Running Through The Woods - Sandor Clegane

Chapter 12

"Your company are deserters." Sandor mocked. Beric reminds him that he ran away from the service of Joffrey. "If you want to kill me, get on with it," Sandor tells them.

Anguy, their archer accused Sandor of the crimes committed at the Mummer's Ford, where children and innocents were massacred. "I was not involved in that. It was my brother, Gregor." He told them. When they accuse him of killing Aegon and Rhaenys Targaryen, Sandor tells them that yet again it was his brother. Arya stepped up and accused Sandor of the murder of Mycah.

It was him?

My wide eyes stared at him, searching for any information that Arya's accusations were wrong, but the look he gave back to me was all the answers I needed. Beric spoke up and sentenced Clegane to trial by combat as there was no other witness to confirm his guilt.

He chooses himself as Clegane's rival. One of the Brotherhood men untied us both and gave Sandor back his sword and a wooden shield. Sandor was the first to strike. The battle went on until Beric ignites his blade with fire.

I was frightened as I saw the fear pooling in Sandor's eyes as he stepped back. However, Sandor charged and his superior strength was enough to overpower Beric. He swung a powerful downward swipe and cut deep into Beric's shoulder, nearly cutting off his entire arm. Beric laid at the feet of Thoros of Myr and died.

Sandor's shield was on fire, during the fight, he tried to extinguish it as Arya attempted to kill him. "Arya stop!" I yelled, standing in front of him, shielding him from the young girl. The black hair boy grabbed her before she could and she scream at him. "Gendry let me go! He deserves to die, he killed my friend!"

"The gods preferred me over your little butcher's boy." He taunted Arya.

"For fucks sake Clegane can you stop beginning a fucking prick!" I slapped his arm, glaring at him. Before Sandor had the chance to continue to mock Arya, he was interrupted by Beric's voice. Everyone except the men of the Brotherhood was quiet with shock.

"How?" I did not know if it was Sandor, Arya, or me that asked, but we all wanted an explanation. Beric explained his resurrection to us and that he was healed by Thoros using the Lord of Light's power.

"That is not possible. I saw you die!" I exclaimed.

"No, what is not possible is that you defending a murderer, Y/n," Arya muttered. "How could you? I do not understand."

"It is not what you think Arya." I tried to explain but she interrupted.

"You probably left Sansa at King's Landing because you don't care." Tears build up in her eyes, but she did not let them fall.

"No that is not true-"

"Isn't it? You helped him against the Mountain at the tourney, you fled King's Landing with him without Sansa and I saw you at my father's execution. You stood there and you did nothing!" She screamed.

Since Sandor effectively won the fight, Beric declared him innocent and set us free. I tried to reason with Arya to come with us. "I am not going anywhere with a murderer and someone who supports them."

Thoros gave Sandor our things and told him where we can find Sandor's horse. Clegane touched my arm and ushered me out of the cave. Stranger was tied to a tree not far from the cave. "We can not leave her here with those people!" I whispered loudly, walking back and forth trying to figure out a plan.

"We will make camp here. It is too dark to be on the road and we don't know where we are." Sandor sat on the ground leaning against a tree.

"I never knew you killed him, the boy."

"Well believe it, woman." He groaned.

We sat there for a while in silence until I heard someone approaching us. I unsheathed my sword, waiting to strike. Arya ran past and before she could get away Sandor grabbed her, holding her tightly against his chest. "Let go of me!"

"Arya please calm down." I tried to reassure her. She kicked and screamed against Sandor.

I was walking alongside Stranger as Sandor and Arya rode him. I thought it would be best if I keep my distance from Arya so that she cool off a little. She sat in front of him quietly. That worried me.

"It will be soon nightfall. We should make camp here." I said. I stood next to Stranger, holding my arms up to help Arya off but she scoffed at me and let Sandor bring her down.

That fucking hurt.

We did not make a fire that night. We were not sure how far the Brotherhood without Banners was and did not want to risk them finding us again. "What happened when we left the cave? Why did you run?" Sandor asked.

"They wanted to ransom me to my mother and Robb at Riverrun. A lady walled in Melisandre, the Red Lady, who inquires into Dondarrion's multiple resurrections. Melisandre briefly examined Beric and was astonished at how Thoros has been able to revive him so many times. Against my wishes, Beric sells Gendry to her for gold. Beric told me they will be delaying the ransom because they want to launch an attack against Lannister soldiers and that was when I fled."

Arya and Sandor lay on their backs, ready for sleep. I was on the first watch, sharpening my sword. "Can you tell me why?" Arya whispered to me. I looked up from my blade and met her round eyes staring back waiting.

"King's Landing was being under attack. I told Sansa to go to her room and when we got there, Sandor was waiting. He offered to take us to Robb, away from King Joffrey and Stannis. I did not trust him at first but then I remembered how he saved her from being raped by three men in the riot against Joffrey. Sansa did not want to leave so I told Sandor that he should go, leaving me with Sansa, but she was not having it. She ordered me to go with him. After bickering, I gave her my dagger and left with him."

"The dagger father gave you?" Arya questioned.

"Yes. I feel horrible for leaving your sister, but the best thing I can do now is to go to Robb and help him win this fucking war and get her back."

"Why did you shield him when I tried to kill him?"

"Because-" I looked at Sandor as he was watching me in the corner of his eyes. "He could have left me in King's Landing to die. I was sure to be killed after the battle. And he had weeks to kill me on the road, but he did not." I smiled internally at the thoughts of what we did on the road.

"But he killed Mycah!" She protested again.

"I know but remember he was only doing what he was ordered to do. The people who ordered the killing will be punished, don't you worry about that. But yes he has done an awful thing and many more. But so have I."

I had both of their attention as Arya questioned the meaning of what I said. "I am not a knight nor am I a household guard. Lord Stark never forced me to do anything and all the men I killed were not in the name of him or the name of the king."

"But you never killed innocent people."

"Who says? That is the thing about war Arya. There is always someone at fault, but there is nobody right. To us, they can be the enemy and to someone else, they can be the innocent. Nobody in this world is a saint. We all do bad things, but it depends on how you try to fix it." Arya nodded, a yawn breaking past her lips.

"King Joffrey.
Cersei Lannister.
The Mountain.
Ilyn Payne.
Polliver.
The Red Woman.
Beric Dondarrion.
Thoros of Myr.
Meryn Trant."

Closing her eyes, Arya whispered loud enough for us to hear. Sandor groaned, opening his eyes, "What are you doing, girl? Shut it and go to sleep!"

"I can not go to sleep until I finish saying the names of the people I want to kill," Arya argued with him.

"Why is Trant on your list?" I know why I would like to kill him one day, but what did he do to her? Arya answered saying that he was the one who killed Syrio Forel. Sandor groaned telling us to shut it and telling Arya to finish her bloody list.

"I have only one name left." She said rolling over on her side, her back towards him. "The Hound." She closed her eyes and was fast asleep.