Once again I'd like to thank my beta wildsky_sheri for her indispensable help and also everyone who's reading and commenting this! Thank you all!
Sandor
They had been riding from dawn until twilight for the past four days, only stopping to eat dry meat and hard cheese around midday and to take a piss once in a while. The weather hadn't been as bad as Sandor had predicted it would; rain did come from time to time but never long enough to soak their cloaks and since they had been lucky enough to come across inhabited villages every day until then, they had always slept in inns, giving time for their wet clothes to dry by the hearth during the night. Things would change today though. There was apparently not a living soul in the woods that surrounded them and twilight was approaching dangerously fast; the wisest thing to do would be to set up camp while there was still enough light to see.
In an instinctive movement, Sandor turned to glance discreetly at the little bird though he couldn't really see her with the hood of her cloak covering her hair and face almost completely. Better this way; if I can't see her, no one else can. The girl is far too recognisable. Throughout the past few days, Sandor had kept reminding her over and over again to keep her damned hood up at all times. These weren't really complicated instructions, but apparently the girl didn't appreciate the way that the piece of cloth acted like blinkers forbidding her from admiring the landscape. What you see can see you too, little bird. Neither the Lannisters nor the Starks were supposed to have spread the word of this exchange, but a blue-eyed, red-haired maiden was sure to attract unwanted attention and raise suspicion, especially if anyone took a good look at her escort. Sandor was hard to miss and with his scars, even the poxy peasants that vainly tried to plough the dry lands that they were to cross would recognise him, especially in the Westerlands where his House was well known and not always for good reasons. The old hooded cloak that he had brought along did help to conceal his identity from afar but Sandor had no illusions; their group was a suspicious one, especially with that bloody half-witted lad that the Lannisters had thought to afflict him with. No matter if they were from Casterly Rock or Lannisport, those damned cocky Lannisters seemed more reckless than anyone else. Over the years, their power and wealth had won them more foes than friends, but those bastards were mostly blind to that fact. More chance of teaching courtesies to an ass than discretion to a Lannister, Sandor mused while glaring at the boy beside him; the lad was garbed as elegantly as if he meant to parade about in King's Landing after a glorious battle. Sandor snorted at his own thoughts before stopping Stranger. Both youngsters did the same with their horses and turned questioning gazes on him.
"We'll sleep outside tonight. I hear a creek on our left, I'm sure we'll find a clearing somewhere along it," he announced while eying their reactions with a hint of amusement. The lad's eyes were as wide as the little bird's. The boy is no braver than the girl, Sandor mused contemptuously. "Come, both of you," he ordered while nodding at them to follow before heading toward the edge of the forest.
From behind him, Sandor could hear the sound of hoofs on the soft ground. A moment later, the grey shape of the little bird appeared in the corner of his eye. On my heels again, just like the last few days. In King's Landing, the girl had always avoided Sandor as if he carried the plague, but now that they were stuck on the road together with that bloody Lannister lad, the little bird suddenly sought his company. Better a dog than a cub, I reckon, Sandor concluded. It wasn't as if she truly enjoyed his presence; not many words had been uttered by that pretty mouth of hers since they had left the capital apart from her usual buggering courtesies, and her blue eyes were almost always lowered to stare at her hands when she addressed him. The girl was still dead scared of him, that was a given. I hope she realises the luck she has that I volunteered for this mission, he mused with annoyance while spitting on the ground beside him. Could've been Boros or Meryn with her instead, who knows? I didn't give the bastards a chance though and gave my name right away. I saved her once, twice even, and now I'll deliver her safely to her family. Isn't that 'gallant' enough for you, little bird? His mouth twitched and he snorted at his own wry thoughts while looking around him. They had reached a clearing that seemed good enough to spend the night and so Sandor turned his horse around and gazed at his charges. They were both standing still and staring wordlessly at him.
"We'll sleep here. Get off your horses," he rasped in their direction as he jumped from Stranger's back. With some hesitation, the little bird tried to slide from her mare's saddle but with limited success. The girl would've landed on her knees on her way down if not for Sandor, who grabbed her by the shoulders just in time. So graceful and skilled at court but so clumsy in the real world, Sandor reflected while hoarsely laughing. The girl's face was flushed as she timidly thanked him for his help but it was obvious that she truly was eager to be free of his grip. The burned corner of Sandor's mouth twitched at her evident unease and he abruptly let her go before returning his attention to his stallion, scowling as he removed the saddle from the animal's back. Following his lead, the Lannister boy did the same, freeing his own horse from his heavy luggage.
"Once you have taken care of the girl's mare, bring the beasts to the creek and make sure they drink their fill," Sandor grunted flatly at the lad without even sparing him a glance.
The boy silently did as he was bid but his discontent at being ordered around by a dog was evident. With a smirk, Sandor tossed Stranger's reins at him. The lad carefully grabbed them; the horse had almost bitten off his face on their second day on the road and the cub was now frightened of the dark beast, although he tried his best not to show it. The creek was not too far but a thick line of trees separated the clearing from the water and so Sandor was soon alone with the little bird, who was gazing at her hands as usual, her pretty face hidden under her woollen hood.
"Help me gather some dead wood, will you?" he rasped at her.
The girl nodded and followed him into the woods.
"Make sure the branches you choose are dry and fill your skirt with them," Sandor instructed her. She nodded again and squatted to search the wet ground with her delicate white hands.
The light was getting dimmer by the minute and the little bird was on his heels once again, always staying a few feet from Sandor as if he was a bloody torch that lit up the forest around him.
After some time, he stood up with arms full of branches and lowered his gaze to her. "Afraid of the dark, are you?" Sandor asked with a smirk on his lips.
The girl's face was shadowed by her hood but her eyes shone in the gloom as she raised them to him. "No, not really. It's just that I'm… not used in spending time in the woods at night, that's all."
"You've never been on the road in these conditions, have you? Wasn't like that when you came from Winterfell to King's Landing with that horde of buggering noblemen and retainers that followed us. No big tents and real bed to sleep in this time around. I know you would've liked it better that way again, but travelling heavy takes time and that's not how I do things. Don't you worry though, little bird, soon you'll be with your family and free to forget all about it all."
The girl silently stared at him for a moment. "I was not complaining, my lord," she finally uttered.
"I know what you think, girl. Don't lie to me," Sandor snapped, while taking a step toward her.
Obviously taken aback by his rough words, the little bird shrank away from him and lowered her eyes to the ground. "I… I'll be alright, my lord," she whispered after a few seconds.
"I know you will. I'll make sure of that," Sandor answered, this time less harshly.
Apparently reassured by the change in his tone, the girl hesitantly glanced at him for a short instant before asking, "Why didn't you tell me you were to be my escort?"
"What do you mean?" he grunted, eyeing her.
"When we met in the alcove…" the girl shyly muttered.
Sandor snorted at her question and a smirk formed on his lips. "Why, you think the king would've been pleased if you didn't react as you did when you learned the good news?" He barked a rough laugh before adding, "You knew already too much. I was not about to spoil you even more; at least you'd be surprised by that part of the announcement."
"Oh… I didn't think about that," the little bird said with a look of understanding on her lovely face. "Thank you for that, my lord."
Sandor grunted at hearing her usual courtesies, his smirk instantly fading away. "Come, we have enough wood to start a fire and the boy must be back by now," he rasped while lightly pushing the girl toward the camp.
He was right; after a few minutes they got back to the site and the lad was waiting for them, sitting on a log. Losing no time, Sandor immediately started to work on a fire. The little bird stayed by his side, absently watching his every move.
"If you don't know what to do with yourself, why don't you set out our bedrolls? You can do that, can't you?" he flatly asked her.
She nodded and went straight to where the saddles were settled under a tree, carefully unfastening her bedroll from its strap.
"We'll sleep side by side with you in the middle, girl. Safer that way if anyone comes around." Sandor jerked his head toward the lad and added, "You'll keep your hands off her, boy. Understood? Or else I'll chop your cock off and believe me, I'm not jesting."
The cub nodded while glaring at Sandor. He would listen and that was all that mattered. Once he was done with the fire, Sandor sat back on a log and stared at the flames, lost in his thoughts. With lowered eyes, the Lannister lad suddenly approached him and went to unfasten his armour as he had done every night.
"What are you doing, boy?" Sandor snapped while recoiling from him.
"Helping you with your armour, ser," the lad answered, obviously puzzled.
"I'm keeping it on. Who knows what kind of bastards hide in these woods? A man has to be ready for battle at all times when out in the open like this," Sandor sternly explained before adding in a snarl, "and don't call me 'ser'. I've told you before, boy, I'm not one of them."
His pride manifestly wounded, the boy retorted, "What am I supposed to call you then? I'm not about to call you my lord as our prisoner does."
Sandor's scowl deepened. "The girl is no prisoner of yours. As far as I'm concerned, you're the same as her: a weight on my shoulders, a helpless child that needs help getting back to his family. I'm no wet nurse though, so stop whining and keep your fucking mouth shut."
The boy glowered at Sandor before taking off, going as far as he could from him without leaving the clearing. Good.
The group ate their meal of dry meat and rock-hard bread in an awkward silence, the boy on the other side of the fire and the little bird sitting at arm's length from Sandor. The lad was just a cub, but he somehow frightened the girl. His foul mood is what repels her from him and drives her to me, he concluded, snorting at his own thoughts. No reason for me to treat him any better then.
The moon had risen and its gleam was illuminating the little bird's perfect profile. Sandor could not help but stare at her and admire her beauty, taking in every detail of that pure face of hers. The girl was tense, palpably uncomfortable with the way that he was shamelessly studying her. Does she sense that I want her? Sandor wondered. No. She's probably too naïve for that and only believes me to be a creepy dog. Better this way, or else she'd be even more scared of me.
"Go to sleep now, both of you," he growled before taking a long swig from his wineskin.
From his log, Sandor watched as his charges got onto their bedrolls, the little bird tiredly pulling her blankets over her lithe body. Her long braid had escaped from her cloak and its copper hue was shining in the darkness. Sandor looked at it for an instant before abruptly standing up and stamping out the fire.