<div style="text-align: justify;">Elizabeth felt a little awkward while herself and Wil moved around to find a good position. Everything about that situation felt strange. The idea of riding in a regular saddle. Riding with a man. Riding in such close quarters with a man. A man who was not a part of her family, or betrothed to her (at least not for now). But it was necessary, after all. There was no time for modesties when what was at stake were lives. <br/><br/>When Wil gave that answer to her question about bothering him, Elizabeth felt her cheeks burn and her heart warm. Despite their desperate situation, the young lady smiled at Wil’s words. “I would ride with you forever as well, Wil”, she replied with her usual kindness. “But should events unfold as we wish, we shall walk hand in hand forever, one day”. <br/><br/>After this comment, she allowed Wil to kiss her lips. Elizabeth knew that it wasn’t as proper of a behavior as it should have been. Yet, that moment felt so delightful Elizabeth forgot propriety for a few moments. Had it not been for the horse’s movement, she might have been in that other world for a little longer. Wil’s hand on her abdomen lit a fire inside the young woman, but she tried her best not to think too much about that. Her body threatened to slip off the saddle was enough to bring Elizabeth back to the real world, though, and she was grateful that Wylyam was paying more attention than she was, as it was his movement alone that stopped her from falling off.<br/><br/>“It was no fault of yours, Wil”, Elizabeth replied to the squire’s apology. Nodding when he said they should move, Elizabeth moved one hand so she could hold on to the higher part at the front of the saddle. That should help a little in keeping her balance, she hoped. Feeling Wil’s arm firmly around her waist lit that fire inside Elizabeth again, but she said nothing. It would not be proper to admit that she liked that contact, after all.<br/><br/>While they moved, Elizabeth kept looking around her. She wasn’t sure why they weren’t moving in a straight line out of the forest, but she trusted Wil. If he felt this was the right way to do things, so it was. When Wil said they would try cantering, Elizabeth nodded. She was familiar with the term, as her mother used to be very passionate about horse riding and had taught her some terms. And cantering did seem like a good idea in their current situation.<br/><br/>“As you prefer, Wil. I am in your hands now, and up until we reach home”, she replied, her voice soft and warm. “And hopefully, even after that…”, Elizabeth completed, her cheeks burning. At that moment, the world could end around them, and Elizabeth would not have noticed. While that distraction could be dangerous, it was stronger than the young woman.</div>