Chapter 54
All hells broke loose
All was well for a couple of months.
Lady Catelyn Stark visited White Knife with little Rickon. Leana and Arya were waiting by the gate. Arya kissed her mother and told her that she missed her while Leana watched the reunion.
The youngest Stark boy told everyone that his mother accompany him to White Knife as he wanted to sleep in a tent, while Sandor and Leana knew the Lady Catelyn Stark was there for her youngest daughter. She had a shock of her life when Sandor told her about her Arya who had a relationship with King Robert's bastard.
When she asked her niece's husband how her daughter was doing, she was expecting a story of wilful child who ran around with horses and creating some sort of trouble; she was not expecting her barely sixteen year old to be in a relationship. She saw her husband choked on his ale when he heard Sandor talked about their Arya.
Lady Catelyn Stark found the young man who's her daughter was in love with to be a replica of King Robert when he was young, before he was devastated by the lost of his Lyanna and found solace in whoring and drinking.
The young man was quiet, polite and hard working, she saw how hard he squire for the Hound, train and a blacksmith at White Knife's keep. Sandor was working him to the bone; he included him in their meeting. She could see that he was grooming him. The one month she was there, she never saw the young man slacked.
She smiled at him when he greeted her and muster all of his courage to tell her that he'd take good care of her daughter. Her Arya was squirming beside her. Her daughter was all grown up.
In front of Gendry, Sandor told her that he'd fucking roast the bastard if he dared laid hand on Arya and despite of the cursing, she thanked Sandor and gave him a kiss on his face before she left White Knife for Winterfell.
Sandor placed his hand on the small of his wife's back, Leana was getting bigger by the day. Xander was in Arya's arms when they said good bye to Lady Stark and Rickon. By then Xander had started talking and was one and a half years old.
The boy got spanked when his mother found him spitting and screaming in anger when he wasn't allowed to walk closer to the men who were training with his father.
Sandor heard and saw the boy spat and screamed in anger. Saw the horrified look of his wife's face, saw the twat Bronn almost bend backwards from laughter. "Fuck, he is just like his father!" Bronn howled in laughter.
Jon Snow's mouth gaped open and laughed as he shook his head and heard him, "He saw you did it Clegane...he is just like you."
Leana looked at him angrily; she couldn't pick the boy up anymore as she was big with child. She dragged the boy in and surely soon his arse was hurting. That night he got an earful from Leana, and everyone was looking at him at supper before they burst out laughing.
Yes, it was his fault, he often swear and spat when he sparred with his men. His son saw him and he did exactly the same thing. At supper, Xander hang on to him and hide his face on his chest as he peeked at his mother. The boy called him 'papa' miserably. I'm sorry boy, it's my fault.
Lucky for Xander, his mother didn't know he shouted 'fuck' at Simon who refused to let him hold a knife.
Jon Snow looked at him, "Clegane, he'll get in trouble for that," since then he was very careful what he said in front of Xander.
Simon on the other hand was different, he was older; he knew he wasn't allowed to curse and they never had any problem with Simon; men swore in front of Simon but the boy never swore.
Bronn was very fond of the boy who only laughed when he swore his arse off. The sellsword often said that the boy had more manners than his father before his father snorted and the boy quickly followed his father.
Once Sandor saw Bronn patted the boy's head and he gifted his son a small knife; the man said that he won the knife from a bet he made with a Bravoosi whore.
Simon's eyes enlarged as he held the knife carefully before asked him what's a Bravoosi whore? Thankfully Bronn said that he'd take him to a Bravoosi whore when he was of age. He saw Bronn taught him how to safely hold the knife and told him that it was no toy.
Leana thought Bronn longed for a son and that was why he played with the boy when no one was looking.
Simon, being true to his parents, he showed him the small knife he received from the twat; he told the boy that knife could hurt people if he didn't know how to use it. The boy nodded obediently when he was told to place the knife high up on his parents' mantel piece when he was not practising with it.
A week later, he approached him in his work chamber, he asked if he could place his small knife along with his swords on the wall. He said yes and hooked the leather strap of the knife by the hilt on his sword. Their son spent hours looking at it.
All was well in White Knife for a couple of months; it was almost time for Leana to birth their child. Sandor made his last trip to Winterfell a fortnight ago. He usually rode for Winterfell at least once a month with Gendry, Soot and some of his men.
He wanted to be home for Leana, she was struggling to walk, if it was even possible, she got even bigger, her feet were all swollen and she stayed in bed a lot. Last week they were walking through the courtyard and she slipped on mud; lucky, Sandor was there to catch her in time. He was worried and he made her stay in their chamber. She was bored to tears until he brought their boys to her.
Sandor Clegane had no plan to leave White Knife, as he wanted to be with his wife in her condition, until he received a raven from Winterfell with bad news.
/n
Sandor entered his chamber and saw Simon and Xander placed their small hands on Leana's belly. Simon started smiling while Xander looked scared at the movement he felt in his mother's belly.
"It's alright Xander. Don't be scared...it's our little brother or sister," he told Xander who took his hands away from his mother's fat belly. Simon wanted Xander to place his hand on his mother again and the little tot said 'no'.
Again, Simon started yapping to Xander about the Dotraki across the seas and how he wanted to ride with the Dotraki and burnt instead of buried when he died.
Leana was horrified when she heard Simon told Xander that he'd dies first because he was older and Xander was to burn him in a funeral pyre when he died. Xander, not fully understanding his brother, just nodded and said yes.
How he loved his children and their antics... as he saw his sons on his bed. They were scrubbed and clean. He knew Leana's timing by heart. Few hours after their mid day meal; without fail, Leana would bathe them, behind the kitchen, by the courtyard. But lately, since she was too big and couldn't bend anymore, Ygritte or wolf girl would scrub the boys clean.
Very often he witnessed their bathing. Simon was sitting in a tub and rubbing his own body with a wet cloth, the boy was really dirty from his training session; Xander was standing inside a big wooden tub with his brother.
He heard Simon questioning his Leana, "Mother...why do we have to bathe...every day?"
Leana who was scrubbing Xander answered the boy, "Because you are dirty,"
"Not every day," Simon said to her.
"...and I don't kiss smelly dirty boys," she winked at him before she pinched his nose playfully.
"Is that why father bathed every day? So that you kissed him...every day?" Simon asked her innocently.
He saw Leana looked at Simon before she burst out laughing, "Yes Simon, you are right, your father bathe everyday so that I kiss him...every day."
That night there were all in bed, all quiet and peaceful when Sandor heard loud knocks on his door; Leana was still asleep. He heard Jon Snow urgent voice, "CLEGANE! It's Robb!"
He opened the door and found Jon Snow paled as death and stood in front of him looking confused and mad with Ghost in his heel and Gendry behind him.
"What is it?" they heard Leana's sleepy voice.
"It's Robb..." that's all Jon managed to say.
Sandor read the scroll, a frown on his face; he heard Arya come barging in, tears in her eyes and was crying loudly. Within minutes his chamber was filled with people and dire wolfs. He saw Leana sleepily lighted more candles.
He felt Leana's hand on his, "Sandor, what is it?" she sounded scared but confused.
"FUCK." That's all they heard from Sandor before he crumpled the scroll.
"Gendry, wake Bronn." Sandor said to Gendry and the man quickly disappeared from their sight.
"Sandor..." he heard Leana's desperate pleads. How he wished he could tell her everything was alright.
"It's Robb." She heard Sandor said the same thing as Jon.
Leana panicked, "what's with Robb?! What news? What is it?!" she screamed before Sandor grabbed her.
"Hey...it's alright...Leana. Calm down, please...Robb is alright. He is just missing?"
"What do you mean, Robb is missing, Sandor? He was on his way with Talissa and their daughter to Volantis...to meet her parents..."
"Clegane...don't lie to her, please. She needs to know." They heard Jon Snow who was in tears and had Arya in his arms.
"The scroll was from your Uncle Ned. He already left for Robb. They received...they found... Tallisa's head...They think it was Grey Joy...her head...Tallisa's head was dumped...outside the gate..."
Leana looked at her husband like she'd never seen him before, not fully understanding what he said.
They heard her murmured in horror 'no', they all knew Talissa who was Robb's wife and was with pregnant with their second child.
"Leana, calm down...please. I promised we'll find Robb. Please Leana."
They saw Leana covered her own mouth, trying to stop her scream of horror and she nodded.
"Jon, ready our men, all of them; he have Dondarrion, Trident and Mormont's army to guard White Knife. Wolf girl, you are needed at Winterfell, pack." Sandor barked his orders. He knew from Robb before he left Winterfell he'd be travelling with fifty of his men.
Arya nodded and walked like a lost puppy to her chamber.
Jon noticed Sandor's eyes on Leana's belly, a fortnight ago he said that he was not leaving White Knife until his babe was borne, "Sandor you don't have to leave...give me permission to bring our men for Robb and..."
"NO! He has to go. It's his duty! Sandor you have to go. I'll be alright. I have Maester Tarqin. You have to go...for Robb and Talissa..." she cried again.
"Please stop your crying Leana...or I can't leave you."
He must have said the right words. Leana wiped her tears and stopped crying, as she covered her mouth, forcing herself to stop her cries.
"Go, quickly, bring Robb home and come home to me, safely." She said to him.
/n
By dawn, all of their men in the entire army were ready, all two thousands nine hundreds of them. Bronn was in charge of White Knife, who would be protected by Dondarrion, Trident and Mormont's men.
Sandor Clegane was already in his full mail and armour when he kissed his sons goodbye, they were still sleeping peacefully, and he noticed that Xander started sleeping on the ground like his brother...both in deep sleep, utterly unaware of the panic and activities around them.
"Sandor, come home to us, safely...we'll be waiting for you," Leana said to him. She was calm and composed. She willed herself to be a proper lady of the keep. Her Aunt Cat never cried when sending her uncle away, her Aunt Cat was her Uncle Ned's rock.
"I'll be home, soon. Wait for me," he spoke to her heavy belly, he then lifted her chin and saw her smile at him.
Leana didn't cry when she saw him off from the gate. She was in Bronn's arms, the sellsword was hugging her, he looked grim himself.
"I leave you with my family," he said to Bronn as he mounted Stranger, and the man nodded at him.
Leana saw Arya on her ride, Jon Snow looked grim and angry. Gendry was on his horse behind Sandor. She saw Soot, Nymeria and Ghost with their masters and mistress.
I will see you all soon, she prayed as she saw them leaved the gate. She saw Dondarrion's men closed the gate when the last of their men exited.
That was when she crumbled to her knees, hugging her belly. She felt Bronn beside her, "Leana, they will be back. You have your boys and the keep under your care. They need you." Bronn said to her. She nodded and dried her face, she would not fail them, she was the Lady of White Knife. She had entire keep to run with Bronn by her side.
Her sons were surprised when they woke up and did not see their father...the place was unusually quiet too. She told Simon that their father had to leave and she told him the whole truth, leaving the gory details behind. Xander was too young to understand, she saw Ygritte still with tears in her eyes grabbed the boy and took him for a walk within the compound – no one was allowed out.
Simon ran to Sandor's work chamber and stood in front of the wooden stance where Sandor's black armour was usually mounted; He no longer see the chainmail and armour, neither were his swords "It's gone...it's all gone...gone." he whispered to himself.
He saw his small knife on the wall, all lonesome and took it. Gone was the two swords mounted, his father had two swords, one on his leather belt and one on his back.
Simon held her, "I'm here mother, I'll protect you and Xander...I promise, just like father wants me to," he said with such pride in his voice.
The day went slowly, Leana hardly see Bronn who took over Jon snow's duties. All training was stopped. Bronn told her that the men understood what was going on and they were vigilant. He assured her that they were more than safe. They still have nine hundreds of Dondarrion's, Trident's and Mormont's men.
Leana took over Sandor's duties; she sat at the hall with their steward, Master Tarqin and Bronn receiving people from the village. She was really proud of her household. Everything went smoothly, but she missed Sandor horribly.
She found Bronn seated alone on top of a big barrel near the stable, the man was deep in thought.
"What is it Bronn? Do you miss the whores already?" She teased him.
He only smiled at her, no smart come back from him, he looked worried.
"Bronn, what is it?"
"Something is amiss Leana..."
"What makes you think so?"
He smiled at her, he didn't wish to worry her. He didn't tell her that her husband was worried before he left and the big brute told him he had a bad feeling and something was amiss.
Bronn knew...all killers had instinct, he was also a killer, no one understood the deep cold feeling in their gut when they knew something was about to go wrong and the only thing they could do were wait and be ready for shit.
Minutes before the brute left the tower, he handed a key to him and show him a hidden chamber under the stairs of the main tower. He nodded at the man and took the key from him. He knew why the Dog showed him the secret chamber.
He was entrusted with the Dog's most precious things in the world. He couldn't sleep that night, not even the ale managed to lull him to sleep. He planned to sleep during the day and stayed awake at night, but failed as he wanted to check on their men during the day.
Leana was angry when found out that he hadn't sleep, she shoved a concoction of night shade in front of his nose and forced him to drink before she left his chamber and told him that she'd be back to check on him.
Supper was too quiet for all of them, Hammer and Winter stayed with them, the dire wolf seemed to notice the tension in the air and quietness around them. Bronn said they were snappy and grumpy, barking at the men with no reason.
But Leana knew the truth, they were not grumpy, they were just vigilant and high strung; besides they were not familiar with the bannerman's army within the Keep. Worried about Ygritte, Leana wanted her to sleep in her chamber but Ygritte refused and said it wasn't proper and she later asked if she could stay with her boys and Leana said yes.
Leana and Bronn did their run around the keep, she checked on the boy's chamber and saw Xander was asleep on Hammer's belly while Simon was sprawled next to him on the ground; she saw Ygritte asleep peacefully on Simon's bed.
That night, Winter stayed really close to her. It was the first time Winter jumped onto her bed and settled herself next to her, she never slept in their bed since she was a pup. Leana found her behaviour strange but thankful for her company. Winter's fur kept her warm and comfortable...how she missed her Sandor.
No one knew that the seventh hells were around to open their gates...
TBC
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