They camped for the night near a small stream, Podrick seeing to the horses under Arya's supervision and Brienne gathering wood. Sansa prepared food, and even the Hound relaxed enough to sit by the fire. He still placed himself between Brienne and the girls, but he ate with them and after the food was done he was the one who opened the conversation about what they should do next. "We're going to have to get more horses."
"I already told you that," said Arya.
He gave her an annoyed look. "I don't know this country-are there any towns nearby?"
"We came through one a day ago called Saltpans," said Podrick. "It didn't look like much, but there were a couple of ships in the bay and they have a small castle. I'm sure we could get horses there."
Sandor frowned, thinking. "Aye, horses and some more supplies. We need food-there isn't much left."
"Then tomorrow we should all go and…" Brienne started but the Hound cut her off.
"I'm not going near a town so close to the Eyrie and neither are these girls."
Arya spoke up. "I want to go!"
The Hound scowled at her. "I know you'll do whatever you want, but your sister isn't going, with her red hair and her pretty face. Someone would send word to Baelish and that would be the end of us."
"Sandor's right, Arya," said Sansa. "He's too noticeable and so am I."
Brienne said briskly, "Then I'll go, with Podrick and Arya."
"Then you'll walk," said the Hound, "because you're not taking my horse."
Brienne looked frustrated and Podrick said diffidently, "Milady, it's probably better if I stay here. You and Arya could pass as a mother and daughter…" He gulped. "Especially if you leave your armor and your sword behind."
The blond woman gave her squire a hard look, but he returned it calmly and the Hound said, "The boy's right. Both of you will have to leave your swords." Arya looked outraged but he went on quietly, "You know Baelish will have our descriptions out. Without your sword, you're just another little girl. You and Brienne won't call for a second look."
Arya turned what Sandor had said over in her mind, then nodded reluctantly. The conversation died out, and before long they settled down for the night, the Hound taking the first watch, to be followed by Podrick and then Brienne. There were no alarms, and the small group was almost cheerful in the morning as they breakfasted prior to Brienne and Arya setting out on the girl's horses.
"How much money do you have?" asked Sandor.
"Enough," Brienne replied proudly.
He sighed and pulled out a gold dragon. "Better take this."
"I don't need it."
"You might." Sandor pointed to Sansa, leaning on Arya's horse and speaking earnestly to her sister. "Do you see the two of them? You might need an extra horse just to bring back everything they want to buy."
Brienne bit back a smile. "Podrick!"
Her squire came running. "Yes, milady?"
"Is there anything you want?"
"No, milady." He squirmed under her gaze. "Well, I could use a new knife. And maybe you could pick up some fishing tackle, hooks and lines and such. With all the streams in the Riverlands, we could have fresh fish every day."
Sansa came over to Sandor. "What about you?"
"Some wine." He called to Arya, "See that you get a good big skin of it, do you hear?"
"Do you want some candy too?" she asked.
The Hound marched over to Arya's horse, catching the bridle and pulling her close to whisper in her ear. She looked at him with an amused expression and he said gruffly, "Just get it." He slapped her horse across the rump and it took off. Brienne spurred her own horse, and the three left behind watched them ride away.
Podrick yawned. "If it's all the same to you, I'm going to have a bit of a sleep. That middle watch is the worst. Unless you need something done?" His question was directed halfway between Sandor and Sansa, but it was the girl who answered for them both.
"No, we don't need anything. You can sleep."
Podrick nodded gratefully and lay down, soon drifting off, and Sansa touched Sandor's arm. "Would you take a walk with me?"
He gazed at her, thinking he would walk to the ends of the earth with her, but all he said was, "Aye." They set out, the beautiful redhead and the scarred man, walking in a companionable silence until she stopped and sat down in the grass.
The Hound stood, staring into the distance, and Sansa patted the ground. "You can sit down, you know." He dropped to the ground and she said softly, "I wanted to talk to you." He turned his head and their eyes met and she felt the heat of his gaze as if it were an open fire. Then he lay back in the grass, his hands linked behind his head, waiting for whatever she had to say, and she took a moment to still the trembling in her heart. "I wanted to thank you, for everything you've done for Arya...and for me. You've always been so brave and strong…"
"I'm not as brave as you think I am, little bird." Sandor watched the clouds sailing across the sky. "If I was really brave, I wouldn't have left you in King's Landing. I would have stayed when you didn't want to go instead of running away like a cowardly dog."
The sun was blotted out as she leaned over him. "But if you had stayed, you wouldn't have been able to save Arya. I would never have seen my sister again, and we wouldn't all be together now."
The Hound looked up at the girl. He had suffered such an agony of shame at leaving her to the mercy of Joffrey and the queen that he had never really thought about what he had done in any other light. "So you think some good came of it?"
"Don't you think so?" Sansa pulled back as Sandor sat up.
"Aye, some good came of it. We're all fugitives, with prices on our heads and nowhere to go…" His voice was bitter and Sansa laid a hand on his arm.
"It's better than King's Landing," she whispered.
He sighed and nodded. "It's better than King's Landing." He got to his feet, reaching down a hand to pull her up, and Sansa held onto his hand a moment longer than necessary. What was it about this man? He was too old for her, he wasn't handsome at all, he didn't have courtly ways or pretty words, yet somehow he had grown in her heart until there was no room for anyone else.