The Journey We Face (A Sandor Clegane Fanfic)

Goodnight Sandor

For the first couple hours the trip had been awful. The sun was beginning to set. With it came the colder gust of winds. Nymaira spent the first hour sniffling and wiping the salty tears from her eyes. Doing her best to keep her composure.

"Oh bloody hell, just cry already or be quiet." Sandor blurted out. Feeling frustrated by the lack of energy or food. All of the essentials like water, and bread. Were stored on the horses who had ran off. Now it was just Nymaira, and Clegane's growling stomach and short temper.

"Excuse me, for having emotions. Not like you know much about those." Nymaria wiped another tear away. She hoped she could think of something to take her mind off of the situation.

"It's not that I don't. I just know when to suck things up and move on." Said Sandor, tilting his head back to her direction. "I get you have to keep this whole cold an heartless attitude up with others. But I know deep down that isn't the only side of you. So you can lay off of it for awhile.

"You've learned some tricks with a stick and killed your first man. Now you know everything." Sandor's words slipped out like mild venom as he continued his stare across the field. "How do you know it was my first?" Nymaria questioned. Surprised of how he could have possibly known. "You had the look."

"Need I ask?" She raised a brow. "The look you have once you've taken a man's life for the first time. Seen it a thousand times before. A mixture of victory and shock." He finished the description. Catching the figure of Nymaira shifting back in the saddle from the corner of his eye.

"Well I know I felt shock. Don't know if I feel victory really." Nymaira played with the worn out leather of the reins, rubbing a torn piece between her long fingers.

"You'll get used to it. then they'll be less shock, more victory."

"I don't think I want to get used to something like that." Nymaria kept her eyes down. Remembering the look of the man when the sword went in. "You wanna protect yourself?" Sandor looked at her. This time, strangely, making eye contact with Nymaira.

His expression turned from blank, to stern. "No, I want to be killed. Of course I want to protect myself." Sarcasm filled the first half of her sentence. "Then you will get used to it."

Nymaria's POV:

It had been what felt like hours since they were at Castle Black. What was once two annoyed people traveling together were now two annoyed, exhausted, and hungry ones.

"We have to stop." Nymaria had blurted. Her eyes were already scanning for a place to camp. "We keep going." Sandor replied.

"It's getting dark, the horses are tired, we're tired, we need to rest." Her tone remained determined. The power of her exhaustion would win this battle. "The horses are fine. We keep going."

Sandor huffed. Refusing to stop. "We are almost there." His voice was low and stubborn. "We are still hours away from Winterfell. If we don't stop now, the horses won't be able to continue till mid day tomorrow." Nymaria pulled at the reins, Silvermain coming to a halt. "Are you afraid That we will get attacked again?" She challenged the prideful man hoping it would work. "I'm not the one they would be interested in, Little Bird. If they kill me, there's nothing standing in the way of you and them." Clegane harshly spat. Stopping himself and Stranger from taking another step.

"Well, I've got this." She rattled the small steel sword that hung from the saddle of the horse. "It should keep me safe this time. Even without you." She smirked. Keeping the sarcasm thick as she played with the handle of it.

Nymaria had jumped from her saddle to stand in front of Sandor and his steed. "And I'm not leaving till I get some damn sleep." She put a hand to her hip. It was then Sandor had sighed loud enough all of Essos to hear. She knew he had given in.

"I'll gather up some twigs and berries, you start the fire." Nymaria looked over at Sandor who was tying the reins of Stranger to a tree.

She had began the task, but stopped when she had noticed Sandor plopped down on the ground. Staying practical motionless while leaning back against a huge log covered in earthly moss.

"Is something wrong?" She walked over, kneeling down before him. His lips didn't say a word nor did his expression. Thinking perhaps it was him just being tired, Nymaria took it upon herself to start the fire.

Gathering a few branches, she built a small wall of leafs. The driest Nymaria could find. She brought the two rocks together and began rubbing them over the pile till a spark, smoke, fire. Only taking a few minutes before it was a healthy size.

Nymaria sat back, putting her chilled hands over the heat, looking into the light. Admiring the beauty of the dark amber and orange dancing together with the comforting sound of crackling wood. Nymaria had been so caught up in the lights beauty she hadn't noticed Sandor.

He was now pressed into the wise cracks of a tall tree still looking into an unseen world. It left her confused. The sudden change in his behavior. Studying the scarred skin of his face she realized, he's afraid of fire.

Sandor was a shit she knew. But now, Nymaria pitied him. She pitied his fear. The scars had long since healed, and yet the trauma was as fresh as the day it happened. She knew that kinda pain.

Nymaria had stood and walked over to her horse, she grabbed the saddle from Silvermain and used it to set it before the lit fire. Far enough not to catch, close enough to hide the flame from his view.

She then slid off the warmth of her heavy fur cloak and sat down next to Sandor. "Hi." Nymaria smiled.  Placing the fur over his lap. She scooter her body to close the gap between them.

Seemingly breaking out of his trance, Sandor had looked down at her before back up to the saddle that was blocking the flames.

"I hope you don't mind, but I covered the fire, it was too bright for me anyways."

"Get some sleep, Little Bird. You fly tomorrow." Closing her tired eyes, Nymaria rested her head upon his shoulder, whilst he put an arm around her. "Goodnight, Sandor." Nymaria had yawned before dozing off "Goodnight, Little Bird."