Game of Thrones: The Direwolves in the North

Chapter 13: The Red Woman

"Is it true what I've heard?" Gendry asked, after Brienne left with Podrick. "We're not going to Winterfell?"

"We are," Arya assured. "Just not now. We need to go back to Hollow Hill."

"Why?" Gendry asked. "You said we're going North—"

"I need to talk to Beric Dondarrion." Arya said. "And if you're so wound up on going North, why don't you catch up with Brienne, surely they've not travelled that far yet."

Gendry raised his hands in surrender and sighed. "Okay, sorry." He said. "Next time, when you have a plan, tell me first so I can help."

Arya turned to her direwolf. "Stay here, Nymeria."

They went back inside the Crossroads Inn, to find the members of the Brotherhood drinking and eating their meals.

Harwin and Ned Dayne sat beside each other while Tom O' Sevens and Anguy sat across them from the table.

Ned stood when he saw them approach their table. "My lady," He addressed. "Gendry." He sat back down. "I thought you were going with them North. What are you still doing here?" He asked.

"We need your help." Arya said.

Tom O' Seven kept drinking. He was usually the one doing the talking, and he wasn't even strumming his wood harp, which wasn't like him. She had probably frightened him enough when Nymeria showed him up. So in this case, Ned and Harwin were doing the talking.

"You need our help with what, princess?" Harwin asked.

"Do you know the quickest way back to Hollow Hill?" She asked.

"Why don't you ask Gendry about that." Ned suggested.

"If he had known that, we should've been on our way not asking you the question now." Arya pointed out. "It took us a day and a half to get here."

Ned turned to the woodharp singer. "Tom?"

Tom O' Sevens put down his tankard. "The quickest way is through the Kingsroad, then the Goldroad. It's a few hours travel, but there's a catch. You'd be easily spotted by Lannister or Frey soldiers."

Gendry turned to Tom O' Sevens. "You've been in many scouting parties." He brought up. "How do you get to Hollow Hill from here?" He asked.

"Why don't you know anything, boy?" Tom snapped at Gendry. "You've been with us for a while."

"I have," Gendry said. "But I've never been exposed out here like you. I'm a blacksmith, I barely leave Hollow Hill." He explained.

"Hmm, I'll never understand why Lord Beric keeps you close." Harwin said.

"We'll leave for Hollow Hill when we're done here." Ned said. "You can come with us if you want." He offered.

"We don't use the fastest route back, milady." Harwin brought up. "But we'll get there by nightfall."

"Oh, no, no, no!" Tom O' Sevens slammed his tankard on table. "I'm not going back to Hollow Hill with that pack of wolves on my tail."

"The wolves have to come with us." Gendry insisted. "They're good company and they offer great protection."

"That direwolf nearly lunged at me!" Tom reminded them. "It's going to bite my guts out! I'm not going anywhere with the girl's wolf pack that follows her around." He whimpered.

"It's not my pack," Arya corrected. "It's my direwolf, Nymeria's. And the wolf pack doesn't follow me around, it follows her."

Tom shook his head, clearly still terrified at the sight of the wolves.