~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ages: 16 & 10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sandor strode through Winter Town a set scowl on his face, he knew this would keep the people at bay not that they had a habit of talking to the Clegane hound. He grunted, to think a name like that could even get under his skin.
Over the last year he had grown more he was nearly 7 feet tall now, his muscle had toned and scars stretched. The larger he got the more whispers he would hear in town Lannister dog, Hound, Beast! once a child had even thrown mud at his face. He felt his temper flare at the memory. It had become harder and harder to rein it in lately.
"Hound!" He turned on who ever dared to call him out now only to see the little bird skipping over to him
"Hello Sansa" He swallowed his rage and tried to be kind to the girl.
"I'm picking new thread" She began chirping of the embroidery she had been making over the last few days, Sandor shuffled uncomfortably as people stared at them quite the pair the two of them must look like he smirked at his thoughts.
"Sansa don't just run off like that" Lady Catelyn exited the shop "Oh hello Sandor"
Sandor nodded his head in response "Go on little bird pick your thread and then show me when you are done your embroidery"
"Come with me and help me choose!" Sansa grabbed his hand and dragged him inside, Catelyn gave him an apologetic yet thankful smile when he complied.
Later when their shopping was done Sandor escorted the two back to Winterfell not that he had much of a choice with Sansa's vice like hold on his hand. When the three entered the inner gates Maester Luwinﾧ approached Sandor "A raven came for you today" He looked apprehensively at Lady Catelyn "You can see Lord Stark about it in the Great Hall." Sandor nodded then said his goodbyes to Sansa who looked sullen at his departure.
Sandor opened the door to the hall, Eddard sat at his usual seat he was staring down at a paper that looked worn, he was frowning "Lord Stark" Sandor announce himself when he was almost at the foot of the dais.
"Sandor" Eddard gave a soft smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"There was a letter for me?"
"Yes" Eddard frowned "Do you like living in Winterfell Sandor?"
"Yes Lord Stark"
"You don't have to be so formal" Eddard laughed and poured a second cup of wine offering it to Sandor who drank heavily "It would seem there is a question of whether you are truly needed to stay here any longer and can return home"
Sandor's hand clench around the cup, fear stabbed through him, his eyes shot to Eddard's "Will I be returning to House Clegane than Ned?" He never had used the man's nick name, it sounded almost imploring of him to do so now.
"If you truly wish to return to your-" he hesitated "family"
Sandor's mind dragged him to the night his brother had pushed his face in to the flames, his sisters funeral, his grandfathers disapproving lectures. His scars burned and he reached up to absently rubbed the side of his face, saddened that he couldn't feel anything anymore.
"If I wanted to stay what would you say to them?"
Eddard smiled "Simply that you are a well need addition and that I do not yet feel the debt has been paid" Sandor knew his grandfather would sneer at the words and blame Sandor for not being good enough to quickly repay his debts "Would you like me to send that message?"
Silence fell between the two of them it seemed to stretch on forever while Sandor struggled with what his family would want, perhaps for him to become a knight maybe even a white cloak in Kings Landing to be the proper dog of a Lannister or he could simply stay here with the Stark family.
"I would like to stay" His eyes stared at the ground not wanting to show the weakness in his eyes.
Eddards chair scrapped across the floor he heard the man approach him and then a solid hand land on his shoulder. It was almost laughable how much taller Sandor was than Eddard and yet he felt like the boy he had been 5 years ago when he first arrived in Winterfell. Eddard smiled up at him "Go on and enjoy the rest of your day, I will send the raven"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ages: 17 & 11 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sansa sighed bored of watching her bothers train in the yard she turned her attention to Lady trying to teach her pet to sit pretty and shake paws but every time she would cock her head to the side and whimper.
Sandor chuckled beside her "She doesn't understand what you want when all you do is hold your hand out"
Sansa frowned, he always snuck up on her "It's impossible"
"You need patience with dogs. Wait here a moment" Sandor went to the kitchens grabbing some chicken that was left from lunch then returned to Sansa.
"What are you doing?" He held the meat in front of Lady then closed his fist around it and brought it to her paw on the ground.
"I'm training her" He concentrated on Lady having to tell her to sit when she tried to stand and sniff at his hand. Lady whined and pawed at his hand "Good girl" he opened his hand to let her see the food and picked a piece off to feed her. He continued this several times telling her "Shake Lady" and when she would raise her paw he feed her more and praised her. Eventually he ran out of meat but she continued to raise and place her hand into his palm. "You try Sansa"
Sansa knelt in front of her dire wolf "Shake Lady" her yellow eyes seemed to consider the command for a moment before her paw lifted and landed on Sansas outstretched one. Sansa beamed "Good girl lady" She threw her arms around Lady petting her. Lady barked and wagged her tail.
"Thank you Sandor!"
"No problem little bird"
"How did you know to do that?"
Sandor smiled "My grandfather used to serve as the kennel master at Casterly Rockﾧ. It's something I grew up doing"
"I'm very glad you stayed with us" Sansa snuggled in closer to Lady
"I am too little bird" he ruffled her hair she let out a distressed cry "Now what shall we teach her next hmm?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ages: 18 & 12 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sansa settled down on her blanket, smoothed out her skirts and nibbled on lemon cakes as she opened her favorite novel full of tales and verses of Florian and Jonquil. Lady lay peacefully beside her. Sansa hummed happily her mind drifting to her own handsome knight. He would brave the cold winter to storm the castle and take her away to a castle in the south. Perhaps he would have golden hair and blue eyes like the sky and a voice as sweet as-
"What are you doing?" Sandor Clegane's impossibly large frame sat next to the girl she looked into his gray eyes then at his dark hair some of which he swept over to try and cover the scarred side of his face.
"I was reading" Sansa blushed, she knew it wasn't proper to stare so long at someone.
"Then why is your book closed?" He scooped up one of her treats
"I-I was thinking"
"Of what little bird"
Sansa sighed dreamily "Handsome knights"
Sandor bristled beside her "Aren't you too young to be doing that already" he sounded gruffer than usual, he plucked the book from her hands and began scanning the pages "much too young for these tales"
Sansa frowned trying to snatch it back but Sandor held it above his head even when she stood she couldn't get a good grip on the book and toppled over. "Sorry little bird" Lady had jumped to attention, her tail wagging wanting to join in the play. Sandor helped Sansa stand up and she wiped tears from her eyes before he could see them and patted Lady to calm her down.
"Don't you want to be knight" Sansa snapped as she ripped the books from his offering hands "and marry a pretty girl!"
"No pretty girl wants an ugly hound" Sansa's anger cooled at the sad tone in his voice "There are no true knights left any ways Sansa, no more than there are gods"
"That is not true one day my knight will come for me and then you will see the only true knight left in all of Westeros"
"Will he be a fair and courteous fool of a knight like Florian" He laughed
"Yes he will and I will be his Jonquil" She hugged her book tightly to her chest smiling at the thought of their love.
"Is this why you never come to the training field anymore little bird? You would rather sit and day dream?"
"A proper lady has more important things to do than watch the men train"
"Wait until you are older, you will want to do nothing more than watch them" Sandor rolled his eyes.
"I doubt that" Sansa turned her nose up trying to seem dignified but Sandor just pinched it between his thumb and forefinger making the girl squeal and thump her fist against his shoulders which he pretended wounded him until Lady jumped on top of him toppling him licking his face with pure joy while Sansa laughed beside them encouraging her dire wolf.