Thank you for your continued views/reviews/etc! Just to clear one thing up: The Golden Company is aligned with the Dragon Queen in this story, just in case that wasn't obvious.
With the capture of multiple enemies in the battle of the Wendwater, much new information was gleaned. Serillion had laid out a plan for his force to defend the Kingswood but had fled back to King's Landing with Mace Tyrell and the bulk of his army when they came from Storm's End, which was left only with a small garrison to defend it. With the reluctant and sometimes completely unwilling help of the woodsmen and hunters who lived in the Kingswood; Serillion's men had done the best they could with the instructions they were given and had been all but wiped out in the battle at the Wendwater bridge, they were no longer a threat. If Storm's End was really garrisoned so poorly, it was expected that the Golden Company could be almost upon Bronzegate by now, keeping in mind that the host moves much slower than a small group of 100.
Their own losses after the battle were steep, 64 men remained and many were nursing injuries. With the losses however, came a wealth of newly freed up resources. Elyse capitalized on the influx of tents in particular and secured one for herself without argument, finally. Their fortifications sprung up over the next few days, all able-bodied men working hard to secure their position as thoroughly as possible. Log walls and palisades surrounded their camp which had been split in half to guard both sides of the bridge equally, and the tree line was cut back far enough to provide fair warning of any approaching attackers.
"Seven horse fucking hells!" Elyse snapped furiously, waving her chunk of salted horse meat in one hand and pressing the other against her mouth. Sandor frowned at her from where he sat, pausing mid sharpening motion over his sword "What now?" Sucking in a breath and slowly lowering her hand away from her mouth, she glared at him and muttered in an acidic tone "Burns too much to eat the bloody meat, all the salt in the cuts..." Frustrated, she sliced the part she had bitten away and tossed the untouched piece to Sandor, who dropped his whetstone to catch it. Smirking and unsympathetic, he popped the meat into his mouth and chewed while Elyse tore into a piece of bread and frowned heavily. "How did you even let them stick your face to the tree like that anyway, wench? I know you're more competent than that."
Thoughtful, Elyse shrugged and chewed for a time, swallowing before she responded "All I had to do was survive until you dealt with the one that they left behind. Not likely that I could kill them with two drawn arrows pointing at my face, and not many men can resist making an example out of a woman when they get a chance. Just another one of those womanly skills that come in handy, I suppose." She smirked, curious to see his reaction. He had picked up his whetstone and started sharpening his sword again by the time he rasped back at her "So, if I did die in the pond you would have simply been raped and killed without defending yourself?" he sounded incredulous, his facial expression neutral but for the twitching of his ruined flesh. Rolling her eyes dramatically, she had expected him to belittle her skills as a warrior, not focus on some minute detail. "Had it come down to it, I would have pulled the knife from my face myself and stabbed him if I was fast enough; Then cut the arrows pinning me and used his corpse as a shield to get at the other one. Satisfied?"
His shoulders heaved in a brief shrug "One way to do it, I guess. A man like me doesn't get to woo his opponent if things aren't going his way." She laughed then, a hearty natural laughter that he enjoyed, although he'd never tell her that. "Cheer up Digger, only half your face is ugly. Some people are born with a completely ugly face. Maybe you could woo your opponent if there was more than a handful of woman fighters out there." she smirked, enjoying her own witticisms.
"Haven't looked at me much, have you?" he snarked, reaching up to touch his ruined cheek briefly. For a moment her expression softened, and she pulled out her own whetstone to touch her daggers up. Soon the rhythmic scraping between the two of them filled the silent void. Sandor used the time to reflect, a skill he picked up on the Quiet Isle. It was interesting to see someone in a similar situation, for he saw much of his old self in Elyse. An ugly burned man could still be a strong sword arm and command respect from his peers through example or fear, but what about a maimed woman? He thought of the daughter of Stannis Baratheon, touched by greyscale and ugly to boot, nothing fortunate would ever come her way. All the courtesies and pointless lady skills in the seven kingdoms could be at her fingertips and no one would ever desire her, even with the name of a powerful house. He could not think of a scenario of what would happen to a commoner woman who ended up like that, and looked at Elyse thoughtfully when he reached that conclusion. Maybe a Septa or some other member of the faith. His lips curled into a smirk as he tried to think of Elyse that way. Impossible, she is like a grown up version of that little wolf-bitch, Arya.
Elyse wasn't sure why Sandor was smirking at her, but she calmly returned his gaze and held it, curious. Grey eyes, bloody Stark eyes. No wonder why you favor her, you moon-eyed stable boy. Sandor chuckled darkly then, looking her over. "See something interesting, Digger?" Her tone was amiable, but a warning all the same. Snorting, he deflected as best he could "Do you? Been eating me with your eyes this whole time, girl." chuckling softly, her voice took on a playful tone "Eating you? I suppose I could..." It wasn't what he was expecting, but Sandor was always ready for banter. "You can't even eat a strip of horse meat, never mind MY meat." he boasted, grinning. "I've seen your meat, Digger. I don't think you're living up to the expectations set for big men, to be honest." Sandor had the good grace to look offended.
When the last of the fortifications were finished, it was just a matter of time until the Golden Company joined them once again. The day of their approach was obvious when the three dragons soared overhead, trumpeting the arrival of their Queen. Elyse was in a tree when they passed over and almost fell out of it as their shrieks pierced the cool morning air. Sandor was checking palisades and looked up with his mouth hanging open and a fearful expression, he wasn't the only one. That evening he and Elyse sat across a fire from one another, a familiar routine, except for the dark expressions they both wore as they sharpened and cleaned their weapons. "King's Landing is next, you know." she remarked idly, "What of it? Not keen on seeing that stinking shit hole again." Sandor rasped in an acidic tone.
"The Company is going to need to know what is going on there. If you're as keen to kiss the Queen's boots and stare at her dragons as I am, you'll be wanting to see that 'stinking shit hole' with me, I wager." He looked across the flames at her then, lip twitching in that way she discovered it did when he was annoyed "Seven hells Elyse, not a soul in Westeros that doesn't know my face. We'd be killed immediately, if we're lucky." she sighed at him then, speaking as though to a child "I'm a scout, Digger. There will be no going into King's Landing. Just viewing it from afar and taking stock of what we can from that. The Queen can fly over the damn place if she really wants to see things up close, anyway. So what do you say? Edgur has been getting back to his old self as of late, wouldn't count on him not sending us to some hell if we don't act soon, anyway." Sandor let out a long, even breath. Bugger the Queen and her Dragons.
Edgur glowered at the two of them, his face scabbed and covered in yellowed healing bruises. "Aye, to King's Landing with you. You will also go to Stokeworth and Rosby to get word from the commoners." Seeing Sandors trepidation, he amended "Elyse will go to Stokeworth and Rosby, you'll keep out of sight, Digger." Quick to be off, Elyse nodded and briskly started walking out of the tent while talking "We're off then, been ready to go for some time already." Sandor followed silently.
Sandor was happy to be on Stranger and heading towards his unspoken goals again, and Elyse was trotting alongside him on her palfrey. They decided to stick to the Kingsroad and rely on being bristling with weapons and possibly the most visually disturbing pair in the seven kingdoms to discourage any unwanted advances. "You seem almost cheerful, Digger. I thought you said you weren't pleased to be heading to King's Landing?" He schooled his features back to his usual dour expression then, "Good to be moving again, regardless. Tired of this gods-forsaken woods and archers hiding in trees." Elyse could only grunt in agreement, she wasn't keen on archers either. "I've never seen King's Landing, what awaits me?" "Do I look like a fucking tour guide to you?"
They had met neither travelers nor enemies during their ride through the Kingswood, until they reached the fork where the Rosewood joined to the Kingsroad. Both of them drew to a stop at the crossroads when they saw a small procession; a family of bedraggled children and women lead by an old man who clenched a repurposed club in his hand anxiously when he saw the two mounted warriors in his path. Sandor let his hand touch the hilt of his sword in a clear warning, but Elyse smoothly slid off of her palfrey and called out "At ease, old man! You'll come to no harm from us. But where do you and your brood hail from? King's Landing, perhaps?" She was wearing her greatsword and daggers, having bound her quiver and bow to her palfrey for easy access while riding. The man's look of revulsion was clear when he saw her face, but his stance relaxed just slightly and he spoke in a tired voice "Aye, managed to get my kin out before they locked it up. Too many filthy bodies there, Bloody Flux is having a go at it. I don't suggest getting near anyone who you find runnin' from King's Landing, milady." Pursing her lips, Elyse frowned and nodded. "We will be on our way then, my thanks."
Some time after the bedraggled group were out of sight, Elyse started talking again. "Wonder if they recognized you? Well, no matter. Bloody flux! That city could be dead inside by the time we get there..." Sandor was frowning heavily, eyes continually scanning everything in sight as they trotted easily down the beaten path "I won't be going near that city, or those towns, with the Flux raging. Don't have any desire to shit my guts out, you can do that yourself if you want." Elyse shrugged, rubbing her missing finger as she spoke "No desire to shit myself to death either, Digger. But I'll do what I can to get the job done, if I feel it is safe enough. You can hide in the forest like some great tree while I do our job, if it please you." her lips curled into a mirthful grin then. "Very few things involving you please me, Elyse." "You wound me, Digger. I thought we were the best of friends." gritting his teeth, Sandor muttered "Maybe wounding you would put some sense in you."
Soon they were seeing mounted and armed men, and each time they did it was minutes of tense posturing and silent threats until the lesser men made way for their betters. Sometimes it was clear that Sandor was recognized, and when that happened their passage was clear immediately. Elyse marveled at the kind of reputation a man would have to sow to be recognized and feared across seven kingdoms, let alone one. Sandor however, was silent and his demeanor grew darker with every shrinking mile between themselves and King's Landing. One night, less than a days travel left to the city, Sandor slowly stood up and stared off at the horizon. Cautious, Elyse followed suit, clasping a hand around her sword until she saw what he was looking at. "Seven hells, it's burning." she whispered, Sandor remained transfixed—staring at the orange glow and remembering "Last time it was green."
The very next day they found out for true what was happening, catching a fleeing man-at-arms and questioning him from a distance at bow point, no longer willing to risk getting close to anyone. With Mace Tyrell's army arrived in King's Landing, which was already starving, the bloody flux began to spread through flea bottom and consume the city from the inside out. The Red Keep was completely closed off from the masses and unchecked rioting lead to the fires that had been raging for days. If the smallfolk weren't being killed by the flux, fires and thugs were finishing them off. Another piece of news that drew Sandors attention was that Cercei had absconded to Casterly Rock with King Tommen and as many loyal men as she could, shortly before the flux and riots began, but he kept his interest of that particular subject to himself.
"Well, given the information we currently have, I don't think I'll be going near King's Landing." "First smart thing you've said in days, girl." "But we will skirt around it and I will take the time to get information from Stokeworth, at least." "Madness." Exasperated, she looked at him with furrowed brows "Then what would you have me do? I hate Edgur just as much as the next bloke, but we've a duty..." Sandor cut in sharply "Take to the woods and wait for the Golden Company to come, maybe your Queen will be smart enough to burn the whole fucking place down and kill the sickness inside." she smirked then, smugly "You don't know the Queen very well, it seems. No, we'll go to Stokeworth and figure out what is next from there." Sandor glared at her, a threatening edge to his posture that Elyse had not seen directed at her since Griffin's Roost, which left her wary "You brought me to give you advice because I've lived here my whole life, then ignore it? Not smart, girl." Licking her lips, Elyse held his gaze and straightened her posture "Your advice is just that—advice. I choose not to heed it at this moment, and Edgur may not have told you who was in charge... But let me assure you, that's me." her eyes narrowed, waiting for his response.
The sound of a throat clearing noisily nearby broke their standoff, two pairs of gray eyes snapping to look at a group of six men, bristling with weapons of their own and all steel drawn. "Whats this now, some lovers spat?" A tall man with a thick axe in either hand remarked, sharing a blackened grin with them while his companions chuckled. Elyse and Sandor snarled as one "Piss off!" blinking and looking at each other quickly at the odd coincidence before looking back at the men and pulling their swords free. "Six on two? Or should I say six on one, Clegane? Who's your wench? By the gods, she might just be uglier than you!" Nervous laughter echoed through their group as they started to spread out through the tall grass around Sandor and Elyse.
Their horses were too far away to get to, but Elyse and Sandor were well rested, in good form and their blood was already up. Licking her lips and grinning, she nudged Sandors arm slightly "If you can kill more of them than me, you can choose what we do next." Tossing his head back and laughing savagely, Sandor grinned, eyes alight with the promise of blood "You're on wench!" Snarls erupted from every one of the combatants and they leaped forwards as one.
Sandor plowed forwards into the three men at his front and Elyse began dancing through the three at hers, one powered by brutality and the other by agility. The fool with the two small axes fell first to Sandor, his arms cleaved off when he attempted a wild swing, Sandor shouting over his scream triumphantly "One!" Elyse ducked and rolled past the strikes of two men, one who cut high and the other low, spinning to her feet and throwing the momentum into her arms as she swung and felt the satisfying impact of her sword cleaving through two spines, snarling hoarsely as she spun to face a man with sword and shield "Two!" high screams began to pierce the air as Sandor slammed into a man wielding mace and shield, knocking him down and hammering on his wooden shield with jarring strikes until both the shield and the bone in the mans arm exploded "Two!" he roared, staring down a man with a long spear that had hung back when he should've been stabbing at him while he had a chance. Elyse saw stars when her opponent rammed her head with his shield, but recovered fast enough to slip around his quick stab and open his jugular with her knife in one fluid unsheathing motion. Spinning around to watch Sandor with the final man, she licked her lips and put her sword down, hefting the dagger in her hand and waiting. All it took was one missed stab and Sandor grabbed the shaft of the spear, pulling it from the mans grip like an adult taking a child's toy away. Surprise and dismay bloomed on his burned features as a familiar dagger buried itself to the hilt in the man's chest, ending his life with a solid thunk. Anger simmering, he gripped the spear in his hand tightly as he turned around and watched Elyse approaching; leisurely silencing those who were still amongst the living until she was within arms reach, smiling and unaware of the rage he had schooled into a blank expression. "Four, Digger. We go to Stokeworth."
Both sheathed their weapons in a smooth motion, Sandor dropping the spear and turning to face Elyse. His expression never changed when he jerked forwards and curled his hand around her throat, her eyes lighting up in surprise and fear as he lifted her up effortlessly and squeezed, rasping furiously "I should just kill you and be on my way Elyse." Fury sparking in her eyes, she reached for her daggers quickly but he shook her like a rag doll until her brain rattled; the weapons slipping from her fingers and falling useless to the ground at Sandor's feet. Watching how his hand curled around her neck with room to spare, he took a deep breath and slowly lowered her to her feet; slackening his grip until she gasped in a huge breath to relieve her poor burning lungs. Her hands were still grasping at his thick forearm, neither able to close around it with his armor on, maybe not even without it. "Never let your guard down, girl. Not even with me." Getting her breathing under control, she glared up at him with an injured expression and murmured "For what it's worth, I would have carried you as best I could." Sandor let her go as fast as if she were on fire.