The Forest Child {Sandor Clegane Story}

Enemies

After the great fire of Winterfell, Ramsay Bolton and his men had managed to flee the flames,  riding to his father at the Bolton hold in Dreadfort just a few 100 miles south of Winterfell. Meanwhile, Stannis marched after him, leading them to the gates of the Dreadfort.

"Today we complete our first step in taking back our kingdom. As we take back the north, our position grows stronger. No longer will a boy of incest sit in the King's chair, my rightful chair!" Stannis shouted to his men. However, despite their bloodthirst, the battle lasted only a day. By nightfall, the dead bodies of Stannis's army scattered the ground around the castle and among them Stannis himself.

"We should be attacking Dreadfort, yes Ramsay may be dead, but his father still holds inside its walls, and we cannot be sure that Ramsay did not die in the flames!" Sansa argued with her brother back at Castle Black.

"I do not have the men Sansa," he sighed.

"Natari took down the whole of Winterfell alone. We do not need men. You do not know what Ramsay did to me, brother, how I suffered," she almost cried now as Natari walked into the room and placed her hand on Sansa's shoulder.

"We have a greater enemy to fight Sansa. The dead approach the wall as we speak. We need to prepare for that," Jon continued to try and explain to his angered and emotional sister.

"Jon is right, sweet sister. The living can wait for now. First, we must tackle the dead," Natari added.

Sansa had heard enough from the two of them and quickly stormed out of the room.

"She's too emotional, I always said it" Arya sighed as she ate her soup.

"Keep your tongue, Arya!" Natari shot back as she looked at Jon and sighed.

When Jon shrugged back at her and turned back to the food and maps in front of him, Natari looked around the room. Finally, she saw who she wanted. Sat at the other end of the hall with Beric and Thoros was Sandor Clegane. It had been two days since they had last spoke, two days since he left her crying alone. Natari could not deal with the pain of being so close to him, yet feeling so distant, and slowly she walked over to him.

As she neared his table, Sandor caught her eye. Realising that she was heading his way, he quickly moved from the table and stormed out of the hall. Natari sighed heavily again.

"Anyone would think you'd almost killed him as well" Brienne suddenly chuckled behind her.

Natari couldn't help but smile at her light-hearted comment and turned to face the large blonde woman. "Fucking men" she smiled.

"That's why I don't bother, not that any are interested. Now come on, let's sit and eat," she smiled back.

The next day Brienne and Natari were outside in the courtyard, teaching Arya how to yield a sword.

"Perfect Arya" Natari smiled as she looked up and saw her brother walking up the upper decks of the Castle with Davos.

"What do you know of this Davos?" She asked Brienne.

"I do not trust him m'lady. The second Stannis is defeated he jumps ship to the next man he thinks will be king. It's not right" she answered.

"My brother, the next king?" she scoffed.

"They are saying he came back from the dead. That the Lord of Light chose him," Arya added in cheekily.

"That's enough from you missy," Natari laughed and gently slapped Arya on the bum with her sword.

"And Brienne, how many times must I tell you. I am no lady," Natari added as she turned back to her friend but saw her staring off at someone else.

Quickly, Natari walked up behind her. "He's cute," she teased when she realised Brienne was looking at Tormund.

"Oh please. He's not right. He's always staring at me. In the corridor, when I train and if you can believe it, even when I eat!" she gasps back.

"It's because he likes you. Hell from the look on his face, he might even be in love," she laughed loudly this time but quickly stopped when she saw Sandor storming across the courtyard.

At first Natari thought, he might have been coming to her, but her hopes were quickly dashed when he walked straight past her without even a look.

"He hates me," she sighed.

"Seems that way," Brienne joked.