Arya sat across from Gendry with a frown as she watched Erner heat dinner. Soup from the temple atop Tito's saddle. Tito sat in the sea as he slept. It had been three weeks since they first left the temple.
"You know Arya," Gendry started as she looked at him,
"it's lucky the water is warm enough for Tito to rest since there are no islands to stop on around here," he said as Arya took her soup from Erner,
"Thanks. Erner. Can't wait to try myself," Arya said ignoring Gendry causing him to ground.
"Yeah, when we arrive in Westeros tomorrow we can finally properly start creating fire," he said as Arya smiled. Gendry smiled as he took a sip of soup and smiled,
"This is really good. The temperature is perfect," he said as Ayra nodded. She glanced up at the moon in the sky. Arya looked down from the bison's back to Nymeria who was swimming in the sea.
"Nymeria come on up girl it's getting dark," Arya called as the direwolf let out a sad bark and Arya frowned,
"I'd come down and play if I could waterbend really! But it's too late to be swimming," Arya said as the direwolf made her way up the bison's tail.
Gendry sighed as he glared at the man in front of him. He had been tasked with buying food while Arya had her first lesson. The task seemed simple enough. Arya being a lady. Did have some money on her when they fled Kings Landing. They had not had to spend any of it due to being given supplies for helping in a few places. Though now back with a clear goal he figured they'd be getting less help. He still wasn't sure why the Lord Of Storm's End had helped them. The man before him was clearly young. Around One And Five. But gods he pissed him off.
"I'm telling you one hundred Dragon Coins," the man said as Gendry fought the urge to scream,
"And I'm telling you. I may not have had lessons but I wasn't born yesterday. It's a loaf of fucking bread!," Gendry shouted as the man sighed,
"Fine, I'll take what you gave me. Just get the fuck out," he shouted back as Gendry glared and grabbed the bread and exited the shop.
Compared to the other towns they had been to this was probably the worst. Many of the men were missing. Mostly young men to head the shops and girls. Some elderly woman seemed to be leading things. He saw an older woman with greyish hair in a nearby shop. Standing at the counter.
As Gendry approached he saw they appeared to sell dresses for the girls in the town. Not the kind a lady would wear but dresses none the less.
"I should buy Arya one," he thought with a grin. She'd be so upset. It was too easy to tease her and he loved the way she'd argue back with him. He shook his head as he walked up to her and spoke,
"You think you could tell me what's going on. Where are the men" he asked immediately regretting his words as he realized how rude it was? He was thankful that she simply nodded with a frown.
"The War of course. They were taken to fight by knights from Lannisport," she told him sadly as his eyes grew wide. They had been gone for almost three months,
"What war if you don't mind me asking," Gendry said as she looked surprised.
"The Seven Kingdoms are at war with one another. There calling it the War Of The Five Kings," she said as he took a deep breath and sighed,
"Fuck," he said as she nodded,
"They never think of us. What this does. They take everything," she said as he nodded before she adding,
" I think there all scared. Rumor is the Avatar Of Legend is back," she said as his eyes grew wide,
"Really" he faking his shock.
"Yes. Every Lord, Lady and Kings is looking for her. The bounties are massive," she said as he took a breath.
"Really, How much," he asked as she sighed,
"I've seen the poster for her myself. A Lady. Arya Of House Stark. The King says one billion Dragon Coins," she said as Gendry froze.
"That's a lot of fucking. Money. She said there's a poster! There must be a painting or something! Fuck,"
"Well thank you but I must be going," he said as the old lady nodded before smiling,
"Would you like to buy a dress for any girl," she asked hopefully at the idea of money before adding,
"You've been nice and seem lost so I'd give you a discount," she pushed as Gendry shook his head. The idea as a joke was nice. But Arya would just throw it away or cut it up to make it more like her boy clothes. The money would be wasted,
"I do know a girl but she's not big on dresses and as fun as it would be to tease her with one. She'd just get rid of it," he said with a laugh as the woman nodded,
"Yes. I would not want you to waste the money if she would not wear it even once," she told him as he nodded before exiting the shop.
"Ok finish shopping then back to camp," he said to himself.
Arya smiled as she tugged at her undershirt. She stood across from Erner. Tito had landed near Ocean Road. To rest and so Gendry could go into a nearby town and gather more food. But also so she could finally start her firebending training. She could not help but feel somewhat nervous. Ever since Amants, She had only created smoke a few times and even then smoke was still smoke. It wasn't fire.
Erner stood in front of her as he moved to the side. He moved his fist forward. Bursts of fire flew from his fist in the form of a stream of fire. As the fire fades into the air he lowered his hands and faced her.
"Today we are going to create fire," he said as Arya nodded.
"As we have spoken of power in firebending comes from the breath," Erner said as his eyes met hers.
"Breath becomes energy within the body, which is released in the form of fire. breath and release," he said as Arya nodded and looked forward.
"Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth," he said as Arya took a deep breath through her nose and pushed her arm forward.
Fire flew from her fist. The blast was small. But they were very real flames. Arya stared at it for a moment before smiling,
"I did it!," she said as she threw another fist forward creating another blast as Erner allowing his mouth to hang open,
"Arya you're a natural!" he almost shouted as she smiled.
"Well, it kinda feels like Earthbending. Like the force needed I guess," Arya said struggling to explain it. Knowing no one else could ever understand what bending another element felt like.
By the time Gendry returned Arya's body felt like it was on fire. Her muscles hurt but she knew the results were worth it. In just a few short hours she had gotten the basics down and could produce basic fire blasts.
"Gendry!," she shouted. Happy for an excuse to stop for the day. It had been hours since they started and the element was still new to her.
Erner shot her an amused glare, "did I say you could stop" he asked amused as she laughed,
"I've been doing this for hours. I feel like I'm going to pass out," she said as he sighed,
"I guess," he said sarcastically before adding, "I'm not going to try to understand what bending fire is like for you," he said with a laugh.
"It's so weird. You'd think I'd feel strange but it feels.." she stopped looking for the right words before speaking, "right. Normal," she said as Gendry smiled,
"Could I see some fire" he said almost pleading and Arya smiled brightly as she threw her hand forward creating a blast of flames,
"No fucking way!" Gendry shouted in shock Arya allowed herself to smirk as she walked over and grabbed a bag.
"Did you get anything good?" Erner asked as Gendry nodded,
"I was able to get some bread but even more then that I learned something," Gendry said
"The Seven Kingdoms are at war. There calling it the War Of The Five Kings," Gendry said as Arya sighed,
"Fucking great. It's been a few months and there at war," she said in disappointment as Erner looked at her as they sat down,
"Well Arya. There is no way we can do anything about it at the moment. You've only just created you're first flames. Without you at your best nothing can be done," he said before Gendry glared,
"Yeah she's knows that! But even with the Avatar. The Seven Kingdoms will need to work together to fight the White Walkers," he said as he looked to Arya for confirmation as she hung her head.
"If what Avatar Korra told me about the Night King is true. I'm not even sure I'll be able to beat him. Much less an army," she said lowly as Gendry sighed,
"Arya. You've known you were the Avatar for half a year. You have plenty of time to master the elements," he said as she sighed,
"Yeah thanks Gendry," she said before looking at them and adding
"So what about some food, Firebending is tiring and I'm hungry," she said as her Firebending Master looked at Gendry and he laughed as he began to open the bag of food he had returned with.
As they sat around the collected firewood. Gendry looked nervously at Erner.
"You sure about this," he asked in fear as Arya raised her fist over the wood.
"Half and half, On one half we get food. On another she blows us the fuck up and we are horriblly scared " Erner said calmly as Arya glared at them,
"I can hear you boys," she spat in anger as Gendry stood a step back before she threw her arm forward. The fire was massive and sent her flying back. As she crashed into the ground she looked up as she coughed in pain.
"See cooking fire," she said softly as she forced herself up.
Erner laughed, "we are going to need to work on you're control. You're lucky you weren't burned," he said as Arya frowned but nodded in agreement.
"Hey Arya! This is really good," Gendry called as he placed his fish on a stick and placed it over the fire.
"See Erner. I did it," she said as he glared at Gendry,
"You're not helping Gendry," he said as Gendry laughed,
"I said the fire was good. Never said bending was good," he said as Arya poked him with Needle.
"Damn Bull," she cursed as he glared,
"That wasn't very ladylike Milady," he said as Arya summoned a chunk of earth to her hand,
"Saying something Gendry," she asked with a glare as he shook his head,
"No not at," he said with a pause before adding "Milady," as Arya screamed.
"I'm not a lady so stop," she warned her eyes narrowing as if she was staring down a foe.
Erner decided to intervene and save himself from their argument.
"Gendry did you discover anything else in town. He said trying to get the two younger ones under control as he turned and shook his head,
"Only one thing and that's you're a wanted woman," he said as Arya laughed,
"Yeah, I figured that," she said before Gendry shook his head,
"Like wanted for a lot,"
"How much," Arya asked as he looked away,
"A lot"
"That's not an answer dummy,"
"It's really not that big a deal,"
"Well, it is to me,"
" Why is it such a big deal Milady"
"Don't call me that,"
"Then stop asking!"
"Tell me"
"No"
"Please,"
"Gendry I will landslide you're ass"
"No you won't,"
"Gendry I swear to the gods I will stab you,"
"One Billion Dragon Coins!" he said with a shout as Arya's eyes grew wide,
"Fuck… That is a lot of money… shit"
Erner opened his mouth,
"Hey's it's not that bad. That's pretty small for the world's only hope," he said as Arya laughed,
"It's just that's so much money,"
Erner rubbed his eyes as Tito flew through the air. He looked forward to the saddle to see Arya at Tito's head resting into Nymeria's fur. Gendry in the middle his head on the saddle as he slept. He turned and smiled as he felt the sunrise and his power grow ever so slightly.
As he looked down over the edge he saw trees. The trio was getting close to Kings Landing and their goal of reaching Sansa Stark would soon be complete. As he looked down at the dirty road miles below he heard it.
"HELP ME!"
He looked down to see what appeared to be an old man surrounded by bandits.
"Arya," he said as she forced herself up with a yawn and looked over the edge.
"How do you want to handle this," he said as she glared.
Arya wasn't stupid she knew if she wanted to save Sansa it was best no one knew she was near Kings Landing but on the other hand,
"If we do nothing he'll die," she said as she glanced at Gendry,
"Gendry wake up," she ordered as she steered Tito to the battle.
As they landed with a slam. Tito flapping his tail to blow a few bandits away as Arya watched.
"It's easy to forget Tito's an airbender, " she thought before jumping down and slamming into the earth.
Erner stood next to her as they took in the environment. There were at least twenty bandits the old man on the ground holding his bleeding leg as Arya smirked.
Arya pulled her hands above her head creating a wall of earth to block a water whip as she kicked her right leg into the wall sending it slamming it into the bandit. She smiled as she threw her right fist forward as if going for a punch and fire blasted out. Sending more bandits flying as they stared.
"It's Arya Stark! Kill her and we'll be fucking rich," one of the men. Likely the leader ordered with a yell as she was rushed.
Erner joined her creating two fire daggers as he rushed forward and slammed them into the eyes of one of the bandits.
Gendry moved to grab Arya's needle from atop Tito as he watched her sidestep an attack from an airbender and kick the grounding creating a small hill in the dirt ground for him to trip over. As his body moved forward with a fall Arya blasted him with a mighty blast of poorly controlled fire.
Before he could fully process what was happening Erner had defeated the final bandit as he sighed. The two had done everything and he had been helpless to do anything. He looked up as he saw a bandit run off into the woods,
"Arya!," he shouted as she whipped around and shot a blast of fire at the man as he disappeared.
Arya sighed, "well fuck," she said
He slid down Tito's tail as he made his way over to Arya who was helping the man up.
"You alright," she asked as he nodded,
"You're Arya Stark…. I see the stories are true then," he said referring to her ability to bend another element. Arya nodded,
"I'm the Avatar," she said with a hint of pride in her voice before asking,
"What were you doing out here," her words caused the man to look away.
"I'm trying to make my way over to a nearby town near Blueburn to visit my son. He's getting married," the man explained as Arya nodded,
"Why are you not with him already," Erner asked skeptical as he sighed,
"I'm not in the best shape in my old age and I grow ill easily. But his wife wanted to marry in her home and he agreed so I was forced to travel," he said as Erner nodded,
"Well listen goo," he started before Arya looked the elder man in the eye and spoke,
"I will escort you to your son's wedding," she said calmly as he stared at her in shock,
"Why would!" he almost shouted. He didn't understand why a highborn girl who held the title of Avatar would drop everything for him,
"I'm the Avatar now you think you can fly," she asked as he looked at Tito and shook his head,
"I can't ride a horse without getting sick," he told her as she nodded and Erner spoke,
"Well what can we do then," he asked as Arya looked away.
"Sansa I'm sorry. Hold out a little bit longer," She thought
"We will travel on foot then," Gendry said beating her to her own words as she nodded,
"I will get you to your town safely you have my word," she said as Erner nodded,
"It's not a big deal were traveling that way anything," he said as Gendry nodded,
"Besides it will be nice to have someone else around here," he joked as the old man nodded,
"Thank you so much Milady Avatar," he said with a bow as Arya glared,
" I'm no lady," she coldly as he nodded,
"Whatever you say Avatar," the old man said as Arya nodded before adding,
"Are you ok to walk," she asked as he nodded,
"Yes, the bleeding wasn't that bad. Just maybe a bit slow for a few hours," he said as Arya nodded
"That's fine now let's get going,"