Dark Wings (Sandor Clegane)

Chapter Fifty-eight

Thanks to OfficialArya for the incredible cover/art for this chapters image. 

Sandor had narrowly escaped the fight with his brother alive. Cersei and her maester had done something to him, something that made him almost impossible to kill. In end, Sandor had readied himself to die in order to take his brother with him. Tackling him with his last strength and slamming them both through a crumbling wall. At the last minute, he had grabbed onto the side, looking down as his brother fell 100 feet into fire and ash below.

As he had hung on to the edge, a crazies laughter had overcome him. Finally feeling a freedom from the torment that had followed him his entire life. He knew the only reason he had been able to survive was the love he felt from Jaslin, even from a thousand miles away, he could feel her warmth around him. Yet, the rubble he clung onto had begun to shift around him and at that moment he felt as though he too was going to his death when a hand had reached out for him.

"You have any idea what she would do to keep if you died here" Jon had called to him as he helped him back to safety.

Jon had received word that Jaslin was sailing down to the capital, so Sandor spent his time recovering and waiting for his love. When Jon told him of her arrival, he instantly rushed to see her.

"She is with the queen. Our grace wanted to speak with her alone" Jon urged as he quickly followed behind me.

"And now she has, so I'll be taking my family back north and away from the fucking city of death".

Jon had known he could not argue with him, he too knew the power of her love having once been lucky enough to have felt it. So quickly, he followed him to the grand hall.

When Sandor first entered the grand hall, what he found before his eyes did not quite sink in. Cautiously he walked to the end of the hall, where Daenerys sat in the Iron Throne with blood in her dress. Laid on the floor before her, was the body of Jaslin. The fact that she could be dead would not enter his mind, she was just lying down, or hurt, but never dead.

When he fell to his knees next to her body, he placed his hands o her stomach where the sticky blood stained her dress. "Jaslin, it's okay. I'm here now. I'll take you home" he whispered as he pressed his forehead against hers.

Still, she did not move, yet Sandor smiled and gently stroked her cheek, smudging the blood from his hands across her face. "Wake up now my love".

Jon was stood behind him, his blood had turned cold as soon as he saw her. The wet pale color of her skin and the lifeless nature of her body. "Clegane" he whispered.

Sandor was still stroking her cheek as he muttered into her hair, unable to hear anything around him and only longing for her to open her eyes. She never would though, never again would he watch her open her eyes and look at him lovingly, never again would he hear her laughter, her cry or her anger. She was gone and this time she would not come back. As the reality hit him, Sandor let out a roar like nothing anyone had heard before, rocking back and forth with her body, demanding that the gods bring her back. 

"You" he growled finally and stepped up from the ground and stared at Daenerys with a fire in his eyes. 

Quickly, Jon came to stand in front of him, placing one hand on him and another on the hilt of his sword. "Take her home Clegane, take your family as far away from this city as you can". 

"She had to pay" he hissed.

Jon looked at him dead in the eyes and nodded, both men understood and finally, Sandor stepped back. Jon watched carefully as Sandor went back to the lifeless body of Jaslin, lying on the ground, where he picked her up and with a heavy breath carried her out of the grand hall.

Sansa was stood by the entrance of the Red Keep with Jaslin's child in her arms and Arya, Davos and Brienne at her side. When they first saw Sandor walking out of the large iron doors with Jaslin in his hands, she first thought her hurt and gently held the child closer to her chest. When they saw her lifeless hand flop down by her side though, she instantly knew it was far worse. 

The scream which came out of Sansa's mouth could break the hearts of the coldest men. Brienne had had to quickly help take the child from her arms as she fell to the ground. Arya was gripping onto her sister's shoulder, tears streaming down her face as she tried to remain strong for Sansa. When Sandor finally reached them, he could only manage two words before breaking down again. 

"She's gone".