"Wake up."

Cara groaned, rolling over.

"Wake up!"

Then there was a loud thump, everything went cold. Had she rolled off the bed? She frowned, cracking an eye open. No. She hadn't.

"Come little lady, the Lord Commander wants to see you."

"What!" She hissed. "It's the middle of the bloody night!"

The man wandered a little closer to her, she could just make out his features, he wasn't familiar. "Please, he said it's urgent."

"Did you pull my blankets off?" It was more of a warning than a question.

"Sorry, you weren't waking up...I didn't mean to make you fall off."

She growled quietly, pushing herself to her feet, gods the floor was cold. She flung her coat on and slipped on her boots. "Where is he?"

"Just out in the yard."

She rubbed her eyes, a sleepy haze still surrounded her, she hated it. The moon was bright outside, the silvery light was almost blinding. Cara squinted, she hated not being alert.

"Where is he?" Cara clenched her teeth, it was freezing.

"Just over here."

Cara felt every muscle in her body tense, there were at least four figures standing in the snow, but none of them were the commander. She didn't say a word, instead she silently reached for the dagger strapped to her calf.

The men were now wandering towards her, she tried to look unnassuming and distant. It would be easier if that way. "What is wrong?" Her voice was clear in the sharp night air.

A chorus of obnoxious laughing. One of the men stepped closer to her, then began in a sarcastic tone, "We're under orders not to touch you. Commander says you are the same as us, and we gotta respect that." He spat into the snow. "You are a woman." He laughed. "I have a bet you see, a bet that I can beat you in a fight."

"That's bullshit." Cara spat. "You're drunk, now kindly let me get back to sleep or I will be telling the commander about this."

"Ooh." The man at the front teased. His friends quickly followed suit, laughing drunkenly.

"Fight me, girl."He pulled out a shortsword, swaying in the process.

"Are you going to give me a weapon?" She lifted her dagger. "It will hardly be a fair fight."

One of the man's friend's tossed a similiar looking sword into the snow.

Cara gently picked it up. "Wouldn't you rather wait until you're sober? or would you like me to get drunk so we're even?"

The man swung his sword at her shoulder before she could say another word.

She darted out of the way, quickly blocking his next clumsy blow.

The men laughed loudly. She heard one of them shout. "Just stick the bitch."

She felt a sense of sick glee when she thought of the trouble these men would get in.

Cara could tell the man was a good fighter, not as good as her, but good. The drink, however, made him seem like a twelve year old who had picked up his sword for the first time. It was too easy, his blows were predictable.

The man struck at her stomach, she took a step back. Her boot slipped in the snow, then she was on her back.

She panicked and scrambled backwards, trying to get back on her feet.

The man's boot was suddenly on her chest. He pushed down hard, painfully hard. "Not so cocky now." He leaned closer to her. "I could kill you right now."

Cara spat directly in his eye, they sharply kneed him in the crotch. "Oh yeah?"

The man hissed, and jumped to his feet. "I'm going to kill you." He beckoned to one of his friends, they seemed to have forgotten about the apparent bet, their only concern now was beating her, then killing her, god knows what else. Cara wouold never let them get that far.

An arm encircled her throat, then there were men all around her, she felt somone lift her arms above her head, a knife was pressed against her throat. The man began yanking at her clothes, she felt one of her boots slip off. She felt a lump rise in her throat, she was going to scream, just as she opened her mouth the man clamped a hand over it. Cara kicked him hard, she thrashed, it made no difference.

Then there was a loud and sickening crunch, the man on top of her crumpled, she gasped, her breath escaping her. Then he was yanked off her.

Jon Snow stood in his place. "What the HELL is going on?"

The men around her quickly dispersed, her main attacker was unconcious.

Cara scrambled to her feet, straightening her coat and quickly slipping her boot back on. "They are all drunk, commander." She honestly didn't know why she was defending them.

"That's not an excuse." He growled at them. Then he frowned. "Why are you out here?"

Cara met his eye, "A man came into my room, woke me and said you wanted to see me."

A shadow passed across Jon's pale features. "Which man?"

Cara didn't answer for a second. Then she saw him, standing in the shadows, not looking the slightest bit guilty, maybe he thought because he didn't attack her then he wouldn't get the blame? Cara only nodded in his direction.

Jon stormed towards him, the man's demeanour almost instantly changed. "It wasn't my idea, I swear."

Jon didn't say a word, he was shaking slightly, she assumed from anger rather than the cold. Jon smashed his fist into the man's face and before the man could react he threw him to the ground and straddled his stomach. The he was throwing punch after punch, the man's face was covered in blood. Cara heard the man's cries of pain turn to grunts, but Jon didn't stop, he smashed at the man's face, each punch only seemed to make him angrier.

Cara dropped her knife and ran towards him. "Stop. That's enough."

Jon looked up at her his face was sprayed with the other man's blood and his eyes were ablaze. "Is it?"

She touched his shoulder. "Yes."

"They would've killed you."

Cara didn't answer, but Jon got the message. He left the man in the snow and stalked over to the others. "Deal with those two." He beckoned to the other unconcious man. "And I will deal with you lot tommorow."

The men wordlessly followed Jon's order.

"And you," he pointed at Cara, "are coming with me."

She sighed quietly and followed him. She had quickly learned to despise this place.

Jon led her to his study, Cara scowled at the slight pink glow in the sky. It was already morning.

She closed his heavy door. "What is it?"

A long pause. He didn't look at her. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's not your fault, anyway it's not like I expected a league of gentlemen, I knew something like this would happen...eventually."

"So you will stay?"

Cara scoffed. "I'm not some weak little girl, of course I will stay. I'm not afraid of them."

"You looked pretty afraid from where I was standing."

"I'm sure you would be too if half a dozen men had you pinned down with a knife to your throat." She raised a brow. "Anyway, I don't suppose such a thing will be happening again soon."

A little colour rose to his cheeks. He cleared his throat. "No I don't think it will, they will all be punished."

"Of course." Cara paused. "People make mistakes when they're that drunk, don't be too harsh on them."

"There's no other way. They have to learn." He growled. "Anyway I'm sure they knew exactly what they were doing. They just thought they could take advantage of the only woman here."

"What are you going to do to them?"

"That's no concern of yours."

"Fine."

Jon just stared at her for a long moment, he looked lost.

"What are you staring at?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't..."

"It's fine." She cut him off. "Is there anything else? I want to see if I can get a bit of sleep before dawn."

"Uh, yes. Just look after yourself in future."

She nodded, "You too. I don't think these men like either of us. It looks like we'll both have to sleep with one eye open."

His face drained of colour, he looked haunted for a moment. Then he seemed to regain himself. "Get some sleep, Cara."

She closed his door. A deep sadness filled her. Poor man.

Sorry for the lack of chapters for so long. I have been very sick. Please review, it really makes me happy.

I Hope you guys like this chapter!