Picture to Burn // Sandor Clegane (2)

38. Priceless

'Stop drawing the little shit and me" sandor barked.

"You two are so cute together!" Avalon countered and Arya and sandor both grumbled an answer. "I know you pretend to hate each other." Avalon remarked. "But I think you two are starting to be friends."

"Friends!" Arya shouted accusingly. "With him? Never!" 

"You are not a cup of tea either little shit." Sandor grumbled. 

"You see you two bicker but you are so cute together." Avalon remarked. 

"No." They both shouted. 

''I thought it would make me happy but it doesn't... not really.' Arya said as they rode.

'nothing makes you happy.' Sandor said.

'lots of things make me happy,' she interjected.

'like what?' sandor spat.

'killing polliver, killing rogue.' Arya told them.

'so you're not happy because you didn't get to kill him yourself?' sandor questioned. 'it that it?''

'at least I could have been there to watch. I wanted to see the look in his eyes when he knew it was over.' Arya said darkly. "That look, tell me Avalon was it perfect?" Avalon stared back at her. 

'aye nothing in the world beats that look...' sandor said pulling Avalon closer. 

"I'm not really one for violence." Avalon remarked. "It was... his eyes... clawing at his throat looking to his mother to make it better..." Avalon shook her head. SHe knew Joffrey wasnt a good boy but to die like that...

'You protected him for most of his life, do you think you could've saved him?' arya questioned as they made their way closer and closer to the veil.

'I wasn't the damn wine taster...' sandor grumbled

'Little shit deserved to die' arya added.

"Aye, but poison, poison is a woman's weapon men kill with steel' sandor reminded them.

'That's you and your stupid pride talking, that's why you will never be a skilled killer.' Arya informed him. 'I could've killed Joffrey with chicken bone if I had to!' arya informed them.

'I'd pay good money to see that' sandor said chuckling.

'Some paints have a chemical in them that if ingested causes serious problems." Avalon remarked. 

"You eat paint when you were little?" Sandor mused. 

"No." Avalon chuckled. "A maester told me when he was treating a wound. I had got a cut and then the paint seeped into the wound and-" she ran a finger over her thumb. "But I'm fine. Clearly." Avalon added. "I like drawing you and Arya though..." Avalon whispered.  Sandor smiled down at her as he pulled at his neck where he had gotten bit.

'You should've let me burn it' arya told him

'It's a flea bite' he told her

'It's a flea bite that's got you walking a lot slower than you used to.' arya informed him.

'Well I won't have to walk much further' Sandor reminded her, as they near the veil they passed guards along the narrow trail

'Do you really think my aunt is going to pay for me?' arya questioned,

'I hope so' Sandor grumbled

'I've never even met her!' arya exclaimed.

'Doesn't matter you're her blood. Family honor all that bullshit all you lords and ladies ever talk about.' Sandor told her.

'I am not a lady ,' arya corrected.

'Winter is coming.' Avalon recalled the starks motto. 

"What's your house name?" Arya asked and Sandor looked to Avalon, he didnt actually know. She was always just Avalon the artist. 

'Who would pass the bloody gate?' a guard called out to them distracting them though.

'The bloody hound.' sandor called out 'Sandor clegane and his... traveling companions Arya Stark, niece of your lady aryn' sandor looked to Avalon.

"Avalon..." She answered simply. The guard stared back at them another moment before nodding. 

'Then let me offer my condolences lady Aryn died three days ago.' The guard told them.

Arya burst out laughing she looked up at Sandor and continue to laugh and laugh, it echoed throughout the valley.

'you didn't see that coming, did ya?' arya said still laughing. sandor turned around grumbling.

"Goodness, Arya you are a dark little thing." Avalon remarked. "You aunt just died." 

"Everyone said she was crazy and seeing the Hounds pissed off face that he is still stuck with me..." Arya continued to laugh as they turned around. "That look is priceless!"