"What's wrong with her, damn it!" he cried for the third time, wishing that the crannog-woman would say something. Her name was Nannai, and she was the one that was tending to Sansa. This was her hut, and he was grateful for them taking care of her, but the woman infuriated him. She never spoke, and refused to tell him what was wrong with Sansa.
It was obvious that she was sick. Areen, Nannai's husband was slightly more forthcoming and had told him that they found Sansa next to a dying horse, both of them had broken through the ice and were slowly freezing to death. They managed to bring Sansa back, but could not get her mare to move. The horse had perished…and that's what Sandor suspected was being roasted over the fire before them. He couldn't complain. Meat was meat, and hot meat was going to be a scarcity the further they traveled.
"They call it the greywater fever," Areen informed him suddenly, answering when his wife did not.
"What the hell is that?" Sandor scowled. It wasn't something he had ever heard of before. Areen motioned towards Sansa. Obviously she had it, whatever it was. Suddenly he felt his throat clench.
"Is it…fatal?" he managed, his grey eyes watching Areen carefully. The man just shrugged. Their indifference was maddening. It made him want to strangle something. Instead he turned back to watch Nannai place a cool cloth on Sansa's head.
When he had first arrived her body temperature was still dangerously low, and they had brought it up with hot compresses. Now that she had stabilized, it was a fever that raged through her slight frame. She coughed a lot, and violently. When she was done, she always shivered for a few minutes.
The most disturbing was the staring though. Often her eyes would open, and his heart would leap, thinking she was awake…but it had yet to be so. She gazed at the ceiling, her eyes glazed, and he knew that she was seeing something far beyond the reality of the small hut. Sometimes she would reach out, as if grasping for something. When Nannai pushed her hand back down, she'd whimper, as if she had just lost something dear to her.
Don't let it be fatal. Not when I just got her back. He found himself sending a silent prayer to the Mother for mercy. Even when he had been with the Elder Brother he hadn't joined their prayers. He hadn't prayed since Ariadne had died. No gods would let her die when Gregor thrived and profited. You took my sister; don't take my little bird too.
oOo
There was a young girl, and she was beautiful...even prettier than Queen Cersei. She had violet eyes, and the blondest hair that Sansa had ever seen. She stood naked in a sea of faceless men, but none would touch her. There was blood around mouth, on her hands, and between her legs. Sansa tried to get closer to her, and she knew that the girl needed help. Yet when she finally got close the blonde girl burst into flames and Sansa fell backwards away from them. Three spires of flame rose up from her body and the heat was incredible. One was black, one was white, and the last was green.
Sansa had to close her eyes for fear that she would be consumed. When she opened them again and the flames had changed. It was a deep red flame, and a woman was gazing into it as if the balance of the world depended on it. Her eyes were as red as the flame, as red as her hair and light suddenly blazed around her.
She blinked against the sudden light and the scene changed again. She was standing on top of the Wall. There was no mistaking it.
I am dreaming.
These weren't normal dreams though. Something about them was different. Something about them was unnatural, and she was frightened.
Wake up, please let me wake up.
An army was attacking the Wall. There were massive creatures with huge tusks and shaggy brown hair and some had giants perched on their backs. It seemed like there were ten thousand men attacking, and when she turned around there were only several of the Night's Watch to defend such a large section of the Wall. When she looked back at the army, a red streak screamed through the sky. It was an eagle on fire.
Sansa shut her eyes, wanting it to be over. She had never had problems waking from her dreams before, but this time when she opened her eyes she hadn't woken, and the scene before her changed again.
Three people struggled through deeply packed snow. Two were young, and small. The third was large and appeared to have some sort of odd bundle. She realized a moment later that the bundle moved, and a small, windburned face peered straight through her. It was her brother Bran, but he had a strange black mark on his head. It was only when it blinked that she realized it was an eye. It should have scared her, but she was just happy to see her brother.
Sansa reached out a hand to him, but something pushed her back, and the dream faded.
No, wait! Bran!
She tried to call out but no sound was made.
She was in the darkness now. Someone whimpered next to her and she reached out but could not find anything or anyone. Sansa knew she wasn't alone, but she was frightened anyway.
"More," a small voice requested, and another person replied, but in a language that Sansa did not understand. Her vision wavered and two eyes shimmered before her. It was an animal's eyes, and they were large and hungry.
Please, enough...please.
Her pleads were left unanswered and she seemed to flicker between different dreams, each one more confusing than the last. Soon she had forgotten all but glimpses of these dreams. The ocean, a noose, a dark cave, a bag filled with bones, two crying babes, a half eaten corpse, a one eyed wolf, a dragonglass candle, a wildling woman with ratty hair, a dark cell, a man being held under the water, a brilliant red/black sword, a seven pointed star, a blond haired figure covered in blood, a broken knife, an angry looking savage, a host of men raising swords in the air, and hundreds more.
I just want to wake up.
"Then open your eyes," a voice instructed. It was the voice of a small girl, and she appeared before Sansa. It didn't seem as if she saw what Sansa did, or if she did, it didn't bother her.
They are open!
"Don't lie, all you have to do is open your eyes and you will finally wake. Just don't take too long, or you'll never wake up," the tiny girl gave a sad sigh, and looked off into the distance.
I've been trying, but nothing seems to work. Sansa felt helpless, as the images bombarded her, one after the other. Some were horrible, some were not, but all of them filled her with dread.
"You're too scared, but it's worse if you don't," the girl started to sing a nonsense song. Sansa wanted to scream, but didn't. She sank to the ground and pulled her knees to her chest.
I want to go home.
"You'll never go home if you don't wake up," the girl stopped and looked over her shoulder.
I told you, I tried. I just can't.
"Then you'll die," the girl gave a small shrug and Sansa felt more helpless then ever.
oOo
It had been two days since they had found Sandor, and five since they found Sansa. Howland Reed came to visit Sansa every day, but he could offer no answer to when, or even if she would wake. He did, however have answers that neither Areen and Nannai would answer. The two always vacated the house when Howland visited, and Sandor wished they'd stay away longer.
"The greywater sickness is different for everyone. I am sad that it struck Ned's daughter. My own son got it when he was very young, and he was never the same since. Few in Greywater get the sickness. The ones who wake from it are always changed. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst. I cannot give you the happy answer you want to hear. The ones that die, are the ones that do not wake," he looked sad at the thought.
Sandor cursed quietly. Sansa would take no food, but she would take water if offered. That she would drink hungrily, and if they gave her too much she'd start to choke and cough. Sandor instead gave her small slivers of ice that he gathered from outside.
She will not last much longer with no food. What will you do if she dies? It wasn't something he was ready to think about.
"Can we have our own room? I'm tired of listening to the silence of the two you've put us with," he said suddenly. Maybe if he got Sansa away from these people...it was a stupid thought, but he would try anything if it meant she would wake again.
"Nay, you're with them for a reason. These two have dealt with the greywater fever before," Howland replied.
"Which one of them had it?"
"Their five year old daughter."
"I didn't know they had a daughter," Sandor scowled. There were no signs that anyone lived in this hut other than Nannai and Areen. Howland looked at him steadily, then stood up to took his leave. As he reached the door he paused, then looked back at Sandor.
"She did not wake."