Beauty and the Hound - Sandor Clegane

33 - Journey to the Twins

'Leave us,' Beric's voice was calm but held such authority that everyone immediately obeyed him, leaving Meela and him alone in the cave.

It had only been an hour yet nobody could track her sister, something she was truly grateful for.

'You decided to do things by yourself? Sending a little girl away when she would have been safer with a group of men instead of one?'

Meela didn't answer him. She only looked at him, her eyes innocently gawking and not responding anything.

'Sandor can't travel far. We'll outrun him easily since we're all heading for the Twins.'

He slowly drew out a machete and suddenly all the air in the cave disappeared. Meela felt a sick pit forming in her stomach. The large blade looked bloody, they must have gotten it from the Lannister army they just attacked, and used it.

'You going to kill me now? Now that I'm no use to you?' Meela breathed out, her eyes staring right at him trying hard to not look timid. But Beric easily saw it. Her light gasp. The fear that she hid behind her big, doe looking eyes.

He smiles, walking closer while she walked backwards. She felt her back hit the wet cave walls and she shuddered.

This was it. He was probably going to test if the machete was as sharp as it looked. She had no escape.

'You can fight well but you don't have a blade. You need this more than anyone else,' He says after a long silence, handing the machete to her. She gulps, her hands shaking when she reached for the handle and took it from him.

'The lord of light has plans for us all Meela. You didn't come back from dying to die again in my hands.' He says before heading outside, leaving her alone.

She released a few heavy breaths, leaning against the wall for some support. He didn't kill her. He still wanted to get her to the Twins. He didn't touch her.
And she felt grateful.

She raised the machete up in the air and took a good look at it.

It wasn't a heavy blade, but it was sharp and better than nothing. Maybe with practice, it will come to a good use.

...

They left the caves early that morning. From there it seemed like a fortnight's journey. Maybe 2. Meela had her own horse but she was safely being monitored by the men at all times. Beric continued their journey hoping to bring Meela to The Twins on time for the wedding.

Her brother Robb Stark had formed an alliance; marrying his cousin Edmure Tully to one of Walder Frey's daughters in exchange for passage through the Twins which was why Beric insisted on heading there first and not any other sites.

As much as the one eyed man seemed cunning and dangerous, all he wanted was to get Meela to safety. He was also hoping to catch both Arya and the Hound but Meela wasn't worried at all. She knew Sandor too well. She could blindly trust him to get Arya on time to the wedding, without crossing paths with the brotherhood.

As the hours became days and the days went longer, Meela started getting comfortable with Anguy and the other men. At nights they would joke and drink. They would hunt together. Practice sparring.

None of these men knew her and neither did she. Only Beric seemed to know her and she doesnt even remember meeting the man. Meela knew she should be having friends at the moment and not strike to anyone as a loner. In times of trouble, only these men could help her.

Anguy was friendlier than she thought. He was witty, and smart mouthed. He'd flirt with her occasionally but both knew it was just them being friends and nothing more.