The Hound pushed past the startled Innkeeper and out the door and into the streets. He didn't have a specific plan of where he would be going, just that he needed to get the fuck out of that room.

He contemplated just tacking up Stranger and riding away. That seemed like the responsible option, especially since the other idea running through his head involved storming back into the room and finishing what had been started. How did it even begin?

Perhaps bringing the whore into the room had not been such a good idea, but he had not expected the wolf bitch to intervene. That had shocked him and pissed him off pretty good. Who did she think she was, interfering with his fucking? It had been enough to piss him off.

His first mistake was probably putting himself in such close proximity. The yelling and the insults just seemed to add to the tension between them and then it had been too easy to just touch her. He had expected her to push him away, but her compliance and kiss had only fed his own desire. God she was so fucking tight. He should have figured that. Virgin. So fucking tight and so fucking easy to wind up and set off.

The Hound leaned against the side of the building and let himself sink to a crouching position. He put his hand over his face, squeezing his eyes shut. The scent on his fingers caused him to jerk his hand away. Seven hells... What was he going to do with her?

He leaned his head back against the wall of the inn, taking a deep breath and trying to clear his mind. He'd have to go back in there. With any luck, she was asleep. Still, tomorrow there would be that awkwardness. This time, there had not been any wine to blame their actions on. It would make for an interesting morning for sure.

The Hound headed back inside and slipped quietly into the room. A quick glance at the bed and the sound of soft, even breathing told him that Arya was sleeping. Thank god for that, at least.

Bolting the door behind him, he crept up to the giant bed and gently eased himself onto it, careful not to wake the sleeping wolf girl. Settling in, he lay on his side to gaze upon the girl just inches away from him.

The moon shining in from the window cast a faint light on her face. Her lips were parted softly and her hand was stretched out in front of her. A tiny smile had spread on her lips and she let out a particularly girly giggle.

The Hound nearly jumped, wondering if she had woken, but realized from her eyes still closed that she was dreaming. Interesting indeed.

Sleeping Arya smiled again and she whispered, "Sandor..."

What the fuck was going on? She never used his real name, nor had he given her express permission to do so. Not that he cared either way, but still. He was pleased that she used that name. Something about the sweet way she said it made him feel a little fuller. It was hard to explain.

He needed to get a fucking grip on himself. He wondered when he had gotten so soft. The wolf bitch had this effect on him and he did not know how much longer he could stand it. He knew he had to be the adult in this situation, especially since he was the fucking adult. She was a girl! This would have to stop before it got out of control.

She would be a lady. Even though he wanted to snort with laughter at the thought of her being docile enough to be some lord's wife, he knew that was what her future held. Ladies were virgins until marriage and this was very important if she was to have any good life once the war was over. It would end eventually and they would part their separate ways.

There was no future for them. He didn't want a fucking future, but even if he did, he knew there was none. He would likely continue living as a sellsword or perhaps a mercenary. She would eventually be contained in a castle and pleasing some lord. That's just how life was meant to be. At one time, he could have been a knight, but that dream had been literally burned away years ago after Gregor had shoved him in a fire and turning him away from knighthood. No woman, even a homely one, would be thrilled at having to wake up to his ugly mug every morning.

Nor did he want to wake up to someone every morning. Sure, he tolerated the wolf bitch, but she was different. The girl had grown on him, but he would rather die than admit that. It would be for the best if they parted ways sooner than later. The way things were going, he could tell it was going to be difficult.

The Hound tore his gaze away from her and rolled over on his back, drawing in a deep breath and exhaling slowly. He would begin looking at arrangements for them to go their separate ways. The sooner, the better. Perhaps the trip toward Dorne to potentially find Sansa would be beneficial. He could leave her with Sansa and then be on his way.

Dorne. So be it. He could feel himself finally getting sleepy and he will himself not to replay the image of her head thrown back and her lips parting as she orgasmed in his arms. Fuck. Shaking his head, he imagined killing Gregor and as that thought calmed him, he slowly drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

She awoke to the Hound snoring next to her. He was faced toward her and his eyes were shut. He seemed oddly peaceful. Arya yawned and she stretched. She wondered when he had come back last night because she couldn't remember. She did remember their last interaction and she felt her body tingle at that thought.

Arya had the sudden urge to reach out to him and just touch him, maybe lightly brush her fingers across his face. She had reached her hand over and was centimeters from him when he stirred and she snatched her hand back.

Climbing out of bed, she began to pack up their bags and prepare to head out. She wondered where they would be headed today. Another day, another journey. She left the packed bags by the door and, fastening Needle to her side, hurried out to the stables to ready the horses.

By the time she had saddled both and led them out of the stable, the Hound had awoken and wandered outside, carrying the few items they had packed. Wordlessly, he attached the bags to the saddles and helped lift Arya up onto her horse, drawing his hands away from her hips rather quickly before mounting his own horse.

The pair had not spoken as they rode away from the town. Arya was beginning to fear this would be another long, awkward day.

Finally, the Hound cleared his throat. "Girl, I've been thinking about where to go next. It doesn't do us good to wander without a destination.""

Arya turned to glance at him, her eyebrows raised. "Go on."

"I think we should go to Dorne. Maybe try to find Sansa." He seemed to be deliberately avoiding looking at her.

"Dorne? Didn't I suggest that a few nights ago and you slugged me?" She couldn't help but give him a little guilt. She wasn't the nice one.

He did not even wince, although his gaze flickered over her face quickly before toward the path in front of him again. "Aye. Dorne might be the best chance to find your family. We need to be going our separate ways anyway."

That stung a little. She did not know what to say. She knew they could not be traveling companions forever, but the thought of losing him after all this time was scary. Still, she wouldn't let on. She forced a laugh. "About damn time."

Without looking at her, he urged Stranger to move slightly faster. "Dorne it is," he growled.

Not replying, she focused on the road ahead of her. Perhaps this was the beginning of the end. Perhaps it was for the best, but she did not like this feeling. "How long will it take to get to Dorne?"

He shrugged. "A couple weeks if we're lucky. We will want to steer clear of King's Landing. There will be some kinks to work out in order to sail there."

"Okay..."

He turned to glare at her. "Any other fucking questions?"

Scowling back, she retorted, "No. Shut up."

And he did. They rode several more hours in silence, neither bothering to look at one another. The path was getting more and more woody and the snow was beginning to fall. Arya wrapped her cloak around her tighter, rubbing her hands together to keep warm as they plundered through.

They finally stopped to make camp and exchanged few words. Arya built a fire while the Hound hunted a small rabbit and skinned it. They were sitting in the silence, staring into the fire when the sound of sticks breaking cut through the air.

Arya jumped slightly at the sound, casting an alarmed glance at the Hound. He was alert as well, standing up and drawing his sword, motioning wordlessly for Arya to get up as well. Pulling herself up, she withdrew Needle and gazed out into the darkness, wondering what or who would be coming to greet them in their campsite.

The Hound stood with his sword drawn, his heart rate picking up ever so slightly. What on earth could be approaching their camp? Had the fire been too big? They were pretty far off the path and it had seemed pretty secluded. He really was not in the mood to chop off any heads.

Another branch snapped and he tensed up, ready to start slashing at the first fucker to come through the trees. If they could have just one night where there wasn't something...

A large, brown dog came slinking into the clearing. It seemed to walk with an unsteady gait and as the small fire lit up its face, the Hound could see the dull eyes and the foaming mouth.

Arya moved forward. "You were afraid of a little dog?"she sneered, turning her attention to the beast that was staggering toward them.

The Hound grabbed her arm and jerked her back roughly, brandishing his sword. "Don't fucking touch it. Are you blind? It's clearly mad."

She glanced at it closer, her gray eyes widening slightly as she watched the poor animal. "Oh..."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't watch if it's going to upset you." He advanced on the dog, which looked up at him without really seeing him.

Arya had turned away and laid down on her bed mat, pointedly making sure she did not look anywhere near the Hound or the unfortunate beast.

The damn girl had no problem sticking her sword through men that wronged her and she kept a fucking list, yet killing an animal seemed to upset her. Women made no sense. The Hound quickly ended the poor creature's misery and immediately cleaned his sword. You didn't mess with that madness. He had seen it take over men once or twice and it was quite disturbing.

Returning to the fire, he settled down on the mat, glancing over at Arya who was laying down and staring into the fire.

"It's done." He wasn't quite sure why he was initiating conversation with her, but it seemed like she was a little rattled by the incident.

Her eyes flickered toward him, her mouth set in a harsh line. "I fucking gathered that from you sitting back on your ass."

"What the fuck is your problem?" he snarled, annoyed. "Next time should I just let it infect you? I'd be stabbing my sword through your chest the next morning, idiot girl."

Shooting him a deathly glare, she sat up from her relaxed position to turn her body toward him. "Animals aren't rotten like people... like you. It's just a shame that things like that happen."

He laughed rudely. "Look who 's become a bleeding heart. I knew it was a matter of time."

The Hound could tell her cheeks had reddened despite the fire dying out. "There's a difference between being a bleeding heart and having some fucking compassion, you dick. Just because you aren't capable of feelings doesn't mean I have to be stone cold to get the job done."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, wolf bitch." He was done with her attitude tonight. Shooting her a dark glare, he flopped back on his mat and turned away.

He heard her begin her list and he just gritted his teeth, trying to drown out her voice so he could get a little sleep.

Arya awoke to a thin blanket of snow upon her. She was shivering like no other and she was surprised that the weather had taken such a turn. The sky had looked clear the night before and she had not expected another flurry.

Pulling herself up and dusting off the snow, she saw the Hound, still asleep and covered in a thin layer of snow as well. Turning her attention away from him, she saw the snowy lump of the poor dog from the night before.

She quickly averted her eyes and set to work readying the horses. It had disappointed her to see such a suffering animal. The Hound's teasing had not helped things either. She was already annoyed with him to begin with. She knew the creature had to die, but it was still disappointing. It had brought back memories of Nymeria and she tried to keep those buried deep because it still hurt to think about her direwolf.

The sound of the Hound cursing indicated to her that he was not aware they were supposed to get snow. Winter was coming and although they were used to a flurry or two, it was still less fun. Arya knew they would need to get warmer clothes and blankets as they traveled. Hopefully heading south toward Dorne would keep them ahead of the cold weather.

"We need to get more warm supplies," she told the Hound as she handed him the reins to Stranger, not bothering to even look at him.

"Then we'll be needing more money soon too." He lifted her up on her horse before pulling himself up on his own.

She sneered. "Maybe if some of us spent a little less money on fucking whores, we wouldn't run into this problem."

"Fuck off, wolf bitch. That's none of your concern."

"Since this involves our money, money that I helped you steal, then yes, it is my fucking concern," she replied hotly, glaring at him and refusing to avert her eyes.

He glared back, his eyes searing her angrily. "I do what I damn well please and if you don't like it, then you're free to leave."

"Oh please. You need me more than I need you. You're old and everyone recognizes you." She laughed cruelly at him, cutting him off with her horse and assuming the lead.

"You're nothing but a scrawny, annoying wolf bitch. I would gladly part ways with you at the nearest opportunity. Why the fuck do you think we're going to Dorne?"

"Why?"

"So I can dump you on any possible relatives and be rid of you at last." He and Stranger had shouldered in to push into the lead.

Arya huffed angrily and chewed her lip. He really was a stubborn asshole. "Fine. But we still need supplies."

Not even looking back at her, he growled, "Fine. Next town through these woods, we'll get some fucking supplies. And I'll get whatever fucking whores I want."

Really? Again with the whores. "Ok. Me too."

This seemed to get his attention because he turned around to look at her. "What do you mean, 'me too?'"

Smirking at him, she made direct eye contact. "I get a prostitute as well. I know they have males in those brothels. Perhaps it's time I get some experience from these seasoned professionals. It's only fair."

"Like fucking hell you will! "

She laughed. There really was nothing quite as satisfying as getting underneath his skin and knowing she was responsible for his rage. "Part of my money, I deserve it."

Clearly bothered and angry, he seemed at a loss for words momentarily before he finally spoke up, "I'm not paying for some cunt to fuck you bloody."

Trying not to wince visibly at the grotesque visual that put in her head, she tossed her hair and sneered at him. "I'm sure if you won't pay for it, I can get someone else to pay me for it. Gotta keep warm. Winter's coming you know!"

He seemed flabbergasted and looked like he was about to murder her.

Laughing, she kicked her horse and urged it faster, cantering past him and moving ahead at a relatively high speed. The Hound was clearly rattled and she was satisfied with this.

The sound of the hoofbeats behind her indicated he was catching up to her. He shoved her roughly, but not enough to fall off her horse, before taking the lead again.

Arya couldn't help but smile as they fell into their usual game of racing ahead to maintain the lead. Maybe that awkward phase was coming to an end and things would be going back to how they were before. She would not necessarily mind that.

Following the Hound, she laughed as she passed him again, shoving him. Things might finally be turning around.

So yeah, it has been kind of a hellish week. School is at an all time crazy. I have ideas of where I want to push the chapters, but it's just getting there and also finding the time to write it down. This whole adult thing is hard.

I appreciate the reviews and follows. I'll hopefully have an update later this week. Things are just a little crazy until Tuesday at the earliest.

Have a great weekend and feel free to leave me a review!

~Pawprynt