Fallout [for Caspian]

[kings_dog]

It had been weeks since what Sandor was still referring to as his weekend in hell, but he was still furious about it. The list of things that had been wrong with those three days was neverending, to the point where he still didn't know where to start counting. His argument with Bert (strangely but luckily the easiest thing to put behind him), his

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[caspianthetenth]

Caspian had waited some weeks before he confronted Clegane; he did not trust his temper otherwise to make him do something unwarranted. So he sat on his impulse to confront the man immediately.

The day came, however, when he felt he could confront him in a reasonable way, and after taking Jonquil out for a ride and some discreet inquiries, he headed for the place where Clegane made his camp.

He drew Jonquil to a halt when he saw the man upon the path. "Clegane," he said with a short nod. "I would speak with you."

[kings_dog]

Sandor just nodded; it was hardly as if this was unexpected. "And I with you, I suspect," he said shortly. He canted his head toward the smaller path that led toward his camp, and started down it with Caspian following.

His next words left his mouth before he'd fully thought them out, but once they were out, he was glad he'd said them. "I should have spoken to you sooner-- to both of you. To apologize." His voice was as curt as ever, but he glanced briefly up at Caspian, hoping the man would realize he was, even if abrupt, still sincere.

[caspianthetenth]

Caspian did not intend to follow him; he would have preferred not to draw this out longer than necessary. (What "this" was to be, he was not sure, other than to be sure Clegane knew that Caspian did not want his wife upset by him again.) He watched the man walk away for a moment, then dismounted, leading Jonquil.

When Clegane spoke, Caspian did not immediately answer, letting the silence stretch for a moment. Jonquil snorted and tossed her head restlessly, perhaps picking up on Caspian's mood.

"Sansa was quite disturbed by your conversation," he said finally, not in an accusatory manner, but one more matter-of-fact.

[kings_dog]

She's not the only one, he thought with a grimace he was glad Caspian could not see. But he wouldn't talk like that when the man was being civil, so he said simply, "So was I when I remembered it had happened. I was.. not myself, those days. It never would have happened if not for that madness."

He stopped and turned back, meeting Caspian's eyes so he would see Sandor was telling the truth. "She was never meant to know." Not the whole of what he could say, but all he could find the words for yet.