Editing Sandor Clegane (section)

===''A Game of Thrones''===
[[File:Jim Pavelee The HoundII.png|thumb|The [[Hound]], by Jim Pavelee © Fantasy Flight Games]]
[[File:Cristi Balanescu Lashing Out II.png|thumb|The [[Hound]] and the [[Gregor Clegane|Mountain]], by Cristi Balanescu ©]]
Sandor guards Prince [[Joffrey Baratheon]] when the retinue of King [[Robert I Baratheon]] travels to [[Winterfell]]. When [[Bran Stark]] is comatose after a fall, Sandor offers to silence the [[Summer|boy's direwolf]] when Joffrey complains of its howling.{{Ref|AGOT|9}}

While Robert's retinue is returning to [[King's Landing]], Joffrey dismisses his bodyguard so the boy can explore the [[Trident]] with his betrothed, [[Sansa Stark]]. The prince is wounded by [[Nymeria (direwolf)|Nymeria]], the direwolf of Sansa's sister [[Arya Stark|Arya]], however.{{Ref|AGOT|15}} When Arya goes missing, Ser [[Jaime Lannister]] and Sandor lead searches for her north of the river; the girl is eventually found by [[Jory Cassel]]. Sandor earns the enmity of Arya by acting on [[House Lannister|Lannister]] orders to kill her friend [[Mycah]], the son of a butcher, who is believed to have harmed Joffrey.{{Ref|AGOT|16}}

Sandor rides well during the first day of the [[Hand's tourney]], unhorsing Lord [[Renly Baratheon]].{{Ref|AGOT|29}} After that night's feast, Joffrey has Sandor escort [[Sansa Stark]] back to the [[Red Keep]]. Drunk, despite the final jousts the next day, Sandor becomes enamored with Sansa. Angry that she cannot look him in the eye due to his disfigurement, he mocks her for her polished manners, calling her a "little bird" who chirps on command. Sandor reveals to Sansa how his face was burned in childhood, then threatens to kill the girl if she tells his story to anyone else.{{Ref|AGOT|29}}

Renly wins a hundred [[currency|golden dragons]] from Lord [[Petyr Baelish]] by betting on Sandor against Ser [[Jaime Lannister]], and the Hound advance to the finals. Sandor saves Ser [[Loras Tyrell]] from the wrath of his brother, Ser [[Gregor Clegane]], during their joust. He fights heatedly with his brother, but kneels when King Robert commands them to stop. Loras allows Sandor to be the champion without a final joust, and the Hound is cheered by Sansa and the [[smallfolk]].{{Ref|AGOT|30}}

Joffrey and Sandor are among Robert's retinue when the king goes hunting in the [[kingswood]],{{Ref|AGOT|43}} but the prince and his bodyguard return to the capital after Robert decides to search for a monstrous boar.{{Ref|AGOT|43}} The king is eventually mortally wounded by the boar.{{Ref|AGOT|47}}

When Lord [[Eddard Stark]], the [[Hand of the King]], attempts to take Cersei and her illegitimate children into custody with the help of the [[City Watch of King's Landing|gold cloaks]]—unaware that Commander [[Janos Slynt]] is already under the employ of the treacherous Lord [[Petyr Baelish]]—Sandor participates in the widespread slaughter of Eddard's remaining [[House Stark guards|household guard]] alongside his erstwhile allies, personally killing [[Cayn]].{{Ref|AGOT|49}} The Hound also takes [[Jeyne Poole]] into custody, placing her in Sansa's room, after breaking down her door with a warhammer.{{Ref|AGOT|51}}

Sandor laughs when Ser [[Barristan Selmy]] is dismissed from the [[Kingsguard]], and the Hound is named as his replacement despite refusing to become a [[knight]].{{Ref|AGOT|57}} Sandor is often assigned to watch over Sansa, and despite his gruff manner, he treats her with kindness and tries to spare her from Joffrey's sadism. When Joffrey orders Ser [[Meryn Trant]] to beat her, Sandor delicately dabs Sansa's bloody lip.{{Ref|AGOT|67}} Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] disapproves of Sandor's appointment to the Kingsguard upon learning of it.{{Ref|AGOT|69}}