The commotion had caused most of the people in the inn to poke their heads out their doors, though most chose to only look but not come out. One woman however could not help but be more curious, she heard a woman scream and though she thought it impossible, had to see if that voice was really the one she thought it was. As she approached the room where maids had been rushing in and out of she stopped to listen to the men inside who were talking.

"The maester will be here soon, luckily we had one come to town just two days before your arrival."

"Good, I will not lose my little bird now."

The woman gasped slightly at the second man's voice, she knew that voice very well. She quickly stepped into the room and her eyes instantly fell on the large man who was sitting on the side of the bed, cradling a small hand between two of his larger ones. She then looked to the bed, the girl was pale, even paler then she was the last time she had laid eyes on her. "My Lady Sansa!"

…..

Sandor's eyes shot up at the sound of a woman's voice calling out Sansa's name. There in the doorway stood Shae, Sansa's former handmaiden from Kings Landing. He did not rise from the bed, he continued to stroke his little birds hand as he watched her close. "What are you doing here woman?"

Shae slowly approached him, her eyes never leaving Sansa's pale face. "No matter that, what have you done to her?" Her eyes finally moved to his face, he didn't show the same anger and hate he normally held. There he sat, the same Hound from so long ago, showing sadness in his hard face.

"A man sword to protect her…" he turned to look down at her, "he came to take her, but he went mad and did this." He shook his head, "I failed to protect her."

Shae had opened her mouth to speak but the doors burst open again as the maester had arrived with two of the maids. "I need everyone out while I examine the Lady!"

Sandor tried to put up an argument but with the help of the innkeeper and Shae, they managed to get him out of the room. He paced the hall outside the room, grumbling every once in a while.

"How did you wind up with her Hound?" Shae had been leaning against the wall with her arms crossed as she looked at him.

Sandor finally stopped pacing and looked at her, "she found me." His lips twitched slightly at the thought, "I was near dead, she nursed me back to health. I promised to get her to the free cities safe." He then turned to punch the wall causing the rock to crack. "Damn fine job I did."

Shae let out a sigh and moved to him, taking a hold of his hand that was now covered in his own blood. "And you won't be able to care for her if you break your hand." She looked up at him, "I saw the blood in the room, looks like you stopped the man, Sansa wouldn't have gone with you willingly if she didn't trust you. You obviously did take care of her, otherwise she wouldn't have made it this far."

Sandor shrugged as he pulled his hand away from Shae, looking to the door as he growled slightly. "What is taking so damn long?" He then began to pace the hall again. "If she dies…"

Shae shook her head, "she's survived worse, she will be fine."

Sandor did not say another word, he continued to pace the hall. It felt like an eternity to him. He hated not being able to hold his little bird, he hated not knowing what was happening with her and not knowing if she was going to live.

When he heard the door open he quickly turned to it as did Shae, the maester appeared, his hands covered in blood as were the sleeves of his clothes. "The Lady has lost a lot of blood, but she will survive. I would suggest that she is not moved for a while. I will return in the morning to check on her again." He then nodded his head to the two of them before heading down the stairs.

Sandor quickly rushed into the room, sitting on the bed next to Sansa who was still unconscious. He instantly took a hold of her hand and again began to stroke her delicate flesh. "Little bird…" He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently.

Shae walked into the room, closing the door behind her and locking it. She then moved to sit opposite of Sandor, letting her hand trace over Sansa's cheek. "She is a strong girl, with a strong will to live." She then looked to Sandor who had refused to look away from Sansa. "I am going to bring my things into this room with the two of you. You will need to rest if you want to protect her. While you sleep, I can watch over her."

Sandor did not say a word as he heard Shae stand to leave the room. He refused to do anything but watch over his sleeping bird. She looked as fragile as she laid there on the bed, her face had gone completely pale from the blood loss, and her lips which were normally a stunning red were also near white. "I am so sorry Sansa." He again leaned down to kiss her forehead. When he sat back up he gasped slightly to see her eyes opened slightly. She looked up at him weakly as she tried to smile.

She moved to open her lips to speak but found one of his larger fingers pressing to her lips, "do not speak little bird, you rest for now." He carefully moved the blankets of the bed to cover her up as she closed her eyes again. He could feel her tiny fingers wrap around his as she drifted off to sleep, a feeling that gave him a small sigh of relief.

…

Shae and Sandor had spent the next week helping Sansa recover, the gash in her stomach had required a large amount of stitches. Unfortunately for them, it meant their travelling across the waters had been delayed, which worried Sandor. He did not like staying in one place for too long, especially knowing that there were men looking for Sansa.

Shae had gone to the shops that remained in the town, gathering more supplies for the three of them. The plan now was that in a weeks' time, they would travel to Braavos. Shae had been able to find passage on a ship that would be sailing that way in a week. From Braavos they would then journey to her home of Lorath, no doubt her family home still stood and was most likely abandoned by now.

"Sandor please try and relax, you are only going to make yourself sick." Sansa was sitting up in bed as she watched Sandor stand at the window, his eyes darted around at any sound he heard. "Lothor was alone, there are no others coming this way right now. And if they were, I am sure they wouldn't sound like crows landing on the roof." She grinned slightly as he shot a glare over at her.

"I am not risking it again, I will not be able to rest til we get on that damn ship." He finally moved to sit on a chair next to the bed. "How are you feelin' little bird? Any pain?"

She shook her head, patting her stomach lightly. "Only if I try to move too much, so I am afraid dancing is out of the question for now." She smiled a bit more as she patted the top of his hand. "I wish you would stop blaming yourself, you did not do this."

Sandor looked down at her hand as she placed it on his, "I swore to protect ya', and yet here you are, layin' in bed with your belly nearly ripped open." He looked up at her, "but I won't let it happen again."

"We won't let it happen you mean." Shae entered the room carrying a large amount of packs. Sandor quickly stood to help her with them. "This should last us for the week we have here, then for most of the journey on the boat. I will make one more round in the city before we sail."

Once they set everything down, Shae moved to sit on the bed next to Sansa, lifting the tunic that she had been wearing to check her bandages. "No bleeding, this is good to see." She smiled looking over at Sandor, "have you eaten?"

"No, he hasn't!" Sansa answered before Sandor could. "All he has been doing is listening to the crows thinking they are coming to take me away." She grinned over at Sandor again as he shot her another glare.

Shae laughed a bit as she stood from the bed, "well then I will go have the cook send up dinner for the three of us, no fighting about it Hound!" She had waived her finger in his face as she moved to walk to the door. "You expect to protect her, you need to keep yourself healthy." She then quickly left the room as Sansa laughed again. If anyone could put Sandor in his place, it would be Shae.

…

"I swear it my Lord, Ser Lothor was killed by the Hound, but Lady Sansa helped!"

Lord Baelish paced his study once again at the news, a cloaked man stood near the door. "She fought him and even stabbed him with the very dagger he had given her."

Finally stopping in his steps, Lord Baelish turned to the hooded man, "you say they are still at The Saltpans?"

"Aye, the Lady was injured, nearly died. So they had to wait to travel, though I am sure they will be travelling soon."

Lord Baelish moved to his desk, looking down to a map of Westeros he had. "They are going to the Free Cities no doubt. It would not be worth trying to get to her while in The Saltpans again. The main route from there would be to Braavos. We shall go there."

"We my lord?" The man stepped forward in confusion.

"If I plan on claiming Sansa as my bride, I must be there." He laughed slightly as he rubbed at his chin, "King Tommen has agreed to grant me the North if I marry the Lady Sansa. When we find them in Braavos, I will find a sept there and marry her."

The hooded man let out a low laugh and bowed, leaving the room.

"Soon my sweetling, soon." Lord Baelish looked out his window, the grin on his face growing.