The Journey We Face (A Sandor Clegane Fanfic)

Come join me

Sandor's POV:

The morning birds chipped, and the smell of stale smoke filled the air. Sandor had begun to stir awake, his hand touched the empty space Nymaira had once laid. Coming out of his sleep, Sandor stood up quickly.He began to look around, searching for the lean figure of the girl. But his eyes came up empty.

He felt a small serge of panic run through his body. Trying to stay calm, he quickened the space. Covering more ground, the panic grew. Along with the thoughts of what might have happened during his slumber. Could she have been kidnapped? They had already been ambushed once during the journey. Who's to say some thieves didn't come in the night and taken her away without a sound.

It was those kind of fears screaming so loud in his head he couldn't hear anything else. Just some crunching from the leafs breaking beneath him.

Until he heard it in the distance. Nymaria? He thought to himself. Walking hurriedly past the trees, his question had been answered by the sight.

Nymaira stood bathing in a stream. A fair amount from the camp they had made. Her back was facing him and she was unknowing to the man who had walked up behind her. She had been washing herself in the cool stream of blue. The water running over her waist as the tide past her by. She was too busy humming a sweet song to herself to hear the footsteps behind her.

He couldn't help it. He couldn't move. Every thought left his head and there were no words he could speak. Just the sight of Nymaira in the stream. The sun's radiances was beaming on her shoulders, the dark brown auburn of hair now made almost black while wet. Beads of liquid speeding down her lower back into the water from once they came. She didn't look real.

A cruel trick the gods might play on men.
But there she was, and Sandor hadn't known what had come over him. It wasn't right spying on her. But still, his eyes couldn't remove themselves from this image. It was only then Nymaira dunked herself under the water, swaying her body around, taking a step to the more shallow end of the creek.

Before she rose herself from the depths, she gasped, covering her breasts in her hands as soon as she had caught sight of him standing there.

"What in seven hells, Clegane!" She yelled. He had felt terrible once he had been smacked back into reality. "Are you trying to scare me?" Nymaira moved her body to the deeper ends in attempt to cover herself.

"I...uh...couldn't find ya. I got worried so I came looking for you." He sputtered out. Reverting his eyes off Nymaira.

"Well, I woke up and you were still asleep. I didn't want to wake you so i went looking for some breakfast , but found this instead." Nymaira then grabbed the edges of a smooth rock sticking out from under the creek. She had gracefully slid across the water to sit down and crossed her legs. "I figured I'd get a bath in before we left." Sandor only nodded his head by her explanation. "Now that the little bird is clean, we can get going." He looked past her. Nymaria only scoffed.

"What's the hurry? Is it your curfew?" She joked. Sliding her hands back and forth against the water while the small waves ran over her hands.

"Your family will grow worried when we haven't returned later then expected and we have already lost people."

"My family knows I'll be ok as long as I have an escape plan."

"Now, come on" She motioned her hand out of the water and beckoned him to join her. "The water feels amazing. and when's the last time you even had a bath?" She raised an eyebrow at him and he returned the gaze, unamused.

"We are leaving. Put some clothes on,
and let's go." He was stern, but that damn girl kept trying anyways. "You know, you aren't the Lannisters dog. You don't belong to us Starks, it's okay to relax and enjoy life. It doesn't have to be fighting and death all the time."

"What fool told you that?" He replied. Turning around, searching for her clothes. Coming upon some smallclothes, he picked them up and threw the delicate fabric to the ground where she could reach them. Adding a firm, "Get dressed."

He turned around so his back was facing Nymaira.
"Alright." There was an irritated huff and the sound of Nymaria rising from the water. Still waiting for her to get dressed, Sandor stayed still. But turned around abruptly as the cold water hit his back.

"Seven hells, girl, what's wrong with you!" He angrily yelled at Nymaira who had splashed water on him. She seemed to barely notice his seriousness. Nymaria was laughing too hard to care.

It was strange, he was angry, but when he saw the joy cross her face and brighten her emerald eyes, the anger turned...soft. Instead it was a playful feeling that came over him. "Funny is it, girl?" He cocked an eyebrow at her, as she still lay laughing, clenching her side with one hand.

"Let's see how you like it." Sandor had then grabbed Nymaria, picking her up in his arms and walked them into the stream till the point it covered his waist. He raised her figure above his head, and gave her a playful grin. "You wouldn't." she tried to be serious but still smiled through the tone.

"Why not? You did." He laughed, dropping her in creating a big splash of water and the gasp of Nymaira as she rose up from the depths. The dainty silk of her smallclothes now sticking to her body.

Sandor had began to laugh in the same way she did, unable to control it. Nymaira jumped him, The two fell back. Laughing as she started to playfully slap at his chest. The blows ineffective.

He laughed, grabbing her hands, holding them in his large ones while he watched her try and break free from his grip. The playful fighting along with the giggles stopped. Sandor stood, the clothes sticking to his body, framing his broad shoulders and tall frame.

As he did, he extended his hand out for Nymaira and she took the offer, lifting herself up and out back to drier earth. "I didn't think you had it in ya, Clegane." She said, walking over to her dry gown, picking up the sun kissed cloth. "Who knew you could be fun."

"I wouldn't get used to it, Little bird." He commented. Trying his best to dry off.

"I'd like to see more of it." She only smiled and skipped off. What had just happened? And why did Sandor enjoy it so much?