What if...

The Hound

"Hurry up girl." The Hound muttered. Sansa instantly began to regret her choice. The Hound was dishonorable and cruel. For a split second, she hesitated to think. The Hound made irritated noises behind her. He saved me, she thought. Would Joffery ever do that? She knew the answer to that. She stuffed some dresses into a bag, followed by some boots. I have to trust him. He can bring me home. Before the bag was properly done up, The Hound had snatched it up and threw her a cloak. With another grunt, he walked out of her room not bothering to check if she was behind him. Sansa swallowed another wave of hesitation and followed. Her footsteps were light down the towers, unlike The Hounds who were heavy and rough. He led her to the stables flashing his sword like an innocent stable boy. He mounted an already saddled black ill-tempered horse. "Get on." He said nodding a white mare being saddled by the boy. He held the reins and offered her his help to get her up. She hated riding but she mounted elegantly smiling at the boy. He looked about her age but he was low born and this was clearly a delight for him. With a final nod, she looked at the Hound who was trotting out. She followed feeling the dress stretch and tear. If she had known she was going to leave then she would have chosen a different one. They neared the gates and she pulled the hood up over her face. There were two guards there but neither seemed to pay attention. Their friends would be fighting at the BlackWater. The Hound cantered in front of her and she kicked her horse to do the same. They passed the guards in seconds but Sansa did not have the courage to look back. They were on the king's road. She was going home! She looked over to Blackwater. There were burning ships and people on horses and bodies! So many bodies. She hoped that Joffrey's would be one of them but she doubted that Cersei would let her precious boy be in any danger. It didn't matter either way. It would be hours until they realized she was gone and even longer for them to spare the men to look for them. She looked behind her and watched Kingslanding shrink into the distance. She remembered how excited she had been to see it for the first time. She had never imagined what would happen. But she had changed. I'm never going to be the silly little girl I was again. She vowed. She would be smart and independent and strong. I sound like Arya, she realized. Maybe she would be a little tamer than Arya. It was dawn when they stopped riding and dismounted. Sansa hadn't realized she was so stiff until she fell messily to the ground and couldn't get up. She saw the Hound walk over to her and she made herself stand."Bit tired little bird." He said mockingly. She wanted to scream at him but that was unladylike. But now she didn't want to be a lady so she settled on saying nothing. "I'm going to get some food. Stay here." The Hound said untying a bow from his saddlebag and retreating into the scrub. She surveyed the damage done to her dress. Her cloak hid most of it but she still felt vulnerable. She sat down on a log. The Hound had told her nothing but to stay here. The morning was cool and now she had stooped riding. She got up and stroked her horse. It flicked it's ears good naturdly and bent down to eat grass. She walked over to the Hound's Horse. She went to stroke it's soft neck but it swung around to bite her. She leaped out of the way and spun around startled by the Hound's voice."That's Stranger. Don't try and touch him." Sansa said nothing and watched as he sat down and began skinning rabbits. "Gonna eat this raw, are you? Get a bloody fire going!" She turned away and began gathering sticks. She put them in a pile and looked expectantly at the Hound."Taken a vow of silence have you?" He said"No, ser." She said stiffly. "Ser, What bullshit. I'm no ser. No more than your Sansa Stark. Your Alayn now. My daughter.""Aren't you going to take me to my brother?" Sansa said horrified."That's the plan." He said gruffly nursing the fire. "But it's a long road to Rivverrun and your brother could die at any minute." He said harshly. "He's won of all his fights." Sansa protested. "His luck could change." The Hound mused. "Doesn't matter what you believe about your bloody brother. As long as he pays me for your return it really doesn't concern me. But while you are on the road with me your name is Alayn." Sansa bit her lip."Like that's going to do anything." She mumbled. "Half of Westeros knows who you are." The hound smirked. "The King's Dog." He said fiercely jabbing a rabbit carcass onto a long sharp stick and hovering it above the fire. His eyes were filled with fear as they drifted to the second carcass."Cook your own bloody breakfast." He said but Sansa could tell there was something different in his voice, it was kindness in its unique way. She discovered the trick to cooking her rabbit was to turn it slowly over the coal instead of just charring it in the flames. She wasn't used to the plain meaty flavor that it tasted of after all the elaborate meals in Kingslanding but it was by far the best. When the fire had nearly gone out and all the meat had been picked off the bones the Hound packed up his stuff again. With so little herself she walked over to her horse and prepared to get on. She walked it over to the rock she sat on and clambered on causing more of her dress to rip. When she was sitting comfortably she looked expectantly at the Hound but he was not yet ready. He took out a small dagger sheathed on an untied belt and passed it up to her."A gift." He said and walked back over to Stranger. Sansa turned the knife over in her hands. It was small and made by a common blacksmith. Nothing like the elaborate ones she had seen at Winterfell or Kingslanding but she was grateful all the same."Thank you." She said to Sandor's turned back. He turned and faced her."You want to know the first thing about staying alive? Never say thank you." He said gruffly as he got on Stranger. "It is what the Lords and Ladies say." He looks over to the road. "We've lingered too long. Come on Alayn." And with that, he cantered off, Sansa close behind him. Apparently, the Hound had no plans to stop and sleep anytime soon.