When they had finally left the forest behind them Sandor had wasted no time on getting on the horse behind her. She hadn't really thought about their manner of travel after they would enter the open landscape and she was a bit startled when he was suddenly so close to her. Of course it had been the logical course of action and by now she felt stupid for not having expected it.

Sandor seemed no more comfortable than her by their sudden close proximity as he desperately tried to keep as much distance between them on the saddle. That proved to be a difficult task since there wasn't much room to begin with.

Sansa felt an awkwardness building inside her at the whole thing. If she could just say something to keep them both distracted then maybe the tension would fade. But Sandor was not easy to talk to and she didn't know any subjects he would like to discuss with her.

There was only their time apart that would have enough fuel to keep a conversation going, but she didn't feel like speaking of that again so soon, even if it did mean she would get to know more about Sandor's whereabouts after he left King's Landing. She had heard of the horrible rumors of his supposed actions at Saltpans, but she had never believed in them. He couldn't hurt her even when she was alone and not a soul in the world would have cared what would happen to her. So she didn't believe it when they told her the wild stories of his butchery. She had told herself he was dead, it was the best way to outrun the rumors. But he was still here.

She'd noticed just before they left the trees that there was a slight limp in his walking. She didn't comment on it however, as he would probably just growl at her in response at that. But where did he get a wound that would still trouble him now? What if there was truth in the stories and he had indeed gone mad at Saltpans? What if she was trapped after all, now that his arms were around her with no way out?

Then she remembered his reaction at their meeting again, and her fears disappeared. Sandor simply couldn't have done such a thing. He had a ferocious reputation, to be sure, but all that he had earned his fame for he had done on the orders of others, never for himself. And if anything, Sandor was his own man now. Or better, mine, she thought. He had said he would keep her safe, but did that count as swearing to her as her sworn shield? She wasn't sure about that. It were his actions that mattered however, not the title. As long as Sandor would accompany her she felt a whole lot safer already.

Just at that moment, Sandor decided to set a faster pace for a while as he spurred Stranger to a gallop. At least this meant that they could both put off trying to make conversation for a while.

The open world around her was a very welcome sight after all the time she had spent in the darkness of the forest. The sun was out today but the air was cold and the faster Stranger carried them, the more the cold winds blew through their layer of clothes. This time she didn't mind, the air felt clean and it freshened her thoughts. She was from the North after all and even in summer the winds could grow agonizing cold at times.

If she looked to her left she could see still the brim of the trees passing by. They were travelling alongside its edge for the day to keep in course.

She drank in the sight of the world around her. Mostly it was still green, but everywhere frozen patches of grass could be seen. It had snowed for a few days after all, and if it stayed on the ground it meant that winter was slowly creeping its way into the crust of the earth. Soon there would be no escaping it. A cold shiver went through her suddenly and she found herself glad of Sandor's warm body behind her.

After a while Sandor slowed Stranger down since the horse obviously became tired of the doubled weight on his back.

Sansa was grateful when it was decided they would pause here for a while. She had needed to make water for a while now but felt too flustered to ask Sandor to break their pace for a thing like that. She still needed to tell him now though, she couldn't just run of into the bushes without warning. Luckily Sandor took that chance from her as he lifted her off the horse.

"You'd better make water now, girl, before we set off again. Don't look like that, I won't follow you," the last was added as though she had already complained about the situation while she hadn't even had time to form her words yet.

However she still felt a slight blush creep up her cheeks and she quickly nodded as she looked at the ground and ran off towards the bushes she had spotted before.

The feeling of an empty bladder lifted her spirits and suddenly she felt silly for even getting so flustered about something so simple in the first place. Everyone needs to stop to make water from time to time and if any person was realistic and used to that kind of thing it was Sandor.

When she returned Sandor had sorted out some food for them to eat. As her belly began to fill she at last felt like talking to him. And so she told him of a time back in Winterfell when her brothers and Arya had made her come along with them into the woods. And how in the blink of an eye Arya had disappeared and all of them had frantically started searching for her when suddenly a rat was dropped onto her shoulder by her sister. She had screamed in horror and her brothers had just stood there and laughed along with Arya.

Sandor let out a snort at the story. "Sounds exactly like something she would do."

But that didn't make sense, Sandor had never had any real contact with Arya so how would he know if it was something that she would do? Maybe he was just trying to be kind and show some interest though, or maybe it was just because Arya just had that reputation and it was an easy answer.

Apparently she had looked at him quizzically because he now looked straight at her with an unreadable look.

He put down the remainder of his food before looking back again. "Your sister is alive, little bird."

Her eyes grew wide, could it be so? Oh please let it be true, she thought. "What? But... but how would you-?"

"I kidnapped her, she almost killed me," he said it like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Now her mouth fell open and she could only gape at him like a stupid fish. Apparently she looked very amusing because Sandor's expression turned into a wolfish grin.

"But..." her head was overflowing with questions, "where is she now?" was all she managed to squeak out in the end.

His expression turned solemn again at that. "I don't know, little bird," was his answer.

He didn't need any further encouragement from her to tell her the whole story.

"Your sister was grouping with a bunch of outlaws. I was caught by the same band. They let me go shortly but your sister stayed of course, they meant to get a nice fat reward from her. I myself could do with such a reward since they stole my gold, the gold from the tournament, you might remember. Well I thought to myself that if they could steal my income then I could just as well steal theirs. So I did just that. Snatched her away right under their noses." He laughed joylessly at that, he wasn't even looking at her anymore. Sansa did her best to suppress a shudder, was that all that she was too? A source of income, a nice bounty?

"She wasn't very willing, that wolf bitch. Even tried to kill me in my sleep, she did.

Anyhow, we made it to the Twins just when your uncle's wedding was taking place. Noticed soon enough that something was not right. Your sister almost got in though, wanted to jump right into the slaughter. I had to knock her out to get her to escape with me." His eyes seemed to see nothing as he continued speaking. "Soon afterwards we came across an inn. Some of Gregor's men had already arrived there before us. I don't know what their connection to the she-wolf was but it sure as hell can't have been pretty. She snapped, kept stabbing one over and over again. We got out alive but by then I had been wounded. I noticed soon enough it was bad, real bad. We stopped near Saltpans, I knew by then that there was no curing the damn wound so I did the only thing I could. I begged her for death's mercy. But the buggering wolf bitch just turned her back on me and left. I don't remember much after that. When I woke again I was on an island, and a brother of the faith of all people was attending my wounds. Funny, ain't it, I curse the gods most every day but of all people they decide to keep alive they chose me." He laughed again. She couldn't utter any words.

"I saw Saltpans burning from that place not long after. Might be your sister looked for refugee there, but I'd be a fool to believe that. She's most likely long gone again, pretending to be a wolf in the wilderness. Don't worry your head over it little bird, if anyone is able to survive this bloody war it would be her, that much I'm sure of."

She swallowed. Survive, yes, if anyone could survive it was Arya.