A/N: Here you are, everyone. As promised, here is a new chapter. Thank you to magnus374, Guest, and Guest for the reviews on the previous chapter. I hope you all enjoy this new chapter as well.
Disclaimer: I do not own GOT or any of the characters, George R.R. Martin does, with HBO having the rights to the screen-work.
…
"Where's my gold?" Sandor demanded.
"This note states clearly that you'll be repaid when the war's ended," one of the Brotherhood answered, indicating the little slip of paper as he did so.
"Piss on that!" Sandor spat, smacking the note away and glaring daggers. "Am I supposed to believe the word of thieves?"
"We're outlaws," another man declared haughtily. "You're lucky you're leaving this cave with your life."
Sandor growled, but Sansa touched his arm slightly and shook her head, hoping he would understand the silent plea not to make things worse. They were going to be let go, surely that meant more than a little gold.
"Let's just go," she whispered.
"He'll be traveling alone, sweetling," spoke another man as he stepped up behind her. "Wouldn't you rather stay here with your sister?"
"Don't pretend you're thinking of her!" Sandor's eyes lit up with fury. "The girl's coming with me!"
"You're in no position to be trying to strike bargains," Thoros pointed out. "After all, she's more valuable than that gold you lost. Why, if we handed her off to Robb Stark along with that sister of hers, they'd fetch quite a bounty together."
"You claim to be defending the weak when you'd sell a pair of girls?" Sansa asked, her gaze hardening as she stared at the red priest.
"You're free to go, Clegane," Thoros said, ignoring Sansa's words. "You can even have your horse back."
"I still say we should kill him," the man behind Sansa said with a scowl. "We could use that horse."
"None of you bloody girls could even lay a hand on that horse," Sandor smirked. "Not without losing a few fingers or even your whole hand."
"Then you can take the horse and we'll take the Stark girls," Thoros shrugged. "I'd say a fair trade."
Sansa thought for a moment. She knew Sandor would not leave without fighting these men, a fight he could possibly win, but then they would have what they believed to be a just reason to kill him.
"Perhaps we could make another arrangement," she spoke up just as Sandor was reaching for his blade.
Thoros raised an eyebrow.
"And what might that be, Lady Stark?" he asked with a hint of mockery.
"You allow us to go free, and in return my brother, the King in the North, will be in your debt," Sansa stated, fighting back a smile when she saw a few of the mens' expressions become curious. "Yes, a number of you are Stark deserters, but if you do this service to him, Robb would be inclined to issue each of you a full pardon. Houses Stark and Tully are bound and both currently follow him. If you grant us the chance to be returned to him, you will have nothing to fear from Stark or Tully bannermen. In addition to that protection, I am certain that my brother will also reward you handsomely for your efforts against the Lannister forces."
"We're not your brother's attack dogs," spat a man standing near Arya.
"I did not say that you were," Sansa retorted. "I merely made an offer, but if you choose not to take it-"
"How do we know you'll actually keep your word?" came a sneer from the one who suggested taking Sandor's horse.
"You would call a lady a liar?" Sansa glared.
"Your brother is said by all accounts to be as honorable as Lord Eddard Stark was," Beric interceded. "And it is clear there is still a purpose yet to be revealed. But I sense that it shall be revealed in time, but only if we follow the path set before us. Very well, go in peace, Sandor Clegane and Sansa Stark."
"And Arya," Sansa added.
"No!"
Sansa turned to see Arya, still clasping the knife she had attempted to stab Sandor with before.
"Arya, you-"
"I'm not going anywhere with the pair of you!" Arya snapped. "You're still the same as you were in King's Landing. You haven't changed a bit. I will not go with you and be used as a shield so the Hound can keep his head!"
"If Mother and Robb heard you speaking this way, do you realize how hurt they would be?" Sansa demanded. "We have the chance to go home finally. Why are you being so stupid?!"
"Yes, you've always thought I was stupid," Arya growled. "But it was your stupidity that doomed us!"
"You…you don't know what you're talking about!" Sansa's voice quivered.
"We could have left for Winterfell with Father when we had the chance. But you were so worried about marrying your beloved Joffrey and being queen, we missed our chance," Arya's eyes were filled with bitter anguish and her words filled with venom. "You let Father die! And even after what he did, you still wanted to marry Joffrey!"
"I did not!" Sansa screamed. "I hate him more than anyone! That's why-"
"Enough!" Thoros shouted over the girls. "Clegane, take your Stark girl and be off!"
"Girls," Sandor amended.
"No, girl. You'll have one and we'll have one," Beric said with a smile. "Enough reward to go around."
Sandor grunted, but led a protesting Sansa to the mouth of the cave where a pair of men covered their heads with hoods once more and led them from the cave.
…
"We're just a few days from Riverrun," Robb said with a sigh of relief.
"Perhaps we'll arrive before Roslin," Olyvar stated brightly.
Robb bit back a snort of amusement. His young squire seemed absolutely determined to act as a mediator for his king and his sister. He couldn't blame him of course; it was natural that he would try to make light of the arranged marriage.
"I shall have to also deal with my mother," Robb said with a downtrodden frown.
He wasn't pleased in the slightest that his mother had released Jaime Lannister. He understood she had done it out of desperation, but it still did not excuse the fact that she let a hostage that carried so much value go purely for the sake of a bargain that might not even be worth it. Who was to say that even after the Lannisters got Jaime back that they would honor the pledge and return Sansa and Arya?
Especially if the rumors circulating were true. One particularly unsettling one was that Joffrey's sworn shield the Hound had deserted during the Battle of Blackwater and had taken Sansa with him. Others spoke of Arya having been killed when the Lannister troops slaughtered Ned Stark's household in King's Landing.
Had his mother only traded a living man for dead girls?
…
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Alright, I do hope everyone enjoyed that new chapter and the next one will be out on Tuesday, May 5th. Until then, ladies and gentlemen.