Until We Meet Again❄ (Sandor Clegane) Game Of Thrones (Wattys2019 Nominated)

28 - Familiar Places

"What is this shithole?"

Alia scowled at Sandor as they both walked into a small village, goats being pulled by goatherders, small stalls set up selling meat and pieces of old cloth.

Alia scanned her eyes around the town, feeling as if she knew where they were. She pulled Stranger over to a post, letting Sandor tie him up as she dismounts the horse and placing her boots into the muddy ground.

"It looks familiar... I just can't quite put my finger on it."

Sandor and Alia walked side by side and they couldn't help but notice every man, woman and child stopping and staring at the two new disfigured and armed individuals.

Feeling anxious, Alia keeps her eyes darted to the ground whenever someone walks past them.

Soon enough, Sandor had led them straight to an Inn because wherever food, especially chicken, and Ale was involved he would go straight there.

As usual, the two of them found their way to the back of the Inn, taking a seat across from one another.

A man comes over, offers them something to eat and drink and Alia cussed at Sandor as he snatched the jug of Ale from the mans grasp and commanding two chickens.

The man scurries away, fearful of the brawny man which made Alia look at Sandor, shaking her head slightly. "Can you try and act normal?" She mumbles, setting her weapon holster onto the wooden seat next to her, rolling her shoulders back slightly to remove the strain on the muscles in her back.

"If ya ain't forceful, you don't get what you want." Sandor replies, taking a swig of Ale as if his life depended on it.

"He was literally going to give us the Ale anyway? And we were going to ask for food."

Sandor rolled his eyes at Alia which made her stick her tongue out at him childishly and leaned her back against the wooden board.

The man, who Sandor scared, came over with two shaky hands as he held the two bowls of chicken.

As he places it down in front of them both, he's about to scurry away again but Alia quickly catches his wrist which made him turn to face her, a look of pure worry on his face.

"Hello, please forgive my travelling companion's attitude... we have been on the road for a while now and it's been a few days since we last had a proper meal and drink." Alia apologises, giving the older man a sincere smile and apologetic eyes.

As the man listens, he stares at her. He looks at her eyes and then back to her long scar across her cheek and then back to her eyes and falls on his knees.

"Seven Hells... y-you're Lady Alianora Crow!" He stammers, catching Alia and Sandor off guard as everyone quickly turned their heads in the whole Inn, staring at the woman.

"Well, I am not a Knight anymore but that is me." She answers honestly, taking a swig of her Ale feeling very tense with the constant staring and whispering.

"Forgive me My Lady, you will still be one of the most honorable Knights to have lived. News had gotten to Hornwood about Lord Eddard's death. A horrible turn of events. We have always and will always be loyal to the starks."

Alia's eyes widen as she realised where she was. She was home. Not Winterfell home but this was where she was born. This was where her mother lived.

Almost in a daze, she thanked the man who stood to his feet, bowing to her and giving a small nod to Sandor who had a smirk on his face, amused at how flustered she got about people staring at her.

"Drinks are on the house. Have as much as you like."

"Fucking fantastic!" Sandor smirked, taking his cup to his lips and taking a large, drawn-out swig. 

When the man left, Sandor watched Alia stay still and silent as she sat in deep thought.

"I-I'm going to go get some fresh air. Feel a bit uneasy." She breathed out, shoving her chicken and drink towards Sandor who greedily accepted but looked at her skeptically. "You're not gonna do another runner are you?"

Alia let out a slight laugh and shook her head, giving him a faint smile. "Just don't give me a reason to."

With that, she left his side and wandered outside of the Inn, sucking in a deep breath of air and tried to recall where her old home was. She walked a little south of the Inn, following the path until she came across a few small cottages made of wood and small twigs.

She walked outside of them, wondering which one was hers until she stopped outside of one, looking at the small pebbled wall that blocked into a square where the crops were all dried up and dead.

She moved her blue eyes towards the old tattered door, it looking as if it hadn't been touched for decades.

Finding some courage she walked up to the small cottage and sucked in a deep breath before lightly knocking her knuckles against the door.

Pulling her hand away, she takes a step back and looks to her left to see if anyone was around and to her surprise, there wasn't seeing as it was quite busy before. She looked back at the door and heard no movement from inside and turned back on her heel.

She didn't really understand why she wanted to go back to her home. She wasn't even sure if it was because her mother may or may not be there. Maybe her father miraculously would be there. But, the chances were very slim. It was around twenty-five years since her feet walked these grounds and twenty-five years since she last saw the woman who left her and Archie. Who hurt her.

Shaking her head at her own stupidity she starts to walk away until she hears a slight creak come from behind her. Stopping in her tracks, she breathed out uneasily and looked over her shoulder to see a woman, hair as white as snow, eyes as blue as the sky and skin as wrinkled as time.

She was no longer a young woman anymore from what she remembered. She was no longer nineteen. She was older but now she knew where she got her bright eyes from. The woman standing right in front of her.

"Hello, Mother."