Sleep seemed impossible for Lana that night. She wanted to sneak over to Clegane, allured at the thought of his rough, crass manner softening just for her. It was a sensation that was nearly addicting to think about.

Although once her eyelids grew heavy, sleep was quick to follow from exhaustion.

The next day they all rode out, and Lana noted that she was the only woman. It didn't bother her, however. There was nothing about Beric and Thoros that worried her, and she also felt secure in having Sandor nearby.

Their gazes would periodically cross, but it never amounted to much.

It would be hard to sneak intimacy around these men, it seemed. The previous night of solitude seemed more like a rare occurrence rather than a peek into their future, as Clegane was not one to put his heart on display.

As they rode, Lana scanned the peaceful nature around them, the brotherhood discussing the village that had been slaughtered. Clegane answered most of their questions, but his patience was clearly growing thin.

Finally, Lana chimed in, "If we live in lands with lords and all that shit, then why was it that the responsibility of brotherhood without banners to clean up the mess? Seems a bit, I don't know, not correct."

Beric was quick to answer. "The lords of these lands used to be reliable in that regard. But with the wars and massacres of noble families, the lands here have grown unstable. You used to hurry to a lord's castle and inform him of what happened. Now, these lands know no lord. And we are not men that will stand by if one of our own commits atrocities."

His voice was always like warm, melted butter to Lana's ears. She could listen to him talk all day, even if it was about grim news.

"That's awful that that can happen," she said.

"It's why castles have such thick walls. It's a dangerous world that we live in, even during peacetime," Beric said with a half-smile.

"So how do you and Clegane know each other?" Thoros asked, changing the subject like a lady at court.

Lana didn't look his way, responding rather quickly with, "We've traveled together."

"You paying him?" Thoros asked.

She looked at the drunken priest. "Not right now."

"Who are you? You said you knew a red priestess, and brought me fucking Lightbringer, although you didn't know it. It's all very concerning, and interesting," Thoros said, slowing down his horse to ride next to hers.

"I prefer not to say who I am."

"That's not fair to travel with someone keeping secrets about their identity. It's important for a brotherhood such as ourselves," Thoros said, an absolute seriousness in his voice that made her uncomfortable.

She didn't know what to do. She was carefree with that information before, but with Dany coming to Westeros, revealing who she was could bite her hard in the ass. She looked to Clegane out of instinct.

In a very quick succession, his eyes flashed from annoyance to disregard, to protective. "Leave her alone. She isn't a threat to anyone here. She doesn't want to say, just like the Stark girl didn't want to talk. It's personal."

"If we are traveling with a highborn-"

"What, you going to leave her behind?"

"We always need the gold," Thoros reminded.

"Not from this one," Clegane warned.

"It's alright," Beric said, easing the tension. "You delivered us a piece from the Lord of Light, so we will grant you your privacy."

"Everyone is so secretive nowadays," Thoros mumbled. "Alright, you don't have to answer, but how did you end up in Asshai, at the very least? You can be vague, if you'd like."

She glared at him, but his eyes appeared curious now. "Let's just say my parents didn't want me, and a Red Priestess named Sedona took me in. It's how they have children there. They adopt them in."

His eyes widened; an air of rare sobriety about him. "Did you say Sedona?"

Lana faced him fully. "You know of her?"

He laughed. "I met her once. Really intense woman."

"She is," Lana said with a toothy grin, looking ahead. The rays that touched the ground grew brighter as the white light of the sun breached through the clouds.

"How long were you in Asshai?" Thoros asked.

"Left just before adolescence," Lana said, pulling out her canteen to drink from. The water tasted like warm leather, but it quenched her thirst.

"Well, you're interesting. What else happened?"

"Maybe later, Thoros of Myr, when I feel like I can trust you more."

He looked to Clegane. "You trust him?"

"I do," she said fervently.

"He's the least trustworthy one here," Thoros said.

"Not to me," Lana quipped.

Thoros glanced to Clegane, snickering. "You've managed to have one interesting story, Clegane."

"Like I say," Beric added. "There is a reason Clegane isn't dead yet. Our Lord sees something in him, which means he can't be a total monster."

"Am I the only one that doesn't believe in your fucking fire god?" Clegane asked, his raspy voice sending a pleasant chill down Lana, followed by a sensation of comfort.

She knew that kind of effect. She worried she was starting to develop more than a sexual attraction to him.

"You just haven't seen the flames yet," Thoros said.

"Oh, I have Thoros. I felt them. Don't need to go staring endlessly back into them," Clegane retorted, glaring at the drunken priest.

"All I am saying is there is a reason he has followers."

Over the following few weeks, each day was more or less the same – full of little comments, a jive here or there, and some gossip. Time seemed to move faster than usual, and they arrived at the coast earlier than Lana had anticipated.

She even saw a ship in the distance, with men beached on the shoreline sitting next to a small boat. It surprised Lana, as she didn't realize they were already waiting for her. It made her wonder if Daenerys was at Dragonstone. I have been gone for nearly three months, so it would make sense.

The thought that this was going from a goal to reality both excited and terrified her. She honestly thought Clegane had been out of her life, and now he was here. What was Lana supposed to do about that? Did she set a boundary, or allow herself to indulge? She didn't know anything about those kinds of decisions.

As much as Lana enjoyed her sister, they weren't that close, and Lana was afraid to tell Daenerys that she was having second thoughts.

Lana harbored her worry as she said gentle goodbyes to the brotherhood, with Clegane merely grunting at them.

Despite being pleased that Lana had delivered the weapon, found Clegane, and felt safe among the Brotherhood, Lana desperately wished that she and Clegane had been allotted some time alone. With the pressure of duties awaiting her, she worried they would get even less of an opportunity.
She wanted to know if he would be worth her fighting to keep, or if he would even be interested.

They rode under the bright sun and neared the shoreline. The men waiting were alerted and stood.

"The only thing missing this whole time was Arya," Lana said before they were in earshot of the beached men.

"At least I don't have to deal with the little shit asking all kinds of questions," Clegane said, taking a bite of jerky.

"You miss her, don't you?" Lana asked.

He chuckled. "Fuck off."

Lana smiled, even a light chuckle coming from her. Gods did she wish they had time alone. He was always different when it was just the two of them. "Onto more serious business. If you do serve for me, even if only for a time, you will get paid monthly in gold for being my guard. And you will get new armor made. I prefer valerian."

He looked at her. "Valerian fucking steel?"

She grinned. "Dragonfire and a priestess from Asshai does the trick. I know of a blacksmith who can rework valerian, and Daenerys wants to hire him to forge new metal for her and her closest guards. You will get new weapons and new armor made in it if I can arrange it."

He furrowed his brow, a half smile on his face. "A priestess from Asshai? For forging steel?"

"She blesses the metal after the dragon burns it, and then puts her blood into the molten steel."

He laughed with the high pitch giggle he only got when genuinely amused. "Well, serving under you is getting better and better."

"I can't promise anything after that. We really have to see how all this war plays out."

"As long as I get to kill my brother," he said with a dark tone.

"I can't promise it, but I at least won't stand in your way," she said, knowing it was the only thing he had ever really wanted.
He didn't say anything in return.

They rode their horses to the sand and Lana swayed more with the horse.

"Who are you?" one of the men with the marooned boat shouted.

"I am going to Dragonstone."

"Name?"

"Lana Storm."

"Who is with you?"

She glanced at Sandor, then back to the men. "My traveling companion, Sandor Clegane," she said.

"Welcome aboard, my lady," they said.

Lana raised her brows and nodded. "That was easy."

Clegane snorted. "You really do need a guard. You shouldn't just trust them so easily unless you know them personally."

"This is why you are here, Sandor," she said.

His eyes fastened to her. She didn't realize she had actually called him by his first name. And just like that, the air between them was stiff and personal, all at once. She looked ahead, sensing he was not fond of that in front of strangers.

As they dismounted their horses, she ordered the men to figure out what to do with Stranger. Leaving Stranger behind felt like leaving the only real friend that Clegane has ever had. Plus, it was a well-trained warhorse, and Clegane was her soldier now. In the end, two men remained behind to tend to the horse and wait for someone to come get him.

Lana boarded the boat, and she didn't quite know how to react to the help of the men as they extended out their hands. It was even more foreign when they made way for her seating, bowing their heads.

She had grown up watching others help the masters or the rich, and she knew exactly what these people were really thinking.
Lana never wanted to be the elite that they hated.

She sat down with Clegane behind her. They didn't waste any time as they rowed in the ocean against the waves. The initial part was quite tumultuous, but once they got into deeper waters, the waves were easier to ride into. Around the corner of the rocks was a ship with a cream-colored sail, instead of Targaryen.

"No sigil?" Lana asked.

"Too obvious, my lady."

"Good, just checking," she said, rubbing her palms on her dress. Bits of saltwater splashed into the boat whenever they hit a wave at a harsh angle.

They arrived at the ship in less than half an hour, their boat gently swaying back and forth as they gripped the sides to steady the boat. Lana stood up, trying her best to balance herself as she reached out. She hated this part about traveling and was used to just jumping at the riggings.

A wave nudged their craft, and she gripped the rope, nearly losing her balance, although there was a firm hand already on her hip.

"You have strings for sealegs," Clegane chided from behind, his grip the one that was stabilizing her.

"Never claimed to be a pirate," she said, starting her climb, reveling in the way his hand felt on her.

She missed that.

She gripped the rope with white knuckles each time as she climbed. Once over the ledge, she sighed with relief, looking around the men that nodded their head in her direction.

This was her moment. She was the Lady of Dragonstone, while Dany was the queen.

She nodded to the crew and walked below deck to her quarters with a handmaid guiding her, her steps echoing through the wooden floorboards, the sound of the giant sails flapping in the wind as they changed directions.

The heavy sound of Clegane's body stepping on the wood, even without armor, followed her. It suddenly felt very odd to have him as her guard.

"You don't have to follow me on here," she said over her shoulder.

"I will until I know these people aren't going to execute us."

"I have to change and get my hair braided. It will be boring to wait outside. Dragonstone isn't far from here," she said, turning to face him, craning her neck to look up at him.

"That's not how this usually works," he chastised.

She sighed. "Well, despite me trying my best, I don't really know how to be a lady."

"That's clear," he said, snorting.

She let out a small laugh and then looked down, his comment, although a joke, had more truth than humor in it.

Then he said with a slightly gentler tone, "You might as well get used to it. It's just how things work. There are lords and ladies, and men there to follow. Treat us better than Joffrey treated his men, and no one will bat an eye."

She sighed. "I suppose."

Lana entered her room, and Clegane waited outside with just a sword at his hip and the clothes that he wore from the village. The handmaid help Lana bathe, dress, and do her hair properly to greet Daenerys at Dragonstone.

When it was all finished, she looked in some polished silver and nearly dropped the mirror. She didn't recognize herself. She stared at her reflection once more. In all her years of pretending to be someone else, this was the first time she dressed to be the highest form of who she could possibly be.

Nearly an hour passed of her just staring at her image, practicing facial expressions that would fit a lady best. She wanted to be soft, and gentle, and yet stern and fierce.

After a while, she placed the polished silver down, sat by the window and looked out at sea.

For a moment, she thought about calling Clegane in. She wanted his comfort, to feel his hands on her again. She wanted his warmth and council.

Fuck it, she felt calmer with him. Besides, would it be so bad if she called him in? Who would stop her now? She was the lady of the ship.

And yet, she couldn't do it. Lana was sailing to go play a genuine role and besmirching herself before arrival felt like mocking the opportunity.

Time seemed to move terribly slow, but finally, the giant island of Dragonstone appeared in the distance. Once they were close enough, she even saw ships for High Garden and Dorne.

Allies.

She took a drink of water, then of the wine.

Actual allies.

The war was here.