She awoke in a room lit with many lanterns and candles. There were other young women with her, some staring in to space, lost in their thoughts, while others huddled in corners, weeping and hoping someone, anyone, would hear their cries. It was then that she remembered what had happened at her home, her parents were dead and she was in a strange place, feeling more alone then she had ever felt in her life. She must have fought, yet she didn't remember, but there were bruises and cuts on her silky skin. what was this place, where was she? She asked one of the other women, but it fell upon deaf ears and blank, staring eyes. The room had no windows and the stench was almost unbearable. She looked from woman to woman and it was then that she noticed not a one wore clothes. She looked at her own body, and like the rest, she was naked. she had been stripped of her clothing and instinct told her to cover her bare nakedness. She brought her legs tightly together and covered her chest with her hands. Why had she been brought here? She looked around for a door and found it. She arose and walked to it, turning the knob, it was bolted tightly shut, locked from the outside. She yanked on it, screaming for someone to help her, but her screams were useless, no one who could help her could hear her. She collapsed in a crumbled heap to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, praying for release from this prison that held her. Days past, maybe weeks, she did not know anymore. She saw new women brought to the room, she saw women who were dragged out of the room, never returning and she wondered where they had been taken and what had become of them. She thought about the time it would be her being dragged from this room. Would she be killed as her parents had or was there some other plan for her? How many days had it been since she had bathed, how many days since she had laid her tired body on a soft bed instead of a cold, hard floor? She felt fear of what was to become of her. everyday the men came and took women from the room, when would they take her, and where? She heard the door open as she sat up, looking at the six men who entered. She watched fearfully as they looked around, grabbing what she was sure they thought the best of the lot. One brutal looking man looked down at her. He smiled and she looked at him with pleading eyes, begging him to pass her by, but he did not. He grabbed her arm and pulled her up, she fought, kicking, swinging her arms at him, she grabbed his hand and bit him hard. He yelled out, cursing her. He back handed her across the face and grabbed her hair, pulling her outside the room that had held her captive for so long. Once outside the room, she realized it had not been a room at all, but a small cottage. She was outside and she filled her lungs with fresh air, breathing deep and long. She stopped fighting and looked around as he pulled her along by her upper arm. He put her upon a horse and he climbed up behind her and they rode out into the country. Up ahead she could see another cottage, but nicer then where she had been brought from. The man got down from the horse and pulled her to the ground, shoving her up to the cottage door. Again he held her arm as he knocked. She saw a big man, heavy, with an unruly beard and long, dark, tangled hair appear. She watched as he looked her up and down and he smiled a toothless smile. She could smell the stench of much wine upon his breath. He was dirty and she could smell the horrible odor of the filth upon his skin. She watched as he handed the man holding her 2 pieces of silver and with that, he grabbed her and pulled her inside. He pulled her into his bedroom, throwing her on the bed, and he took her as he took her in all the days to come. Here she was fed only beans and water and she felt the fight and the strength leave her body and her spirit. Had her mother had been right? She remembered her mother's warnings and the words her mother had told her now echoed in the chambers of her mind..."silly dreamer." She cried herself to sleep. In her dreams, she saw Him, riding His cole black stallion toward her. He was here, He was coming for her as He had done so many times before as she slept. But even nightly dreams must end and she'd awake and He'd be gone, leaving her with only her thoughts. where was He, why didn't He come while she was awake? Was her mother right, was she a silly dreamer, did He really only exist in her dreams, would He never come and rescue her from the anquish she indured? "NO", she told herself, "He will come, I know He will." And she held on to her dream, refusing to believe it a silly dream. She felt her strength wasting away a little more each day. She realized did she not escape, she would die here so she awaited her chance. The season changed, it became cool at nights and she watched as the burly man who held her captive would go out into the day to chop wood. She decided that the next day would be the day she would make her escape. She felt as dirty as the man who kept her, used in a very unpleasant way. She smiled softly as she thought of her escape but where would she go? She didn't care, she only thought of her own sweet release. That night after he had his way with her, she slept, the first real sleep she had experienced since the night before her parent's deaths. The next morning she awoke to the sunlight streaming through the window, hearing the birds singing and of wood being chopped. It was time, her day had come. She pulled her weary, tired, battered body from the bed. She took the sheet and wrapped it around her. She walked to the back door, prayed it was not locked, turned the knob and sighed as it opened. She ran into the woods behind the house as fast as her weak legs would carry her and she didn't stop running and she didn't look back, but ahead. Ahead to a better time, a brighter tomorrow. She would seek her Knight, she would live her dream..... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TO BE CONTINUED~~~~~~~~~