Secret Flames (Sandor Clegane)

Chapter 21

"Where are we going?" Arya asked breathlessly and Tallulah continued to cling onto her hand as they ran away from the sound of steel.

"Away, come on. We cannot stop yet" she panted and forced her legs to continue on just a little bit further. 

The further they ran the quieter the sounds of battles disappeared behind them. After almost half a mile they had entered back into the woodlands that covered the East Coast north of the Eyrie. After another several hundred yards, Tallulahs legs began to cramp and she finally pulled to a stop. Arya, although much younger than her, was also tired and breathless as she dropped to her knees and tried to catch her breath. 

The only sound that surrounded them was their breathing until suddenly the noise of branches breaking as though underfoot echoes through the woodlands. 

"What was that?" Arya suddenly snapped and jumped to her feet. 

Tallulah placed her finger to her lips and gently reached down to take her blade out from its holder on her leg. Arya, with her hand on the hilt of needle, came to stand close by Tallulah as they stood silently. 

"Well, well, well what do we have here boys? Looks like two pretty little treats to me" A voice suddenly laughed from behind the trees. 

"I get the younger one first" another voice laughed to the east.

"I call the older one. She looks like she knows a few things" a voice to west laughed.

Tallulah had placed her hand in front of Arya in some form of protection as she quickly snapped her head from left to right. 

"Show yourself cowards" she roared out.

"Oh don't worry, you'll be seeing a lot of us" the first voice announced and finally appeared from behind a tree in front of them. 

"We are not alone. We have guards, hundreds of them which will skin you alive if you hurt us" she warned.

"I don't see no one" the second voice laughed and came into the light. 

"Aye, I reckon you pretty little squirrels are all alone" the third chuckled. 

"Leave the younger alone. I'll do as you please, just let us leave the girl here alone. You'll find no fight from me" Tallulah half pleased as the three men grew closer and closer towards them. 

"That's a pretty offer from a pretty mouth. Don't think we'll be finding much of a fight from either of you though. Boys, shall we?" 

Before either girl could realize what was happening twenty more men jumped out from the shadows of the trees around them. Tallulah began spinning in circles, trying to mark which one to attack first, but before she could another grabbed her from behind and forced a rag over her mouth. The next thing she knew, her vision was growing fuzzy and her mind seemed to drift away. 

With no idea of hours or days, Tallulah woke up to the gently rocking sensation and a covering of humid heat over her swore and tired body. As she slowly opened her eyes, she realized she was no longer in the woodland, but instead inside an old iron cage atop of wooden kart, being dragged through an unknown city. Arya was sitting next to her on the floor, her face covered in dirt and tears and she clung onto her side. 

"Where are we?"

Arya did not know and only shook her head and the caged pulled to a stop. 

"You're in Braavos child. In a slave cage to sold to the highest bidder," an ancient looking woman answered. 

The woman words seemed to light a new fire within side Tallulah. She knew beside everything else, including her own well being, she had to get Arya out of this cage and back to some sort of relative safety. As the cart remained standstill and two men seemed to be bargaining ahead, she began to examine her surroundings and develop a plan of escape. 

"You" one of the men announced as he came back to the cage and pointed at a young boy at the back of the cage. 

The young boy began to cry and shake as the slave seller opened up the cage and reached inside. 

"Arya, you need to run okay. Run as fast as you can, wherever your feet take you. Trust your feet and never stop. No matter what. Do you understand child?" she whispered to her as the man continued to battle with the crying boy. 

Arya nodded softly and wiped the tears from her face. 

"You will have to run alone, I can not come with you, but you just go. Promise me you will not wait for me?"

"But-"

"Ayra! Promise me".

"I promise" she whispered. 

When she was sure the girl would keep her word, Tallulah took a deep breath and readied herself for the pain that was likely to follow her next action. "Perhaps this will make up for my mistakes. Forgive me" she whispered as her mind thought of Robb and Catelyn Stark. 

The slave seller was now pulling at the leg of the crying boy, and so she took her time to strike. Slamming her foot down onto his exposed arm and then lurching forward to bite a chunk from the man's neck, she roared in maddened energy and rage as the taste of blood filled her mouth. The man quickly slammed back from her and then reached out for the iron bar at his belt and began throwing down blow and blow into whatever body part he could reach. During the madness, Arya knew this was her time and quickly sneaked out of the cage and charged with all her might into the busy and crowded market place. 

"You fucking whore" the man screamed over and over again as he continued to beat her bloody.

"What is going on here?!" another voice suddenly roared as he pulled back the man and studied the havoc around him. 

"That little bitch broke my arm and bit me!" The man spat. 

The other man seemed to find amusement in his friends pain and turned his eyes to her. "I knew you'd be a fighter. Let's see brave you are in Asshai shall we?"