Note to reader: This chapter, I admit, it a little bit rough but I thought it was important to tell this part of the story through Cara's POV. This will probably be one of the only times I've reveal Sansa's inner thoughts other than through her interactions with Sandor. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 8

Cara Porter

Cara had become accustomed to being a traveler of the sea. She couldn't say she enjoyed it enough that she'd be thrilled at the prospect of another long journey anywhere in her near future but she seemed to be faring well for never having travelled before. Almost the only reason she hadn't driven herself mad in the last month was Sansa Stark. The girl was an absolute treasure. Cara isn't sure how she would be spending her days if it wasn't for the younger woman. From the beginning, Sansa insisted Cara address her as simply Sansa rather than "my lady" or "Lady Sansa". At first Cara felt uncomfortable doing so but soon it became natural to her. Though their friendship had begun as a friendly acquaintance between the only two women on board of a ship full of men, their relationship had very quickly turned into more of a sisterly nature. When they did become closer and more trusting, they began sharing with each other the events of their lives leading up to their passage on the ship. The accounts were more like stories between the two women, only to lay out a foundation for the start of their kinship. Once the stories were out of the way, they slowly began expressing to each other the inner workings of their hearts and the fears they held deep in their gut. Cara found some relief being able so share with someone else the thoughts that troubled her, and Sansa seemed to feel the same.

Cara had been horrified at the accounts Sansa had shared with her of her times at the Red Keep. Poor Sansa had been a very sheltered girl at Winterfell based on her own admission so when she was thrown into the reality of the cruel world of King's Landing, she wasn't equipped to protect herself from those most evil in the world. Though her statements began as simple explanations of the chain of events since she had arrived at King's Landing, soon her explanations revealed her heart during these times. Sansa had suffered greatly by Joffrey's cruelty both physically and, probably more importantly, emotionally. Once Sansa became trapped there after her father's death and her sister's disappearance, she fell into a deep despair that grew each day. Sansa regarded herself as an outcast thrown to the side until her misery would entertain those around her. Sansa began to view herself as weak and ugly, which Cara couldn't believe as she was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. Probably what wounded Sansa the most though had been how all her childhood fantasies and her hopes and dreams began crumbling down all around her. As the days went by, she believed less and less there were any truly decent men in the world and everything she thought she knew of human nature had been shattered by those around her.

Sansa had described in a way that, at first, Cara couldn't understand but the one constant Sansa explained she had during her time in King's Landing had been Sandor Clegane. Cara was reserved calling him anything except the Hound, as he a beastly and uncomely kind of man, but Sansa insisted she not call him the dishonorable title. Even though Sansa regaled her occurrences with Sandor and how he had been the only one who seemed to try to warn her of the dangers she was in, Cara for a while couldn't understand Sansa's fondness for the man. Cara's first meeting with him had been horrible. Not only had she been terrified of his scarred face, that made her queasy looking at for any length of time, but his nature and mannerisms were shameful. Sandor didn't mind a bit to rudely criticize someone with his grating voice and snarling face. However, as Sansa shared her inner most thoughts with Cara, she began to slowly understand what Sandor represented to her. The two were complete opposites. Where he was mean and ugly, she was polite and beautiful. Even though he was brash and boorish, and at times a bully, Sandor was the balance she needed in that place. She began looking to him as a strength she could draw from. Sansa had so much weakness afflicting her heart, that she needed to be able to draw strength from someone who had enough to give.

Yes, Cara had finally understood Sansa's fondness for the man at least to some degree, but she worried where her fondness would lead. Cara wasn't sure if Sansa realized she was in love with Sandor. She doubted Sansa really knew what love was between a man and woman. Cara wouldn't be the one to tell her though, she had to find that out for herself. Cara was also very certain that she had no idea Sandor loved her in return. She couldn't say she was sure of his feelings, but as she was around him more and started to understand his vague expressions, she saw the way he looked at the girl. Though he barely gave any outward expression and when he did, they weren't easy to decipher, Cara saw he would look at her endearingly. When she would laugh in the mornings in the kitchens, he would reflexively quirk his mouth a fraction as if he wanted to laugh and smile along with her. He almost never took his eyes from her unless he was needing to look elsewhere and there would always be an intensity there behind his eyes that Cara couldn't name. Cara also knew that only a man in love would make a journey such as this. Sandor had nothing to gain on this voyage other than Sansa's safety and protection. He seemed to be contented enough but it was obvious he cared nothing for those around him other than her. Cara worried herself sometimes about the closest friend she'd gained in her life. Though she was sure Sandor would never truly harm Sansa, she was worried more about her friend's heart. Sandor wasn't the type of man who knew how to love or comfort a woman, she was sure. She was also sure any women he may have been with in the past weren't of the temperament or the breed as her friend. Sansa was a kind, delicate girl who still cried from her loss of her direwolf, Lady, years after. Cara wasn't sure how her friend's heart could handle a man like Sandor Clegane breaking it.

Cara was glad though that Sansa now had a sense of protection and safety around her, even if it might be short lived. She had watched her friend become more free as the days and weeks had gone by. As Sansa described it to Cara, this was a chance for her to find her true self and maybe find some happiness again without the presence of the politics of court and the game of thrones.

Cara hadn't been sure of Sansa's true feelings for Sandor though until one morning when she and Hermes entered the kitchens, and neither Sansa nor Sandor joined them. When they waited for the pair while they broke their fast, and neither came in, Cara began to worry that maybe Sansa had fallen ill. She decided that Sansa would be in good hands with Sandor, so she went about her day. She spent her day reading or sewing a dress she decided to make for Sansa fashioned by an old dress of hers and some extra fabric she brought. She was hoping Sansa would be pleased with the final product as she knew the girl said she liked the color yellow. It was an odd color for the typical woman to wear but Sansa wasn't really a typical woman. When it was getting closer to dinnertime, Cara began to prep herself for the meal. Cara was also preparing herself for Sansa's little "performance". Though she was a sweet, innocent girl, recently Cara didn't feel Sansa guarded her behavior as she should in the presence of so many men. It's true they were both thrilled they were given more freedom in the last week, but Sansa was at times a little too giving with her smiles and laughter with the men. They were all captivated by her, of course, but there were some she had noticed that would allow their eyes to linger down her neck a little too far when she laughed, and others would look to each other knowingly when she smiled. Cara was hoping she might be able to delicately share her thoughts with Sansa today and she would be able to advise her the ways of some men.

As Hermes and her made their way to the hall, they still hadn't seen the pair. Cara didn't get worried until she got to the captain's table and still there was no sign of either of them. Most of the men seemed disappointed and none of them had much to say to her or Hermes now that Sansa wasn't there. Though she was enjoying her meal and conversation, she was slowly losing her appetite wondering if her friend was very ill. She asked Hermes if she could go visit her friend but he refused telling her he didn't want her catching whatever Sansa may have if she is ill. All that night she felt guilty for not visiting her friend and the next morning when Sansa and Sandor still didn't show up to break their fast, she didn't ask her husband's permission to go to her friend.

Cara immediately went straight to Sansa's cabin and knocked on the door. No one answered and she didn't hear anything behind the door. She was sure someone had to be inside. Cara knocked again a little louder this time and after a few seconds she heard some rustling behind the door.

Someone was slowly coming closer to the door from the other side and then she heard a female's voice tentatively ask, "Yes?"

"Sansa, it's Cara. Are you alright? I was afraid when I didn't see you yesterday and this morning, you might have fallen ill." Cara didn't receive any reply from that but after a couple minutes, she was becoming increasingly anxious; something was afoot. "Sansa. Let me in." After a moment more of silence, she said more forcefully, "Now Sansa."

The door creaked open enough to allow Cara to pass through the threshold and she stopped when she saw the state her friend was in. She had heavy, dark bags under her eyes and there was no life in her hair. It looked like the girl hadn't been sleeping and it was obvious from the redness in her eyes she had been crying. She looked around and there was no sign of Sandor so he must be getting her something to eat or drink. Though it didn't look like based on her appearance she had been sleeping, Cara looked over to the bed and knew she had only just risen, and Sansa's nightdress was heavily wrinkled.

"By the Gods, Sansa, you look dreadful. I had been sure you had come down with something and now I'm sure of it." She reached up to check her forehead for a fever but her skin was cool and clammy to the touch. "Sansa, are you well? You feel a bit cold." Sansa didn't answer her and seemed to be lost in her thoughts as she looked at the armor laying next to one of the beds. Cara was a bit irritated with her for not answering her but went around the room to pick up the discarded dress and underdress next to the bed. "Well, the least the brute could do is pick up a bit while you're sick. He could have come to me yesterday if you were sick and I could have taken care of you just fine." Still no reply.

Cara looked over to her friend who seemed about ready to fall over. She was getting increasingly worried about her, so she stepped in front of her and put her hands on her shoulders to get her attention. "Sansa, why aren't you speaking? What illness plagues you?"

Sansa continued staring at the armor on the floor when she replied quietly, "He left." Cara waited for further explanation but when she didn't receive it, she was becoming impatient. The girl must have just broken her fever and Sandor was gone somewhere to get her whatever she needs.

"He left… Okay, uh, who left? Sandor?" Sansa still didn't answer her. She decided then she needed to find him so he could explain what the hell was wrong with her friend. "Sansa, where is Sandor? Did he go get you something to eat maybe or is he having someone draw you a bath?" Gods knew the girl needed it. She looked absolutely miserable.

Sansa finally raised her eyes to Cara's face and replied simply, "He left two nights ago and I haven't seen him since."

That had taken Cara aback. Sandor left two nights ago? What sense did that make? The man had been insistently and unfailingly by her side all this time unless he was working with the men. Surely her friend was mistaken. "Sansa, what do you mean he left two nights ago? We're on a ship, it's not as if he's gone very far." Again, the girl wouldn't answer her. What if Sandor left during the night and one of the men attacked him? Cara almost laughed at herself then as none of these men could overpower someone like Sandor Clegane unless it was some large group of them. Then Cara thought that maybe he got himself sotted and couldn't defend himself. Cara doubted that though as she hadn't seen him drink any wine or ale in weeks. Sansa had stated to her that he wouldn't drink at all during the day or at dinner, but instead would wait to drink some wine until they were back in their room after dinner and were ready to sleep for the night. Sansa said some nights he didn't drink at all. None of this was making sense to her. "Sansa! You need to tell me what's going on. Did something happen?"

Sansa seemed to come awake a little with that question. She finally fixed her blue eyes on Cara's face then immediately put her hands over her face and began to sob. Gods, something did happen. He wouldn't have violated her, would he? No, she was sure that couldn't have been the case. Cara sat down with her friend and let her sob for a while. Sansa was completed wrecked with whatever was plaguing her. After several minutes went by her sobs and hiccups slowed down and by then the front of Cara's dress was soaked.

"Oh Cara." Her voice was heavy and scratchy with tears. "Cara, I did the worst thing." She lifted her gaze from Cara's shoulder then and her eyes were even puffier and redder than before. "Cara, I hit him. Oh Gods, I hit him the other night after dinner. He said some hateful things to me, like he used to back when we were in the Keep, and I was so angry at him for what he said and I hated that he had retreated back to the Hound. Cara, he was so hateful to me, and I just lost it. I hit him and… Gods, I hurt him, Cara." Cara quirked an eyebrow at that seriously doubting a girl like Sansa Stark could hurt a man like Sandor Clegane. Sansa seemed to realize what she had said and clarified, "Not physically hurt him of course, but Cara, I hurt him."

Cara understood now she meant she had hurt him emotionally but still she didn't understand why that would have justified him not returning by now. Sure, he must have been quite angry, but he shouldn't get this angry from a slap by a girl. She also couldn't understand Sansa's reference of Sandor vs. the Hound. She had done that a few times before during their talks and in Sansa's mind Sandor Clegane and the Hound were almost like two different people, which didn't make sense to her really.

"Sansa, I know Sandor must have been angry at you but there's no need getting yourself this worked up over the things he said to you. The man is just a brute, and you can't change that. I'm sure he'll come around soon."

Sansa shook her head at that and seemed exasperated having to explain. "No, Cara you don't understand. I. Hurt. Him." She was so determined to make her understand that she had grabbed Cara's arm and was gripping it like a vice. "I know you don't know him as well as I do and I know you don't understand my regard towards him but when I hit him, I was horrified by that part of myself. I did it out of so much bent up anger that even now I can't describe. As soon as I hit him, I immediately felt terrified of him more than ever before. Normally he'll snap and snarl at me but even though I struck him he didn't even react. The calm is what frightened me. When he finally looked at me, even though he's always said he wouldn't hurt me, I was sure he would kill me right then. There was so much rage in his eyes as he took me in. I hadn't ever seen him so angry in all the time I've known him and he's always angry, Cara. I waited for his outburst, but it never came. He just continued staring at me with his hateful eyes and then it turned into something else." She stopped then to cry some more. The girl was talking nonsense. Cara had no idea what she was going on about or why this was making her so upset. She was right to say she knew the men better than her. She finally stopped crying and collected herself before resuming, "His eyes… They went from so much rage to so much… pain. It was as if he saw me then as all the others who've mistreated and beat him down his entire life. I've never seen Sandor as at ease or as carefree as in these last few weeks. It's as if this has been the only time in his life he hasn't had to be on his guard waiting to get beat down those who reject him, and I was the person who he was sharing this time with. Sandor regarded me as his friend, probably his only friend and even though what he said was so awful, he was just trying to protect me and warn me of another danger I was in, like he used to in King's Landing, and I lashed out at him."

Cara still couldn't say she completely understood Sansa's meaning but the girl was in utter turmoil over hurting the big man. She had to get her friend out of this state and somehow she had to find Sandor to make this right. "Sansa, if you were this upset, why didn't you come to me? You know you could have talked to me about this."

Sansa sniffled some then replied, "Sandor said I'm not to leave this room unaccompanied and I promised him I wouldn't disobey him again."

Cara almost retorted to her that she still could have come to see her as she was just down the hall, and then something occurred to her, "Sansa, are you saying you haven't left this room since Sandor left?" Sansa shook her head at that. "If you haven't left, then how have you been getting something to eat?"

Sansa shrugged her shoulders at that. "I'm not hungry."

That stubborn, ignorant bastard. He makes her promise she won't leave the room without him then doesn't come back for almost two days. How the hell was she supposed to get food or drink if she couldn't leave? The bigger question is, is why would she care what he wanted after leaving her for all this time? She remembered Sansa telling her after the last time he was angry at her he declared he wouldn't ever abandon her again. Cara hoped he was at the bottom of the ocean or beaten to a pulp or she might muster up all her strength and do it herself.

With that, she abruptly rose and said to her matter-of-factly, "You're coming with me." Sansa started to protest but Cara wouldn't have it. As she started grabbing her dress, her shoes and underdress she said to her, "Sansa, you haven't eaten since two nights ago. We're going to get you dressed, go down to the kitchens to get you some food in your belly, then we're going to find that damn fool of yours."

At the mention of food, Sansa relented and after getting her dressed, they made their way to the kitchen. At first, Sansa didn't want to eat anything but as soon as she had taken a few bites, she started scarfing down food. Cara gave a sigh of relief at that. Once Sansa was done eating, she looked about ready to fall over. Cara took her back to her and Hermes' cabin, and told her to get some rest. Sansa fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She contemplated what she would do next. Her husband would be furious if she left the cabin alone to go search the ship. Looking at the sleeping form of her friend, she decided her husband would just have to be mad at her. As she built up her nerve to go to the upper deck, she was hoping to run into a familiar, yet friendly, face. Some of the men looked surprised to see her wondering the ship alone but none tried to stop her, to her relief. When she finally reached the top and the warm air hit her face, she went in search for someone who could help her. She saw a group of men she had conversed with before and recognized one man who was quite rough looking, but he never gave her any uneasy feeling. Once she built up the nerve to approach them, she put as much confidence in her stride as she could muster.

"Excuse me, sir? I believe we met at dinner only four nights ago, you're Hamish if I recall correctly?"

He and the other men seemed surprised that she was there alone. "Aye, Miss Cara." He then looked around a bit and suddenly got a worried look on his face, "Is somethin' the matter?"

"No, nothing's amiss, I was just wondering if you've seen Sandor around here."

He seemed to be confused by that and shrugged his shoulders. "Nay, I ain't seen him and he didn't show up for his work yesterday neither." Cara must have looked disappointed at that as he asked the other men around if they had seen Sandor but they all shook their heads.

One man, Mal if she recalled correctly, stepped a little closer and asked her, "Is the big man missin' or somethin'? It'd be hard for a big man like that to go missin' in a big boat like this." Some of the other men chuckled at that but Hamish gave him a nasty look. Cara wasn't sure what it was, but she didn't quite feel comfortable under his gaze. She remembered he'd been introduced to the group once during dinner, but she couldn't remember him ever saying anything and she remembered Sandor had been especially brooding that night.

"No, he's not missing. I was just trying to find him for Lady Sansa."

"The lady ain't ill now, is she? We didn't see her at dinner last night and I was worried for the lady." Mal had asked that question and Cara didn't especially like the black in his eyes.

"No, Lady Sansa is quite well. She is just requiring his services."

At that, she bid them farewell and went to find another group of men she might recognized who might be able to help her. However, someone grabbed her arm from behind and she felt her heart jump in her throat. She turned to see Mal looking at her with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "If the lady is in trouble, I may can be of some assistance to you."

"As I said before, nothing's amiss. Lady Sansa was just needing Sandor to assist her with a surprise for my husband. His nameday is coming up soon and she's been helping me with his surprise." She was a little proud of herself for coming up with the lie so quick.

Mal just stared at her with the same smile that didn't quite reach his eyes then said to her, "Very well, but could you do a favor for me? Tell Lady Sansa that if she's ever in need of any help, she can come to me." She was too scared to talk, fearing her voice might begin to tremble so she gave him and smile and a nod and abruptly left.

As she walked away from the disturbing man, she caught sight of her husband. She raced to him then and when he saw her, he looked at her wide-eyed. "Cara, what are you doing out of our room? I told you I didn't think it safe for you to roam around by yourself."

"Never mind that now Hermes, I'm afraid Sandor might be in trouble. I went to see Sansa this morning since I was afraid she's ill and she told me the two of them fought and she hasn't seen him since the night before last."

Cara rarely saw her husband surprised here lately but he was surprised by this. Though her husband never talked about his work with Lord Varys, she knew he was being tasks with spying on the couple. Cara felt a tremendous amount of guilt for being so close to Sansa, knowing her husband was a spy but she refused to answer any of Hermes' questions about the pair. He at first became cross with her for that but eventually gave up trying.

"So, he's been missing all this time?" He seemed to be considering something then and then he said, "I think I might know where he might be." Their destination proved to be deep in the lower decks. When they finally got to where Hermes believed him to be, they were in the lowest part of the ship housing animals of all kinds, barrels of provisions and various other crates. She wasn't sure where to look first but the place smelled horrid. Between the animal feces and the heat, she could barely breath through her nostrils.

They had been down there for some time, and she was beginning to lose hope when Hermes called from her right, "Cara! I found him." The tone in his voice told her he was a little amused. Terrific. When she finally reached Hermes and looked where he was indicating, Cara almost lost her cool. There he was. The big, stupid brute was slumped over in a stall with two goats as company laying in animal feces and urine. There were probably ten flagons of wine surrounding him and an empty mug hanging out of his right hand. The fool had somehow carried a whole barrel of ale in the stall at some point and it was sitting there in the corner of the stall. The man was completely filthy and caked in wet dirt, all the way from the top of this head to his boots.

Cara was so angry, she could almost see red. "He's completely sotted."

Her husband laughed next to her and replied, "Yes and based on the amount of wine and ale he's drunk he's probably been this way since his fight with Sansa."

Her husband might think is quite funny, but she was fuming. She approached him then being careful with her footing as to not step in any animal feces. She tried shaking him awake but he only groaned. "Sandor! Wake up." He swatted her hand away and she huffed. Her husband was too amused to be much help. Men. She looked around and saw a large trough full of water for the animals. She grabbed a bucket, filled it up with water and keeping her distance from the big man she threw the cold water over his hulking form. Instantly, Sandor snapped awake. He drew his sword from his hip and was ready to slice someone down. When his eyes landed on her, he looked confused. At least most of the grim had washed away.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" He growled sluggishly.

"I should ask you the same question." She had to admit she was scared to confront the man but if Sansa didn't fear him then she wouldn't fear him either. Besides, her husband was there, but when she looked in his direction he looked ready to bolt at any moment. Thanks a lot, love.

"I don't answer to you, wench." He straighten his wet tunic a bit, which she had to admit clung very nicely to his build, then bent down to pick up his empty mug on the ground.

"Do you answer to Sansa?"

He snapped his head at her at that and growled, "You may be the Little Bird's friend, but you'd better mind your tongue woman."

Hermes was looking wide-eyed at her and she had to shove down her fear before replying, "I will not." Sandor stood a step towards her then. How does Sansa do this? Before she lost her nerve she continued. "Sansa is my friend and I'll look out for her no matter how much you try to intimidate me." He quirked an amused brow at that. "I'm here in this grimy place because Sansa needs you and…"

Before she could finish her sentence, Sandor had taken two long strides to close the distance between them and put his face in hers. Hermes took a step toward them, and Cara knew she wasn't controlling the fear in her eyes well. "What happened? Is she okay? Who hurt her? ... Speak woman!"

"She's not hurt Sandor." His shoulders instantly seemed to slump down in relief by that. He was about to retort again but she beat him to it. "But whilst you've laid up in here for almost two days getting shit-faced drunk, she's been bound by some honor code, that I don't understand, and hasn't left her room since you left her to even get any food for herself."

Sandor stepped back from her then and shrugged his shoulders, and chuckled meanly at her, "I don't know what the Little Bird's been chirping in your ear but I haven't been here for two days woman." He moved to dismiss her at that and turned toward the barrel of ale. Ignorant bastard.

"Sansa told me that she hit you the night before last after an argument then you left, and she hasn't seen you since."

He seemed to be thinking on that, then chuckled again at her, "Of course, that's what she'd tell you. She hit me then I left. I guess that's the way of it." He shook his head at himself with that.

"I'm her friend, Sandor so of course she told me more than just that." He cut his eyes at her at that and Hermes gave her a puzzled look. "But that's between you and her. I came here because I haven't seen her since two nights ago and I found her this morning a complete mess. She hadn't eaten anything because she said she promised you she wouldn't leave the cabin unaccompanied, and she wouldn't break that promise to you. She's barely slept any since you left, and she thinks you've abandoned her Sandor." He had a guarded look on his face now and he wouldn't meet her eye. "She needs you now Sandor. I know you both fought and you probably have a lot of things you'll need to talk about together but you're all she has right now."

Sandor remained very still and very silent for a long time. Cara was getting impatient with the man but knew he had to absorb all she said and probably crush down that man pride of his. After what felt like a very long time, he finally nodded then faced her. "Aye. Where is she now?"

"After getting her something to eat, I took her to our room and left her there to sleep."

He nodded to her and without saying a word or acknowledging Hermes was there, he briskly walked past her. When she looked at her husband, he was beaming at her with pride. They quickly went to follow him then and it took her having to jog every third or fourth step to keep up with the large man. When they got to their door, he seemed to hesitate for only a moment before walking inside. He entered alone and there was silence inside for several moments. When he exited their room, he had the sleeping form of Sansa cradled in his large arms. Without a word, he nodded at her and made his swift retreat to their room.