The farmer had graciously allowed Sansa and the Hound to stay the night, even going so far as to put up the horse in the barn. It hadn't taken long for Sansa to fall asleep after he'd fed them, weariness from the last two days finally taking over.
Light was filtering through the curtains when she heard noises. She shot up, glancing around to find the Hound. Discovering he was gone, she ran outside. The Hound was leaning over the old man, helping him get up.
Several bodies lay around them, blood seeping into the ground. The little girl was crying, hiding her face as she stood beside her father.
"What happened?" Sansa breathed, noticing that the Hound held a bloody sword in his hand.
"The soldiers found us. They were going to kill him." He wiped his sword clean on the grass.
"I thought you said you were on a mission for the king." The farmer said, eyebrows raised in confusion.
"Aye, I did. But I didn't say which king." The Hound replied, barely looking at him before turning to Sansa. "We need to go. Now."
Sansa nodded, glancing at the farmer and his daughter as the Hound led the horse out of the barn. He stopped, rifling through the dead soldiers pockets before saddling the horse. Once he'd helped her mount, he swung into the saddle behind her. Tossing a few coins to the farmer, they set off for the coast.
They passed through the hills, rocky outcroppings growing into mountains. The air tasted salty as the passed through the mountain range. Sansa was quiet, wondering about Arya. Where had she gone? Did she know about their mother and Robb, was she even alive?
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't even notice that they had slowed until the Hound addressed her.
"Are you sure about this, little bird?" He asked as they stopped at the top of the last mountain pass. She nodded mutely, caught off guard by the sight of the Narrow Sea. He nudged the horse and they sped down towards the docks.
There were few ships out at sea, the docks fairly empty. The Hound stopped the first sailor he came across.
"Any of these ships going to Pentos?"He demanded, glaring down at the man as the horse snorted impatiently.
"Aye, that one there. Her captain be in the tavern." The sailor pointed to the furthest ship. The Hound nodded to him and turned the horse towards the tavern, the sailor's eyes following them curiously.
"The quicker we get out of here, the better." Thee Hound muttered through his teeth, eyes darting around suspiciously. He halted in front of the tavern, sliding down cautiously before helping Sansa down. He kept his hand on her arm, leading her into the tavern with him. The smell of filth mixed with sour beer assaulted her nose as they entered. Quickly she breathed through her mouth, silently praying to the gods for strength.
"I'm looking for the captain of the ship going to Pentos." The Hound announced, glancing at the faces around them.
"I'm the captain." Came a slightly accented voice. Turing to the back corner, Sansa could just make out a curly-haired, dark-skinned man. "How can I help you?"
"I want to buy passage on your ship." The Hound replied, moving towards the man.
The man turned his gaze on Sansa, looking her up and down before looking back at the Hound. "Ship isn't a safe place for a girl."
"She's no concern of yours. I can take care of whats mine." He stared down at the captain, his voice firm.
"As you wish. But it'll cost you more." The captain inclined his head. He rose from his seat, finishing his drink. "Come, let us get this settled. Your pretty little wife can stay here."
"She stays with me." The Hound growled as she glanced up at him, puzzled.
The captain shrugged, walking towards a doorway in the back. The Hound gently propelled Sansa after him. The door led to a private room with a table and chairs positioned in the middle. The captain was sitting in the chair closest to the door. He motioned for them to sit and the Hound chose the farthest chair, Sansa following close behind him.
"It's quite a long voyage to Pentos. And it will cost you quite a bit of coin." The captain rubbed his fingers together, carefully examining his fingertips before looking at the Hound.
"I've got the coin." The Hound grunted, his gaze unwavering. The captain's eyes flitted once again to Sansa. She shifted, uncomfortable under his gaze. The Hound cleared his throat, drawing the man's attention back to him. He reached for his money bag, setting it on the table in front of him. The captain leaned forward expectantly.
"I'll need your cabin during the voyage." He slowly poured the coins onto the table. "For my...wife."
The captain nodded quickly. "Agreed." He stood, shaking hands with the Hound. "I'm Captain Jameslin. We'll be setting sail first thing in the morning." He bowed to Sansa before leaving them alone.
The Hound leaned back in the chair as the door closed behind Jameslin. Before she could say a word, he was speaking.
"You're a beautiful woman. I could protect you but saying that you're my wife makes it easier for me." He leveled his eyes at her. The door opened again and a young girl entered, bringing drinks and food which she set on the table before scurrying back out the door.
"Sit and eat, girl." He said gently, pulling the food closer. Silently she sat down, picking at the food. Finally he was finished and he rose, leaving a few coins on the table. As they left the room, he stopped to speak to the owner about a room for the night. He escorted Sansa to the room, sitting in the corner while she sat down on the bed.
"Try to get some sleep, little bird. Jameslin is right, it will be a very long voyage." He spoke softly, reclining against the wall. Sansa curled up in the dark, listening to the insects outside. After lying awake, staring at the ceiling, she finally drifted off to sleep.
Sansa was awakened by the Hound shaking her. "Time to go, little bird." He murmured into her ear, pulling her into a half-sitting position. She blinked, uncertain for a moment before everything came back to her. She stood, donning his cloak again in the chill of the morning.
It didn't take long to get to the dock and they were rowed quickly out to the waiting ship. The Hound boarded first, helping her to crawl aboard.
"Ah, welcome, my friend!"Jameslin cried, greeting them. "This way to your cabin, m'lady." He led them to his cabin, throwing open the door. Sansa careful stepped in, noticing the huge desk and the tiny bed in the corner. She wandered to the window, looking out over the bow. Her gaze wandered to the coastline of Westros. Will I ever come back?