An Inconvenient Flame [Sandor Clegane]

Chapter 42 - The Dead

The further north we got the more mischievous the weather became. It was bitterly cold and slipped through my clothes. Not even the hood, nor the cloth around the lower part of my face could keep it out. It was getting harder to breathe as the wind came ferociously towards us. The wildings moved almost unbothered and the scout in front of us had already put quite a few meters between him and the rest of us.

"Lyra! Don't fall behind now." Jon placed a hand on my back before trying to keep me moving forward. But I was tired. It was getting harder and harder to move through the snow as it flew around us.

"I'm trying." I pulled the scarf from my mouth when yelling back at him. He was looking just as tired as I was feeling. Then another arm wrapped around my waist, and I was forced forward. It was Sandor again. He groaned at me as I grabbed his hand that had come to rest on my hip. He had almost lifted me of the ground when he guided me forward.

I held onto him and allowed him to help me. It quickly became easier to move through the snow because he held me so tightly. His arm was securely wrapped around my waist. After a while I noticed something in the distance. "Look." I pointed and alerted everyone else as well.

Sandor halted and looked in the direction I pointed. "A bear." He acknowledged the silhouette as well. "Big fucker." He groaned.

It was big and moving slowly as if it was after a prey. "Do bears have blue eyes?" Gendry suddenly yelled through the storm. We all froze the moment it turned towards us. We all saw those blue icy eyes as it charged towards the wilding scout, still meters ahead of us.

A soundless gasp left me before I tried to take a step forth, but Sandor kept me back. I looked at him for a second before back at the wildling, whom he'd also had his attention on. The wilding dropped his spear when he began sprinting back. I heard his scared yells as the wind carried them back to us. It made everyone draw their weapons. Sandor drew his sword as he pulled me behind him.

The scout was extremely close to us when the bear charged at him. He screamed because its jaws closed around him. It all happened extremely quick, it only took the bear a second before it dragged the wildling into the storm. Out of our sight.

When it did, someone broke from our lines and dashed forwards. The thick bush of black curls meant it was either Jon, or Elric. Sandor was too slow to keep me back as I dashed forwards as well. I stopped next to the man, and noticed it was Jon. He was staring at a pool of blood on the ground. The sight made a shiver go through me.

It didn't take the others long to reach us as well, and Sandor grabbed me again before forcing me behind him once more. The others had already made a circle, backs turned against each other while holding their weapons up, readying themselves for whatever could come next.

When the bear attacked again, it pushed us all in different directions before it's jaws closed around another one of the wildings. His scream mixed with my own as I dashed forwards, landing on all four and a brave man charged at the bear. The bear swung its paw, pushing the attacker away with one swing. He landed in the snow at my feet just as two swords went up into flames.