry asks.

"No, we don't. We're meant to stay outta the affairs o' The Realm. I've broken that now, twice."

"Thank you, Yoren. I promise, once we reach Winterfell, I'll repay The Watch with whatever we have to spare, I swear it."

"It's war now, Boy, you'll have nothin' to spare. And I can't take you to Winterfell, too far, too dangerous."

"I understand; I don't want to endanger you or the others." She says calmly, although inside she's more than afraid of the idea of making it on her own.

"I'm goin' with her." Gendry declares. She's not sure if he's worried for himself or if he's going for her, but she thanks The Gods just in case.

"Of course you are. When we reach the next town, you'll sneak off into the night. You were never here, we don't know you, got that?" They both nod vigorously. "Good luck, then. We won't have another chance to say goodbye. Take care a yourself, Milady." He says with a kind smile. She hugs him tight, missing him already. Yoren walks back out to the others, and they just stay, silent.

"What aren't you tellin' me?" He gets down to it.

"Lots of things. Too many things." She's suddenly so exhausted.

"Why would your father ask The Watch to take me? Why did he give a shit about me?" Well, that was simpler, he'd narrowed it down for her.

"Why do you think?" She'd rather he figure it out on his own, it would be too crazy otherwise.

"No, no. Don't fuck around with me. You knew your father came to see me, didn't you?"

"I wasn't sure. I thought, perhaps, probably. But no, I wasn't sure. And I didn't know what he said to you." He calms a bit at that, but doesn't let up.

"Why would he though?"

"Gendry, I... I don't know how to do this. I tried to talk to you about it earlier, but you didn't want to hear it. Maybe we should wait a bit for you to calm down..."