Baelish was in his study, going over some accounts, when Sansa came to the door, smiling shyly. "Are you busy, my lord?"

He pushed the papers aside and stood up. "I'm never too busy for you, my dear. What can I do for you?"

Sansa walked into the room and over to the window, leaning on the sill gazing out over the Vale. Baelish joined her and for a moment they took in the view. "It's so beautiful," she murmured.

"It is indeed. I will be sorry when winter comes and we have to seek refuge in the Gates of the Moon. The castle is comfortable enough, but it lacks these spectacular views."

"I came to ask if Arya could be allowed to go riding. She's not used to being cooped up like this and…"

"And it may help take her mind off the Hound's desertion?"

Sansa nodded. "She is still angry. I don't know where she picked up such language."

Baelish shrugged. "Probably from the Hound. And you? Are you still angry?"

"I was never angry, my lord," said Sansa sadly. "Perhaps a little surprised that he would leave without saying goodbye, but I didn't really know him that well. It's probably for the best that he has gone, but Arya is still upset. I believe she really did think of him as a friend. It would help if she had something to do, some new interest that might reconcile her to the Eyrie."

"And you think riding would do it?" Baelish frowned. "I couldn't let you go alone."

Sansa looked surprised. "I didn't mean to go with her, my lord. I only asked because…" She blushed prettily. "She still doesn't trust you. She doesn't know you as I do."

Baelish bent forward and kissed the girl lightly on the forehead. "I will give your sister permission to ride every day if she likes, but she must take guards with her. And you should go as well-I think it would do you good to get some fresh air."

"If you say so, my lord." Sansa pressed his hand and left the study and Baelish watched her go, smiling complacently. It had been more than two weeks since he had given the Hound a bag of gold and seen him leave the Eyrie. He had spies everywhere, more as a habit than out of any real need to watch for danger in this impregnable stronghold, and not one had reported seeing Sandor Clegane. He was gone, and Sansa seemed completely reconciled to staying in the Eyrie. Her little sister, Arya, hated the place, but she also seemed to have realized there was no place to go. She had raged about the Hound leaving without a word, but she seemed calmer of late. Perhaps Sansa was right and all that was needed was an outing. Baelish had sometimes wondered whether he might have lost his ability to deal with decent women after spending so much time with whores, but he could see with Sansa and Arya that he had no problem maintaining complete control even over teenage girls. He sat back down at his desk with his mind already back on his accounts.

It was late in the day when Baelish finally settled all the paperwork to his satisfaction and went out to the Great Hall for supper, noting with surprise that although the table was laid for three and the servers were ready with the food, neither Sansa nor Arya were present. "Where are Lady Stark and her sister?"

The servers traded looks, then one of them stepped forward. "My lord, the ladies left this morning to go riding. They have not yet returned, but they took three of the guards with them. Surely if there were anything wrong…" His voice trailed away at the look on Baelish' face.

The Lord Protector of the Vale was as yet no more than concerned, but a suspicion that he might have been played for a fool was rising and he said sharply, "Get my personal guard!" The servers scattered and Baelish threw himself into a chair, fretting until the men came in, obedient but nervous.

The captain came forward and bent one knee. "My lord."

Baelish stood. "I want to know where Sansa and Arya Stark are."

The captain spread his hands. "They left the Eyrie with three of my best men to go riding."

"I gave my permission for them to go riding, not to stay out this late!" Baelish was aware he was shouting and forced himself to be calm. "I want you to find them. Take the whole guard if you have to, but find them."

They left and he recalled the servers and tried to eat, pushing the food around on his plate as the shadows lengthened and the sun finally set. The moon was rising when the captain of the guard finally returned, alone. Baelish came around the table. "Well?"

The man shuffled his feet. "Well, my lord, it seems the girls were galloping along the edge of a river and they got ahead of my men and out of sight. The guards were spurring their horses to catch up when they heard a scream and came upon Sansa Stark, holding the reins of her sister's horse. It seems the horse shied and threw her sister into the water. The guards were in armor, of course, and had to remove it before they could search. They found nothing, and Lady Sansa became hysterical. Two of the men stayed to continue the search, and the third took my lady to a small village nearby."

The captain fell silent and Baelish prompted him. "And then?"

"Apparently she asked to use the privy, and…" The captain took a deep breath. "She never came out. The man with her became alarmed after a time, and went to see if she was all right, but she had vanished."

Baelish nodded slowly. "So now both girls are missing?"

"It would seem so, my lord. My men are still searching the river, and I have others looking through the village. It is possible Lady Sansa wandered away in some confusion of mind…"

Baelish made a fierce gesture and the captain closed his mouth, staring into the distance as the Lord Protector came close. "Now I want you to listen to me, captain, and see that you do not make a mistake. Sansa and Arya Stark are not lost. They have fled the Vale, and I want them found and returned. And when you find them, make sure you take Sandor Clegane alive and bring him back as well."

The captain shook his head. "The Hound? My lord, he has been gone for weeks."

Baelish clenched his fists. "They planned this, the three of them. Mark my words, captain, when you find the Starks, the Hound will not be far. Bring them all to me, alive, and you will be rewarded beyond the dreams of avarice. Fail me…" He gave a significant glance to the Moon Door and the captain swallowed hard.

"I will not fail, my lord." He backed out of the room and Baelish went down the hall and sat on the throne, fuming. So they had tricked him. The Hound had gotten enough gold to support himself and the girls for at least a year, and as for the girls…Baelish thought of how well they had played their parts, Arya pretending to be angry, Sansa so demure and sweet, and his anger rose until it seemed like a red haze before his eyes. They would pay, all of them. He was not a cruel man. He wouldn't have the Hound burned alive in front of the girls, the first thought that had crossed his mind. No, he would simply lock the man in the smallest steepest sky cell in the Eyrie and leave it at that. Arya would be married off to the first man willing to take her. And Sansa...he would forgive her. He would forgive her if she crawled and begged.