Disclaimer: All characters and stuff are owned by GRRM. I can call mine just the plot and the grammar mistakes *I hope I correct them all this time!*
Hello lovely readers,
Thank you for all the support! Dear Guest, your first review really encouraged me and SheWolfMedjai here we are with the second chapter! I hope you will be satisfied and eager to read more. At the end of the chapter you'll find some suggestions about the fanfictions I have been reading recently and needs more love in my opinion.
The rate has gone up to M because there is a bit more crudity and mention of violence suffered by Sansa and I feel safer. The first lines are about these memories, nothing too graphic but if you feel uncomfortable skip to this line:
"And Sansa woke up sweaty and screaming." You won't loose anything from the story.
Enjoy and please leave a feedback, comments are pure energy and motivation! :)
A dog's duty
His tongue ran along her spine while strong arms kept her bent over the bed, restraining any movement. He always hated Sansa for being taller than him, punishment was the only way to make her crumble at his feet. The reek of dogs, blood and piss was almost unbearable, though for Ramsey it was a sweet pleasure disgracing his lady by taking her still dirty. After taming Sansa he whispered filthy words and frightful threats, ripping savagely the rest of her dress. He loved to remember her how Robb's corpse had been desecrated with his direwolf's head sewed on. Or her father, the Lord of Winterfell who died as a common traitor, as a rat, in front of her very eyes. It made him harder to describe her how he would skin Arya or Rickon alive amidst terrible tortures, if he had found them alive. All this while violating her ferociously. Marring Sansa's body and mind with kicks and words was the utmost enjoyment for Lord Bolton. She gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, shut her eyes tight close, she resisted as long as she could before howling for the pain. When she started to cry it was the cherry on top, the real orgasm for that wicked man. Winterfell's walls were impregnated with her screams. As Ramsey finished he laughed snidely.
And Sansa woke up sweaty and screaming.
Her chest was heaving with exertion, eyes full of tears and a sore throat. In a fit of rage she threw her pillow to the other side of the room and cried.
Hateful, hateful memories! Disgusting cruel monster
Frustrated she held the knees to her chest, rocking to and fro, it was just another night terror. Sansa did deep breaths trying to calm down, her husband was dead she could not let him ruin her life anymore.
You are rotting six feet under, stay there ass-hole
Thought bitterly Sansa getting up from the bed. She walked around her room unconcerned by the cold floor under her bare feet, she had come to love the tingling feeling it gave her. Winterfell was still asleep, the moon had already started to descend and the sun was showing its first rays penetrating mist and clouds. She liked to watch the sunrise, it eased her mind gifting her some moments of peace.
Jon
She thought of her brother, the second king in the North that probably had already knelt to the Targaryen. She missed him, even though their ideas clashed she missed his brotherly presence. The first time she met Jon again it felt like a fire had sparked inside her. After weeks she still remembered that feeling, he smelled like home, safety and father.
Father
The thought of her father lessened her uncertainties, but after a long time another manly figure occupied her mind besides him.
I wonder... what if that night I had fled with the Hound after he kissed me*
That thought of her flee with the Hound hadn't touched her mind in a long time, Sandor Clegane was a distant memory of King's Landing, squeezed between Joffrey's humiliations and her father's beheading. In between those horrible moments stood the Hound, his rough words and unusual gentleness. Thinking back at him made her chuckle. She understood him better now but the younger Sansa couldn't. He always spoke the truth to her as much as he terrorized her, in a few occasions he even saved her life.
At first she pitied him. When Lord Baelish told her the story of the Clegane's brothers she felt pity. Though moments after, when the Hound defended Loras Tyrell by the Mountain's fury, she was impressed by him. He was ugly, yet possessed some virtues of a knight. But after her father's death the Hound started following her, he was scary even scarier when he was drunk. Sansa tried to avoid him in the lonely aisles yet he seemed to have a knack for finding her. He even gave her a pet name, Little bird he called me, though it never felt very tender coming out of his unsettling mouth, she knew he was mocking her.
Sansa didn't know how deep she had touched Sandor Clegane, nobody at court tried to protect the Stark child as much as him. Patrolling the aisles to check she made it back to her room relatively safe. Preventing her from killing Joffrey. Promptly following the Imp's orders and covering the Little Bird's disgraced naked body with his own cape, after Joffrey's punishment. Urging the girl to please the king's desires.
Eventually something changed, the day he killed those folk's men like a fury while they were trying to rape her. She knew not how, but he had found her and saved her, gently carrying her limp body over his shoulder. Ever since he was not anymore the ugly scarred Hound, but her saviour. There were no more scars or scary wild eyes, his sniggers didn't hurt her anymore. She was still afraid but grateful.
If only Brienne hadn't killed him, things might be different. He maybe would have saved me from Littlefinger's foolish scheme with the Bolton.
Meanwhile the sun had completely come out, servants were starting to prepare for breakfast.
I shouldn't indulge myself in silly thoughts
She undressed and cleaned herself with cold water. The black dress she chose gave her an almost regal demeanour. Pleased with her reflection Sansa breathed deeply. Today was the day she would have avenged her lost innocence and trust.
Lord Baelish scheme was about to end, at the hands of his beloved Sansa.
"You were right Hound, I have become a killer too. Like my father, like my brother..."
-.-.
Winterfell was visible by far, the land around the castle was covered in a light greyish snow. Years ago he had been at North with King Robert, almost in another life,
"Poor devil, he was a great fighter but an awful king, an idiotic husband and a terrible father…" muttered aloud observing the landscape, it had changed or maybe it was just winter that spread its depressing cape over the ground.
No wonder the little bird liked being at King's Landing, with all the pretty dress and gardens. It's cold and desolated this place. How fucking live the northmen here?
His deep reflection were interrupted when his horse threatened to collapse. He had forced the animal to gallop like the white walkers were hot on their heels, and from time to time the horse bucked trying to get rid of his heavy and demanding rider,
"Stop complaining, water and a warm stable are waiting ahead"
grumbled Sandor to the beast, riding his war horse would have made the journey less bumpy, the damn animal even tried to bite his left foot twice.
"You better not fail me, or I will eat you for dinner."
The horse neighed, like it understood the words, and brought him at the gates of the castle without slowing down again.
Soldiers were quite uncomfortable at his sight, the Clegane's heir was as tall as his huffing horse, dirty from head to toe and as menacing as ever,
"I've news from the Wall, let me in"
he barked like an order and after a moment of hesitation the guards allowed him to pass,
"Take this and pay attention, the beast bites"
one soldier took the horse away as the other one followed him
"Ser, Lady Stark is busy at the moment"
he lifted is good eyebrow and mockingly answered,
"I ain't a fucking Ser… Where is she?
"Our Lady summoned the Lords and her sister, I know nothing more"
a sideways glance, and a few persuading words afterwards the Hound found himself in a large room, full of Lords. Then he saw them, both the Stark girls.
Arya and Sansa were facing each other.
For fuck's sake, I killed two birds with one stone
Sansa sat on the Lord of Winterfell's seat with a boy at her left which he recognised as the crippled brother. She had blossomed beautifully, the Tully's feature as well as her resemblance with the mother were striking. Sharp high cheekbones, large clear eyes, a firm mouth. Her red mane was free, no stupid hairdos like in King's Landing. The heavy black clothes were tight over her curved body, enhancing her feminine figure. He indulged himself to stare at her, she was a queen. Sandor Clegane had seen queens and whores, Cersei in her younger days had been the most beautiful woman of Westeros, yet only for Sansa he would have knelt, vowing to protect her until he died.
Then the unexpected happened. He sniggered as Littlefinger pleaded Sansa for mercy, always hated Littlefinger, he would've gladly rid Westeros of his presence with his own bare hands. – A little miserable man dying at the hands of my little bird
Eventually Sansa had turn against him and no words could save the life of Peter Baelish anymore. – Nay,not a little bird... She looks like afine wolf now
Looking at her merciless gaze almost got him hard, it reminded the Hound what it felt to take a life with his own hands and seeing it slip away in a man's face.
She might even make me come in my breeches now with those eyes and plumpy lips
Other pleasurable thoughts on Sansa's womanly body followed, reminding him his carnal needs, only to be interrupted by Arya. She was standing there, staring at him as the lords left the room following Lady Stark. They looked at each other until they were left alone.
"Good to see ya, brat"
"Thought you died"
He chuckled – you little shit, you left me there to die
"Aye, but I'm tough to kill**"
Arya stared at him curiously, she looked batshit crazy with her big eyes fixed on him as if she tried to read the bulky man's mind,
"I'm still on that list of yours?"
she stopped staring,
"I won't kill a man two times"
he grunted partially agreeing, if he was to stay at Winterfell, it was good to know he could sleep without fearing that a midget might kill him in his slumber.
"Still doing the bloody water dance?"
Arya didn't answer at his provocation. Sandor remained in silence inspecting the changes of the younger Stark, she was no beauty and never will be. A bit taller, hair longer, still boyish and wild in her demeanour. Yet Arya possessed also something different, nothing that a man like him couldn't pinpoint.
"Crossed other names off your list?"
"I did"
Again silence fell between them, until Arya seemed satisfied and gave him an odd smile,
"You can't see the pretty sister now. She's busy, but I'll tell her someone is here for her."
He didn't like that prospective, not after seeing the new Sansa processing a sneaky and cunning person like Littlefinger under his own eyes. The lady of Winterfell had just kicked out of the political stage one of the most important players ever. He needed to check her feathers and see if the little bird had completely gone, replaced by a stone-heart wolf.
"I've news from your king in the North. Jon Snow, you sure you wanna keep me waiting?"
hearing the name of her favourite brother almost made the younger Stark give up her plan, but she needed time with Sansa,
"Later you'll have your time"
and Arya left the brooding hound,
"Fuck it."
-.-.
"I thought you didn't get it, my little game"
Sansa turn her head, her eyes were glossy as if she had cried and the hair dishevelled, the wind was blowing hard rosing her cheeks. They stood on Winterfell's highest ramparts,
"In fact I did not. I asked Bran what to do"
Arya smiled,
"You still can't read lies"
"I'll learn that too, eventually"
the sisters looked at each other, for the first time Sansa felt the burden of being the Lady. She had sentenced a man to death. – More than that… I killed Littlefinger, I killed the reason why my family suffered horribly, besides my own silly, childish decisions.
"You did the right thing***"
"We did***... Using Lord Baelish' weakness for me was the only way. He loved me, in his own contorted mind he cared for me."
Arya stared at her sister's stony face,
"Yet, he offered me to the Bolton as a refined animal. The key of North, that I was for all those men. Stupid men." she said bitterly.
During the past days Arya had heard her sister's screams, the sound of her night terrors haunted all the castle, but nobody dared to say anything. It was Bran who had narrated her about Sansa's marriage, about her first night with her husband and the others after.
"I never could've survived what you survived***"
"You would've.. you're the strongest person I know***"
As much as Sansa would've liked to lie she knew that her sister was strong. Arya was a fighter, ever was and ever will be. She on the other hand could only learn to scheme, to rule and to survive, using every part of her mind and body.
Like Margaery did. – Like Cersei still does. I'll always be weak, in need of protection.
Satisfied with their talk, and the recollection of their father's wise words, Arya was ready to leave. There would've been a moment to get acquainted with the new Sansa, but not now. Her time was running out, she needed to prepare herself to go South, the hunt for the lioness was about to start.
"Someone is here for you with news from Jon. He is waiting for the Lady of Winterfell"
Sansa sprinted down to the castle, it was vital to have news from the Wall and Jon, she had so much to organize for the war. Food, soldiers, new alliances.
She searched all around the castle, but there was no trace of her guest. Still emotionally shaken she marched to her room. – It can't be a joke of Arya, can it? She wouldn't make fun of me about such a serious matter. I wish I could tell when she's lying!
Frustrated she opened the door of her room, a black figure was standing inside giving her the back. For a moment she feared Ramsey had come back from the dead and flinched. But then she noticed that the man was way taller and larger than her deceased husband – Stop panicking and get a grip. Be a Lady.
"Who's there?"
She asked as demanding as her shaky voice allowed her, while trying she tried to calm down her wild imagination the stranger turned around revealing his identity,
"Hello little bird"
Sansa opened her eyes wide, her mouth fell open too and a strangled sound escaped her as she leaned shocked to the door to support herself,
"Y-you… died" she mumbled as her heart drummed at a wild beat, it couldn't be.
I must be going insane, before Ramsey, now Sandor...I'll start to see Littlefinger too wandering around my room and my house.
The Hound's smirked entertained showing his crooked teeth, it was the second time that a Stark called him a dead man.
Well now, this is the surprised reaction I wanted from my little bird, she is not a stone cold wolf yet
"Come closer and check if the dead dog still bites"
Sansa swallowed and observed him. Under the feeble light of the afternoon it was unmistakably him, the long hair parted to cover his burn, the eyes dark and menacing, the mouth distorted in a grimace. She breathed deeply before standing again on her own legs,
"How did you know this was my room? Did Arya tell you?"
her voice was still a bit shaky but had already regained a commanding tone that deeply appealed him during Littlefinger's process,
"The place smelled like lavender, this dog knew it was yours****"
she walked slowly toward him her body still rigid: the back straight, lips tight, chin up and her sharp eyes fixed on him, as if trying to cut through his flash and see his beating heart. Sandor stood still waiting for her to get closer, before speaking again she stopped only a few steps away from him,
"Why are you here, Ser?"
the Hound lost his composure and smirked – How many times had I told her what I was and was not. Not one of her pretty dreamy knights
"I am no fucking Ser"
and Sansa chuckled – Definitely not, he hasn't changed one bit
that was what she wanted to hear: his rude answers and cheeky attitude,
"I was only checking if it was really you Sandor"
hearing his name on her pretty lips made the Hound happy, he savoured the sound of it. She never addressed him with that kind of confidence back in King's Landing, she was too young and innocent to be aware of the power she held over him just by calling him by his name. Now there was a woman in front of him, not a fragile little girl that sang Mother of Mercy***** to him. He was satisfied, took his sword and pulled it out from the sheath,
the spark in the eyes and his snigger alarmed Sansa.
The mood shifted immediately,
"Does it still give you joy to scare me*?"
she asked without breaking the eye contact knitting her eyebrows,
"I do not fear you anymore" she whispered closing the distance between them, their chest touching, their breaths hot on one another, their eyes still locked,
"I've met the real monsters" she hissed angrier "I've became a killer too".
The tension grew higher and higher as Sansa spoke. She was wearing her best hardened expression, the jaw clenched and her fists close waiting to feel his cold blade against her skin as he used to do.
My innocent little bird, they tore off all your fancy feathers and left you plucked… But you've replaced them with a wolf's skin, thicker and stronger aren't you?
The Hound sighed and knelt in front of her lowering the head and the sword to his Lady.
"Let me protect you by those monsters, keep me at your side"
He rasped with his deep voice.
Sansa exhaled surprised and shocked once again, was he serious? He had come all the way to Winterfell to be her knight?
"I have already a sworn shield"
she said weakly as emotions were taking over her mind again, she had dreamed of him that morning and there he was kneeling at her feet.
"I'm better than any northmen here"
"Lady Brienne is my shield"
and Sandor snorted noisily,
"That fucking woman of Tarth… she is popping out everywhere"
but Sansa ignored his words, Brienne of Tarth was the stronger knight she could desire for, she could trust her loyalty,
"She is the fittest for this role"
"And where is she now?" asked him sneeringly, "Maybe under your bed?"
"I sent her South, as my representative. She follows my orders"
Sandor raised his head to look at her,
"This dog will be obedient but will never left your side, Lady Stark"
he gazed at her intensely, the Hound had stared at her in many ways: angrily and poorly most of the times, but also sadly and even lustfully. Yet he never stared at her like that.
She bent over him suddenly fragile like the innocent girl he left at King's Landing,
"Promise me..."
he offered her his hand and she squeeze it,
"I already did, years ago that bloody night I told I will keep you safe."
but that was not enough for Sansa,
"Promise me, to kill any men that will come too close to me."
"I'd kill anyone for you."
"Promise me you will serve me and only me"
she squeezed his hand harder,
"A hound will die for you, but never lie to you. And he'll look you straight in the face *"
Sansa nodded she knew he would not let any harm come to her, she had witnessed the fury of the Hound with her own eyes.
She brought her free hand to his half burn face as her fingertips brushed against his cheek he moved away his head annoyed, but Sansa grabbed his chin between thumb and index,
"You promised. Look at your Lady in the face"
she commanded him forcibly turning his head, then proceeded to caress his cheek. Sansa never dared to touch him but now she felt courageous, the burn was ugly to watch and unpleasant to feel. – I wonder, how is it possible to survive such a cruelty
Sandor closed his eyes waiting, he hated being touch there, he detested that half of him and the memories of his brother. Yet she kept caressing him, her skin was soft and cold against his marred flash, brushing softly abd soothing his inner pain.
"You don't bite after all"
The tenderness of the action made Sandor Clegane weep, no woman had ever touched him with such care and delicacy,
"This dog has gone soft" he rasped with a coarse voice and eyes closed stopping the tears.
Sansa cupped his cheek and pressed her lips against his cruel mouth, sealing their pact.
"Raise, Sandor Clegane. From now on you'll my be sword, my shield and my shadow."
.End of chapter two.
Quotes and notes:
* in the books Sansa is convinced the Hound had kissed after leaving her during the Battle of Blackwater's -A clash of Kings , Ch 18, Sansa II.
** Quote from the tv show, season 1-2
*** Quotes dialogues between Arya and Sansa in epidose 7x7
**** I've read at least twenty story about Sansa and in each of them she smelled like lavender, I suppose it is written in the books.
*****in the book Sansa sings this song to the Hound during the night of the Battle of Blackwater Bay.
*a very famous quotation from the books, it was just too beautiful to not using it, Martin owns it.
I was tempted to keep writing. Indeed I wrote another ending for this chapter then I decided to keep it for the next one. I thought it made a good closure the whole scene with Sansa and Sandor and his oath. I hope you are satisfied with their encounter. I had so much fun imagining it! I strongly believe that Sansa is quite bloodthirst, truth be told I wouldn't blame her for that. In the next chapter Sandor will get to know more about the new Sansa, appreciating the woman she is. I will put an M rate, not for lemon, because there will some nudity.
Support, love, critics if you have to and commentsare extremely appreciated!
Suggestions time:
*Lovesick Blues, by HardlyFatal – Modern AU oneshot, school setting, Sandor and Sansa are teachers. Short and extremely pleasant to read.
*Waiting For You, by HardlyFatal – Modern AU, Sansa is having very bad dates, Sandor too and they bond over they awful story. Brilliant, relatable, sweet and well written.
*Lions, Wolves and Sapphires, by Aletta-Feather – Set after season 7 a series of (connected) one shots about Tyrion and Sansa feelings and unsolved questions, but also about Jaime and Brienne, and the Lannister brothers themselves (Jaime meets Bran, for instance), Angst. Deep introspection and interesting point of view.
*Beauty Within, by sofia313 - this is not a SanSan but an AU about Shireen. What if King Robert, in order to punish his brother Stannis forced his niece Shireen to marry Ned Stark's bastard? Set before the whole story begins, it is worth reading patiently! The place is slow and sometimes the story is tiny bit too sweet but the idea is so good that intrigues me.