The One Less Traveled By

by hakunamatata134

Sandor Clegane is the fiercest warrior in all of Westeros. Men and women alike fear his name: the Hound and the face that matches his infamous reputation. Sandor cares for no one, loathes all people but there is one little bird that makes him want to care. When one unexpected event happens, will he get the opportunity to become Sandor again or will he remain the Hound forever.

13. Chapter 13

Note to reader: Though this is a long chapter, and it took me a few days to finish, you may feel I rushed the end of the chapter a little bit. I wanted to show on the journey to the Free Cities how much Sandor and Sansa have changed together, but I didn't want to center this story around their time on the vessel either. At the beginning of this chapter, they are about 6 weeks into the journey and by the end they've reached land. I consider this chapter to be about halfway through the rest of the story. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Chapter 13

Sandor awoke the next morning with a slight ache in his head as he opened his eyes. He figured it must be the aftereffects of the laced drink he had last night. He realized how fortunate he and Sansa were that he hadn't passed out cold, which must have been the plan, but Sandor was a large man, and it would take more than a coward's elixir to bring him down. He shifted his body some to make himself more comfortable and Sansa let out a sigh in front of him as he moved. He froze then, afraid he had awoken her but when she remained still and breathed deeply, he knew she was still asleep. He let himself enjoy the feel of her back flush against his front. She still had her nightgown on, and he was bare chested so the only thing keeping them from touching skin to skin was the thin material on her back. He knew this wasn't proper, but he couldn't find enough feeling inside him to care. Her frame was so small compared to his build. His shoulders were almost twice the width of hers and he would have to raise his knees if he were to have his entire body flush against hers due to how much longer he was than her. Sansa was a tall woman though. The top of most women's heads only reached to just under his chest, but Sansa reached just under this collarbone. He wrapped his arms around her tighter to enjoy the warmth and softness of her body until she woke up. He didn't think he could make himself move away from her now after the events from yesterday no matter how improper it might be.

When she began to stir, he relaxed the hold he had on her but didn't make any move to pull away. He knew if she pulled away from him though, he would do as she wished. She raised a hand to her face as she began to wake up and let out a soft yawn. When she winced suddenly, Sandor almost jumped out of his skin but then he remembered the source of her pain; Mal or one of the other bastards had struck her. Red began clouding his vision then as he clenched his molars together. Those fucking bastards had touched what wasn't theirs to touch. They had hurt what was his to protect. Deep down Sandor knew he had failed her; he had failed her friend too. Though he wasn't sworn to the woman, Cara was Sansa's friend, and she was quite fond of her female companion. Surprisingly, he actually felt sympathy for the woman for what had happened to her. He didn't normally care much about what happened to anyone except Sansa, but Cara had suffered a great deal in what must have been a relatively short amount of time. He knew based on the sight of one of the other men's britches being unlaced and her bloodied face that she had been raped by more than just the one man. Sick fucking bastards. What Sandor couldn't understand, but was blessedly relieved by, is Sansa had remained unmolested. Mal had claimed he hadn't violated her, and the other three men had been next to Cara, not Sansa. Knowing Mal had been infatuated with Sansa, why hadn't he already violated her? Perhaps Sansa had put up more of a fight than Mal had been expecting. Sandor wouldn't ask her about the assault though; he would allow her to tell him at her own pace.

As Sansa became more awake, she seemed to be confused where she was and when she looked over her shoulder at him, she just blinked at him. He remained still, ready to pull away but then she gave a small smile to him and relaxed again against his extended arm under her head. She breathed in deeply seeming content and Sandor resisted giving out a relieved breath of his own. They lay there like that for a while with his arm draped over her torso in silence. It seemed the two of them just wanted to enjoy a few moments of comfort together before they had to face the rest of the world. Sandor knew by now that someone must have noticed at least one the men missing, or they would notice soon enough. He wasn't sure what the reaction from the others would be, but he really didn't give one fuck. He did what any decent man would do to rats like them. No matter the consequences he'd do it all over again and smile with delight. A small sneer went across this face then as he thought of the horror in Mal's eyes as he gutted him and the panic lacing his face as he cut his genitals.

Sansa moved some then to adjust her position and Sandor lazily kept his right arm draped across her as she moved. She lay on her back now in front of him and he moved his left arm to prop his head on his hand as he looked down at her. He swallowed heavily when he saw the bruise on her left eye. It was dark and purple all the way from her cheekbone to just above her brow. Though the bruise looked dark and daunting, it didn't make her look any less beautiful. He reached his right hand up then and slowly traced the outer barrier of the bruise. As he delicately traced his fingers over her face, he followed his eyes with his fingers, and he could see she was watching him from the corner of his eye. He then moved his fingers to run through her hair against her scalp and watches as the auburn strands went through his thick fingers. He was captivated by her, and he guessed he was just enthralled with the fact she was here in front of him like this and allowing him to touch her this way. After seeing the position she had been in yesterday beneath Mal, he was relieved she was laying right here next to him unsoiled. He locked his eyes with hers then as he continued stroking the strands of her hair and she had a transfixed look in her eyes as he did. Then, without giving it too much thought, he slowly lowered his head to press his lips against hers. He knew yesterday's events may still have her shaken so he was tentative with his approach. He felt a heat build in his chest as she moved her lips against his and when she extended her tongue to touch his, he groaned deep in his throat. He was surrounded by her feminine scent and her sweet taste, and he'd never felt more serene than he did in this moment. As he kissed her and she kissed him back, he absorbed all that she was allowing him to take. The more she gave to him the more he was giving back to her. When she wrapped both arms around his neck, he did the same around her small frame as he leaned his body over hers. His kisses became deeper and more possessive then and he knew he was on dangerous grounds, but he couldn't pull away from her in this moment. He tilted his head from one side to the other as he tried possessing all of her mouth. He was becoming more insistent with his movements as his body was demanding he absorb all of her through his mouth on hers. He moved his mouth away from hers then to kiss her under her jaw and then her neck. He was breathing hard as he attached his lips to her neck and collarbone, and he groaned even deeper in his throat then.

He continued his assault on her neck and then went back to her lips but when he felt her move her arms from around his neck to place her hands against his chest and gave a slight push, he immediately removed his lips from her and jerked his head up. He looked down at her and she seemed shocked and a bit dazed as she looked up at him. As he looked at her, he saw that her lips were pink and swollen, and there were small pink marks scattered across her neck. He realized then that he had gone too far, and his raging erection was evidence of that. He immediately rolled away from her to sit up on the bed to try to clear his head. Fuck, he never lost control. He rubbed his hand across his face then to try to grasp reality and calm the lust he was feeling for her. He had been so wrapped up in his own need for her and the feeling of relief she was safe now that he had momentarily forgotten she was just a maid who had no experience with any of this. She isn't ready for a possessive assault from a man like him; she doesn't deserve it either.

He felt her sit up in bed behind him and she placed her hand on his bicep. He turned his head to her then from across his shoulder and said with a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry, Sansa. I… I just lost my head for a moment. It won't happen again." And he knew it wouldn't. He wanted her and some small part of her evidently wanted him too, but they couldn't continue this way. It was impossible.

She moved her body closer to his then and he almost groaned audibly. "Don't apologize, I don't mind really… I just don't really know what I'm doing… that's all."

He scoffed then, "Of course you don't know what you're doing, you're just a fucking maid and I'm some vicious dog who's taking advantage of you especially given what happened yesterday. I don't know why you would even give me the time of day like this."

He felt her tense behind him, and he almost regretted his words by mentioning the assault. She gave an unladylike huff behind him. After a moment, she moved from behind him to stand directly in front of him, then with conviction and hands on her hips she said to him, "Sandor Clegane, I told you once to not call yourself a dog. You are not a dog. You're my sworn shield and one of the only friends I have left in the world. I trust you more than I've ever trusted anyone! I feel safe with you. I have never shared with anyone, body or mind, what I've shared with you since we set out on this voyage, and I'll not be sorry for it. You have not taken advantage of me! I may not know all the ways of the world but I'm not that same little, ignorant girl you knew back in King's Landing, and I'll not continue to be treated like I'm some porcelain doll!" She was becoming animated now as she moved her arms this way and that and was even pointing her finger in his face as he stared at her dumbstruck. "What happened yesterday will take time for me to process yes, but it's not the first time a man has attacked me or beaten me. I was beaten by Meryn Trant and all the others my entire stay at King's Landing, and you know that better than anyone else. But you were the only one who never raised a hand to me and even though I was frightened of you once, I know now that you would never hurt me." There was fire in her eyes then and Sandor almost grinned at her conviction but then he thought better of it. "And I'll tell you one more thing, Sandor Clegane, what happened to Cara and I yesterday was not your fault. You were deceived by a very wicked man who was going to risk whatever it took to get what he wanted. What those men did to Cara is unspeakable and I'm glad the bastards are dead… If it hadn't been for you, they would have done the same to me."

She looked troubled mentioning Cara and what had happened, but she crossed her arms across her chest then and continued staring at him as he tried processing what all she had to say. She seemed enraged that he had stated he was taking advantage of her, and she evidently understood that as him believing she was too naïve to know any better. Sansa had opened up to him in the past few weeks and she was becoming more like herself, but she had never spoken with this much conviction towards him before. He did grin then realizing he had witnessed her wolf for the first time.

"I guess you did have a little she-wolf in you after all then." He continued grinning at her, but she just continued staring at him with the same conviction. He dropped his smile then and sighed heavily. "Sansa, I don't think you're some silly girl anymore. I know you're a woman grown and you're stronger than I give you credit for most days, but we must be careful. I took you away from King's Landing to protect you and give you a chance to be in a safe place away from the Lannisters and away from the war. I didn't bring you with me so we could act freely with any desires we might have. I've allowed this to be taken too far but I know what the consequences are if this reaches Westeros' ears. What do you think will happen to me or to you if your brother finds out we've been this intimate together? Or what do you think will happen if you return to Winterfell no longer a maid, hm?" She looked away from him uncertainly then and she had a small blush starting at her cheeks. "I'll tell you what will happen. Your brother will take my head, or if I'm lucky send me to the Wall. He'll then marry you off to any man who would be willing to marry a woman ruined by the Hound. That's not the life you want, Sansa. You've tasted your freedom here but once we get back to Westeros you will return as Lady Sansa, highborn sister of the King in the North, and I'll return as Sandor Clegane, the Hound born of a lower house." She knitted her brows together then and didn't seem to like what he said but he could see she saw the truth in it. "It's only the reality of the world, Sansa. It's the reality of our circumstances."

He continued looking at her and she seemed to think on what he said. She sighed then and nodded to him. "I guess you're right… it's just not fair."

"Life isn't fair." He said simply.

She looked rejected at his statement, but she suddenly looked nervous and the strong woman who had been before him only moments ago was no longer in front of him. She was looking anywhere except his face now. "S-Sandor, I know not what has changed in only a short amount of time, but I do not see you as the Hound like I did once before… You have changed… or maybe I've changed enough that I now see the man underneath the persona... It's not just because you saved me so many times now that has changed my view, but it's been all the moments in between..." He continued watching her as she was growing increasing more nervous and embarrassed by her speech, but she seemed to be determined to finish. "I-I will not claim I understand you as a man… but I feel like I know you now. And that man that I know isn't the bitter, angry Hound I once thought you to be. He's someone who can be kind and chivalrous when it's warranted. He's someone who can weep and has the courage to show his faults to me. I feel like you're the only person who's never lied to me or tried to hide your true self from me… It scares me the feelings that are growing deep inside me, but I also don't want them to go away… I was only a shell of myself in King's Landing and now I feel more myself than ever before, and I'm not willing to give up on that part of myself... You have been the cause of this change in me, and I'll be forever grateful to you for bringing me back to myself… I-I don't know if I was truly alive before I laid eyes on you."

Sandor was too shocked to respond to her statements. He knew she had been changing since they departed on the vessel, but he didn't know she gave him full credit for her change. The thought was ridiculous to him. Yes, he's always been there to tell her the brutal truth and open her eyes to the reality around her but the changes she's seen in herself was more due to having the freedom to be herself again than because of him. He didn't understand her rationale for seeing him this way but he didn't think he should argue with her on this. He could see while looking at her nervous countenance now that it had taken a lot of courage to make these statements to him, and he adored her more for it.

He rose then to place his hands on her arms as she continued looking away with a blush on her neck and face. "Aye, we have both changed since setting sail all those weeks ago and we've both been the cause of the change in each other… I don't want to lose that either." She looked up at him tentatively then and gave him a small smile. He grinned down at her then which he knew pulled on his scars, but she didn't even seem to notice. He pulled her closer to him then and put both hands under her armpits to raise her to him as he lowered his head to kiss her once more. She put her arms around his neck again and he kissed her deeply for several moments before returning her to the floor. She blushed at him then and he just quirked his mouth at her.

A knock sounded at the door as she was opening her mouth to say something more. Hearing the knock, he immediately moved her behind him and told her to stay hidden from sight as he went to grab his sword belt. He looked back at Sansa to ensure she would be out of the line of sight then opened the door a few inches. A man Sandor recognized as one of the sailormen was standing there looking a nervous wreck.

"The captain requires your audience, Clegane." The man tried to hide the quiver in his voice as he spoke, but Sandor had to give the man some credit for trying to speak with authority to him.

"What the fuck does he want?" He seethed at him.

The sailorman looked even more nervous now but determinedly stated to him, "Four men were found dead, one quite… maimed below deck and he wished to speak with you about the matter."

Sandor was a little surprised they had discovered the bodies already but then he knew someone was bound to notice them missing or someone would stumble upon them eventually. He sighed then and addressed the man at the door. "Aye, just give me a moment."

He returned in the room and shut the door. He reached for his knapsack and pulled on a tunic. Sansa looked nervous then and was wringing her and biting her bottom lip. "What do you think will happen? Will they punish you for killing the men?"

As he was lacing his boots, he shrugged at her. "I don't know, Sansa. I don't know the rules of the ship and I butchered that cunt Mal so viciously it's not like I could claim self-defense." He chuckled at his own jest, but Sansa flinched at his statement. As he finished lacing up his boots, he approached her then and placed his hands on her arms. "Everything will be fine, Sansa. The captain will want to hear the accounts and I doubt he will take any serious action once he finds out what the men did to you and Cara." She nodded to him then, but she didn't look too convinced. "Listen to me now. When I leave, I want you to latch the door behind me and do not open that door for anyone except me. I'll be as quick as I can." She nodded again at him, and he had half a mind to give her another kiss on her lips in farewell, but he decided against it.

When he was standing outside the door and had closed it behind him, he didn't depart until he heard her latch the door. The sailorman looked frightened, and Sandor wondered if he had seen the bodies. Looking at his pale face, Sandor surmised that he had. He followed the man through the halls until they reached the captain's quarters. The sailorman knocked on the door then opened it for Sandor to enter once he was beckoned in. The captain was sitting at a small desk in front of him as Sandor entered and two of the other sailormen were standing to his right. As they entered the captain waved for them to enter and then set down the parchment he was holding. The man looked tired, and Sandor could see he was becoming increasingly nervous as he looked at him.

Without any formalities, the captain asked Sandor bluntly. "This morning, four men were found murdered below deck. Two had their arms cut off, one was beaten to a bloody pulp, and the other was butchered and castrated. Did you have anything to do with these butcheries, Clegane?"

Sandor had to give the man some credit for looking him straight in the face and not allowing his voice to waver even with beads of sweat starting to develop at his temples. He looked at the captain and stated lazily, "Aye."

The captain looked a little taken aback at his confession but recovered quickly. "Might I ask what the reason for you to slaying these men?"

"They kidnapped Cara and Lady Sansa last night while the men were gathered in the mess hall. They had laced my drink with some sedative but I'm a big bastard who isn't easy to put down. At least two of them beat and raped Cara, and I got there just in time before they violated Lady Sansa. I cut the arms off two men who came after me with blades then left the one who was raping his wife to Hermes. Then I gutted the bastard who was about to rape Lady Sansa… I cut his cock off for good measure."

The captain looked shocked and horrified by his explanation. He seemed to not have any response to that but then he addressed him, "Gods, that's deplorable! I hope you know Clegane that I do not tolerate rape on my ship and I'm sorry to hear this happened under my watch… How are the women doing?"

Sandor scoffed at that. "How do you think they're doing?"

"Quite right, Clegane. Do they need a maester? I can send a maester to your rooms right away."

"Lady Sansa escaped without too much harm other than a black eye… but Cara might need some tending to."

The captain stood from his chair then and spoke to the sailorman behind Sandor. "Go fetch Maester Flynn and send him to Hermes' cabin." Sandor heard the door open then close behind him. The captain was pacing behind his desk while seeming to be thinking intensely. He turned to address Sandor again. "This is quite the mess. As you may know Clegane, murder isn't permitted at sea. Maritime law requires any man who commits murder to be hanged." Sandor snarled at the man then and placed his palm on the pommel of his sword. The captain's eyes immediately bulged as the other men seemed to shift uneasily next to him. He added hastily then, "But I do not permit rape or kidnapping and beating women on my ship either. The men would have received severe punishments had you not killed them I can assure you… The maritime laws are quite strict and for good reason, but I do not wish to punish you for saving to helpless females, especially the one who is your charge." Sandor slowly removed his hand from his pommel then and the captain was visibly relieved. "You may return to your room now Clegane and you won't be required to return to any of your duties on deck until you have tended to your affairs with the women… I'm quite troubled to hear these accounts."

Sandor just nodded at the man without a word and left to return to Sansa. Before returning to the room though, he stopped by the kitchens to get him and Sansa something to eat. It was quite late in the morning and since neither of them had any dinner last night he was sure Sansa was as famished as he was. When he entered the kitchens, Hermes was collecting bread and cheeses while stuffing them in a sack at his side. When he saw Sandor standing there, he stopped his movements. Both men just looked at each other for a while. The man looked miserable. He had dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't slept and his hair was a mess on his head. Sandor wasn't sure what to say to the man and was relieved when Hermes spoke first.

"How is Sansa?" His voice sounded hoarse.

"She will be fine. She has a black eye but other than that seems unharmed." Hermes nodded at that, and Sandor knew he needed to inquire about Cara. He was dreading hearing the state of the woman. "How bad is she?"

Hermes gave exasperated sigh at that. "It's not good, Sandor. When I got her back to the room, she didn't even want me to touch her. She kept pushing my hands away and she was sobbing uncontrollably. When she finally did let me near her, she just sobbed even more… I've only seen my wife cry once and that was when her mother died but I've never seen her so distressed and anguished like this. It broke my heart seeing her in that state. She finally fell asleep, exhausted by the events and from crying so much. She kept waking up every thirty minutes or so and eventually we both gave up sleep… I held her as she told me what happened." He looked at Sandor then. "She was raped by three of them. Three of the bastards raped my wife. She said they laughed while they did it." He hiccupped then and went back to gathering food to distract himself. "She saved Sansa from being raped you know. Mal, the bastard, was fixated on the girl but Cara loves Sansa, so she taunted Mal to take her first. It must have worked since he was the first to violate her… By the time we got there, Mal hadn't even had the time yet to get himself hard again to get to Sansa."

Sandor realized this was the most Hermes has ever spoken in one time to him. He couldn't fully comprehend what he said about Cara saving Sansa. He knew the woman had some grit and courage after she had chastised him when he had been a drunken fool, but he never thought her feelings for Sansa ran this deep. The women had known each other only a short amount of time but they seemed to have some bond that Sandor didn't understand. He realized then too that had Cara not sacrificed herself for Sansa then by the time he got there it would have been too late for her. The realization caused a pain in his gut he couldn't describe; it felt like a mix between guilt and utter failure. He had sworn an oath to Sansa that he would protect her and never fail her, and he had broken that oath. He knew then that he had to ensure he fulfilled his oath fully to her and he would start by teaching her how to fight. He would arm her with all the knowledge he had and though she may not be able to go toe to toe with a man, she would be ready to defend herself when he couldn't be there.

"I'm grateful your wife was so selfless for Sansa's sake but I'm sorry we couldn't have been there sooner… I just came from the captain's quarters and explained what happened. It doesn't appear we will get punished for murdering the bastards. The captain is also sending a maester to your cabin to tend to your wife."

At hearing that, Hermes just nodded and left with the bag full of food. Sandor went in and grabbed some bread, cheese, dried meat and two waterskins to take back to their room. When he returned, Sansa had dressed in one of the blue dresses Cara had given her and was pacing back and forth. At seeing him, she looked at him expectantly and he told her there would be no punishment for the murders. She gave a sigh of relief at that then fixed her eyes on the food hungrily. Since neither had eaten in some time, they both gobbled up their food relatively quickly without speaking. He leaned back against the wall on his bed with his legs crossed when he finished, and just looked at Sansa who was still eating some bread in her bed across from him.

"Sansa." She looked up at him then. "The attack from yesterday didn't just happen because I had been tricked by Mal and the other men; it happened because I wasn't there when they came. I realize now that I can't be with you every hour of each day and I can't fail you again by not having you ready for when it may happen again." Sansa knitted her brows and seemed to be confused by his statement. "We don't know the land or the people in the Free Cities and I may not be as equipped to detect a threat as quickly there as I could in Westeros… I want to train you to fight. I want to show you how to use a blade, how to use your body to fight against a man, how to use strategy when you find yourself in a threatening situation. I am your sworn shield, and I gave an oath that I would protect you against all those who would do you harm. I plan to do that now by giving you the skills you need to protect yourself against someone who might mean you harm."

Sansa looked surprised by his declaration then knitted her brows at him. "You want to train me to fight? I don't know anything about fighting other than some rough play I used to do with my brothers back when I was much younger… I-I don't think it's proper for a lady to be trained to fight."

He suddenly grew angry at that. "Sansa, there are plenty of things that aren't proper for a lady to be doing but it hasn't stopped you before." She flinched at his statement as if he'd slapped her. Fuck. He always talked to bloody rough. "What I mean to say is, now isn't the time to be thinking about what is or isn't proper for a lady. This is about survival. This is about preventing what happened to Cara from happening to you. I will protect you as long as there is breath left in my body and blood in my veins as I swore to you but you must allow me to fulfil that duty by training you. I won't always be there or I may be outnumbered one day so you need to know how to fight."

She looked increasingly troubled as he spoke but he could see the wheels turning in her head as she thought on his reasoning. She sat up a little straighter then and lifted her chin. "Alright, you are my sworn shield and if this is what you wish and what is your duty then so be it."

He breathed out a sigh of relief then that she was more rational now than she'd once been. If he had made this proposition two months ago she would have flat out refused. "Good." He rose then and pulled the blade from his boot. "We start now." He extended the handle of the blade to her expectantly.

She looked at the handle then back at him then the handle with wide eyes. "You want to do this now? We can't now, I must go see Cara. She needs me Sandor."

He wasn't sure how he needed to respond but he knew he needed to be delicate with her to not cause her too much distress. "I don't think that's a good idea Sansa." She was about to object to that, but he continued, "It's not a good idea… Cara is… Cara went through a traumatic experience and though she will need you, right now she needs to be with her husband and heal. Hermes will take care of his wife, but you don't need to see her like this… She wouldn't want it anyway. Just give her a few days."

Tears began pooling in her eyes then and her bottom lip trembled. "Is she truly that bad?"

"I haven't seen her, but I ran into Hermes in the kitchens… I think it's best if we give her some time."

She nodded then and wiped away a fallen tear from her cheek with her fingers. Sandor was still holding the blade out to her and she looked at it then as if it was a snake waiting to strike. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly then rose and grabbed the handle. He started by showing her how to hold the handle and how much grip she needed. He watched how she moved it this way and that when he instructed her to, and he knew then this would be a challenge for him.

For the next few weeks, Sandor was relentless with their training. For the first few days, she was awkward, slow, unsure and almost completely hopeless to train. If her arm started to ache or she grew frustrated with her lack of skill, she would whine and complain which only furthered his anger. Though he still treated her as the woman he knew her to be when they weren't training and even stole some kisses when the need overwhelmed him, he would treat her as he would with any of the men when they were training. He would yell at her, chastise her weaknesses, and grow increasingly angry at her lack of progress. He felt guilty when she would get tears in her eyes from his rough tongue, but he had to harden her if she was going to be successful. After four days of training with little progress, he decided they would take one day off so she could visit her friend and give her a break from his relentless fortitude. When Sandor first saw Cara, he was surprised at the feeling deep within himself at the sight. She was laid in bed looking weak and tired. She had two black eyes and one was almost completely swollen shut. Her lip was split, and she had bruises scattered across her neck and arms. He felt a pain deep in his gut knowing this could have easily been Sansa. When Sansa first saw her friend, she had gasped then let out a sob as she rushed to her side. When the two women began weeping together, Sandor and Hermes left the room to give the women time alone. It was sometime later when Sansa emerged from the room and the expression on her face looked that of renewed purpose. When they had returned to the room that night, she had locked eyes with Sandor and told him she never wanted to let what happened to Cara to happen to her.

Their training progressed rather quickly after that. Sandor had continued his duties working as a working hand for the ship after a few days and Sansa spent her time when he was working to be with Cara, but their evenings and on into the late nights was devoted to training. Eventually she was doing well enough with the blade that he wanted to show her some moves in defense if she found herself without a weapon. The room they had was too small for much movement though so they eventually moved outside to the upper deck each evening to train. She was slow and awkward with her movements at first and was unbalanced on her feet but she eventually was able to move with grace as she deflected his swings even if she was still too slow. One day she almost fell over her skirts as she used a move he had shown her. She had become frustrated and said she hated the "blasted" dress and he had just chuckled at her. The next day he was able to convince Jamie to let him have a pair of britches and tunic since he was about Sansa's size in height and build. When he presented the attire to Sansa, she was quite reluctant but then nodded her agreement to wear the trousers. When she emerged from the room after dressing, he almost felt guilty seeing her dressed as a man rather than the lady she was, but he knew this was necessary for her training. After that, Sansa quickly became quite skilled deflecting his attacks and even attacking in offense though she still hadn't landed a blow to him. He showed her the weaknesses in a man's body by using himself as a canvas. He showed her the easiest way to kill a man with her blade at the heart or neck, and showed her how she needed to position the blade if the man was wearing armor or even when he wasn't. He told her she lacked the strength to defeat a man but she could gain speed and agility to use as her advantage.

Soon, word had gotten out that the Hound was training the Lady Sansa and some of the men would come to sit a distance away to watch them. Sandor had been irritated at that but when he saw some of the men taken aback and surprised at her skill, he decided this could be used for her advantage to let anymore lustful men know she wasn't one to be trifled with. After over two weeks of training, Sansa was becoming so quick and efficient with her movements that he found he was actually starting to truly try to hit her as she deflected his hands. His chest burst with pride knowing she had come such a long way in a short amount of time. He also knew though that he wouldn't ever truly harm her and she needed to test her skills on someone who would truly attack her so he could watch how she did. He knew he needed to find someone who would attack her for true but wouldn't be seeking to do her any serious harm or trying to prove anything. He then knew the perfect person who wouldn't be able to refuse him.

He approached Hamish alone on the lower deck as they were putting away more barrels. As Hamish was turning to pick up another barrel he addressed him, "Hamish, I need to ask a favor from you."

This immediately peeked Hamish's interest and he nodded earnestly. "Aye, anything."

He swallowed a little but knew he couldn't turn back now. "I want you to fight Sansa."

Hamish looked at him like he had sprouted a second head. "You what? You want me to fight Sansa? Whatever for? I thought you were her shield."

"Aye, I am her shield and that's why I'm asking you. Her training has progressed better than I expected but she needs a real opponent she can test her skills on… She knows I wouldn't ever truly attack her so she knows she doesn't have to be on her guard as much with me."

Hamish seemed to think on that then he looked Sandor from head to toe and shook his head. "I'm sorry Sandor but I can't do that."

He immediately became irritated then mocked the man, "What is it Hamish? Are you afraid some little girl will beat you."

Hamish looked at him seriously then, "It's not the girl I worry about, it's you."

"What the fuck does that mean? You won't be fighting me."

Hamish rolled his eyes at him then. "Really? And what will happen if she can't defend herself and I punch her in the face or slice her hand with a blade, hm? You don't think I'll be fighting you then? I know what you did to Mal when you found him attacking her and I'll not welcome that fate upon myself."

Sandor thought he had a point there. Sansa had improved greatly in the last few weeks, but he wasn't sure how she would do against a real attack. He also wasn't sure what he would do if she did get hurt by Hamish, but he knew this was necessary. She needed this, he needed this. "I won't say seeing her getting hurt won't boil my blood, but I'll swear to you now I will do you no harm if Sansa is struck down. I need to see how she does against a man. I need to watch her movements and see where she needs to improve. I know you won't seek to cause her any harm and that's why I'm asking you, not someone else… I saved your life Hamish, the least you can do is help me save hers."

Hamish looked serious again at that and seemed to be weighing his options. He nodded to Sandor then and stated, "Fine. I'll do it but if she gets hurt it won't be my doing. I should warn you I've been in plenty of street brawls in my time so I may not be a warrior like yourself, but I know my way around a fight."

Sandor took a deep breath at that. This would be for the best, he reminded himself. "Good, she's ready for it. Don't hold back once you get started. There won't be any weapons, just hands. I want to see how she does and see if fighting for true will scare her enough to lose focus on what she's learned."

When he returned to Sansa after speaking with Hamish to let her know of his plans, she had at first completely refused. She got nervous and stated she wasn't ready to fight, but Sandor had told her with confidence that she was ready now and she needed to test her abilities for true. She had seemed reluctant for a while but eventually agreed. Soon, the entire ship had learned about the fight between Sansa and Hamish. Hamish must have spread the word across the ship and Sandor wasn't sure if it was because he wanted to have more witnesses there if Sandor did attack him or to give the men a show. Either case, when Sandor and Sansa got to the upper deck outside, almost the entire crew of men were waiting in anticipation. Sansa stood next to him dumbstruck at all the spectators and began biting her lower lip. She had the same tunic and britches on she had been wearing, and her hair was braided long down her back to keep it out of her way, but no one could confuse the sight of her for a man.

Hamish broke away from the crowd then and was giving Sansa an arrogant, wide smile as he pumped his arms to get the blood flowing. At seeing Hamish's expression, Sansa turned to Sandor then with a look of panic in her eyes. "Sandor, I can't do this. With everyone watching and Hamish…" She turned to peer at the man again who was still sporting his arrogant grin. "W-Well look at him! He's much bigger than me and he looks like he wants to rip my head off!"

Sandor grabbed her arm then and pulled her away from the crowd then grabbed her upper arms almost too hard and gave her a slight shake. "You need to focus Sansa. I don't want to hear anymore of your feminine whining. If you're not focused that man over there will have you down in a matter of seconds. I've trained you for a moment like this and you can do this. I wouldn't have done all this if I didn't think you were ready." She still look incredulous as she peered at Hamish across her shoulder. "Look at me." She looked up at him with a little less fear in her eyes than before. "Remember what I've taught you. When you feel the fear and hopelessness gripping you what do you do?"

Something seemed to dawn on her then at his statement. Sandor, each night would repeat to her word for word what she should do if she felt any fear or pain distracting her from her task. She would do what he had mastered after all these years. She would remain calm. She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes with a determined expression then said to him in a whisper. "I relax."

"Aye, you relax. Close your eyes. Good…" He let go of her then and looked down at her as she breathed deeply with closed eyes. "I'm not here, he's not here. Let your body and mind relax. Breathe. Good… You ready?"

With her eyes closed she stated calmly, "Yes."

"Can you lose?"

She said with no doubts, "No."

"Can he hurt you?"

"No." She whispered.

"Even though he's bigger?"

"He's a lot bigger."

"Even though he's stronger?"

"He's a lot stronger."

"If he hits you…"

"No way."

"Tell me why."

"It takes twice as much energy to swing and miss than to swing and hit."

"So how do you win?" She seemed to hesitate then as her eyebrows knitted. He sneered at her, frustrated. "How?"

"I attack." She opened her eyes and looked at him with a blank but determined fire in her eyes.

"And what do you do after you attack?"

"Nothing."

"Why nothing?"

"Because I never stop attacking."

He continued staring in her eyes then and nodded at her. She took one last long, deep breath in and let it out slowly before she made her way to Hamish. She had a blank, calm expression on her face and Hamish was still grinning from ear to ear at her and began cracking him knuckles to intimidate her. She raised her hands then palms facing him. Hamish glanced to Sander then and Sandor gave him a curt nod.

At that Hamish charged her and she sidestepped him easily as he stumbled a bit in the open air. Some of the men chuckled at that but Sandor was staring intently at Sansa who was still remaining calm. Good girl. Hamish went after her again and raised a fist to her face that she quickly pushed away with the back of her hand, then punched him hard in his left jaw. Hamish staggered back and stood for a moment startled at her quickness and the force behind the blow. Then he went after her again with gusto. Sansa was able to sidestep or deflect each one of his intended blows, and Sandor watched her feet that were remaining apart at the width he had been instructing her and watched how she twisted and angled her body based on the position of the man in front of her. As they continued their little dance and Hamish was becoming more and more aggravated as he got slapped or punched and he hadn't delivered a single blow, Sandor grinned wide. She was able to use her small frame to her advantage and was gaining quickness as she continued being attacked. He could see she was becoming more tired, but he could also see she was breathing as he had instructed her if she felt winded. She was doing better than he had expected.

Hamish let out a loud expletive in frustration and suddenly lowered his shoulder to tackle her. Sandor had taught her what to do in this situation as well and as Hamish got closer, she put her hand at the back of his neck and pushed down hard as she side stepped him. Though the move was effective, and Hamish fell to the ground, she caught her foot against his shoulder as she moved, and she back fell with him. Hamish let out a frustrated roar and went to her on the ground to straddle her hips and placed his hands around her neck.

A few of the men stepped forward as if to intervene but Sandor roared to them, "Don't!" The men immediately stopped in their tracks but didn't move away as they stared in concern. Sandor remained calm though. Even though he had only shown her this move twice and both times while only standing up, he wanted to see how she handled herself before intervening. He saw a look of panic seize her face then as Hamish's hands reached her neck but Sandor shouted loud enough for her to hear. "Relax, Sansa… Can you lose?"

She blinked and even though it took longer than Sandor liked, the panic seemed to slowly dissipate on her face and was replaced by determination. She stated back flatly while looking at Hamish in the eyes. "No." She was able to get her right arm free then then she moved her arm in front of her and over his hands at her neck. She rotated her upper body with the motion as she pressed her arm down hard against his hands until they slowly detached around her throat. She then used her elbow to hit him hard in the face twice and when he took his hands away from her to reach to his face, she punched him with a yell across his left temple. Hamish fell over then and was groaning as he clutched his head. Sansa sprang up quickly waiting for another attack but Hamish looked at her then after a few moments as he sat up on the ground. The man then started to chuckle which slowly turned into laughing. The man had blood running down one eye and he grabbed his ribs to laugh like an utter mad man. Sansa just stared at him confused while still standing in her fight stance.

"By the gods, girl." Hamish stated while still laughing. "You've bludgeoned me! Who would've thought it!" He continued laughing at that and then some of the other men began chuckling and pretty soon everyone was laughing and calling out praises to her. Sansa relaxed some at that and Sandor placed his heavy hand on her shoulder. She jumped a little when he touched her but when she looked up at him and saw the pride he knew reflected in his eyes, she gave him a wide smile.

The men started gathering around then giving her congratulations and some were wanting to know when they could have a go with her, but Sandor stated flatly, "That'll be all for today." He pulled her to him then and away from the animated crowd. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "You did well Sansa. Better than I expected you to do… I'm proud of you." He pulled away from her then and she gave him another radiant smile. She opened her mouth to say something to him when they heard the bell ring from above them.

Sandor looked up to see one of the watchmen ringing the sounding bell while pointing at the orange horizon. "Land! Land! Land ahead."

All eyes turned to the direction the man was pointing and after a few moments, Sandor saw in the distance a long, shallow object that indicated they had in face reached land. Sansa turned to him then in amazement. "We made it." She breathed the statement in wonder. "We actually made it, Sandor!"

He continued looking down at her absorbing all of her face in his mind was the orange backdrop from the setting sun made her hair look like wild fire. He quirked his mouth at her then and said to her, "Aye, that we have."