Sansa felt her head drooping, weariness setting in. Once they had made it out of King's Landing, the Hound had urged the horse faster, eager to leave his forsaken king behind. There was a faint bit of light on the edges of the mountains, a clear indication of the rising sun.
Suddenly the horse stopped and Sansa stiffened, unsure of why had made the Hound stop. He grabbed her shoulder, holding her still as the horse panted beneath them.
"The horse needs rest." He murmured, quickly dismounting. Reaching up, he easily lifted her from the horse and set her on the ground. Her legs had gone numb from the riding so he kept hold of her until she was steady.
He led her to a small copse of trees and wrapped his dark cloak around her before pushing her to the ground. "You need to get some sleep." He passed a water skin down to her, watching as she drank. She wiped her lips and handed the skin back to him.
Returning to the horse, he removed the saddle and tied him to a nearby tree. It had grown lighter, to where Sansa could barely make out his figure. She watched as he quickly rubbed down the horse, loosening his bridle so that he could graze and drink from the stream.
Turning back towards her, he locked eyes with her.
"Go to sleep, little bird. I won't let any harm come to you." His voice was firm but she thought that his face didn't look quite so fierce.
The Hound hunkered down close to the horse, turning slightly away from her so she was unable to see his face. Pulling the cloak closer, she rested her head against the tree. She was uncomfortable but soon she was overcome with exhaustion.
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A sudden noise startled Sansa, waking her from a nightmare. Glancing around, she realized that it had just been a flock of birds passing by. The Hound was still reclining, eyes closed and chest slowly moving as he breathed.
Standing up as quietly as she could, Sansa stretched her sore muscles. She wasn't sure when the last time was that she had ridden but it had been awhile. Softly she stepped towards the stream, careful not to step on anything that would awaken the Hound.
The horse snorted faintly as she knelt down, cupping her hands in the cool water. Lifting it to her face, she washed away the dirt, relishing the coolness of the water. The horse sniffed at her as she cupped more water and drank it slowly.
Once she had finished, she dried her hands and face on the cloak. Standing to her feet, she dusted off the front of her skirt. Turning, she saw the Hound watching her.
He was silent as he pushed himself off the ground. Stepping past her, he filled the water skin before drinking from the stream. The silence continued as he saddled the horse.
Sansa stood watching him, clutching his cloak about her as her hair caught the light, the coppery streaks glinting.
"Come here, little bird." He commanded, holding out his hand. She obeyed, a twinge of fear in her gut.
Grabbing hold of her, the Hound swung her gently into the saddle before pulling himself up behind her. He nudged the horse into a slow gallop.
They rode for awhile, the countryside whisking by at a steady pace. The Hound stayed quiet and Sansa followed suit, unwilling to risk angering him.
The woods began to thin and he pulled the horse to a walk. She looked around curiously, not recognizing any of the landscape.
"Pull up the hood." He whispered into her ear, his breath still smelling of the wine he'd consumed.
She reached back and pulled the hood over her head, stuffing all of her hair underneath. He grunted in approval before nudging the horse back into a gallop.
It didn't take long for the trees to disappear around them and Sansa could see small building in the distance.
"We need to get food and we can't attract any attention to us." He warned as the buildings grew larger. She nodded, understanding that the King had probably sent soldiers after them.
The Hound stopped in front of the largest building, a pub. He swung off the horse and reached for her. "You stay here. Don't talk to anyone, don't look at anyone and don't wander off." He hissed before turning to enter the pub.
She stood, staring at the ground, the hood obscuring her face from view. The place seemed deserted except for some chickens running around. After a few moments, sounds of a fight came from the building and she reached out to the horse, stroking his side. The warm flesh felt good under her fingertips, something safe and familiar.
The door flew open and she looked up, startled by the Hound's appearance. He strode towards her, blood spattered across his chest and face, a canvas bag clutched in his left hand. He barely looked at her as he slung the bag across the back of the saddle, tying it into place.
Once he was seated atop the horse, he pulled her up and they galloped away. The former silence resumed as they crossed the hills, his face expressionless when she glanced up at him.
The flat lands swept by, hills forming in their place. The sweet smell of wildflowers tickled her nostrils and she saw bright flowers peeking from between the rocks.
Soon, shadows began to fall, coating the landscape in a dreary grey. He headed towards a outcrop of rocks that sat beside a brook.
Sliding from the horse, he pulled her down and turned back to the horse. Repeating his actions from the night before with the horse, he pulled chicken from the bag and offered it to her.
Chewing was the only thing Sansa heard from him as she picked at the meat, the silence wearing on her. "Why did you bring me?" Her voice stopped him with its haughty tone.
"You wanted to go home and I had nothing better to do." His scarred face was blank as he took another bite of chicken. Blood still stained his face and armor.
"What happened in there?" She asked, staring at him, determined for an answer. He chewed slowly, his eyes dark.
"It's something a little bird like you doesn't want to hear." He tossed aside the bone, wiping his hands on the grass.
"Why is there blood all over you?" She knew she was pushing him but the silence was unbearable.
He leaned closer, his eyes growing angrier. "I killed them, the soldiers there. They knew who I was." He leaned back, drinking from his wine skin while she looked at him with horror.
She scooted away, curling up. "They would have killed me if I'd given them the chance. And where would that leave you?" He stared ahead, avoiding her gaze. Sansa swallowed as his implications sunk in. He killed for me, not just because he likes it.
"Goodnight." She whispered as the darkness surrounded them.