Wylyam exhaled haltingly at the suggestion that she had given herself over to his hands. Even the hint that she would release herself into his care caused another flood of emotion to wash over him. Knowing that he had little time to dwell on those feelings, though, without another word he whipped the reigns and the horse took off like a shot.<br/><br/>Within a few paces the animal was racing ahead at a smooth and even gait, reducing the impact on the riders compared to walking or trotting. As they went Wil suspected that this was faster than Elizabeth had ever traveled in her life, as she likely had only travelled riding side-saddle or in carriages. Still, if one of them had fallen off the horse it would have likely meant death or serious injury at that speed. With that in mind Wil decided to take no chances.<br/><br/>Once the horse was fully up to speed he released the reigns and continued to guide Morningstar with his knees, which was how the animal was trained to be driven during combat. Wil then wrapped both of his arms around the beauty in his lap. His strong embrace was firm enough to hold her in place but gentle enough to allow her to breathe, all the while avoiding contact with any inappropriate locations. Wil pressed his cheek up against hers to avoid their heads colliding at high speed; his 5-o’clock shadow scratching her slightly as they went. In that manner they sped away, his body enveloping hers, racing at death-defying speed across the green, grassy hills.<br/><br/>As they went it felt to Wil like they were flying. He constantly looked to her expression to see if she was doing OK, and he adjusted the horse’s speed according to her comfort level. The ride continued for at least thirty minutes at that pace until the faint spires of Lake Palace could be seen in the far distance.<br/><br/>“Home…” he said loudly so the she could hear him over the clamor of hoof-falls all around them.<br/><br/>Unfortunately their move into the open had not gone unnoticed. As they crested a hill a rider came into view on the peak of the next one; it was one of the brigands. Even in the distance the man’s unkempt armor and equipment were clearly visible. Unburdened by a second rider, Wil knew in an instant that they could not outrun him. Wil thought he saw an evil smile pass over the man’s face as he lowered his visor. Without any other option, the squire brought his horse slowly to a stop.<br/><br/>Once Morningstar was still Wil finally let go of the woman he was desperately trying to rescue. Unwrapping her from his arms, he grasped her hand and guided her foot to the stirrup on the left side of the horse. He certainly was not going to charge the brigand with her in the saddle.<br/><br/>“We can’t outrun heem, Elizabeth. Th’ only way home is throo heem,” he explained simply. With a look of concern written all over his face the young man helped her to the ground.<br/><br/>Wil’s expression was stoic as he desperately tried to communicate an air of confidence for both of their sakes. Since the brigand was wearing armor and carrying a spear, Wil knew that the odds were against him. Even as a well-trained squire approaching his majority, though, Wil was likely no match for an experienced former knight-turned-mercenary even if the younger man had proper equipment. Wil pushed those thoughts from his mind as he looked down at Elizabeth with soft blue eyes. He reached out to her and traced a path across her cheek with his fingertips as he spoke.<br/><br/>“Ah still hae yer favur,” he explained, pulling her handkerchief out from under his tunic with his other hand. “It shall brin' me luck, an' ye shall be home afair supper. But if nae … if… nae…” he said, struggling to find the words. “Know that Ah loove thee, Elizabeth Saville, wi' aw mah heart an' sool, an' every fiber ay thes body; Ah am yoors an' shall be. Forever.”<br/><br/>Blinking, his words were spoken with honesty and in the manner one would say goodbye.