Author's note : Finally, part 2 is here! I won't have you wait any longer. Enjoy!

*English is my second language.

Chapter 8

Unexpected Help: Part 2

The pain disappeared instantly. Silence was all she could hear. She felt like she had no body anymore, and she was floating peacefully. She was warm and she knew she was safe.

Dead. I must be dead.

She tried to open… her eyes? She couldn't, of course. Without a body, she didn't have eyes.

I am free… But, if I am free, why do I feel stuck? I can't… breathe…

All of a sudden, it was as if there was a weight somewhere where her chest should have been. It was soon crushing her. She tried gasping for air, but it didn't work. Her left shoulder became extremely hot, though it didn't exactly hurt. Not like it had done previously.

A second later, the weight on her chest was lifting itself. The darkness around her became increasingly lighter, until she could finally breathe. She opened her eyes.

As soon as she did, her mouth was filled with the metallic taste of blood. Instead of repulsing her, she swallowed and licked her… fangs?! Looking down, she saw that she was on all four, on a snow-covered ground. She had blood stained white paws, and she was holding what looked like a dead bird. Again, it didn't bother her that much.

Where am I?

The air around her was ice cold and it smelled of pine. She was surrounded by trees, and she was standing in what seemed to be a clearing, lit by the moonlight. A vision she only ever had at…

Winterfell? I am home!

Not yet.

She didn't know that voice, although something told her she should.

Who said that?

You call me Ghost.

Ghost? By the Gods! How is it possible?

Pain. You were in pain. I helped. It almost killed you.

But, how do you know that? How do you… Hey! Where are we going?

She was moving. Or rather, Ghost was moving. In some way, she had mixed with his body. Was it because she was dead? She had once found a book in Maester Luwin's room about the afterlife and its theories. There had been a curious one about coming back to life in an animal form. Could it be true?

Stop thinking you are dead. I saved you. You cannot die, anyway. Not yet. He needs you.

Who needs me?

Jon.

Jon? But, Jon is dead!

The red witch brought him back. He is stronger than you think, and he is stronger with us. You need to come home.

The woods around them became less dense. The moon was lighting the snow on the ground, making it sparkle like diamonds. The cold didn't seem to affect them that much. It felt good to breathe the crispy air of the North. Sansa realized that Ghost was taking the deepest of breaths just for her. If his eyes were hers, they would have filled with tears of gratitude.

Where are we, exactly?

Beyond the great wall of ice. Jon is calling me.

Why can I not hear him?

Because you're not me. I will let you see him before I let you go back.

Dread filled Sansa. What did he meant by he had to let her go back? Go back where? Surely, he didn't mean…?

No, please! Why can't I stay?

You have your own body. It needs you, or else it will die, and you will disappear.

What if I want to die?

You don't want to die.

His voice was strangely calm. He never raised it. He didn't even seem angry or annoyed. It was as if he was just stating the truth.

How can you be so sure?

You survived. You had a thousand ways to die since the first day. You didn't do it, nor will you.

She had no response to that. Of course, he was right. She had kept hope that she would manage to fly away from King's Landing, with her faithful Hound by her side.

A dog is as good as a wolf.

Sansa couldn't agree more. Before she could say anything, she caught a glimpse of the Wall and she would have gasped if Ghost's mouth had been hers. It was the most amazing thing she had ever seen in her life. It was no wonder it had stood for thousands of years. It was so massive! When they approached, Sansa noticed a group of men waiting with torches close to a dark gate.

"Ghost, to me."

Jon!

Sansa watched as they approached her half-brother. He was taller than she remembered, and he had a beard now. His hair was still as dark as a crow's feathers, and he looked paler than ever. She could see a scar on his face, a battle scar. His eyes, like their father's, looked into hers. He frowned, then jumped back.

"No!" he screamed.

The others had similar reactions all around him. They scattered around and one of them drew out a strange black dagger.

You have to go, now!

No! Wait!

But it was too late. The darkness took hold of her and she was suffocating again.

.

"Wait!"

Jon took hold of Tormund's arm before he could strike. Maybe he had seen wrong. Ghost had fallen on the ground and was whimpering, as if he was in great pain. He howled loudly, then stopped moving.

"You've seen the same thing, Snow. Your wolf is on their side, now."

"He would've attacked us," Jon tried to reason. "Ghost? Can you hear me, boy?"

He carefully approached the wolf's huge form. He didn't budge. He gently put a hand on his shoulder, only to take it off right away. It was burning to the touch. Was he hurt?

He didn't have time to check for the gesture seemed to wake the beast. Ghost rose on his paws slowly and shook his big head. He then turned to look Jon in the eye. The man sighed in relief. They were red again.

"That wolf of yours is scary," Tormund grunted. "I could've sworn they were…"

"I know," Jon said while placing his hand again on the wolf's burning shoulder. It was cold again. "They were blue."

.

Sandor could barely believe what was happening. He had been prepared to be locked in a cold black cell, away from Sansa and awaiting his execution. Instead, he was rushing down the hallways of the Red Keep with his little bird wrapped in his white cloak and tucked safely in his arms, with the strangest of parties accompanying them.

Osmund Kettleback was leading the way, his drawn sword still dripping with Meryn Trant's blood. Alaya was doing her best to follow their quick pace since she had shorter legs. Behind them, the younger Kettleback brothers were making sure no one could report what they were seeing. While Alaya hadn't been fond of the idea, Sandor knew it was the only way they could get out of there safely. He didn't care for a few servants or spies being killed on the way if it could ensure Sansa's safety.

The girl suddenly stirred a little in his arms. It didn't escape Alaya's notice. She had kept her eyes on the young lady ever since they had been in the King's room.

"Is she waking up?"

"Keep walking," Osmund glanced at them behind his shoulder without slowing down. "We're already late."

He had kept making comments about that mysterious stranger helping them who was waiting for them somewhere. It became soon evident that nothing had gone as planned. It was the only thing that amused Sandor. For the rest, he was still pretty suspicious, but he felt like this was their best chance. What other choice did he had anyway?

They finally made it out of the Red Keep, and into the dark streets of King's Landing. Nobody would speak, except for Osmund who was leading them with ushered phrases.

"Here… Quick… This way… Stay close."

After a few minutes of this, Sandor finally understood where they were heading. When they reached the docks, his theory was confirmed. There were 4 ships docked, but none of them seemed to have a living crew aboard.

It's a trap! Sandor thought. He looked around him, desperately scrutinizing the darkness to see where the blow would come from. Until…

"Ah, there you are!"

You've got to be kidding me!

A man he knew to have dark and grey hair, along with a small and slender build was standing in front of him, his mockingbird brooch hidden by a heavy traveler's cloak.

"Clegane."

"Littlefinger."

I bet many of you saw it coming! The rest is unwritten, so even I don't know where the story will take us. Hopefully, you will enjoy it! Leave a review to let me know :D