I do not own ASOIAF. I do not profit from this story, nor would I ever seek to do so. All credit for characters and setting to the wonder GRRM.
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She had ridden pillion with the monster all the way back to the Inn. She rode with her cheek pressed between his shoulder blades and her arms clutching his waist.
Gendry glowered at them. He swore to serve her. He had to protect her from a monster she was willfully being blind to.
Lady Sansa would do better to ride with a real knight, a man who would not gaze upon her as a bed-warmer. She was a lady, not a camp follower or a whore. She ought to be respected. He felt a sneer as he remembered seeing Clegane taking pleasure with Sansa's name on his lips. It was repellent. He had known then who they were and that he had to save her.
Lem and Harwin had left them to contact Lady Stoneheart. Soon enough, justice would be here. Clegane would dangle by his neck till his feet quit kicking. He held in his anger. He would make sure that Sansa was not defiled by that monstrous man. Cleganes were all the same. He shifted remembering the Mountain that Rides. He had watched all those people tortured. Being a smith was all that had saved him from the same fate. He had been frightened that he would see Arya selected for questioning, and he would be unable to stop it.
"Would you care for a bath, milady?" Jeyne asked as they stopped in the yard of the inn.
Gendry glanced over at the pair again. He dismounted quickly. He was not fond of or skilled at riding horses as it was. He was glad to be on the ground again. He would help Lady Sansa get down. He would show her a true knight. He held in his thoughts about her reaction to him telling her that he was a knight. What would make her feel so discouraged and distrustful of knights? What made that light of fear dance in her eyes?
Clegane glowered at him as he moved to help her down. The large man Arya had so hated grasped Lady Sansa by the waist with a gentle firmness as he turned. Arya said Clegane was a murderer. He would hurt Sansa.
She placed her hands on his shoulders.
Gendry moved to take her. He would need to speak with her and convince her to get rid of Clegane. He did not know how to turn her against her favorite. She trusted the murderer. Gendry had only ever killed to save lives.
"A bath would be very nice," Sansa said, looking into the scarred face. It was almost like she was inviting him to come with her. Her hand pressed to the side of his neck, and she shifted, pulling herself slightly closer to him.
Gendry shook his head. Lady Sansa would not invite Clegane to join her. She was a lady, despite everything she had been through. She would not dishonor herself with someone like him. She was making sure that the great, stupid oaf knew better than to walk in on her like he had the next time. He reached to take her hips and help lower her from the giant courser.
"Will you be up shortly?" she asked, wiggling a little as Gendry touched her hips. Her arms shot for Clegane's neck and engulfed it as she pressed her cheek to his. She seemed to be trying to get away from him. He would not hurt her. He swore himself to her, but she did not seem to trust him.
"The knight is just helping you to the ground," the Hound said, looking pleased with having her holding him.
Gendry reached for her waist again.
Sansa slowly released him, and he leaned forward on his horse till he was able to settle her on her feet. She rested a hand on his thigh, gazing up at him. He dismounted and turned to her.
"I want you with me." She wetted her lips with her tongue as she stared up at the ugly brute.
"Horses need to be fed and cared for. They will carry us to safety." Clegane looked away from her after she licked her lips. He was doubtlessly thinking of her doing more, as if she would. He looked over at the horses instead.
Sansa nodded, biting her lip and blushing.
Gendry stared at the stiff back of the man as he led the perlino and the black horse to the stable. Probably off to think his vile thoughts and pleasure himself to thoughts of a Lady far too good for a twisted fuck like him. How dare he entertain thoughts like that! It was wrong. She should know what her sworn shield was out there thinking and doing.
She had no idea what he thought of her or what he wanted from her. She was too innocent to know or even suspect. She would not travel with him if she knew how despicable of a dog he was, but he would not easily convince her to cast her favorite aside. She treated the giant gently and kindly. He did not deserve her kindness or her smiles. Clegane wanted her, and he would take her as soon as it was convenient. How could she not see this?
He bowed his head to her as Jeyne led her inside to have a bath. He would have a private moment to make something clear to the giant of a man. He led his and Jeyne's horses quickly away from her so he did not have to think any more about all the times Clegane had almost kissed her. She looked like she might welcome a kiss from the ugly man.
He went into the stable, kicking a hunk of straw that had been soaked by snow or horse piss. He put each of the horses in separate stalls and took their saddles and bridles off.
Clegane was rubbing the giant warhorse with gentle purpose, to remove all the marks left from the long hours of travel. He ran his hands carefully over each of the stallion's legs to check for any swelling or areas of discomfort. Probably wanted to do the same to the lady he was 'protecting.' He would put a bastard in her belly and not care a whit for the child's wellbeing or hers.
Gendry saw red as he fought to control his temper. His temper had almost always gotten him into constant trouble.
He hung the saddles over the half walls dividing the stalls. He began rubbing the horses down to remove all the dirt and saddle marks. He began trying to find the words to say something to the man. He had to make sure he said it so that Clegane would understand that Lady Sansa was not fodder for his reality or his imagination. It was only after he felt satisfied that the horses had been properly taken care of that he spoke.
"I know what you want," he said, finally breaking the silence of the stable. He crossed his arms, feeling a stubborn cast coming over his face.
The large man rolled his shoulders back and seemed to be holding in a temper. So Clegane had a temper. So did he. He could not help the concern that welled in him. What if that temper were to be unleashed on Lady Sansa? What if it had been unleashed on Arya? Arya had been a small girl. That giant could have killed her or Sansa with a single blow. He would not need a weapon to harm either of them.
The mare that was Sansa's and the black courser stood close, though only the mare was eating the hay left for both horses.
"I saw what you were doing after she left you," Gendry continued, moving to block him from leaving the stable.
"What are you bleating about, boy?" Clegane's voice was raspy, and his eyes were dark with anger and a hint of something else that Gendry could not place entirely.
"I saw you touching yourself when you were last here, and I heard you moan her name." Gendry said, holding himself as tall as he could. He still had to lift his eyes slightly to meet the other man's eyes.
Clegane lifted his chin. He sneered, stepping forward bumping Gendry as he leaned down into his face.
"And you feel no desire for Lady Sansa's sister, the Wolf-Bitch as I called her?" Clegane's eyes lit as if he saw the truth of his words on Gendry's face.
Gendry's fist lashed out before he could contain his anger. How dare he speak of a lady that way knowingly? His fist never connected with the larger man's face.
"Don't ever call her that!" Gendry shouted, bringing his other arm around to beat the taller man. "Her name is Arya. ARYA of House Stark!"
Sandor brought his arm around, connecting his elbow to Gendry's jaw.
Blood dripped from his lip as he bit his lip on the impact of the elbow. He saw stars as he reeled backwards from the blow after Clegane released him for a moment.
"Seems like the fawn needs a lesson about dogs," Clegane growled, grabbing Gendry and slinging him face first toward a wall post.
Gendry struggled furiously as Sandor grasped his right arm, twisting it around painfully to pin his wrist between his shoulder blades. Gendry gasped at the strain the awkward position of his arm was causing. He tried to shove back to get the powerful man off him. He only succeeded in getting the large man to grab his hair and pinch his head between a hand and the wall.
"Let go. Let go, and you'll pay for what you said." Gendry stomped his foot down where he thought he could see Clegane's but he missed.
"You listen, boy. I could chop you to pieces standing on one foot and blindfolded. I will do worse to you if any harm comes to Sansa. Do you understand?" Clegane whispered in his ear. "No one will hurt Sansa."
Gendry tried to stomp his foot again to wrench free of the powerful, pinching grip.
"I am loyal to Lady Sansa. I don't fantasize about making a whore—"
Gendry did not have time to gasp or stop himself as he was flung and crashed through the door of the stable to the yard in front of the inn. His whole body crumpled in the mud. He heard the slosh of boots stomping to him. He struggled to his knees and tried to rise as a foot collided with the side of his ribcage. He rolled to his side.
"Don't you ever use that word about my Lady." He pressed his foot down on Gendry's wrist. "I'll kill you if you use that word about her again."
Gendry struggled to free his hand. He grasped a broken piece of spear and was about to stab it into the gap of the armor around the man's knee when another blow slammed into his ribs.
Gendry fell away, coughing as he tried to catch his breath.
"Do you understand, boy?" Clegane wrenched the broken spear head from his hand and flung it away.
He was supposed to find out where Arya was. He would save her. Clegane took her from him.
Gendry got to his feet, wincing at the pain.
"Don't you ever—" he pulled his fist back.
His fist was captured with ease, and he was forced to his knees in the mud and snow. Clegane wrenched it enough to cause pain and perhaps bruise a little, but not hard enough to cause lasting damage. He had no chance against the enormous man. He did not know how to fight, to really fight. Lord Dondarrion was training him in the use of weapons when he gave up his life to return Lady Stoneheart hers.
Gendry roared and struggled.
"What did you do to Arya? Where is she?"
"What is going on?" a soft voice chirped and a gentle hand touched the wrist of the hand keeping him on his knees.
Lady Sansa was standing there, touching the Hound.
"Just coming to an understanding, right, boy?"
The hand on his fist remained tight, but the large man's expression softened to a look akin to how a child might look a kitten taking its first steps.
Sansa brought her other hand to the underside of his wrist, and he loosened his hold.
Gendry pulled his arm back close, staring up at Sansa.
"Ser, I would appreciate an explanation." Her words and eyes were cold. She moved, placing herself between him and Clegane. She kept her hand lightly resting on his wrist.
"We were coming to an understanding," Gendry said, glaring at the large man. The only way he would be able to beat the man right now was with his blacksmith's hammer while he slept.
"About what? I will not have men who serve me fighting amongst each other. I have enough enemies without injuries being inflicted by people who are on the same side. There will be no more fighting."
Gendry panted heavily.
"I don't know where Lady Sansa's sister is, Boy. I was injured when she abandoned me, boy. I was trying to take her to the Eyrie to her aunt after old Walder Frey betrayed the Stark boy. I was delirious from pain and blood loss when she left me to die."
"Are you satisfied? Sandor did not hurt my sister. He wouldn't."
Gendry huddled on his knees, staring at the mud in which he sat.
"It's my fault—" Gendry whispered to no one. He had not been fast enough to save her from Clegane, only fast enough to see the man take her. He should have defended her from that dwarf witch who was being so hateful to her. He should not have joined Dondarrion and his men. He should have agreed to serve her brother to please her. She would be safe if he had done that.
The heavy sound of footsteps approaching and the rustle of branches drew his attention. A man on a horse led a group of twenty men into the clearing.
"I present Lady Stoneheart, leader of the Brotherhood without Banners." Lem rode into the clearing in front of a small column of men.
Gendry looked toward Sansa. She had her mother.
Lady Stoneheart raised a hand to her throat, making what passed for her gurgling speech.
More crashing could be heard mingling with the clanking of armor and the heavy breathing of horses. Another group of horses burst into the clearing.
Twenty more men burst into the clearing.
"Lord Stokeworth?" Sansa asked, gazing toward the group.
"My Lady," the lord smiled his wolfish smile.