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CHAPTER 5

BRIENNE / SANSA

She had gone a long, hard way to find Sansa Stark, the daughter of Lady Catelyn. So long, that she had almost lost all faith in her quest. Finally she had found her, helped her to flee the Vale of Arryn and run with her as far as possible from Petyr Baelish. Everything Brienne had gone through was for Lady Catelyn, for Jaime and for Sansa. For that reason she couldn't understand why the girl was now keeping secrets from her.

She was so tired… tired of fighting, tired of the war, tired of being on the road. She missed Renly and her father. It'd been so long since she left her beautiful Island of Tarth she couldn't even remember the color of its water. Above all, more than anyone, she missed Jaime; she'd give anything to see him again. She desperately needed him to listen to her and she desperately needed his comfort. He was the only person she could be confident with.

Sansa's wish to travel to the Quiet Isle when she heard news of the Hound's death was beyond her understanding. Why would a highborn Lady like her want to visit the grave of such monster? Sansa didn't give her an explanation, but they rode there anyway. She could tolerate that although she didn't truly understand her, but now something else was happening; her behavior had changed and after all they had been through, Brienne thought she had the right to know why.

That night Brienne decided to follow Sansa after dinner. She saw her sitting with that man watching the sunset. Sitting very close to each other. Sansa seemed relaxed and calm. Everything was too weird.

She looked for the Elder Brother; she was sure the man knew more than he told.

"It's fine" he had simply said, "They have wounds that even I can't heal".

"Wounds?"Brienne frowned, "What kind of wounds are you talking about?"

"Please, leave them be and trust me, Brienne. They may need each other," he just added.

His words confused her even more until a tiny strange idea began to grow in her mind. While she waited for Sansa at their cabin, Brienne wondered if her life wasn't about to change one more time.

When they arrived to the cabin, Brienne was outdoors staring at them so intently that Sansa avoided her gaze.

"You, monk!" she shouted. "Take off that hood!"

"Brienne, this is not polite of you…" Sansa got to mutter.

"I want to see your face, now!" Brienne commanded oblivious to Sansa's words.

"Don't worry, girl. I'm tired of wearing it", said the man as he lifted back his hood. "So, do you like what you see wench?"

They stared at each other for a tense moment.

"So you're back from the grave, Hound." Brienne claimed angrily. "And you knew it", she accused Sansa. There was disappointment in her eyes.

"No, I didn't. I thought he was dead, as you told me…"

"But you knew who he was when you saw him". Sansa's mouth was too dry to speak. "And what were you planning to do with her, Ser? Selling her to the Queen with hopes she would give you back your white cloak?"

Clegane spat on the ground, "Spare me your Ser's wench and stop saying nonsense!"

"Or perhaps you were trying to kidnap her, as you did with her little sister, Lady Arya. What have you done with her?" she pressed on.

"Lady Arya? Ha!" he laughed, "You mean the bitch wolf… Last time I saw her I was dying and she was well alive. I guess she's still wandering somewhere by the Trident. She knows how to take care of herself better than you do. Did you know she killed a boy?"

"Stop lying, dog, or I'll close your burned mouth with my sword!"

Sansa stepped in front of her when she tried to get her sword. "No! Brienne, please, stop!"

"Now you defend him?" there was pain in her voice, "Why? He is a monster, Sansa. He kidnapped your sister!"

"I'm the monster? Have you ever taken a good look at your face, woman?" Clegane mocked.

Sansa looked at him sadly and realized that maybe there were things that the man could never change. "Please, go." she asked him. Sandor looked fiercely to Brienne, but finally he left leaving the two of them alone.

Sansa walked into the cabin and sat on the cot. Brienne was so angry that Sansa feared to lose her only friend.

"I hope you have a good explanation for that, Sansa. I can't understand what you are doing!"

She wasn't sure what to tell her. "Brienne, I know it's weird for you, as it is for me as well. I thought he was dead. Last time I saw him was at Kings Landing, the night of the battle," she said.

"You told me you didn't want to have anything to do with the Lannisters and now you lie to me and you talk to him as if he wasn't one of their men. He's a killer and a kidnapper!"

"I'm well aware of the kind of man he is and what he has done, but you've seen him... He doesn't work for the Lannisters anymore..." Sansa hesitated, "I know I can't ask you to understand it, but he saved my life during the riot of Kings Landing and somehow he tried to help me when I was hostage there. I haven't forgotten that yet."

Brienne was so astonished she had to sit too. "My lady, the man is dangerous. You can't trust him; it isn't safe for you to be near him. He could take you to the Red Keep again, or to the Eyrie or… maybe do something worse!"

Sansa took her hands and talk to her as softly as she could; "You said Jaime Lannister had changed, that he sent you in a quest to find me to keep the promise he made to my lady mother. Maybe the Hound has also changed… Brienne, I'd like to think there is still a little hope for me if such a great warriors like you three want to help me."

Brienne frowned and started to say something, but Sansa spoke before she could; "He won't hurt me,I know it. Please, trust me. You have helped me so much so far… I don't want us to fight, I need you."

"I don't know what to think Sansa, I… I guess we better try to rest and we'll talk tomorrow"

Finally they lay down on their cots, but out of the corner of her eye, Sansa saw how she kept her precious Valyrian sword close to her.

She lay staring at the ceiling for a long time before tossing right and left, then settling once again to stare at the ceiling. The hours passed and sleep didn't come to her, uneasy and nervous as she was. Next to her, Brienne breathed heavily, deeply asleep. Sansa got out of the bed and left the cabin trying not to make noise. The fresh air cleared her head. Although it was late and dark, she began to walk and wandered around the Isle for a long time, until she found herself in front of Sandor Clegane's cabin. She sat on the old bench they had shared some hours before. It was cold so she wrapped up in her cloak, put her arms around her legs and lay her forehead on her knees, where she finally drifted off to sleep.