The Journey We Face (A Sandor Clegane Fanfic)

The woods aren't safe for a Little Bird

Reader's POV:
"What's a matter, Robb? can't you keep up with a girl?" Nymaria shouted while running faster through the forest. Jumping over broken branches and dodging trees. "I had a heavy breakfast!" Robb replied, trying to catch up to his cousin. But her speed out beating his own. "I'll get her!" Jon confidently yelled running as fast as his legs could take him.

The bastard boy soon catching up to Nymaria before leaping his body forward to tackle her to the ground. "I Jon Snow, bastard son of Eddard Stark declare the shewolf of Winterfell, no more." Laughing, the boy straddled Nymaria's frame and took a jab at her heart, pretending it was a sword. Letting out a mighty roar of satisfaction before busting out laughing again. "You are such a fool!"

She laughed along, pushing at his chest. Standing up quickly, Jon rose to his feet, extending his hand out for Nymaria. "M'lady." He had a smirk peeking through the corners of his mouth. "Thank you, My Lord." Nymaria grabbed his hand, pulling him down with her, covering the once clean leather of his clothes in the forest mud and moss. "I Nymaria Stark of House Stark, Have ended the rain of the white wolf Snow." She smiled mockingly at Jon before turning around to the sound of slight huffing and loud panting behind her.

Robb stood behind them breathless. He was leaning on his hands and knees with Grey Wind and Ghost by his side. "Too much wine last night, Robb?" Nymaria joked as she kneeled down to take the height he was at. "Too much of everything. Why did I listen to you and come?" Robb questioned as he stood upward again. Trying to hold in this morning's food.

"Don't worry, Robb, Jon and I will slow down till you recover. Right, Jon?" Jon smiled before he sprinted past both his cousin and brother. Ghost following him. "I guess that's a no." Nymaria shrugged her shoulders with a grin.

"Oh, and if you see our guard say we went back to the castle."

"He's only keeping an eye out." Robb tried to remind Nymaira. "We aren't children, Robb. We don't need protection." She spat back harsher than she meant. "With that speed, I doubt he will be able to catch up to you. But I'll keep him busy." He nodded her off to go ahead of him.

Nymaira thanked him and turned, sprinting deeper into the woods. The wolfs blood she had forgotten so long ago tasting what she had craved since her departure. No obligations, no arranged matches, no care in the world. She was home. And she could be anything she wanted here. She caught sight of Jon. His lean figure mere feet ahead of her own. Wanting her revenge for the tackle, Nymaria started to run faster towards him.

Coming to her senses, Nymaria felt a severe pain rush through her head and cause her eyes sight to shake with fuzzy lights and confusing figures. She was moving, that much she could tell. But her legs were up in the air and she felt the coolness of metal armor against her skin.

She began to process voices and slowly opened her eyes. Nymaira saw Jon and Robb talking beside her. "What happ..." Nymaria went to speak but stopped when she noticed who had been carrying her. Sandor Clegane. Suddenly, more questions fill her mind and it caused her head to throb harder. "Nymaria." Robb said worryingly, when he caught she was awake. "Are you alright?"

"I think. What happened? I was chasing Jon then everything went blank." She finished. Trying to adjust her eyesight. "You ran into a hanging tree branch. Knocked you out cold." Jon began as he walked over leafs crunching beneath his weight. She groaned at the information.

"This never happened, okay?" She warned, pressing her hand to the top of the bump, trying to soothe the ache plastered over it. Rubbing slow motions, Nymaria looked up at Sandor. This was the closest she had ever been to his face before. She noted the rough stubble of his beard and the dark color of his eyes. The way his mouth twitched and the thick skin that covered half of his face. Not realizing she was staring, Sandor had turned his stare to look right at her. "Am I frightening you, Little Bird?"

"No." Nymaria removed her hands from atop her head and held them together. Feeling rather awkward from being caught. She didn't want to be rude. Even if he was.

"Is it a crime to look at you?" She questioned. "No. Just not very pleasant. Especially for people like you." Sandor retorted back. Nymaria raised her head, unwilling to let him intimidate her. "People like me? It's a face. I've seen worse. Now, if you would please set me down I can walk on my own thank you." Her tone was thick. She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling defiant. "Why? so you can run into another branch and kill yourself."

"If not myself than maybe you instead if you don't put me down." Sandor laughed loudly. His chest pounding up and down into Nymaria's side, clenching her tighter into his grasp. "You can spare me just this once." Sandor roughly let Nymaria go. She had nearly lost her footing before catching her balance. "Next time, be careful. A little bird isn't safe in the woods." He strode past her, still chuckling to himself. She rolled her eyes and stomped her way back into the walls of the castle. Straight to her bedchambers to lay down.