An overwhelming and unfamiliar mix of emotions welled up inside Wylyam as she explained that his words had made her very happy – even in spite of their predicament. As they walked on, arm in arm, her sentiment led Wil to an amazing realization.<br/><br/>Wil had spent most of his young life trying to prove himself worthy to those around him; his reticent grandfather who held him in contempt for being a bastard; the unforgiving monks training him to become a Knight Templar; his father who cared more about his legacy than his child; and most recently Sir Dunlap with his extraordinary expectations. It seemed that none of these people were willing or capable of expressing much approval. All of these things drove Wil to develop an almost tireless work ethic and a superb focus in all things martial. Unfortunately, these factors also led him to have a subtle, ever-present, unconscious sense of unworthiness.<br/><br/>In contrast, fate had placed this woman in his path who not only accepted him but seemed to genuinely appreciate him for simply being who he was, despite all of his faults. He was able to make her happy without being perfect; and that made him incredibly happy in turn. As Wil struggled to make sense of all this Elizabeth’s feet suddenly slipped out from under her.<br/><br/>Instantly all of these thoughts disappeared and were replaced with an overwhelming sense of concern. He did his best to catch her, but he was too late and damage had been done: her left ankle had rolled and twisted.<br/><br/>Wil placed his arms under hers for support as he helped her to a fallen tree trunk. Given her permission, he next kneeled down to see if he could assist. As a knight in training, providing battlefield aid was something he was expected to do, and he had been trained appropriately.<br/><br/>After Elizabeth raised her dress enough to reveal her ankle, Wil slowly removed her slipper in order to look for any bruises or cuts. As he gently took hold of her shoe, it struck him that this was the first time he had ever removed an article of clothing from a woman – however innocent and necessary it was in that moment. He blushed to a beet red color and swallowed hard when he gently moved her delicate, naked foot in his hand. To his great surprise the touch caused his pulse to pound in his ears and he began to even feel a little dizzy. When done he gently placed her foot down without retrieving her shoe. Still blushing, Wil found it difficult to make eye contact and had to clear his throat before his words could find their way out properly.<br/><br/>“It’s a sprain, m’lady – naethin’ more. Ye will be fine wi’ rest. We will need tae lit ye aff it fur a while, and Ah woods loch tae wrap it up if ye will lit me. 'At will help wi' th' swellin',” he explained.<br/><br/>Assuming she gave him the OK, from the saddlebag he had been carrying over his shoulder Wil retrieved his second shirt, a clean white linen garment with long sleeves. He immediately began tearing it along the seams in order to create a long, contiguous wrapping – shrugging off any objection Elizabeth may offer. After gently taking hold of her foot again, Wil tightly wrapped what had once been a shirt around her foot, ankle, and lower shin, with him again turning bright red in the process. When it was done he seemed strangely relieved. Next he dragged over another section of the fallen tree to allow her to elevate her ankle.<br/><br/>“Fear not, Elizabeth, Ah will gie ye home,” he offered as he sat down beside her. “E'en if Ah hae tae carry ye out o’ this God forsaken forest in mah arms,” he promised before sighing. Still blushing, his eyes stared down at the ground as he wondered if she thought him to be a complete fool for his reaction to their innocent contact. Before anything could be said on the matter, though, suddenly the rotting log they had been sitting on collapsed and folded over itself.<br/><br/>Instinctively Wil shot out one hand to cradle the back of her head, hoping to soften thier inevitable, mutual landing on the forest floor. Unharmed, they then landed in such a way that Elizabeth wound up on her back with Wil hovering directly over her, resting on his elbows with his eyes locked and staring deeply into hers. Fate had suddenly placed them close enough for him to feel her breath on his face and to smell the sweet, gentle notes of her perfume. Unprepared for the intensity of this accidental intimacy, Wil’s mind ceased to function – completely unable as it was to form even the simplest of thoughts. Utterly entranced by the beautiful woman underneath him, instinct once again kicked in and allowed him to unconsciously do what he consciously could not. As long as she did not object in any way, Wil’s face descended slowly and inexorably, until his lips found hers in a gentle and decidedly innocent, long-awaited kiss.