The night passed slowly as Sansa huddled in the shack, crouching before a small fire blazing in the hearth. The Hound slept outside beneath the stars, keeping watch over the horse. She pulled the cloak tighter around her shoulders, a chill passing over her despite the warmth from the fire.
Sleep no longer came easily to her, the nightmares still haunting her. She had hoped that getting as far away from Westros as possible would help alleviate them but it hadn't worked. She watched the tiny flames dancing, casting a orange glow about them. It reminded her of the night they'd left King's Landing...and of that night at the Twins.
With a sigh, Sansa kicked dirt over the fire, dousing the shack and the memories into darkness. Leaning against the wall, she gazed through the cracks in the ceiling. The moon was shining brightly again, illuminating the floor as it sifted through the cracks. The horse whinnied softly as the Hound shifted, his armor clanking.
"Hush now." Sansa could hear him murmuring to the horse. The softness of his voice made her smile as she hunkered down, the cloak laying over her a reminder of just how gentle he could be. Closing her eyes, she listened to his continued whispers until she fell asleep.
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Sunlight streamed in, blinding Sansa as she awoke. Sitting up, she raked her fingers through her hair before deftly braiding it again. She stood, smoothing her dress before exiting the shack. Icy fear grasp at her heart as she looked around, twisting every way in panic. The Hound was nowhere in sight though the horse was still tied to the stable.
He left me! The thought shot through her mind before she could stop it. She whirled at the sound of movement behind her, her blood pulsing through her veins.
"I'm still here, little bird." The Hound grinned at her, a couple of skinned rabbits slung over his shoulder. He dropped them on the ground and pointed at a pit that sat a few feet away.
"If you build a fire, you can cook these for breakfast." He glanced up at her disgusted face before offering a smirk. "That is, if you still don't want to eat the horse."
Sansa glared at him, angry that she'd been so alarmed over the thought of him abandoning her. She snatched up some dry grass, tossing it into the stone pit. The Hound held out a flint to her and she set to work lighting the fire while he finished gutting the rabbits before sticking them on a spit.
The flint finally sparked and the grass burned, curling up as she added some small sticks. Taking the spit the Hound had placed the rabbits on, she held it out, watching as the flames licked up at the flesh.
She glanced quickly at the Hound, standing far away, his eyes warily following the flames dance. She returned her focus to the rabbits but not before he'd noticed the turn of her head.
"Ever since that day with my brother..." He let his voice trail off but Sansa understood the unspoken words. A hissing erupted as fat slid into the fire and he shifted, glancing away.
Sansa didn't respond, just kept her body positioned towards the flames, the spit clenched tightly in her fist. She watched the meat cook slowly, forcing herself to turn the rabbits so they'd cook evenly. Finally she thought they looked done enough and passed the spit to the Hound so she could extinguish the fire.
The Hound pulled meat off one of the rabbits and offered it to her. She accepted it, picking a tiny piece off and testing it. It wasn't bad - that, or she was just that hungry. She ate hurriedly, anxious for them to be on their way. The smoke was still curling lazily in the distance, beckoning her with it's mystery.
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It didn't take long for them to find the source of the smoke, a small house bustling with people. Sansa felt the Hound stiffen behind her as the people stopped to stare at the newcomers riding in. The horse stopped and they dismounted, the people dispersing as a dark curly-headed man approached them.
"Ah, welcome, strangers! I am Sametyr." The man bowed deeply as the others moved on with their work. "And where might you be headed?" His voice was friendly but Sansa didn't like the way his eyes slid down her body.
"My wife and I are looking for a small farm to buy." The Hound spoke firmly, his eyes dark. The man looked at his dark armor and smiled.
"Luckily for you, I know of a small farm not too far from here. The last owners had an unfortunate...accident." A shiver ran down Sansa's spine as she caught his inference. He grinned, his white teeth glittering. "So, what do you have to offer?"
The Hound dug a bag out the saddle bag and handed it to the man. Sametyr weighed it in his hand, a pleasant smile covering his dark face. He snapped his fingers and two men with metal collars appeared.
"These men will take you and your wife to your new farm." He turned away from them as the men beckoned for them to follow. The Hound helped her onto the horse, leading the animal after the men. After about an hours ride, one of the men pointed to a small building in the midst of an overgrown field.
"There's your new home, little bird." He lifted her to the ground and she walked towards the building, her spirit fluttering within her chest as she finally felt the freedom she had been searching so long for. Her heart beat in her chest, bursting with delight as she saw flowers growing among the fields.
Laughter bubbled up inside as she reached out a finger to stroke the petals of a bright blue flower. Kneeling down among the flowers, she gently picked as many flowers as she could, weaving them together.
She was well aware of the Hound's eyes watching her every movement but she ignored him, instead reaching up to unbraid her hair. Shaking out her firey tresses, she carefully weaved a few of the flowers into a crown. Placing it on her head, she lay back to stare up at the sky, so bright and beautiful in the sunlight.
The Hound watched her, reminded of the innocent child he'd first seen at Winterfell such a short time ago. Sorrow filled his heart as he considered all she'd lost since then.
Her red hair flashed amid the grass and flowers, burning brightly in the sunlight, breaking his reverie. He smiled to himself as he watched her taking her first true taste of freedom. Not all fire frightens me.