Winter Is Our Fury

Chapter Five: Attempted Murder

If memory served correctly it would take at least a months ride to get to winterfell, and its only been a few days. Yoren was kind enough to give Aris a horse to ride while Gendry and Arya rode in a cart her horse walked beside. Gendry was still not over the fact that Arya and Aris were Ladies. He found himself wondering about Aris. She wasn't exactly an open book, it was a challenge he set himself to read.

Gendry found himself staring at the archer and the way her hips swayed on the horse. The way her hands held the reins loosely in her hands and the way her bun was loosely tied.

Arya slapped Gendry's arm and his eyes tore away. "What?" he rolled his wrist. Arya had a smug smile on her lips catching Gendry looking at her sister.

"You were staring too long."

"I was not..."

Arya raised her eyebrows questionably. "Liar. You like her, don't you?" she whispered excited. For as long she could remember Aris refused any man who tried to court her, and Arya wanted her to have someone so she could fight him.

"I don't." Gendry defended. "Who am I to even answer to you?" He felt his face warm up and turned away from the little girl, his eyes venturing back which only made Arya giggle.

"I can hear you." said Aris with a smile in her voice. Gendry cleared his throat awkwardly. Arya giggled and slapped a hand over her mouth to stop her giggle and Gendry shot her a glance.

It was only that night the Watch's recruits stopped at a little stone house they happened to stumble upon. Inside all the men set up roll out beds to sleep on, all bundled up under one roof. Arya was the only person awake, she leant agains the wooden beam with her sisters empty bed to her side.

Aris soon returned stepping over snoring men and sitting back on the thin mat rolled out. She pulled off her boots and set them aside before placing down her bow and quiver.

"Did you really try to kill the king?" Arya asked, finding herself wondering about the things the kings guards said when they came looking.

Aris gave Arya a smug smile and nodded. Arya couldn't help the smile on her face before it faded, "You missed?"

"Cersei got in the way." spat Aris hatefully. "I would have got his pug little face if it wasn't for her."

"I wish you did." said Arya.

"Me too."

Aris laid back and rolled over closing her eyes. She welcomed the comfort and let herself drift off into sleep.

➵

It was a snowy day and cold. But Aris didn't feel the cold as she crept through the snow with her arrow nocked in the bow. She was following a trail of a male deer. Its prints clear in the white snow. Aris came to a crouch seeing the stag ahead.

She drew back the string aiming at the peaceful beast. It lifted it's head and spotted the archer and paused. It's breath visible in the cold.

Aris released the arrow and it whizzed through the air and embedded into the stags chest. Only it screamed like a man and fell into the snow out of sight.

Aris trudged through the snow after her prey. She came to where the deer fell and the breath hitched in her throat. It wasn't a deer she struck but Gendry with an arrow embedded in his chest.

Aris dropped her bow and fell to her knee's beside Gendry. He was cold and pale, his bright blue eyes held no life and his blood was a strong red in contrast to the snow.