#sandor x karliah

[fandomficsnstuff]

Wolves And Hounds - 18

(Warnings: Mentions of dead bodies, blood, fighting, angst, vague hints at SA and maybe a little fluff at the end<3)

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Karliah woke up the second the horse stopped, lifting her head from Sandor’s back to look around, slipping her hands from around him and his belt as she yawned and Sandor secretly loathed that she’d moved her hands, he had gotten so used to the slight pressure that now he felt cold where her arms had once been wrapped around him. “Are we at the Vale?” she asked through her yawn, looking around once more, grimacing at the sight of all the dead people, a certain unease taking root in her “and why are we surrounded by dead bodies?” she asked with a small wince, Sandor scoffing lightly, nodding ahead and she listened, hearing distant horses and she looked up at Sandor from behind him. He turned stiffly and looked over his shoulder at her, studying her before grumbling, clicking his tongue a little, riding his horse a little closer to the sound before getting off with Arya and Karliah. He tied up the horse as Arya and Karliah sneaked over to some bushes to get a better look. Sandor soon joined them, Arya’s stomach growling a little and Karliah frowned at her before looking at Sandor. “She’s hungry. I’m hungry. You’re hungry.”

“There’s five horses. Five horses means five men. I don’t feel like fighting five men on an empty stomach, dove.”

“And what am I? A figment of your imagination? I can swing a sword, you know that-”

“Aye, sixteen years ago” he hissed and her eyes widened, face turning red “I got the drop on you in King’s Landing, didn’t I?!” she whispered harshly, glaring at him before turning to Arya. “It’s two against five, we-”

“I know him” Arya whispered as two men came out the back of the inn “the small one… his name is Polliver” Arya added and Karliah took in the cold look on her face, a frown forming on her brows and she looked back at the man in question “he captured us and took us to Harrenhall… he’s one of the men who killed Yoren” Arya admitted in a whisper and Karliah sighed heavily, looking ahead to study the men, their armour, their demeanour and weapons. “He killed Lommy…”

“What the fuck’s a ‘Lommy’?” Sandor asked Arya and Karliah kept her gaze on the two men, frowning a little with confusion at who ‘Lommy’ was but she kept her eyes on them nonetheless. “He was my friend. Polliver took my sword and stuck it right through his neck… he’s still got it!”

“Got what?”

“My sword; Needle.”

“‘Needle’... of course you named your bloody sword.”

“Lots of people name their swords.”

“Lots of cunts” Sandor’s reply made Karliah look up at him in slight shock “Sandor!” she hissed and he looked at her, glaring lightly at her “don’t tell me you named your fucking sword too when you fought in the rebellion” he growled and she scoffed and shook her head “no, I didn’t… not exactly-”

“What the fuck- What are you doing?!” Sandor hissed as he realised that Arya was halfway down the small hill to the inn, both Karliah and Sandor hurrying after her. “Arry!”

“Jon gave me that sword” Arya stated suddenly and Karliah stopped in her tracks as Arya turned to face her. “Jon gave it to me” she stated again and Karliah sighed softly “Arya, there’s five men in there. Well armoured and armed men-”

“I’m getting my sword back” she stated with determination, continuing to march towards the inn and Karliah groaned a little, both her and Sandor catching up with Arya, Sandor catching her first. “He killed my friend-!”

“I don’t care if he ate your friend, we’re not going in there!” Sandor growled just as the door opened and Karliah froze up, eyes a little wide as she reached Arya and Sandor, standing behind Arya, a hand protectively on her shoulder, keeping her against her. As the man who had tried to walk outside spotted Sandor, he slowly backed away and Sandor stared him down before slowly taking steps to walk inside, Karliah reluctantly following after him, guiding Arya in as well, her hand on her shoulder firm and steady as she did everything she could to keep Arya close, where she could protect her. As they got inside, Sandor having to bend down a little to get through the doorway, Karliah’s grip on Arya tightened when she heard women sobbing and struggling to get away from the men, her heart racing and she looked up at Sandor while Arya reached behind her and closed the door, her eyes locked on Polliver, who didn’t even turn to look at who had arrived and managed to quiet the rowdy men with their mere presence. But then again, Karliah could only imagine that few men could do that, so it narrowed down the possibilities quite a lot as to who could be responsible for the new silence.

She followed Sandor to a bench in the far back of the inn, sitting Arya down on the bench with the table between the rest of the inn, about to pull up a chair to sit next to her when Sandor pulled up a chair next to himself on the bench next to Arya, Karliah glancing down at Arya who gave a subtle nod and she nodded subtly in return, walking around the table to sit down at the end of it on the chair that Sandor had pulled over for her from another table. “Thank you” she whispered politely, keeping her gaze and head down, her heart still racing out of her chest, she was sure she’d have to chase after it if it kept up the pace a little while longer.

“I know you!” Karliah froze at those words, her eyes moving to Arya who also looked at her, her hand reaching behind her for Sandor’s sword and Karliah’s hand subtly reached Sandor’s knee, her eyes pleading as she was ready to point out that Arya was about to draw his sword. Or at least attempt to draw it. “You’re the Hound!” Karliah breathed out a shaky breath of relief, her eyes moving to Arya, giving her a warning glare and Arya slowly removed her hand from the sword hilt, Karliah giving her a subtle nod. “Pour our new friend some ale! And his… what’s your name, pretty?” he asked with a disturbing grin as he sat down on the bench across from Sandor and Arya, next to Karliah. “Ulma…” Karliah lied quietly, keeping her head down and Polliver grinned, reaching over, letting the back of his fingers run softly down her arm and Karliah felt like barfing. “Where in the seven hells did you get a pretty thing like her?” he asked as he kept smirking at Karliah, Sandor clenching his jaw and fists tightly in a warning and it seemed the Polliver got the message, lifting his hands in mock defeat “not a sharer, that’s alright” he determined, casting Karliah a final smirk before looking back at Sandor.

“So! What brings you so far North?”

“I could ask the same of you. What are you doing up here?”

“Just keeping the King’s peace.”

“No need. The war’s over” Sandor pointed out as the innkeeper arrived with mugs and ale, pouring some for Karliah and Sandor both, Karliah looking up at him with an apologetic look before he scurried off. “So I’ve heard. Stannis defeated at the Blackwater. Robb Stark killed at the Twins. And where am I for all of it? Stuck with your brother! Meanin’ no offence.”

“None taken.”

“He’s good, the Mountain is. The best at what he does, but… torture, torture, torture, torture. You spend enough time puttin’ the hammer to people, you start to feel like a carpenter making chairs. Drains the fun right out’f it. And what’s life without a little fun?” he asked, chuckling briefly, glancing at Karliah again with that same disgusting smirk before looking at Arya in the same way, smirking “but I don’t need to tell you that, do I? You’ve got whole two with you!” he said with amusement, moving his gaze back at Karliah as she tried to calm herself and her boiling blood. “She’s alright. I’ve had better. Though I like this one a little better” Sandor grumbled and gestured to Karliah, Polliver laughing creepily in amusement “I can imagine, she looks good… you know what? You should come with us. His kind, they’ve always got something hidden away somewhere,” he stated and gestured behind him to the innkeeper, Karliah’s blood boiling with rage as she looked over her shoulder, locking eyes with the woman, probably the innkeeper’s daughter, as she was forced into the laps of those men, struggling as they tried to grope at her, laughing and joking and it was as though everything else was blank to her except those men, their laughs, their disgusting remarks and the way they handled that poor girl.

“Fuck the King” Karliah looked back at Sandor at his words, her heart racing a little faster but this time it wasn’t out of anger. It was excitement. A rush of adrenaline. A smirk tugging at her lips as she looked at Polliver, picking up the mug of ale that she hadn’t touched, drinking all of it while keeping eye contact with the disgusting creature of a man as the inn was as quiet as an abandoned Weirwood tree.

“When I’d heard that Joffrey’s dog had tucked tail and run from the battle of the Blackwater with his bitch wife, I didn’t believe it. But here you are-”

“Here I am. Bring us one of those chickens” Sandor ordered and Karliah felt that rush again. It was inappropriate. So inappropriate, but the way he spoke calmly, dominantly… it made fire course through her veins and set every single inch of her ablaze, as though she’d been bathed in dragonfire and she couldn’t help it, her hand, which was still subtly on his knee under the table, moved up a little, to his thigh. Her blood felt thicker in her veins as she felt his thigh under all of that armour flex a little at her familiar yet brazen touch.

“You got money to pay for that chicken?”

“You paid for it?”

“No. But we’re the King’s men. So, you got money?” he asked, Sandor downing the rest of his ale “not a penny” he stated openly “I’ll still take that chicken.”

“Tell you what. We’ll trade ya. One of our little chickens for one of yours” Polliver stated as he casually gestured between Karliah and Arya, Karliah’s entire body tensing up and her hand slowly and subtly moved up from Sandor’s thigh to the outer side of it, slowly sliding up and under his cloak, reaching for one of his knives when his hand suddenly caught hers, his gaze still locked with Polliver’s, who didn’t seem to have noticed what Karliah had been trying to do. “Give us a go at your friend. You’ll even get to pick which one. Lowell there likes them a bit broken in” he stated as he turned and gestured to a man who waved with a chicken, Karliah’s body almost shaking with rage as Polliver turned back to look at Sandor, awaiting his response.

“You’re a talker… listening to talkers makes me thirsty,” Sandor reached over with his free hand, taking Polliver’s mug of ale and drinking all of it, all while keeping eye contact with him, downing the ale and putting the mug back down “and hungry. Think I’ll take two chickens” Sandor finished, Karliah trying to hide her smirk, Polliver looking over his shoulder at his men before looking back at Sandor. “You don’t seem to understand the situation.”

“I understand that if any more words come pouring out your cunt mouth, I’m going to have to eat every fucking chicken in this room.”

“You lived your life for the King. You’re gonna die for some chickens?”

“Someone is…” there was a longer while of silence, Sandor slowly letting go of Karliah’s hand and just as Polliver stood up she reached over, grabbing the knife out of it’s sheath, standing up just as Sandor flipped the table, knocking Polliver down to the ground with it and pinning him there, Karliah hurriedly running around the table as Sandor backhanded one of the attacking men, sending him almost head first into Karliah who gripped him tightly by the back collar of his leather armour, cutting his throat to the bone, as she���d heard her sister-in-law’s throat was cut.

Sandor cut down another man and pushed him aside, Karliah charging forward, dodging a sword being swung at her, tackling the man and stabbing him in the heart twice before getting up, stabbing the back of another man as Sandor cut him across his front, almost from balls to brains. Karliah hurried over to the innkeeper and his daughter, both of whom at first flinched but Karliah pushed them to hurry up the stairs, to which they quickly obeyed. Just as they had gotten up, a man swung his sword at her, Karliah moving out of the way just in time, stumbling a little, back hitting a wall and she ducked again as the sword was aimed at her head, stabbing the man’s thigh while hurrying out from under the sword, backing up while Sandor fought off the other man, the two of them remaining and Karliah focused on the man she’d stabbed already, watching him charge at her, ready for the fight when suddenly a large hand punched him so hard that blood and teeth flew out of his mouth and he landed on the ground with a heavy thud. Suddenly two men tackled Sandor, pushing him to the ground, kicking him and Karliah jumped up on one of them, legs wrapped around their neck from behind and she took the knife in her hand, lifting it up, intending to plunge it into the man’s skull from above when he purposefully backed up into a wall, harshly slamming Karliah against it in an attempt to get her off but she stayed on top of him, holding on for dear life as he continued this, slamming her against objects until finally she let go by accident, landing in the dirt but as he lifted his sword to cut into her, she had rolled over on her back, foot aimed direction at his crotch, and she didn’t hold back either, using all of her strength in that kick and as he stumbled forward a little in shock and utter agony she leaned up and stabbed him in the gut, stabbing him two more times before using the knife to flip the two of them over as she straddled him. She leaned down and cut his throat before getting up, just in time to see Arya expertly cut the back of Polliver’s legs as he headed for Sandor, who pinned a man against a post with a sword straight through his gut.

She watched hesitantly as Arya took a small step closer to Polliver as he laid in the dirt and dust.

“Something wrong with your leg, boy?”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Can you walk? I’ve got to carry you?”

“Arry?” Karliah asked softly, the girl looking up at her aunt, a small pleading look in her eyes and Karliah hesitated, beginning to shake her head when Arya looked back at Polliver. “C-Carry me?” he asked but Arya didn’t answer, merely lifting her blade, as though inspecting it for the first time and that’s when Karliah realised it. This was how he killed her friend… and he’d done it with her sword…

“Fine little blade. Maybe I’ll pick my teeth with it” she stated as she lowered it, pointing directly at his neck and only when she saw recognition in his eyes did she slowly push it through his neck, watching him choke on his own blood as she pulled out the thin blade, cleaning off her blade with her sleeve, turning to look at her aunt who frowned at her with a light sigh. Karliah hesitated before stretching out her hand to Arya, waiting, a pleading look in her eyes and finally Arya sheathed Needle in her belt and stepped over Polliver’s corpse, taking her aunt’s hand and Karliah looked at Sandor before walking outside with Arya. When he found them, Arya was on top of a white horse, Karliah wiping her bloody hands on her trousers and when Sandor walked over, she handed him back his knife, clean and rid of blood, ready to be used and she smiled softly up at him. “Arya, look away” Karliah spoke without looking at her niece, who frowned and did as told with confusion. Once Karliah was sure that Arya wasn’t looking, she leaned up, wrapping an arm around Sandor’s neck, her lips meeting with his while her other hand slid his knife into it’s sheath. His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her tightly against him as he kissed her back, Arya looking back at them to find out why she had to look away to begin with, only to cringe and look away “ew!” she gagged, Karliah parting from Sandor with amusement. “Told you” she teased before turning to Sandor again, studying his empty hands and she moved to walk back inside. “What’re you doing?”

“I’m still hungry and there’s perfectly good cooked chicken in there. Now get your horse. The brown one is mine” she shouted before walking inside, Sandor studying her as she walked off until he couldn’t see her anymore, looking up at Arya who smirked at him. “You heard her, get your horse” Arya ordered teasingly and he rolled his eyes, grumbling in annoyance as he walked over, got his horse and made the way back to where Arya was still sat atop her new horse that she wanted to fucking badly, though his mood was somewhat lifted, just a little bit, when Karliah came back outside with a chicken for each of them and a bag of gold, giving it to him “they said thank you, for the help” she said with a soft smile, handing the two chickens to her niece as she saddled up on the brown horse she’d chosen, leaning over and taking one of the chickens as Arya had already begun eating.

[fandomficsnstuff]

Wolves And Hounds - 23

(Warnings: Angst, a little more angst, some fluff and then smut!:3 And a bit more angst at the end)

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Sandor watched his wife from afar, the way she just stared ahead… arms wrapped around herself, a vacant look in her eyes, as though she wasn’t entirely there…

“What happened?” Beric asked suddenly and Sandor glared up at him before looking down, trying to seem like he didn’t care but his body betrayed him when it forced him to lift his head and look at her again, watching over her, unsure of what to do. “Something happened. The Wild Wolf of Winterfell does not get scared so easily” Beric pointed out, taking in Sandor’s silence and his expression softened as his mind worked. What could make such a strong-willed, defiant woman become so full of rage yet so quiet and rattled? The answer left him feeling cold all over, a look of regret in his eyes… he regretted only giving them two out of the three bastards they’d hanged… it also explained why she had been so full of rage and anger, so hungry for a violent revenge.

As they talked, Karliah kept her gaze straight ahead, as though in her own little world, her jaw clenched, posture tense as she couldn’t relive it all again and again, each time feeling a deeper, stronger hatred grow in her, tears of anger forming in her eyes and she looked like she was on the verge of homicidal rage.

“You can still help a lot more than you’ve harmed, Clegane. It’s not too late for you. And it’s not too late for her…”

Beric gestured in a head nod towards Karliah, Sandor following his gaze, his eyes locked on his wife, the rage in her eyes, her tense posture. She looked like bottled wildfire, about to explode. Like if she didn’t take out her rage one way or another, she would explode into a million sharp pieces that’d pierce and cut anyone too close to her. Sandor hesitated before standing up, walking over to her, hesitantly sitting down next to her, looking ahead, just like her. “They want me to join” he spoke quietly, hearing a light scoff coming from her and he turned to look at her “and not me? Why? Because I wear skirts and have a cunt?”

“And what a cunt it is” Sandor mumbled, making her look at him, her cheeks darkening but she smiled a little, a genuine smile of amusement “shut up” she muttered, looking down. “They want you to join too. At least, that’s what I gathered” Sandor clarified and Karliah sighed, closing her eyes for a brief moment as she shook her head “you’re no stranger to rage, my love…” she began, Sandor studying her closely, waiting for her to continue, “you’re no stranger to revenge… tell me, will this ever go away? This dark hatred… this-... hungry feeling in my gut?” she asked quietly with a wavering voice, Sandor studying her before looking ahead “just need a good chicken is all, then it’ll go away” he joked dryly and she laughed briefly and quietly, smiling that wonderful smile once again as she kept her head down “I haven’t gotten my revenge. Not yet, anyway… so I can’t tell you if it’ll ever go away, dove” Sandor admitted hesitantly, watching her closely as she nodded. “I keep feeling his hands on me… his breath… his smell” she muttered with disgust, jaw clenched, her heart racing with anger and disgust and Sandor sighed and looked ahead “I-... you know I’m no good at this, dove… I don’t know what to do or say or-... I’m no fucking good at this feelings shit” he growled under his breath and Karliah looked up at her, a few tears still in her eyes as she frowned at him with understanding “hold my hand” she whispered and Sandor looked at her, studying her closely before taking her hand into his own, lifting it and kissing the back of it and she smiled weakly, letting out a shaky breath “thank you” she whispered, leaning closer and kissing him sweetly, her eyes shut and for once she didn’t feel that pig’s hands on her, she didn’t see him behind her closed eyes, she didn’t smell his foul stench. Just her husband’s. Though she was sure that she didn’t smell any better than him.

Sandor kissed her back tenderly, cupping her face to deepen the kiss when she broke it, sighing softly “I love you, Sandor Clegane” she whispered, pecking his lips before getting up, walking over to one of the campfires, taking some of the food and sat away from the men, eating it slowly and Sandor felt relief when he saw that she was finally eating something.

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Karliah was quiet as she walked up from behind Sandor, her eyes locked on the two skeletons and she approached hesitantly. “Dove?” Sandor asked cautiously, watching her sit down on the edge of the small bed by the skeletons, leaning closer, her fingers barely ghosting over the smaller one “he did her first, then himself” she muttered after studying the wound patterns in the clothes and the knife, looking over her shoulder at Sandor, a few tears in her eyes that she wouldn’t let shed and she looked back at the skeletons before sighing. “At least they’re not suffering this fucking weather” she muttered bitterly before getting up, a hand on Sandor’s shoulder as she passed him by and went straight for the chest in the corner, pulling it out as she kneeled down, opening it, sighing softly as she looked into it. “Dresses? Seems too big for that girl’s skeleton” Beric observed and Karliah kept her eyes on the chest and what was inside it, reaching in, hand ghosting over the fabric of the dress “it was her mother’s…”

“Don’t see another skeleton around here.”

“She died” Karliah muttered, sighing softly as she picked up and held up one of the dresses that seemed thicker than the others, studying it “it’s warmer than the one I’m wearing” she muttered and looked up at Sandor who gave her a brief nod, making her sigh as she bundled it up and closed the chest, pushing it back into place before walking towards a vacant room in the back. “We haven’t cleared that room yet-”

“No one is there, Thoros” Karliah snapped, entering the room and slamming the door and Sandor sighed heavily, approaching the room awkwardly. “Dove? It’s me” he called quietly, opening the door and walking inside the room, shutting it. Karliah turned to look at him over her shoulder before continuing to get undressed, Sandor watching her before stepping in to help, making her smirk a little “Sandor Clegane knows how to take off a dress? Didn’t see that one coming” she teased quietly and he scoffed, grabbing her hips from behind, pulling her close against his body, her back and the back of her shoulders bare of her dress and furs, coming into contact with his sturdy, clothed chest “picked up a thing or two when I’ve fucked you in one of these things” he whispered in her ear and she shivered as she leaned further into his chest, her hands moving to grip his on her waist, feeling the warmth of them, warming her instantly. “Sandor…” she hummed quietly, taking his hands and moving them up to her still covered breasts, Sandor roughly palming them, squeezing and fondling them until he’d had enough. His hands left her chest to grip the loosened fabric at her back, ripping it open further, shredding it as he ripped it off of her, his lips on her neck as he wrapped an arm around her chest to palm her breasts and tease her nipples in the cold air while his other hand wrapped around her throat, pulling her back against him as she arched her back into his hands, closing her eyes in bliss. As she panted, her hands moved behind her, finding his trousers, fingers urgently tugging at the laces until they loosened enough for her to slip her hand inside, Sandor hissing at her cold hand as she wrapped it around his hardening cock. His hand on her neck moved down to the breeches she had been wearing under her tattered dress, which was now pooled at her feet, his cold fingers sending chills through her body, his fingers reaching her clit and she whined needily, feeling his teeth tease the skin on her neck as his fingers found her weeping hole. He groaned against her skin when he felt how wet she was for him, his cock now fully hard as she stroked and jerked him, moaning quietly into the cold air, her breath visible as she panted, eyes still shut in bliss as Sandor’s fingers expertly began to bring her over the edge. He knew her body better than his own at this point, expertly knowing what to do and when to do it to bring her to the edge of madness. And he loved it. He loved the effect he had on her, he loved the effect she had on him, the two of them like waves rocking against each other in the most perfect way, completely in sync with one another.

As she got closer to her own edge, her hand began to stroke him more desperately, her thumb swiping over the head of his weeping cock, gathering the precum and smearing it as best she could with the awkward angle she had to work from, Sandor groaning and grunting into her ear, hips bucking against her hand as his own hand worked her over, the other hand pinching her nipple between his forefinger and his thumb, hearing her breath hitch as she arched into him, brows furrowed as she was just on the edge, just a little longer… just another flick of his thumb on her clit, just one more pump of his thick fingers in her cunt, just one more-

“Are you two done fuckin’ or what?” a voice asked full of amusement, snapping both Sandor and Karliah out of their euphoria, Karliah sighing heavily, dropping her head as she groaned in frustration, Sandor pulling his fingers from her, turning around and ripping the door open, Karliah quickly scrambling to get something to cover herself with, turning to look at Sandor with wide eyes “Sandor!” she hissed, watching as Sandor grabbed the man by his collar, nearly lifting him off the ground with anger “you interrupt me again and I’ll rape your fucking corpse, you dumb cunt, you got that?” he growled, eyes fiery with rage and the man nodded eagerly, being put down by Sandor, or rather, he was dropped like a used toy. Sandor stepped back, slamming the door shut, making sure it stayed shut before turning to Karliah, ripping the cover away from her bare chest, his lips on hers instantly as he picked her up like she weighed nothing, putting her down on the bed before undoing his trousers as he laid over her, his hands nearly ripping the breeches she wore off of her, her boots going off with them, the head of his cock resting right against her hole but before he could push in, she grabbed him by his hips and stopped him. “Wait, wait” she breathed, Sandor frowning at her and she looked towards the door “any of you fuckers peep in here or listen by the door, I’ll cut off your tiny cocks and stuff them down your throats and roast your balls!!” she yelled before turning back to Sandor, leaning up and kissing him eagerly, Sandor grunting as he thrust into her in one harsh thrust, making her gasp, mouth open in shock at the full sensation. Gods, it felt like it had been years since he’d been inside her, her legs wrapping around his still covered hips, whimpering as he started to thrust into her roughly, wrapping her arms around him as his lips met hers in a rough and passionate kiss, muffling most of her cries and his groans and grunts, both of them knowing that they wouldn’t last long and Karliah felt the way his hips stuttered every now and then, her hips lifting up to meet his as much as possible, Sandor parting from her lips, his face in the crook of her neck as he groaned and grunted, Karliah pulling him close as she gasped and panted, trying to keep as quiet as possible while her husband fucked her, the thrill of someone else on the other side of that door sending her into a frenzy, the tight rope in her gut finally snapping and she frowned deeply, waves of pleasure washing over her and she clung to him, his burnt ear next to her lips as she panted, her lips wrapping around whatever was left of the lobe, sucking on it gently and Sandor groaned, moaning quietly into her neck as his hips still, his cock buried deep inside her and she could almost feel his release shoot into her, her tight walls tightening rhythmically around his cock, squeezing him, milking him, as though begging for his seed to take root inside her and give him an heir. Sandor groaned and lifted his head from her neck, kissing her roughly and passionately, her hands cupping his face lovingly.

“That…” she panted once he parted from her lips, a grin forming on her lips as she closed her eyes in bliss “that… was long overdue” she muttered, mostly to herself, opening her eyes to look at Sandor as he scoffed “got that fucking right” he muttered, looking towards the door with a small frown and she smirked “what? Worried that they heard a husband fucking his wife?” she whispered, leaning up and gently biting his lobe, hearing him groan and she felt him stir inside of her, making her gasp briefly and smirk. “Well… it’s one way of staying warm” she whispered, kissing him gently before gently pushing him off of her, Sandor moving along with her, pulling out of her sore cunt and she whined and whimpered a little, sweat covering her body in a thin sheen and she got up, picking up her breeches, Sandor watching from the bed after tucking himself back into his trousers. He couldn’t help but smirk when she bent over and he saw the wetness covering her hole, the slight white that was about to pour out of her hole and he reached forward, surprising her with his cold fingers against her hole, pushing his seed back into her and she couldn’t help but moan quietly, eyes shutting as she let him finger fuck his own release back into her. “I have to get dressed, my love” she panted, Sandor leaning over, kissing her arse cheek and slapping it afterwards, Karliah yelping as she turned to him with red cheeks. She pulled on her breeches and the new dress, pulling all of her furs back on, making sure everything was in place before opening the door, exiting the room with Sandor behind her like a looming shadow, glaring at the others. “What? Just because none of you gets fucked doesn’t mean that I can’t get fucked by my husband” Karliah scoffed, leaving and Sandor raised a burnt brow at the others, challenging them, daring them to say something, anything, to give him an excuse, some of the men snickering but otherwise, no comments, only brief glances at Karliah as she didn’t even seem aware of their stares.

It was a little later when she walked back into the room, having found blankets and even some food stored away, her eyes locking onto Sandor and Thoros as they were kneeling by the fire Thoros had gotten going, her brows furrowing as she silently approached, silently putting the blankets and food on the table, watching Sandor and Thoros, Beric watching her carefully, the genuine concern for the large man who was her husband. He’d heard that she’d been wedded against her will, forced to marry the beast of a man named Clegane. He’d heard that at first, she was to wed Gregor when the boy king Joffrey thought the pairing of Sandor and Karliah to be more amusing than Gregor and Karliah. He’d thought she’d been broken in rough, forced, probably crying and fighting against him… but the way she looked at him… the genuine love and care… It was all the proof he needed to decide if the rumours had been true or not.

They hadn’t been true.

Somehow, sometime, in some way, she had willingly given herself to him, she had accepted him for who he was and she had managed to pierce that thick hide of his and worm her way into his heart as well, stealing it and leaving her own in it’s place, the two of them holding each other’s hearts.

“Ice…” Sandor’s response to Thoros asking him what he saw in the flames made him snap out of his thoughts and turn to look at Sandor, Karliah frowning at him “a wall of ice… the Wall…” Sandor clarified, almost as though in a trance of disbelief, Karliah feeling her heart race “what else?” Thoros asked in a quiet voice, almost as though raising his voice would disturb whatever trance Sandor was in. “It’s where the Wall meets the sea… there’s a castle there…” Sandor continued until the logs in the fire cracked, scaring him for a brief moment and Karliah almost reached for him, but Beric lifted his hand, silently telling her to not do anything, Karliah studying Sandor with worry. “There’s a mountain, looks like an arrowhead… The dead are marching past” he muttered, shaking his head as Beric stood up slowly at his words “thousands of them…” he added quietly as Beric made his way around the table to stand by Sandor “do you believe me now, Clegane? Do you believe that we’re here for a reason?” Beric asked, Karliah glancing between the men with concern. “What else do you see? I can see that you’re seeing something else” Thoros whispered, Sandor’s heart starting to race, his breathing turning heavy as he shook his head again “it’s-... my wife…” he muttered, unaware that she was right behind him “she-... crying… holding-” he cut himself off and stepped back, almost as though he was spooked, his breath shaky and uneven and he turned away from the flames, seeing Karliah stand there with a frown, her own breathing a little heavy as she looked at the fire, approaching it, narrowing her eyes at it before shaking her head, looking at the three men “I see nothing…” she admitted quietly, looking up at Sandor as he kept his gaze on the ground, almost as though he was… traumatised…

“Sandor?” she asked quietly, reaching for him and he flinched, glancing briefly at her before looking away “I’m fine… get some rest, dove” he muttered, Karliah watching him closely before turning to Beric and Thoros as Sandor left. “What did you do to him?” she asked quietly, Thoros shrugging ever so slightly, looking back into the fire and Karliah turned to Beric for answers. “The Lord of Light showed him our purpose. We’re heading for the Wall, Lady Stark” he stated softly and she frowned, her heart racing before turning around and leaving, entering the room she had changed in, aiming to get some rest.

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Karliah walked out into the cold after waking up alone in the bed, wrapped in her furs as she watched both Thoros and Sandor bury the dead father and his daughter, her arms wrapped tightly around her for warmth as she stepped closer, a frown on her brows, snow blanketing over her messily braided hair and she sighed lightly when both men stopped when they noticed her. Karliah approached, both men watching her as she carefully kneeled in the cold dirt, brushing some of the dirt away until she found the little girl’s skeleton, placing a small handheld mirror on her chest that Sandor recognised. They watched as she brushed the dirt back into place before getting up, moving over to the dirt pile, kneeling back down again and shoving some of the dirt into the grave, the two men shovelling once more to bury the dead. “You didn’t have to come” Sandor muttered and she looked up at him through the darkness, a faint smile on her lips “neither did you” she pointed out, brushing the dirt off her hands, Sandor helping her stand up once the grave was filled.

“We ask the father to judge us with mercy. We ask the mother to…” Sandor trailed off “fuck it, I don’t remember the rest” he muttered bitterly, feeling Karliah lock her arm around his that held the shovel, his free hand reaching up to brush away his hair from his face before looking back at the grave “I’m sorry you’re dead” he decided on “you deserved better. Both of you…” Sandor mumbled before throwing the shovel to the side, letting Karliah keep her arm locked around his as they both walked back inside, Thoros watching them both leave with sad eyes. To think that Sandor Clegane, the Hound, ruthless and vicious and an arse to anyone he didn’t like, which was nearly everyone, would be burying a dead girl and her father that he barely knew, even though he denied knowing them… perhaps the Wild Wolf of Winterfell had managed to make a dent in the Hound’s armour…

[fandomficsnstuff]

Wolves And Hounds - 20

(Warnings: Casual violence because this is Sandor and it’s his default button, angst, more angst, mentions of blood and infections and a festering wound, some rabid dude who literally bit Sandor because that’s sensible, death and a bit more angst<3)

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Sandor had been awake for most of the night, debating, occasionally glancing at his wife as she slept on his shoulder peacefully. The second he heard faint voices outside when it got lighter, he knew it had to be now. He gently shook Karliah’s shoulder, watching her frown and flinch, sitting up, alert and ready for anything when she realised that nothing was wrong. Yet. She looked down at Sandor who sighed heavily, sitting up and preparing himself for the worst. “Check on the horses, will you? Make sure the storm hadn’t scared them off. I’ll see what the man wants done first” he grumbled and Karliah frowned but nodded, kissing his scarred cheek lovingly before standing up, getting herself ready, making sure Arya was still there, and asleep, before leaving the barn. As she walked outside, she saw Sally and her father, giving them a soft smile, greeting them and wishing them a good morning as she explained that she wanted to make sure all their horses hadn’t run off in the night, worried that the storm might have scared some of them off.

She walked up the hill towards the small stables and walked around the corner to the small pen, looking inside and making a small headcount, smiling when she confirmed that all the horses were there. She walked inside and clicked her tongue slightly, the horses lifting their heads and the brown one that she had claimed walked over to her, making her grin. “Hello” she whispered, gently petting the horse’s neck, tilting her head at it with a small smile. “You didn’t run off on us, thank you for that” she stated half-jokingly as she continued to pet the horse for a while longer before turning to the other horses, intending to do the same when she heard a brief scream, her heart racing as she hurried outside, running towards the sound just in time to see Sandor and Arya shouting at each other, a frown forming on her brows as she hurried over. “Arry? Sandor??”

“Everything’s alright, dove-”

“No! It’s not! He fed us, gave us shelter! And you robbed him!!” Arya shouted in anger and Karliah turned her head, a frown of confusion on her brows as her eyes moved to the pouch in his hands and she already knew that it was probably filled with what little that poor farmer and his daughter had. Sandor watched Karliah closely, her stance tense and she glared at the pouch before wrapping an arm around Arya and guiding her towards the stables, Sandor watching her with a heavy sigh of annoyance. Why did she have to be so-... moral?! That farmer and his little girl would be dead come winter and dead men have no use for silver, why couldn’t she see that? They needed that silver more than that farmer. He grumbled in annoyance before beginning to walk towards them to catch up with them, not looking forward to the cold shoulder his moral wife would no doubt give him.

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The night couldn’t possibly get any worse for Sandor, Arya was listing off names of every fucking person in Westeros apparently, his wife was ignoring him and sleeping away from him and he hated how much he missed her. He missed the slight pressure of her head on his shoulder, he missed the warmth of her hand holding his in her sleep, he missed the way she’d move an inch closer to him in her sleep when she had a bad dream, he missed the faint marks of his armour that’d be pressed into her cheek from a full night of laying on it. He missed it and he fucking hated it. Since when did he become so… sentimental? Soft?... Attached?... Was it the day he felt her cold hand touch his in the Sept? Was it when she gave herself to him, willingly and freely? Was it when she rushed to put out the fire on his shield in that cave, with no regard for her own safety? It didn’t matter at the moment, however, because this was fucking awful. He hated every second of it, Arya listing off every name, the way Karliah’s back was turned to him and the fire.

Arya had named him last on her list, his eyes moving to Karliah, to his wife, wondering if perhaps she was still awake, if she’d heard everything, or did she fall asleep quicker without his touch? Without his presence? He hated the thought of it and he hated that he cared. The Wild Wolf of Winterfell appeared to have dug her claws and teeth in deep, straight through the thick hide he wore, through the brick walls he’d stacked up and around himself, aiming for safety and isolation, and she had barreled right through those fortifications, stolen his heart and ran off, leaving her own in place, her heart far bigger than his old dead one, it’s warmth flooding him, reminding him of her fucking compassion and morality and how much it made him love her even more.

No, this night definitely couldn’t get worse.

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When Sandor woke up, his eyes instantly went to where his dear wife had been sleeping, only to find it empty, his eyes next moving to where Arya had been, only to also find it empty, panic coursing through him and he sat up instantly, looking around with worry before hurriedly getting to his feet, looking around, probably looking like a headless chicken with the way he moved from place to place while searching, hurrying down the small hill only to see two figures by the water’s edge near the horses. One was sitting in the grass while the other one was-... doing something that looked completely ridiculous. He sighed heavily at the sight, choosing to lie to himself and think that it was out of annoyance when it was relief that made him sight so heavily. Karliah sat at the water’s edge, her left foot in the water and he guessed she was washing her wound, which had still not healed as fast as he would have liked. As he walked closer, he saw that she was washing the bandages as well. As he reached Arya and spoke with her, or rather, pointed out how fucking useless this ‘water dancing’ was, he noticed that she had stopped moving her arms, her back to him so he couldn’t really see what she was doing, but with the way her head was tilted a little back, he guessed that she was just relaxing.

As he talked with Arya some more, encouraging her to show him what Syrio had taught her, he didn’t expect her to actually attempt to stab him, his hand falling before he had even realised it but she heard it just the same. Her head snapped around and she got up, only wearing one shoe and her ankle bare, the bandages left by the river, her foot still wet as she stormed over. “What the Seven Hells is going on?!”

“Your niece-”

“We were just training” Arya spoke suddenly and Karliah looked down at her on the ground, a confused and outraged look on her face “training? Your lip is bleeding” she pointed out and she sat up with a small huff after Sandor offered her back Needle, Sansa taking it and stood up, turning to her aunt “it’s nothing” she defended, looking Karliah over, especially her ankle “you’re bleeding again. You should wash it” Arya encouraged and Karliah narrowed her eyes at her. “I’m not the only one bleeding. Gods grant me patience with the two of you!” she hissed before sighing heavily “the horses are fed and watered” she informed before shaking her head, walking back to the river, both Sandor and Arya watching her sit back down to wash her wound and dress it again, Sandor turning to Arya with confusion “why’d you do that?”

“Because she’s an idiot and loves you. And because she’d kill you, and I’m going to be the one to do that” Arya stated as calmly as ever, Sandor studying her before scoffing gruffly and leaving to get the horses ready.

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Karliah tried not to wince every time the stirrup moved and shifted with the movement of the horse and saddle, her ankle feeling as though it was on fire, as though the bones was being pierced from inside her leg, the muscles torn apart, shooting flames up her leg, her hands gripping the reins tightly to stay grounded. She was somewhat unaware of Arya looking back at her, her focus being on trying to stay upright in the saddle and not give in or cry out when her horse suddenly reared it’s head to the side to try and get at a fly sitting on it’s left side, the movement shifting the saddle against her inner thigh, the leather of the saddle pushing briefly into her ankle. “She’s not okay” Arya whispered to Sandor, the man looking back, his eyes widening a little at the look on Karliah’s jaw, his brows furrowing at her tense jaw, her white-knuckle grip on the reins and her tense posture. She was a natural at riding a horse, it wasn’t normal for her to be this rigid.

Sandor slowed his horse down a little to ride next to Karliah, the woman frowning at him, trying to seem as calm and casual as possible. “Is something wrong?”

“Your ankle. You look like you’ve been dragged from King’s Landing to the fucking Wall by it” he gruffed out and Karliah scoffed “always quite the charmer” she muttered, an attempt at being funny, at making a joke, but it fell short, another spike of pain running up her ankle “I’m fine, just a little sore” he promised, sighing heavily as she tried to will her body to relax and try and forget about the pain, thinking about it would only make it worse and more noticeable. Sandor looked around with annoyance before sighing heavily “we’ll res-”

“No!” Karliah hissed with anger, glaring dagger at him that he knew she didn’t truly mean. At least, he hoped she didn’t… which he fucking hated, of course. “I will not be a burden. I can ride, I can speak, I can breathe. I’m fine” she hissed before straightening in her saddle again, clenching her teeth together and Sandor rolled his eyes and scoffed with annoyance at her stubbornness. Soon they reached closer to an hut, smoking rising from the burnt roof and Karliah frowned, glancing at Sandor before steering her horse towards the smoke, Arya and Sandor following, all three of them getting off of their horses when they saw a man leaning against a stump, sitting on the ground, slightly bent over. Karliah winced in pain when she reached the ground, her ankle burning hotter than the Seven Hells but she managed to walk over to the man with minimal limping, frowning when she saw the blood around his stomach, her eyes moving to Sandor and Arya and they put away their respective weapons, walking closer. The grounds seemed like a Dothraki horde had been there, riding through, overturning carts, crushing and trampling everything, burning down the house and everything else that survived the trampling before moving on.

Sandor moved to stand next to Karliah, so close that she couldn’t help but lean a little on him, his cold armour soothing her burning skin through the fabric on her clothes, Arya kneeling down next to the dying man. “You shouldn’t be sitting here like this…”

“Where else to sit?” the man asked Arya after her words, “tried to walk back to me hut, hurt too much… then I remembered they burned me hut down” he admitted, his hands covered in his own blood and Karliah frowned “who is ‘they’?” she asked, the man glancing up at her “I stopped asking a while ago” the man admitted and Sandor looked down at Karliah, making sure she was steady before kneeling down next to the men, gesturing to his gut wound “that’s not going to get better” he pointed out, the man just sitting there, wincing a little from the pain but otherwise he seemed calm, indifferent. “Doesn’t seem so” the man responded casually, staring at nothing in particular.

“It’s-... a bad way to go” Karliah spoke up, stepping a little closer, her hand on Sandor’s shoulder to subtly stabilise herself “haven’t-... isn’t it too much?” she asked softly, the man raising his head a little, still looking straight ahead “isn’t what too much?” he asked, glancing at her before looking away, a grimace making it’s way onto his face, almost like he tried to smile, like he was amused “I know” he muttered, nodding ever so slightly “time to go… take matters into me own hands” he groaned quietly “the thought has occurred to me” he admitted, Arya glancing up at her aunt before looking back at the man “so why go on?” she asked softly, the man looking up at her before looking ahead again “habit” he admitted casually. “Nothing could be worse than this” Arya pointed out and the man grimaced again, that same attempt at an amused smile “maybe nothing is worse than this.”

“Nothing isn’t better, or worse than anything. Nothing is just nothing” Karliah muttered, the man looking up at her with a frown “who are you?”

“My name is Karliah Stark, that’s my niece, Arya Stark…” Karliah admitted, the man turning to Sandor “and you? Her husband or father to her niece?” he asked and Sandor shifted a little “husband to her, captor to her niece…” he admitted after clearing his throat a little, glancing up at his wife “protector of her niece” he corrected, looking back at the dying man “I’m taking her niece to her other aunt for rans-... protection” Sandor admitted, the dying man nodding a little “a fair exchange, that is… though it seems your wife isn’t all too keen on the payment part” the dying man joked lightly with a smile before groaning a little in pain. “Always held the notion of fair exchange in all my dealings” the man admitted quietly “you give me, I give you” he continued “fair. A balance… No balance anymore” he muttered, groaning in pain once again before sighing lightly “could I have a drink? Dying is thirsty work” he asked, Sandor reaching for his flask but before he could, Karliah had already untied it and limped closer to the man, bending down to give him the flask with a small frown, putting it to the man’s lips, lifting the flask, pouring the liquid into the man’s mouth for him, giving him what he asked before stepping back with the flask again.

“Wish it were wine” the man suddenly stated and Karliah couldn’t help but smirk with amusement, especially when Sandor admitted ‘so do I’, a laugh almost bubbling in her chest. Sandor looked up at her and she gave him a small nod, standing back and holding out her hand to Arya, the young girl getting up and walking over to her aunt as Sandor plunged a knife through the man’s chest, straight through his chest, between his ribs and at the very least through the man’s lung. The man lifted his head weakly to look at Sandor, almost smiling when Sandor gave him a brief nod, his head tilting to the side as Sandor pulled out his knife and that was it.

Nothing.

“That’s where the heart is. That’s how you kill a man” he told Arya, looking up at the two of them, his eyes moving to Karliah’s ankle “that’s not looking good” he pointed out and she tensed but sighed “no, it’s not” she mumbled, sighing softly, about to walk back to the horses when some lunatic jumped up on Sandor, biting him, Sandor breaking the man’s neck while pulling him off of him, holding a hand over the new wound as he groaned, turning around to see another man with a sword, eyeing Karliah as she grimaced at the sight of him.

“The FUCK you doing?!”

“There’s a price on your head, and your bitch’s head, too” the man revealed and Karliah scoffed, glancing at Sandor as though this didn’t bother her one bit, but then again, she wasn’t the one who was just fucking bitten like a piece of prized chicken. “Guess that’s what the King does when you tell him to fuck off” Sandor mumbled and Karliah couldn’t help but smile a little, biting her lips together in a thin line. “The King’s dead. He drank poisoned wine at his own wedding” the man revealed and Karliah stared at him before bursting out into laughter, leaning over and resting her hands on her knees as she laughed, laughing so hard that she snorted a little, tears almost streaming down her cheeks. “What’s so funny, bitch?!” the man asked and Karliah only laughed harder, shaking her head “the king, that little cunt, got murdered at his own wedding!!” she laughed, turning to Sandor and Arya as she laughed “that boy king ordered the Red Wedding, and was murdered at his own wedding!” she laughed, Arya starting to laugh as well now that she saw the irony, the two of them chuckling before calming down, “so what’s the bounty for, then?” she asked with utter amusement.

“For killing Lannister soldiers” the man revealed with a sneer and Karliah tried to hold back her laughter. After everything, the bounty on them was for killing a few drunken cunts with swords that they barely knew how to hold right. “So, how much are those soldiers worth?” Karliah asked with a small smirk, the man scoffing “100 silver stags” he revealed with a smirk and Karliah chuckled “and you thought you’d collect it? Is that it? Gods above, you’re an idiot” she chuckled.

“You were Yoren’s prisoners when we was taking you to the wall” Arya suddenly piped up and Karliah’s smile faded as she looked at Arya and then back at the man “he told me he’d fuck me bloody with a stick” Arya revealed as she approached slowly, moving to stand in between Sandor and her aunt, Karliah placing a hand around Arya’s shoulders, holding her close against her, ready to push her behind her should this man get any not-so-clever ideas. “This day’s really not working out how you planned” Sandor noted casually “he on your little list?” Sandor asked Arya, Karliah looking at her husband and then her niece as she stepped a little closer to the man, Karliah’s hand still on her shoulder “he can’t be, I don’t know his name…”

“What’s your name?” Karliah asked, the man studying her “Rorge” he answered plainly, Karliah letting go of Arya’s shoulder, “thank you” Arya stated politely before unsheathing Needle and piercing Rorge’s stomach with it, all one smooth motion, piercing his chest and drawing it back out, the three of them watching Rorge drop dead and Karliah studied his corpse before placing her hand on Arya’s shoulder, getting her niece’s attention “remember to wipe the blade” she advised before walking off, doing her hardest not to limp and Arya wiped Needle on Rorge’s corpse. “We’re going to get her to the Eyrie, right? To a Maester that can help her foot?” Arya asked nervously as she watched her aunt, Sandor sighing subtly, watching his wife as well, thinking about what the correct answer should be. “We will” he decided to settle on, no bullshit, no condescending shit, no coddling, just two straight words of truth, because everything else be damned if he’d let that infection get the best of her.

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“Rat cunts” Sandor cursed as he tried to reach the wound on his neck, grunting and fighting against the pain that each movement caused, his eyes moving to Karliah as she was sleeping, skin pale, too pale for his liking, dark rings under her eyes as though she’d been awake for a fortnight without even the promise of sleep. “Fucking whore” Sandor cursed again as he tried to reach the bite to sew it together, his frustration only growing with each passing failure to do as he intended and sew that fucking wound. “You’re doing it wrong” Arya suddenly spoke up, glancing at her sleeping aunt to make sure that she hadn’t awoken, she needed all the rest possible to not make that ankle worse than it already was. “You need to burn away that horrible bit there” Arya tried to help further “otherwise it’s going to get infected and fester, and we can’t get my aunt to the Eyrie if you’re sick too…” she tried, watching Sandor as he thought about her words before trying again, Arya sighing as she put Needle down “I know you don’t like fire, but if you don’t do it right-”

“No fire” Sandor hissed, his eyes moving to Karliah to make sure that she was still asleep before once again trying, making Arya stand up and pick up a log from the fire “it’ll only take a second, it won’t hurt that much-”

“No fire!” Sandor shot up and stepped away from the log that Arya was holding, eyes on the flaming end, only briefly leaving it to look at Karliah, seeing her frown a little, as though she was almost woken up by his shouting. Arya glanced at her aunt and turned around, putting the log back in the fire before sitting back down on the small hill, picking Needle back up to clean it as Sandor fiddled with the curved needle where he stood. “Shut up about it. Shut up about everything. Thanks to you, both your aunt and I are walking bags of silver anywhere the Lannister’s hold sway, which is everywhere between where we are now and where we’re going!... I’m as stupid as that hog you stuck back in the village… getting myself cut and stabbed and bitten while your aunt is sick and getting fucking worse… no reward’s worth this much trouble. Wish I’d never laid eyes on you, wish your aunt had never laid eyes on you” Sandor grumbled with anger that dwindled by the second as he sat back down to where he was sitting before, his eyes turning to Arya as she kept cleaning Needle. “You say your brother gave you that sword, well my brother gave me this,” he gestured to the burnt side of his face. “It’s just like you said, a while back; pressed me to the fire like I was a nice juicy mutton chop…” Sandor muttered, his eyes moving to Karliah, hands still fiddling with the curved needle and thread but his focus was on Karliah, on how exhausted she looked… how sick she looked…

“Why?” Arya asked quietly, Sandor glancing at her before looking down “thought I stole one of his toys or something. I didn’t steal it, I was just playing with it” Sandor growled, a small silence filled the air and he sighed a little “the pain was bad,” he admitted quietly, his eyes locked onto Karliah “the smell was worse. But the worst thing was that it was my brother who did it… My father, who protected him, told everyone my bedding caught fire…” Sandor admitted quietly, turning to look at Arya “you think you’re on your own?” he asked grimly, Arya studying him before putting Needle away “let me wash it out, and help you sew it up, at least” Arya spoke softly, getting up when Sandor lifted up the needle, his eyes moving to Karliah again. He’d made her a promise… but he didn’t actually think that he would ever have to make good on it. He watched Karliah as her brows furrowed again, his focus solely on her, making him almost forget the pain he felt when the needle dug into his skin and pulled the thread through the flesh, the wine stinging and burning as it poured down his wound.

[fandomficsnstuff]

Wolves And Hounds - 15

(Warnings: A bit of angst, some more angst and a little more angst)

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As Sandor was cut free, the first thing Karliah did was approach him, her heart racing as she looked up at him, her eyes locked on his face and he looked down at her, his gaze soft but it was well hidden and he let his eyes wander over her face. “Remember before the Battle of the Blackwater?” she asked quietly and he gave her a small nod, making her nod as well. She turned and looked at Beric, sighing heavily “I’m not saying he’s a good man, Ser Beric, but-”

“He killed Mycah! He killed my friend and you’re defending him” Arya shouted with anger and Karliah frowned at her, sighing heavily again, her heart torn between the two and Sandor leaned down a little “‘s alright” he murmured and she studied him before nodding, stepping aside to let the ‘trial’ continue. As Beric’s sword lit on fire, Karliah flinched, her eyes wide in shock, heart racing as she looked back at Sandor, the fear in his eyes that he tried to mask as he was given a shield. As they fought and tumbled, Arya looked up at her aunt, taking in her wide eyes, her shallow breaths every time the flaming sword came a tad too close to Sandor Clegane, her breath hitched as she watched him stumble into a fire, luckily getting out without getting burnt, her heart racing and Arya though that her aunt might actually faint. She’d never seen her scared. Not once in her entire life, nor had she ever heard of a time where her aunt had been scared. Karliah let out a quiet whimper and flinched when Sandor’s shield caught on fire, tears in her eyes ready to be spilled until his sword came down, cutting Beric’s flaming sword in half, almost cutting off Beric’s entire shoulder, his sword lodged in the parted flesh and without thinking Karliah bolted towards Sandor, picking up the first piece of cloth she could find, dapping it on the shield still against Sandor’s arm, ignoring the burning pain as a small ember caught the sleeve of her tunic. She grabbed a nearby rock and began to bash it over the shield until it broke, pulling it off of Sandor’s arm as she dropped the rock, throwing the shield far away before turning her attention to the flame on her sleeve, finding Sandor already patting it out, instantly pulling up her sleeve to examine her skin. “What in the Seven Hells were you thinking, woman?! You could’ve been burnt!!” he shouted at her but she just let out a shaky breath, looking back at her arm. A second degree burn at most, Sandor had extinguished the flame just in time.

“Are you listening to me?! You could’ve been hurt!” Sandor snapped, grabbing her by her shoulders and shook her slightly, not intending to be rough with her but she just looked up at him, no fear in her eyes. “Seven Hells!” he cussed again and she stood up on the tip of her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck, feeling his arm wrap around her tightly, holding her against him.

“Arya, no!” both turned around as Arya charged at Sandor with a dagger, lifted high above until the boy she’d been talking with caught her, Arya screaming at Sandor,“burn in hell!” she screamed in anger and Karliah’s eyes were wide in shock. “He will” a voice stated confidently, Karliah turning with even wider eyes, watching Beric raise himself up, kneeling in the dirt, his shoulder mended, somewhat, a nasty gash left behind where his shoulder should be cut from his neck. “But not today” Beric added and Karliah let out a shaky breath of unease, her grip around Sandor tightening and in return his arm around her waist tightened as well. Suddenly Sandor let go of her, practically pushing her back until she stumbled down and sat down on a boulder, Sandor instantly pulling her sleeve back up to examine her arm. “I want my gold” he growled and the man who’d brought Beric back, Thoros, walked over with a slip of paper, handing it to Karliah who read it and frowned with confusion “what is this?” she asked, handing it to Sandor as he reached for it, though maybe she shouldn’t have, as he looked like he was ready to kill all of them. “I WANT MY GOLD!”

“It says it clearly right there on that note that you’ll be paid in full when the war is over-”

“PISS ON THAT! You’re nothing but thieves!”

“We’re outlaws. Outlaws steal. You’re lucky we didn’t kill you!”

“Come try it, archer, I’ll shove those arrows up your arse!-”

“Sandor” Karliah held him back before he could walk over to the archer and kill him, faking a wince and a hiss at the burn on her arm and that seemed to get his attention immediately. He grabbed the nearest skin of water, tearing some of her shirt’s sleeve and wetting it with the water, his large hands quite gentle as he carefully cleaned the area, just to be sure, all the while Karliah was smiling at him. “Stop smiling like that.”

“No.”

“Stop it.”

“Or what?” she teased and he looked up at her, his eyes darting around before he growled, mumbling something in an annoyed tone and Karliah smirked victoriously. 1-0 to her. So far.

“You can’t let him go! He’s a murderer! He’s guilty!”

“Not in the eyes of God” Beric told Arya softly and Karliah’s eyes softened when she looked at her niece.

“You can’t!”

“Enough! The judgement isn’t ours to make” Beric shouted, Karliah flinching a little before looking to her niece “Arry-”

“No! No, you’re just like him! You married him!!”

“You think I wanted to?! I wanted to slit his throat the second I heard the news, right after I would’ve slit Joffrey’s throat! But he stopped me. Even if I had succeeded in killing him, I would’ve been executed, Sandor saved me from that. He saved my life from rapers in King’s Landing, saved Sansa’s life from them, too. He could have forced himself on me on our wedding night but he didn’t! He never touched me, he knew I didn’t love him when we got married! He could have done what every other man would’ve, but he didn’t. I’m not saying he’s a good man, far from it… but that does not make him evil-incarnate. He’s good to me… he’s been good to your sister… he could have done things to me that thankfully you’ll never have to even think of, but he didn’t” Karliah explained, the words falling from her lips so fast and rapidly that she was out of breath when she stopped talking. “So you love him? Is that it?” Arya asked harshly and Karliah hesitated, looking at Sandor before sitting a little straighter “yes” she replied sternly, Sandor’s eyes softening as he stared at her, like she’d just sprouted wings and turned into a dragon, a mix of shock and horror in his look as he gazed down at her. “Go in peace, Sandor Clegane. And you, Karliah Clegane” Beric spoke as Sandor’s weapons was thrown at him, though he was so busy staring at Karliah that she had to reach over and catch them for him, standing up from the boulder, gently giving them to Sandor before turning to Beric “I’m still a Stark. I’ll always be a Stark…” she muttered before turning to Arya, holding out her hand “Arya… please… it’s not safe-”

“No.”

“Arya, please-”

“No! I don’t want to go with you” Arya snapped, Karliah’s eyes wide in shock and hurt, tears slowly starting to cloud her vision and she nodded shakily, slowly retracting her hand. She turned to Beric, unable to stop a tear from rolling down her face “Ser Beric, if you’d please…”

“I will” he promised softly and she nodded, looking back at Arya, daring to take a step closer to her. When she didn’t step away, Karliah closed the distance, her hands shaking as she reached up to cup Arya’s cheek, fingers barely grazing her but she let her hand fall when Arya didn’t seem to lean into her touch, like she once had. “Please… please stay safe… Arry… head North when you can, to Jon, and don’t let anything stop you…” she muttered, her voice strained as she tried not to cry and suddenly Arya wrapped her arms around her tightly, Karliah leaning down and hugging her back, tightening her arms around her. She looked up at the boy she seemed to be the most familiar with “what’s your name?”

“Gendry, M’Lady…”

“Gendry… take care of her, please… she’s as wild as my sister Lyanna… don’t let her get into too many scraps.”

“I won’t, M’Lady” Gendry spoke softly and she nodded, kissing the top of Arya’s head before parting from him “when winter comes… the lone wolf dies…”

“But the pack survives” Arya finished and Karliah nodded in agreement. “Good girl” she whispered, pecking her forehead before stepping back. “Go in peace with your wife, Sandor Clegane. The Lord of Light is not done with either of you yet” Beric spoke as Sandor was given his weapons, both of them being led out, Karliah casting a final glance over her shoulder at Arya. If Ned could see her now… What would he say? Would he agree? Would he disagree? Would his ghost come back to haunt her? All the way from King’s Landing, whispering to her of how she failed him? How she failed to protect his children after his death. How she may as well have murdered them herself by abandoning his children, his daughters, his little girls.

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Karliah was quiet as she kneeled in front of the fire, gently poking it with a stick, adjusting the logs and branches and sticks so it’d burn more effectively. “When did you learn to make a fire yourself?” Sandor asked in a scoff when he returned with more wood for the fire, putting it down somewhere before walking over, Karliah glancing up at him before sighing softly “I’ve always hated a handmaiden… dressing me, bathing me, lighting the fire in the hearth in my room, scrubbing my floors, moving my things around to clean and dust” she admitted with a light shrug, putting the stick away when she deemed the fire to be good enough for now, not needing any kind of supervision at the moment. “Sit” she ordered softly and he grunted but did it anyway, sitting down next to her, only to flinch when she looped her arm around his and laid her head on his shoulder, staring into the fire. “The fuck’re you doing?”

“Just shut up and stop thinking” she asked quietly, Sandor looking down at her with confusion before mumbling something in annoyance. After a while, he realised that this wasn’t uncomfortable… this wasn’t awkward or annoying… this was-... nice… he didn’t feel his chest tighten in an uncomfortable way, her touch was light, allowing him to pull away should he want to. She wasn’t clinging to him for dear life, she wasn’t holding onto him in a vice grip to get her way and have him sit in a way that was comfortable for her. He could leave, he could stand up and leave immediately and for some reason he just knew that she’d let him without making a fuss or blaming him or complaining. It was the one thing he could truly be sure of, nowadays. 

“What you said… in the cave-”

“Yes, I meant it. No, I don’t expect you to say it back. Yes, I know you’re not a man of many words, I don’t expect it or want it. I want whatever you are comfortable with. If you don’t feel the same, I understand and I don’t blame you. If one day you should feel the same, you needn’t tell me if you can’t find the words, only show me in whatever way you want and can” she mumbled before sighing, closing her eyes, seemingly intending to try and get a little rest for as long as he’d allow her to rest against him.

“How will you know?” he suddenly asked and she hummed quietly, shrugging as much as she could while leaning against him, her eyes still closed “I’ll know… but we can agree on a… codeword” she teased lightly, smiling a little with her eyes still closed “codeword? What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Kiss my hand if you feel it…” she muttered before sighing “I’m tired… I’m going to sleep” she muttered, lifting her head from his shoulder to look up at him “goodnight for now, husband” she whispered, kissing his scarred cheek with no hint of disgust or reluctance, only love and reverence. She got up and walked over to the small bedding area, laying down on her side, her back to him and she could feel the flames lick at her back, even at this distance. Sandor watched the flames for a little while longer before looking over his shoulder at her, a strange feeling in his chest, blooming, slowly taking over everything and possessing each and every of his organs, his mind, his heart, his bones and flesh, the blood in his veins, the fat under his skin, his skin itself, every fibre of hair. She possessed everything and she didn’t even seem like she was aware of it. She was willingly giving him everything, not expecting anything in return, opening her heart to him, knowing he might never feel the same. And he didn’t. Right? He couldn’t. He had bedded her a handful of times by now, yes… but that was it. She was his wife, he was her husband, it was an obligation and duty, right? It was expected and normal... Though that didn’t explain why his heart ached when he lost sight of her, how his blood boiled at any slight towards her, real or imagined.

He felt as though his skin was burning, just as his face once had, every time he saw a look of sadness or fear in her eyes, his fingers itched to grab her waist when they were around others, as few as they have been after King’s Landing. Her heart bled when she had to let Arya go, leaving her with a bunch of strangers she didn’t trust, all because she knew Arya would never go willingly and she didn’t want to do that to her. If she could, if she had the heart, she’d have snatched up her niece and run off with her before anyone could blink. But she couldn’t. Her heart was too soft for that to be possible for her.

But he wasn’t. His heart wasn’t too soft for that, and her even breaths told him she was already fast asleep.

[fandomficsnstuff]

Wolves And Hounds - 19

(Warnings: Fluff, fun, a tiny tiny hint at angst but then fluff, hint at smut and that’s it, I think)

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Karliah groaned as she nearly slipped, the damp air having softened the ground and she nearly fell on her backside, her still wounded ankle almost giving out as she stepped in some sort of wrong way that shot pain up through her leg, her hand holding the rabbit above her head out of instinct, as though a little mud on the fur would taint the meat under it’s skin. She groaned as she grabbed onto a tree, continuing down the small slope towards their voices. “One thing I hate about where we’re going; the air is always damp! Like it’s been raining for even days without end, I might as well try and walk on water, I’d have better luck- Seven Hells!” She cussed as she nearly slipped again when she reached the treeline, looking up, eyes wide as she caught the sight of a man and his daughter, a horse and the carriage of hay that it was pulling, Sandor standing under the bridge with their horses, Arya sitting across from him on some stones and Karliah stood like a deer that had just spotted a hunter. She’d been so used to the company of her husband and youngest niece that she’d forgotten all about propriety and how a Lady should behave. “We were just watering the horses. We’ll be on our way” Arya said softly, glancing at Karliah who was still frozen up on some higher ground, rabbit hanging from her grip by it’s hind legs. “Forgive my father. He was wounded in the war. Our cottage burned down while he was gone, and my sister with it… this is my mother, Ulma” Arya gestured to a frozen Karliah who gulped a little, turning to Sandor who scoffed and walked over. She reached for him to maybe get a hand to jump down but instead he picked her up as she yelped, carried her to the ground and put her down on her feet again, Karliah clearing her throat awkwardly as she turned to the two strangers up on the bridge “please, forgive us. We’ll be on our way soon” she spoke, glancing at Arya before sighing softly, leaning against Sandor. “Please, forgive my husband, he’s never been the same after the war…”

“Which house did he fight for?” the man asked and Arya and Sandor both tensed up, but Karliah merely smiled somberly “the Tullys of Riverrun” she answered softly, the man smiling softly at her “there’s a storm coming… you’ll be wanting a roof tonight. There’s fresh hay in the barn, and Sally here makes rabbit stew just like her mother used to. And that ankle of yours needs tending to.”

“What luck that I caught a rabbit, then, and thank you for your offer to help” Karliah said with a kind smile, showing them the rabbit and he chuckled “perhaps the Gods had a hand in this meeting.”

“Perhaps” Karliah agreed with a polite smile. “We don’t have much, but any man that bled for house Tully is welcome to it” the man stated and Karliah smiled softly, looking down, her jaw clenched and Arya could tell that her smile was forced, tears of her own forming in her eyes at the remembrance of Arya’s mother, her sister-in-law…

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“We ask the Father to judge us with mercy, accepting our human frailty. We ask the Mother to bless our crops, so we may feed ourselves and all who come to our door. We ask the Warrior to give us courage, in these days of strife and turmoil. We ask the Maiden to keep Sally’s virtue, and keep her from the clutches of depravity. We ask-”

“You got to do all seven of the fuckers?”

“Father!”

“Husband!”

Arya and Karliah respectively snapped, just at the same time, Karliah even glaring at him before looking back at the man who’d offered them shelter and home and the second he closed his eyes, she couldn’t help but stare longingly at the stew, steaming hot and tempting, her mouth watering as the man continued his prayers, starting with the Smith, then the Crone and that’s when Sandor couldn’t stand it anymore. He clasped his hands together as though in a prayer, lowering his head a little “and we ask the Stranger not to kill us in our beds tonight for no damn reason at all” he finished and grabbed the pot, pouring into his bowl then placing it in front of Karliah instead back in the middle of the table where everyone could reach it. She awkwardly glanced at the father and daughter before pouring her own stew “I’m so sorry” she apologised, putting the pot back in the middle of the table, only to be snatched up by Arya who poured her own massive portion, apologising briefly before slurping down the stew, just like Sandor, Karliah awkwardly looking at the father and daughter, clearing her throat a little. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a proper meal, as I said; it’s been a long time since we’ve met anyone with your kindness” she explained briefly before digging into the stew, albeit a little more politely than the other two, but still with obvious vigour and hunger that proved her statement to be truth. It had been a while since they’d had a proper meal like this.

Arya put her bowl down once she’s slurped most of the liquid stew, leaving the bits left and she noticed how they looked at her, making her smile sheepishly at them “really good” she muttered and gestured to her bowl filled with stew still before going back to eating. “Did you fight at the Twins?”

“Call that a fight? More slaughtering livestock.”

“‘The Red Wedding’, they’re calling it. Walder Frey committed sacrilege that day. He shared bread and salt with the Starks, he offered them guest rights-”

“Guest right don’t mean much anymore” Sandor grumbled and Karliah studied him before looking at the father, giving him a polite smile before continuing to eat her stew. “It means something to me” the man pointed out, giving Sandor a kind smile and that’s when Karliah knew… they were good people. He was a good man who was raising a good daughter, the thought making her smile and she couldn’t help but look at Sandor, one of her hands making it’s way to her stomach before she could even realise it, resting over it. “The Gods will have their vengeance. The Freys will serve in the Seventh Hell for what they did… things were different when Hoster Tully ruled the Riverlands. We had good years and bad years, same as everyone, but we were safe… now with the Freys, raiders come plundering, steal our food, steal our silver. I was going to send Sally north to stay with my brother but the north’s no better. The whole country’s gone sour-”

“You got any ale?” Sandor suddenly asked and Karliah froze briefly, only now noticing her hand over her stomach, quickly removing it before continuing to eat her stew in silence. “Afraid not” the man replied politely, Sandor looking like someone had tied him up and then put a perfectly cooked chicken in front of him. “How can a man not keep ale in his home?” Sandor asked as he leaned closer to Karliah, whispering it to her and she tried not to smirk with amusement. “You look like you could really swing that sword. A real warrior, with proper training… those raiders wouldn’t stand a chance against you… how would it be if you stayed on ‘till the new moon? I could use a man to help with the farmwork. Sally does what she can, but she can’t lift a bale of hay. And if any thieves came looking for easy pickings, one look at you and I’d bet they’d run the other way. Your wife and daughter could help around the house, help Sally with her other chores…” he asked, Arya and Sandor looking up at the man and he straightened up a little “meaning no offence” he said softly and Karliah studied him before looking up at Sandor, finishing chewing the bread and stew in her mouth before she spoke. “I think I would need to speak with my husband and daughter about this. We have a destination in mind, some distant family on my side…” Karliah spoke up softly, studying Sandor and Arya before looking at the man “but your offer is very kind, thank you.”

“Of course” he stated with a nod, Sandor studying Karliah closely as she continued to eat. How she managed to remain so… polite, when he knew she was starving just like him and Arya, he would never know. It was some otherworldly power. “What’ll you pay?” he asked after a while of silence, looking at the man and both Arya and Karliah looked up at him with slight shock. “Don’t have much, but I have hidden a bit of silver from the bandits. Fair wages for fair work?” he asked, Sandor looking at Arya before looking at Karliah, studying her as she looked at him in slight shock. He took her in, her wide eyes, peering up at him with slight confusion, her brows a little furrowed in shock. “Fair wages for fair work” he agreed and looked back at the man, one of his hands dropping from the table, fingers grazing against her knee under the table and she almost melted at the touch, however faint it was, a smile forming on her lips as she went back to eating. “If it pleases you, I still have some of my wife’s old dresses… haven’t had it in me to throw them away… your wife looks to be about my wife’s size” he offered, Karliah looking up at Sandor as he stopped chewing all of the sudden, Karliah smirking as she already had an idea of why. “That’s very kind of you, but I think it’d be a bit difficult to travel in a dress, my family and I still have a long way to go after we’ve stayed here and helped you with your work” she said, the man nodding with a smile “understandable, and smart. But please, feel free to wear them while you stay here, if you please” he offered and Karliah nodded with a smile. “Thank you… where are they, might I ask?”

“In a chest under the shelf right over there, you can take as many as you want, I know my wife would’ve wanted them to be put to use instead of just laying in some old chest forever” he explained softly and Karliah nodded, finishing her food quickly before getting up, feeling a hint of excitement in her chest. She hated dresses… and yet… she walked over to the chest the man pointed at, kneeling down and pulling out a chest. She opened it, looking into it, finding dresses, as promised, but also many other things. A hand mirror, a brush, a comb, some hand-crafted jewellery, nightgowns, just to name a few. She moved around the items that had obviously belonged to the wife, pulling up the first dress she saw, holding it up and studying it with a soft smile. It was simple. Wonderfully simple. A few layers stitched into each other for warmth and some simple laces. “It’s your colour” Sally piped up, Karliah looking over her shoulder at the young girl, giving her a soft smile “and would you be alright if I wore it?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because it was your mother’s. Sometimes we don’t always want to see someone doing something or wearing something that someone you loved once did or wore, and that’s okay… I remember once my mother wanted me to wear one of my sister’s dresses for an event…”

“What was your sister’s name?”

“Lya-... Laila…”

“How did she die?”

“A fever took her…” she lied straight through her teeth, just as she had done with her sister’s name, her heart pounding in her chest as she forced a smile at Sally “you know what? I think these should stay in this chest for a while longer. Until you might be able to wear them yourself… I once had a ring from my mother after she died… it brought me comfort to wear it. Someday, maybe these dresses will bring you comfort as well” Karliah explained softly, putting the dress neatly back in the chest and pushed it back under the shelf, smiling softly at Sally as Karliah got back up and moved to her seat at the table, the man smiling at her before looking at Sandor. “Your wife is a saint” he complimented before continuing to eat, Sandor keeping his gaze locked on her, making her shift a little under his heavy gaze “aye, she is” he mumbled, mostly to himself, and Karliah’s cheeks began to burn with a blush, her eyes moving to Arya who looked absolutely disgusted by the interaction between her aunt and Sandor. “Arry, finish your stew before it gets cold” Karliah spoke to Arya, who rolled her eyes a little before going back to eating.

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Karliah winced a little as Sally gently cleaned the wound on Karliah’s left ankle, Sally looking up from the wound, about to apologise when Karliah beat her to it “sorry if I moved. I’ll try to be as still as possible” she promised, Sally nodding with a faint smile before going back to cleaning the wound. “How’d you get to be so good with wounds? Did you take care of your father whenever those bandits came through?” she asked and Sally nodded with a small smile, glancing briefly up at Karliah before continuing to work. “It’ll need to be bandaged” Sally informed, reaching for the bandages, just as Sandor entered the room, looking between the two and Sally looked away from him quickly, returning to bandaging Karliah’s ankle and Karliah smiled softly at Sandor. “Here to see if I’m still alive, husband? It’s quite the grievous wound, I’m not sure if I’ll survive it” she joked quietly, giving a brief wink to Sally when she looked up, making the girl smile with slight amusement. Sandor scoffed and walked further into the room, sitting down on a stool as he studied her. “Is Arry asleep already?” Karliah asked quietly, only to wince afterwards, Sally looking up briefly, ready with an apology but Karliah just smiled softly at her, reassuring her wordlessly.

“Aye, she’s asleep… she snores” Sandor commented gruffly and Karliah laughed briefly with a grin, Sandor watching her lips part as she smiled, the sound of her laughter made him feel all squishy and warm on the inside. It was still a new feeling, but he was getting used to it… slowly.

“Then she must be tired” Karliah hummed, smiling at Sally as she finished up “thank you” Karliah stated softly, moving to put her shoe back on when Sandor grabbed it, looking at Sally and nodding towards the door “out” he ordered, and yet it wasn’t in a gruff, loud voice. More of a soft command, and the girl obeyed, leaving the wife and her husband in the room. Sandor kneeled down in front of her and placed her left foot on his bent knee, putting her shoe back on for her and Karliah watched him with fondness in her eyes. “Stop staring at me like that” Sandor huffed out and Karliah chuckled lightly, shaking her head at him, tilting it a little “no… never” she promised and when he looked up, she leaned down, moved her foot off of his knee, her lips meeting his softly at first, until his hand wrapped tightly in her brown hair, fisting it to keep her close and against his lips as he kissed her hungrily. “Thank you, husband” she whispered against his lips as they both parted for air, her hand reaching up and cupping his scarred cheek gently in her palm, his eyes nearly closing out of bliss, his hand releasing her hair and she hummed quietly, pecking his lips before standing up, smirking teasingly down at him “you may stand, Sandor Clegane” she teased and he rolled his eyes and stumbled to his feet, mumbling under his breath, but she saw the way his ears burned, making her smirk as she followed him to the barn before the storm would hit them.

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Arya slept on the hay a little further into the barn, Karliah watching her with a smile while she got ready for bed, Sandor studying the way she looked at her niece. A part of him feared what would happen after they reached the Vale. Essos sounded alright to him. He could become a sellsword… but what about her? That one question nagged him to no end and he avoided her gaze when she looked at him after feeling him staring at her. Karliah took in the way he avoided her gaze and she sighed softly, walking over and gently taking his hand, leading him to the hay she’d set up for them. She let go of his hand to lay down, Sandor hesitating before joining her, laying on his back, staring up at the roof of the barn while she was laying on her side, looking at him.

“Stop staring” he mumbled annoyed but she just raised an eyebrow at him, even though he wasn’t looking at her “no. Not until you talk to me” she stated softly and he finally looked at her, his eyes roaming her face and she frowned at the way he looked at her, like he was desperately trying to remember her face, as though she was leaving him soon… “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing-”

“Don’t lie to me… what is it you’re worried about?”

“I’m not worried-”

“Lies” she stated softly yet with determination, her heart racing a little as she leaned closer to him, placing her hand over his heart, his armoured, closed off, cold and abandoned heart that she loved with every single inch of her. “I am yours, and you are mine, until the end of my days… are you worried I’ll stay in the Vale after we deliver Arya to Lysa?...”

“Why shouldn’t you?”

“Because I’m married to you? You’re my husband-”

“I’m a man on the run” he growled with anger but she just tilted her head a little at him, giving him a soft smile that felt too odd for the situation and he frowned at it. “I’ve always wanted to see Essos” she finally spoke, moving to lay more comfortably on her stomach, holding herself up by her arms, the hay digging into her elbows through the sleeves of her tunic but she couldn’t care less. “I made a promise to my sister, when we were girls… we’d see the Wall and travel to Dorne. We’d travel to Essos and see Pentos, we’d see Braavos…” Karliah trailed off, her hand on his chest drawing small swirling patterns into his armour, a smirk on her lips. “I’ve seen the Wall… I haven’t seen Essos. I haven’t seen Pentos or Braavos, but I’ve met a man from there.”

“A man?”

“Easy, my love” she chuckled quietly with amusement at his aggressive tone, still smirking at him “Arya’s dancing master. He was a First Sword” she explained softly, Sandor frowning at her “a what?”

“He was no slouch with a sword” she translated with a smirk, Sandor scoffing quietly as he looked back up at the roof of the barn, high above, as the thunder cracked and rumbled outside, the wind howling as rain poured down on the roof above them. “Sandor?” she asked quietly, smiling when his head turned to look at her “kiss me” she ordered softly, Sandor studying her before scoffing, his hand grabbing the back of her head roughly, pulling her closer and against his lips as he kissed her fiercely, much to her delight. His other hand managed to snake around her, moving under her to pull her over him, his hand settling on her arse which he gripped tightly, dragging her against him as he continued to kiss her. Karliah managed to lean up a little, breaking off the kiss, panting a little with a grin “easy, love… Arya’s right over there” she whispered, Sandor looking over at the sleeping girl before growling slightly in annoyance “piss on that, I haven’t had you since-”

“I know” she whispered against his lips, smiling softly at him, pecking his lips so softly that he barely felt it, yet his heart flipped and he chased after her lips but she pulled her head back, just out of reach. “She needs her rest-” she was cut off by his lips roughly on hers and she let out a small whimper, which was luckily swallowed by him, muffling it as she leaned into the kiss and eagerly kissed him back, letting him drag her body across him from his grip on her arse. She was completely lost in the kiss until she regained some consciousness, pulling off of him again, eyes still shut. She moved her hand from his chest where she supported herself to his hand on her arse, gently prying it off and pulling it to rest at her waist at a respectable distance from where he wanted to grab her the most right now. “We should sleep…”

“Seven Hells-”

“Don’t think I don’t want you too, because I do, Gods, I do… but Arya is right there, she’s been through enough. She doesn’t need to see her aunt getting fucked by the Hound himself” she whispered so quietly that only Sandor could hear, a growl leaving him and she smirked. “So, good night, husband” she whispered, kissing him softly before moving off of him, back onto the hay and she put her head on his shoulder, laying the way she did most nights, her arm wrapped around him as she closed her eyes and Sandor groaned in annoyance, adjusting his armour around his crotch a little before looking down at her, sighing heavily before looking back up at the roof, a part of him seriously regretting picking up his wife’s niece.

Actually, scratch that, he most definitely regretted it right now.

[fandomficsnstuff]

Wolves And Hounds - 16

(Warnings: Some fluff, more fluff and a little bit of angst maybe?)

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For once it seemed that something woke him in the night and not her. He’d heard distant shouting, the sounds of people walking about in the far distance in the forest and she seemed to sleep peacefully, her breaths even as she laid half on her stomach, her arms folded underneath her head as a pillow, her head turned in his direction as she slept and he could see her face in the faint embers that had once been a warm fire… Gods… she was beautiful… She looked so peaceful, she didn’t look as miserable as he knew she was deep inside, and so he grabbed his weapons quietly, moving as silently about as possible, leaving a dagger by her side, ready for her to grab should there be trouble while he left to investigate.

In short; it turns out it was the Brotherhood without Banners, which he had sort of already suspected since Karliah seemed reluctant to move too far from the cave they’d been brought into, as though it’d make Arya come running to her and into her arms. Which it did. Sort of. Which is how it led up to this moment, Sandor carrying a kicking Arya back towards the small camp they had. “Stop kicking, wolf girl” Sandor growled, eventually having to drop Arya because of how much she flailed about, the thud of her landing on the ground waking Karliah up, her hand already grabbing the knife as she looked towards the sound, her eyes wide when she saw Sandor, her husband, not just in full armour (which wasn’t a surprise since he slept in it) but with his weapons as well. And then there was Arya. “Arry?” Karliah asked with shock, dropping the knife as Arya turned her head to look at her aunt, getting up and brushing off her clothes “what are you doing?!”

“Yes, Sandor. What are you doing?!” Karliah snapped as she stood up, walking over to stand next to Arya, both of them facing Sandor who rolled his eyes and grunted quietly “here she is, so you can stop moping about” he growled and went back to sleep, Karliah watching him in shock “wha-... I-...” she looked between the two with utter confusion, Arya glaring at him hatefully as he got comfortable and closed his eyes to sleep. “What happened??”

“He just grabbed me-!”

“You were running from the Brotherhood, I’m guessing things didn’t work out like you planned” Sandor pointed out with annoyance and Karliah frowned at Arya “what? What happened? Did they do something??” and Arya was silent, not answering the rapid fire questions but tears formed in her eyes. “They sold Gendry. They sold him like he was nothing! All for some gold. They promised to take me to Riverrun but now they’re going south to get to some Lannister soldiers or something, to steal their gold too” Arya admitted with outrage after a while of silence and Karliah sighed softly, gently pulling her into a hug “bastards…”

“A lot of them are, probably” Sandor muttered and Karliah glared lightly at him. Karliah sighed heavily before looking back at Arya “Arya… you know I’d never force you to do anything… but I also know that your father would haunt me for the rest of my days if you at least don’t spend the night somewhere somewhat safe… we’ll head for Riverrun tomorrow, I promise.”

“Riverrun??”

“Yes, Sandor. Riverrun” she hissed before walking over to their supplies, getting out a few things and making a make-shift bedding for Arya, leading her to it. “We’ll talk more on the morrow” she whispered, Arya giving her a hesitant nod before laying down, Karliah giving her a smile that shone through the darkness of the night. “Mind if I stay with you?” she asked and Arya softly shook her head, making Karliah nod with a smile “okay. Scoot over” she ordered softly and Arya did, Karliah laying down next to her as she tried to go back to sleep.

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Karliah was still sound asleep when Arya opened her eyes, looking over her shoulder, seeing her aunt passed out completely, her eyes moving to the large rock in front of her and then her eyes moved to him. If she did it right, her aunt wouldn’t have to be married to him. She wouldn’t have to put up with him, she wouldn’t be forced to say that she loved him. They’d both be free of him. It was a win-win solution. She picked up the rock, quietly, making sure not to wake her aunt. She quietly snuck around her aunt’s legs, as quiet as a mouse, as quiet as a cat, just like Syrio had taught her, passing the smoking embers of the remaining fire, a single goal in mind. She lifted the rock, ready to bring it down when his voice shocked her. “I’ll give you one try, girl” he grumbled, eyes still shut until he opened them and turned his head to look up at her, seemingly unfazed by the small boulder above his head. His eyes moved to where she’d been sleeping, finding Karliah’s body there, he could just about see her face, her eyes closed, mouth slightly parted as she slept soundly and he moved his eyes back up to Arya. “Kill me, and you’re free with your aunt. But if I live, I’ll break both your hands before your aunt can stop me. Go on. Hit me. Hit me hard” he encouraged, Arya’s heart racing as she stared down at him before moving her eyes to her aunt who was still asleep, her eyes softening and Sandor scoffed “I never laid a hand on her, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m not my brother.”

“So what? You’re saying you haven’t-”

“No, no we’ve done that bit quite a lot. But I never raped her” he growled and Arya cringed and frowned, looking back at her aunt, haunted a little by the idea of her aunt doing it with him. “Are you going to put that down and wake up your aunt or what?” he asked with annoyance and she looked back at him, glaring before throwing it to the side in annoyance, walking over to her aunt and kneeling down. She gently placed a hand on Karliah’s shoulder, gently shaking it, watching Karliah open her eyes and look up at her. “Gods… what time is it?”

“Not too late” Sandor grumbled as he began to pack everything up and Karliah gave a brief nod, standing up and giving a tired smile at Arya “how did you sleep?” she asked softly, smoothing down her grimy hair that wasn’t much better than her own, tucking a stiff strand behind her ear and Arya glanced at Sandor as he packed up. “Like a rock” she stated, Karliah smiling at her, unaware of how Sandor scoffed and shook his head. Arya watched Karliah walk over to Sandor, a tired smile on her lips and she glanced at Arya before saying something to Sandor that made him halt and freeze.

“What?”

“You heard me… and I’m not taking it back” she stated softly, glancing at Arya to make sure she wasn’t listening before leaning closer to Sandor again “if anything should happen to me-”

“Shut up” he growled but she just sighed “we’re not exactly within the safe walls of any castle or keep… things happen. You know this better than anyone… just-... if something should happen to me, take her to her family… it doesn’t matter which side, if it’s my brother’s or my sister-in-law’s… take her to her family, it’s not safe for her to just-... wander around out here, especially not is someone finds out who she is-”

“I’m not a fucking babysitter!”

“No. You’re my husband and she’s your niece-by-law… I love you, Sandor, you know this, but I just want to make sure that you’ve listened to me…”

“Aye, I’ve heard you-”

“There’s a difference between hearing and listening, Sandor. I need you to listen when I tell you this; I love you. I love you and I would die willingly for you… so please, for me, if anything should ever happen to me, promise me you’ll take her to safety. Promise me, Sandor. And if nowhere’s safe, then-... try and keep her from too much trouble… Keep my little Arry alive, Sandor” Karliah begged quietly, making sure that Sandor couldn’t evade her gaze no matter where he turned his head and he growled in annoyance. “Just say yes…”

“Fine!” he snapped and she nodded, leaning up and kissing his burnt cheek so softly and delicately “thank you… my love” she whispered, giving his cheek another peck before leaving to help pack things up. “I’m not your love!” Sandor snapped, both Arya and Karliah spinning around to look at him at his sudden outburst. Karliah studied him, glancing casually at Arya before going back to looking at him “yes. You are. Even though I’m not yours” she stated softly before going back to packing things up.

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Karliah trudged all the way back to the wagon, a frown on her brows as she tried to ignore the pain in her ankle, reminding her every time she walked of the cave, where Sandor had fought Beric. And won. She sighed when she saw Arya walk back to the log to watch the smoke rise by the river, so close yet too far. She brushed off her trousers before sighing, reaching Sandor, only to notice that he’d eaten some of the pig meat. “No one will believe you’re a hog farmer if you eat all the hogs!”

“It’s the best part!”

“Which is why a real hog farmer would leave it be!”

“Well I’m not a real hog farmer, am I??”

“That depends…” she stated with a smirk on her lips, hands on her hips as she shrugged lightly “on what?? On what, woman?!” he asked as she just walked over to Arya with a smirk, standing next to her to watch the camp and that bridge, the two towers on either end. She placed a hand on Arya’s shoulder, bringing her against her side, smiling down at her youngest niece who smiled back up at her “we’ll make it. A wedding of this size will take days of celebration, and an entire army can’t sneak out from under our noses. We’ll make it” she promised, leaning down and pecking the top of Arya’s head who nodded. She walked back over to the wagon and Sandor, grabbing another pig’s hoof before he could bite into it and threw it into the back of the wagon with the rest. “I was going to eat that!” he complained and she scoffed, walking closer to him “we can’t show up with an empty wagon. Stop eating the merchandise” she scolded teasingly and he growled, standing up from the wagon, easily towering over her, his hands instantly finding her waist and he grabbed it, hard, pulling her flush against his chest. “I can eat whatever the fuck I want, woman-”

“Should I take offence, then?” she asked as though it was a genuine question, a frown on her brows and he frowned as well, though with much more confusion “what?”

“Well, it’s just-... I heard a rumour, from a working girl… some men knows how to please a woman-”

“And you’re saying I don’t?!”

“- with their tongue” she finished in a whisper and she grinned as his face turned as red as a tomato. “Actually, I’ve heard that it’s quite pleasurable for the man as well. I once knew a girl in Winterfell. She was a good enough girl, I believe it was the steward’s cousin or nephew who was rather fond of her… well, let’s just say that we saw each other passing by often” Karliah stated with a shrug and for some strange reason, Sandor felt a hint of jealousy squirm it’s way up his throat from his gut, his grip on her hips tightening as his breath grew heavier with what he thought was a sense of anger. “So that’s the kind of woman you are? The kind who hangs around whores?”

“No, I’m not” she stated firmly, tilting her head up at him “it was a singular encounter and she was quite the cook, often bringing baked goods whenever her ‘services’ were needed. She was a nice enough woman” Karliah stated with a hiss before forcing his hands from her waist, her eyes still locked with his “we’ll be there by nightfall, the celebrations will still be on-going by then and they’d be running out of food, we’ll be a welcome sight” she stated in a softer tone before walking around him and crawling up in the wagon, looking over her shoulder “Arry” she called, the young girl looking over before walking over, climbing onto the back of the wagon and Sandor groaned, rolling his eyes, mouth twitching with annoyance as he walked over to the horse and moved it over to the wagon to begin fastening the reigns and everything.

[fandomficsnstuff]

Wolves And Hounds - 14

(Warnings: Angst, a hint of fluff and more angst with a soft ending:3)

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It was night when she first heard the snapping branch, her head lifting from his shoulder as she looked around in the darkness, the fire but embers next to them and she was suddenly aware of how cold she felt. She had gotten better clothing, mostly from a bandit or two who thought it was a good idea to take on a man like Sandor Clegane and at least he had the decency to give the ones with the least amount of blood on it from the… ‘encounter’. “Sandor?”

“Hm” he grumbled, eyes still shut as she looked around, heart starting to race as she felt a cold feeling spread through her, and not from any cold night air. “Someone’s here” she whispered and instantly he was awake. He’d found out through their few days on the road that she wouldn’t say things like that unless it wasn’t actually something to worry about, a wolf daring to brave the path to them as the flames of their fire died out in the night, or something else daring to approach… people… it’s how the bandits thought they had a shot, approaching in the night. But they didn’t have a shot and now they were dead and long gone, one of them laying in only his small clothes next to his dead friends as well as a ruined corset and the skirt of a dress. Both Sandor and Karliah listened closely for a long while, both of them on edge until finally… nothing. Sandor laid his head back down, eyes closing as he grunted a little, trying to get comfortable again. Karliah continued to stay awake, her head still lifted from his shoulders, surveying the darkness as that gnawing feeling of being watched just-... wouldn’t go away. “Dove, if you’re gonna keep me up for another second I’ll-”

“What? Kill me? I’d haunt your fucking dreams” she whispered and he scoffed “you already are” he grumbled and she glared at him, attempting to mean it but she just couldn’t, just like she couldn’t shake that nagging feeling. Sandor groaned and sat up “if anyone’s out there, either fuck off or attack us and get it over with!!” he shouted into the darkness before laying back down, Karliah staring at him with wide eyes, listening to the darkness for a while longer before hesitantly laying back down, placing her head on his shoulder once more and his arm wrapped around her, making her smile a little as she closed her eyes and attempted to fall asleep again.

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Karliah yawned as she slowly turned the rabbit on the stick over the fire that she had blown life back into, her knees tucked to her chest until she heard clothes ruffling and a hand gently tapping at her back, just to get her attention and she turned to look at Sandor. “The fuck’re you doing up this early?” he asked quietly and she shrugged lightly “got hungry” she admitted, looking back at the rabbit she cooked before taking it away from the fire, examining it on the stick and Sandor sat up with a frown when he saw it. “Where the fuck did you get that from?”

“I caught it?”

“You caught it? With fucking what?”

“Your dagger.”

“My dagger?”

“Yes. Your dagger…”

“How the fuck-”

“I threw it and it hit the rabbit and, well,” she lifted up the stick the skinned and cooked rabbit was on “breakfast” she stated with a shrug, blowing carefully on the cooked meat before hesitantly placing her fingers on it, testing the warmth and if she could pull some of the meat off to begin to eat, Sandor watching her closely with a frown. “You threw a dagger and-”

“Seven hells, Sandor! Yes, I threw a dagger at a rabbit and hit it!”

“And you skinned it?!”

“Obviously” she pointed out with a scoff, finally being able to tear off some of the cooked meat, holding it over her shoulder at him, offering it and he scoffed, reaching for it before snatching it, eating it and he had to admit, it was actually okay…

“See? I’m not completely helpless.”

“Aye, not completely” he grumbled and she playfully glared at him before picking at the rabbit meat, eating it as Sandor got up, grabbing some of the meat as well as he walked around the small camp, beginning to pack up.

“You know, a horse wouldn’t be such a bad idea” she stated with a shrug as she continued to eat, offering him what was left of the rabbit on the stick once she was done and felt that she’d had enough, Sandor scoffing as he took it and began to eat the rest of the rabbit “if you spot a purse full of coin and a stables, let me know” he muttered with sarcasm and Karliah scoffed “sure, and while we’re at it, maybe we - excuse me, I - can replace the dress you ruined.”

“Yer can’t wear a dress in this-”

“So you’re saying that you wouldn’t want to see me in a dress?” she asked with a smirk, watching how he froze for a moment, his eyes moving to her and she innocently tilted her head, watching as his eyes took in her body freely and she grinned “aye, I’ll get you that dress one day… so I can tear it off you again” he stated bluntly and she bit her lower lip, attempting to suppress her grin. “You’ll have to get me a lot of dresses, then, if that’s how they’ll all end up.”

“Maybe just one or two on the floor… maybe” he stated casually, watching how she smirked almost with excitement as he just continued to eat the rest of the rabbit, her eyes locked onto his lips and she couldn’t help but wonder how they’d feel someplace… else… someplace they’d never been before…

She was so lost in her own thoughts and fantasies that when someone grabbed her and put a knife to her throat, jumping out from the nearby tree line, she hadn’t even seen it coming, her eyes wide as she gasped, Sandor already standing up with his sword out, the rest of the rabbit forgotten and she can’t remember ever seeing him this angry… “careful now, Hound. I don’t want to, but I won’t hesitate to hurt your pretty little lady” the voice spoke and Karliah felt her heart race, her eyes moving to the men coming out of hiding in the woods, surrounding them and she frowned, flinching as one of the men disarmed Sandor roughly, the men tying his hands behind him and she struggled, briefly, against her captor’s hold, making a small cut appear on her neck from the knife and she winced in pain, the blade cold, leaving goosebumps in it’s way and she felt a single drop of her blood run down the length of her throat. “Quiet now, ‘Dove’” the man whispered and Karliah’s blood ran ice cold at the nickname, her eyes moving to Sandor as rope was tied around him, locking his arms in place and preventing him from moving them much. As soon as he was tied firmly, she was pushed towards him, only for a man to catch her, spinning her around and grabbing her wrists, tying them together behind her back before spinning her back around to face him, a quiver of arrows on his back, a bow over his shoulder as he smirked at her “what’s your nam-” she launched her head forward, knocking her forehead against his nose and he stumbled back, clutching his nose as blood stained his hands, Karliah blowing her hair out of her face, straightening up a little and Sandor smirked at her with a darkened gaze that made her blood run hot, every nerve in her body set alight, ready to be lit on fire by him and him only. “You bitch!” the man she’d hit shouted, approaching, rope in his hands and he tied it around her arms just like with Sandor, a look of anger in his eyes as he did so. She kept his gaze defiantly before a hood was thrown over her face, plunging her into darkness and her heart began to race, panic flooding her. “Get this thing off of me!! Sandor-” she cut herself off as she was shoved forward, right into something hard and she instantly relaxed, recognising him by his scent. “Lay a hand on her again and I’ll rape your fucking corpse!” Sandor growled as he was forced forward, Karliah being shoved along with him.

She wasn’t sure for how long they walked but the sounds of other people began to fill the air, getting through the hood over her head and reaching her ears. She could hear Sandor as he threatened the man she’d knocked her head against his nose, Sandor’s voice a source of comfort for her, until suddenly they all stopped. She heard a voice speak to Sandor and her heart raced, her brows knitting under the hood as she thought she recognised the voice. But it couldn’t be. She was dead. Right? She was dead… before she could think further on it she was shoved forward again, hearing a thud and a grunt and someone saying something about minding their head and soon she was forced up a few steps into a carriage, her heart racing as she was forced to sit down next to Sandor, another man sitting down next to her in return.

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She winced as she was forced down some stones, the sound of a waterfall background noise as she winced in pain, one of the rocks having cut her when she slipped and she hissed but continued walking, feet unsteady and hesitant as she had no idea where she was, her sight robbed of her, leaving her like a newborn with no one to truly guide her, only someone shoving her forward, occasionally forcing her to turn left or right to follow whatever path they deemed. Soon the waterfall faded and the sound of crackling fire could be heard, her heart racing as she was made to stand still, hearing someone approaching and suddenly her hood was ripped off, her eyes squinting as she adjusted to the flames right in front of her, a frown on her brows as she looked up at Sandor, seeing him still with his hood on, her binds being cut and her heart raced. “There you go, M’Lady” a man mumbled and as she turned to look around, her eyes widened in shock. There, past some flames, stood a young girl, talking with a boy, head turned and unaware of Karliah, her knees weak at the sight of the little girl. “Arry..” she sobbed quietly, taking a hesitant step towards the girl. “Arya!” she called out, the girl looking in her direction and her big eyes grew even bigger. She raced over to her, wrapping her arms around her and Karliah sobbed as she leaned down, her hands still tied, leaving her unable to hug her back. Arya quickly parted from her, hastily undoing the ropes, ignoring everyone that asked what she was doing. “I thought you were dead! I thought Joffrey had killed you! I thought he’d kill you too” Arya babbled and the second she was free, Karliah pulled Arya into a tight hug, letting out a shaky sob “I thought you were dead… I thought you were dead and I’m so sorry… They wouldn’t let me out of the Keep to look for you, I’m so sorry” Karliah whispered, Arya hugging her even tighter, making Karliah smile in relief and bliss. She quickly parted from Arya, cupping her cheeks in her hands as she kneeled down “Sansa. Your sister. She’s alive as well…” Karliah revealed, her thumbs gently rubbing Arya’s cheeks “Seven Hells, girl…” she cussed before pulling Arya into another tight hug. “Gods, I’ve been so worried” Karliah admitted, letting out a shaky sigh “where have you been all this time?!”

“Yoren, a man of the Night’s Watch, was supposed to take me to the Wall, to Jon, but the Lannisters killed him…”

“Your hair…”

“Yoren cut it… so I’d look like a boy…”

“Clever…” Karliah admitted, kneeling down and kissing the top of her head lovingly “you’ve always been clever, Arry” she muttered as she hugged Arya, Arya smiling against her. “Hold on, ‘Arry’? How’d you know that name?” a boy, the boy she’d been talking with, stepped forward, asking, and Karliah frowned at him “it’s what I’ve always called her…” she admitted and looked down at Arya, who shrugged ever so slightly, sheepishly, “I-I might’ve-... called myself that… while pretending to be a boy” she admitted and Karliah chuckled with amusement “you’ve always been clever.”

She looked over at Sandor, a frown forming when she saw that he was still tied up with a hood on.

As the hood was removed, he flinched back from the fire in front of him, turning to his side where Karliah had been and she let go of Arya to hurry over to Sandor “I’m alright” she whispered, her heart racing as she looked at the rope around him as he scoffed, talking with the others as she moved to untie him. “I wouldn’t do that if I was you, M’Lady” one of the men spoke and she froze, looking up at him, her jaw clenched in anger and Arya frowned “why are you helping him??” she asked with shock and suspicion and Karliah looked over her shoulder at her, glancing up at Sandor who kept his eyes on her, as if wanting to allow her to answer. Karliah hesitated before stepping towards Arya, a frown on her brows as she sighed “he’s-... my husband” she admitted quietly, Arya’s eyes widening in shock, looking between the two “you married him?!”

“It’s more complicated than that, Arry-”

“Weren’t exactly by choice” Sandor grumbled to himself and Karliah glared at him “Sandor!” she snapped and he rolled his eyes “the fuck’re you all doin’ with the Stark girl anyway-?”

“My Lady Stark” a voice called and she looked up, her eyes widening at the man she saw. And recognised. “Ser Beric? What-... What’s going on?” she asked as she looked around, stepping a little closer to the Lord of Blackhaven. “The last I saw you, my brother sent you out to deal with-” she looked up at Sandor before looking back at Beric “some pillagers…”

“Aye, he did. Your brother was a good man, an honest man. I’m sorry for your loss” he stated sincerely and Karliah nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat, letting out a shaky sigh “thank you, I appreciate that.”

“I had heard the sister of Ned Stark had been forced to marry the king’s personal lapdog, under Joffrey’s orders… Are you here by choice?”

“That’s-... complicated” she admitted sheepishly, looking up at Sandor before sighing “please, untie him?”

“My Lady-”

“Please, Ser Beric” Karliah pleaded, Beric studying her before looking up at Sandor who hadn’t taken his eyes off of Karliah. “I’m afraid we can’t do that, My Lady.”

“Stark deserters, Baratheon deserters…” Sandor scoffed as he looked around and Karliah sighed, closing her eyes in annoyance for a brief moment before opening them again. “You lot aren’t fighting in a war, you’re running from it!”

“Last I heard, you were King Joffrey’s guard dog and had broken every tradition and rule and taken a wife. Yet here you are, 1,000 miles from home… which of us is running?”

“Untie these ropes and we’ll find out” Sandor growled and Karliah had had enough, moving to step between the two. “Boys, you’re both very pretty with big cocks. Now shut up” she snapped, Sandor looking down at her with a harsh glare, one that should make her cower but she just raised a brow at him, a silent challenge and he grunted in annoyance and let out a huff, making Karliah nod to herself. She turned to Baric, studying him before crossing her arms over her chest “why are we here, Ser Baric?”

“Truthfully, we only intended to grab the Hound, and we would have, had he been alone. It seems my men didn’t know who you were, otherwise they would have cleaned that cut on your throat” he stated and pointed at the nick she had gotten when they had first taken her and her husband, her hand moving up, thoughtlessly running her fingers along the dirty wound. “What are you doing, leading a mob of peasants?” Sandor asked with a scoff, taking a step closer, his chest against Karliah’s back and she felt an odd sense of comfort from the touch, even through his armour. “Ned Stark ordered me to execute your brother in King Robert’s name-”

“Ned Stark is dead. King Robert is dead. My brother is alive” he spat next to him after speaking to get his point across, of course avoiding Karliah, before looking back up at Beric “you’re fighting for ghosts” he added, Beric smirking a little “that’s what we are. Ghosts. Ghosts waiting for you in the dark. You can’t see us, but we see you… no matter whose cloak you wear - Lannister, Stark, Baratheon - you prey on the weak, the Brotherhood without Banners will hunt you down.”

“You found God, is that it?”

“Aye. I’ve been reborn in the light of the one true God… as have we all… as would any man who’s seen the thing we’ve seen.”

“If you mean to murder me then bloody well get on with it. Just let my wife go” he stated calmly yet with a growl and Karliah scoffed, looking up at Sandor with soft eyes “until the end of my days” she reminded him and he looked down at her, his entire expression softening and she gave him a soft smile that melted his ice-cold heart, his dead heart beating a single time. Just for her. And he finally realised why he abandoned all he’s ever known, leaving everything behind in King’s Landing, taking the one thing, the one person, who ever truly mattered to him, the last person who’d ever matter, no one else would come after her.

The one person he loved.

[fandomficsnstuff]

Wolves And Hounds - 13

(Warnings: A bit of angst and then smut again!<3)

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Sansa hurried down the hallway with Karliah, their hands tightly interlocked as they arrived outside of her door “go inside, bar the door-”

“What about you?!”

“I’ll come back! There is a sword in my chambers, I’m going to get it. Until then, don’t open it for anyone, don’t speak to anyone, do not make your presence known. You’re not there and should someone break in before I’ve gotten back,” she leaned down and pulled up her skirts, taking out a small knife and gave it to her, putting it in her hands and lifting her hands so the knife was pointed at Karliah’s chest, right over her heart “that’s the heart,” she moved it lower to her stomach “that’s the gut. Don’t ever let go of this knife, do you understand? Not even after you’ve used it, though I pray you won’t have to… Now, go, I’ll come back!” she whispered, kissing Sansa’s forehead before running off to her chambers, hearing the door open and shut quickly. She sneaked through the hallways, making sure to be unseen until she arrived at her chambers and she sneaked inside, hurrying around in the dark, finding the knife she had used to cut her thigh after her wedding night to make people believe the marriage was consummated. She pulled it out from behind the furniture up against the wall, tucking it into where the knife she gave Sansa had been before laying down on the stone floor, reaching under her bed for the sword, pulling it out, standing up just as the door rattled. Her eyes went wide and she hurried to stand behind a divider, slowly raising the sword. It had been sixteen years since a proper fight… since she’d actually swung a real sword and not just for sparring. Whoever this was wouldn’t show her any mercy, wouldn’t hold back like Jon or Robb or Syrio Forel. So she wouldn’t either. As the doors opened and she heard someone step inside, she quietly and silently picked up a vase, her heart racing and the second she saw the shadowed figure, their silhouette, looking around the room, she broke the vase over their head, pushing the divider towards them, watching it stumble over them and she raised her sword, preparing to strike when a few words stopped her.

“It’s me, damnit!” he shouted and she quickly lowered the sword, pulling the divider off of him and to the floor, kneeling down by his side “oh my- what were you thinking?! I could have killed you!”

“You killed my damn head with that vase!”

“I thought you were someone else!!”

“Who?!”

“I don’t know! Not you!... If you’re here then-... Gods… the city has fallen…” she muttered with shock, her heart starting to race as she brushed off the ceramic shards and helped him up, much to his annoyance “has the city fallen?”

“It will-”

“So it hasn’t?”

“Not yet-”

“Then why are you here?”

“Damnit, woman! I’m trying to tell you!” he snapped and she stared up at him in the darkness, silent, and he sighed heavily “we’re leaving” he decided, watching her in the darkness as she nodded, her heart racing as she looked around “alright… yes, alright. We have to get Sansa first-”

“She doesn’t want to.”

“What?”

“Don’t you think I tried her first? I thought you’d be with her! I knew you had the sense to not let her stay with the queen! She doesn’t want to go and I can’t wait for you to talk her ‘round” Sandor growled, grabbing her arm to lead her out of the room when she protested “I can’t leave her!! Sandor! I won’t leave her-”

“And I won’t let you die!!” he shouted, the two of them staring at each other in the hallway until Sandor leaned down, harshly pressing his lips to hers in a rough kiss before pulling back “now shut up” he grumbled, Karliah shaking her head “Sandor, she’s my niece! I can’t leave he-” she was shut up when something hit the back of her head. Hard. Her eyes closing without her permission and she slumped over, Sandor picking her up on his shoulder before she could even hit the ground, the sword she had with her was dropped on the stone floor as he hurriedly carried her towards the stables.

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The first thing she heard as she came back to the world of reality was the sound of birds, then the wind, then she felt the burning headache and pain in the back of her head and she opened her eyes, sitting up as she cupped the back of her head in pain, looking around. She frowned at the landscape she was met with, hills and trees and grass, she could even hear a stream nearby. She looked around only to find Sandor there, confusion washing over her as she sat up a little straighter. “What-.... What happened?” she asked, reaching for the back of her head again as she winced, hearing him get up and walk over, kneeling down behind her and parting her hair, studying her scalp before scoffing “you’re fine” he grumbled and got back up, Karliah glaring lightly at him “my, what an attentive husband you are” she muttered with sarcasm. “What happened? Where are we? Where’s my niece?? How did we get here-”

“Seven hells, woman! Do you ever shut up??”

“I’ll shut up when you answer me! Where’s Sansa?!”

“In King’s Landing-”

“In whAT?!” she screamed, Sandor rolling his eyes in annoyance as she was practically boiling “you left her in King’s Landing!?”

“It’s where she wanted to be-”

“FUCK THAT!!”

“What do you think they would’ve done to you had I left without you, hm? You’re my wife!!”

“Exactly!! That means you don’t knock me out just because you’re not getting your way!”

“It wasn’t that hard!”

“IT WAS HARD ENOUGH TO KNOCK ME THE FUCK OUT!!” she screamed, having stood up, as he had, both of them standing chest to chest, each of them furious with one another, though Karliah was probably more pissed than him, he’d give her that. “I saved your life-”

“Joffrey will kill her now that I’m gone! He’ll think I ran off! He’ll punish her!”

“Would you calm down?! I trashed our chambers so it looked like you didn’t come willingly!”

“I DIDN’T!!” she reminded him loudly, pushing his chest in an attempt to… well… push him, but it was like trying to push over a great oak tree with it’s deep roots. In a second she was pressed up against a nearby tree, his hands wrapped around her shoulders “they would have flayed you alive had I not gotten you out!” Sandor growled, Karliah scoffing up at him, shaking her head “and what do you think they won’t do to my niece when-”

“Forget about your bloody niece for five seconds and think of yourself instead!” he snapped and her eyes widened, her heart racing at his words. “I can’t…”

“Seven hells, woman!-”

“I mean; I can’t!... All my life has been about my brother’s children…” she admitted after snapping at him, her eyes wide as she peered up at him and he was reminded of the night their marriage was actually consummated, how innocent she was, peering up at him, like a lost pup, looking to him for guidance while trying to seem like she knew what she was doing. “All my life, it’s been about them… my brother, the Lord of Winterfell… Robb, the heir to Winterfell, Sansa, the beauty in the North… Arya, the wild one, Bran, the sweet one, Rickon… and Jon… There’s a reason why no one has ever married me willingly” she admitted quietly and he frowned at her, his grip on her shoulders loosening and his heart raced. “I could have left you back in King’s Landing, but I didn’t. I didn’t do that for your brother or your nephews or your nieces” he growled, pressing her up further against the tree and she watched him closely, watched his face, his eyes…

“Then why did you?” she asked quietly and they both knew what she truly asked with that question, and what she hoped he’d say. “Because you’re my wife” he grumbled out and she frowned up at him, her chest tightening as that seemed to be that… because she was his wife. Not because he cared about her, worried for her, wanted to keep her safe. No, she was just his wife. “You could have left me to rot all the same, wife or not…” she pointed out and he groaned “seven hells, woman! What do you want me to say?!”

“That you care about me!”

“I do!”

“I don’t want you to say it just so I’ll shut up!”

“That wouldn’t work anyway because you’re still shouting at me!” he yelled back and she glared up at him before leaning up and kissing him roughly, Sandor pinning her back against the tree, staring at her, his heart racing as she kept glaring at him until he finally leaned down and kissed her just as roughly, his hands moving from her shoulders and to her hips as she wrapped her arms around him, threading her fingers through his hair as he hoisted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist, her dress riding up, revealing her thighs and almost her hips. Sandor pressed her up against the tree, giving him an opportunity to let go of her with one of his hands, the other resting under her backside to hold her up while his free hand flailed around in the sea of fabric between them until he managed to move it all to the side, his hand reaching between her legs and she moaned into his mouth as she felt his fingers run through her folds, gathering her slick before leaving her, his lips still on hers, rough and passionate, as he freed himself. He pumped himself a few times before nearing her entrance, coating himself in her slick, hearing her moan whenever the head nudged against that special bundle of nerves and he smirked against her lips. “Finally shut you up, eh?” he growled and she opened her eyes to glare at him, opening her mouth to speak when he thrust up into her, a loud wail leaving her until his lips crashed onto hers, swallowing her moan. He had mercy enough to give her some time to adjust before pulling back, sliding almost all the way out before thrusting into her again, hard, knocking the air from her lungs and she clung to him tightly. The hand that was in his hair fisted it, pulling and tugging at the roots as she moaned, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as she felt him piston in and out of her, stretching her and filling her up in ways she had never even imagined.

“You’re mine” Sandor growled and she opened her eyes to look at him, looking into his eyes as he continued thrusting into her, his breath fanning over her lips as they breathed in the same air, one of his hands coming up to grip her by her throat, making sure her eyes stayed on him as he continued to fuck her up against the tree “you’re mine-”

“You’re mine” she repeated his words, interrupting him as she did, clinging to him, trying to keep her eyes open as she felt the coil in her stomach grow tighter and tighter, the entire thing almost animalistic, it was rough and almost dangerous, like wildfire being poured from one pot to another. She couldn’t help but let out a small whimper as she clung to him, sweat sticking to her skin, her corset constricting and tight, preventing her lungs from expanding properly. Sandor noticed this and halted everything, hearing her whine as she tried to move her hips on her own, only for him to press her further against the tree “stop moving, or I’ll cut you” he growled in annoyance and she frowned at him, only to realise that he took out a dagger and cut her dress down the front. Her breasts spilled out and he threw the dagger to the side, leaning down and capturing one of her perky nipples between his lips as he began thrusting into her again, quickly resuming the hard and unrelenting pace he had set before. Karliah arched her back into him, moaning even though she tried to keep quiet. She winced in a hint of pain as Sandor held her nipple between his teeth, pulling lightly at her nipple before letting it go, looking back up at her with a smirk and when she looked down she realised that her nipple and the small area around it was red and bruised from his lips and teeth, a satisfied and smug smirk on his lips as he continued to fuck her against the tree and she moaned at the sight of her nipple and the state of it. She looked back up at him and grabbed his jaw, much to his surprise, her eyes dark with lust, the steel blue gone, hidden behind the dark sun that was her blown pupil. Her lips crashed against his aggressively and he groaned, especially when she shoved his head back down to her chest and he was more than happy to obey. This time.

She clawed at his armoured shoulders as the coil in her stomach began to tighten even more, a bowstring just waiting to be released and as he bit down on her other nipple it snapped, a strained gasp and moan left her as she reached her peak, moaning as Sandor continued to fuck her through it, gritting his teeth at how tightly she gripped him, her walls contracting around him and he felt his own end nearing because of it, her warm, wet walls sucking him in, milking him as he stilled inside of her, groaning into her neck, panting as he spilled his seed into her. “I liked this dress” was the first thing she said as she panted, still held up against the tree, her head lolled back, resting against it, her eyes shut as she tried to catch her breath. “I’ll find you something else-”

“Good” she interrupted, lifting her head from the tree, grabbing him by his hair and yanking his head back to look at her, a cold look in her eyes “this does not mean that I’m forgiving you…”

“For what? Saving your life?!” he asked with annoyance before sighing heavily, growling as he looked around, as though he was straining to actually speak his next words “I knew you wouldn’t come if she wasn’t but she didn’t want to come! I wasn’t going to steal her away! Seven hells, she doesn’t matter to me, you do” he snapped and looked back at her, watching her eyes soften and she sighed softly, leaning down and kissing him gently, much to his shock. “I’ll need something to wear, you tore my dress” she whispered against his lips and he grumbled a little before letting her down from the tree, hearing her whine a little as he pulled out. He tucked himself back into his clothes as he watched her try and pull her gown back down to cover her legs, a smirk on his lips when he saw her free chest, breasts bouncing and jiggling as she moved, and she looked up at him, noticing his gaze and she rolled her eyes “something to wear, husband” she reminded him and he scoffed, walking over to a bag he’d managed to bring with him before fleeing King’s Landing, getting out one of his tunics and throwing it at her, watching her catch it with ease and slip it on, tightening the laces in the front as the shirt was way too big and it was an attempt to make it stay over her shoulders and cover her. She sighed as she gave up halfway through, accepting the half-arsed attempt before walking over to where she had woken up, sitting down on the bedding and looking up at him, tilting her head. “What?”

“Nothing…” he grumbled and began to get the dagger he’d thrown carelessly while fucking her senseless against a tree. “I’m getting some firewood” he announced, walking over and hesitantly giving her the dagger, watching her take it with a smirk. “Don’t be too long, husband, or I’ll worry” she teased and he scoffed but didn’t say anything, merely turning back around and walking into the woods, a grin on Karliah’s lips as she looked around with the dagger in her hands and an ache most delicious between her legs where she could feel him still, spilling out of her slowly in the most wonderful way imaginable.

[fandomficsnstuff]

Wolves And Hounds - 12

(Warnings: Fluuuf, a bit of angst and a hint of fluff at the end<3)

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The first thing she noticed when she was slowly waking up was the warmth. Usually, she woke up cold where the covers weren’t pulled over her but this time she was warm. She took a deep breath, eyes still shut and she couldn’t help but smile at the scent that flooded her senses. Wine, leather and musk, and maybe a hint of sweat, smells most would never dream of belonging to the man whose arm was wrapped around her, except for the sweat part, maybe... She curled a little closer to him, opening her eyes slowly, lifting her head a little to look up at him, his eyes shut as he laid on his back, his arm around her, shielding her from the outside world, his other hand on his stomach. Her head was on his shoulder and her arm was wrapped around him under the covers. She couldn’t help but grin, a light, fluttering feeling taking hold in her and she wrapped her leg around his midsection, putting her head back down on his shoulder to go back to sleep. “Yer feet’s cold” he grumbled and she lifted her head to look up at him, watching him as he opened a single eye, peering down at her and she grinned at him, pressing her feet against his thigh with a mischievous look in her eyes “and? What are you going to do about it?” she asked teasingly, watching him close the eye and go back to sleep, a scoff leaving him and she felt a pang of disappointment, until suddenly she was on her back, her eyes wide in shock as he hovered over her. “Don’t like cold feet” he grumbled, almost as though he wanted to scare her but she chuckled “I was just trying to warm them” she defended with a smirk and he scoffed, leaning down, his face hovering over hers and her stomach fluttered in anticipation “don’t. Don’t like it” he grumbled before rolling back onto his back, eyes once again closed and she watched him before hesitatingly leaning back down, his arm already wrapping back around her as they laid how they had been before he rolled them over, Karliah studying him closely before putting her head back down on his shoulder, this time keeping her feet to herself as much as possible.

“You’re not gone” she noted, Sandor scoffing quietly “well spotted” he muttered, making Karliah roll her eyes a little “you’re always gone in the morning…”

“Didn’t think you wanted me in the bed when you woke up” he admitted casually and Karliah tensed a little “I didn’t…” she admitted, looking up at him as he opened his eyes, lifting his head a little to look down at her, finding her already looking up at him. There was a small silence between the two of them before he leaned down and connected their lips in a gentle kiss that was so unlike him. If anyone had told him that he’d ever marry, and that he would-... want to be so gentle with the woman he married, he’d have cut their throat to the bone and pissed on their corpse for good luck, yet here he was, gently cradling her face in his hands, his lips on hers as she hummed in delight at the feeling. He felt her deepen the kiss, hands clawing at his shoulders to pull him closer and he obliged, rolling over to hover over her, his tongue gently swiping against her lips and she welcomed him eagerly, their tongues battling and fighting for dominance and he enjoyed that she didn’t just submit right away. She fought him for that dominance before inevitably giving it to him willingly.

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The laughter echoed down the hallway as he walked them, a frown forming on his brows, recognising the laugh instantly and he followed it, seeing Karliah - his wife - stand and laugh with that sellsword. Bronn. “I swear, it wasn’t me she was aimin’ at! It was me little brother!”

“You have a brother? Tell me about him!”

“Ah, don’t make me jealous now” he flirted and she scoffed “careful, Bronn, I’m a married woman.”

“Aye, you are” he stated with a smirk and Karliah’s smile faded a little “Bronn, I’m serious. I enjoy your company” she warned and he raised his hands “alright, alright. I know when I’m beat.”

“Somehow I find that very hard to believe.”

“What makes you say that?”

“You just-... seem like the type who’ll pick a fight, even though he might not be able to win it.”

“I always win the fight” he stated and she scoffed “not against my husband if you keep flirting with me.”

“Can’t help it, can I? A beautiful woman such as yourself.”

“There are far prettier women in the brothels” she pointed out and he smirked, leaning a little closer “aye, but none ‘f them’s been in a war as a soldier” he stated and she rolled her eyes “I never should’ve told you that” she muttered with a scoff, Bronn leaning back with a shrug. “Tell you what, I have an old sword of mine, why don’t you have it?”

“In exchange for…?”

“What makes you think I want something in return?”

“Because you’re the type who doesn’t just give out gifts?”

“Fair enough. Alright, I’ll give you me old sword, if you tell me a story.”

“A story?”

“From back when you was fightin’” he stated with a smirk and Karliah’s eyebrows lifted in slight shock and she nervously rubbed her hands together “uhm…”

“Come on, just one tiny little story! The sword’s still sharp an’ everythin’!”

“Okay, uhm… my first battle. I had just thrown on whatever armour I could find so it didn’t fit, of course… it was like a bunch of bells walking around and it got to the point that Robert had an armour made for me so-”

“Robert? As in the king?”

“Yes…”

“He knew?”

“My brother knew, too, but no one else, not even my mother, she thought I had left to seek refuge from the coming rebellion in a small village, which she thought was wise, she didn’t approve of my fighting” she stated with a smirk, Bronn laughing loudly and she giggled lightly, the sound making Sandor step out from the shadows. As he approached, Bronn’s smile faded to a smug smirk and Karliah turned to see what he was looking at, her lips stretching in a smile when she saw who it was. “Husband” she greeted, his eyes locked on Bronn as he stepped closer, wrapping an armoured hand around Karliah’s waist, staring Bronn down and Karliah looked awkwardly between the two “well, I’ll… see you later, at some point? You can just leave the sword in my chambers, alright?” she asked Bronn awkwardly and he nodded and bowed with the same smirk before walking off, Karliah looking up at Sandor with a frown “Sandor?”

“Don’t talk t-”

“No, oh no, stop right there and double back a bit. You might be my husband, but you won’t tell me who I can and cannot talk to” she stated firmly as she got out of his grasp, studying him closely as he stared down at her with the same annoyed expression. “I will talk to whomever I wish. Just because I talk to someone doesn’t mean that it’s not just talking… I may not have expected this marriage but-... I’d hoped after last night you’d understand!”

“Understand what?!”

“That this is more to me now than a simple unfortunate arrangement!” she shouted back, scoffing at his shock “do you truly think I’d just give myself to whoever? If you do, then you don’t know the first thing about me, Clegane” she hissed before storming off, a scoff leaving her as she shook her head, going to find her niece. Whom she spent most of her days with, much to her niece’s comfort.

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It was late when the bells began to ring, it was dark yet not quite night, an hour or so would have to pass before it’d be night completely and Karliah watched from the darkness, the small lights scattered all around the city of King’s Landing, her husband somewhere down there and she felt her heart race at the thought. The last thing she did was shout at him. She wouldn’t call what she felt love… not really… but it wasn’t indifference either, or hate… he’d been kind and good to her… maybe it was love after all… She took another second to calm herself before leaving her room, heading straight to find her niece and when she did, her niece threw herself at her, hugging her tightly and Karliah couldn’t help but smile, hugging her right back, gently rubbing her back “it’s alright” Karliah whispered, parting from Sansa to smile at her, smoothing down her hair with a grin “you look so much like your mother” she admitted, Sansa nodding with a weak smile and Karliah cupped her cheek before turning to Shae. “Might I have a word with your handmaiden?” Karliah asked and Sansa frowned but nodded, Karliah letting her go, stepping aside with Shae. Sansa watched with a small frown as her aunt subtly gave Shae a knife that could be strapped to one’s thigh or calf. “It’s one of my own, sharp enough to shave a spider’s arse. You and I both love my niece, and I know you’ll do everything you can to protect her. I don’t know what you were before you came into my niece’s service but it doesn’t matter. Keep. Her. Safe” Karliah whispered harshly, Shae nodding as she took the knife “I will. And you be safe, too. She needs you.”

“I’ll try… but if-... if the city should fall… if something should happen to me-” Karliah had to cut herself off, swallowing the lump in her throat, eyes filling with tears at the thought of her niece all alone in the world. “Then please… please tell her that I love her as if she was my own…” she whispered, Shae nodding before gently grabbing her hand “nothing will happen to you-”

“Prepare for the worst, hope for the best” she whispered, Shae nodding and Karliah went back to Sansa. “Listen to me, Sansa… Winter is coming, it’s here and it’s beating on our doors. What do we do?”

“Hide in the den with our pack and only our pack…”

“Good girl. I will be with you, I promise, I just have to get a few things from my room. The queen has offered sanctuary to the women in Maegor’s Holdfast, I will meet you there, Shae will be there with you every step of the way… the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives… Shae is part of your pack” Karliah whispered the last bit and Sansa nodded “don’t leave me, please…”

“Never. It’d be over my dead body, I’d have to be kidnapped and tied to the mast of a ship going to Essos before I’d leave your side” Karliah whispered soothingly, hugging Sansa and kissing the side of her head before looking at Shae, nodding her over. Tyrion walked over after Bronn had passed the three women, his eyes meeting Karliah’s, then Sansa’s and finally, Shae’s. “Lady Sansa, Lady Karliah, and, uh… Sheila-”

“Shae” she corrected him stiffly, Tyrion nodding “Shae, yes… surely my sister has asked you both to join her and the other highborn ladies in Maegor’s Holdfast?”

“She has, My Lord, but King Joffrey sent for me to see him off” Sansa explained and Karliah forced a smile at the words “and I came to make sure my niece was safe” she added, turning her gaze to Shae, finding her looking at Tyrion already and she smirked a little.

“Sansa!” the sound of the boy king’s voice ringing out made Karliah’s heart darken a little. “He’s been a great romantic, my nephew” Tyrion muttered at Sansa and Karliah tried to hide her smirk as Joffrey once again called out for her niece. As Sansa moved to reach Joffrey, giving a few last words to Tyrion, Karliah moved over to Sandor, standing in front of him, her hands folded neatly in front of her as her heart raced. “Be safe, husband…” she asked softly, taking a small step closer “I-... would like to see your face when I wake next time” she whispered, a part of her hoping for a response but when she didn’t get any, she turned to walk away, only for his arm to wrap around her and pull her against his armour, his lips meeting hers and she quickly cupped his cheeks, holding him close. “I mean it, Sandor… whatever this is… whatever this is to you and to me… come back to me, please” she whispered, watching him raise an eyebrow at her “is that an order?” he asked quietly and a weak smile formed on her lips as she nodded ever so slightly “only if that’s what it takes” she admitted, kissing him once more before stepping back, watching him leave with the others, her eyes locked on his figure and she saw him look over his shoulder at her, the simple gesture making her heart ache, her eyes locked on the doors they disappeared through until Sansa and Shae appeared, Sansa stopping in front of her, looking over her shoulder at the doors that occupied Karliah’s gaze.

“Do you love him?” she asked innocently and Karliah hesitated before looking back at her “he’s different when we’re alone…” she admitted, Sansa frowning at her with slight confusion “how so?”

“Gentle… as gentle as a man of that size can be” she added with a small smirk of amusement before looking down, sighing softly “our wedding wasn’t consummated… he left me be… he untied the laces of my gown, just enough for me to take it off myself, before simply going to bed… he hadn’t laid a hand on me…”

“‘hadn’t’?” Sansa asked and Karliah’s cheeks began to burn “it’s not something you need to worry about, come-”

“Oh my Gods!” Sansa whispered, a large grin on her face and Karliah nearly sobbed. It had been so long since she’d seen that kind of smile on her face. “Sh! It’s not proper for a lady to discuss such things!” She scolded quietly, yet it was obvious that it wasn’t actually a scolding, Karliah looping her arm with Sansa’s, gently dragging her off with her towards Maegor’s Holdfast, Shae following with a smirk.

[fandomficsnstuff]

Wolves And Hounds - 11

(Warnings: A bit of angst and then, my pretties…. SMUUUUUT:3)

Note: This is the first time I’m writing smut with an OC so… yeah… don’t be too hard on me please lol.

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This time, when she woke up alone in bed and turned to look at his side, she felt a pang of… loneliness… disappointment. He’d left, again, before she had even woken up… the thought had her gut wrenching, her eyes locked on the empty spot in the bed, the covers thrown to the side from when he got out of bed and she reached over, a hesitant hand, feeling the empty space, feeling how cold the sheets were and she felt yet another pang of disappointment run through her. Until there is a loud and frantic knocking on her door. Before she could even tell the person she’d not yet properly dressed, it opened and out of instinct she covered herself, but she lowered it when she saw the panicked look on the face of the intruder. Sansa’s handmaid. Shae. “Shae? What-”

“She bled” she interrupted, both of them wanting nothing but the best for Sansa, both of them loving her, and so both of them knew what that meant, Karliah’s eyes wide as she hurriedly got out of the bed, throwing on a dressing gown over her night gown as she hurried over to Shae. “Where is she-?”

“The Queen… she’s talking with the Queen” Shae admitted and Karliah paled. Both of them knew what it meant now that Sansa had bled and Karliah couldn’t help but place a hand over her mouth in silent shock and horror, closing her eyes tightly as she cursed herself for even asking “did you-”

“No! No, of course not” Shae hissed and Karliah nodded “I know, I know, I’m sorry, I just-”

“You had to ask, I know. I understand” Shae nodded and Karliah was silent as she stared at the floor, her brows knitted, deep in thought. “Who found out?”

“Your husband” she admitted and Karliah’s eyes grew wide, a sense of dread coursing through her and she closed her eyes briefly, sitting down on the foot of the bed, looking off to the side with a clenched jaw of frustration, Shae sighing softly as she sat down next to her. “He-”

“He’s an-” Karliah stopped herself, gently shaking her head. What would she even call him? An arse? A horrible man? None of those were true. He was a good man… she knew that… it’s why she felt a sense of… betrayal… betrayal for doing his damn duty. “I’m not sure what he is” she finally settled on, looking down and Shae studied her “has he-”

“No… no, not at all, he’s been-... kind” Karliah admitted with a far-off gaze and a weak smile at the thought “he’s never touched me… never laid a hand on me, I-I mean” she quickly added the last part, Shae studying her before smiling “you’re still a virgin?”

“N-No, I-I’m married so-”

“You’re still a virgin” she stated more firmly and Karliah nodded ever so slightly “but, I heard there was blood-”

“I cut the inside of my thigh” she admitted sheepishly, almost with embarrassment, Shae smirking at her, giving her a brief nod “I have to go, Sansa will be back to her room soon, but-”

“I’ll come the second I can, I’ve clothed myself before, I can do it again. Don’t leave her side, do you understand? Don’t. Not for a second.”

“I would die for her” Shae stated with determination before leaving and Karliah believed her, if nothing else, at least they had that in common.

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Once again she waited until it was evening and he was back. He opened the door and stepped inside, finding a chair standing out, prepared, and she approached slowly. He hesitantly approached, eyeing her with caution, as though she was up to something. “What are you doing?”

“It seems the only way we can talk is when I help you out of your armour” she admitted and he scoffed “what in the seven hells makes you think I want to talk?” he asked as he put his weapons down, pulling off his armoured gloves and placing them roughly on a table as he continued to approach and she studied him closely “the fact that you’re approaching the chair and putting down your weapons” she pointed out softly and he eyed her before groaning in slight annoyance, looking away “what do you want to ‘talk about’ now, girl?” he asked roughly and she calmly approached him, hands folded neatly in front of her, and promptly slapped him far into the next week. “I’m not your ‘girl’... I’m your wife. Now sit” she ordered sternly, Sandor grabbing her roughly by her upper arm in rage, pulling her closer to-... he wasn’t even sure what… he wouldn’t strike her, so why had he yanked her closer?

Suddenly he surged forward, his lips against hers desperately and at first her eyes were wide in shock, but slowly she closed them, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck as she returned the kiss. It was rough and desperate, teeth clashing against one another, hearts racing as she moaned quietly in delight when his teeth accidentally caught her lower lip and he instantly parted and lifted his lips from hers, staring at her as heat creeped up her neck and she looked embarrassed, clearing her throat as she stepped away from him, her hand reaching up and covering her bottom lip where he’d accidentally bitten her gently. She shyly gestured to the chair before clearing her throat, letting her hand drop from her lips as she took a step further back, just a small one. He stared at her as she cleared her throat again, opening her mouth to speak “pleas-” it came out as a squeak and she seemed even more embarrassed, clearing her throat once more “please, sit” she offered, avoiding his gaze and he slowly grabbed the chair, turning it so when he sat down in it, he’d face her.

She nodded and approached, her hands shaking a little as she began to take off his armour and he wondered if he’d done something wrong to make her shake, but when he looked up at her, she had a tiny smile on her lips, until she noticed that he was looking at her, both of them quickly averting their eyes and he allowed her to continue to remove his armour in peace, only this time, unlike before, they didn’t talk. Once she was done she was about to step back when he grabbed her wrist, his flesh meeting hers as he yanked her closer. She yelped as she landed in his lap, their gazes locked and her cheeks turned beet red, her eyes wide as she peered up at him, reminding him of a doe that had just spotted a hunter… a doe that had just spotted a hound. He could see and hear her shaky breathing, feeling it fan across his lips. In return, he was sure his own breathing was just as ragged, although he wished it wasn’t, he wished he had more control over it, over himself, his grip on her waist tightening without him realising, tightening to the point where she should have tried to escape, but all she was capable off was a tiny whimper that left her before she could stop it. She reached her hand up out of instinct to cover her mouth at the embarrassing noise she’d made when Sandor caught her wrist before she could. She swallowed thickly as she kept her eyes on his face, her gaze locked with his and he felt her body slowly relax, he felt her muscles give in, her back not so rigid anymore, he could feel the strained muscles in her wrist relaxing and he slowly let go of her hand, unsure of what to even do now when she surprised him. With her newly-freed wrist, she slowly moved her hand to the scarred side of his face, fingertips featherlight as she traced the patterns of his burns, so light that he barely felt them, but he didn’t flinch away.

He kept his eyes on hers as his own muscles relaxed a little, his grip on her hip tightening once again and she leaned closer, experimentally brushing her lips against his, holding her breath nervously, her eyes closed as her featherlight touch was gone, replaced by her cupping his scarred cheek in her hand tenderly. He leaned closer and closed the gap between the two of them, this time much slower, the two of them finding a pace they liked, slowly becoming one as they moved in sync. Her other hand came up to rest on his shoulder, her hands squeezing the muscle between his neck and shoulder, holding on tightly to him and he moved a hand to cup the back of her head, pulling her in closer and tilting her head a little so he could deepen the kiss.

She yelped quietly as he suddenly stood up, his hand moved from the back of her head to under her legs as he carried to the bed, placing her down at the foot of it, their lips parting briefly but he stayed leaning over her, their lips brushing against one another as they shared the same breath. Karliah gently cupped his face in her hand again before gently moving backwards, to the centre of the bed, and he watched her, standing up straight. His chest rose and fell heavily as he watched her lay there, up against the pillows as her hands tugged at the laces in the front of her dressing gown, peeling it off to reveal her in her night dress, her heart racing as she watched him stare at her, entranced. She began to feel slightly self-conscious, she wasn’t as pretty as the girls in whorehouses… she knew that, but she was still pretty… right? The longer he stared the more uneasy she got until eventually she looked away, cheeks burning as she didn’t dare look at him. She wasn’t sure if she should just go to bed or what… “s-so… how was your day?” she asked quietly, still avoiding his gaze and it seemed to snap him out of it, a frown forming on his brows and he realised he was still at the foot of the bed. He swiftly climbed over it and over her, her eyes wide as he grabbed her ankle and pulled her so she was fully laying down, her eyes still wide as he leaned over her, taking in her shocked look. “Don’t want to talk about my fucking day” he grumbled, his eyes moving to her lips and she gulped a little “o-okay… I-I haven’t-.. I-I mean-”

“I know you haven’t” he interrupted with a scoff and she nodded. “R-Right, I-I’m just-... I-I want t-to be-...” she cut herself off. She’d never stuttered. At least not to this extent, he could turn her completely into another woman with merely a gaze and she melted when his lips crashed against hers.

She whimpered quietly into the kiss but before he could pull back she threaded her fingers through his hair, holding him close as she let her other hand roam down his bicep, shyly feeling the muscle underneath. He parted from her, sitting back on his heels as she whined at the lack of his touch, only to watch as he pulled off his tunic, her eyes wide as she stared at him. His chest was hairy. Very hairy, but she liked it, she liked it a lot, actually. She could see his toned muscles underneath, running down his stomach and she reached out, gently placing her hand against his warm stomach, feeling the muscles flex a little at her touch. She trailed her hand further up, feeling the hair on his chest through her fingers and her mouth nearly watered, her eyes moving up to look at his and she sat up, her hand reaching his neck and she pulled him down into a kiss once more, his hands grabbing at her clothes, trying to bundle up her nightgown to pull it over her head when he growled in frustration, simply ripping the fabric in two, making her gasp in shock, her eyes wide as she parted from him to look down at her ruined nightgown. “I liked this one!” she stated with a frown, Sandor scoffing as he ripped it further until she was almost completely bare in front of him. He leaned back on his heels as he took her in. Her skin was the same northern pale as the rest of her northern family, her nipples were rosy pink, hardening at the cold air that gently drifted over them. His eyes trailed down further, over her chest, down her stomach and to the mount of dark brown curls at the apex of her thighs, between her legs. She was built like no woman he’d ever seen, granted he didn’t go looking up the skirts of whatever woman he saw, but he’d seen whores. But none of them had the hints of muscles that Karliah had, her stomach toned, thighs soft and plush yet when he squeezed them he could feel the toned muscle underneath. Gods help him, she was perfect.

He reached a hand up, his touch uncharacteristically gentle as his rough fingers trailed over her soft skin until they reached a scar on her left side under her last rib, his fingers trailing over the raised skin and she blushed “I-I got that w-when I fell off a horse and landed on a pile of branches, they softened my fall somewhat but-... one of them cut me” she muttered quietly and he continued to trail his hand down her body, reaching her hip and he gave it a tight squeeze. His other hand joined on the other side of her hip, both of them squeezing the flesh, his hands  moving down to her thighs and he grabbed her under her knees, spreading her open and settling in between her legs before she could close them again out of embarrassment. He leaned down and kissed her roughly, the hair on his chest grazing her nipples and she whined, his rough hands moving up to fondle her breasts harshly and forcefully as he continued to kiss her, completely lost in her until she had to push him away “it hurts” she whined and he quickly let go of her, quickly moving to get off of her when she wrapped her legs around him, holding him close so he couldn’t leave. “I-It’s okay… j-just-... kiss me?” she asked quietly and he answered her with the kiss she had asked for, the kiss that was still rough, but a little more gentle this time, his thumbs delicately brushing over her nipples and she arched her back, pushing them up against his chest, wrapping her arms around his back, holding onto him as he began to kiss down her jaw and neck, his hand slowly moving down and in between her legs. She flinched at the touch in such an intimate place, his hips keeping her legs spread apart and she shuddered when he ran a finger through her soaked folds. She whimpered when rubbed an area that was apparently even more sensitive, making her jolt before letting out a lewd moan, quickly covering her mouth again in embarrassment and he let her, spreading her wetness all over her womanhood, his cock already painfully hard in his breechers. He continued to pepper her neck and chest with kisses while circling that special area of nerves until she gently tugged on him, making him look at her, taking in how her eyes were half-lidded, mouth slightly open as she panted, already covered in a thin layer of sweat. “I want you… please, I want you” she begged quietly and Sandor groaned, removing his finger from her to shove down his breeches, giving her a glimpse at his cock and her eyes widened. The tip was an angry red and swollen, a liquid forming at the slit and she watched it carefully.

“Will it fit?” she asked before she could stop herself and by the Gods, she hated how naive and innocent she sounded, she hated how fearful it made her sound, but it seems like Sandor didn’t care, his hand back between her folds, his breeches long gone and he leaned down, wrapping his lips around her nipple, Karliah’s eyes widening, her mouth open as she took in the new sensation, letting out a quiet whimper. She felt something prod at her tight entrance, her heart starting to race and she winced as she felt something being pushed in slowly, his hand still between her legs and she realised that it was his finger. He was fucking her slowly with his finger while practically worshipping her breasts, leaving small blue marks behind, hickies and gentle teeth marks as he slowly added another finger into her opening, looking up at her to watch her reaction, watching her lay there, brows furrowed as she panted ever so slightly, eyes closed as she seemed to be enjoying herself more than he knew she’d ever admit to. He carefully sped up his fingers, hearing her moan and whimper, his other hand wrapped around himself, fisting himself at the same pace that he fingered her in. He wanted nothing more than to bury himself in her, deep and completely, to fuck her until he reached his edge and then go to bed. But he didn’t… a part of him knew it’d be wrong for her… and for some weird reason, the thought of hurting her made him feel sick and ill, as though a fever had taken him and was slowly bringing him closer to death’s door, but the thought of pleasuring her? It made his stomach flutter and his heart race, a warm feeling spreading through his body, from the tip of his toes to the top of his head. 

“Sandor, please” she moaned quietly, Sandor pulling out his fingers from her, sucking them clean and the sight made her moan. His lips crashed with hers as he leaned over her and she could taste herself on his tongue, every nerve in her body like a tight string, ready to be snapped and cut, everything feeling so much… more.

She felt once again something at her entrance, this time it was bigger… she let out a sharp gasp as he slowly pushed in. She heard him growl and she buried her head in his neck, arms wrapped around him, nails digging into his back, legs wrapped around his torso as he held still. “Are you alright, little dove?” he asked with a strained voice and she nodded, keeping her burning face in his neck to hide it. Sandor pushed a little further in, inch my inch, until he was fully inside her, a small whimper leaving Karliah as she bit her lips together to endure the pain. He could feel her nails digging into his back, leaving crescent shaped marks behind but other than that, she was remarkably silent. He shifted to try and see her face, trying to be as still as possible as he did so and he heard her whimper briefly and quietly, her eyes shut tightly and he growled at the way she tightened even more around him, he was sure that had his cock been in need of air, she would have suffocated him in an instant. “Are you-”

“Mhm” she whined before he could finish his sentence and he hesitated again. The thought of hurting her made his chest feel all… cold… “it hurts” she finally whispered in a shaky breath, Sandor hesitating, wanting to pull out, to tell her to just forget it, but he couldn’t, her legs trapped him in place. “You’ll need to let go of me if I’m to leave” he grumbled with slight annoyance, a hint of embarrassment and shame creeping up his neck. Until he heard her speak and what she said. “W-Why would you leave??...”

“I’m hurting you, dove” he whispered with a scoff of disbelief, hearing her let out another shaky breath, her eyes shut tightly as she clung to him. “It j-just-... hurts. More than I thought it would” she admitted, trying to let out a steady breath. “I’m okay” she mumbled after a little while, the pain having eased up a little and she felt more sure of herself and the situation. She cupped Sandor’s face in her hands to lift his head so he could look at her, giving him a soft smile and a nod, Sandor studying her before awkwardly nodding, still not moving but she wrapped her legs tighter around him, drawing him impossibly closer and he groaned, his hips moving of their own accord before he could think. As he pulled out and carefully drove back in she let out a quiet moan, her eyes still shut tightly and as he slowly pulled out and pushed back in again, he couldn’t help but feel a bit… underwhelmed… and he felt guilty for it… until he heard her voice squeak up at him “m-move faster” she whimpered and his heart felt funny, his stomach fluttered and he leaned back on his heels, his hands gripping her waist and he gave her one final look. Sandor wasn’t a man that considered others, he didn’t care about them, only about himself, after all, they’d never cared about him to begin with, yet as he leaned back so he could see her face, his eyes scanned her features for any hint of uncomfortableness and when he didn’t find any, he pulled out and pushed back into her with a little more force than before, seeing her eyes shut, brows furrowing as she let out a breathy moan and he smirked, repeating the motion again and again as sweat formed on both of their bodies. His grip on her hips were almost bruising, her hands gripping his wrists, legs spread for him as he pounded into her, growls and grunts leaving his lips as he panted. Before he realised it, he had leaned over her, his hands interlocked with hers as his lips crashed against hers, swallowing her moans as his hips sped up, he could feel the way she gripped his cock tighter, swallowing him in, that coil in his stomach growing tighter and tighter, a quiet moan slipping past his lips as he felt himself nearing his end, lifting his head up enough to look at her, her mouth open in a silent scream, eyes wide and innocent as she peered up at him, whimpering, holding onto his hands tightly. Her wide eyes moved to look at where they were joined, a look of concern almost on her face and he frowned, getting closer and closer to his peak, her hand letting go of his and he thought she was going to push him away, until she pressed her hand down on her stomach, her entire body tight and tense, like a string waiting to be plucked, a rope strained by the weight of something, waiting to be cut and snap.

“Dove-?”

“I-I feel w-weird” she admitted breathlessly, looking up into his eyes, almost as though she was asking for guidance and he smirked, a sense of pride bubbling in his chest “let go, dove, let go. Let me feel you as this hound takes his bitch” he growled against her lips and she nodded, seemingly spurred on by his vulgar words, reaching her hand up and cupping the back of his head, fingers threading through his hair to ground herself, gripping it tightly as her other hand gripped his hand in hers, a quiet sob and moan leaving her as her walls contracted all around him, the pulsing, throbbing warmth leaving her breathless, her vision blurry and she shocked him by leaning up just enough to press her forehead against his, her eyes shut tightly. That, combined with the way she fluttered around him, hot and wet and tight, swallowing him, sucking him in, caused him to snap his hips roughly against hers. Once. Twice. A final time as he spilled into her, groaning and growling as he was as deep in her as possible, his forehead still against hers, her breath shaky and she whimpered quietly when he shifted his weight a little, too afraid to crush her but she wrapped her free arm around him, the other one still held down by his hand in hers. She pulled him closer, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck and his heart raced. His heart was beating against his chest like a war drum and it wasn’t just from the activities they’d just performed. She cared. She wanted to be close to him. She wanted to touch him, to kiss him, to have him in every way he’d give her, but she wasn’t demanding it, she waited, willingly, for him to take the steps. “You’ll be the death of me, dove” he groaned, mostly to himself, and he heard her chuckle lightly, holding him even tighter “the mighty Hound, felled by his wife while fucking her” she muttered bluntly and he lifted his head to look at her, watching her grin up at him with amusement, taking in his slight shock at her language. She was back to her old self, it seemed. “What a saga for the ages” she added quietly, cupping his cheek lovingly before leaning up and kissing him softly, the softness of the kiss almost making him flinch but he leaned into it, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. He was about to get off of her when she wrapped both her arms around him this time, pulling him closer “just a little while longer… if it’s okay” she whispered and he hesitantly relaxed, slowly letting his weight on her, testing her to see if it was too much but she didn’t say a word, she didn’t stop him and finally, he rested fully on her, hearing her humm quietly in appreciation, her eyes already closed, his softening cock still inside her, keeping his seed inside her, closer to her womb.

[fandomficsnstuff]

Wolves And Hounds-10

(Warnings: Some angst, a little more angst and finally, some fluffy fluff at the end. Enjoy!<3)

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Karliah was woken up by the sounds of someone moving about in her room, her eyes slowly opening, turning her head instinctively to the other side of the bed, seeing it empty. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Which just made her more confused. She sat up and looked around the room, seeing her two handmaidens, Grida and Jaylice, moving about, preparing for breakfast and getting ready for the day. Back at Winterfell she had loathed her handmaidens. Not because they weren’t nice, they were very nice, and that was the problem, they were too nice. ‘Yes, M’Lady’, ‘no, M’Lady’, ‘you’re right, M’Lady’. She almost barfed every time they bowed their heads with polite smiles and did whatever they were told. These handmaidens barely spoke, which left her without the sickening ‘yes, whatever you say, M’Lady’, but also left her without any sense of… companionship… They both looked at her as she got out of bed, giving her looks of sympathy and Karliah froze, halfway out of bed when an idea popped into her mind. “A bath would be… nice” she stated softly, the girls nodding, scurrying off to get what was needed for it and Karliah let out a shaky breath, finally alone with her thoughts. She moved up her nightgown to the dagger strapped to her calf, taking it out and she made sure no one was in the room when she moved to the middle of the bed and pulled up her nightgown all the way to her waist, cutting the inside of her thigh, just enough for a few drops to spill onto the sheets. She quickly wiped off and hid the knife behind the table next to the bed, up against the wall on her side of the bed, the left side, quickly moving to sit as she had been before they left, just in time for them to walk in with the necessary things to prepare the bath and Karliah closed her eyes, sighing heavily.

They say when a door closes, another opens… but right now she felt herself in a cell with no doors but the one that was just shut in her face, sealing her in while sealing her fate as well.

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Her eyes were trained on the boat as it was pushed out further to sea until the oars could be properly used, her heart bleeding for the poor princess. She was good, kind and innocent, and it had Karliah worrying for her as she stood next to Sandor. But Dorne, despite their hatred for the Lannisters, were a safe place to be. They didn’t hurt little girls, never had, and with Stannis getting ready to lay siege to King’s Landing, it wasn’t safe for her here. Hells, anywhere but King’s Landing was safer. The thought had her eyes moving to Sansa as she stood by Joffrey, her heart aching and she yearned to stand next to her beloved niece. Yet she remained at Sandor’s side, her heart racing as she dared to look up at him. He’d been so… kind… he hadn’t laid a single hand on her, not even in public, he hadn’t ‘broken her in’, he hadn’t even spoken to her or looked at her… Sandor wasn’t a man big on public displays of affection, she guessed that from the second she laid eyes on him and watched how he held himself, but a part of her was thankful that he was as distant as he was when they were alone as he was in public. They didn’t eat together, the only time they saw each other was passing by or at times such as these, where their presence was required and expected. They shared a large bed yet none of them ever came across the middle, he was always gone before she woke up, his side of the bed messy after his slumber, his armour and weapons gone.

As Sansa spoke briefly with Joffrey, Joffrey left, walking past Sandor and up the steps. “Come, dog” he ordered and for some reason, Karliah felt a hint of anger at how he spoke to Sandor. Sandor watched him walk up the steps, waiting until Ser Meryn had walked up, moving to leave when Karliah grabbed his hand out of instinct and he turned to her. It was the first time they’d even touched since he pecked her on the cheek at Baelor’s Sept and unlaced her dress for her so she didn’t have to struggle with that and now that she touched him, even though his hand was armoured and gloved, he hated it when she let go and looked ahead, averting her eyes from him and letting go of him. He could see from the way her chest rose and fell that she was breathing heavily, her jaw clenched and tense and he loathed himself for turning around to follow the king.

Once he was gone, Karliah closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath, one of her hands pressing against her stomach as she felt faint. Why would she do that? Why would she care? Why? Why did she do that? She moved her gaze to Sansa as she approached, Karliah forcing a smile at her, moving her hand to her upper arm, gently rubbing it in silent comfort. “Aunt?”

“I’m alright. I am, I promise, I’m just feeling a little faint, this new dress is-... tight” she admitted and it wasn’t a complete lie, it wasn’t quite the right measurements around the waist and stomach, perhaps the tailor thought she ought to lose weight, a notion that almost made her scoff, as though she didn’t have bigger things to worry about than her weight. “Come” she urged, urging Sansa to walk in front of her and up the steps, her eyes moving to Tyrion who gave her a sad look and she gave a brief nod, a subtle thanks for his sympathy at her ‘predicament’. As she walked with Sansa through the city, an uneasy feeling began to grow in her as she listened to the people, her heart starting to race and she moved a little closer to Sansa, looping her arm with hers and when Sansa looked at her, Karliah gave her soft glance filled with worry, which snapped Sansa back to reality, this time actually listening to what the people was shouting, her own heart starting to race as Tyrion ordered the prince Tommen to be taken back to the Red Keep immediately. Karliah looked over her shoulder at Tyrion who looked at her with worry. He opened his mouth, no doubt intending the same order for Sansa and Karliah, when the people threw actual shit at Joffrey, Karliah’s eyes wide and had it not been because this was the start of something dangerous, she would have laughed. Loudly. But she didn’t, instead holding Sansa close to her side. “Go. GO” Karliah hissed, urging Sansa in front of her with her handmaidens, making sure they’d reach the keep first, keeping them in her gaze until a man reached for her from the crowd, grabbing her by her arm and she let out a scream as the man’s hands began to desperately tug at her clothes.

She wasn’t even sure what she had screamed, but she knows she screamed a name as she kicked the man in between his legs and when he doubled over, his face met her knee, wrestling herself loose from the others that had tried to grab at her as well and she stumbled forward, right into an armoured chest and she didn’t even get to see who it was before she was thrown over a should, her hands covering her head desperately as a passerby tried to grab her hair, tugging it loose from the braids and all she saw after a grunt and movement from whoever was carrying her was the man dead on the ground, a hole in his neck from what could easily have been a dagger.

Suddenly she was put down on a crate inside a building, her eyes wide, tears filling her eyes as she couldn’t catch her breath, her dress too tight and her vision began to blur with even more tears. As she heard a ripping of fabric she could suddenly finally breathe, taking a deep breath, lifting her head to look up at her rescuer, her eyes wide when she saw who it was. He was kneeling in front of her, his hands grabbing her shoulders as he looked her over for injuries. She’d without a doubt have a bruise on her arm from where she had been grabbed, but he reckoned the man that had grabbed her had it far worse, on account of the kick in the balls and knee to his face. Her breathing was still erratic, adrenaline pumping through her, it had been so long since she felt that kind of fear, the kind where you know you might get killed, she’d seen them tear off the Septon’s arm, the same man who’d wed her to the man in front of her now. Without thinking she lifted a shaking hand, cupping his burnt cheek in her hand and at first he flinched at the touch, until he relished in it, the gentle touch of it and she looked around to get her bearings, only to realise something. “Sansa?? SANSA?!” she called, standing up, ready to march outside again when Sandor stopped her, making her look up at him “let me go! Sansa-”

“I’ll find her. Stay here” he ordered in a growl, forcefully making her sit back down on the crate before braving outside again to find her niece. She glanced at her shaking hands before closing them into tight fists, shutting her eyes as she tried to make them stop shaking, only to jump as someone touched her shoulder, opening her eyes to see Tyrion. “Lady Karliah, where’s your niece? Where’s Sansa?-”

“I lost sight of her in the crowd, I couldn’t see her, I don’t know where she is, S-Sandor went out to find her but I-I don’t-”

“Shh, shh, it’s alright” Tyrion soothed as Karliah was on the verge of sobbing, his hand soothingly rubbing her shoulder, taking in her ripped dress “did they do that?”

“N-No, S-S-Sandor… I-I couldn’t breathe-”

“Smart thinking” Tyrion stated with a forced smile, trying to calm the woman down as she fretted over her niece, clearly being driven mad by simply just-... sitting there, while her niece was missing. As the doors opened and Sandor walked in with Sansa over his shoulder, Karliah sprung up as Sansa was put down, instantly running over to her, hugging her tightly, smoothing down her ruffled hair, tugged loose from the stylish way it’d been done, holding her as Sansa sobbed into her shoulder, clinging to her “shh, you’re okay, you’re okay” Karliah soothed, trying not to sob herself in relief, her knees feeling weak as her lower lip trembled “shh, I’m here” she whispered, parting from Sansa to look at the cut on her lip, her torn clothes, and her anger only built, her blood boiling with rage. Karliah gently led her to a crate, sitting her down on it, her handmaidens swarming around her as Tyrion asked if she’d been hurt, Sansa gently shaking her head and Karliah looked up at Sandor, covered in blood, and she wanted to kiss him, a thought that was far too fleeting at the moment to truly stick out. “Thank you… thank you, husband” she whispered, it was the first time she’d used that title in any other way than sarcastic or as venom on her tongue, Sandor studying her before nodding and she leaned up, kissing his scarred cheek, her lips lingering, as though she wanted to stay but she leaned back down, blood covering her lips, just small specks, but she didn’t seem to even notice. “Thank you” she whispered again before turning to Sansa, kneeling down and cupping her bruised face gently. “Come, get her to her chambers” she ordered the handmaidens, the girls nodding before helping Sansa up, Karliah hurrying off with her, though she did hear one thing…

“Well done, Clegane.”

“I didn’t do it for you” Sandor mumbled and Karliah looked back, seeing him looking at her and she gave him a nod before hurrying back to Sansa to escort her to her room.

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It was late when Sandor finally returned to the chambers, Karliah instantly standing up from sitting at the foot of their bed, her nerves wrecked as she approached Sandor, taking in his still bloodied state. She swallowed the lump in her throat before walking over to a chair, pulling it out and gesturing to it. “Please” she asked softly, Sandor eyeing her with suspicion before scoffing “finally gonna slit my throat, are you?” he asked bluntly and it actually managed to make her smile, a scoff leaving her lips as she lifted up her dress just enough to show him her calves “I’m unarmed” she admitted, Sandor stepping closer, still with suspicion. “Humour me. Please?” she asked, less nervous than before and he sighed deeply, reluctantly walking over and sitting down in the chair, his armour rattling. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but he didn’t expect her to gently take his sheathed sword from his gloved and armoured hand, placing it against the nearby table before going back to him, helping off the rest of his weapons before placing them near his sword. He watched her movements carefully and with slight suspicion as she walked to his side, her fingers still visible to him as she began to remove his armour and he had no clue why his heart was racing the way it did. “What are you doing, dove?” he asked as he looked up at her, his movements slightly stiff because of the metal he wore and she studied him closely before resuming her quest to remove his armour “helping you with your armour.”

“I can do that mysel-”

“I know you can. I want to” she admitted quietly, Sandor studying her closely before looking ahead again, Karliah nodding to herself. She removed the armour with surprising skill, it made him wonder how the hell she knew so much about removing men’s armour. He’d heard her drunk words to Tyrion at their wedding feast but he’d thought it was just that, drunk words. “You know how to remove armour” he noted as she was nearly done, a smirk tugging at her lips as she kneeled in front of him, helping him out of his armoured boots as one of the last things. “I know how to put it on, as well” she admitted hesitantly, daring to look up at him before looking back down as she worked and he could swear that he saw her blush. “I-... may have donned armour… once or twice… and they don’t make armour for women, so men’s armour was the only choice I had” she admitted quietly, almost as though she was actually worried about what he might think, as though his opinion of her mattered to her. “When?”

“Robert’s Rebellion-”

“You were part of Robert’s fucking rebellion?” he asked with a laugh and she looked up at him, forcefully giving a harsh tug on the boot which finally pulled it off of his foot as she glared lightly at him “my sister was kidnapped, of course I joined the damn rebellion.”

“By doing what? Singing until your enemies gave up and decided to kill themselves??” he asked almost in a demeaning way as he laughed again and she scoffed at him “if only it had been that easy. I should have thought of that, I’m sure it would have worked” she muttered sarcastically before beginning on the other boot. “No, my sister taught me to fight, so I donned a man’s armour and picked up a bastard sword” she stated plainly, looking up at him as she tugged off the last boot, staring right into his eyes “I was at the trident” she admitted, finally looking away and he frowned a little at her “and you didn’t die?”

“Obviously” she muttered and rolled her eyes, standing back up after putting away his boots. Sandor stood up to get out of the chair but she pushed him down by his shoulders, walking over to a table with a bowl of water, gently wetting a rag before walking back to him, moving to stand in front of him, so close… he could lean forward and bury his face in her stomach, he could nuzzle against her and breathe in her scent… Which was a ridiculous thought, of course. Of course he wouldn’t do that, he wasn’t some piss-ant soft, stupid, love-sick lord.

She gently grabbed his chin, which snapped him out of his daydreaming (which he’d never admit that it actually was), and turned his face up to look up at her, the rag soaked by warm water, not cold water, and she gently wiped the blood from his face. “Thank you, for saving my niece’s life” she stated softly as she wiped the blood from his face with gentle hands, his own hand reaching up to take her wrist and stop her movements. His hand was so big that he could wrap it entirely around her wrist without even squeezing. She kept her eyes on his and he shifted a little under her heavy gaze, his hand finally letting her go and she resumed her gentle care for him. “And yours” he grumbled and she actually laughed. It was brief and quiet, but he’d made her laugh and smile, a hint of shock taking over his features but she didn’t seem to notice, or if she did she just didn’t comment on it. “Yes, that as well. Though I’ll admit that I’m more thankful for what you did for my niece… my brother’s children, they’re-... my life” she admitted with a soft smile and he realised something. She was opening up to him… she was opening herself up, talking to him, caring for him with gentle and featherlight hands… wasn’t he supposed to, like… open up as well? Like you open up to people who open up to you, right? That’s how it works?

“My brother-”

“Is an arse” she finished, giving him a brief smirk before using a dry area of the rag to gently wipe away the water from his face. “But yes, thank you for saving my life as well. And for many other things.”

“What other things?” he asked before he could stop himself and she blinked at him, surprised at his lack of knowledge of these ‘other things’. “On our wedding night, you unlaced my gown, then went to sleep… I thought-”

“You thought I was going to rape you” he muttered with slight anger, looking away from her as she remained quiet. “Yes” she admitted, Sandor looking back at her and she sighed, moving away to put the rag back in the bowl where she hesitated. “Many men would have… I never wanted to marry… marriage has-... never been for me… every man who has tried has-... run off screaming when they’d see how I behave… I won’t apologise for being myself, but-... it did make me wonder… I gave up on the idea… but I suppose, under these circumstances… I’m thankful that it’s been you” she admitted, turning her head to look at him, finding him already having turned to look at her as well. “You’ve never touched me. You’ve never laid a hand on me… You’ve been kind to me, you’ve saved my life, saved my niece’s life, been kind to her… I’d say you’re the perfect husband” she stated with a genuine smile before walking back to stand in front of him, smirking a little at him “you may stand now, Sandor Clegane” she stated with amusement and he scoffed but stood up, about to turn away when she grabbed his hand, this time it was her skin against his and she smiled faintly as she looked down at his hand, a small frown forming on her face yet that smile never left, that smile that made his chest tighten and knees feel unsteady. “You’re so-... warm” she muttered, mostly to herself, and he realised that aside from at their wedding ceremony, they’d never actually touched skin to skin. “I remember at our ceremony but-... I knew my hands were cold back then” she admitted nervously, looking up at him with a soft smile “thank you, for being the perfect husband” she stated softly, leaning up and kissing his scarred cheek before walking over to the bed, getting under the covers after blowing out the candle and he stayed put, his chest tight, his heart racing, his hand tingling and he could feel her lingering touch… What in Seven Hells was this?

[fandomficsnstuff]

Wolves And Hounds-8

(Warnings: Angst, angst and more angst)

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Karliah had just arrived with Sansa, her hand in hers in silent comfort until she was ripped from her grasp, Sansa trying to reach for her, as did Karliah, but a guard held her back, stopping her from following her niece, forcing her to watch as her niece was shoved to the floor by one of the guards and the only reason why Karliah didn’t spring forward was because that damn bolt on that damn crossbow was faster than she was, her heart racing as she looked from the boy king to her niece who was sobbing on the floor. “You’re here to answer for your brother’s latest treasons.”

“Your Grace, please-”

“I wasn’t talking to you” Joffrey snapped at Karliah, the guard still holding her back, Joffrey slowly moving the crossbow to aim at her and her heart calmed down now that her niece was out of immediate danger. “Although… he is your nephew…” Joffrey wondered aloud, scoffing with a smirk when he noticed how Karliah was almost ready to die, moving the crossbow back at Sansa and Karliah strained against her guard a little, glaring at the boy king who seemed to revel in the torment he was inflicting on both of them. 

“Your Grace, whatever my traitor brother has done, I had no part, you know that. I beg you-”

“Ser Lancel, tell her and her aunt of this outrage.”

“Using some vile sorcery your brother,” he turned to Karliah in the crowd “your nephew,” he turned back to Sansa “fell on stafford Lannister with an army of wolves! Thousands of good men were butchered” Lancel announced, the crowd murmuring and Karliah wanted to scoff. Sorcery?? An army of wolves?! What had these people been eating?!

“After the slaughter, the Northmen feasted on the flesh of the fallen” Lancel added even louder, Karliah scoffing with outrage, a smile on her lips in disbelief. They were not the Thenn from beyond the Wall!

“Killing you would send your brother a message…” Joffrey wondered aloud, Karliah struggled a little more against the guard at his words, until she saw that Joffrey lowered his crossbow “but my mother insist on keeping you alive, and your aunt… stand” he ordered as he put down the crossbow and sat on the Iron Throne, Karliah looking towards her niece who looked at her with a tear stricken face, standing when Karliah gave a subtle nod, silently and wordlessly telling her to obey the order. “So, we’ll have to send your brother a message another way” Joffrey stated casually “Meryn” Joffrey called and Karliah frowned in slight confusion, her heart beginning to race again as she followed Meryn’s movements carefully. “Leave her face, I like her pretty” Joffrey ordered and Karliah flinched as Sansa was punched in the gut, leaving her bending over in shock, holding her stomach and Karliah felt her blood boil, even more so when he unsheathed his sword and smacked it against her legs, making her stumble to the ground in pain. “Meryn, my Lady is overdressed. Unburden her” Joffrey ordered as he stood up and walked closer to get a better view of the torment and abuse, and Meryn ripped the back of Sansa’s dress. “If you want Robb Stark to hear us, we’re going to have to speak LOUDER!!” Meryn was lifting his sword to strike at her again when Karliah had finally wrestled herself free, sprinting forward and draping herself over her niece to take the blow, arms wrapped around her niece to take the hit for her, to shelter her from the pain. As the doors opened, both Sansa and Karliah, and everyone else, turned, Karliah cradling the back of Sansa’s head against her chest, still allowing her to move it, of course, but ready to pull her down and cover her like a shield again at any moment.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Tyrion asked just as he entered, hurrying towards the scene in front of him, taking note of the utter horror on Sansa’s face, her red and puffy eyes, cheeks wet from tears, Karliah between her and Ser Meryn, a look of finality in her eyes… as though she’d accept even death if it was to shield her niece. “What kind of knight beats a helpless girl?!” Tyrion asked with spite as he reached Meryn, Sansa looking away from the Lannister to bury her face in Karliah’s arm, Karliah more than happy to oblige and hold her close. “The kind who serves his King, Imp!-”

“Careful, now, we don’t want to get blood all over your pretty white cloak” Bronn stated casually and Karliah looked up at him, his eyes meeting hers for a brief second before Karliah looked back at Sansa, continuing to cradle and shelter her. “Someone get the girl something to cover herself with!” Tyrion ordered and Karliah was ready to damn near strip until she was as bare as the day she was born to give Sansa something when she heard a slight tear of fabric, looking up at Sandor as he approached, having ripped off his white cloak, walking over and draping it over Sansa, Karliah helping getting it to cover her niece as much as possible, her eyes meeting Sandor’s, her mind taking her back to the empty corridor where she cried, after Jory’s death… she remembered his kind touch, although it was a bit stiff. The cold of his armour on her burning cheek, his arm around her… her heart raced and she quickly looked away and back to her niece, going back to pulling the cloak over Sansa’s shoulders and in front of her, wrapping it around her tightly, completely ignoring the current conversation between the Hand and the King, her focus solely on her niece, cupping her cheek and making her look away from Joffrey, her thumb gently wiping away a falling tear, shushing her. Her focus returned to the world around the two when Tyrion approached, a hand outstretched to show he meant her no harm as he circled to be at Sansa’s side, yet still in front of her. He carefully offered her a hand and Sansa turned to Karliah, Karliah studying Tyrion, the genuine and sincere look in his eyes, and she looked back at Sansa, giving her an encouraging nod and Sansa took his hand, letting him help her stand up. Karliah followed, about to walk away with Sansa when Joffrey spoke up “You! Lady Stark! You’re staying, I’m not finished with you!” he ordered and Sansa turned to look at Karliah with horror, Karliah taking a subtle yet deep breath before looking at Sansa, giving her an encouraging nod to walk off with Tyrion, which she did after hesitating.

Karliah watched them leave, only turning back around to face Joffrey when she was out of the courtroom and she had to admit, she enjoyed the way Joffrey was seething, his breathing heavy as his face was almost red with anger. He grabbed his crossbow, aiming it at Karliah but she just stood there, she even took a small step closer to him, as though encouraging him. Encouraging him to try and take the shot. To try and kill her. To try and invoke the wrath of all of house Stark and the North. Ned Stark may have been dead, Arya Stark may have been missing, but Karliah Stark was still very much alive and like the Dornish, she was unbowed, unbent and unbroken. He smirked after a while, lowering the crossbow as a wicked idea popped into his head. “What am I to do with you?” he asked himself aloud, Karliah biting back a snarky remark, merely remaining silent as she stared at him, unaware that Sandor was staring at her, but Joffrey seemed to notice. “Hound, I believe Lady Stark is overdressed. Unburden her” he ordered, Sandor’s jaw clenching and he turned to look at his king, his heart racing for some stupid reason that he hated and he looked back at Karliah, seeing her give him a subtle nod. Apparently it wasn’t subtle enough, because Joffrey noticed as Sandor stepped closer, knife ready to cut her clothes from her body. “Stop… I have a far better punishment in mind” he muttered with a wicked smirk, Karliah frowning at him “Stark doesn’t quite seem to suit you, Lady Karliah… I think… Clegane would suit you much better” he stated and Karliah’s jaw clenched, Joffrey smirking, turning to Ser Meryn “I believe Ser Gregor remains unmarried?” he asked and Meryn smirked “he is, Your Grace. As is Lady Stark” he stated loudly and Karliah felt her blood boil, stepping forward, Sandor stopping her with what looked to be a threat, but his eyes were surprisingly soft… “I will not marry Gregor Clegane” she stated loudly, Joffrey raising his crossbow at her “are you defying your King?” he asked calmly, as though it was all boring to him and Karliah clenched her jaw tightly, her breath heavy and her eyes flickered to Sandor, to the burns on his face before looking back at Joffrey. “Ser Meryn, find Grandmaester Pycelle and tell him to send word to Ser Gregor Clegane, I believe he has a wedding to attend to” Joffrey stated casually, lowering the crossbow with a smirk and Karliah was shaking with rage by now. “I will not marry Gregor Clegane.”

“He’s a knight, you should be honoured-”

“I will not marry Gregor Clegane!!” she shouted loudly and defiantly, Sandor gripping her arm tightly, glaring at her in warning and she glared right back at him. “Let. Go” she ordered, Sandor just tightening his grip on her, making her more infuriated “I will not become the third wife that your brother has murdered” she growled, Sandor tightening his grip on her arm again until she hissed in obvious pain “you will do as the King commands” he growled and she was ready to punch him when Joffrey scoffed loudly with amusement. “Perhaps there is a better match” he muttered aloud and both of them looked at the boy king, Karliah with utter defiance and anger and Sandor with hidden disgust. Why couldn’t she just-... not talk?? Not rebel for five minutes? Just five fucking minutes?

“Hound, you’ve been loyal to me, obeying every order I have given you. I believe you’re due a reward, a bone” he stated with amusement and Karliah’s eyes widened “I will not be married off like a whore!” she shouted loudly, Joffrey seeming to take extraordinary delight in this “I must congratulate you, Lady Stark, never before has a Kingsgarde been allowed to marry” he stated loudly and people began to murmur, Sandor studying Karliah and her outrage before turning his head towards the king “Your Grace-”

“No need to thank me, Hound. A woman as pretty as her…” he trailed off and Karliah felt nauseous at the way he eyed her, her body “she’ll make a fine wife, once you’ve broken her in, of course” he stated casually and Karliah almost leaped at him, probably intending to tear out his throat with her teeth, but Sandor once again caught her, dragging her out of the throne room while Joffrey watched with utter amusement and delight as Karliah continued to struggle against Sandor.

He dragged her all the way to her quarters, only letting go once they were inside and instantly she jumped him, slapping him and hitting his chest with an unmatched fury. “I WILL NOT BE SOLD LIKE A COMMON WHORE!” she screamed and punched and tried to kick him until eventually he grabbed her by her shoulders, holding her still as she glared up at him “quiet, woman! Don’t you get it?! Neither of us have a choice-”

“Oh, how terrible it must be for you, Hound, to have a woman be your personal slave for whenever and whatever you want!!”

“What are you-”

“You’re a man, Sandor!! You can walk about and do whatever you want, whore whoever you want! I’m a woman!! Don’t you understand that?! I’m meant for nothing but breeding!!” she screamed and pushed away from him, getting out of his grip, glaring daggers at him. “I will NOT marry you. I WILL NOT MARRY ANY MAN!!” she shouted loudly “I AM NOT A WHORE! I AM NOT A BROODMARE!” she shouted, her chest heaving up and down with rage and anger and Sandor scoffed “you will do as you’re told, woman. You don’t have a choice-”

“Finally. You’re finally getting what it’s like to be a woman” she hissed before shaking her head “I will not marry you, Sandor Clegane!”

“And what do you think he’ll do to that niece of yours if you refuse?!” he hissed and this seemed to make her stop. Stop everything. Stop blinking, stop moving, stop talking, stop breathing… And she hated how right he was. What wouldn’t he do to Sansa if she refused this order?

“Seven Hells!” Karliah cussed as she turned her back to him, face in her hands, tears burning her eyes as she allowed herself a moment of utter anguish before forcing a cold facade, looking up at him and he was shocked to see the actual tears in her eyes, a look of anger and spite, disgust, the realisation making his forgotten heart clench… she was disgusted by him… of course she was, why would he ever think otherwise? Of course she found him disgusting... Of course, how could he be so stupid as to think otherwise? To hope for anything else? Even if he wasn’t even aware that he was thinking it.

“I doubt I’ll have a moment alone to myself ever again, so I ask to be alone now… please” she asked quietly, keeping her gaze on the floor as the door opened and then closed. The second it was closed, she felt her legs give out under her, a chair luckily catching her instead of the floor, her stomach turning and she felt as though she had fallen ill, except no fever could take her from this nightmare.

[fandomficsnstuff]

Wolves And Hounds-7

(Warnings: Slight angst but also some fluff:3)

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Karliah flinched as the Hound’s shield met with his opponent’s mace, the mace quickly being thrown from the man’s hand and with a bash of the Hound’s shield, then man fell over the edge and into the small courtyard below, Karliah watching Sansa flinch a little at the sudden sound of metal and flesh crashing against stone below. “Don’t let him see you flinch” Karliah whispered soothingly while the new ‘king’ moved over the edge to see the corpse better as he praised his ‘dog’.

“Did you like that?” he asked Sansa and Karliah had to look ahead to not glare at him, her eyes finding Sandor’s and she felt a hint of comfort. “It was well struck, Your Grace.”

“I already said it was well struck.”

“Yes, Your Grace…”

“What I think my niece meant to say is that it was a good demonstration of what a man is capable of in a fight” Karliah smoothly swooped in, Sansa smiling weakly at Joffrey “it was, Your Grace. Forgive me, I’m not as attuned with battle as you are” she stated softly and it seemed to please the boy king somewhat as he smirked and looked ahead again. “Who’s next?”

“Lothor Brune, free rider in the service of Lord Baelish!” a few people clapped as the man stepped forward.

“Ser Dontos of the Red House of Hollard!” there was a long silence, followed by the man repeating the announcement, everyone expecting the man to step forward from the side, as gestured, but instead he walked down the steps nearby, dropping his helmet, chasing after it as he spewed out apology after apology, trying to put on his helmet, at first putting it on the wrong way before putting it on the right way. “Are you drunk?”

“No. No, Your Grace. I-I had two cups of wine.”

“Two cups? That’s not much at all. Please, have another cup” Joffrey gestured to the wine ready to be poured for himself and those sitting with him under the canopy, Karliah downing her goblet of wine in preparation for whatever torment the boy king had in mind for the poor guy, her eyes moving to the Hound as he arrived back by the other Kingsgarde and he glanced at her before looking ahead, making Karliah look back at Sansa as the poor man from before was dragged off, a horn forced down his mouth as a barrel of wine was lifted to pour into the horn, forcing it down the man’s throat. “You can’t!” Sansa exclaimed before Karliah could stop her, Karliah heart racing as Joffrey turned to her “did you just say I ‘can’t’??” he asked with bubbling anger and Karliah’s heart raced “I-I only meant-”

“It’s bad luck to kill a man on his name-day, Your Grace” Karliah jumped in smoothly, Sansa nodding with a smile in agreement as Joffrey scoffed “what kind of peasant superstition-”

“It’s true, Your Grace. What a man sows on his name-day, he reaps all year” Sandor jumped in casually and after a second or two, Joffrey flicked his hand dismissively, his garde letting the man go and he fell over, vomiting up the wine, Karliah’s heart bleeding for him. But a bleeding heart did nothing for the man, nor her niece. What would it do? Save him from Joffrey’s wrath? Stand before him as a shield? No. Her bleeding heart could do neither, and so she stayed silent, forcing a neutral expression on her face, a hidden pride bubbling in her chest as Sansa managed to trick Joffrey into making the poor man a fool, instead of killing him on the morrow, Joffrey proudly announcing the man’s new status as the man thanked both the boy king and Sansa before being dragged away. Sansa looked over her shoulder at her aunt, only to find Karliah smirking at her, giving her a subtle nod of her head. Karliah was proud of her.

She was finally playing the game. The game she had been thrust into when her father’s head was taken, when she had been forced to stare upon it, her lip bleeding from Ser Meryn’s iron gauntlet. The boy king didn’t even have the guts to lift the hand himself.

‘The man who passes the sentence must swing the sword.’ Her brother used to say. Men and their swords. The thought almost made her scoff. Why did men have to make everything about swords?

“Beloved nephew!!”

Karliah almost smiled at the sound of that voice. Finally, a solace to the hell that was the king’s presence. Tyrion was a good man, the best Lannister she had ever met, in fact. He was kind, clever and he understood human nature. He got it. He understood the game.

“We looked for you on the battlefield. You were nowhere to be found.”

“I’ve been here, ruling the Kingdoms…” Joffrey defended as Tyrion walked over “and what a fine job you’ve done” Tyrion praised, yet there was a hint of sarcasm, of slight mockery, but what was the king to do about that? Behead his uncle? Karliah would love to see him try. As Tyrion turned to look at his niece, he gasped softly, his cup of wine almost forgotten in his hand “look at you!” he leaned closer and gently kissed her cheek “more beautiful than ever!” he praised before turning to his youngest nephew “and you! You’re going to be bigger than the Hound! But much better looking” Tyrion joked as he took a sip of his wine, chuckling lightly before gesturing to Sandor “this one doesn’t like me” he informed a man he had arrived with, the man glancing at Sandor for barely a second “can’t imagine why” he stated and there was a hint of a joking tone to his words, making Karliah smirk a little. “We heard you were dead” Joffrey spoke, Mycella speaking up directly after “I’m glad you’re not dead” she admitted sweetly, Tyrion taking another sip of his wine “me too, dear. Death is so boring. Especially now with so much excitement in the world” he stated as he walked a little, looking around before his gaze fell on Karliah and Sansa, his joyful demeanour gone. “My Lady, My Lady,” he greeted each of them with a soft bow of his head “I’m sorry for your loss, both of you” he stated softly but before either of them could speak up, Joffrey beat them to it. “Their loss? Ned Stark was a confessed traitor!”

“And their father and brother respectively. Surely having recently lost your own beloved father, you can sympathise” Tyrion interjected quickly, Joffrey looking at Sansa and Karliah, Sansa looking at Joffrey before looking back at Tyrion. “My father was a traitor. My mother and brother are traitors, too. I’m loyal to my beloved Joffrey” Sansa stated, a mantra she’d had to repeat over and over again “of course you are” Tyrion muttered with sympathy and Karliah dreaded the day Sansa would bleed, being forced to marry the king. Joffrey next looked at Karliah, who clenched her jaw, biting back her anger as she turned to look at Tyrion “it’s true. My brother confessed his sins and treason. My sister-in-law is a traitor, my nephew is a traitor as well” she spoke the words with thinly veiled disgust, the words like poison on her tongue and she felt as though she was choking, Tyrion nodding ever so slightly “of course, My Lady” he bowed his head ever so slightly, both of them acknowledging the bitter taste the words left on her tongue and he downed his goblet “well, enjoy your name-day, Your Grace. I wish I could stay and celebrate, but there is work to be done” he stated as he put down the goblet, walking past the boy king who stood up and looked at him as he walked away “what work? Why are you here?” he called out, his questions going unanswered, a variety of… different… men walking after Tyrion, as well as the one who seemed to be more like Tyrion, sarcastic, joking, a dagger strapped to his back.

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“Whatever you do, bite your tongue… Do you understand? This is how we survive, for now. We bite our tongues until they bleed and until we are alone” Karliah whispered softly as she sat next to Sansa, both of them having just heard the news that she was to supper with the queen and her two youngest children. “Look at me, Sansa” Karliah whispered softly, the young girl looking up at her, as told, and Karliah cupped her cheek gently “you are a Stark. You are a wolf… wolves prey on stags, but only when they know they can win. We cannot win. Not right now. ‘Winter is coming’ and we have to hold out, just a little while longer, do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

“Yes, aunt Karliah” Sansa spoke meekly and Karliah sighed softly, bringing her into her embrace, hugging her tightly, holding her close “when you were just a babe, I remember holding you for the first time… I’d held Robb, of course. Even Jon. But you… I was horrified” Karliah admitted with a smile, Sansa leaning back to frown up at her “I was horrified I’d drop you… a little winter rose, so small and fragile… I kept thinking ‘what if I drop her?’... ‘What if she starts to cry when she sees me?’... but you never did” Karliah added softly, cupping Sansa’s cheeks in both of her hands, making sure the young girl kept her eyes on Karliah “the only way anything can grow in the North is if they have deep roots, buried in the ground, entangled with the dirt and soil… don’t let them pluck you from the ground. You’re not a weed, you’re a Stark of Winterfell” she whispered, Sansa nodding with tears in her eyes “your father was an honourable man… a man doing everything he could for his family… I have to ask, but do you still want to marry Joffrey?”

“I have to-”

“But do you want to?” Karliah asked, Sansa weakly shaking her head and Karliah nodded “then you won’t. I won’t allow it.”

“But the queen-”

“I won’t allow it” Karliah whispered more sternly, gently stroking her niece’s red hair “I will never allow you to marry that monster… I will find a way, one way or another-”

“Please, no, I can’t lose you, I can’t lose you too-”

“You will not lose me… I promise. I swear it on the Old Gods and the new, I swear on my life. But you will not marry that beast” Karliah whispered softly, Sansa nodded and Karliah sighed softly, hugging her again “go on, get ready for supper… I may not be able to be there with you, but I’ll be here, waiting for your return” Karliah whispered, kissing the top of Sansa’s head before letting go of her, watching her leave to get ready to sup with the queen and Karliah was ready to break everything in her chambers in anger.

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Karliah looked up as she heard footsteps, leaning back in her chair as the man she’d seen on Joffrey’s name-day entered, in the same armour. It seemed as though King’s Landing hadn’t rubbed off on him yet, but there was still time, of course. “My Lady” he greeted with a bow that felt exaggerated, Karliah raising a brow at him before sitting a little straighter in her seat “Brynn, is it?”

“Bronn.”

“Bronn. Why are you here, if I may ask?”

“Thought I’d introduce myself” he stated casually as he walked over, plopping down in the seat across from her, beginning to pick at the grapes that were ready to be eaten, noting that Karliah’s plate was still empty, not a single crumb left on it, evidence of her fasting. She hadn’t eaten this evening. “You skip breakfast too?” he asked casually and Karliah frowned at him “excuse me?”

“‘s not healthy for a Lady-”

“With all due respect, what is healthy for me is none of your concern.”

“True, but it is to Lord Tyrion. He’s worried ‘bout you” he stated casually as he began to eat more of the food on the table, pouring himself a goblet of wine as Karliah stared at him in disbelief. “Worried? Well, you can tell Lord Tyrion that my health is also none of his concern” she stated sharply, Bronn just raising an eyebrow at her before shrugging, standing up to lean over, snatching her plate to use as his own, Karliah’s mouth open in shock. “What are you doing?!”

“What? You weren’t using it” Bronn rationalised and Karliah continued to stare at him in utter shock and disbelief, making him smirk “see somethin’ you like?” he asked cheekily and Karliah’s face grew hot with anger and outrage “I suggest you leave my chambers before I have you forcefully removed” she warned quietly, Bronn studying her before putting down the food on his plate “alright, listen, Lord Tyrion told me to make sure you ate somethin’-”

“So you eat my food instead?”

“So just-... eat somethin’, alright? For both our sakes” he stated with an almost pleading look on his face, Karliah still staring at him in shock before gathering herself “if I eat, will you leave?”

“Maybe” he stated with a smirk and her cheeks burned as she demonstratively grabbed a single grape and ate it, raising a brow at him and he smirked, leaning back in the chair, putting his feet up on the table but as soon as he’d put them up, they were shoved down, a dagger thrust into the table next to his hand as she stood over him. Bronn looked up at her with a hint of shock on his face, as though he truly hadn’t expected her to do that, or that she’d even have a weapon on her. “Leave, or I will cut off your balls and force them down your throat, I’m not in the mood for Lannister games” she warned with anger, Bronn studying her before smirking, slowly standing up which forced her to straighten herself up instead of leaning down, her hand still clutching the dagger firmly as he towered over her. He wasn’t as tall as Sandor, but he was taller than her, her heart racing with confusion at why she even drew that comparison to begin with, she hated him, she hated the Hound. Bronn looked down and placed his hand over hers, making her jerk her hand away only to realise it was intentional so she’d let go of the dagger, and he pulled it out of the table, smirking at it before looking back down at her “a shame to put a hole in such a nice table” he stated calmly and Karliah scoffed “my niece did worse” she mumbled, she hadn’t intended to amuse him, to continue any kind of conversation, and yet she longed for it. She longed for any kind of familiarity, any kind of connection, even if it was a slightly hostile one. “Really? What she’d do? Bump against it while practising her dance?” he joked and Karliah actually laughed “Arya?? Dance?!” she asked through her laughter, unable to stop even as she tried, covering her mouth with her hand as she turned away to try and stop laughing, a brief snort leaving her before she could prevent it. She remembers her mother scolding her as a child, saying it wasn’t attractive for a young girl to snort when she laughed. Though Lyanna had argued that if a man could get her to laugh like that then it wouldn’t matter, so long as Karliah was smiling.

“Didn’t know a Lady could have such a cute laugh” he flirted and she scoffed, finally coming down from her fit, still chuckling ever so slightly “be quiet, it’s not cute” Karliah managed to get out through her giggles, a big grin on her lips as she looked down, her smile slowly fading when she remembered Lyanna. She’d sometimes make fun of her for her laugh, but the second someone else said something, she stood up for her, ready to fight whoever had made Karliah sad in any way, only to make fun of her laugh right after. “C’mon, eat somethin’” Bronn urged and she looked up at him, studying him with a frown before sighing, turning towards the table, picking up a vine of grapes, picking at them slowly, looking up at him as though to ask ‘satisfied?’ and he smirked, taking one of the grapes and throwing it up, catching it with his mouth, making her smirk a little. She looked around, making sure they were alone before doing the same, catching it just like he did and Bronn smirked “you’re not like all the other Lords and Ladies, are you?”

“Well, most of the Lords in this city haven’t ever been to war” she muttered, her cheeks turning red immediately after “not that I have either, war is no place for a woman-”

“I’d love to see you in a fight” he stated plainly and Karliah stared at him in shock. “That’s a… strange sentiment to have. I’ve never met a Lord who approved of a woman fighting.”

“‘m not a Lord” he stated proudly and she smirked, nodding ever so slightly “well, then I will have no problem throwing you on your arse out of my chambers right now, though I suppose getting beaten by a woman would be humiliating for you, it usually is to you men” she stated casually and Bronn smirked at her, about to step closer to her, as though he was going to kiss her, when he felt something sharp against his crotch, looking down to find another knife, right at his balls and she smirked up at him “go” she ordered in a soft voice and Bronn smirked, stepping back, gently taking her hand and kissing the back of it before leaving, the knife he’d pulled out of the table laid upon the wood, ready to be picked up and Karliah watched him leave with a scoff, sitting back down and rolled up her sleeve, subtly hiding the smaller knife she’d held against his crotch before putting the other dagger back where it had been hidden in a pocket in her dress.

[fandomficsnstuff]

Wolves And Hounds-6

(Warnings: Again, this is mostly just angst, sorry!<3)

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“You’ve seen better days, My Lord.”

“Another visit?”

“With a guest…”

Karliah approached hurriedly, kneeling down by Ned and hugging him tightly, letting out a shaky sigh, hearing the chains rattle as he moved his arms to hug her back, as much as he could. “It pains me to see you in chains… What were you thinking?!” she asked with a hiss as she leaned back from him and he was ready to defend himself, as he had with Varys, when he saw the tears in her eyes “what’s happened?”

“‘what’s happened’-... what do you think?!... Seven Hells, Ned…” she muttered with a sigh before looking up at Varys and then back at Ned “Sansa came to court today… pleading for mercy… Ned, just admit that Joffrey is the king and this can all be over, please-”

“He’s not-”

“He’s Robert’s son!”

“He’s a bastard” Ned admitted hesitantly and Karliah frowned at him through the darkness, trying to find any hint of a lie in the small flicker of light that the torch Varys carried allowed. “What-... what are you-”

“The Queen’s children… they’re bastards… born of incest, between the Queen and her twin brother” Ned admitted and Karliah’s eyes widened a little, letting out a shaky sigh as she looked to the side, thinking things over. Finally, she looked back at him, the tears still in her eyes “you will admit that Joffrey is the true king… if not for your own life, then for your daughter’s! We can’t find Arya and I’m not allowed outside of the Keep to look for her! We have no more Stark soldiers with us, Ned… We have no one that we can trust!... No offense intended, Lord Varys…”

“Oh, none taken, My Lady, in fact I think it clever to not trust anyone” he complimented and she gave him a weak nod before looking back at her brother “swallow your pride, Ned, and live to hold your daughter one more time…” Karliah pleaded before sighing, getting up and looking at Varys “thank you, Lord Varys, I won’t forget this, I promise…”

“I serve the Realm, My Lady, and your brother was a good hand for the Realm” it was all he said and she nodded, looking back at Ned before nodding to herself and leaving the dungeons, wiping the tears from her eyes before they could spill over and stain her cheeks, she wouldn’t have Sansa seeing her cry, not now, not now of all times.

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Karliah’s heart was in her throat as she was forced to stand away from Sansa, near the Hound and that foul leech of a Grand Maester, Pycelle. She would hang him from his guts if only she had the chance. As Ned was forced, limping and tied, up the few steps, he looked up, seeing Karliah right in front of him, her nails red from biting nervously and he… smiled… he smiled at the sight as it reminded him of how she used to bite her nails when she was but a little girl, she had only been fourteen when she had disguised herself and sneaked off to battle when Robert began his rebellion. He hadn’t seen her bite her nails since. Until now. He could see how desperate she was to step forward, how her jaw clenched, how the fire in her eyes swirled, nearly out of control had it not been for Sansa and him, he wondered if she knew about Arya. he couldn’t tell he, unlike Yoren whom he had passed by in close quarters, Karliah was simply standing too far away, and next to the new king’s personal pet dog. The people continued to call him traitor and she wanted nothing more than to shout at them how wrong they were, shout what Ned had told her in the Black Cells in the darkness, with only Varys as a witness. The thought made her look at the eunuch, his eyes finding hers and she saw… grief? Regret? Remorse? Sympathy?

She was snapped out of her trance as Ned spoke and a rock hit his face, Karliah nearly jumping forwards if it hadn’t been for the armored arm that wrapped around her waist, holding her back as Ned stumbled to stand where he had been before, Karliah’s eyes filled with tears and she hadn’t noticed that Sandor hadn’t even let go of her.

“Ser Ilyn… bring me his head!”

“NO!” Karliah once again tried to jump forward, kicking and shouting, her legs flailing in the air as Sandor just held her back. “Quiet.. Quiet! Do you really want to join your brother so badly?!” Sandor hissed and Karliah finally got free, turning around to face him with a spiteful look on her face, until she noticed her niece out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes widened as Sansa’s eyes closed and her body went limp, causing her to fall to the ground and Karliah was by her side faster than one could blink, gently picking her head up, gently patting her cheek to try and wake her up “Sansa? Sansa??...” Karliah whispered softly, leaning down, letting out a sigh of relief when she heard a heartbeat. Karliah turned her head just in time to see her brother’s headless corpse be pulled aside and that was all that was needed. The tears finally began to run down her cheeks, her heart racing and it took everything in her to not look up at the new king with spite, instead focusing on trying to wake up her niece.

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Karliah tried not to wince as the bard was held in place, his tongue about to be cut out by the same man who took Ned’s head and she felt her heart stop when Joffrey approached Sansa, Karliah’s hand gently placing itself on Sansa’s shoulder as Joffrey walked up the steps. “You look quite nice” he said in a cheery tone, Sansa looking over her shoulder at Karliah who clenched her jaw, hesitating before giving a subtle nod to her, Sansa looking back at Joffrey “thank you, My Lord” she muttered, Joffrey not even taking a second before correcting her “‘Your Grace’. I’m king now. Come, I want to show you something” he stated, about to walk past when his eyes turned to Karliah “I have no use of you, Lady Stark, you may remain here or wherever it won’t bother me or my Lady Sansa” he stated casually and Karliah forced a smile and curtseyed “of course, Your Grace” she said in a tight voice, Sansa looking at her with slight horror and Karliah’s heart broke all over again. She mouthed a quick ‘it’s alright’ before being forced to watch her walk off with Joffrey, Karliah’s hands were clutched at her side, not even having noticed that Sandor was still standing next to her “don’t worry-”

“I’ll worry until the day I die, Hound” she muttered with spite, watching her niece leave with the king, Sandor studying her before leaving, walking away and catching up with the boy king before he could notice that he wasn’t there.

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Karliah’s heart burned with utter rage and spite as she held her niece, her jaw clenched as she gently rocked her while she cried in her arms after having told her what Joffrey had wanted to show her. Her father’s head on a spike, next to her Septa’s, promising to mount her brother’s head next to their father’s. “Shh, it’s alright now” Karliah soothed, gently rubbing her shoulder, kissing the top of her head with utter love and adoration, attempting to comfort the girl as much as possible. She wanted nothing more than to mount Joffrey’s head on a spike, have Ned and the Septa’s remains brought back to the North, where he belonged, where they both belonged. Septa Mordane might have only been a septa, but she was a wolf. She was a wolf who protected Karliah’s nieces as though they were her own cubs and for that, she deserved a burial fit of a woman with such courage. “Winter is coming, Sansa…” Karliah promised as she held Sansa a little tighter in her arms, leaning her cheek against the top of her head “and with it, a storm… a storm unlike any other… all we wolves have to do is hide in our dens, staying close together, keeping each other warm…” she added, taking a shaky breath, trying to control her utter rage that was bubbling inside of her, boiling, ready to pour it over and scald anyone who got too close to her family again. “The lions, the stags… all of them will freeze to death in the storm… but the pack… we survive, we wait until the storm is over… until it’s safe to go back outside, and when we do… we’ll hunt the lions. We’ll hunt the stags, we’ll hunt every last one of them that survived the storm” Karliah promised in a whisper, parting from Sansa to look at her, gently cupping her cheek with her hand, her eyes studying the cut on her lip and Sansa spotted the way the corners of her nose tucked up in utter disgust, a look of rage on her features. “I-It’s okay, aunt-”

“No. It’s not” she interrupted, looking up at Sansa with determination “I need you to listen to me… keep your head down, agree with him… he’s a man, he wants to be told how right he is, how mighty he is. I wish you weren’t this young, Sansa… but we have no choice… keep your head down and agree with him, always… this is not your fault… this will never be your fault, any hand he will ever have laid on you will never, ever be your fault. Any man who hits a woman, or has his servants do it for him, is weak… and they will freeze in the storm” she whispered, Sansa nodding weakly “tell no one of this conversation… I will do everything I can to be with you at all times, okay? I will do whatever I can for you” Karliah whispered, Sansa nodding with tears in her eyes. “I’m scared” Sansa admitted and Karliah’s stern look broke, giving way to a few tears in her eyes as she sighed, soothingly rubbing her cheek in a loving manner “I know, pup…” she muttered, mostly to herself, sighing again “I will be here for you, always… they’d have to kill me to tear me from your side and that’s not happening. You’re stronger than you know, Sansa… you are so much stronger than you think… and you’re clever…” Karliah muttered before sighing softly at the sight of her split lip that had begun to bleed again. “It’s bleeding again” she muttered, standing up and kissing the top of her head “wait here, I’ll be back” she whispered before leaving to get a rag, Sansa slowly lifting her hand, her fingers shakingly grazing the wound, blood coating her fingers and she stared at it, her aunt’s words swirling around in her mind… Winter was coming, the lone wolf dies… but the pack survives… who was her pack? Her mother and brother back at Winterfell? Her sister who was probably somewhere, dead in a ditch? Her aunt?... A pack of two lone wolves in the south, far from their den and the rest of their pack… but she wasn’t alone. She wasn’t a lone wolf, not with her aunt here. She wasn’t alone.

[fandomficsnstuff]

Wolves And Hounds-5

(Warnings: Angst, angst and more angst. It’s not a happy chapter, sorry<3)

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Karliah was silent as she was led to the room, walking inside on unsteady feet, especially when she saw him lying there, wrapped up in bandages, sweaty and pale, covered in blood. “Kal” his voice was faint and weak, but she heard him all the same, approaching hesitantly as tears formed in her eyes “Your Grace” she muttered as she sat at his bedside, making him scoff “enough of that” he murmured before wincing at the pain he felt. “Have you had milk of the poppy? You shouldn’t be in pain, Robert-”

“Pain is what reminds us we’re alive, Kal, though it won’t be long before I won’t be” he murmured and she shook her head “don’t say that… please, don’t say tha-”

“The Targaryen girl, you were right. You were right, and I couldn’t see it. Both of you were right… you were the only ones to stand up to me… I’ve asked Ned, if it’s not too late, to let the girl and her babe live” Robert croaked out and she smiled through the tears in her eyes “Lyanna would be proud” she whispered, leaning closer and he gave her a weak smile “you remind me so much of her…” he managed to murmur and she smiled “it makes sense, since we’re family” she joked and Robert laughed that deep, genuine laugh of his until he had to stop because of the pain it caused him to feel in his gut. “I’ve arranged for everything, Ned’s written down everything… I just wanted to say goodbye to his little sister” he murmured and Karliah smiled weakly “you’ve been like a brother to me, Robert” she admitted weakly, Robert giving her a weak smile “I know, which is why I ask that you stay with Ned, help him, the Gods know you’re smarter than both of us” he joked lightly and Karliah laughed briefly, nodding as tears ran down her cheeks, letting out a shaky breath. “Robert, you’re dying…” she trailed off and he scoffed “why would you think that?” he joked but she didn’t laugh, making him frown. “If-... if I could ask a final favor from you… would you give it to me?... All I ask is that you listen as I confess…”

“A dead man can’t pass secrets” he murmured and Karliah hesitantly nodded, making him nod as well and she took a heavy breath, looking down. “There was a man… I-... I loved him, I think… nothing ever happened between us except kisses but-... I knew if anyone got word of it, they wouldn’t believe that’s where it stopped and I-... he was killed, some days ago… by Jaime Lannister… I’ve told no one of what Jory and I had, not even my brother… no one knows and I feel like I’d suffocate if I can’t tell anyone… I loved Jory… at least, I think I did… now that he’s gone, I’m not so sure… I was comforted by someone else, a hug, that’s all it was, but it made me feel less alone…” she admitted, daring to look up at Robert who nodded ever so slightly, looking away as he sighed “I’ve never been one to converse with on the matters of the heart, Karliah” he pointed out and she nodded “I know…” she whispered hesitantly. Robert studied her before sighing “I never got to have a life with Lyanna…” he admitted softly. He’d always been softer with her, more genuine and less joking, more open… he could still be coarse and rough, but when the time called for it, sentimentality came easier to him when it was her.

“I’d burn the Seven Kingdoms down to see her again… I can’t even remember her face, that’s the worst of it… just that you remind me of her” he admitted quietly with utter despair and Karliah sighed, wiping away some of her tears “she had dark brown hair, like me… her eyes were a light gray, almost like steel… she used to braid the top of her hair in a few braids, sometimes four, sometimes two, it reached past her shoulders… She was a little taller than me, her voice was a little lighter than mine… her face wasn’t as long as mine and she had cheekbones that I’ve always been envious of… she had a smile that could just-... light up the sky… she wasn’t particularly involved with the Gods, old or new… she had a scar on her thigh from a sparring match we had, it was the first match I won over her… in return she gave me a scar on the inside of my left ankle” Karliah admitted with teary eyes and a smile, looking down at a smiling Robert “she looked beautiful in blue and gray… it made her eyes stand out even more. She was pale but not in a sickly way… she was used to the cold… I’ve always imagined it was her warm heart that kept her from freezing, no matter how cold the North seemed to get. She loved the blue winter roses, she found them beautiful and enchanting, they were her favorite” Karliah added softly, Robert smiling at her with tears in his eyes “thank you” he whispered weakly, reaching for her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze and she nodded, wiping away her tears with her free hand.

“If there truly is an afterlife… promise me you’ll tell her I miss her?... Tell her I visited the Wall and it was as beautiful as we both thought it’d be… tell her that I’ll never forget the first time I fell off of a horse while trying to shoot a bow, the memory always made her laugh… tell her I love her… that I sometimes feel lost without her… promise me, Robert… promise me you’ll tell her?” Karliah begged, voice wavering, lower lip trembling as Robert squeezed her hand “I will, I promise…”

“Everyone I love appears to be dying around me… my brother Brandon, father, mother, Lyanna, Jory and now you” she whispered quietly, Robert giving her a weak but genuine smile “none of us can live forever…” he stated and she nodded, wiping away her tears before sighing, looking at him with a faint smile “at least you killed the bastard boar” she muttered jokingly and Robert chuckled with amusement, despite the pain it must have caused him “make sure everyone gets a taste of it” he ordered and she chuckled, nodding “I will” she whispered, sighing softly as she leaned down and kissed his sweaty forehead. “Go, I won’t have you watch me die” Robert ordered softly and Karliah nodded, standing up after giving his hand another squeeze, leaving the room as she wiped away her tears.

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Karliah ran as fast as she could down the hallway, her footsteps echoing on the stone as she finally saw them “Sansa! Modena!” she called out, taking in the look of horror on Sansa’s face and Modena said something that urged her to run to her aunt, which she did, quickly. “Modena-”

“Go” she yelled, Karliah sighing before grabbing Sansa and running off with her “I’ll take you to your room, bar it off. I’ll go look for your sister afterwards, do not open your door for anyone you don’t know. Don’t open it for anyone but me, do you understand? Not the Hound, not the guards, not the Queen, not Joffrey, no one but me, do you understand?” she asked quickly, stopping and turning to Sansa who nodded weakly, Karliah putting her hands on Sansa’s shoulders “Sansa, do you understand?!”

“Y-Yes!”

“Good girl, come on” Karliah whispered, kissing Sansa’s head before continuing to run with her. Just as they ran around the corner, near Sansa’s room, Karliah stopped, grabbing Sansa and putting her a little behind her as they both saw the Hound at the other end of the small hallway, Karliah keeping a tight grip on her niece’s arm, shielding her with her body. “Don’t-”

“Step aside-”

“Over my dead body” Karliah hissed, Sansa on the verge of tears “no! Just, stay away from us… I-I’ll tell my father… I’ll tell the Queen!”

“Who do you think sent me?” Sandor asked through a chuckle as he advanced on them, Karliah slowly backing up with Sansa behind her. “Lay a hand on her, and I’ll cut it off.”

“Do you really think you can threaten me, girl-”

“It’s not a threat, it’s a promise, and I’m not some ‘girl’! I’m a Stark of Winterfell, not one of your common whores. Now, if you’re taking my niece, you’re taking me as well because I’d have to be long dead and buried for you to lay a hand on her” Karliah stated defiantly, staring down the Hound, Sansa looking between the two with worry but eventually the Hound merely sidestepped, Karliah releasing a shaky sigh of relief before nodding to herself, looking over her shoulder at Sansa “it’s alright” she whispered, gently leading her to follow Sandor.

As they arrived outside of a door, Karliah was stopped from entering, her eyes wide as she stared at Sandor who blocked her way “if my niece is going through that door, then so am I” she stated defiantly, trying to enter once more when Sandor grabbed her arm to stop her, causing her to back up and rip her arm out of his grip “don’t you dare lay a hand on me!” she snapped, placing Sansa behind her “do that again, and I’ll kill you” she stated calmly yet with a growl. All the fight left her when Sansa stepped out from behind her “i-it’s okay, I-I know the Queen won’t hurt me” she stated sweetly, still horrified, and Karliah sighed softly, cupping her cheek, wanting to call her naive but she didn’t, instead she sighed and nodded “It’s alright, Sansa” Karliah whispered, kissing the top of her head softly “remember our words?” she asked in a whisper and Sansa nodded, making Karliah nod as well “good girl… I’m out here…” she whispered, Sansa being led into the chambers and Karliah turned her eyes to Sandor, glaring daggers at him before looking away “is my brother dead?”

“No, he’s in the cells-”

“The Black Cells?! People have died of thirst there!! Why is he in the cells?!”

“Treason-”

“Against who?! My brother loved King Robert, as did I!”

“King Joffrey” Sandor stated in a hiss and she frowned, at first wondering why he was keeping his voice lower than hers, until she realized. She swallowed the lump in her throat before sighing, shaking her head a little “my brother would never betray Robert’s memory by betraying his son…”

“I’m not here for the politics” Sandor grunted in a bored voice and Karliah scoffed “and you think I am? I will die before I let anything happen to my brother’s children. All of them.”

“Even the bastard?”

“Even the bastard” she replied quickly, yet she looked away from him, her breath a little heavier as she tried to keep face but Sandor knew. He could see it on her. She was lying. Not about loving her nieces and nephews, that much was true, even he knew one couldn’t fake that kind of love, but she was lying about something else…

Before he could say anything further, the door opened and Karliah spun around, seeing a defeated Sansa, her head low and Karliah instantly pulled her into her arms, kissing the top of her head as Sansa hesitantly hugged her back. “The Queen wants to speak with you” Sansa stated in a wavering voice and Karliah frowned, giving Sansa’s shoulder a squeeze as she looked between her niece and the open door, she could see the Queen inside. “Please, allow me to escort my niece back to her quarters, if not, then please, allow her to stay with me…”

“She may wait outside.”

“Your Grace-” Karliah cut herself off when Sansa parted from her “it’s okay…” she muttered, glancing nervously at the Hound and Karliah sighed “wait for me here, do not go with anyone, do you understand? Scream and kick if you have to, manners be damned” she whispered so only Sansa could hear her, the young girl nodding and Karliah nodded, kissing the top of her head before entering the Queen’s quarters, approaching, flinching a little when the door was slammed shut behind her. “Your Grace” Karliah greeted, walking over and sitting down when Cersei gestured for her to do so. “Lady Stark, your brother has been arrested on the charges of treason…”

“So I hear, Your Grace” Karliah kept as flat a tone as possible, Cersei studying her before leaning a little closer “what had your brother told you of his treason?”

“Nothing, Your Grace. It’s why it surprises me to hear that he’s received these charges at all…”

“I see… you must write to your sister-in-law, Catelyn. She should hear the news of her husband’s arrest from you first.”

“Your Grace, I-”

“I’ve had your niece write a letter as well, to her eldest brother, Robb, but yours will be sent to Lady Catelyn. I urge you to tell her to keep the King’s peace. Urge her son to do his duty to the realm and the north and keep the peace.”

“May I ask, please, what happened? My brother committing treason is-... is as unbelievable to me as dragons coming back to life. Please, Your Grace… What are the specific charges?”

“He attempted to seize my son’s throne for himself.”

“While the late King Robert’s corpse was still warm!” Pycelle added with outrage, Karliah’s heart beating rapidly in her chest and she hesitated before sighing, closing her eyes briefly before opening them again. “I heard nothing of this, I swear it, Your Grace. Neither did any of my nieces, they are as innocent as your son in this-”

“Still, I cannot allow a traitor’s daughter to marry my son, she would be an unfit consort to our King” Cersei’s words internally made Karliah jump with joy. Until she realized. If Sansa were no longer to marry Joffrey… then what safety did she truly have in this horrible, dangerous place they had come to?

Karliah swallowed thickly at the thought, sighing heavily before preparing to degrade and humiliate herself, for her family’s sake “please, Your Grace, my niece is a good child, please, Your Grace… she loves your son! She only wishes to be a good queen, a queen like you, she aspires to be like you, and carry your son many children and heirs… it’s all she wants” Karliah begged softly, a frown on her face as she stared at the queen, praying to the old gods and the new that she was convincing enough. “She will hatch no treason, she will plan nothing, I will make sure of it, Your Grace… she loves your son, truly and deeply. I will be there to make sure that nothing happens, I promise, she will never ever betray him” Karliah added in a begging tone, tears forming in her eyes at the thought of her oldest niece… cold and dead in the ground because she had no further use should her engagement to the new king be broken off.

Cersei studied her before carefully placing a roll of paper in front of her, then a quill and some ink “please, write to your sister-in-law” she asked softly and Karliah nodded, picking up the quill, her hand shaking a little but she willed it to stop, moving the quill to the ink pot and dipping it before looking back up at the Queen “what do you want me to write?” she asked through gritted teeth, the question like poison in her mouth, venom on her lips, slowly sucking the life out of her as the Queen smirked subtly in victory.

[fandomficsnstuff]

Wolves And Hounds - 4

(Warnings: Angst, angst, a bit of fluff and a bit of angst)

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Karliah was enjoying the evening sun from her balcony when there was a knock on the door, her eyes moving to it and she got up, approaching and opening the door, a smile gracing her lips when she saw who it was “Jory, a pleasurable surprise” she stated with joy, stepping aside to allow him inside but he shook his head “actually, My Lady, your brother sent for you” he stated, her smile dampening a little, turning into a forced one as she nodded “oh, right… did-... did he say what for?”

“No, My Lady, only that it was urgent” he admitted, taking in the disappointment in her eyes even though she smiled and nodded, walking out of her room and closing the door behind her “well, then you better lead me to him” she stated softly, Jory nodding, beginning to lead her towards her brother. “I’ll admit that I had hoped your visit would be for a more… personal reason” she admitted quietly, Jory had to restrain himself to not gaze at her “as did I” he admitted just as quietly, Karliah glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes and she looked around before stopping, grabbing Jory by his hand to stop him as well, his head nervously whipping around, scanning the corridors with worry.

“You have barely laid your eyes on me since I arrived, Jory” she stated with a small frown, Jory looking around with worry and Karliah sighed heavily, letting go of him to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration “what is different except the location? Hm? My brother is not the only one who needs you… I find myself wishing for your presence every day and I try to ignore it, Jory, I do. But then you call me ‘My Lady’ and I’ve never wanted to punch as hard as I do when you call me that” she whispered with anger, Jory sighing heavily, looking around once more and she scoffed, stepping away “if you are so worried being seen with me, then I’ll find my brother myself” she stated harshly, already about to leave when Jory reached for her “My Lady-” he was cut off by her palm colliding with his face, tears in her eyes as he stared at her in shock. “I gave you everything! I gave you parts of myself I should have saved for my husband, whoever he might be! Now, you might not have deflowered me but what man would want me should they know that I had been involved with a man out of marriage?! I may still have my purity but that won’t matter to people! I am a woman. I have no voice. No right. It doesn’t matter if I speak the truth and say that you and I never laid together, people will draw their own conclusions - men will draw their own conclusions! And now you want to ‘My Lady’ me? As though the last three years have been, what? Nothing? Worthless? I could have found a husband but I waited for you… I waited on you! To pick up your balls and ask for my hand yourself! But you didn’t and now you want to call me ‘My Lady’ when we are alone?” Karliah whispered harshly, shaking her head at Jory “no one will ever want me now” she muttered quietly with a heartbroken voice that she tried to hide before turning around, storming off to find her brother herself. Both of them were unaware of a Hound that had heard the hushed voices from around the corner and had come to investigate.

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“Kal?” Ned asked with worry when he saw her there and she forced a smile as she walked closer “Jory said you sent for me?”

“I did-... where is he?”

“I asked if I could walk alone.”

“I gave him explicit orders-”

“And I counter-acted those orders. Now, why did you want me here? Jory said it was urgent?”

“It is… close the door” he muttered, Karliah hesitating before doing as told, turning to watch him sit back down behind the desk, rubbing his forehead with worry. “Ned?”

“Catelyn has taken Tyrion Lannister as her prisoner” he revealed, Karliah slowly closing her eyes as she let out a heavy breath, opening them again and walking closer, sitting down on the chair across the desk, across from Ned. “Seven Hells…” she muttered, Ned sighing “Catelyn has taken the Imp as her prisoner, Robert wants to murder the Targaryen girl and her unborn babe across the sea and I fear my daughters are not safe here, and neither are you. I’ve resigned as Hand of the King…”

“I told you, brother… We wolves do not fare well in the south” she muttered, leaning back in the chair with a heavy sigh. “His rage is because he thought that Rhaegar raped Lyanna and killed her… but-”

“No, Karliah-”

“You don’t know what I was going to say! Do you really think I’d ever, ever let him know about him now that you tell me he wishes to murder a girl and her unborn babe halfway across the sea?!” she asked in a hushed whisper, a frown on her brows as she shook her head at him “I would die for him, Eddard. I would die for him, just to see him smile and breathe for yet another day and I despise him being at the Wall because of the danger but at least he’s out of Robert’s reach there… I would never, ever use him like that to save that Targaryen girl, and I’m appalled that that thought would even enter your mind! Gods, what is with you Stark men?! What is with you men?! You never think about us women, do you?!”

“What?-”

“Of course I won’t tell him! You think I’m a fool? I love Jon with my life! I was merely going to ask Robert to change his mind! Gods!” she snapped and got up, storming out of the office and Nerd groaned loudly, his head in his hands as he let out a heavy sigh. Gods be good, the women in his life were sucking the life out of him.

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Karliah knocked gently on the door, waiting, and when she heard his voice, allowing her inside, she entered, spotting him by his table, a cup of wine in his hand and she sighed at the sight, walking closer after closing the door. “Karliah? To what do I-”

“I loved Lyanna, Robert… more than you could ever imagine… She was my sister, my mentor, my best friend. I looked up to her, I wanted to be her… she taught me to fight and shoot arrows and ride and-... we made such promises to each other… that we’d do so many things! That we’d see the Wall together, that we’d travel to Dorne or across the sea!...” Karliah remembered with a bright smile as she sat down across from Robert, studying him before reaching over, taking the wine glass from him and putting it down out of his reach, turning back to look at him. “You loved Lyanna in a way I can never… you loved her beauty, the way she looked in her dresses… the way she did her hair… her smile…”

“Karliah-”

“But that wasn’t just her” Karliah added, interrupting Robert with a frown on her face “Lyanna was wild. She was stubborn and feisty. She was strong in so many ways, stronger than anyone else I’ve ever known, even you, Robert… She liked to ride and fight and shoot arrows from horseback. She loved fighting and sparring… you knew Lyanna in her pretty dresses, I knew her caked in dirt, the biggest smile on her face that I’ve ever seen when I won over her the first time we sparred…” Karliah remembered with tears in her eyes, letting out a shaky breath “and her death-.... her death still pains me as though it was yesterday… but Rhaegar is dead. The Mad King is dead. The queen Rhaella is dead. They’re all dead except a spoiled brat and a girl, across the sea, so far away that it might as well be another world entirely! If you do this… if you go ahead with your plans-”

“Ned shouldn’t have told you-”

“He should’ve. And he did… if you go through with this, it will for certain bring war upon all of us. Imagine if the assassin you’ve sent out failed… if it had been Lyanna, carrying your child, and a brat and his sister in a far away country that you’ve never even considered tried to murder your wife and unborn child, the woman carrying your heir… would you not want revenge? Even if the assassin doesn’t fail, it still comes back to revenge! Leave them be, Robert… leave them to forget about Westeros. If you do this, you will certainly bring a war to Westeros but if you don’t-.... if you don’t do this… then it won’t draw their gaze to Westeros. I’m not saying that there isn’t a chance of war, but if you do this… it will certainly mean war, no matter what” Karliah finished, grabbing the wine goblet, drinking all of it before giving it to Robert, taking a jug and filling it for him before putting it down “and Ned is one of the best hands this realm has seen in a long, long time, Robert… and he’s your friend, your brother, you grew up together and you’re both fine men… but if you kill a girl and her unborn child… Lyanna would have your head herself. She was stubborn, Robert, just like you… and the two of you would have budded heads because of it, but she would never encourage what you plan to do now, even with the circumstances that led to her death, she could never accept such a thing” Karliah finished with a soft look in her eyes, it wasn’t a threat, it was a fact, and he knew it, tears showing in his eyes as he just looked at her and she bowed her head slightly “Your Grace” she greeted before leaving. She was on her way back to her chambers when Jory hurried past her with a very dirty Arya, Karliah frowning at the sight “Arya?”

“Aunt Karliah! You have to tell him! Tell him I’m not lying!”

“Tell who?”

“My father! Please! He’s about to leave with Littlefinger and-”

“It’s alright… it’s alright. Are you going to your room?” she asked, Arya nodding and Karliah nodded as well “alright, how about Jory deliver the message and I go to your room with you?” she offered, Arya nodding, already hugging her despite soiling Karliah’s dress but Karliah just smiled, lifting her head to look up at Jory with sad eyes. “You’ve gotten a red cheek, it seems, Jory” she muttered, Jory smiling a little as he nodded, looking down briefly “well earned, My Lady Karliah” he stated as he turned his eyes back up to look at her and Karliah felt her heart flutter, looking down at Arya “go on ahead, I’ll be right there” she spoke softly, Arya reluctantly doing as told and Karliah looked back up at Jory, a faint smile on her lips “sorry about the slap…”

“No worries, as I said; it was well earned… I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you… after this is all over and we return to Winterfell, everything will go back to normal again” he whispered, Karliah’s eyes saddening a little and she looked down with a frown “and what if I don’t want everything to go back to normal?... I just-... want more, I think… and I know that you’re not prepared for that… you’re not prepared to give me that because you don’t think it’s possible, so… This is goodbye, Jory. And please, take care of my brother” she whispered before walking away before he could respond, Jory watching her leave to catch up with her niece, a sad look in his eyes but he forced himself to leave to meet up with Lord Stark, as he was ordered.

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Karliah burst into the room, eyes wide with fear and worry and she sighed heavily when she saw him lying there, hurrying over as he was just waking up. She turned to the guard who had fetched her, anger in her eyes “why was I first told now?! What took you so long?! You didn’t think I needed to know that my brother-”

“Karliah, it’s alright” Ned mumbled and Karliah quickly turned to look at him, all traces of anger gone like smoke, and she leaned closer and sighed, using the sleeve of her dress to gently wipe away the sweat from his brow, not caring about being proper or soiling her dress “Gods, Ned… you look horrible. Have they given you any milk of the poppy? Someone fetch some more milk of the poppy! The man is in pain!”

“Karliah” he spoke again and she turned to look at him, sighing with worry “what happened? I heard that there was a fight in the street with Jaime Lannister? What in the name of all the Gods were you doing fighting him??”

“The girls..”

“They’re safe, it’s alright…”

“Do they-”

“No, not yet. I came the second I heard, found the first guard and demanded he take me to you…”

“That sounds like you” Ned muttered with a faint, weak smile, Karliah nodding her head with a sad smile “the girls are alright and in their rooms with their guards…”

“Go to them… they should hear of this from you and not some Lannister guard” he muttered bitterly and Karliah sighed softly, nodding “you rest, brother… sleep, promise me you’ll try?” she asked, Ned nodding, already about to fall asleep and Karliah smiled at the sight “it’s alright, Neddy…I’ll talk to the girls” she whispered softly before leaning closer, kissing his sweaty forehead before leaving the room after making sure he was safe and alright.

She entered the area that was connected to the girls’ quarters, her own, Ned’s and the Septa, finding her with Sansa, stitching. “Septa, a word?” she asked, the woman nodding, standing up and walking a distance away from Sansa. “Ned is wounded, I’m not sure if you’ve heard?”

“I have, I didn’t want to discuss it in front of the girls…” she admitted in a whisper, Karliah nodding, sighing softly as she glanced at Sansa before looking back at the Septa “well, it’s true, he’s wounded. His leg is-...” Karliah cut herself off with a small sigh, frowning “he’s resting right now, I will check on him later today but from now on I want a guard with you and the girls at all times. A Stark guard. Do you understand what I’m saying, and why?” she asked quietly, the Septa nodding “I do…”

“I’m trusting you with my nieces, Mordane, I love these girls more than life itself” Karliah whispered, the Septa smiling softly at her “I know, I do too. They’re good girls, although Arya is as stubborn as she is wild and unruly, and Sansa has taken to an attitude as of late, since the Kingsroad…” the Septa muttered slightly bitterly, Karliah sighing “I heard… I hadn’t brought it up, I didn’t want to remind the girls of it more than it already does by itself…” she admitted, sighing softly “go get Arya from her room, please” Karliah asked, the Septa nodding, leaving to fetch Arya as Karliah walked over to Sansa, sitting down next to her, leaning closer to see what she was stitching. “It’s beautiful work, Sansa, I could never stitch that well” Karliah admitted, Sansa smiling softly at her and Karliah studied her before smiling back at her, just as Arya and the Septa returned. “Arya, sit down, please” Karliah ordered and Arya frowned but did so, sitting next to Sansa, both of them facing her.

“Earlier this day there was an-... incident… your father was wounded - he is still alive! But he was wounded. He will be bedridden for-... I don’t know how long… Only time will tell. His leg was injured severely and he’s been given milk of the poppy. Your father is tired because of it, but he is alive and resting, as he should be” Karliah explained, the girls both seeming saddened and partly horrified, Karliah sighing softly “for the two of you, everything will go on as it has been. I will ask your father if you may visit him but I want both of you to understand that if he says no it is not because he doesn’t want to see you. He’s wounded, hurt and tired from milk of the poppy, he may not be at his best and he may not want you to see him this way, weakened and hurt. All the two of you need to do is go on as you have-”

“Then why tell us?”

“Because, Sansa, he is your father. He is your father and he loves the both of you more than his heart is capable of, and you don’t deserve to be kept in the dark” Karliah replied softly, studying the two girls with a soft smile “everything will be alright, I promise. I’ll look after your father while the two of you stop acting the way you do. You’re sisters, you are family whether you like it or not. What are our words?” she asked, the girls glancing at each other before replying at the same time; “Winter is coming.”

“And what does it mean?” Karliah asked, the two girls frowning a little and she smiled “when winter is coming, you prepare. You prepare for the worst, you hope for the best, you don’t know if it’ll be a kind winter or one that will leave you freezing in front of a big fire. ‘Winter is coming’ means to stand together, as one, to weather any storm that may be thrown our way. Your father is injured and weak, he cannot lord over the two of you as you squabble. You’re sisters, do you understand?” she asked softly, the two girls nodding, once again replying at the exact same time with the exact same words; “Yes, aunt Karliah.”

Karliah nodded and stood up, walking over to the two girls, leaning down to peck Sansa’s head and then Arya’s. “I love you both, dearly, as does your father. Listen to your Septa, I will let you know if anything changes with your father” she stated, kissing their heads once more before walking over to the Septa who smiled softly at her “where’s Jory? I need to speak to him, I want extra guards assigned to you and the girls-”

“You haven’t heard?” the Septa asked with a frown, watching Karliah frown as well, softly shaking her head “heard what?” she asked, the Septa sighing softly “Jory was killed at the altercation, when Lord Eddard was injured” she whispered, frowning even more at the way this seemed to shock the Lady Stark to her core, eyes widening a little, her breath a little shaky but she forced herself to nod “I’m sorry to hear that. He was a good and loyal man” she muttered before leaving, at first slowly and calmly, as she would any other day, but the second she was out of sight, she picked up the pace, hurrying around a corridor, back against the wall as tears filled her eyes and she had to cup her mouth to not sob too loudly, her heart breaking over and over again every time she thought of him and their last words. As she tried to gather herself, removing her hands from her mouth and tried to breathe normally, she placed a hand on her chest, over her heart, closing her eyes and leaning her head back as she sobbed quietly, tears running down her cheeks as she tried to keep quiet. She was so caught up in trying to control her rapid breathing, already feeling lightheaded, that when someone touched her shoulder she flinched, looking up at the scarred face of the Hound, her eyes wide and she quickly turned away, trying to wipe away her tears, cheeks burning with embarrassment and shame as she tried to gain her breathing under control. And failed. “Breathe” he stated gruffly and she scoffed through her ragged breathing, the Hound studying her before sighing, looking around before turning her around to face him, hesitating before reluctantly wrapping a single, armored arm around her, pulling her against his armor in an awkward and stiff hug, a displeased look on his face but it seemed to work, Karliah’s breathing calming down, her heart stopped racing and she felt fatigued, eyes already closing, the cool metal of his armor soothing her, cooling down her burning cheeks as she relaxed.

After a while, she realized something. He hadn’t moved away. He hadn’t let go of her and she enjoyed his presence, she enjoyed the stiff and awkward hug and when she looked up at him, he looked like he was just about done with the world and it’s shit. And then he looked down at her as she peered up at him. Something in his eyes changed when he looked down at her, the tears stuck to her cheeks, her red and puffy eyes wide as she looked up at him. His entire body softened a little as he studied her, his arm around her no longer as stiff as before, though it wasn’t entirely relaxed like she was. “Thank you” she whispered, lowering her head and resting it against his armor once more, closing her eyes. She didn’t ever want this to end. Ever. But it seemed it wasn’t meant to be, Sandor lifting his arm, leaning back a little and she understood the message, quickly taking a large step back as she wiped her wet cheeks in an attempt to wipe away the tears. “Forgive me, I-...” she trailed off. She had no idea what to say. ‘Sorry for sobbing up against you?’. ‘Forgive me, I enjoyed your hug so much that it made me forget all the horrible things happening around me and to my house and family.’

She sniffled a little, clearing her throat as she tried to make herself presentable “I-... thank you, for your comfort… it was-... nice” she admitted, finally looking up at him and saw that he was already looking at her, making her cheeks burn again “I would-... prefer it… if you didn’t mention this to anyone… I’m not overly fond of the idea of people knowing I sobbed like a child in the corridors” she admitted with an awkward chuckle, looking down before looking up at him, finding him still staring at her as he nodded ever so slightly, making her smile “thank you, Ser” she stated softly, hesitating before looking away “I suppose I’ll see you around, then” she muttered, wiping the remaining tears from her cheeks as she left, Sandor watching her leave with a small frown.