He keeps walking. Much slower now, his breath getting heavier and heavier, and an ache in his arms as he keeps the girl close, until he can't anymore. In the burning bright sunlight, his strength gives out, and all he can do is try to not drop her onto the ground, sinking down in exhaustion.
He's unsure if they've made it far enough, if they are still in danger. But he cannot keep going, not until the sun will set, and there isn't even a hint of dusk's blush on the far horizon.
Halfheartedly, he pushes the girl off of himself, only cushioning her head in his lap, and takes a moment to truely look.
The darkness of their dungeon hadn't done her justice. Her skin no longer looks sickly pale, but flushed rosy and with life, her hair, even though dirty, a clear, shining bright, and shining in the sunlight like nothing he'd ever seen.
[i]What are you? [/i], he wonders, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her forehead. [i]Why couldn't I leave you behind? [/i]