Jasper continued to ride and tried not to notice that he could feel his blood running down his back. Instead he tried to stay alert and figure out where everyone was. Yet as another arrow came out from no where and hit him he knew they were in trouble. there was more then one attacker and they were all along the path back to the castle, as if to make sure they killed him and her. Cursing, he forced the horse left and into the forest.He felt a arrow go past them but after a while not another arrow was shot and he slowed down the horse to a stop. "mariki? are you okay?" he asked softly as he kept her close. He was having a tough time focusing since he had lost some blood but he was going to make sure that Mariki was safe.

Her eyes stayed on the arrowhead sticking out from his shoulder. Mariki did not hear him talking to her as she started to faint. She wanted to help Jasper but he was already hurt because of her...again. The princess went limp in his arms as the intense feelings of guilt submersed themselves in her heart. Their near kiss at the lake seemed like a long time ago now. As they came to a stop, movement could be heard through the trees as their attackers decided to get closer.

Jasper cursed as he felt her go limp in his arms and held her closer to his chest. He was about to get off the horse when he heard them coming. Kicking the horses side, they bolted forward as his mind started to figured out where to go. After a while he knew exactly where to go and charged forward, towards what looked like dead end. But he knew better as he forced the horse to go forward and into a bushy area. Soon they came to a cave on the other side and Jasper relaxed. No one knew of this place, he knew this since this was his home and he had made sure no one could find it. Slowly sliding off the back of the horse, He picked up Mariki and gently layed her down before taking out out the arrow from his back. Smiling, he kissed her forehead, "your safe." he said softly before leaning against the cave wall and stroking her head gently.

She started to stir after feeling his lips brush her forehead. Mariki held onto his shirt as her blue eyes started to open slowly. Her eyes focused on Jasper as blushed and sat up quickly look over his wounds. "Your wounds!" Mariki started to rip her skirt into strips to tend to his wounds. The princess started to panic as she worried about her guard's wounds. Her eyes started to water as she worried about his injuries.

Jasper smiled as he saw her hold onto his shirt and held her close. When she opened her eyes, he chuckled softly, "dont worry, I think I will be fine." he said as he looked at her. When he saw the tears in her eyes he pulled her close to him. "i have been through worse, so dont worry." he said as he gently started to wipe her tears away. "are you okay though?"

Mariki blushed a little as he held her close to his chest. She looked at him as he spoke and smiled as he wiped away her tears. "Thanks to you for saving me, again." He'd only been in her presence for one day and he had saved her twice already. It seemed like she was getting closer and closer to her guard as time went on. But she grew more worried at his injuries as she blushed and moved away from him. "I'm going to tend to your wounds now. If you died, I'd be very sad." Mariki said softly as she looked at him with a loneliness in her eyes that nobody seemed to notice.

Jasper smiled as he held her close, "I was happy to save you." he said to her softly but then watched as she moved away from him. Hearing her and seeing the loneliness in her eyes, he nodded, "okay, you can tend to my wounds but I can promise you I wont die and I wont be dying anytime soon." he said and with that kissed her cheek. Turning his back to her, he slowly pulled his shirt up to show her his back. There were the wounds from the arrows, blood slowly dripping from them but there were other scars there. It was clear to anyone that this wasn't his first brush with death.

Her eyes went to him as he spoke and kissed her cheek. "I hope you keep that promise. Because I know there will never be anyone like you again." She said softly and started tending to his minor wounds first. Then she turned to the arrows still in his back. "I have to remove these arrows now." Mariki said near his ears so he could brace himself for the pain. The princess kneeled behind him as placed her hand on his back. "Brace yourself."

Jasper smiled hearing her, "I will defiantly keep my promise." he said as he felt her tending his wounds. He like the feeling of her nice touch on his back and then sighed when he heard her, "okay, just pull them quickly." he said as he closed his eyes, getting ready for the feeling of them being pulled out. He knew the feeling of them being pulled wouldn't' be a good feeling.

She took a firm grasp of the arrow in his back. "On the count of three. One." The princess closed her eyes for a moment. "Two." Mariki rarely had to tend such serious wounds but made it her duty to learn how to treat people. "Three." Her eyes closed as the arrow was pulled from his back. The arrowhead still attached to the shaft which was a good thing for Jasper's recovery. "Well, the arrowhead came out." She said softly as she tended to his wound.

Jasper closed his eyes as he waited for the pain and tried to focus on her voice as she counted. He then felt the feeling of it being ripped out of his back and closed his eyes more. Yet when he heard her, he relaxed and nodded, "didn't hurt as much as the first time." he said said softly as he kept his eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of her tending his wounds. "thank you for this, most of the times I tend my own wounds and it isn't that easy." he said softly.

Mariki looked at him as he spoke about tending his own wounds. "You're welcome. It would have been hard to treat these wounds in your back." Her hand went to an uninjured part of his back. "This other arrow I have to break before pulling it out." The princess told him softly as she placed a hand the arrow in his shoulder. She moved to his side since she saved the worst injury for last.

Jasper chuckled when he heard her, "yeah, i usually ended up hurting myself while I was tending to them." he said and closed his eyes as he felt her hand on his back. It was nice and he wished that she didn't have to repair him. "okay, I am ready for anything." he said as he waited for her to go at the next arrow.

Her eyes closed as she took a breath before looking at him. "One...two...three.." Mariki closed her eyes as she broke the shaft of the arrow then pulled the piece from his shoulder. The princess looked at her wounded savior as she tossed the arrow away. She started to tend his wound as she ripped part of her white under skirt to make a sling for his wounded shoulder. "You'll have to take it easy now. I don't want you getting hurt again." Mariki said softly as she heard thunder rolling in. "Oh no...rain..."

Jasper waited for it to be over and just focused on her touch and voice, trying not to think of the pain. But soon it was gone and he could fell her patching him up.Though when he heard her, he chuckled, "can't take it easy, I need to make sure that nothing happens to you." he said as he looked at her over his shoulder. But hearing the thunder, he sighed, "looks like we will have to stay here for a little while, is that okay with you?" he asked as he looked at Mariki.

She looked down at the ground after hearing his words and blushed a little as he spoke. "You can't do that if you get injured." Mariki heard the thunder grow louder before looking at Jasper and nodded. The princess moved closer to him as the rain started to come down. "I am since you're here with me." Her voice was soft as she leaned against the wall of the cave and looked at herself. Dirt and tears covered the once flattering gown she wore. The blonde strands of her hair astray thanks to the wind as they rode away from their attackers. Mariki moved so she could rest her head against his uninjured shoulder.

Jasper looked at her, "I can, even if I am injured I will protect you." he said softly as he watched her move closer to him. Smiling as he heard her words. ONce she had settled down next to him, he wrapped his good arm around her and pulled her close, partly to keep her warm and just to have her close. "thank you Mariki, for everything." he said to her softly as he looked down at her and then kissed her head gently, hoping that she wouldn't mind.

Mariki blushed more as he kissed her head and moved closer to him as he wrapped his arm around her. "Your welcome." Her eyes closed as she hid her blushing face from him. She just leaned against him as the thunder started to get louder as it got closer. The princess covered her ears before a flash of lightning scares her and moves closer to him.

Jasper smiled as he looked down at her and wished that he could hold her this close always. When she moved closer to him after the lightning went off, he kissed her head again. "don't worry, there is nothing to worry about, I will keep you safe." He said to her softly as he pulled her closer to him so that she was pressed up against him.

Her eyes opened as she felt his lips brushed her head again. "Thank you, Jasper." Mariki looked up at him as she spoke and blushed softly. She tried to ignore how close he was to her but it just made her heart race. The thunder and lightning flashed and made her jump as she pressed her body to him again.

Jasper smiled as he heard her and looked down, seeing a slight blush on her cheeks, "no need to thank me, I am happy to do so." he said softly and held her closer when the thunder and lightning went off. Kissing her head again, he started to rock her back and forth to try and get her to relax a little bit.

She felt his lips brush her head as she held onto him. Mariki closed her eyes as she tried to relax in his arms as the storm raged on. The castle was worried since both horses returned without their riders. And there was some blood on Snow Belle's saddle which got the castle in a huge up roar. The guards were dispatched to look in the woods for the pair.

Jasper continued to rock her back and forth as he kissed her head from time to time. Slowly he started to sing a soft lullaby he remembered from something but wasn't too sure what it was. All he knew was that he liked the song when he was little and it helped him relax and he hoped that it had the same effect on Mariki. Hopefully soon someone would find them.

Mariki opened her eyes slightly and smiled at Jasper as he hummed. The princess relaxed in his arms as she tried not to fall asleep. She stifled a yawn behind her hand as she blushed slightly. "Sorry. You must be tired, too." Her eyes went to his as she smiled a little.

The guards had trouble finding the pair due to the storm that seemed to be delaying their efforts.

Jasper smiled down at her as she yawned, "I am but I have learned to live without sleep for a while. You can sleep if you like, I will keep you safe." he said as he smiled down at her. But in the distance he heard feet and calling, it was very soft thanks to the store but he knew he heard something. Looking over at the opening of the cave he called out, "the princess is here! The princess is here and safe." looking back down at her, he kissed her head gently, "hopefully they find us soon."