The Forest Child {Sandor Clegane Story}

North Bound

After three days alone, Arya had began to wish that she never left the hound. She had learned to fight and hunt, but nothing prepared her for the loneliness.

The hound had planned to take her to the Eyrie, her mother's sister lived there and it was said to be one the safest holds in Westeros. After travelling through a small village, Arya had heard that her aunt had passed through. Not knowing who she could trust there, if anyone at all, Arya had to come up with another plan.

"I'm going home," she mumbled to herself.

The hound had told her that the remaining Starks had been killed. She had cried for three nights at the thought of her little brothers, but apparently, the Boltons had regained control there and Arya remembered from her lessons with the Septa that the Boltons were loyal to the North. So that was her plan. Arya Stark of Winterfell was going home.

Further south in the East, Sandor Clegane was charging through the woodlands to catch up to Natari.

When she finally reached her, Natari was stood in shock, staring at camp and the dead bodies which littered the ground.

"Fuckin hell," Sandor hissed as he walked up behind her.

"What do we do now?" She asked with a whisper.

"Grab what you can, we need to move."

Sandor and Natari grabbed as many supplies as they could carry and then disappeared into the woodlands. They continued to walk in silence until the sun passed the halfway mark in the sky.

"So what do you plan to do now? I need to think of where Arya might be," Natari spoke first.

"You're asking as though I'm gonna leave you to go on alone?" Sandor grunted.

"I am not your problem, neither is Arya or the tasks that lay ahead for me."

Suddenly Sandor stopped walking and turned to face her. Without any warning, he grabbed hold of her shoulders and pushed her back into a nearby tree trunk. "I ain't leaving you, woman. Whether you want me or not." 

Natari felt a shiver run through her body. The feel of his warm breath attacking her neck as he spoke strongly into her ear made it hard to focus. Too much had happened since they had last met though, she knew she was a different woman, unable to think of love after what the men in the free cities had done to her, after what she had willingly done with Jaqen.

"Do as you please, but I will find my sister's. That is all that matters to me now," she whispered as Sandor brought his face to her and stared deeply into her ears.

He could see the change in her and knew something bad must have happened as he could no longer see the light and love which had once looked back at him. Slowly he released her and sighed. "Their aunt in the Eyrie is said to have died, but the Boltons have taken back Winterfell. I reckon that would be the best place to start."

"Then north we are bound," Natari announced.

The ever unlikely pair continued on their journey. It would be a hard walk on foot, but Sandor would never leave Natari again and she could only think for her sisters.

"We can camp here for tonight. We will need protection from the rain, the sky is growing heavier with clouds," Natari sighed as she pointed to a small cave and looked up at the angered sky.

"Aye, this will work," he grunted.

The pair sat in silence and ate their dried salted fish, which they had carried from the Septors camp.

"Do you think it was the Kings... well Queen's men that killed the Septor and his people?" she asked.

"I dunno. This war is making every man desperate. A man will kill his own for a gold coin and food."

"The war is over. My brothers are dead."

Sandor studied Natari for a while as she stared out of the entrance of the cave and into the storm.

"Did you met another? I understand, I thought you were dead too," he asked after another period of silence.

"Yes and no," she sighed and turned back to the scarred man.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"It means I am not the same girl you once knew. Things have happened, I have changed and no doubt you have as well. I cannot think to the past though, there is still too much to face ahead."

A short while after Natari finally laid down and closed her eyes. Sandor followed suit but was unable to find sleep. He did not know how long it had been when she began crying and thrashing in her sleep.

"Natari, Natari. You're okay woman. Wake up!" he hushed and gently shook her shoulder.

Natari instantly awoke to the touch of his hand on her and shuffled herself away from the man. Finally, she was able to calm down her breathing and realised where and who she was with. Sandor watched her worriedly but did not back away as she slowly moved back towards him and placed her head on his chest.

"I was sold as a sex slave. Found by some men after I escaped the towers. A man who served the many-faced gods saved me from my owner. I can't... I don't wish to talk about it any further, I know you have every right to know though, so there you have it".

Gently Sandor stroked her hair, breathing in the familiar scent as he felt a rage toward these unknown slave sellers.

"You might not want me anymore, but know this, I ain't never leaving you again. Ever," he sighed.