The Forest Child {Sandor Clegane Story}

First Man

"We have to go back and save Natari!" Arya cried as Sandor held onto the small girl who was mounted in front of him on his horse.

"We go back there and we'll be as good as dead, girl," he hissed back at her.

After finding the massacre at the Towers, Sandor had pulled Arya back and ran off into the night. They had not stopped since, riding through the dense woodlands.

"I know you love her. I saw you both together. How can you just leave her like that?" She spat at him.

"Natari can look after herself. She'd want me to get you to safety."

"Nowhere is safe. My family are dead and all we are doing is riding around to nowhere."

Suddenly there the sound of men laughing came from ahead. Sandor could see the smoke from their campfire and quickly put his hand over her mouth. Arya bite down on his finger in return and jumped from the horse. Without turning around to see if the scarred man was following, she ran in the direction of the campfire with needle in her hand. As she grew nearer to the group, she hid behind a low bush on the edge of the woodlands. They were Frey men, sat around with smiles on their faces as they enjoyed the food and ale from a group of traders they had just killed. There was a burning rage bubbling inside of her stomach as she continied to listen to the mean. The rage only grew more intense and she was unable to calm her anger or remove the image of her brother from her mind. 

"Aye, none of the Starks had much to say about that meal," one of the men laughed.

"Tell you what though, one of the hardest things was getting that wolf head to stay on the body," another chuckled.

Arya could no longer listen to the men. Slowly she approached the group and stood behind the one who had mentioned the wolf head.

"Mind if I stay warm?" She asked the group innocently.

"Fuck off!" one of the men scoffed before as he drank his ale.

"But I'm hungry," she sighed.

"Does fuck off mean something else where you're from?" the man in front of her grunted.

"No," Arya shrugged with a smile.

The man turned back to the rest of his group as they laughed at her. Arya took her moment and quickly pulled out needle from her waistband and pierced it through the back of the man's neck, all the way through until it came out of the other side. The man instantly grabbed hold of his neck as she calmly pulled needle out. As the man fell forward, dying from drowning on his own blood, the rest of the group stood up with their swords drawn.

"Stupid bitch!" one of them hissed as he slowly approached her.

Arya went to take a step backwards before she tripped on an uprooted branch and fell backwards. She knew she was done for and closed her eyes for the killing blow. It never came through. Suddenly, the sound of screaming dying men filled her ears. As she slowly opened her eyes she watched as Sandor killed the last man with one powerful swing of his sword.

One of the men lay on the floor, coughing on his own blood as he slowly waited for death. Calmly, Arya picked up a blade from the ground and pounced onto the man. Slamming the blade into his chest, over and over, as blood splattered her face. Sandor stood back and watched the child for a moment.

Finally, Sandor had to pull the young girl off the very dead man.

"Get off me!" she roared as burning hot tears glided down her cheeks.

"Calm yourself girl!" he roared back as he shook the girl back to her senses.

Finally, Arya calmed down and he let her go, she fell to her knees.

"Was that the first time you killed a man?" he asked her.

"A man, yes," she replied coldly.

"Well next time you're going to do something like that. Tell me first."

Half a days ride back at the Towers, Natari was climbing through the sewage pipes underneath the buildings. After killing Walder, she had found her escape almost impossible. Her last hope was to escape through the pipe works and swim away. Covered literally in the shit of her enemies, she finally escaped. Jumping down from the back wall of the tower into the cold and freshwater of the river below. The tide was strong as Natari tried to return to the shore, her body growing weaker with every movement.

The sand and dirt covered river bank felt like heaven when she collapsed on to it. From behind she could still hear the roaring and shouting from the Towers, they had obviously found their Lords body. With no food, weapons or dry clothes and no idea where Sandor and Arya were, she did not have time to worry about the sounds from the Towers though. Clutching at her last strength, she pulled her body into the safer woodlands and when she was confidently out of sight, she slumped next to a large tree trunk and cried.

Further South, Sansa was being called to the hall at the request of her King. Two sleeps ago she had been told that she was no longer to marry the King. Sansa had to fight her desire to smile when she was informed. The King was now set to marry another, a sweet and very pretty young woman from the Tyrell family.  Margaery,  the only daughter of Lord Mace Tyrell and Lady Alerie Tryrell and sister of Ser Loras Tyrell,  had previously wedded Renly, but they had never consummated the marriage before his untimely death.

Sansa had been so pleased about the news that when she returned to get room she had spun around with happy tears. She also felt guilt and sorrow, she liked Margaery, she was kind to her and always welcomed her to join her and the other ladies for lemon cake in the garden. There was little she could do for her though, expect to pray and remain the good girl she had always promised her mother she would be. 

Today, as Sansa was pulled to the hall, she feared Margaery had changed her mind and that she would have to marry the King again. She had to literally concentrate hard on her breathing as she walked through the hall in order not to faint.

"Lady Stark," Joffrey roared with a wicked smile.

"My King," Sansa bowed.

"I was some wonderful news. Would you like to hear?"

"Of course your grace," she replied, her head still down in disgusted fake respect for the evil boy.

"I have been given word this morning that your brother and his traitor army were slain. Cut down without mercy for their crimes against my rule."

Sansa felt her entire grow freezing cold as she forced back the threat of vomit in her throat.

"But that is not all. Your dirty traitor mother has also been put to death. Isn't that wonderful?" The King laughed.

"Yes your grace" Sansa replied through gritted teeth.

"Are you pleased for your King?" He jeered on.

"Of course your grace" Sansa whispered as a single tear escaped her eyes.