Lonesome / Sandor Clegane (2)

3. Knight

Jon was still trying to comprehend. He loved Verena. She had always felt like thenodd one out of the starks so her and Jon got on great. She wasnt perfect at stitches like sansa. She didnt really care for Weapons like Arya. She had doted on Rickon but that's because he was so little and her mother asked Verena to look out for the younger children.

Robb was always kind to her but they werent close now it was the last of the starks.

Now jon was trying to prepare for the upcoming war and verena was befriending more cleganes? Jon couldnt wrap his head around it. What did she see in these men?

Grace held out the little wooden knight figurine  with a big smile.

"Raaaaoooor!" Grace declared clutching it in her little fingers and swinging the soft plushy wolf in the other hand. Sandor stared at the little knight. He reached out to touch it and sandor was brought back into a memory.

"Sandor?" Verena called out.

The smell filled his lungs. His breathing got heavy.

"Sandor!" Verena begged.

He ran his hands over his face like he could rub the memory away.

"Sandor," Verena reaching out holding onto him. He met her gaze and the darkness seemed to soften when he locked eyes on Verena.

"Sorry, I... didnt mean to scare you." Sandor offered.

"Gregor had night terrors." Verena whispered. Sandor stared back at her debating if she was joking. "He would wake up, not himself. In that other place and... it was scary."

"He was scary." Sandor remarked. "Still cant believe you killed him."

"It was a mercy." Verena assured.

"I wish i could have seen it."

Verena had time to grieve the person she thought gregor was. The one that cared about her and her alone. The one that was excited to be a father. Seeing sandor again brought back some of the pain she tried to push down. The guilt of what gregor had done over theb ears.

Grace on the other hand didn't understand. SHe was confused why sandor didnt like the little wooden knight toy she offered up to him. Grace looked around before she offered sandor a new toy. She held up her dolly in one hand and the knight in the other.

"Dolly or knight. You a knight like daddy." Grace decided. Sandor stared down at the little wooden knight. He remembered gregor was so gentle with verena when he gave it to her yet when sandor took it gregor was vicious.

~

Gregor held out a large hand and opened his palm to her. Verena stared down at the little knight figurine in his hand. He shoved his hand towards her silently and she hesitantly took it from him. Her hand- her fingers looked minuscule as she touched his hand grabbing the little knight.

"Thank you". Verena said her voice as small as a mouse. He nodded once moving past her without another word.

Verena stared down at the little knight. It was cute. Looked like something from his childhood maybe. She liked that he gave it to her.

Maybe he wanted children one day and this could be passed down to their child.

Sandor saw verena standing in the balcony. Gregors chanbers were larger than sandors always were. Had a nicer view which he was sure gregor didn't appreciate and more room to move. He saw verena on the balcony and thought she was going to jump as her forarms leaned on the balcony the little knight in her hand as she let the sun kiss her skin.

"Girl!" Sandor barked moving forward and verena turned to him a small smile on her lips.

"Hello sandor". Verena remarked fondly.

"What are you-" then he saw it. The knight. Horror filled him. He grabbed it from her and she gave a little squeak or terror. He threw it across the room and verenas wide eyes stared back at him silently.

"Where did you get that? Don't touch that!" Sandor barked.

"Gre-gregor gave it to me..." verena whimpered.

"What?" Sandor rasped.

"Yes. He- he gave it to me." Verena agreed. "I- I- you can h-have it." She stuttered out.

"I dony want it." Sandor shouted. "He shoved me in the fire over that fucking little knight."

"Sandor I didn't realize -"

"Hound." Gregor demanded as he looked between them. "Vee." Gregor said her nickname softer than sandors. Verena moved around sandor and to gregor. "He hurt you?" Sandor stared at verena. Watching her take comfort in gregor.

"No no just a misunderstanding." Verena assured.

~

"Dolly." Sandor finally said. Grace was confused but held it out for him.

"You sure, uncle San?"

"Yes." Sandor agreed, he awkwardly moved the dolly around as Grace zoomed around with the little knight. Verena leaned into sandor and he felt at ease.

"What happened to you?"

"Me?" Sandor questioned with a laugh.

"Arya said you were dead. Clearly you are not."

"I met a man that... well hes dead now. I killed the fucker that did it. Doesnt matter. He brought me back to life or whatever." Sandor grumbled.

"You made friends?" Verena almost laughed.

"I can make friends." Sandor barked back. "I just dont like people." He agreed.

"Liar. Liar. Pants on fire!" Gracie sung out. Sandor turned his head to her. "What?" Gracie demanded

"Liar?" Sandor questioned.

"You like me. You like mama. We are people." Gracie agreed. "Sooo liar, liar, pants on-"

"Okay." Sandor barked back. Verena giggled out. "This humorous to you Vee?"

"Yes." She agreed smiling back at him. Sandor shook his head trying to maintain his scowl but verena laughed out. Sandors gaze shifted to her and he chuckled softly to himself.