Determined grey eyes stood watch of the keep below as darkness fell upon the horizon. An unsettling feeling crept up his spine with each waiting minute and his heart fluttered.
Something was wrong.
He turned to look at the row of men behind him. Ready and willing to bring down the man that caused so much grief and heartache. Battlehardened faces looked at him as they stretched and fixed their weapons and armor.
He watched Haroun, Collin and his men come closer and do the same.
"Are we ready?" he bellowed.
The clinks and gruff hurrahs followed.
He steadied the anxious stallion beneath him rearing him to face forward.
Mounted and ready for the fight in a blood curdling shout they bolted from thick forest down hill towards the keep.
Hoof beats on the ground resonated like the rumble of oncoming thunder from the clouds. With quick gallops dodging and swerving bushes they were face to face with the open entrance and with a force they charged through catching those walking in the courtyard by surprise.
They peeled in like a swarm of angry wasps and a battle ensued.
One by one each engaged in combat as steel against steel met and grunts and blows were dealt.
He had already taken down four before him, he was anxious to get to Brienna but he couldnt, the courtyard was thick in battle. One after the other, men spilled from the greathall and ran towards them.
And every corner had its group of men scuffling.
Screams and cries grew louder and women from every part of the keep ran for the entrance to escape.
Edward bypassed his last two with a quick swipe of his sword cutting them down and ran as quick as he could for the entrance to the hall.
Pushing against those that were escaping he made it through. Running for the stairs he skid to halt in time to see Defoe and his heart dropped. He held Brienna as a human shield before him, sword in hand at her neck.
**~*~*~*~*~**
"We're under attack," the guard yelled.
With an oath he looked up and watched the guard spin and run out.
He stood abruptly dragging Brienna up with him towards the open window that had a clear view of the courtyard.
Her heart dropped looking at the scene below as men peeled into the courtyard and fought. The fires lit in small heaps gave light enough for her to see who was there and all the familiar faces were ensued in a fight. The one face that graced her dreams many nights and that made her feel safe and loved, jumped from his stallion, with stealth and deadly force as he took down one after the other.
"Gavin!!!" she breathed.
Before she knew what she had done Defoe spun her around and wrapped his hand around her neck in a painful squeeze and shook her.
"So you can talk you bitch, is it you who they are here for?" he roared.
Staring at him, he saw a sparkle of a triumphant glare from her eyes.
"No, they are here for you," she spoke ardently.
With one last nervous glance out the window he turned and grabbed her, shoving her through the door. A tight grip on her hair, he dragged her down the steps with him.
Before they cleared the last steps to bolt across the greathall ,he dragged her before him as she saw Edward stop infront of them.
The cold steel of the sword pressed tightly against their throat. Her heart raced and thumped in her chest with fear. Her eyes filled with tears as she saw Edward come close with sword drawn.
"Let her go," Edward hissed.
The rumble of a laugh came from Defoe at her back as she struggled to free herself from his hold.
Excruciating pain radiated from her head as he pulled her head tightly back and pressed the blade tighter to her throat.
"How noble, already one comes to your rescue," he mused.
She felt his grip tighten, quickly she stopped fidgeting and saw the growing shadow in the dark corner come forward. As quick as they appeared she screamed when they came close to grab Edward.
"Edward look out," she screamed.
Quickly they cornered him and disarmed him. Struggling to get free they dragged him to the entrance doorway of the greathall, facing the courtyard.
Defoe cursed because all of his men were outnumbered and going down quickly before his eyes.
He began to panick because the very few that still stood were too drunk to defend themselves.
Immediately the unfamiliar faces stopped and gave him a hateful glare. But eyed the girl before him.
They all knew her! he cursed.
Finally the one that looked like their fierce overlord cut his last opponent down and turned to look at them. He stood with a murderous glare and in shock as he recognized who stood in his courtyard along with his men.
The Earl of Ravinhurst.
He walked close and stopped immediately as he saw Defoe tighten his grip on Brienna.
"Unhand my wife," he roared.
His voice vibrated throughout the courtyard in an echo that chilled him to the bone and brought the loud scuffle in the courtyard to a halt.
She struggled and he pulled her back.
The soft laugh from behind her came.
"It seems I have something valuable the Earl wants," he hissed in her ear.
"What is it so special about you my sweet, that a legion of men would readily risk their lives for you," he questioned mockingly.
He watched Gavin creep closer and squeezed her mercilessly that she cried out in pain.
Gavins eyes never left hers as they filled with tears, his gut ached and his face twisted with rage.
The look in her eyes suddenly changed with Defoe's taunts and laughter.
He eyed Haroun and Collin as they stood with swords still drawn facing Defoes men.
Defoe had no clue what he was up against or who he held before him.
Gavin looked at her at that moment and a look came from her as her gaze passed over the rest of his men.
The sly remark from his lips enraged Brienna that she whispered something back.
"The fact that I am his wife, and the daughter of Lord Du'Montclief will do it," she whispered heatedly.
He stiffened and whirled her around to look her in the eyes. Like a kick in the gut his eyes widened as he gazed upon her face in stark shock. As if seeing someone return from the dead he shook his head and sneered at her.
"I thought I left you for dead," he stepped back.
"Obviously it wasn't so, sorry to disappoint you," she retorted.
He extended his sword.
"Well I guess I wont make that mistake twice," he growled through clenched teeth.
Cooly she saw over his shoulder Edward as he stood alone. Defoes men that held him at some point disappeared.
Quickly he bellowed her name and tossed her a sword.
With all the grace she had, she caught it in her hand and she faced Defoe.
All eyes were on them. Gavin furrowed his brow that no one came forward to stop them or intervened. As if they knew not to.
Everyone stood still to watch Defoe square off with Brienna and even if he did manage to get past her, there were willing swords ahead of him ready to kill him.
They cirled one another in a slow menacing stance that worried Defoe.
Gavin kept a keen eye and glanced over to everyone, as they stood their ground and watched intently the two of them.
She stepped away from his first attack intime to clip his sword. She moved with so much fluidity, he could barely catch her and Gavin saw Defoes' anger increasing with his swings and lunges.
***~*~*~*~*~***
" If you are nervous or frightened, your opponent may try to take advantage of your lack of confidence and attempt to goad you into making a fatal mistake." Gavin whispered.
She swirled and ducked away from the swoosh of the tip of the sword over her head. He wasnt going to best her, she won't let him. He deserves no mercy.
She slammed her sword fiercely down with all of her might and he was slowly but surely getting tired.
Not letting up was proving to be his upperhand as he barreled down on her as well and with so much fury and anger he finally got close enough to back hand her to the ground.
All jumped to attention and lifted their swords in alarm then moved in closer as they saw her fall to her side. Immediately Gavin stepped forward but was held back to his surprise by Haroun and Collin by his side. Their glares met his disapproved one as he glanced over towards Brienna. He was severely worried and if this did not end soon, heads were going to role.
Stunned she shook her head.
"Your body is a weapon and anything around you can be a weapon. There is no reason a sword fight should be restricted to your blade. Use whatever you can to win."
Looking at the ground, she grabbed a handful of gravel and dirt as quickly as he lunged for her blade in hand she inched away and slammed the dirt in his face.
Quickly he shouted a curse and his hands went to his face, she swiped down across his arm that held his sword.
Tears fell from her face as the rage increased in her blood at the images from her past swam through her mind of all what he did. He was finally going to pay. With all her strength she swiped again slicing his back sending him to his knees in blood curdling howl.
She finally faced him with the edge of her sword at his heart.
He was a defeated mess of a man before her still clawing at his face trying to get the sand out of his eyes.
When he felt the tip of her sword dig into his neck, he stiffened. Pressing it hard he swallowed nervously and a trickle of blood dripped down his neck.
"If I kill you I will leave no satisfaction for the rest that want to see you dead as well." she cried.
" T'would be too easy of a death for you, for what you did. You decimated an entire keep and caused heartache and suffering to thousands. I hope you rot in hell." she dashed away a tear.
"Its better if all watched you be drawn and quartered and that you suffer a slow agonizing death for all the pain you caused," she cried.
With that said the hilt of her sword slammed into his neck hard enough to render him unconscious.
They all watched him crumple to the floor.
She stepped aside as two of the kings guards came forward and tied him up.
The loud hurrahs rumbled through the courtyard as he was dragged away followed by his men who were taken as prisoners by the rest of the kings men.
They all celebrated and hugged one another a full throll of claps and shouts with clanking metal.
She turned to walk through the crowd that came forward. She noticed for the first time that the morning light was rising above them all. She stood a few feet away from silver eyes that held her in his gaze.
She could not read his expression and she nervously walked towards him.
Silently she stood before him as if waiting for him to chastise her for what she did. But, he did none of that.
He did even better.
He closed the space between them and pulled her in for a passionate kiss.
Slowly she pulled away and looked into his eyes confused and flushed.
"Are you not angry, milord?"
"Very, because you could have been hurt and put our child at risk," he spoke.
She furrowed her brow and shook her head more confused as ever.
"But...mylord im not..." she trailed off.
The morning sickness, the light headedness....she thought.
She gasped and placed her hand on her abdomen. She slowly looked up to him.
"Naan told me," he smiled softly.
And it all made sense to her now.
He bent and kissed her again.
Without hesistating Gavin bent and picked her up into his arms and took her home.