Wil was visibly relieved when Elizabeth explained that she would not abandon him. He went on to steel himself against the pain that would likely follow the bandaging of his wound, though he was immensely grateful for the help. He also felt terrible about the fact that she had to ruin her dress in the process, but that was a discussion for another time. If there was another time.<br/><br/>She tightened the bandage in a way that gave Wil confidence – clearly this wasn’t the first time she had helped with an injury. This was not surprising since noble women often led or were involved in first aid for their family members. After all, who better than to sew up a wound than an expert seamstress? In a noble household there were plenty of opportunities for injuries and infections due to all of the fighting and mock fighting that took place. Those few knights who lived to a ripe old age were undoubtedly indebted to their wives and daughters for that privilege. In that moment Wil hoped that were the case for him, and that she would indeed be the wife who kept him going.<br/><br/>The bandaging was painful but necessary, and Wil saw it as an act of compassion that he hoped to repay one day. The intimate process also served to strengthen the bond of trust between them. Wil smiled at her even as he clenched his teeth – as happy as one could be in such a situation.<br/><br/>When she asked if he could ride Morningstar Wylyam’s expression was doubtful.<br/><br/>“Lighthead’d Ah am…” he explained simply, saving his strength. “But wi’ yer help… aye.”<br/><br/>Wil needed assistance to stand. As he rose Morningstar approached on his own accord, showing Wil his left side. With more help from Elizabeth Wil managed to barely got himself over. Dizzy and feeling ill, Wil removed his foot from the stirrup to allow her to mount as well. While they suddenly found themselves in possession of two horses once again, Wil did not feel confident enough to ride alone. He hadn’t forgotten about her hurt ankle and what that might mean for her – but they had little choice in their predicament.<br/><br/>When she was in the saddle with him Wil put the reigns in her hands, symbolically passing along the responsibility of riding to her. His right arm by then was numb, tingling and hanging limply at his side; so he wrapped his left arm around her for support. Once she had adjusted the stirrups to an appropriate height they were away.<br/><br/>The dizziness Wil was feeling only got worse with the bouncing of the horse and he eventually began to see stars. He wanted to speak to her about how he felt – about how much he loved her and was grateful for her kindness – but his words only managed to escape as a low moan. His grip on her slowly loosened as they went on, and he slumped more and more over her shoulder. With Lake Palace finally in full view Wil’s left arm finally went limp. Wil exhaled deeply and began to slide out of the saddle, unconscious.