Dark Wings (Sandor Clegane)

Chapter Thirty

"What the hell are you doing?" Sandor grunted as he watched the young Arya dance around her tint sword.

"Practising" Arya shot back confidently.

"What, ways to die? He scoffed.

"No one's going to kill me".

"Aye they will if you dance around like that girl. Thats not way to fight, even your jaslin knew that".

"It's not fighting, it's water dancing".

"Dancing, maybe you ought to put on a dress as well" Sandor chuckled.

Arya ignored him this time and co to her to practise her moves and skills.

"Who taught you that child" Sandor asked almost annoyed now at the way she moved around with the blade.

"The greatest swordsman who ever lived, Syrio Forel, First Sword of Braavos" she replied this time and pointed her needle towards Sandor.

"Braavos, pfft, greasy haired little bastards I bet. They all are".

"What do you know about anything. You couldn't even keep Jaslin safe. You lost her or left her. Well I won't, when I find her and save her I'll just water dancing to do so" she hissed.

Sandor had to try and calm his sudden rage at the girl. It would do him no good to lose his anger now. Instead he ordered the child to quit playing and pack up, there was still a long ride ahead of them.

Arya and Sandor walked in silence for the rest of the day. Arya was exhausted by the time the sun had reached the half way point in the sky, but she never complained. She had survived the Brotherhood, the Lannister men at Harrenhal, thanks to her strange Braavos friend Jaqen, and now she had another mission, to find Sansa and Jaslin.

By nightfall they finally stopped and made camp for the night. They feasted on a small rabbit each and watched at the flames from the fire died out. As the sky grew darker, Arya finally laid down to sleep, but not before she spoke her prayer for all those she would one day kill. When she finally thought Sandor asleep she carefully stood up and went to find a large rock she had spotted earlier.

Standing over Sandor she raised the rock above her head, trying to remain strong as she prepared herself to kill.

"I'll give you one chance girl" Sandor grumbled suddenly with his eyes still closed.

Startled Arya dropped the rock to her feet and stood back. "You left her, she's out there now, all alone. Jaslin. I loved her, she was the only one who really loved me and you let her go. I hate you, your the worst shit in the seven kingdoms".

Sandor slowly raised up from the ground and sat up to look at her. "Aye, well you never met my brother, but don't you dare think I don't feel the guilt of losing Jaslin. You may hate me girl, but I loved... love that woman. That's why we're heading north, if she's still alive that's where she'll be heading, unless your gonna kill me first".

Arya felt her eyes burn with tears. Quickly she rubbed the hard with the back of her hand as she slunked away and went to lie back down.

"Don't think this means you're off my list" she grumbled.

"Aye, I'd hope not".

The next morning they continued their journey in silence. They were about 50 miles into the neck now and the weather had already began to change.

"Can we not get a horse?" Arya grumbled as she almost tripped on an uprooted branch.

"Horses are expensive girl".

"You have no money? Well steal one then? We will walk forever if we don't get a ride".

"The little lady wants a horse. Well I ain't no thief".

"Oh so murdering little boys is fine, but stealing a horse is a no go for the big bad Sandor Clegane".

"A man's got to have a code".

Arya scrowled at the man under her heavy brow and returned her to her silence. Over the next week there wasn't much conversation between the two. Each day they would carry on north and then hunt and sleep. Arya had told herself she would allow the hound to live for now, but she still hated him.

On another mid morning walk, Arya could no longer take the silence. It was making each day feel longer and she felt mad with frustration and boredom.

"Is it true, that Joffrey died after Sansa poisoned him. I heard word on the road before the Brotherhood took me".

"Aye, I don't know about the little bird doing it, but the shit deserved to die".

"If kill Joffrey with a chicken bone if I had too" Arya snorted.

Sandor laughed for the first in what felt like a lifetime. "If pay good money to see that".

Suddenly they heard laughter to the right. Sandor instantly reached out Arya and pulled her to his side.

"5 men, 5 horses. Lannister colours, made camp from the look of it" Sandor explained in a whisper.

"We can take their horses and supplies" Arya insisted.

"That's more men than I fancy killing on an empty stomach. Come on girl, we can move quietly around".

Suddenly Arya saw the face of one of the men between the trees. "Wait, I know him. He's the one that took me to Harrenhal. He killed lommy".

"What the fucks a lommy" Sandor grunted.

"He was my true d" Arya spat and before Sandor could do anything, Arya had pulled out her needle and charged towards them.

"This is for my friends" she announced as she entered the camp.

The men were startled at first by the sudden appearance, but then laughed when they saw the small girl.

"Ain't you a little one" one of the smiled as he licked his lips.

"Fuck you" Arya smiled.

This caused all the men to rise from the seat and pull out their sword. Just when Arya was beginning to regret her actions, Sandor appeared from the other side of the camp and cut down two of the men before they could release what was happening. Quickly two of the men charged at Sandor, as the one who had licked his lips approached Arya.

Arya began to remember the pray her dancing teacher had once told her.

"Not today" she whispered to the god of death and before the man could realise what was happening Arya ducked around him and poked three deep holes into his body with needle.

"Stick em with the pointy end" she smiled.

Sandor was in the middle of a battle with the other two men, blocking the attacks from one as the other stalked behind him, the one that had killed Lommy.

"Hey, come pick on someone your own size. Unless your scarred of little girls" she shouted out at him.

If Sandor hadn't have been in the middle of a fight, he would have roared laughing with at the child's fearless attitude, but he had to remain focused on his target.

The other man had approached Arya now, but she showed now fear. She was small, making her a small and harder target for the man to get too and she used this to her advantage.

Ducking and diving she danced around the man, just like Jaslin had once said in the great hall at Kings Landing. Slowly, the man became tired and clumsy which gave Arya her opportunity to attack. Piecing and poking, she stabbed needle into his stomach over and over until he fell to the ground.

"Something wrong with your leg boy. Do I have to carry you. Can you walk or do I have to carry you. Fine little blade, maybe I'll pick my teeth with it" Arya recited the words he had once scared her and her friends with as she pierced needle through the man throat.

As Arya removed her sword and cleaned it on the man, Sandor had finally killed his man and walked up behind the girl.

"First time you've killed a man?" He asked breathlessly.

"The first man" Arya replied with a cold tone.

"Well next time you're going to do something like that tell me first. Now help me pack up two horses".