*This chapter was edited in april 2021. If you read it in 2020, you might want to read it again ;)
Author's note : Hey guys! Oh, my God, it's been a while! I can't believe it's been more than a year since my last update. I had just been diagnosed with yet another auto-immune disease, and I was going through some rough time. I'm back to writing and it feels so good! To be honest with you, I wasn't sure if I was going to give up on this story or not, but then, I would disappoint myself a lot (and you, my dear readers). I apologize for the long wait! Thank you for sticking with me :)
*English is my second language
Chapter 7
Unexpected help: Part I
The weight of Sansa's body in his arms was the only thing that kept Sandor from going back in Joffrey's room and slaughter them all, consequences be damned. The girl seemed to have passed out from the pain, something Sandor was grateful for. He remembered vividly how horrible it was to be burned; he was glad she wasn't aware of it.
For now.
Sandor unconsciously tightened his hold on Sansa in a protective way. As they approached Sansa's room, Alaya walked past Sandor to open the door. He made his way to the bed where he laid her down gently and turned her carefully so that she was laying on her stomach. The burn was too fresh to be covered yet, and the bloody cuts on her back needed to be attended to at once. With Alaya's help, they quickly covered her lower body to preserve her modesty. Alaya went to an adjacent room and came back with a small basin of room temperature water and clean washcloths. She set the basin on Sansa's nightstand before turning to Sandor. He was bent over the mattress, his hand softly brushing Sansa's hair away from her face.
"I have to clean her cunt and arse," Alaya said without preamble. "Clegane, you clean her back. You know better than me what to do with that burn. And, since I don't want any fucking man's eyes lurking, Kettleback, you get out of here."
"I was commanded to keep an eye on the traitors..."
"And I command you to get the hell out of here before I punch your pretty face so hard that you'd wish the Hound had done it," Alaya snapped back with her voice rising louder as she spoke. "Lady Sansa needs milk of the poppy, pomade for her wounds, and some fucking privacy! So, you be a good boy, you go to that damned maester's room and get these things for us."
Kettleback stared at her for a moment, then his eyes darted to Sandor.
"How can I be sure that he won't try to escape while I'm gone?"
Sandor scoffed.
"Believe me, I ain't going anywhere."
Kettleback's stare went back and forth between Alaya and Sandor, before landing on Sandor's hand, which was still resting on top of Sansa's head. Sandor didn't withdraw his hand. It was useless now, considering how he'd reacted to Joffrey hurting the young woman a few minutes earlier. Soon, the whole Red Keep would know that the Hound had become Lady Sansa's pet.
"I need to tell you something before I leave. It's what I tried to tell you in the King's room. I want to help you."
Sandor snorted and Alaya let out a humorless laugh.
"Help us? Snapped Alaya. You want to help us? Then, do as I fucking told you!"
"Please, let me explain!" Kettleback exclaimed before looking behind his shoulder and lowering his voice. "Listen, we don't have much time, the guards will soon arrive to arrest you, Clegane. Lady Sansa is in danger here, and…"
"You don't say," interrupted Sandor. "Tell me something I don't know, instead. I don't have time for your bullshit, Kettleback! You want to help us? Go get what we need, before the lady gets an infection from an unattended wound."
"You care about her," Kettleback blurted out. "I don't know if she does too, but how do you think she will feel about you when she learns that someone offered you to help her out, and you told him no? It should be her decision to make, yet she is in no state to do that now. It's up to you, Clegane."
Damn it!
Sandor was fuming. Deep down, he knew that Sansa would have wanted to know how he could help them. But he also knew that the Red Keep was filled with traitors and spies. Could he truly take the risk?
Your head will be put on a spike anyway, dog. One way or another, if he's trying to trick you, you're dead.
"I…"
A commotion was heard in the hallway. Sandor's hand went to the pommel of his sword, though he damn well knew he wouldn't be able to fight the guards off. His other hand that was still in Sansa's hair reluctantly let go, and he motioned for Alaya to take his place.
"They're coming," Kettleback said uselessly. "When they lead you to the dungeon, don't fight back. I am offering you a way out, the three of you. He only wants the best for Lady Sansa and her loved ones!"
"He?" Alaya inquired. "Who are you talking about?"
Before he could answer, the door burst open and a group of half a dozen goldcloaks invaded the room. Meryn Trant was leading them, a smudge smirk on his ugly face. Sandor also noticed that the two other Kettleback brothers, Osney and Osfryd, were there as well. Sandor pulled Alaya behind him so that she was standing beside Sansa's bed, then he placed himself between the men and his little bird.
"Well, well, well, Clegane," Meryn snickered. "I have heard you've been an awfully bad hound lately. Seems like it's finally time to put the dog down."
Sandor snorted.
"Bet you spent the last couple of years jerking off at the thought of that day arriving," Sandor mocked. "And the same amount of time to come up with that speech."
"Laugh all you want, Clegane. The only regret I have is not being the one who will swing the sword when the time comes. I tried to tell them what a pile of shit you were, but they wouldn't listen to me."
"Poor little Trant! Your masters favored a traitorous dog instead of a man who enjoys fucking little girls that barely stopped suckling on their mama's tits."
"You son of a…!"
"AH!"
Alaya's cry alerted everyone in the room. Sandor whirled around and withdrew his sword, ignoring the multiple swords that were withdrawn as he did so. He was ready to fight any bastard who would have tried touching the woman, but he only encountered Alaya's frightened stare and very pale face.
"I… Sansa… her eye! I don't know what wrong with her. Look!"
She gently lifted the girl's eyelid, and everyone gasped in the room, even Trant.
When before it was a beautiful Tully blue, Sansa's eye was red as blood.
What the fuck?!
"That bitch should be dead already," Trant stated firmly, and the other guards nodded their agreement. "Those bloody Starks! I regretted not having fucked her myself before, but now I believe she is doomed to bring bad luck to anyone who touches her. Take the dog and chain him. I'll take care of her myself."
"My brothers and I will escort the dog," Osmund declared. "In the meantime, Ser Meryn will help put Lady Sansa out of her misery."
"Exactly, Kettleback," Trant agreed with an uncertain half-smile on his face. "Don't forget to bring the whore with you. I have no use for her. She's too old anyway."
Sandor glanced at Osmund, who gave him a quick nod. Sandor wasn't sure if he could trust him. He didn't like this not one bit, yet he didn't have much choice. To his own surprise, he did as the man had told him and didn't fight as the younger Kettleback brothers locked the chains around his wrists.
Alaya was watching him with huge watery eyes. The woman was clearly terrified. She hadn't seen the look he and Osmund had shared. He gave her an almost imperceptible nod, in an attempt to let her know that she should trust him, although he didn't know if he was right in doing what he was doing. Still, he needed her to stay strong and do anything in her power to protect Sansa. If Kettleback betrayed them and Sandor ended up executed, the woman would be the last person in this world caring about Sansa Stark's fate.
"NO!"
Osfryd Kettleback had taken hold of the woman's arm and was dragging her away as she struggled violently. Alaya managed to wriggle free from his grip and swirled around to slap him hard in the face. Osfryd slapped her in return, sending her sprawled on the ground. The other men laughed.
"Ooh! That one's got balls!"
Sandor pulled on his chains until the youngest Kettleback brother, Osney, whispered in his good ear:
"Don't do anything stupid, Hound. We got this, I promise. It has to look real."
So, the three Kettleback were playing the same game. While the men mocked Alaya for being manhandled roughly by Osfryd, Sandor turned around enough to throw a menacing glare at Osney.
"I don't fucking trust you," he gritted between his teeth so low that Osney was the only one who could hear. "And I don't like you; any of you. If any harm comes to her or the whore again, you'll beg the Stranger to take you before I'm done."
Even in chains, the threat made the youngest Kettleback shiver. Despite the man being tall, he wasn't as tall as his older brothers, who were almost Sandor's size, but not exactly. Sandor still had a few inches taller than them.
"Well, since these big guys can take care of Clegane," one of the guards declared. "I guess we're free to go. I'd like to take that wench into my room and teach her how to behave," he added with a lustful stare at Alaya, then proceeded to grip his manhood for good measure.
"Leave her to Osfryd," Meryn intervened with a mischievous grin. "I bet he'd like to teach her a few things himself first. I've heard he's pretty good at it."
The two men exchanged a knowing smirk and Osfryd tightened his already bruising hold on Alaya. Her mask of anger broke into a wince of pain. If this was all a play from the Kettleback brothers, that one seemed to enjoy his role a little too much to Sandor's taste. He took a mental note to never trust Osfryd with Sansa or Alaya's safety, no matter what happened next.
"Alright," said Osmund. "Everyone out, now. Ser Meryn, we'll let you do what you have to do. Osfryd, you're free to go with the wench. Osney and I can handle the Hound."
And just like that, the other guards left, leaving behind the Kettleback brothers with their hostages and Trant.
Now what?
.
You're right, Sandor : Now what? Well, after a whole year, it's high time for part 2, don't you think? Don't forget to leave a review!
