Viserys set the deer ribs over the fire. Soon, drops of fat dripped into the flames with a sizzle, and the aroma of roast venison spread through the night breeze of the Mountains of the Moon, so rich that it made them sniff the air.
Jeyne held her skewered meat near the fire, slowly turning it as it roasted. Ygritte sat beside her, took a small bag of salt from her pack, and sprinkled some over it.
Viserys sat down as well, leaning against a rock with another wooden spit holding a deer leg in his hand.
"Brother, who did you run into just now?" Rhaenys took the skewer of roasted meat Viserys handed her, tore off a piece, and popped it into her mouth. She chewed, asking casually.
But she was genuinely curious about who it could be. After all, they were supposed to be deep in the Mountains of the Moon in the Vale. How could anyone her brother knew possibly be here?
"The Hound, Sandor Clegane."
Viserys briefly told them about his encounter with the Hound, how he had fled King's Landing, and how he had ended up staying with the Painted Dog Tribe.
Ygritte knew little about these people, so she paid it no particular mind. She simply turned the venison and listened as though it were a story, occasionally looking up at Viserys without interrupting.
When Jeyne heard the Hound's name, however, her hands involuntarily slowed. As she listened, the skewer of meat nearly slipped from her grasp.
When she and Sansa had been held in King's Landing, they had often seen the Hound. His shoulders were always slumped, hideous burn scars crawled over half his face, and a vicious air clung to him. Even when he spoke, he did so through gritted teeth, his