The emotional stress of the day had Belle sleeping soundly. After falling asleep she felt safe and the scent surrounding her was comforting. She woke up early in the morning, the sun was rising. For the first second she thought she had had the strangest dream. Then everything came back to her, then she remembered falling asleep... in that.... that man's arms. He was still there behind her, his arm resting on her but not around her. She felt something, a throbbing against her behind. Belle had never been with a man, never lived in a house with a man and didn't know what the feeling was. She gently moved her hand behind her to feel what it was, and her brain made her deduce it exactly as she felt it. She had him in her hand, he was throbbing, he was aroused.
"Are you awake?" she spoke out softly, mostly curious. She should have let go of him, but her instinct kept her hand there. She heard his deep calm breathing, felt him exhaling against the back of her neck. He was sleeping, but he was aroused. She started to move down to do what she had done twice now, almost like it was a reflex. But she stopped herself and started to think about it. She was looking at Rhoar's sleeping form, her motion to turn to get down had made him roll gently onto his back and he just lay there, naked, aroused... vulnerable. His armor, his weapons... were all right there beside their bed. Belle blushed to herself as she considered the blanket Rhoar had placed on the ground for them to lay on, 'their bed'.
Belle looked around and saw Jeanne looking back at her. She was observing Belle, half like she was curious to see what Belle would do. Belle had always been clever; Father Luke had told her many times. Jeanne was a leatherworker and seamstress, and very good at it but she knew her own limits. This was one of her strengths, knowing that others were better at many things she couldn't do. And Belle had made mistakes growing up but had been quick to learn. And now, Jeanne was at a loss, she too knew that they were prisoners but on the other hand, their captor was also their savior.
"What are you going to do?" Jeanne silently mouthed the words to Belle, who understood clearly her options. Should she grab a weapon and kiss their captor, or should she use her mouth and please him, so he could keep them safe. The village was silent here predawn and most likely the three women could sneak out of the village unnoticed, since Rhoar had brought them to a cottage at the edge of the village to rest there out of direct view of most people crowded up, tied up or just watched by a Viking or two at most times.
Neither Belle nor Jeanne realized that the decision was taken away from them, by Lise. She had woken up and she was still not old enough to think of the consequences of her actions but just went with her emotions. And even if her mother had tried to explain to her that this Viking, Rhoar had been good to them, and saved them from being hurt more than necessary, she hadn't seen the logic of this. In her mind, Vikings were bad, Rhoar was a Viking. While Belle and Jeanne exchanged glances, like they silently were debating what would be best to do, Lise had been awake too, and had only been focused on two things, the sleeping 'giant' and the weapons beside him.
Jeanne suddenly looked sideways drawing Belle's gaze along and they both watched frozen in awe as the thin young woman went for the weapons grabbing the hilt of a dagger and pulled at it. She had expected it to just slide out of its sheath with ease, because that was how knives usually were for people around here. But Rhoar was strong, and he had his gear made to be safe and secure, so he wouldn't drop a weapon or anything during combat, so things were securely fastened and took more effort to pull. This meant little to a man as strong as him but presented a big problem for Lise. As the dagger stayed inside the sheath as she was in motion and already moving towards Rhoar to stab him with the weapon before he could wake up. She just pulled his weapon belt along with her, delaying her motion but also the weight of the belt finally pulling the sheath off the dagger. The weapon was free, the weapon belt felt onto Rhoar, and he woke, and all three women saw again how almost absurdly to look at, how this big man was reacting.
He raised a hand and easily deflected the first feeble stab by Lise, that was delayed because of the sheath that hadn't let go as she had expected. Lise raised her hand again, nothing to hinder motions now and she stabbed with all her might. Jeanne was scared for her daughter, moved to her aid but too late to help with the attack. With one big strong hand Rhoar just caught Lise' hand holding the dagger and just stopped her mid motion. Holding her up with ease and even as Jeanne joined in, more to get Lise away in case there was trouble. Rhoar's other hand made a backhand slap that sent Lise off him, and he held onto her hand disarming it as she fell onto the ground beside him.
Jeanne was suddenly there facing the big man alone, never having meant to take any action but one second, she was behind her daughter the next she was gone. Rhoar sat up, a dagger in his right hand, his left hand having backhandedly slapped Lise aside, was now free and just grabbed Jeanne by her wrist and pulled her over his lap as he used the motion to get to sitting on the floor. He plunged the dagger into the floor right before her face with such strength that probably no man in town would be able to get this dagger out of the floor without using tools and lots of time.
Three sounds had been heard the last few seconds... the sound of Lise getting slapped, her groan as she was knocked away and the sounds of the dagger being rammed into the floor. Now a new sound could be heard clearly by all three women... tearing of cloth. Jeanne felt her skirts being torn and suddenly her behind and legs were exposed to the cool Spring morning air. Rhoar hadn't looked for Belle and Belle had made no move having been caught completely by surprise.
