It was such a relief to see that they were finally approaching the castle. It was only a bit further after all, but the adrenaline had worn off long ago and he really couldn't keep going for much longer. 

...or at all, apparently, since he found himself tripping over a root and falling right on his face. It hurt, but after the initial shock, he hoped that Katherine wasn't also injured. Even though he couldn't break his own fall, he was pretty sure that he had managed not to drop her, so perhaps it wasn't too bad. He didn't think that he could continue in the same way they had been, though; his muscles couldn't handle any more.