"We need to leave, now."
Sandor had burst into their small apartment with such furiosity it made Sansa scream. She had been sitting at table, knitting something.
"Are you alright, what has happened?" She asked, as she rose to meet him. Blood was streaked across his breast.
"I'm fine, it's not my blood, we need to go, now," He said with urgency.
"Why, what has happened?" She touched his arm, and looked up at him, her blue eyes were pools of worry. "Please tell me Sandor," she begged.
Sandor then let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding in.
"There were some Westerosi men at my boss's stand today, and they recognized me. Said they were going to collect the bounty on my head and I killed them. Right in the market square in front of everyone. I don't know if they had any companions but, we need to leave."
The gods are punishing me for being selfish, only if I did not hope for more.. Sansa did not think she could bear the weight of having to travel again.
"No," she retorted.
"We must go."
"Where will we go? There is no place for us anywhere!" She yelled, her voice thick with anguish.
Sandor reached her in less than a stride. The motion was so swift that she recoiled, thinking that he may strike her. Grabbing her roughly by the shoulders, he planted a hard kiss on her forehead. What compelled him to kiss her, he did not know, only that he hoped it would persuade her enough to go with him.
"Sansa trust me, please," desperation rising in his throat.
"The Queen said she'd knight the man who slayed The Hound and his little bitch.."
"We'll go outside the city, or even the coast lands, not far. I promise," he said, lifting her delicate chin with his thumb and forefinger.
Sansa looked up at him her eyes still filled with heavy tears. Even if he had made her believe for a moment, it was enough.
"Go, pack your things." He said softly, letting her go. He watched as she moved frantically about the room, collecting their meager belongings. Her motions reminded him of a bird with a broken wing, flopping around helplessly in the dirt, unknowing that it will never fly again.
Having everything packed into Stranger's saddlebags or a knapsack, Sansa wrapped the maroon-silk shawl around her head and shoulders.
"Ready?" He asked her, she nodded.
That morning Sandor was to ask his boss for more silk so that Sansa could make herself a pretty dress. The notion seemed a lifetime away, she'll never make that pretty dress, he thought remorsefully.
As quick as Sandor burst into their apartment they were atop Stranger, racing out of the city.
A long bridge took them outside city and to the coast on the lagoon. Where the shoreline ended there was a hill that rose above it, where wealthy middle class and noble elite built their large estates, far away from the noise and crampedness of the city. Closest to the shoreline was a humble fisherman's town, where the houses were made of wood and stone. Squealing, naked children could be seen playing in the lagoon as their mothers, who were doing whatever fishermen's wives do, called out for them.
Where the line of wooden houses ended at the foot of the hill, estates of deep grey and creamy stone with wooden roofs staggered upon a winding road. Sandor noticed numerous construction projects along the way, while Sansa hardly took in her surroundings at all.
The hill flattened, and a market square with cobbled stone, flanked by grand estates emerged. In its center there was a great fountain, sculpted in the shape of a woman pouring water. It caught Sansa's eye immediately, the sight of the statue was so romantic. Her robes clung to her body sensuously, and her long hair reached passed her buttox. Her sensuality made Sansa blush. Shells, coral and fish were delicately at the fountain's base. Getting off Stranger, Sandor decided they'd walk up the rest of the hill on foot.
Sandor had Sansa enter each of the shops at the front of peoples homes, knowing that her charm would work better than his when it came to asking for work and a place to stay. But to their dismay, she was turned down.
Sandor waited outside each estate with anticipation with Stranger. Each time Sansa exited and with her head hung low and shook her head.
"Maybe we should try the foot of the hill," her voice trailed off and her eyes began to well with tears. Sandor lifted up her chin with her fingers again, feeling her slight tremble, "No, we'll keep trying." Her only response was a faint nod.
As she made her to another storefront, Sansa bumped into a man who was hastily leaving it.
"Excuse me! I'm so sorry!" Sansa exclaimed, her face as red as a beat with embarrassment.
The man brushed himself off and said, "No harm done." The man tried to examine Sansa's face, and although her features were mostly hidden by her headscarf, her beauty was plain to see. He then turned to Sandor, eying his armor, sword, horse, and then his face. The contrast between the two was almost comical.
"What are two Westerosi doing in these parts?" The man asked Sansa, his voice soft yet serious. He was taller than most Braavosi men, wore indigo blue robes, and had a creased face. His expression was hard as stone, but his eyes were not unfriendly.
"Looking for work my lord, and a place to stay as well," Sansa said, bowing her head, her words well rehearsed. He tsked at her response, and motioned for Sansa to follow him inside the storefront he left only a few moments ago, and he called out a name warmly.
"Ryhco?" A woman's voice called back. Sansa assumed it was the man's wife. The shop inside was filled with bolts of delicate silks and other fabrics, a large looking-glass, and a small circle of women sewing. For a moment Sansa's heart filled with hope that she felt would never return to her.
The man explained to his wife behind the counter what had just happened, and what Sansa had told him.
"What is your name child?" The woman asked, putting down the dress she was sewing to look Sansa in the eyes.
"Alyssane, my lady," Sansa curtsied. The woman laughed and looked at her husband whose eyes seemed to twinkle when he looked at her. His wife made a comment about her being a well mannered Westerosi.
"And it is work you're looking for?" She asked.
"Yes, anything," Sansa replied, hoping that she didn't sound too desperate.
"Show me your hands," the woman asked, extending her hand to Sansa. Like her husband her face was was creased and the way her hair was tightly pulled back into a ponytail made her appear serious. But unlike her husband, the corners of her mouth seemed to constantly teeter on smiling and not smiling, and she had laughed. Sansa offered her hand to her, and the other woman ran her fingers over Sansa's, then her palm, to the backside of her hand, and wrists.
"These hands haven't seen a day of work in their life," the woman laughed again, her lips pulling up into a coy smile. Her eyes were warm like honey, and she shot her husband another look. "What can you do Alyssane?"
"I can sew, embroider, knit, read and write, and sing and dance," she replied, hoping she had pronounced everything right.
"Well then, as you can see this is my shop. We make dresses, shawls, scarves, handkerchiefs, underthings, anything," she gestured with her hand around the shop. "You seem sweet, but I already have all the skilled women I need, so I can not help you," the woman frowned.
"Thank-you," Sansa curtsied a final time, and walked outside the shop, without looking back to see if the owner had changed their mind.
Sandor didn't need to ask how it went when he saw Sansa come outside.
"It's okay little bird," he pat her on the back. "We'll just go onto the next house.."
"Alyssane!" They heard the man call. Spinning around, the man had a slight grin on his face, as if he were just laughing. "My wife has changed her mind, a fickle one she is. You and your erm-" he paused, looking at Sandor, "Companion, can stay."
"Really? Truly my lord?" She said with disbelief. Sansa didn't know what compelled the woman to change her mind, but was so grateful for the sudden change of heart that she thought she might cry.
"Yes," he said, his face becoming serious again. "What kind of work can you do?" He asked Sandor. Sansa translated the question for him.
"He say's he can do any man's work."
The man said that he was an architect, and that the job site he was working at needed some strong men, not fishermen's hungry sons.
Inside, the house was ornate, and Sansa knew that she would be more than happy living here. Servants helped carry Alyssane and Cederic's things to their chamber on the second floor. Apparently a guest room, the windows were large and let in plenty of sunlight, and the floors were a deep gray stone. Inside there was a hearth, a large bed with curtains, a screen to dress behind, an ornately painted water basin, a cabinet for clothes and a dressing table. Although she could not precisely recall what her chambers looked like back in King's Landing, this one felt better. Less of a cage and more of a room of her own.
"Oh Sandor this is lovely!" explains, wrapped him in a friendly embrace.
"Aye little bird, it is," Sandor smiled, knowing now that the girl could find some happiness here.
Author's Note:
For pictures of the estate (and explanations please scroll down to the end of the chapter here!)
Sorry for the long wait- my winter break was something out of hell, and now that I'm back at school its hard to find time to write! I'll be posting chapters 2+ at a time to make up for the long waits.
This chapter, and the chapters after this one were hard to write, because I had to do a lot of research on Braavos, and found a disappointing amount of information. (I wish GRRM will publish a detailed map of Braavos or something, or give us more info.) From what I read Braavos is supposed to mirror Venice, with all its canals, but the aqueducts and infrastructure reminded me a lot of ancient Rome. Going off of that, I decided to base the estate that Sansa and Sandor will be staying at off of what a roman patrician homes were like. The city of Braavos seemed really cramped, and I feel like since there are so many bridges leading to the city, that the wealthy elite would live on the outer rim of the lagoon, rather than the city so that they can build their large houses. This is just what I've come up with, and I hope it's believable!
Thank-you for reading as always! Enjoy!