Sandor III

The preparations for their departure were made as quick as humanely possible, and in the next day, at first light, Sandor, Lyara and the Little Bird were boarding the Maiden's Kiss, a merchant ship headed to Braavos. After the Elder Brother left Lyara's house, the day before, they hurriedly packed whatever they needed: they had a small trunk containing Lyara's most precious herbs, potions and the utensils she used as a healer. They also packed common clothes to wear once they got rid of their disguises as members of the Faith. And wine, of course. "This won't last half of the trip" Sandor thought "but I will have to make do". By night time they were done, just as the Elder Brother came back.

"I see you are ready to go" said the old man "Good, there is no time to waste"

"Will you care for the animals, Elder Brother?" Lyara asked "we can't take them with us, but I don't want to leave them alone"

"Yes, I will. I will take them to the Quiet Isle. Anything else?"

"No. I have everything I need here. I just need a moment, to say my goodbyes."

The Elder Brother nodded, as Lyara left. Then he turned to Sansa and said:

"I see you have the makings of a fine healer, Lady Sansa. So, I brought you these" he said, picking something from the saddle of his old mare. Sansa took the object from his hands, examining it in the low light. There were three leather-bound books.

"Just a couple of journals where you can write your experiences in healing. And a book of songs in Valyrian, so you can get familiar with the language."

The Little Bird opened up the biggest smile, and Sandor almost felt jealous of the old man. Of course, the Elder Brother was sensible enough to imagine the girl would like those gifts, as she did. She turned to him, smiling, and said:

"Oh, Elder Brother, I cannot thank you enough"

"If you want to thank me, dear, just promise you will take care of this big old fool. Don't let him get into trouble! You are, and always has been, his conscience, even if he doesn't admit it." the Elder Brother replied. Sansa blushed at his works, stealing a glance at Sandor, before answering:

"Don't worry, Elder Brother. He will be in his best behavior, I promise."

Sandor couldn't help but chuckle at her words. He could not deny that indeed she was a voice within his head urging him to be better, to leave his old scars and his anger in the past. "Aye, she is that good" Sandor thought "she can even shine light into the depths of hell".

"I have something for you too" said the Elder Brother, picking up another bundle from his saddle "This once belonged to a man of violence, like you. He came to the island as a penitent, and left this to atone for his sins."

Sandor picked up the bundle and unfolded it to reveal a beautiful longsword, strong and sturdy, and a beautiful silver dagger. The sword was not Valyrian steel, but it was a fine weapon nonetheless: it was polished, so it shone with a silver light. The pommel was a sculpted raven's head, with two small garnets as the eyes. It was not only beautiful, but also well balanced. Certainly, a weapon made by a fine blacksmith. The dagger was both practical and beautiful: it was made entirely of silver, with leather stripes on the handle. It could be easily concealed, and was deadly sharp.

"This must be worth some coin" said Sandor "why did you kept this?"

The Elder Brother paused for a minute before answering:

"It didn't feel right to sell it. The man who left this begged me to take the weapons, so I held to them, hoping that someday I could figure what to do with them. I believe you will need these weapons, Sandor. I hope one day you can rest your sword, but right now, you have someone to protect."

Sandor, nodded, and packed the sword and the dagger again. The weapons, along with some pieces of leather armor would remain hidden for the time being, as to not raise suspicion. After a few moments, Lyara was back.

"I am ready" she said "we can leave now".

Without further discussion, they saddled the horses and made for the port, under the cover of darkness. It was very late and they doubted anyone would see them or recognize them, but they avoided the roads all the same, and reached the docks in the dead of night.

"There is the ship" said the Elder Brother "The Maiden's Kiss. I arranged everything. Stay here, and keep your heads down, specially you, milady." Sansa nodded, and arranged her cloak as to hide her face better. The Elder Brother approached the docks, where some rough looking man seemed to be keeping guard. A few rushed words were said, and then the old man motioned for them to approach.

"This is where I leave you" he said "Take care, my friends. I hope I can see you again someday"

Sansa nodded, and politely said her farewell. Lyara also thanked the Elder Brother, and the two women gathered their things and walked away. Sandor stood there for a moment, not sure about what to say. He owed everything to this man, the man who saved his life and helped him find some sort of peace and solace after a lifetime of violence and anger. Yet, he didn't know what to say. The Elder Brother seemed to notice his struggle, and he broke the silence:

"You know, when you first came to the island, I saw myself. We were not so much different, my friend. Just like you, I turned to violence because there was nothing else for me to do. I loved a woman, and I never thought I was worthy of her" the Elder Brother paused, before continuing "And I was left to die and ended up in the Quiet Isle, just like you, and became a changed man, like you. We walked similar paths, but while I decided to end my life here, I believe your future lies elsewhere."

The Elder Brother looked at the forms of the Little Bird and the healer, waking somewhat in the distance:

"She is your future, my friend. I am sure you know it, no matter how much you want to convince yourself otherwise. That girl will never accept anyone else, but you. She is starting to see this, and so should you"

Sandor contemplated his words, before speaking:

"I cannot thank you, old man. I would never be able to repay everything you've done to me. Saving my life, helping me bury The Hound. And now, this. I can't repay this debt."

"Oh, you can, Sandor Clegane. There is one thing you can do to repay me for saving your life…"

"What is it?" Sandor asked "just say it"

The Elder Brother smiled, putting a hand on Sandor's shoulders. The old man looked the scarred man in the eyes and said, gravely:

"Live it well, Sandor"

Sandor nodded, his heart filled with gratitude for the old man, and said:

"If I ever return to this fucking cursed place, I promise to come back here. Try to stay alive, old man, so you can see I fulfilled my side of this bargain"

"I will do my best" the brother replied with a chuckle. No more words were exchanged, as Sandor turned and left. He glanced back one more time, to see the Elder Brother smiling sincerely. Sandor didn't meet many good men in his life: most of them were just as rotten as his Lannister masters, or just as wicked as the Mountain and his men, but the Elder Brother was something else. He went into the abyss and back, and became a better man, a good man. It gave Sandor hope that, while he wasn't as pure and good as the Little Bird, he could at least become somewhat better, for her sake.

They boarded the ship in the dead of night, silent, with their heads down in a convincing display of humility. Sansa and the healer were given private cabins, given their status as women of the faith. Sandor would stay bellow deck, with Stranger. The sailors didn't want to take the beastly horse aboard, but the issue was settled with a couple of silver coins. The trip was hell for Sandor: not only he hated to be on the sea, but he also had to stay apart from the Little Bird the whole time, stealing glances of her in the brief moments she went to the deck to catch some fresh air. This arrangement was settled when they made their preparations, on the eve of their departure. They had to be inconspicuous, so the less they interacted – with each other and with the sailors – the better. Sansa and Lyara mostly kept to their cabins, avoiding contact with the crew as best as they could. The fact that Lyara was sick also helped them keep away prying eyes, for no one wanted to risk their own health. As for Sandor, the sailors took him for a silent brother, so they left him alone. Sandor was dying to see the Little Bird, to talk to her, and touch her. But they were so close to being free, it would be madness to risk everything now. So he endured the long trip, drinking wine and sulking around the ship until one blissful day, a sailor cried "Land!".

Sandor never been away of Westeros, so he marveled at the sight of the city, and the massive sculpture that he remembered was called "The Titan of Braavos". The city was huge, maybe about as big as King's Landing, but at the same time it was very different, with its exotic and foreign architecture. When the ship approached, Sandor was able to get a better look at the Titan and saw that despite looking like a statue from afar, the Titan was actually a functional fortress, heavily guarded and looking capable of standing siege. It was really marvelous, he thought. He heard a familiar voice to his side saying:

"This is incredible! I never thought I would see something like this" said Sansa, looking at the fortified structure. Sandor took the opportunity to look at her closely, for the first time in weeks. She was as beautiful as he remembered, even donning the dull attire of a septa. Her frame was more than distinguishable underneath the robes, and although her head was covered by her cowl, he saw a few strands of reddish hair underneath. She was probably using some sort of flower or berry to dye her hair, but since their departure she didn't have time to take care of the issue, so the red was probably resurfacing. "Good" he thought "the fire suits her better anyway".

When they reached the docks, they gathered their belongings, and left the ship, with heavy cloaks covering their robes of the faith, so they looked just like regular people. Sandor was leading Stranger and the two women followed closely behind. Sandor was on guard all the time, to make sure they didn't run into danger of any kind. Braavos was reputed as a dangerous city, brimmed with thieves and all sorts of banditry. He found a somewhat decent inn, and after leaving Stranger in the stables, he entered, followed by Sansa and Lyara.

"Do you have rooms, old man?" Sandor asked the inn-keeper.

"Westerosi, aye? We do have rooms. How many do ya need?"

"Do you have conjoined rooms? My mother-in-law is sick, my wife will not want to leave her alone."

Sandor stole a glance at the Little Bird and Lyara. While the old healer smirked at his words, Sansa lowered her eyes. He didn't know if she was embarrassed or ashamed at his lie. Be as it may, she had to understand that their position was fragile at best: they were foreigners in a foreign place, and no matter how different the culture in Essos was, men were beasts anywhere. By tying Sansa – and Lyara – to himself, he lessened the odds that prying eyes or hands would wander their way.

"Aye, we do have that. Do you have coin? It is more pricey"

Sandor picked a few coins from his belt, putting them in front of the innkeeper.

"This should do for a few days at least"

"Aye, sir. My daughter will show you to your rooms".

They followed a small 14-year-old girl to the second floor of the inn. The rooms were pretty decent indeed, and should do fine while they figured what they were going to do. One of the rooms was bigger, with a double bed in the center, a large trunk and a washbasin. There was a door in one of the walls that led to a smaller room, with a single bed and a washbasin. Both rooms shared a balcony, with a small table and two chairs, from where one could see the port. Sandor left Lyara and Sansa, and went to the smaller room to change out of the silent brother robes. After he was done changing and cleaning up, he knocked on the door. After a few moments, the Little Bird opened, looking fresh and beautiful. She was wearing a simple blue dress, and her hair was loose, shinning with auburn in the afternoon light.

"Come in, Sandor" she said "Lyara is sleeping, but I am famished. I asked the maid to bring some food so we could eat away from the other costumers. Join me in the balcony"

Sandor nodded, and sat on one of the chairs, stealing glances at Sansa the whole time. After so many weeks not being able to properly see her, or talk to her, he was eager to have more and more of his Little Bird.

"Your hair… I missed seeing it like this"

"Oh" she said "yes, I think that the darker color started to fade away during the trip. It is still way darked then it used to be, but I suppose it will go back to red as time goes by."

Sandor nodded, and said:

"I like it better this way. Although with the dark hair you looked a bit more like a northerner"

"Yes, I suppose. There are not many redhead people in the North, except maybe among the Free Folk, so northerners think redheads are lucky. 'Kissed by fire', they say" Sansa answered, before looking mortified and adding:

"Oh, Gods, I am so sorry, it was a terrible thing to say… I don't know what I was thinking…"

"Hush, bird" Sandor answered "there's nothing to it."

Sansa smiled, a beautiful and genuine smile, before her expression became somber:

"What do we do now, Sandor? We had to leave Westeros; we had no choice. But… what now?"

"Now, I keep you safe." He said, in a serious tone. Truth be told, he didn't really have a plan when they fled Westeros in the dead of night. The only thing he had then was the primal urge to keep the birdie close to himself. He would die before he let Baelish put his nasty little fingers on Sansa again.

But the Little Bird was right, they had to figure out a plan. He cleared his throat and continued:

"Maybe I can find occupation as a sell sword or something, to earn the coin we need while we are here. It won't be much, but maybe enough for us to live. Don't fret, Sansa. You will be fine"

The Little Bird nodded, and said, in a more cheerful tone:

"Well, maybe I can find work as a healer. I can earn coin we surely will need, and also learn more about the craft. Lyara always said the healers of Essos are remarkable, I am sure there is much to discover around here"

Sandor nodded, agreeing.

"That's a sound plan. But you can't be Sansa Stark and I can't be Sandor Clegane. Braavos is far too close to Westeros. We need to lay low as much as we can."

"Well, I believe you took care of that already." The Little Bird said, in her sweet, cheerful voice. "Just like you told the innkeeper, I am your wife, and Lyara my ailing mother. My name will be Nerissa."

Sandor savored the name, and thought it wasn't too bad. Surely, her real name was way more beautiful, but they had to let go of that for the time being. Even using the name in private would be a bad idea, because old habits die hard, and they could easily slip and say the wrong name to the wrong people. So, he had to get used to call her Nerissa, as she chose. The Little Bird continued:

"Even though I really liked the name Alysanne, I know it wouldn't be a good pick, since it was the name I used in the Saltpans. Now you just have to choose another name for yourself, Sandor"

Sandor laughed and said:

"No, Little Bird, you pick one. Call me whatever the fuck you want, I'll play along."

"Hmmm…" She said, putting her little hands over her chin, as if she was thinking carefully on the matter. After a while her eyes grew big and she said:

"Alright, since you let me chose, we could call you Florian!"

Sandor shook his head vehemently, as he considered her words. Of course she would pick something from a fucking song, that Little Bird. But he absolutely refused to be insulted like that, and he said, angrily:

"No chance, Sansa. That's a cunt's name"

"Don't be rude, ser. And my name is Nerissa, who is this Sansa anyway?" she said smiling, and only then Sandor realized the girl was teasing him. She remembered what he said about Florian and Jonquil, ages ago, and she took the opportunity to mock him. This new Little Bird was full of surprises, he thought. Her old self would only cower and hide, and certainly she would never say something to provoke the Hound. Back then, it was smart of her to be cautious, and guarded. But that time was long gone, she was far away from Lions and Mockingbirds, and she seemed to trust him enough to make fun of his old angry demeanor. He always felt drawn to the Little Bird before, but now… he feared not even death would be enough to part him from her.

The corners of his mouth lifted in a smile – which was probably a horrible sight, but the girl's smile only widened. She trusted him, and there was no trace of fear in her eyes. After a while, she added:

"Alright, you don't want to be my Florian. But what about Jon? It is a common enough name; I don't think it would raise any suspicion."

He thought about it for a moment, and the idea sat well with him. He didn't miss the fact that she was using the name of her half-brother – the only family she had beside Arya. It was a familiar name for her, and it wasn't the name of a ghost, like Robb, or Eddard.

"Aye, that'll do."

"Now, my dear husband Jon, let's enjoy our meal while mother sleeps. We shall rest tonight, and tomorrow we explore the city and find ourselves work." the little bird said, and after raising a cup of wine, she added:

"To a bright future!"

"To a bright future" Sandor answered smiling. The Elder Brother was right. His future was just ahead of him.

Reviews, as always, are much appreciated.

Stay safe, everyone. I see you next week.

xX Amaya Xx