She didn't know how long she had stayed like that. She kept staring at the sky until she couldn't see any colors there. The sky was not blue anymore, nothing but blank. Sometimes when she blinked, golden stars would be shining in front of her eyes. Until the sun burnt her bare skin, she began to believe she had a dream earlier.

"Do as you're bid, child. Dress."

She put on her tunics slowly, the bruises on her bosom looked like a nasty smirk, Joffrey's smirk. She got another ones on her stomach as well as the back of her thighs. They all had nasty smirks, the queen, the boy king, Ser Meryn…everyone in the Kings Landing.

"They're all liars here and everyone better than you…"

When she stood up and picked up her bag, she found her other clothes, food and waterskins, and golds. After trying to make sure the direction she came from, Sansa left her spoiled tunics there. If I goes the wrong way, I can come back here and restart again. Now she had to go back to the Kingsroad and keep going east until she found some one serving King Robb. This time, I will be stronger than Arya.

"You're a wolf, you should have your bloody courage…"

Only silence lay over the whole woods, no birds chirping, no leaves rustling, no men talking. She still felt she was in an endless dream, a green dream in the Old God's woods. My family are here, I have to find them out. Sansa gazed into the deep of the woods, but trees seemed to be spinning around. She felt as if she might retch. I may die here, Sansa's heart started to beat fast, so fast that she could hardly breathe, I need fresh air, she wanted to cry, I need to get out of here.

"I could keep you safe…"

Sansa shook her head and tried to keep her wits. I can tell the direction and time from the position of the sun, Maester Luwin had taught me that. I can get a horse from an inn. If anyone ask, I will be a boy from Rosby, looking for his lost sister. When the battle broke out, he fought for the king Joffrey, and when he came back home, his little sister was missing. She was his only family now, he had to find her. He wanted to go to Duskendale, but chose the wrong way and came here, the Kingsroad.

"No one would hurt you again, or I'd kill them…"

When I find the northmen's tents, I will tell them, I'm Sansa Stark of Winterfell, I escaped from the Red Keep on my own at the battle night, because no one cared about my life at that time. My father was Lord Eddard Stark, he had six children, including a bastard son. Every child had a little wolf…I lost mine…My Mother Lady Catelyn came from Riverrun, I have her hair and eyes. I have to cut off my long hair and escape in the disguise of a boy. Please write to King Robb, his sister is here…

"They won't believe you. Don't be silly…"

She saw her family again: "My lovely daughter, you'll be far more beautiful than I ever was…" Her mother brushed her hair, smiling at her in the mirror. "Little Sansa, don't cry, I can give my lemon cake to you when we have dinner." Robb tried to comfort her with his auburn hair shining in the sunset. "Sansa, you're the most boring girl I've ever seen!" Ayra rolled her eyes, there were mud and dust on her face, "I hate you, you're a liar!" "Sansa, it's better if no one know our plans." Her father looked at her seriously. "Sansa, when you are the queen, will you ask your king to anoint me with the oils and make me one knight to protect you?" Bran asked her earnestly. "Mother, why did you leave me here alone? Don't you love any more?" Little Rickon hugged her tight around the legs, with tears running down his pale face. "Sansa, it's snowing here, a real snow, not the summer one in the Winterfell. Do you still love snow?" She couldn't see through the frog, but it was Jon Snow's voice, "It's beautiful, I bet you'll like it."

"You know nothing about yourself…"

Sansa wanted to laugh out, but instead, she burst into tears. I'm a daughter of the north, never belong to the south. Father, I was wrong, I'm sorry. I was wrong. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell. I will go home one day, go back to Winterfell, I promise you!

"North, Winterfell, I promised you last night..."

"Stop! Stop! Don't speak to me again!" Sansa cried out, "You're a liar! Your promise is nothing!" Her own voice fainted away immediately into the woods.

"Little bird…"

"Go away!" She screamed, "I hate you! You shouldn't do that to me! I hate you! You're a monster!"

There's no one there, Sansa wiped away her tears angrily. But still his voice rang against her ears, raw and harsh like steel on stone.

"I believed you." She kept going forward, "I trusted you." Her tears couldn't stop, "I thought you would never hurt me like you said before." Some branches scratched her face and arms but she didn't care, "I started to feel the good in you and I thought I found it." She began to run, "Liar! All these were false!"

A moment later, she was exhausted and leant against a tree to pant heavily. The sun was still roasting the whole woods, her sweat dropped down with tears, salty to her mouth. It tasted bitter than usual. When she looked forward, she almost saw the Kingsroad, just lay there and waited for her. Sansa felt like she was a thirsty wolf finding the water eventually. She squeezed out a smile, I know I can make it.

Before she could stepped forward, she heard some one, no, not some one, a mountain, looming towards her. The air around her began to freeze, for a second, she didn't dare to move. Who's there? Is the Hound back again?

"Hey, boy, come here!" A gloomy tone rasped out like a dark cloud overcastting the sky.

Sansa began to feel the small hairs rising on the back of her neck. She trembled to turn to look at him, suddenly she couldn't feel her heartbeat any more.

The Mountain! Gods, I will die here…

He was standing besides a tree, seemed like he was making water there.

Then all the words came into her mind at the same time, "He killed princess Elia's children and raped the princess", "He killed a young knight from the Vale on the Hand's tourney", "He burned down a holdfast and murdered a lot of people, women and children too", "He burnt the Hound's face", "He is a monster"…Sansa saw blood in front of her eyes, felt her legs were too weak to support herself.

All of a sudden, a thick voice floated into her ears, "That young wolf of north?" Sansa noticed his eyes studying her in disbelief.

She turned to run again, despairingly and desperately, in the meanwhile, she heard the sound of a horse coming fast and furiously behind her. I'll die here, Sansa never felt so helpless, I'll die in the Mountain's hand.

Her legs felt like jelly, one more step she began to fall. Before she threw herself heavily onto the ground, an iron arm scooped her up around the waist as the horse passed by her. Sansa began to scream for she was hanging in the air with the horse still rode desperately forward. "Let me go!" She struggled for free from the arm, only striking and kicking the air. The thick dust jumped into her eyes, she couldn't see anything. But she felt the man was trying to put her on the saddle. She shouted for help, then a gust of strong wind and a clap of thunder came all at one time, the clasp around her waist began to loosen. For a second, Sansa was afraid he might let her go and she would fall off and break her neck. Then she heard an obscure sound came down, but she couldn't hear it clearly. It sounded like an echo in the helmet.

"You said you would keep me safe." She murmured while closed her eyes and stopped her useless wriggle, ready for the man throwing her away. I'll die today, I'll die here, like a pathetic sickly wolf.

But instead, the man threw her on the saddle with a hard try. Her face bumped into an iron flat, warm and cold. Sansa rubbed her eyes to look up, a snarling hound lost its left ear.

She stretched her arms around the armor and hugged it tight, Stranger was running like a storm under her and her savior. Sansa tried to take a breath, but an arrow was pointing at her right eye with blood dropping from it. She gasped at the sight, the arrow had already penetrated the arm there. That arm had just lifted her from the ground and saved her earlier and didn't let her fall. Sansa felt her eyes moist again. She tried to look to the Hound's back, the Mountain was pulling a man off his horse in the distance, before he mounted on and rushed towards them.

"He is coming!" Sansa screamed.

The Hound looked back and cursed something, then gave Stranger a harder kick.

There were three men following them, their swords waving in the sunlight like flags on fire. We can't make it, Sansa's heart jumped up to her throat, there's no way for us to survive this!

There was still a distance between them, but Sansa heard the Mountain's horrible voice roaring at them, "Dismount the horse, you little damn rat!" The whole world was shaking in his roar, "Stop and make a fight! You are running like a fucking coward!"

The body in her arms stiffened at his words, for a second, Sansa feared he may rein the horse to turn around and wait for the Mountain.

"No!" She screamed and grasped his armor. No, they would die here. The Hound got injured in his arm, he had no chance to win this fight. He even couldn't beat the other two, let alone the Mountain. You would get yourself killed! No! Please no!

She raised her head to look at him, the Hound-head helmet was glaring at her. Sansa felt the tears swelling in her eyes, please, I don't want to go back to the Red Keep. Please! But it's the snarling Hound facing her, not Sandor, Sansa couldn't see his face under the helmet. Suddenly she knew, they were just the same, they were made for killing, kill people and get themselves killed. The Hound killed Mycah, Arya's little friend. He killed the mob. I always thought it was his duty to protect the king, so he had to kill. But that's not true! Killing is his pleasure, before I knew him, he had killed lots of weak women and children just like the Mountain! They are the same! I can't stop him! Fine! let him go, let him die here! If he die, there will be less monsters in the world, killing other poor men! Anyway, he won't care about my life, he cared about nothing but killing his brother now!

The branches kept slapping her head and back, she clenched her jaw and waited him to condemn their death. However, he just leant towards her and yelled to Stranger to run faster. After a while, she heard the Mountain cursed aloud not very far away, "Fuck the Lord Tywin, who the fuck care about the bloody Kingsroad!"

Sansa could felt the sweat dampened her breeches, it was the Stranger's sweat. She had never knew a better warhorse than Sandor's. "Little brother! I swear I'll burn you again one day!" With the last roar from the Mountain fading away, she noticed that they had stopped chasing. A big round and hot tear ran down Sansa's left face, she felt something burning there. I'm sorry, Sandor, I'm sorry.

They kept riding in silent desperateness, until the darkness hung over the woods. Stranger slowed himself into a trot with heavily panting. Sansa almost fell into sleep, but it hurt all over her body. Finally they stopped in a flat area, the Hound threw his helmet to the ground and swung off the horse, held his sword running into darkness.

Sansa didn't dare to stay there alone, so she slid down to the ground in pain. The horse was so tired, he even didn't raise his eyebrows to look at her, let alone biting her. She crept behind the hound and followed him into the darkness.

There, beside a tree stood him, in dread silence. He lowed his head and watched his sword. The moonglow was shining on his armor, but Sansa couldn't see his face clearly. All of a sudden, he waved his sword toward that tree and began to strike it, with all his strength, he chopped it in cold rage. The leaves were rustling and dropping down to the ground, some fell on Sansa's shoulders, some patted her eyes before flying away. Somehow, she felt sad, his every shout and curse were like a dragger cutting her heart into pieces.

Sansa began to cry again, in a shadow, watching him hitting that tree in a frenzy. She bit into her lip and tried to lower her sobbing. She cried so hard almost choked by tears. He came to save me, again! He ran like the rat which he hated the most just to save me! I stopped him to kill his brother! I made him a coward! Gods, I hurt him, this time, I hurt him! When he tried to save me, I wanted him to die!…But he lied to me! He tried to rape me! I don't care if I hurt him, he didn't even have a heart! Let him stay in his pain! I don't care! Let him be the coward! Let him feel the hurt! He deserves it, he deserves all these!

But still, Sansa heard her own heart broke.

Until chopping noise died away, Sansa stepped out of the shadow and walked towards him.

He needed help, he got an arrow through his arm…

He won't die just because of a little wound. Even if he dies, that's none of your business…

I can't make it on my own in the woods, I even have no idea how to make a fire, let alone going to Riverrun…

So you want to go with him again? Are you mad? He did that to you! He is a liar!

Don't…he is the only one I know now, I have to leave here.

You can kill him!

Ayra's voice came into Sansa's mind, which startled her a lot. No, I won't, I'm not my sister, Sansa told herself. He saved me, several times. I owe him my life, though I never asked him to save me. Well, I didn't choose to come here either. So what? Since we have no way to go back…and I can't join Robb's army…Why did the Mountain appear in the Kingsroad? Were they sent here by the queen to find me? Or Joff? To find his dog? The Hound must know, I have to ask him, beside…I have no choice but go with him now…to the west, even the Clegane Keep…what did he want? Wait…what on earth did he want? Apparently…not just fuck me…I let him, but he didn't take it…And he didn't want anything from Robb for reward...Of course he didn't want reward, he never wanted to take me there…What did he want from me? No…no…that's impossible…he had never thought to have a wife…hadn't he?

Whatever…Since we still have time before we reach his house, I can ask him, I must know. Everything!

Thinking all these, Sansa had stepped behind the Hound. She put her hand on his shoulder to draw his attention, you have to attend your wound now, don't talk to me, just…examine your wound.

When he turned around, all the moon light on Sansa's face was gone. She was still like a child in front of him, a little bird under the Hound's paw. His face twisted in pain and was pale like milk. He kept looking at her in the eyes, with obvious rage and a flash of regret? At least Sansa thought she saw that flash. She sighed while drew back her hand, she didn't want to say a single word to him now, but she hoped he would understand she tried to help, offer her help to attend his wound.

I'm the reason he got injured, Sansa had to admit. Though if he didn't change their way to the west, or leave her there alone, there was no need to come back and run into the Mountain. You deserve this, that's your retribution for hurting me. Sansa clenched her fists. But…don't be silly, girl, he could just leave you there and let you raped and killed by the Mountain…

Fine…let's see to the wound.

"Can you still use your hands to make a fire? Or tell me how to make one." She turned away to avoid his gaze.

"No fire tonight." rasped him. His voice sounded like sobbing, in the unbearable hoarse way.

"After lighting the fire, you have to draw the arrow out of your arm and I'll boil your wine and get you some cloth to bind up your wound." She ignored him, I'm not asking for your permission now! Sansa tried to imagine what would Maester Luwin do if someone in the Winterfell got a wound like this. Father got a similar one in his leg…But we don't have the milk of the poppy now…

"I said no fire tonight." He stepped close to her back.

"Stop these useless words, you have to deal with the arrow now!"

But, how? Sansa frowned, the iron arrowhead could be seen on the front side, dark blood had coagulated around the hole in the armor. How could this happen? An iron arrow shot through a steel armor? She looked at the long arrow shaft which disappeared from sight in his strong arm, and hoped it could break easily. He couldn't break it on his own, Gods…I have to help him on this awful wound…

"No need to. I won't die for this." He responded while passed by.

Sansa wanted to slap his face. What if you die? Leave me here in the woods alone? Are you an idiot? You took me out of the Kings Landing, I don't care where you'll take me next, but not here, you…she wanted to curse, but she was too tired.

"Please…" She sighed to his back.

Suddenly he turned to face her with great rage, "Why? What the fuck are you doing? Why do you still care about my bloody wound since I have done that thing to you?!"

"Don't…don't make me remember that!" Sansa lowered her eyes.

"Sansa…"

"Don't call my name!"

"Little bird…"

"Enough!"

"I shouldn't…" He paused for a while, "I shouldn't…" But he didn't let out the other words.

"I'm tired…really…let's just deal with your wound. We have time to talk tomorrow." Sansa closed her eyes. Yes, you shouldn't…But still you have done…

This is for what you did for me on Joff's name day…Sansa bit her lip, the first debt I owe to you.

The Hound light a fire in great pain, which Sansa could tell. The sweat had drenched his dark long hair and made it covering his forehead and side face. Somehow Sansa felt sad again. What if he never got burnt in his face? Would he be another man, a good man? He might be…and if he was born in a common family, and didn't ruin his face, he would have a wife now even some babes…It's just…not fair.

However, what's fair? My father was an honest and loyal lord, but beheaded as a traitor. Bran and Rickon were only two little lovely boys, but hanged and burnt in the Winterfell. Even Arya, she did nothing wrong, only indocile and annoying…Oh, Jon Snow…born as a bastard…I was so mean to him. I'm sorry…How sweet if one day I can stand in front of him and call him my brother…

Yes, there are always some ways for us, who still live in the world, to ease the pain we get from others and we did to them…But I won't forgive the Lannisters.

"Take off your armor, and leave them on your left shoulder." Sansa ordered the Hound when he finally sat against a tree.

"I'm fucking thirsty now."

"We don't have water any more, neither the food. You shouldn't have left them all to me."

"I have golds."

"You gave me golds too."

"Give me wine." Sansa ran to the horse and got the wineskins. At least they had two wineskins of red, not that bad.

Before gave one to the Hound, Sansa took a pull from it and coughed for a while.

"Thirsty too?"

"I'm trembling. You see." Sansa showed him her hand, quivered despite herself.

"Cold?"

"No, I'm in fears." She found some thin sticks to plug the hole on the Hound's helmet before poured some wine in it. "I know I have to cut that arrow shaft for you."

He blinked in surprise, "Have you ever used a sword?"

"Never." Sansa propped up the helmet in the fire while looked at him, "How about your dagger? Could it cut that off?"

"No, the sword will be better for you." He drew out his sword and handed it to her.

"Hold the shaft." Sansa took it in her two hands, but it was so heavy. "No, wait." She stood up and tried to wave it.

"You won't make it. That's too heavy for you." The Hound chuckled. "Don't bother to try. I can break it with my hand."

"How? It's in your arm!"

"Shit! Maybe you can burn it now!" The Hound tried to break the shaft on the back side but failed, he cursed and threw the armor to his feet.

"I will make it." Sansa bit her lips and tried again, but she didn't eat anything since the morning, "Gods. I hate this."

The Hound laughed out, "Slow down, give me some sticks first."

"Why?" Sansa frowned to him.

"For fear that you cut off my left arm, I have to bite them for the pain." Sansa had to find him some, "Thick ones."

"We don't have the bloody cloth, either." The Hound showed her a sleepy voice, which sounded more gentle than usual. Maybe just the pain exhausted him.

"I can get some." She heard the wine was boiling, "Close your eyes first."

"What?" The Hound widened his sleepy eyes.

"I said close, not open!" Sansa looked at him from the corners of her eyes.

"What are you doing there?" He tried to sit straight.

Sansa turned her back to him and stood far away. I owe him the cloth. The first day we came out of the Kings Landing, he got me some cloth. Now I get some back to him. She took off her tunics, how luckily and wisely that she still wore two in her and how stupidly she didn't know when she lost her bag. She did think for a while before she chose to give up the inner one, which was not that dirty for wound. Only wine and clean cloth, and her pray, Sansa shook her head, that was too little for the wound.

"Give me your dagger." When she came back to him, the Hound almost fell into sleep.

"There's no bloody need to…"

"Shut your mouth and let me do this." Sansa interrupted him and scrabbled around his waist, then drew the dagger out, cut her tunic into strips.

"Sansa…"

"Don't call my name! I told you earlier!"

"Lady Sansa…" The Hound squeezed the words out angrily, "Fuck! Stop your stupid try and leave me alone!"

"Hold the shaft."

"Go away!" He growled at her, "I don't need your fucking bloody mercy. Go! Or I kill you right now!"

"One more word I'll slap your face!" There's no feelings in her tone, no fear, no care, she just said that because she meant it.

"What?" He almost laughed at her words, Sansa saw it in his eyes.

"You can try." She lifted the sword and stepped close to his back.

"Damn! I almost forget how bloody stubborn you are." He sat straight before clamped the stick between his teeth, "But no slap across the face, I can give you my bloody arm. Come, cut it now, use all your bloody strength." He clenched the shaft with his right hand.

"Maybe your right hand." Sansa ground her teeth as gave a blow down, before the sword hit something, she closed her eyes and prayed, "Mother, please…"

There was a long dead silence before she heard his voice again, "Open your eyes now, little bird. You did it." Sansa didn't dare to see it, had to narrow one eye to give a peek. Her heart was still thumping like a drum, somehow, all strength and courage were gone, Sansa squatted down and began to cry. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"It's all right, girl, it's alright. Stop crying, you didn't cut me." There was an embarrassment in his tone, "Take the wine here." He raised the wineskin and drained it straightaway.

"You shouldn't drink like that since you haven't ate anything." Sansa turned to look at him through a mist of tears, still sobbed.

"I'll draw it out now, get ready to pour the boiling wine to the wound. It won't be pretty and try not to vomit at it." He chuckled, while put the thick stick into his mouth again.

Sansa stood up to cup the helmet, but got burnt by the steel immediately and screamed out. Before she could see her fingers, the Hound had already stood in front of her and grasped her hand to see it, "Bloody hells! Girl, have you lost your mind?" Tears had swelled in her eyes, it hurt so much Sansa couldn't say anything to protest. Suddenly she felt something soft around her painful fingers, she raised her eyes to see it, and gasped at it.

The Hound had her fingers in his mouth, and used his tongue to ease her pain like Lady.

Sansa was too stunned for some time she just stared at him and let him do it. "You stupid thing! Taste the burn now? And want to ruin your pretty little hand?" He cursed in rage.

"I…" Sansa drew back her arm abruptly, "I didn't think at that time." Somehow, she was too astonished to be able to feel the pain again.

"How do you feel now? Still in pain?" He tried to grab her arm again, but Sansa stepped away, "No…it seems better now. Go back to the tree, I'll bring the wine to you."

The Hound tore his tunic into some strips and tossed them to the ground, "Put them on the steel before you try again." But something dropped down from his chest, before Sansa could notice, he picked it up immediately and hid it to his back.

"What's that?" Sansa frowned to him.

"Nothing." He stepped backwards.

"Give it to me." Sansa reached out her hand.

"Hells! I said nothing!" The Hound spat, Sansa narrowed her eyes, How you dare to lie to me again! She thought about a letter from the Kings Landing or something might hurt her again. I must see, you the sick Hound! I must see it!

Sansa raised her fists to hit his chest, "Give it to me, or I just draw out the arrow and let you bleed to death!"

"What?"

"Give it to me!" Sansa gripped his arm and pulled it to her front again. Her fingers burnt again at the sight of that thing.

A bunch of auburn hair.

In his hand.