The Hound, The Imp, and The Cripple // Sandor Clegane

No FIRE

'Could be food.' Sandor said hopefully.

'could be soldiers.' Arya countered. One dying man sat in front of them, asked for drink

'dying is thirsty work.' The man said looking to their water pouch. sandor gave him some before killing him quickly.

'that's how you kill a man.' Sandor said putting his sword away, but a man jumped on his back and bit him, taking a chuck out of his flesh. sandor knocked him down killing him, kitty and arya stood frozen it had happened so fast. Sandor put a hand to his wound and turned to the next man. 'what the fuck are you doing?' he spat

'there is a price on your head.' The man admitted.

'that's what the king does when you tell him to fuck of.' Sandor muttered as kitty wobbled forward to sandor, he bent over and let her examine his wound. Deep.

'the kings dead. He drank poison wine at his own wedding.' The man informed sandor. 'the bounty on you is for killing Lannister soldiers. 100 silver.' The man admitted.

'and you thought you were going to collect it?' sandor asked. 'you didn't think very hard did ya?'

'you were Yorens prisoner when he was taking me to the wall. He told me he would fuck me bloody with a stick!' arya told them and Arya wanted the man dead.

'this day is really not working out the way you planned... is he on your little list?' sandor questioned.

'he cant be. I don't know his name.'

'Whats your name?' sandor asked.

'Rogue.' He said.

'thank you.' Arya let needle fly stabbing and killing the man.

'youre learning.' Sandor said as arya wiped her blade on the dead body.

*******************

'cunt... fucking hell...fuck...' sandor said as he tried to clean his wound. Kitty put a gentle hand on his wound trying to examine it better but sandor wiggled around at her touch.

'please stop moving sandor, I need to clean it.' Kitty told him trying to look at sandor wound.

'stop poking it!' he barked. 'it hurts.' He whispered.

'it hurts because that aweful man took a bite out of you. Now stop moving!' kitty demanded pulling him back to sit. 'Stop. Stay...' he stopped wiggling. 'good dog.' She teased. He smirked up at her kissing her.

'you are doing it wrong.' arya said 'you need to burn away that bit right there. otherwise its going to get infected and fester.' kitty knew arya was right but couldn't arya see that sandor didn't like fire. 'I know you don't like fire but if you don't do it right-'

'no fire.' Sandor told her.

'it will only take a second and it wont hurt that much.' Arya said picking up a stick and setting it aflame.

'no.' sandor told her and kitty took a step back things were about to get ugly.

'it will only hurt for a bit and then-' arya went on getting closer with the flame.

'NO FIRE!' he shouted and arya dropped the flame it extinguished in the grass. She picked up needle and started to sharpen it. Kitty took a step towards sandor again, looking over the wound but he stopped her. holding her in his lap.

'shut up about it,' he said holding Kitty close. 'shut up about everything. Thanks to you I'm a walking bag of fucking silver... anywhere the lannisters hold sway.... which is everywhere between where we are now and where we are going!'

'let me clean it, no fire required.' Kitty told him, softly but he kept going.

'I'm as stupid as that hog you stuffed back in the village. Getting myself cut and stabbed and bitten... no reward is worth this much trouble. Wish I never laid eyes on ya.' He looked down to kitty, big blue eyes looking up at him. 'If it was just us,' he informed her. 'we would far away by now, not trying to deliver the cunt to family.' Sandor told her.

'Lets just ditch her.' kitty offered with a grin. Arya shot her a glare but kitty ignored her, kittys focus on the wound, the blood dripping from sandors neck. She needed to clean it and wrap it.

'you say your brother gave you that sword... well my brother gave me this.' He pointed to his face. His scarred face. 'just like you said a while back. He pressed me to the fire like I was a nice juicy mutton chop.'

'Why?' arya asked.

'He thought I stole one of his toys. I didnt steal it I was just playing with it....' kitty sat in his lap as he spoke he ran a hand up and down her back. 'the pain was bad, the smell was worse. But the worst thing was my brother did it... my father protected him. And told everyone my bed had caught fire...' there was a long heartbreaking silence. kitty kissed his scarred cheek. 'you think you are alone...'

'I'm sorry sandor.' Arya said.

'aye well...' sandor focused on kitty, the world her whole family had been shit to her too and yet she still found a way to smile up at him like he was the best thing in the world. He never understood that. he never understood how someone so sweet could be raised in a place where everyone hated her, everyone treated her like shit. She was born that way, his brother made him this way. They were both outcasts, both tormented, they were two lost souls, two broken people that made each other whole again.

'now don't move, this is gonna hurt but I need to clean it and sew it up... that's the only way its ever gonna heal...' kity said softly, he nodded, she sat facing him on one of his knees. 'just give me a sqeeze if you need to but don't move.' Kitty insturcted. He pulled her lips to his. 'see you are already feeling better,' she said pouring the water over his wound. He squeezed her thigh but kept still as she cleaned and stitched, no fire required.