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Beads of sweat ran down Sarah's spine as they rode under the scorching sun. They rode far into the night yet they were not even close to the next village. The only other option was to spend the night in the forest. Sarah shuddered at the mere thought of it. She considered enduring the ride until they arrived the next village. But they couldn’t see farther than in front of them

"We have to stop here" Daniel spoke up

Sarah nodded and allowed Daniel help her down. She followed him deeper into the forest in search of a suitable spot...

"What about this one?" Sarah pointed to the large oak tree on her left

"That one will do... Settle down, I will be back in a few minutes"

Sarah arranged their wrappers on the grass and began searching the bag for food. Halfway through eating, Daniel came back carrying a pile of wood.

"I couldn’t find much.. But at least we would be warm"

"I didn't even think of warmth for the night..."

"There it is..." the fire was already raging

They both sat down watching the flames each lost in thought. Daniel thought of how hard he was falling for her. She didn't even know half of how much he cared about her. Now that the barriers hindering intimate friendship between them were no more, he allowed himself to wonder if she felt the same way he did.

Daniel vowed solemnly to do all it took for Sarah to claim her birthright. Even if she may not reciprocate his feelings, he wanted her to be happy and fufilled. He felt something soft in his hands. Looking down he stared at the hand Sarah placed in his and wondered how it was still soft with all the hard work his mother put her through. He squeezed her hands wishing he could just come out right and tell her how much he loved her but he couldn't. Not when there was a possibility of her rejecting him. Being near her was enough for him.

*******

Daniel woke up the next morning to see Sarah shivering beside him. She was struggling so hard to keep her teeth from clattering. Her temperature was burning hot.

Daniel rushed to where their bag was and poured out water into a bowl. He dipped a small towel in water and began touching her forehead "Sarah are you awake"

A small groan was the only response he got

"You are going to be alright"

Sarah nodded as her teeth was shaking too much for her to talk. After a while of touching her forehead with a damp towel he remembered that Ule gave them medicinal herbs. He emptied the contents of their bag and began selecting the ones he needed. With the left over wood from the previous night he prepared the medicine and helped Sarah drink it sip by sip. Daniel's arm was already protesting by the time she was done.

It was just some few minutes to noon when Sarah woke up. The cold had stopped but her temperature was still high

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired. I feel pains all over my body"

"Don’t worry your body is getting used to riding. You will be fine in no time" Daniel assured her or rather himself

Sarah eyes closed on its own after she took her medicine. Daniel spent his time driving away insects that tried to perch around her. Taking care of her like that gave him a sense of pride and accomplishment. He brushed her hair with his fingers, praying she get well soon.

The next time she awoke her temperature was almost normal and the pains had reduced. The first thing she noticed was the arm draped across her stomach and the other one in her hair. She smiled and snuggled closer to him.

Soon Daniel turned removing his arm from her. She immediately felt the loss but was comforted with the fact that she was now in perfect view of his face. Looking at him closely she was amazed at how handsome he was. She had never really looked at him from a close range before. She was either too shy or too afar off. Her fingers were itching to touch his face. No matter how hard she clenched them, they moved as though they had a mind of their own.

As soon as her fingers touched his face, tingles danced up her hand. Closing her eyes, she allowed them to move on their own accord.

When she opened her eyes again, a pair of eyes were staring back at her in amusement.

Sarah gasped in surprise and immediately withdrew her hand. "You have been awake all this while?" she asked him accusingly

"Maybe, maybe not. Even if am sleeping I would still feel your touch.. Because it’s special" he smiled at her

Sarah turned and played with the hem of her dress to hide her embarrassment. How could he be saying such sweet words to her? Was he just flattering her? No! She couldn’t lose her head now...not when she wasn’t sure of his feelings. She was still thinking when she felt someone wrap their arms around her from behind

"Am glad you are fine now" he whispered just below her ear

Sarah shivered slightly and turned in his arms "am sorry for delaying our journey"

"No, don't apologize. I enjoyed taking care of you and waking up to your touch was payment enough. I could get used to it" he teased

Sarah didn’t know how to respond so she hugged him instead and whispered a 'thank you'

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