The Hound paused, his voice dropping a little, as though he was unused to saying such things. "I've been House Lannister's dog since I was born. At first, I bit whoever Tywin told me to bite. Later, I bit whoever Joffrey told me to bite."
"Then Joffrey died, and Cersei was gone too, and I realized I didn't know where to go. The people up here talk rough, but they don't treat me like a tool."
"Besides, where could I go if I chose to leave?"
His voice grew even hoarser as he spoke. "The Iron Throne is yours. I have nowhere to go. The lords of the Riverlands are probably all on their knees swearing fealty to you by now, and the Lannisters' power must be gone too. With the name Clegane marking me as one of House Lannister's dogs, I'd be an obvious target wherever I went. And..."
He stopped, leaving the rest unsaid.
"And what?" Viserys asked.
There was no evasion in The Hound's gray eyes as he answered bluntly. "And I thought you'd kill me when you saw me. I never imagined I'd even get the chance to talk to you. I spent so long in King's Landing, doing plenty of dirty work for Joffrey and Cersei."
He raised his eyes to Viserys and continued, "You're the king. You're asking me to choose, and all I can say is that I don't know. But if you want to settle accounts, my life isn't worth much. You can take it. The Painted Dog tribe has nothing to do with any of that. I beg you to leave them alone."
Viserys watched him for a moment before speaking. "As I said, I only came here to catch prey. Dealing with you was never part of this trip."
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