As she began to fall ,  Kory lunged forward to catch her and almost did. She tumbled to the ground  and lay with her eyes closed. The princess was still in bad condition and needed much care. Kory squatted down and hooked one of his arms under her knees and his other arm under her upper back. He lifted her up and cradled her in his arms. The moonlight was upon her face as he gazed upon it. Kory spoke to her in a soft whisper.<br/><br/>“ Yes... They may come for us. Be that as it may .. I shall fashion a sling so that I may carry you easier and we will begin our journey in the morning .. There are wolves and many dangerous creatures of the night in the forest. I’ll stand guard with my sword at the ready as you rest .”<br/><br/>Kory could still see how weak she was . She’d suffered so much and would need much time and care. He carried her back to the weeping willow tree and placed her under it . As he lay her onto the soft bed of moss he kneeled and lightly kissed her cheek . “ Don’t worry. Just rest now. “<br/><br/>Kory took some cloth and rope from his leather pack. He sat next to Crystal and began to fashion a sling so that he could carry her upon his back . The sounds of the wolves as they howled at the moon kept him alert and an owl that hooted nearby told him that a well thought design should be planned.<a class="username" data-user-id="3881" data-username="@PrincessCrystal" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" href="https://blackdahliaroleplaying.com/members/3881/">@PrincessCrystal</a>