It was nightfall when she neared the courtyard. She knelt before a large boulder and watched the armed guards walk and survey the area.

She observed the lapse of security at certain intervals as some men took off into the greathall and others sat around and drank. The few guards that did walk around did so poorly by walking off to the far end leaving the entrance alone for a brief moment.

Slowly she bent and crouched low. Her heart pummeled in her chest when finally she had the chance in her favor. As fast as she could, she ran through the entrance and stuck to the shadows of the outer walls. The keep itself as she could see was indeed a crumpled mess.

The hearty laugh of two men followed by a soft scream came from the sides of the greathall entrance. The soft cry and plea from a girl was followed by a gruff curse after another voice told him to go stand watch and leave her.

She watched as the guard shoved her to the floor angrily as the other followed him leaving her there.

Looking both ways she felt sorry for her and walked quickly through the darkened courtyard to her side and helped her up.

The poor girl yelped in fright and pulled away.

Immediately Brienna pulled her back down and clamped her hands over the girls mouth.

"Shhh!!!, please I won't hurt you," she blurted out in a nervous whisper.

Slowly she felt the girls tenseness ease.

"I mean you no harm, I need you not to scream, do you promise?" she asked.

The girl slowly nodded.

Relieved Brienna sat before the girl.

"Mm..my name is Brienna Du'Montclief, I am the daughter of the late..." she trailed of as the young girl gasped and inched closer.

"You're the late Barons daughter!" she leaned forward as if observing a woodsprite.

Frowning Brienna inched away from the girls gaze.

Quickly she regained some composure and averted her gaze apologetically.

"Forgive me m'lady for being so direct," she whispered.

Brienna's heart sank.

"How do you know me?" Brienna questioned.

With a hesitating stare the young girl looked around and leaned closer.

"I lived in the village near the outer walls of Forsythe. My father tended to the Barons lands and livestock" she spoke softly.

"The day of the attack they entered the village as well and killed most of the men and kept the woman and children.  Mostly the younger girls were taken by his men and brought here to .....serve them," she lowered her head in shame.

Brienna shook her head at the horror and reached out to hold her hand.

"What is your name?" she asked her.

She looked at her with a shy smile.

"My name is Rowena," she whispered.

With a squeeze and nod of her head Brienna inched closer.

"Rowena I need you to listen closely, I need your help," Brienna spoke low.

"I need you to bring me servants clothing or anything that can make my appearance seem like I belong here."

Confused Rowena leaned closer.

"Aye, but mistress whatever for?"

"I need to change out of these clothes, these guards will know I don't belong here."

"Mistress, why do you want to be here? Tis dangerous."

"I've come to get close enough to Defoe so I can confront him and make him pay for what he did."

"You mean to confront him, m'lady ? that is madness, you can get yourself killed," Rowena gasped, her large brown eyes wide with fright stared at Brienna.

Although,  Brienna could not quite get Rowena to accept her dangerous ploy, she made it clear she planned nothing else but that and no one will stand in her way. She was relieved when Rowena left to find what she needed. She sat back with her back against the cool stone and waited for her.

When Rowena returned with the clothing she watched in awe as Brienna as swift as she could  discarded her clothing and changed with little help. She gasped as she saw the gleaming light of a blade of jeweled dagger afixed to her upper thigh  and snuggly tightened.  Swallowing hard she looked nervously around and turned to look at Brienna.

"Milady, please reconsider tis far too dangerous," she whispered frantically.

Shaking her head she gathered her clothing and bundled it into small roll.

She dashed away a tear.

"I can't Rowena, I have sat around long enough and thought this through, he must pay for what he did."

                  **~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The day had already fallen and nightfall was around them as they sat and planned their attack. They were met with men willing to join the cause and finally bring Defoe to his knees.

He sat and listened to their methods and strategy but, all he could do was sit and think of Brienna and how she was.

His mood and sense of helplessness insighted fury causing him to lash out at all those around him, even worse when Talbot was returned to him and  no word of Brienna .

"So I can go in because I have been in there before and check up on her," Edward said.

Looking at Collin and Haroun their worried gazes looked at Gavin as he too listened to their plans.

"I want her out of there when we attack, I want her safe and out of harms way," Gavin gave the order.

"But milord, she will not give in that easy, and we cant risk suspicion by forcing her to leave," Collin explained.

"I said, I want Brienna out of there when we attack. I want my wife and child out of harms way." he ordered loudly before storming off.

Collin and Edwards eyes widened with such news .

              **~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

She followed Rowena through the dim lit greathall. The musty and dank smell curled her stomach. It was indeed a den of ill repute. Malnourished dogs fought in a nearby corner over a bone tossed to them by one of the guards. The gruffs and pants followed by a soft cry in another corner astonished her to shed tears at what she was seeing. She looked away as Rowena stopped to look. She turned to look at Brienna.

"Forgive me m'lady,  you dont need to see this." she cried tugging at her to walk another way.

Refusing to move Brienna dashed away a tear and watched the large animal of a guard ravish one of the servants. Fury grew in her with an urge to kill him. Soft hands held her in place and Rowena begged her not to do anything rash.

"This is what we have to endure m'lady, " Rowena sobbed.

They saw him roll off the girl and slump to his side.

She slowly sat up and stood holding her tattered clothing in her hands to cover her bare breasts. As if in a trance she trudged near them until she blinked and saw Rowena and fell into her embrace and wept.

"I must get all of you out of here," Brienna whispered frantically.

Rowena looked at her and shook her head. "We cannot leave, they will simply just drag us back here. The punishment for escaping is much worse," she cried softly.

Rowena led them to a starewell that led to the upper floors, slowly they walked up the crumbling stairs. The corridor was dark and eerie. They stopped at a neaby door where Rowena knocked twice paused then twice again, as if signaling whoever was on the other side it was her.

They waited a while and anxiousness pulled at her. Slowly the door creaked open and they entered. She entered and was met with an ill-lit room, cots askew in every corner with frayed worn bedcloths and young woman sleeping on them. Some sat up in fright and huddled in a corner. She counted a good 18 of them not counting the few that were drunk and thrown about on the floor next to the guards below.

She looked up at the cobwebs that hung from the ceiling and felt the slow chill from the nights air drifting through the boarded window. Her heart sank at the nightmare they were living in.

She felt the soft hand at her shoulder and turned to watch the few girls stand and offer her their cot to sleep on. All of this was too much to take in, she did not know how they could endure this and stay alive.