The Forest Child {Sandor Clegane Story}

Brotherhood

Natari had spent the next two weeks at the wall, planning her route with Jon. After they had read the letter from Lord Stark they had quickly burnt it and not spoken of it again. It was as though there was an unspoken understanding between the twins that this made no difference.

The day before Natari planned to leave they had received word by a raven that the Greyjoy boy, who they had grown up with, had taken Winterfell. Robb Stark had spent the Boltons to take back his home and ensure their brother's survival. But when the Bolton army had arrived they found the castle destroyed and burnt. Every member of the castle guard and servants had been murdered and by the entrance to the castle hung two burnt bodies of two small boys. Ramsay, the bastard son of Lord Bolton had found Greyjoy unconscious in the castle grounds. It seems his men had left him for dead.

When Natari and Jon learnt the fate of the two boys who had been their brothers, Jon had lost his mind to rage. Natari was the only one who had been able to calm him down and stop him from leaving the nights watch.

"I will bring revenge for those we have lost brother, I promise you, next time we met there blood will cover my sword," Natari told Jon as she jumped up on her horse, readying for her leave of the wall.

"I should be with you Natari," he whispered.

"No Jon, you must protect us from those beyond the wall."

"I love you sister," he called out after her as she kicked her horse and began to charge of the gate of Castle Black.

With Winterfell in ruins, Natari hoped Arya was either heading for her mother's household, the Tullys of Riverrun, or her aunt who took residence at the Eyrie. So Natari had headed from Riverrun first, it was a long journey, made harder when alone, and after three weeks of travel, she came across her first meeting with someone.

"A lady should not be riding alone at times of war, but I guess you already know that as your avoiding the Kings Road," a strange man called out.

The unknown man was leading a group of six other men. He was of average built and size, but looked halved starved and unwashed.

"It's a good thing I am no lady then," she called back from her horse as she watched the group of men approach.

"Every well, but who does a... non-lady serve?" the man smiled back.

"I serve no one. I am just a simple girl looking for my sister," 

"Well let me introduce ourselves. I am Thoros, this is Steve, Morton, Gatling and this is Lem. Lem is very talented with that bow of his. So I'll be asking you to jump down from that horse and come with us."

Natari scowled at the men and gripped onto her sword tighter.

"We are the Brotherhood Without Banner's child, and there is 7 of us and 1 of you. So don't be stupid and jump down from that horse," Thoros laughed as Lem shot an arrow up in the air and it landed a mere inch from Natari's sword.

Natari knew she had no choice, she was a good fighter, but that was good. Her only choice was to work with the men and hope they were not with the Lannisters.

As Natari jumped down one of the men placed a hood over her head and then placed her upon another horse. Soon the horse was pulled into action as she was led away.

"Are you Lannister men?" she called out blindly after an hour of riding.

All the men started to laugh. "No child, we serve no man expect the rightful god" Thoros chuckled.

"Then why cannot I see where you take me," she huffed.

"It's for your own good child," Lem answered.

The rest of the journey was made in silence, until an hour later when they pulled up outside a cave and Thoros removed the hood from her head.

"In you go, don't worry we ain't gonna hurt you," Thoros laughed as he pulled her inside the cave.

Inside, the cave was dark but warm as the heat from a large fire in the middle roared with anger. There were even more men inside and she instantly felt her stomach twist as the thought of what was to come filled her mind.

"Sister?" A voice cried out with joy just her mind had begun to grow even darker.

Natari spun around and saw Arya beaming at her as she ran over to her.

"I thought you were dead!" Ary cried as she clung onto her sister. 

"Sister?" Thoros asked with a confused smile.

"My name is Natari Snow, I'm.."

"Lord Starks bastard," Beric Dondarrion smiled as the rugged man walked out from the darkness and smiled at the two girls.

"What in seven hells is going on in here?" a familiar voice roared out from the other side of the cave.

Natari looked over in shock, she knew that voice. One of the men was pulling off his hood when their eyes met. Sandor.

"You?" He spat at Natari

Natari stayed silent as she clung tighter onto Arya and tensed her jaw. "I thought you'd be..." Sandor tailed off.

"Dead?" she asked and finished his sentence.

Sandor glared at the girl with an intensity that made her look away.

"What is going on here?" she finally commanded.