He seemed unsure, like he didn't quite know what was coming at him. "I thought you were dead!" she yelled. She was elated to see that he was alive. There was something so sweet about it not being true.

She ran further, his eyes still wide, and fuck it, she wrapped her arms around him. "I can't believe it!"

As she embraced him, his heart beat against her head, close enough that without his armor, she could smell him now. Not the stench that they all bore when on the road, but just the bare smell someone had. She squeezed him tighter, although it took a lot to wrap her arms around him. He was much thicker and healthier than when she last saw him.

His body was rigid, his arms still out to the side, but he didn't push her away.

"The fuck are you doing?" he asked, his voice rumbling in his chest, his voice laxer than normal with those words.

She backed away, smiling. "It's called a hug, you idiot." She slid her hands off of him, and she saw many things flash in his eyes, his arms lowering as she pulled away.

The confusion, emotion, and concern all left as he furrowed his brows. "Wait, what the fuck are you doing in the Riverlands? By yourself?"

"Looking for the Brotherhood."

He snickered. "Decided to abandon your sister and join the Brotherhood?"

A stifled laugh escaped Lana before she was aware of it. By all the gods that existed, she had missed this man. She gazed into his eyes, which were gentler than before. "I have a message for them."

"Well, good luck, they are a bunch of cunts," he said. "Tried to execute me once."

"Wait, what are you doing here, as well?" she asked, the question delayed by her enthusiasm.

His gaze hardened, and he looked her over. "It's a long story."

"Well, I want to hear it."

"Got into a fight. Didn't win, but didn't die either," he said.

"Well, I am happy you're not dead."

His jaw clenched at those words, his eyes processing whatever he was feeling. For a moment, she thought she saw the hostility relaxing, but before he could say anything, Ray rescued the awkward tension.

"Should have seen him when we first found him. Looked like a bear chewed him up and spit him back out," Ray said, and Clegane glared at him.

"Can't help I am a big fucker and hard to kill."

"Don't work past sundown again. Take a break," Ray said.

"Only got two more logs left. Might as well get them," Clegane said, warmer to Ray than he was to Lana. Sandor turned around and headed back off into the woods.

"Well, at least there's one person alive he isn't a cunt to anymore," Lana said with a wounded tone.

She didn't know what she expected, but she had hoped for more of a reception than that. She didn't really know why either. She knew who he was.

And yet, why did she continue to hope he was more than the Hound?

"Don't fret too much. You know, you're the first person that's been allowed to touch him who didn't get assaulted afterward. Except for when we found him. Didn't seem to care if we touched him then."

Ray looked over to Lana, and she didn't respond. She really didn't expect Clegane to act like that, as if she had been no more important than one of the horses they traveled with.

She heard Ray sigh, and she looked back to him, a few of his curls moving about in the wind while he squinted, the wrinkles on face deepening. Then he laughed. "Honestly, I don't doubt that's it's been a long time since he's gotten a hug. Seemed to have no fucking clue what to do. Think you may have scared him a little."

She couldn't help but laugh herself, as that sounded just like Clegane. "What happened to him?" she asked with a grave voice.

"Got into a fight and fell off a cliff. Broke his leg pretty good. One of the gods was looking out for him, might even have been your god. Someone was, as it wasn't but a few days later that we found him. Thought I came across a corpse. Nearly shit myself when he coughed. Patched him up, and now he is helping build this place. He heals surprisingly well. Probably why he's still alive after all the fighting he's done."

Lana felt deep sorrow at the thought of him dying alone. There was something about Sandor Clegane that seemed to deserve a second chance, despite what he had done, and being rather emotionless to her just now. "Thank you for taking care of him," she said with a furrowed brow.

"He's not such a foul man. Just likes to pretend to be. I think he's quite funny. Super fucking helpful too to have a man of his size around. Didn't realize a single person could carry a log by themselves."

She looked at Ray. "Was there a girl with him? When you found him?"

"He was all alone."

Arya must have made it to the Eryie. "That's sad," she said with a frown.

"Aye, but it's a threat long gone now. It's neat to meet you, by the way. Didn't piece together who you were when you said your name. I never pictured you actually to be beautiful."

She stiffened. "What does that mean?"

"Clegane spoke of you a few times when he was delirious, then only sparsely in passing once he started to heal, although he'd get pissy if I pressed him about it. I won't reveal much more. That's for him to say. Just thought you should know in case he never decides to say anything, which he might not. His poor heart is all twisted up in there. I think his acceptance with death shook something in him."

She smiled. "You know, I was never a fan of the seven-pointed faith. But you're alright, Ray."

The rest of the day carried on as Sandor Clegane helped bring out the last two logs. As the sun began to set, everyone sat down around a fire with a full belly. Lana was helping clean up when she noticed he finally made his way over, finished for the day, and she wondered if he needed some food.

A woman with curly brown hair beat Lana to it and brought him some food and drink as he sat on a rock, away from the group. He nodded at the woman. He even talked to her for a small moment, and there was a distinct lack of hostility that ignited something in Lana.

Lana walked over to Clegane with a bit of steam. If he could be nice to that woman, whoever she woman was, then he could spare some time to answer Lana's damned questions.

Lana kept glancing to the curly haired woman, her gaze harsher than she liked. She considered that pang in her chest. Did she really care for him so much, that the thought of another tending to him made her feel envious?

"You're not going to leave me alone, are you?" Clegane asked, not looking at her as she sat down on a rock next to him.

"You can be a grumpy ass if you want, but you're still the only person I know here."

"Go make new friends."

"What happened to Arya?" she asked, ignoring him, not able to leave him alone until that was at least answered.

"After I fell off a damned cliff, she robbed me and left me," he plainly stated.

Lana thought that was a bit cold and honestly surprised. "Why was she not the Vale?"

"Aunt was dead."

Lana laughed, looking around and shaking her head. What kind of shit luck has befallen them?

"Arya had the same reaction."

"Can't believe she robbed you and left you," Lana said, although the thought of seeing Arya as a Faceless was more realistic than before.

"Well, if she can rob me as I'm dying, she should survive. Nothing she could have done anyway. I was beyond her repair."

Lana eyed him, wondering why he was so indifferent to her. So she'd try it again, wanting to get some emotion out of him. "I am glad you didn't die."

That prompted him to look at her, taking in a deep breath. "What are you doing out here? Why are you looking for the Brotherhood?"

"I got my reasons. Have to get a message to them, as I said," she said.

He continued to glare at her, then looking down to his food and dipped his bread in his stew. She had so many things she wanted to say to him, and she couldn't figure out what to say next.

He always confuses me.

"You act like you're going to burst," he said with a mix of loathing and amusement.

"Well, it's because I really thought you were dead. It bothered me a lot, to be honest."

"Why would it do that," he said more than asked as he took a bite of his soggy bread.

"It just did. I heard that a big woman took you down and I worried that you died alone. It ate at me because I kept thinking you didn't deserve that," she said, looking to her hands.

"Only a person who doesn't really know me would say that," he scolded.

"Clegane. You bashed my head in twice and tied me to a fucking tree," she said.

To her pleasant surprise, he genuinely laughed, and it fit his face well, his smile somehow agreeable for a man as angry as him. "Aye, I guess you know me a bit," he said. He was calmer, in general, than the last time she saw him. "So, then you shouldn't be happy to see me."

"Oh, fuck off with that," she said, and his gaze slowly latched to hers. "You had your brush with death, a real nice, close one. Now take the time you have left and do something with it."

"That's what I am doing here."

"So, you enjoy it?"

"Obviously or I wouldn't fucking be out here."

That's it. He was colder to her. She didn't know why. It felt like her worry for him was for nothing, an anger brewing in her heart. This man really knew how to be uncaring.

"So, how much has changed since then?" he asked while he still ate, as if there wasn't an awkward tension.

Lana drew in a long breath, not sure if she should stay or just up and leave. She decided to pry him further. "I know more about how to be a lady. Tyrion is at our side-"

"Tyrion?" he asked, his eyes suspicious.

"Killed his father."

"Already knew that, but never saw him going to your sister."

"He is her hand now."

"Of-fucking-course. Always needs to be a Lannister cunt by the monarchy. You still a Storm, or you a lady now too?"

"It's never really been addressed. I am just treated like her sister."

"Got any alliances yet?"

"Varys is working on it."

"Well, you need to work harder. People are settling in now with Tommen. Won't look good to kill a boy for the throne."

"A boy with Cersei in his ear."

He smiled coldly, shaking his head. "Aside from killing my brother, watching that bitch die and lose everything really helps to keep one going."

"Well, if thoughts of her dying kept you alive, then I guess I have one thing to be thankful to her for," Lana said, watching a rabbit hop in the distance, prodding at him one more time with her words.

"You only knew me for a little over a month," he said cruelly, his tone curt enough that she no longer had to guess if there was a discomfort there.

She sighed, grinding her teeth. Fine, she got the message. He was done with whatever they had, and she had to move on. But she wasn't about to part without telling him what she felt. She had learned that that was ill-wise, especially in a world like this where it might be the last thing ever said to someone.

"You're right. It's also been two years since I last saw you, and for some annoying, fucking reason, I've thought about you the entire time, even though I was pissed at thinking you abandoned me. Apparently, it was a complete waste of my time. So thanks for showing me that."

He glared at her with ungracious eyes, and for a moment, she felt like she had made up every interaction with him in her head. He finally looked away to drink the rest of his ale. She let him be silent, wondering if she should get up and pretend that he didn't exist.

She had not anticipated coming across Clegane and having be antagonistic with her. She knew they had sexual chemistry, but she swore they had more than that. Even after their short time together. She thought that at least a little bit had been established between them.

She sighed, gripped her dress, and decided to leave the mean fucker alone. "Well, I guess I'll go make new friends," she said, about to rise.

"I thought of you often," he finally said, his tone solemn. She didn't know what to say to that. She just looked at him, all of her boiling anger dampened as she froze in her movements.

He continued. "I didn't know what to think when I first saw you earlier today, alright? Still don't know what to think. Thought it was a lie at first, and then all I saw was that it had been two years, and you're probably different by now. I was happy in this little fucking village, remembering you as a special kind of woman. A part of me liked having you in my head, just like that. But seeing you meant that I had to face whether or not you had become like them. That's why I'm not happy to see you, not because I haven't been thinking about you."

She didn't realize she hadn't been breathing that entire time. When he looked at her, she remembered to indeed, breath, her chest rising and falling dramatically as she looked down, playing with a thread on the seam of her sleeve that was starting to come undone. What did she say to that? He never really gave anything more than backhanded compliments.

He looked back ahead, and she mulled that over. She thought back to his words about her being fresh like a whore on her first day on the job, and it reminded herself this was a jaded motherfucker.

"To be honest, I haven't changed a whole lot. I've just gotten better at playing the part," she said, thinking that that's what he needed to hear.

"It always starts that way," he said, languidly looking her way, any warmth that might have been there firmly obscured. "At some point, it'll sink in, and you'll be too concerned about your life as a pretty little lady, fucking her lord husband, and no longer giving a real shit about anyone else. It always happens. No point in hoping for anything else."

She was shocked that he was seriously this removed from her, because of fear. Well fine, if she remembered anything from their interactions, she knew not to go lightly on him. She leaned over, trying her best to show how serious she was. "If you think I'm going to somehow become a proper, prim, prissy little thing, then you're more jaded than perceptive, Clegane. So you can shove that right up your ass, because it's not fair to hate me for something I'm not," she chided.

He didn't change his expression, save for his eyes that seemed slightly more hostile, his powerful chest rising and falling with a sigh, his eyes narrowing on her. Then he gently shook his head and gazed at the plains and trees, a small chuckle escaping him.

He looked like he was about to say something else, but the silence didn't last long as the sound of approaching footsteps stole their attention. The woman that brought Clegane food neared them.

"We are having a sermon, if you are interested," she said, mostly looking to Clegane.

"You know I don't fucking do those," he said.

"She might," the woman said, finally looking at Lana.

Clegane was quick to quip. "She follows the red god."

"Oh, I didn't know that," the woman said, her eyes both disapproving and self-important.

Lana shrugged her shoulders. "Well, you know, it's complicated. What's your name, by the way?" Lana asked, not wanting to stay on that topic for too long.

"Jenny. Anyway, Lana, Ray wanted to introduce you formally," Jenny said.

"Oh," Lana said, not wanting to leave this moment, now that she had finally broken through Clegane. But she couldn't disrespect Ray. "I guess I'll go, then. Can't hurt.".

Jenny glanced to Clegane one last time, and to Lana's surprise, he rose to follow.

Lana followed Jenny over to the central bonfire and Clegane went to sit on his own log, mostly by himself. Ray gave a brief sermon, Lana said a few words, and everyone greeted her. She smiled and nodded to village, taking a seat on a log herself as Ray continued to speak.

During the rest of the sermon, Lana glanced around, her gaze halting on Clegane, who eyed her from across the fire.

Lana turned her head to face him fully, and he gently leaned back in his seat, taking a drink, not backing down from his stare. His cautious gaze was discernible, even from a distance.

'I was happy in this little fucking village, remembering you as a special kind of woman. A part of me liked having you in my head, just like that.'

She breathed deeper, inhaling the campfire smoke, his still eyes hard on her, and yet she didn't feel afraid.

Instead, a warmth spread in her chest.

In his own, Clegane way of wording things, he admitted that he missed her.