The First Snow

PART XIII: Sandor

Sandor was about to attempt to light the lantern when his stomach rolled. He thought he was going to wretch when Sansa's scent passed over him. He ran up the stairs two at a time. He found her at the top of the stairs, the blood drained from her face, the sickness in his gut has passed.

He looked in the direction she was staring. In the second bedroom two corpses that were nothing more than firewood were laid out on the bed. Fully clothed and in a seemingly relaxed manner. Their hands resting as if they had fallen asleep. He shut the door.

"There, there love" he touched Sansa's face wiping away a tear.

"What happened to them?" another tear fell.

Sandor kissed her just below her left eye tasting the salt on his lips. Sansa wrapped hands around his wrists and tilted her head to look into his eyes.

"They were old and knew what you Starks know and likely took too much milk of the poppy, their death was peaceful."

Sandor cupped the back of her head.

"I don't understand you love, you look less distressed when I gutted a man in front of you."

Sansa's face broke into a disbelieving smile. "That wasn't sad, this is sad." Sandor didn't hesitate to kiss her massaging her neck with his right hand. Her lips parted welcoming his kiss, war flashed through his mind. He was at war with himself not to lose control, something he had never done. He had paid women generously to never talk about him because any sign of tenderness would be seen as weakness.

Running his hand down her back he pressed her closer when she sighed at the new contact he raised his hand peeling her shirt away from her neck and her shoulder. She froze when he kissed her shoulder then her neck.

He was going to stop, he feared that she was repulsed then her arms wrapped the back of his neck tightly. She ran her hands into his hair pulling his head back and her lips finding his again. He only looked at her a moment before closing his eyes again, her fair skin was flushed and her eyes were alight from within.

Sandor's chest heaved with effort. Slow, don't scare her.

When she ripped the lacings from his shirt with frantic hands he bit his cheek until he tasted blood then pulled back from her.

"Girl" his voice was harsh, his breathing heavy. "You don't know what you're doing." he held her at length.

"I told you I am no girl." The deep voice was back she launched herself at him closing the separation he had made.

Bloody hell. It shouldn't be like this. His earlier discomfort was mild compared to what he was feeling now. He looked over her shoulder for anywhere soft he could lay her down when he thought of what was in the bed in the next room it gave him enough pause to stop himself.

"Sansa" thesound of her name stopped her. He had never called her by her name. "Yoursister will return soon." She directed her attention to his neck. Shekissed him timidly then he felt her teeth. He shoved her away, angry that shehad so much power over him and went down stairs and got as far away as possiblewithout going outside