The wolf girl seemed to be in an oddly cheery mood. Her constant berating of him was just enough to get under his skin and make him grit his teeth. He liked it, though.

The snow was getting to be a little much though. It was coming down thicker and thicker as they continued on their path. He could tell she was getting colder because she had grown quiet and kept rubbing her hands together. He could see her shoulders shaking and he wondered how much further they would have to go before they reached the next town. His map indicated it was a good 30 miles through the woods. Not so promising for today, especially given her condition.

"We'll have to stop soon, wolf girl," he growled. "We won't reach the next town for at least another day. We should get warm."

She didn't even protest or make any sort of snide comment. She must have been even colder than he had originally expected. She climbed off her horse and began to collect wood silently.

He dismounted and tied his horse next to hers and began to help gather a few sticks. He noted the dampness of the wood from the snow and he only hoped that they could get the fire to light. She was already attempting and growing visibly frustrated with the damp kindling.

"Move." He nudged her aside and he lit another match, grinding his teeth. Although he had overcome his fear of fire for the most part, it was still unpleasant to light them. Still, she needed to get warm.

The sticks began to smoke slightly and then the smoke fizzled out. He cursed as did Arya. She frowned. "Just fucking great."

He attempted again, unsuccessfully. "It's the damn snow. Too damp."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I gathered." She rolled out her bedroll and wrapped her blanket around her, still visibly shivering.

Scoffing, he moved to his saddle bag and pulled out his extra shirt. He tossed it at her. "Here, put that on too."

Wordlessly, she pulled it on over her own. She looked a little ridiculous in the oversized shirt, but she was so skinny she needed all the layers she could get.

The Hound grabbed some jerky and bread and portioned it into two, giving her the food before settling down next to her.

The pair ate in silence. He could see her shoulders still shivering and he rolled his eyes. "You're supposed to be a Stark. You lot are supposed to handle the cold."

"Wearing our winter furs! I'm only human!" she snapped, shooting him a cold glare and shoving him.

"Whatever." He pulled the skin of ale from his side and opened it with his teeth, taking a long swig. It warmed his insides slightly and it stung his lips. He offered it to her.

She narrowed her eyes. "Is ale really a good idea?" She pushed the skin away from her in disgust.

"Don't flatter yourself, wolf bitch. It's to warm you up a bit."

She glared at him, but reached for the skin and took another skin. She shuddered at the bitterness, but took a few gulps and kept them down, though she coughed a little.

The Hound chuckled. "Such a lightweight." He took another swig and closed it and set it aside. He lay back on his mat, brushing another snowflake away as the flakes began to fall thickly again.

She was silent and then she pulled her mat closer to him, pushing up her body against his.

He instinctively stiffened. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Trying to not fucking freeze to death. Just shut up." She had pushed her entire back up to him and faced away from him, pulling the blanket over both of them before crossing her arms in front of her.

He relaxed slightly, although he could feel his body react to having her pushed up against him. He would really have to deal with that little issue. She drove him absolutely mad and there was no way he was going to go down that path again. Two times was more than enough for his lifetime.

He had no fucking clue what to do with his hands. They had done this before, but that was before all the...stuff had happened. Finally, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer to him. She was still shivering and he could tell she felt awkward by how tense she was.

"Relax," he commanded, running a hand down her shoulder in an attempt to calm her.

Sighing softly, she unfolded her arms and relaxed a little more against him. Sighing, she began to slowly recite her list.

Back to this again? He continued to rub her shoulder, gently. She did not protest and it seemed to calm her.

"Cersei..."

He could feel her growing warmer and the shivering had subsided. She was pressed so tightly against him and she paused as she again reached his name on the list.

"Get on with it so we can fucking sleep." He paused his absentminded stroking of her shoulder to wait for her next words.

She reached her arm back and elbowed him in the chest. "The Hound."

He chuckled darkly and ran his hand down her shoulder again, moving gently. "Good luck with that one, wolf girl."

He had to keep moving his damn hand on her shoulder. She was already pressed against him and practically pinned to the man and now he was stroking her. It was unnerving her and she hated how good it felt.

Then there was his laugh. The list helped her concentrate on the people she wanted dead. She wondered what would happen when the Hound was the only name left on her list. Would she be able to do it?

Damn his hand! "Will you knock it off? I'm trying to sleep. I thought you wanted to sleep." She slapped his hand away, trying to sound as annoyed as possible.

It was right back to stoking her shoulder and side before she even finished her sentence. "Then cross a name off your list - try to kill me." He sounded sleepy.

Lifting her head up and glaring at him over her shoulder, she spat, "We've established this. I'm saving you for last. Now fuck off." She laid her head back down and snuggled into him a little closer, feeling warmer than before, but still a little chilled.

"You better take your chance soon, wolf girl. Once I leave you with your family, you won't hear of me again. Good riddance."

Her body stiffened involuntarily and her heart sank oh so slightly. He had become such a part of her life that she couldn't imagine never seeing him again. Not that she cared for him... "Where will you go?"

"Perhaps across the sea. I haven't decided yet. Somewhere far from here, that's for damned sure."

"Well I'm sure Sansa would pay you handsomely to stick around as a shield. I'm sure she will have been married off by now and have gold to spare." She didn't realize she spoke so quickly and she hoped her voice did not give away any friendly tones. It was not normal for them to be talking so civilly.

He seemed to be getting uncomfortable with the tone of the conversation as well because his response was nasty. "Why the fuck would I want to remain near you for any longer than I have to?" he snarled, his hand suddenly squeezing her shoulder hard.

She wince as his nails dug into his skin. "Never mind. She would never hire someone as vile as you," she hissed through gritted teeth. "Nor would I let her."

He released her shoulder and she breathed a small sigh of relief. His hand rested on her hip and his lips were at her ear. "Now shut up and let me sleep before I leave you to freeze."

Arya bit her lip and elbowed him again. "Fine. Goodnight, Hound."

He didn't reply.

She lay there, still. She didn't want to be wriggling around too much, but she also was suddenly wide awake. The sharp exchange of words had riled her up and she wanted nothing more than to stick Needle through his thick skull.

She felt so snug and comfortable. Despite the falling snowflakes, she was starting to get toasty from being pressed against the Hound. It felt safe and comforting to have his arms holding her in place.

She wondered if he had ever slept holding someone other than her on occasion. He seemed so tense at first and even touchier than usual. She could not really imagine the Hound being the type to settle down and please a woman... Still, the other night at the inn had been... well, it had been something.

She had never been touched by anyone down there. She had hardly experimented with herself and that experience with the Hound had made any of her feeble attempts pale drastically in comparison. She found herself wanting more, but the idea also disgusted her. The Hound was vulgar and cruel. He hurt her on occasion and he was constantly lashing out. Perhaps it was his own defense mechanism, but still. She just couldn't figure him out.

Part of her thought that telling him her confusing feelings would make things awkward, but at least open the door to some very terse dialogue. The other was stubborn and hated him and wanted to ignore the bubbly feeling inside her that was becoming more and more frequent.

At this moment, it was easier to ignore. Perhaps the right moment would arise, but right now, she felt it best to wait out the situation. They would have a few more weeks together before they reached Dorne where, hopefully, she would find her sister and be reunited with her family. If not, perhaps it would be time to settle down somewhere. Perhaps it would finally be acceptable for girls to become knights. That wouldn't be too bad.

She let out a deep sigh and pushed herself deeper into the Hound's warm body. She was finally getting sleepy again and had a lot to think about. Hopefully tomorrow would bring more answers. If all else failed, another threat to visit a brothel on her own ought to spur him into acting.

The Hound felt himself relax as Arya finally fell asleep. He had felt her shifting around in his arms and then lay still for the longest time. He knew she was awake and he wondered what could be troubling her and keeping her awake.

She was keeping him awake. Her soft body pressed into his was enough to get his blood hot. He wanted her. He knew it was wrong and oftentimes, usually when she was awake and talking, he wanted to wring her neck. However, when she was flush against him and kept snuggling in closer, it was taking all he could not to slam her to the ground and take her there.

What the fuck was wrong with him? He knew he was growing soft and he hated the feeling of it. Did she have any idea of the effect she had on him? It worried him to think that she might. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction.

Her breathing had grown steady. Finally the wolf girl was in a deep sleep. He had almost opened his mouth to say something else. He instead had thought about unpleasant things in an attempt to get the feeling of her body and the taste of her lips out of his head. He needed to get a fucking grip.

Relaxing, he brushed away the few snowflakes that had fallen on her hair while she slept. She stirred slightly and he froze momentarily until her breathing steadied again. He knew he had to learn to be more gentle with her. It wasn't like he had much experience..

He had felt her wince when he had squeezed her shoulder and felt instantly bad. One of these days, he was going to crush her and he would never forgive himself. The bruises on her cheek and eye had turned a more yellowish color finally, but were fading. Not fast enough. He hated himself even more every time he looked at her and saw the marks. The girl had enough scars and didn't need him or anyone to mar her a little more.

He reflected briefly on the conversation that had transpired earlier that day. She had mentioned wanting a whore? The idea had seemed almost laughable, but she had seemed serious. There was no way in hell he would let that happen.

A maiden like her would not fare well in a whore house. Further, she deserved her first time to be special and for a man to pay exquisite attention to her. He realized how weary he was feeling even thinking about this. The thought of the wolf girl being intimate made him feel slightly ill. He was protective of her. He had kept her safe for so long and the thought of any man hurting her made his blood boil.

There was also that minor problem of his growing attraction toward her. It was like a tension between them that built up and would spill over. It frightened him. He knew he would do his damned best not to act on those impulses again. It would be best for both of them. He needed to be the fucking adult in this situation and set some boundaries.

He had tried to set boundaries earlier, but then she had been cold and was now pinned to his side for warmth. It was purely for survival, he told himself. Still, he was not going to complain. He could feel himself growing tired as well. Something about holding her was just oddly comforting and he could tell he would be sleeping well.

He must have fallen asleep for some time, because the sound of Arya's screams caused him to jerk awake with a start. She was in his arms still, but was thrashing around, struggling against him. "Let me go! He's my father. I HAVE to save him," she pleaded.

The Hound felt his chest tighten. He had a pretty good idea what she was dreaming of. He remembered the day Joffrey had ordered Ned Stark's head to be cut off. He had not been particularly surprised. The boy was completely mad. Still, it had pained him to see the young Sansa Stark feel so betrayed and helpless. He had been helping lift her up when he had seen Arya struggling with a man, holding her back.

She had never talked much about that day, but he remembered thinking he would never see the spunky Stark girl again. He had not known her well, but he had known that she was quite the little spitfire. Funny how fate pushes two people together when they would have never suspected it.

His thoughts were interrupted by more struggling. She was clawing at him in her sleep, her lips frowning. "I'll kill you for this!"

He squeezed her slightly. "Shhhh, wolf girl. Calm yourself," he whispered in what he hoped was a comforting tone.

The sleeping girl did seem to relax a little. The struggling had ceased and her body had wriggled about so her chest was flush against his. "I can save him..." she whispered sleepily.

He loosened his grip and repositioned her head as she fell back into a deeper sleep again. He brushed a lock of hair away from her eyes and he allowed himself to drink in her sleeping stance for a few moments before closing his own eyes. His hands wrapped protectively around her, he hoped that at least for the rest of her dreams that night, she would feel safe.

Arya woke up feeling warm and more rested than she had been in a long time. She could hear the Hound's even breathing as he slept. Her cheek was pressed against his chest and she didn't want to move suddenly to wake him. Instead, she studied his face.

He looked so much more pleasant when he was sleeping and not wearing his usual sullen look. She had to admit that besides the burns, he was a rather handsome man. He was strong too. His powerful arms were wrapped around her now and she felt secure and rather toasty. It was pleasant.

She would have been content with just laying there, but she elected to instead get up and ready the horses. The sooner they got on the road, the sooner they got to a town for warmer cloaks. She could feel the cold air already nipping her face.

Squirming, she pushed at his chest gently and tried to disentangle himself from his arms.

His eyes opened slightly and peered blearily at her. His hand moved up to brush a lock of hair that had fallen from her face. It was as if he was in a trance because his touch was gentle and highly uncharacteristic of him. His hand rested on her cheek and he blinked sleepily.

She placed her hand on top of his, feeling his thumb gently caressing her cheek. She froze, waiting.

Recognition slowly flooded his eyes and they widened slightly as they stared into hers. His eyes flicked down to her lips momentarily before moving up to meet hers again.

She could feel her own heart race and she leaned her head in an inch closer.

He jerked his hand away from her and was on his feet in seconds. "We have to get moving." He did not look at her, just began to prepare the horses without another word.

Arya lay back on the bed roll for a moment, biting her lip and hoping her cheeks didn't appear too red. What was her problem? She loathed the man, yet she had been inches away from offering up her lips again. She needed to get a grip on herself.

Arya had sensed his hesitation. There had been a moment. She had seen it and felt it. Then he had pulled away sharply. There was no way he did not feel it too. Whatever these feelings were she was experiencing, she had a suspicion that she was not alone.

Pulling herself up, she rolled up the blankets and attached them to her horse, trying to avoid looking at the Hound. It was easy since he was clearly avoiding looking at her. With the camp cleaned up, he quickly moved to lift her on her horse, doing it swiftly and immediately removing his hands from her waist and mounting his own horse.

"Thanks," she said curtly, adjusting herself in the saddle and allowing herself to cast a quick glance at him.

He grunted in reply and did not look at her as he urged his horse forward and into the trees ahead of them.

Arya let out a frustrated sigh. Was this really going to be one of those long days with a silent spell? She did not know how much longer she could handle these awkward rides. It was easier talking to him rather than avoiding all communication.

They continued to ride along the trail when the Hound suddenly halted his horse.

Arya had been gazing at the trees around them and her horse collided into his, causing her to nearly fall off. "What the fuck?" she snarled, annoyed.

"Shut up," he growled, raising a hand to motion for her silence.

Puzzled, she complied and she peered around him and let out an involuntary gasp.

Laying in the path in a puddle of bloody, snow slush was a body. It looked like a common man, but his throat was cut and there appeared to be multiple stab wounds.

Arya could feel her throat tighten. She instinctively reached for Needle and she glanced into the trees around them, suddenly feeling very exposed. "What do you think -"

"I said shut up," the Hound snarled. He was staring at the body as well and clearly seemed just as rattled at she. Finally he turned to glance into the trees around them. "We need to get off the path for a bit."

She gawked at him. "Go in there? Why would we want to do that?"

He had already turned his horse into the thick trees and urged him forward again. "We have no idea how many men are out there. Could be one, could be ten. I don't like the odds if there are ten men. We go around for a while."

She bit her lip and urged her horse to follow. "How do we know they aren't travelling off the path as well?"

He shrugged. "The prints in the snow seemed to suggest they were moving forward on the path. This is our best bet."

She nodded and she took a deep breath. "Got it. You know where we are going?"

"Fuck no. But it's better than faring out there. We'll find our way."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she felt herself relax a little. Just another adventure in the deep woods. Nothing they hadn't handled before. Following him deeper, she tried to think on the positive side. More tree coverage meant less snow? It also meant less sun.

Letting out another sigh, she turned her focus on the Hound as they merged deeper into the woods.

Well, it was a longer chapter than usual, but not a whole lot happened. Just had to fill in some of the inner dialogue before moving to some of the next events that I'm planning to have occur. I'm torn between going in two different directions. It's hard. I'm hoping to update this upcoming weekend, but we shall see. I am busy with life in general.

Also, completely unrelated to the story, but it might come to some's attention that I changed my pen name on these stories. It was mainly for personal reasons and also it crossed my mind that my colleagues may happen across this story and recognize my old pen name and it would lead to potential judgments for my shipping and also judgments on my, in my opinion, sub par writing. So, I adopted my old, OLD pen name from back in the day when Neopets were a thing and I played that after school. Many years ago. I figured I would explain.

I hope everyone had an awesome labor day weekend and I'll do my best to update. I am in grad school right now and it's rather demanding, unfortunately. I'm hoping to jot down parts of the chapters each time I get an idea, but sometimes real life dominates. Once a week is still my goal.

I appreciate any and all reviews and follows. It helps to know that someone is reading it besides me and perhaps my sister who feels obligated even though she does not ship Arya and Sandor together. Enough rambling by me.

Have a great week!

~Pawprynt