They stayed in hiding for the rest of the day, setting out as the sun went down. For a full week they continued south, traveling by night and hiding by day, Sandor following a half mile behind to watch for pursuers. As time went by with no sign of anyone following them, they all gradually relaxed until the day when the sun started to set and Sandor stopped Brienne as she went to get the horses.

"I think it's safe to camp for the night and start traveling again by day."

Sansa smiled with pleasure. "Does that mean we can have a fire tonight?"

"Aye. You and and your sister can start collecting wood."

"What are you going to do?" asked Arya indignantly.

"Guard the camp while Brienne and Podrick take your horses and look for a town." The Hound went to Stranger's saddle, pulled out a small sack, and tossed it up, catching it with a satisfied expression. "Those bastards didn't spend all our money. I found this in the guardroom, so we still have fifty gold dragons, more than enough to get horses and supplies."

Sansa's eyes widened. "Are you sure it's a good idea for any of us to go into a town?"

"Probably not, but we can't keep going with only three horses." Sandor took out five gold coins and handed them to Brienne. "If you do find a town, don't just get horses. Buy as much food as you can, because I don't want to have to stop again for a long time."

Sansa looked as if she were going to protest but Brienne said, "He's right. You and your sister have been riding double among the three of us and that's too much of a strain on the horses. I'm surprised we've come as far as we have and we can't afford to get caught short." She looked thoughtfully at Sandor. "What would you think about getting an extra horse? We can carry a lot more supplies that way."

He nodded and took another coin out of the pouch. "Make sure you get one that's broken to ride." He watched Brienne and Podrick ride out on the girl's horses, then turned to Sansa and Arya and gestured to the surrounding forest. "Let's go."

"I thought you were going to guard the camp?" said Arya sourly.

The Hound glared at her. "I doubt the two of you can carry enough wood to keep a fire burning for an hour. Better I just go with you and get the job done right." He stomped off and Arya shrugged and followed with Sansa. It took two trips but by the time Brienne and Podrick returned, there was a small fire going with more than enough wood to last until the morning.

The blond woman was leading two horses and Podrick brought up the rear with a third. All three led horses were heavily loaded and the Hound snorted as the travelers dismounted. "We have to ride those animals, you know. I didn't mean for you to buy so much we'd have to walk."

"By the time we divide things up, it'll be all right," said Brienne briskly. "Podrick, start unloading the supplies, then you can go get some more wood for the fire after you've rubbed all the horses down and hobbled them for the night."

Podrick, his face pale and downcast, silently went about following Brienne's orders and Arya said indignantly, "You don't have to talk to him like a dog."

Brienne frowned at the girl and motioned her over to the fire. "For once in your life, Arya Stark, keep your mouth shut until you know what's going on."

Taken aback, Arya sat down with a sulky expression next to Sansa. The Hound regarded the blond woman for a moment with a thoughtful expression, then said quietly, "All right, tell us what's going on."

Brienne sighed, looked over her shoulder for Podrick, then sat across from the girls. "We found a town called Duskendale."

Sandor sat next to Sansa. "Duskendale? We have come a far piece. That's just north of King's Landing."

"It's quite a place." Brienne poked moodily at the fire. "Nobody even noticed Podrick and me, we were able to get everything we needed with no questions asked, and we were about to start back when Podrick…" She looked around again. "He wanted to get something to eat in town, wash it down with some ale. I thought there could be no harm so we stopped at an inn. The Seven Swords…"

Sandor nodded. "I've heard of it. Biggest inn the town has."

"They get all the news there," said Brienne absently. "I thought it would be a good thing to hear what's going on in the world." Her face twisted. "We heard, all right. Seems the Boltons have taken over Winterfell, and Stannis Baratheon challenged their occupation." She hesitated, staring at the scars on Sandor's face. "Stannis has...had...a red-headed woman traveling with him, supposedly a priestess of some kind…"

"I remember her!" said Arya. "She came to the Brotherhood Without Banners. She took Gendry away." Her eyes flashed. "She's an evil woman."

Brienne nodded. "She must have been." Her eyes lingered on Sandor's scars, then she went on softly. "She convinced Stannis to burn anyone who disagreed with her as an offering to her god, and when they were marching on Winterfell, she told him the only way to ensure victory was to…" She took a deep breath. "Stannis' daughter, Shireen…"

"His daughter? He...burned...his own daughter?" The Hound dropped his head, briefly touching the scars where his brother had pressed his face to a fire, then said steadily, "I hope that's not the end of it."

"It wasn't. The day after Stannis offered his daughter to Melisandre's god, half his army deserted. His wife Selyse hanged herself, and he still took the men he had left and attacked Winterfell. On foot, because the deserters took all the horses. He was taken alive, by Ramsay Bolton, both him and Melisandre."

"There are stories about Ramsay Bolton," said Sandor. "He's a cruel bastard."

Brienne shuddered. "It's said Stannis and Melisandre lived three days."

"What did he do to them?" asked Arya, her eyes shining in the firelight. Sansa put a hand to her mouth, then ran off into the shadows.

"You don't need to know!" The Hound snarled at her. "It's a bloodthirsty imp you're becoming but you're not getting ideas for your list from the likes of Ramsay Bolton."

"Podrick's very upset," said Brienne softly. "One of the men at the Seven Swords was with the Boltons and he was extremely...detailed...about what Ramsay got up to with his prisoners. I thought Podrick was going to faint right there, and I don't mind telling you I felt pretty sick myself. I don't want to talk about it any more and I'd rather none of you talked about it where Podrick can hear. He'll be all right. He just needs some time."

"Aye," said Sandor gruffly. He locked eyes with Arya. "None of us will say anything."

Arya looked rebellious, then said crankily, "Fine, I won't say anything." She grinned. "I'll find out on my own next time I get to go to town."

"That's up to you," said the Hound. "I know you'll do whatever you want, but don't upset Podrick or your sister or I'll give you a thrashing that will last the rest of your life."

"You wouldn't dare," said Arya contemptuously. Sandor's big hands knotted into fists and she said hastily, "I'm just kidding, Sandor."

He regarded her for a moment, then called, "Sansa!"

She came back slowly to the fire. "What?"

"Go get those clothes you wore to the castle in Maidenpool."

She looked at him strangely, then went over to her horse and got the flimsy garments. "What do you want these for?"

The Hound snatched them from her hands and threw them on the fire. "I've been waiting a week to do that. Don't ever let me see you dressed like that again." Sansa's eyes filled with tears and his voice gentled. "It's not worth the risk. Promise me?"

She nodded and sat between him and Arya again, leaning for a moment on his broad shoulder. Brienne got to her feet. "I'm going to help Podrick."