An Inconvenient Flame [Sandor Clegane]

Chapter 30 - Alone

I hadn't stopped at all before I felt I was far enough away. In my frantic state I had forgotten to pay attention to where I was going. The only thing on my mind was to get as far away as possible from Brienne and Podrick.

I stayed away from any roads that were big enough to house a wagon, it made me able to travel undisturbed for most of the time. It took me a few days to make sure I had lost Brienne and Podrick before I dared turn back. The lands had become slightly unfamiliar, and I cursed it out loud.

I was hopelessly lost.

I felt the hopelessness festered in me. What was I supposed to do now? I had been separated from Arya and Sandor, hopefully they were both alright. But something in me feared that Sandor wasn't. He had taken a tumble down the hill side. A tumble like that could easily kill you but he was a big man, maybe he made it.

I took me a fortnight just to return to the bloody gate and then circle back, the road that was somewhat familiar. The ten miles I had to travel felt unbelievably long, until I finally found the place where we had made camp. When I reached the place, I quickly searched the lands for any clues but found nothing in my searches.

Defeated, I threw myself down onto the ground and raised my knees to my chest before wrapping my arms around them. I tried to vanish when the emotions I had bottled up emerged. I was utterly alone. When my tears tried to emerge, something in me switched and I dried them away with an angry move of my hand. I knew Sandor had been protecting us, but that was over now. I needed to stop crying, I wasn't a helpless child anymore.

Sandor had taught me a lot, and I knew how to hunt for rabbits and the bare necessities to survive. I should be able to handle myself, I had done so for a fortnight already. With a frenzied shake of my head, I shook the hopelessness out of me and jumped to my feet. I needed to find Arya, not that she needed me, but I needed to know what had happened to her.

I moved out and found another place to make camp because dark had begun to swallow the lands. I had been lucky that evening and caught a rabbit. I dared make a small fire to get it cooked, however, that was my first mistake.

When a branch cracked, it alarmed me of the proximity of at least one other person. "Smell's nice." A voice broke through the night. I turned my head towards the voice but stayed crouched, hunched in alarm. My hand had found the handle of my sword underneath my cloak. They wouldn't be able to see it from here, which were to my advantage.

Beside the first man who had spoken, three other emerged around me. They had cornered me in before alarming me of their presence. "Let me take that off your hand. We're hungry and tired." The same man continued, and I shifted my attention to him. He stood leaned against a rock on my left side, his arms crossed against his chest.

From the moment I laid eyes on them, I mistrusted their motives. It was clear that they were poachers, they wouldn't hesitate to take what they wanted. My fingers tightened around the handle of my sword when I realized and quickly readied myself for whatever came next. "Why don't you go find your own food." I sneered at them quite bravely.