From the Ashes (ASOIAF) (Sandor Clegane x OC)

Chapter 29: Sandor

"So is it true Lord Commander?" Said the man sitting to Sandor's left.

"Is what true?" Sandor asked. He'd only been half paying attention to the conversation around him. They'd been in Dorne just over a week now and he was already counting the days until they went home. It wasn't just how much he missed Tess, though that was definitely a part of it. It was just so much time with people. He wasn't good with people, it hadn't been an issue for the majority of his life because he hadn't given a damn about making them comfortable or at ease in his presence, if they didn't like him that was their fucking problem. But now he did care, and it was his job to make his men feel comfortable and supported by him as their leader and it was so fucking exhausting.

"Micah in the Kingsguard said you and Ser Brienne had a fight back in the day. A real one, fight to the death, and she beat you." The man said.

"Aye it's true." He answered.

"But if you lost a fight to the death....how come you're still alive?" Said a red hair youth a few seats down.

"Because I forgot one key rule of engagement." Said Brienne walking down the hill with Brontos Vaihris, "When you deal a killing blow to your opponent, it's still important to make sure they're actually dead. And it's especially important in the case of your Lord Commander here. Because he's not particularly good at dying."

She sat down at the table on his right side and Brontos took a seat next to her. The two of them had rarely been seen out of each others presence over the last few days. The first night they'd met him Sandor had been mostly teasing her when he'd pointed out that Brontos was attracted to her, but now he had to wonder. Oh well, if it's true good for her, he thought. She's a good woman and she deserves to let loose and enjoy herself every once in awhile. And she definitely deserves something better than what she got from Jamie fucking Lannister.

"What's this now?" Brontos said, "I was led to believe you two are old friends. What could have led you into a fight to the death?"

"You told him we were old friends?"Sandor said to Brienne, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure I used those exact words....." she said dismissively.

"Our fight was over the same thing most fights end up being about in the end. A bloody girl." Said Sandor.

"But not in the way you think." Brienne clarified as her Kingsguards looked at her in surprise, "it was a young girl. We were essentially fighting for who would take guardianship of her."

"And you won her?" The red haired lad asked.

"Not exactly." Said Brienne, "I won the fight. But by the time I'd gone back to where the girl was, she'd disappeared. I guess it might have been smart for us to ask her what she wanted before we started fighting, because in the end it was neither of us." Sandor chuckled appreciatively.

"Yeah it might've been at that...." He said, taking a drink of his wine.

"Anyway it's not as if it was a fair fight." Brienne continued, "You were half starved and had been on the road for weeks sleeping when you could. I was well fed and staying in the finest inns as I traveled."

"Don't sell yourself short," Sandor told her.

"I'm not." She said, "I was better fed, and better rested and I still barely beat you. I've seen you fight.,I'm not at all certain that in a completely fair fight the outcome would be the same."

"Sounds like a rematch is in order," said one of the Gold Cloaks, "Lord Commander of the City Watch versus Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Sounds like quite a show. What do you say boys? Rematch?"