Picture to Burn // Sandor Clegane (2)

37. Scary Cute

'Could be food.' Arya said hopefully.

'could be soldiers.' Sandor countered.

'Could be food.' Avalon agreed. 'lets go.' But it wasn't. 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, mercy kill. Arya glared back at him. 

'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, Avalon 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 Avalon moved forward to sandor, he bent over and let her examine his wound. Deep. Painful. Bloody.

'Oh Sandor.' Avalon whispered her fingers grazing along the outside of the wound.

'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. Avalon looked between them curiously. Sandor and Arya being civil while discussing murder, interesting.

'he cant be. I don't know his name.' Arya corrected bitterly. 

'Whats your name?' sandor demanded.

'Rogue.' He said confidently.

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

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

"You two are a scary sort of cute together." Avalon remarked. 

+

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

"Let me see, I have a gentle touch, I will be so very careful." Avalon coed but he wriggled away. "Sandor," she brought a hand to his scarred cheek.

'stop poking it!' he barked. 'it hurts.' He whimpered letting a hand slide along the backs of her thighs.

'it hurts because that disgusting man took a bite out of you. Honestly, what was his problem? Biting you? Did he think himself a dog?" Avalon declared. Sandor smirked up at her kissing her. "I see the irony in that statement yes." Avalon agreed. 

"We are going to Bravvvos." Sandor remarked. "I want to see your old stomping ground." 

"I would like that." Avalon agreed kissing his forehead. "I havent been in forever, but oh the house of black and white, I used to spend hours on a boat drawing it." 

"House of black and white?" Arya asked. 

"I had, I made a friend." Avalon remarked. "He caught me painting him. I showed him..." Avalon chuckled. "He had many faces you see, yet I knew it was him."

"Jaqen Hgar?" Arya asked. 

"Yes, that is him." Avalon agreed. 

"He was at harrenhall."

"I didnt recognize him at first, then, well hes a interesting man. I painted him." 

"Eyes." Sandor remarked and Avalon nodded. 

"You can change your face but the eyes, a window to the soul." When they got to braavos and everything settled they could start a new.

'you are doing it wrong.' arya said 'you need to burn away that bit right there. otherwise its going to get infected and fester.' Avalon knew arya was right but 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 shaking his head, Avalon tired to settle him but Arya kept getting closer and Sandor kept getting more provoked. Avalon 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. Avalon let out a sigh and took a step towards sandor again, looking over the wound but he stopped her. holding her in his lap, cradling her body to him.

'No fire.' Avalon agreed softly in his ear. Arya stared over at him. "No fire." She coed kissing his jaw as a rough calloused hand ran over her thigh. 

'shut up about it,' he barked at Arya holding Avalon closer she could feel his racing heart beating against her. '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!'

'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 Avalon, big hypnotizing eyes looking up at him. 

"Almost there," Avalon offered. "Then we go. Go far away just us." Avalon remarked kissing him again before her focus shifted 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....' Avalon sat in his lap as he spoke he ran a hand up and down her back and along her thigh breathing her in, calming him down as he felt her hand resting on his chest. '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. Avalon kissed his scarred cheek. 'you think you are alone...'

'I'm sorry sandor.' Arya said.

'aye well...' sandor focused on Avalon, delicate fingers trailing along his chest.

Sandor didnt make a peep as Avalon cleaned and dressed the wound, no fire but Avalon saw a raven in the distance flying over them and she couldnt help but think of a phoenix, burning up and reborn in the flames.