The 30 most heartwarming moments on Game of Thrones

16. Arya tends to the Hound’s wounds (“Mockingbird”)

SARAH: Following a scuffle with two of Jaqen H’ghar’s former cellmates in Season 4’s “Mockingbird,” Sandor ‘the Hound’ Clegane recounts to Arya the story of how his elder brother Gregor burned his face when they were children. If we recall, Petyr Baelish once told Arya and her sister that the Hound would be furious if anyone mentioned that story to his face. It’s also clear that he had no desire to speak of it. So why did he?

This scene actually tells us more about the Hound’s relationship with Arya than his relationship with his family. Let’s examine it more closely. Arya is watching the Hound’s poor attempt to stitch up a nasty wound in his neck, and offers to assist him by burning away the corrupted skin. As she approaches him with a burning branch, Sandor jumps to his feet and shouts at her. What’s important is how Arya reacts. She is visibly upset by his outburst—that’s understandable, given that she was trying to help him. This reaction is, I believe, what motivates Sandor to explain his terror of fire to her. He is ashamed of his fear, but more importantly, he doesn’t want her to be upset.

The most powerful words in this scene are the ones left unspoken. The truth is, Sandor Clegane has learned to care deeply for his young hostage, even though he begrudges her for making him care. “No reward’s worth this much trouble. I wish I’d never laid eyes on you,” he bitterly complains, knowing in his heart that he will keep on protecting her indefinitely. The reward he hoped to accept for bringing her to safety now means less to him than her actual safety. In this scene he is trying, in his unrefined way, to let her know how he feels.

Arya listens in silence to his story, and the scene ends with her washing and stitching the wound herself. It’s as close as two broken, lonely, suffering people can get to mutual affection, and as we’ve pointed out before, this is another scene that is made stronger for its lack of overt emotion.