#bookgendrya

[daensaism]

A Storm of Swords - Arya IV

[bookgendrya]

|| Parallel Scenes of them Protecting Each Other

“I do!” Arya wouldn’t let them die for her like Syrio. She wouldn’t! Shoving through the hedge with Needle in hand, she slid into a water dancer’s stance. […] The officer jabbed his shortsword toward the Bull, who’d come forward to stand beside her. Praed’s cheap steel in his hand. - Arya II, ACOK

“Aye that’s so. Go on and loose your shafts then.” Arya sprang to her feet. “Don’t!” She showed them her sword. […] “You go on down the road. Just walk right past here, and you keep on singing, so we’ll know where you are. Go away and leave us be and I won’t kill you.” […] “No place for a little girl to be wandering alone.” “She’s not alone.” Gendry rode out from behind the cottage wall, and behind him Hot Pie, leading her horse. In his chainmail shirt with a sword in hand, Gendry looked almost a man grown, and dangerous. Hot Pie looked like Hot Pie. “Do like she says, and leave us be,” warned Gendry. - Arya II, ASOS

[aryastarkthelittleshewolf11]

Ah yes, the boy who’s currently staying at the last known location of Arya and who’s entire personality shifted because of her kidnapping is was definitely never intended to have any further importance in her story. Brienne reminding the readers of his parentage was also just a funny tidbit that George added for shits and giggles. No importance, he just wanted to make fun of Brienne for still liking Renly is all…

Also find it fucking hilarious that people sight the show as giving Gendry “more importance than he was ever intended for” ,when Arya just hooks up with him and fucks off while he’s left with a title but literally nothing else of importance in the story. He might as well have kept rowing. (On top of the show cutting a lot of their important scenes)

[daceytheshebear]

Not sure what 'catch feelings' means for you but I have no doubt she admired him from the start. She observed him closely and payed attention to what he said and did. He shouted "behind you!" when Hot Pie tried to throw a rock, helping her unprompted. The connection was there from the get go.

[...] Catelyn replied, watching the sword as he stroked it. She could see the rippling deep within the steel, where the metal had been folded back on itself a hundred times in the forging. Catelyn had no love for swords, but she could not deny that Ice had its own beauty. (Catelyn, AGOT) Then he'd go off to polish his helm. It was a beautiful helm, rounded and curved, with a slit visor and two great metal bull's horns. Arya would watch him polish the metal with an oilcloth, shining it so bright you could see the flames of the cookfire reflected in the steel. Yet he never actually put it on his head. (Arya, ACOK)

honestly, this really validates my thinking that arya was starting to catch feelings for gendry at this point lol

[bookgendrya]

Lady/Apprentice Smith

Harwin went to one knee before her. “Arya Stark, of Winterfell.”

“I did my work, is all. Bellows and tongs and fetch and carry. I was ‘sposed to be an armorer, […]”

With Family/Orphaned

She looked glumly at her sister. Sansa was chatting away happily as she worked. […] The boys were at practice in the yard. She wanted to see Robb put gallant Prince Joffrey flat on his back. […] Jon grinned, reached over, and messed up her hair. […] It wasn’t Septa Mordane waiting in her room. It was Septa Mordane and her mother.

“She died when I was little. She had yellow hair, and sometimes she used to sing to me, I remember. She worked in an alehouse.”

Too Skinny/Strong

“You’re too skinny,” he said. He took her arm to feel her muscle. Then sighed and shook his head. “I doubt you could even lift a longsword, little sister, never mind swing one.”

The master called over a tall lad about Robb’s age, his arms and chest corded with muscle. […] “This is Gendry. Strong for his age, and he works hard […]”

Criticised/Praised (by the person, who was given their work)

The septa examined the fabric. “Arya, Arya, Arya,” she said. “This will not do. This will not do at all”

Ned turned the helm over in his hands. It was raw steel, unpolished but expertly shaped. “This is fine work. I would be pleased if you would let me buy it.”

The Coat of Arms/The Swords

“That would look silly. Besides if a girl can’t fight, why should she have a coat of arms?” Jon shrugged. “Girls get the arms but not the swords. Bastards get the swords but not the arms. I did not make the rules, little sister.”

“If the day ever comes when Gendry would rather wield a sword than forge one, send him to me. He has the look of a warrior. […]”

[bookgendrya]

I’m happy to announce that I’ll be hosting Book Gendrya Week from the 5th to the 12th of August 2024. Like with last year’s month this event is for their book relationship, plotlines and the characters themselves. I want to thank my contributors who helped with prompts: @laurellerual & @daceytheshebear. I hope you all will enjoy making gifs, fanfics, meta’s, art, etc. I would ask people participating to not use the show actors.

Please use #bookgendryaweek2024tag so I can find your work :)

Prompts -

Day 1: Contrasting Beginnings

Day 2: Protection

Day 3: Roles

Day4: Memory

Day 5: Found Family

Day 6: 5 Year Skip Proceeds Au

Day 7: Future Speculation or Au

[bookgendrya]

“You want to fight?” she asked the Bull. She wanted to hit something. He blinked at her, startled. Strands of thick black hair, still wet from the bathhouse, fell across his deep blue eyes. “I’d hurt you” “You would not.” “You don’t know how strong I am.” “You don’t know how quick I am.”

“You don’t. You stink.” Arya shoved him back against the anvil and made to run, but Gendry caught her arm. She struck a foot between his legs and tripped him, but he yanked her down with him, and they rolled across the floor of the smithy. He was very strong, but she was quicker. Every time he tried to hold her still she wriggled free and punched him. Gendry only laughed at her blows, which made her mad.

[bookgendrya]

Gendrya || Everlark

[bookgendrya]

The Red Comet makes them both inadvertently think of the lives they both just lost

“The Red Sword,” the Bull named it; he claimed it looked like a sword, the blade red-hot from the forge. When Arya squinted the right way she could see the sword too, only it wasn’t a new sword, it was Ice, her father’s greatsword, all ripply Valyrian steel and the red was Lord Eddard’s blood on the blade after Ser Ilyn the King’s Justice had cut off his head.

The plaza was beginning to empty. The press dissolved around them as people drifted back to their lives. But Arya’s life was gone.

“Master Mott said it was time I made my first longsword. He gave me a sweet piece of steal, and I knew just how I wanted to shape the blade. Only Yoren came, and took me away for the Night’s Watch.”

[bookgendrya]

“Arry, come on! Lommy’s gone, leave her if she won’t come!” Stubbornly, Arya dragged all the harder, pulling the crying girl along. Hot Pie scuttled back inside, abandoning them…but Gendry came back, […]

“Then just leave him, Arry,” Lommy pleaded. “They don’t know about the rest of us. If we hide, they’ll go away, you know they will. It’s not our fault Gendry’s captured.” “You’re stupid, Lommy,” Arya said angrily. “You’ll die if we don’t get Gendry out. Who’s going to carry you?” “You and Hot Pie” “All the time, with no one else to help? We’ll never do it, Gendry was the strong one. Anyhow, I don’t care what you say, I’m going back for him.” She looked at Hot Pie. “Are you coming?” Hot Pie glanced at Lommy, at Arya, at Lommy again. “I’ll come,” he said, reluctantly.

[bookgendrya]

She looked at their filthy hair and scraggly beards and reddened eyes, at their dry, cracked, bleeding lips.[…]The water splashed across her fingers and down her sleeve, but Arya did not move until the cup was brimming over. When she turned back towards the cages the townsman moved to stop her. “You get away from them, boy-“ “She’s a girl,” said Harwin. “Leave her be” “Aye” said Lem. “Lord Beric don’t hold with caging men to die of thirst. Why don’t you hang them decent?”

Her face throbbed. Her shoulder bled. Breathing hurt. The pain crackled up her arm like lightening. She cried out for a maester. “We have no maester,” said a girls voice. “Only me.” […] “She can’t go much further. She’ll die.” “One less lion. I won’t weep.”

“You stand accused of murder, but no one here knows the truth or falsehood of the charges, so it is not for us to judge you. Only the Lord of Light may do that now. I sentence you to trial by battle.” The Hound frowned suspiciously, as if he did not trust his ears. “Are you a fool or a madman?” “Neither, I am a just lord. Prove your innocence with a blade, and you shall be free to go.”

At the hollow hill, what you said about being King Robert’s men, and brothers, I like that. I like that you gave the Hound a trial. Lord Bolton just hanged folk or took off their heads, Lord Tywin and Ser Amory were the same. I’d sooner smith for you.”

“…till you stand before m’lady.” Renly stood behind the girl, pushing hair out of his eyes. Not Renly, Gendry. “M’lady means for you to answer for your crimes.”

“Whatever treachery you think I may have done, my lady, Podrick and Ser Hyle were no part of it.” “They’re lions,” said the one-eyed man. “That’s enough. I say they hang. Tarly’s hanged a score o’ ours, past time we strung up some o’his.”

[bookgendrya]

Trust Shown in the Little Moments

“There’s a guard on the postern,” said Gendry quietly. “I told you there would be.” “You stay here with the horses,” said Arya. “I’ll get rid of him. Come quick when I call.” Gendry nodded.

Arya trusts Gendry not to get cold feet and to be there with the horses after she deals the guard despite his previous complaints.

“I can keep going as long as you can.” she yawned. “Liar,” he said “You keep going if you want to be stupid, but I’m stopping. I’ll take first watch. You sleep.” […] It was no good arguing, Arya realised; Gendry had the right of it.

Arya is only worried about waking up to see that the bloody mummers have caught up to them, she’s not worried about his capability to keep watch and doesn’t try to push that it should be her because she trusts him. It also shows the Gendry cares about her even if it is in a blunt way.

“One of us should watch the horses,” she said, wary. Tom overheard her. “There’s no need for that, Squab. Come eat, they’ll be safe enough.” “I’ll stay,” Gendry said ignoring the singer. “You can come get me after you’ve had some food.” Nodding, Arya set off after Hot Pie and Lem.

Arya trusts Gendry to watch their horses when they’re in an uncertain place,on his own so she can get some food. It again shows that Gendry cares for her and agrees with her concerns.

The bars were too narrow to pass a cup through, but Harwin and Gendry offer her a leg up. She planted a foot in Harwin’s cupped hand, vaulted onto Gendry’s shoulders, and grabbed the bars on the top of the cage.

It shows a wordless trust that he’ll support her while she’s trying to give some mercy to these men because it’s the right thing to do even though he’s previously said/hinted that he strongly dislikes the actions done by the stark men.

[bookgendrya]

=Correcting the impolite language used to describe the other’s parent despite it not being untrue & for the love of someone they miss =

“Stoneheart. Is that who you mean?” Lord Randyll had spoken of her back at Maidenpool. “Lady Stoneheart.” “Some call her that. Some call her other things. The Silent Sister. Mother Merciless. The Hangwoman.” [Gendry]

“Master Mott said Thoros could outdrink even King Robert. They were pease in a pod, he told me, both gluttons and sots.” “You shouldn’t call the king a sot.” Maybe King Robert had drunk a lot, but he’d been her father’s friend.

[bookgendrya]

“[…] the crying girl’s no use either.”“You leave Weasel alone, she’s just scared and hunger is all.” Arya glanced back, but the girl was not following for once.

“Then just leave him, Arry,” Lommy pleaded. “They don’t know about the rest of us. If we hide, they’ll go away, you know they will. It’s not our fault Gendry’s captured.” “You’re stupid, Lommy,” Arya said angrily. “You’ll die if we don’t get Gendry out. Who’s going to carry you?” “You and Hot Pie” “All the time, with no one else to help? We’ll never do it, Gendry was the strong one. Anyhow, I don’t care what you say, I’m going back for him.”

She make much better time on her own, Arya knew, but she could not leave them. They were her pack, her friends, the only living friends that remained to her, and if not for they would still be safe in Harrenhal, Gendry sweating at his forge and Hot Pie in the kitchens.

There was no use trying to convince the Bull of anything. Still, he was her only true friend she had, now that Hot Pie had left them.

Hot Pie and Gendry had left her just as soon as they could, and Lord Beric and the outlaws only wanted to ransom her, just like the Hound. None of them wanted her around. They were never my pack, not even Hot Pie and Gendry. I was stupid to think so, just a stupid little girl, and no wolf at all.

[bookgendrya]

But you can be my forest love,

and me your forest lass

- ASOS, Arya IV

I’m very happy to announce I’ll be hosting Book Gendrya Month from the 1st - 31st of August 2023. As the title suggests this will only involve Arya & Gendry’s relationship and their characters from the books. I hope you will join me in sharing your gifs, fanfics, meta’s, art,etc. I would only ask that you refrain from using the show actors.

Please use the #bookgendryamonth2023 tag so I can find your work.

Prompts:

Trust

Loyalty

Parents

Red Comet/ Weirwood Stumps

Realities of War

Quick vs. Strong

Harrenhal

Romantic Tropes

Historical/TV/Film/Book Parallels

Arya’s Pack

Religion/Magic

Vengeance vs. Justice

Class Differences

Brotherhood

Parallels

Acorn Hall

Jealousy

Anti Parallels

Guilt

Inn at the Crossroads

Soft/Humorous moments

Disillusionment with Knights/Knighthood 

History Rhymes but does not Repeat

Reunion Speculation

War for the Dawn/TWOW

End Game Speculation

Modern AU

Different Fictional World AU

Historical AU

Canon Divergence AU

Free Choice

[bookgendrya]

Once, when there had been only half as many heads, Gendry had caught Arya looking at them. “Admiring your work?” he asked. He was angry because he’d liked Lucan, she knew, but it still wasn’t fair. “It’s Steelshanks Waltons work,” she said defensively. “And the Mummers, and Lord Bolton.” “And who gave us all of them? You and your weasel soup.” Arya punched his arm. “It was just hot broth. You hated Ser Amory too.” “I hate this lot worse. Ser Amory was fighting for his lord, but the mummers are sellswords and turncloaks.Half of them can’t even speak the Common Tongue. Septon Utt likes little boys, Qyburn does black magic, and your friend Biter eats people.” The worst thing was, she couldn’t even say he was wrong. The Brave Companions did most of the foraging for Harrenhal, and Roose Bolton had given the task of rooting out Lannisters. […] All he did was return to the places he had visited before under Lord Tywin’s banner and seize those who had helped him.

Thothmure had been sent to the axe for dispatching birds to Casterly Rock and King’s Landing the night Harrenhal had fallen. Lucan the armorer for making weapons for the Lannisters, Goodwife Harra for telling Lady Whent’s household to serve them, the steward for giving Lord Tywin the keys to the treasure vault. The cook was spared (some said because he’d made the weasel soup), but stocks were hammered together for pretty Pia and the other women who’d shared their favors with Lannister soldiers. Stripped and shaved, they were left in the middle ward beside the bear pit, free for the use of any man who wanted them.

Look with your eyes, Arya wanted to shout at the men below. “Can’t they see we’re no lords or knights?” she whispered. “I don’t think they care, Arry,” Gendry whispered back. And she looked at Ser Amory’ a face, the way Syrio had taught her to look, and she saw that he was right.

All the other places they’d come upon had been empty and desolate. Farms, villages, castles, septa, barns, it made no matter. If it could burn, the Lannister’s had burned it; if it could die, they’d killed it. […] “They would have burned the lake if they could have,” Gendry had said, and Arya knew he was right.

The next night, they found shelter beneath the scorched shell of a sept, in a burned village called Sallydance. Only shads remained of it’s windows of leaded glass and the aged septon who greeted them said the looters had even made off with the Mother’s costly robes, the Crone’s gilded lanterns, and the silver crown the Father had worn. “They hacked off the Maiden’s breasts off too, though those were only wood,” he told them. “All the eyes, the eyes were jet and lapis and mother-of-pearl, they pried them out with their knives. May the Mother have mercy on them all.” “Who’s work was this?” said Lem Lemoncloak. “Mummers?” “No,” the old man said. “Northmen, they were. Savages who worship trees. They wanted the Kingslayer, they said.” Arya heard him, and chewed her lip. She could feel Gendry looking at her. It made her angry and ashamed.