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CHAPTER 25

SANSA

The journey south to Winterfell was nothing like the last time she was on the road on their way to the Wall. She now slept in a little tent that the men prepared for her every evening instead of the hard ground and there was enough food for everybody. The fifteen men that travelled with her protected her night and day avoided anything that could put her in danger. While Sansa knew she should feel more than satisfied about how her situation had improved, a little part of her mind couldn't relax. It took four sleepless nights in her tent to realize that no matter how many loyal men surrounded her, there would be no safe place for her without Sandor by her side.

There had been no news since she sent the last raven and they left Castle Black and her mind spun trying to figure out what had happened since Manderly wrote the last letter. Had Roose Bolton left the Castle? Had the battle already have taken place? Had the northerners received her letter telling them she was on her way? Although above all, she wondered about him. Sandor was never far from her thoughts and she took strength from his memory, she forced herself to remember that he was one of the best warriors of the Seven Kingdoms and that men like him couldn't be easily killed. He had told her he would come for her. I ' m keeping my promise Sandor, now keep yours and stay alive. I ' m coming...

After eight days on the road, her little group was finally discovered. One of the men that lead the party shouted the alarm about riders coming on their way and the fifteen of them surrounded Sansa in order to protect her, ready to fight. She took her hand to a dagger she hid between her clothes; she may not be a soldier, but she had lived through too much to let anyone attempt to harm her without fighting back. At least this is better that a stone she mocked herself, remembering the day the Night Watch had found them next to Castle Black and she had grabbed the first thing she could find as a weapon from the ground. They held their breath, jaws clenched and blades until the first banner was within sight. The white mermaid of House Manderly billowed in the air, followed by the battle-axe of House Cerwyn and the three sentinels threes of House Tallhart. Sansa ordered the men to release their weapons as the riders approached.

"Lady Sansa, my Lord received your letter and sent us to meet you two days ago. I'm glad that we have finally found you", the Manderly man that lead the group explained, "Have you had any problems along your journey?"

"We didn't, thank you. But please, update us as to what has happened since my last raven. I received news of the fall of the Dreadfort, but that was the only raven that has arrived at Castle Black" Sansa inquired.

"So you have yet to hear about the ambush Stannis' men prepared forLord Bolton?"

"I fear I don't, but please, tell us everything!"

"Lord Bolton's forces left your castle five days after Lord Manderly's last wrote you. We sent a raven to warn Ser Robert Penrose, who took them by surprise a day's ride from Winterfell. The battle was bloody, but King Stannis' men fought bravely and in the end victory was theirs. Roose Bolton died in the combat, my lady," the man told her with a smile of satisfaction on his face.

"What about Winterfell?" Sansa asked with her heart in her throat, fearful of what the answer could be.

"Our forces attacked the moment no Bolton forces were seen in the distance. We'd been preparing for days so it was a quick movement. Your man Clegane lead the attack and I tell you he looked like a creature emerged from the Seven Hells riding on that beastly horse of his. Our men followed him, encouraged by the words on your letter and the need for revenge for their families. Only Freys and northern traitors remained in the castle, and though they didn't expect any attack, they resisted and the fight was fierce. That was barely a day ago, my Lady, but now the keep is ours. Winterfell will be again home for the Starks."

Sansa listened silently for Lord Manderly's man to finish his story. Roose Bolton dead. Winterfell again in Stark hands… she could hardly believe it.

"Lady Sansa, your men are waiting for your arrival at our camp. Winterfell has yielded, but there are still decisions to make about prisoners and lands before we can have true peace. Will you allow us to escort you?"

She cleared her throat before speaking again, mouth dry and head spinning from the news, "Yes please, take me to my home."

It took less than two day's ride before they could make out the impressive outline of Winterfell's walls on the horizon. This is it; Sansa thought, the moment I ' ve been waiting on for so long…

One of their riders had gone ahead to warn the main Lords of her arrival and so they were already waiting for her. The surroundings of the castle were a makeshift camp where soldiers were still celebrating the victory drinking and laughing, between the cries of the wounded. The main Northern Lords welcomed her in Manderly's big tent, and she thought of how different this time was from the first time she walked into that same tent to talk with the high Lords outside the gates of Castle Black. It seemed a lifetime ago.

"Lady Stark, I'm proud to offer you this great victory!" Lord Manderly approached her smiling, "Thanks to your strategy the North will rule itself again."

"I want to congratulate you, my Lords, for such a great victory," she replied looking around for a certain face that still couldn't find, "Believe that memory of this day will remain in my heart for the rest of my life. Songs of what have happened these days will no doubt be written throughout the Seven Kingdoms!"

Sansa took a seat among the lords as they gave details of the attack. There had been plenty of loss on both sides, though the Freys had taken the worst of it. The survivors were made prisoners and now filled Winterfell's dungeons waiting for a sentence. The northern lords were in favor of executing all prisoners to satisfy their thirst of vengeance, but Sansa disagreed.

"Too many men have already perished and I fear that the Kingdom will need more hands in the years to come. Give the prisoners the chance to choose between execution or joining the Night's Watch. The Lord Commander will make good use of them. Winter is coming and my brother needs as many men as possible to protect us."

"It will be done as you say, my Lady", Lord Manderly said.

"Tell me, my lords, what has become of Ramsay Snow?", she asked.

"Dammit, I wish I'd killed him with my own hands!" Lord Tallhart exclaimed, "We found the bastard dead in the kennels. He had a knife stuck in his chest, although that wasn't what killed him. It was the dogs. The animals tore him apart so badly that he was barely recognizable. The scene was sickening!"

"And Sandor Clegane?" Sansa finally gathered the courage to ask.

"Clegane and his party led the attack and since the battle finished they are looking for any man that may have fled the castle and could still be wandering around. I guess they'll return when they make sure there area surrounding Winterfell is rid of Freys and Boltons. Would you like to visit the keep now, my Lady?"

Sansa sighed with relief at the news. He is alive, alive! We will soon be reunited! The Old Gods had answered her prayers… but he men were still waiting for her answer. Did she want to visit Winterfell now? There was nothing that she desired more, though somehow it felt wrong to enter her home again without Sandor by her side.

"I think that moment should wait until all our brave men have returned, my Lords. Until then, I would like to visit the camp to congratulate our men," she replied instead.

She walked among the soldiers for hours, talking to them, inquiring about the fight and visiting the wounded. She even stopped to pray for the fallen with a group of soldiers. It was difficult but very gratifying and she didn't regret having done it first. That was her duty now, to support and help the men who had just returned her to her home.

Sansa was resting in Manderly's tent when the search party finally returned. There was a great uproar as the men rode into camp to report the Lords about their mission. She thought her heart was going to stop beating as she rose with the main lords to welcome the soldiers. She exited the tent slowly and looked nervously for a friend's face among the new soldiers that had just arrived. She spotted Stranger first, then lifted her eyes to his rider. Sandor approached riding slowly and leading the rest of the party. He looked imposing and fierce, towering over everyone and everything around, covered in blood, dust and sweat after so many hours of relentless fighting. Sansa felt as if her legs were going to fail her when their eyes met, her hand fluttering to her mouth to suppress a cry. When he dismounted in from of the tent, there was nothing she wanted more than to run to him and throw herself into his arms and cry, cry and cry while he held her in his big strong arms and brushed her hair until she was calm again. She stepped forward to him, but an imperceptible shake of his head reminded her that it was not the time or place. As the new Lady of Winterfell she needed to keepup appearances, at least for a little longer.

"The surroundings are clear now. Most of the craven bastards ran as soon as they had the chance. We ran faster though, and sent most of them to the Seven Hells to give our regards to Roose Bolton," Sandor told them among the laughs of his companions, "We'll do another search on the morrow."

"Well done Clegane!" Manderly exclaimed, "I hope those were the last Freys we'll see in the North!"

"Thank you," Sansa managed to say. Her words were meant for all of them, but her eyes couldn't help but return once and again to Sandor. How has it been possible to keep breathing all this time without you? she thought. "I owe you everything…"

Sandor bowed his head and retreated until she lost sight of him among the crowd of men.

The sun was low when she was finally prepared to cross the gate of Winterfell. Many men had preceded her during the last two days, not only during the battle but also after it, clearing the castle of corpses and preparing everything so the castle could be finally inhabited. However, the Lady of Winterfell's return had special symbolism for the northerners. The return of the Starks where they had always belong - to their ancestral home - represented the first step in rebuilding the way things should be in the North. Sansa demanded that Sandor Clegane escort her first walk around the fortress. She was aware that it probably wasn't the most cautious decision, but she had not returned to Winterfell because she had been cautious, but because she had been brave. There were only praises for him among the men and even among the Lords; everybody spoke of how he had led in battle, with a fierce and unmatched courage. His fearless behavior had allowed her to grant him the privilege of accompanying her. She was certain she wouldn't be able to do it without him be her side.

They walked into Winterfell followed by a safe distance by high northern Lords and their men, her mind flooded with memories of lost happy times.

"I can't-I can't do this…", she whispered, her breast rising and falling with apprehension.

"Hells, of course you can!" Sansa heard him rasp over her shoulder, "You haven't arrived here to stop at the door. Come on little bird, I'm right here with you."

Winterfell was full of the ghosts of days long they approached the courtyard, and suddenly Robb and Jon where there, training with their wooden swords under the watchful eye of Ser Rodrik Cassel. She toured the stables, and Arya was running through them like a thunder, her hair a mess and covered in mud followed by baby Rickon. Sitting on the stairs were Jeyne and a twelve-year-old Sansa, talking about knights and songs. High up the castle wall was Bran, climbing to the sky as he loved to do, and a moment after, their mother was scolding him to come down before he fell. She knew that her father would be at the godswood, cleaning his Valyrian sword... Sansa tried to continue but everything was blurred. She stumbled and Sandor had to grab her forearm to help her balance. It took her a few seconds to realize she was crying.

"Not now Sansa. They are watching you," Sandor muttered waving his head at the rest of the men, "You're strong, and that's what you have to show them. There will be time later to cry. I promise to wipe everyone of those tears with kisses and to hold you while you mourn, until you fall asleep if necessary, but not now."

She finally lifted her eyes to him, realizing where she was and what was expected of her in that moment, "Thank you, Sandor…" she whispered just for him. Forcing a smile, she turned back to face the high northern Lords and their men. "Thank you my lords. Thank you for being with me in one of the happiest days of my life".

Many hours later, she walked to her chambers to rest. There had been a great dinner at the Main Hall to celebrate the victory and Sansa had accompanied them for some time, until exhaustion took her and she expressed her wish to retire. Walking alonga long corridor on the main floor, she recognized the door of the room she had shared with Arya. A bit further, it was Bran and Rickon's room, and then Robb's. A ghost corridor, she thought bitterly. When she finally arrived at her parent's former chambers and opened the door, the room was already warm. She noticed someone had lit a big fire in the fireplace. There were new furs over the big bed and a bathtub waiting for her. Without touching anything, she undressed herself, stepped into the bathtub and let herself sink into the warm welcoming waters. It was still hard to believe that she was at Winterfell again, the only place she had ever been happy, surrounded by people who would protect her at all cost, far from all her enemies… She knew she should be happy, but the memories of people she loved who would never return to Winterfell filled her with sorrow and an overwhelming sadness. Sitting in the tub, she pulled her legs to her chest and, hugging them, she hid her face in her knees to finally vent her grief …

That was how Sandor found her long after; shivering in the already cold water, sticky tears covering her cheeks. She felt him enter the room and cross to the tub with heavy steps. He lifted her out of the tub to cuddle in his arms like a child.

"Come on Sansa, you're going to get ill," he said gently as he sat on the bed and wrapped her in his cloak; "You're home, little bird, you're home."

She grabbed his tunic and pressed herself against his chest. He had taken a bath too, but still smelled of the snow she so much loved - of home, of family. "Please, don't ever leave me Sandor," she muttered as a heavy fatigue filled her eyes after so many hours awake, "I couldn't bear it. I don't want to live here without you."

He chuckled softly, "How could I? You're my life now." He kissed her forehead and brushed her wet hair from her face, and she smiled against his chest, I 'm his life was Sansa's last thought as he lulled her gently to sleep.

When she woke up, he was still there next to her, lying on the bed with her curled by his side. She blinked to be certain it wasn't another dream, but he awake and turned to her when he felt her moving.

"Do you feel better?" he asked, and she wondered when that rasping voice of his became her favorite sound in the world.

She nodded rubbing her swollen eyes, "What time is it? I feel like I've been sleeping for years…"

"There is no light yet."

"So, you still don't have to go?"

"No", he replied with a twisted smile while he engulfed Sansa into his arms. She felt his body flushed against her, realizing she was completely naked save for the tunic around her and blushed, "I can also get naked if you want, so we'll be equal," he whispered mischievously in her ear. She didn't feel ashamed of her body's reaction to his hot breath on her neck. Their lips met in a long, deep kiss - a kiss they had been waiting on for too long.

"What if someone comes?" she said, separated just enough to take a breath.

"Don't worry, I gave orders to your men to watch the corridor and not to allow anyone to disturb you until you leave your chambers. So I guess you're mine for now."

Sansa smiled widely at him and kissed him again as he pulled the cloak from her body and she helped free him of his tunic and breeches. They kissed and touched unhurriedly for a long time, discovering each other's body shamelessly, as if it was the first time, trying to learn the other little by little, kiss by kiss, touch by touch. As he muttered a panting I love you in her ear before coming inside of her she realized that Winterfell would truly be their home.

A/N: This story is finally coming to an end, so hope you like how it closes! and please, don't forget to tell me if you like it ;)