The Jungle
"Nawat," Aly asked, "do you think we're going the right way?" Nawat looked over to Aly, he couls see the stress visible in her eyes and the way she walked and he sighed.
"Aly, my dear Alianne, I know you're worried but we will find her, even if this isn't the right way. We will get a sign, perhaps someone will have seen Dove. It will all turn out okay. I think we have travelled far enough today, let's look for somewhere to make camp." Aly nodded, she was glad Nawat had suggested they stop for the night, she had had an exhausting day and was only now feeling the effects of it. Aly trudged through the undergrowth, her eyes on the ground, as Nawat searched for a spot for them to make camp. They soon came to a small clearing that had enough space for them to sleep and they spread out their bedrolls.
"I'm going to see if I can find us some fresh game so we can save the dried food for emergencies, okay?" Nawat tucked Aly's short hair back and smiled at her, "Dove will be alright, don't worry too much." He then turned and, taking his hunting gear, walked back into the jungle. Aly sighed after him, she still worried, and she had so many things to worry about. She got up, stumbling around in her tired state, and found a few twigs and sticks to make up a fire, using her flint and steel to get it going. She then set up the spit which they would undoubtedly need, Nawat was a very good hunter, and sat back on her bedroll looking at Nawat's bedroll on the other side of the fire. Aly sat like that for a few minutes, just staring, but then she huffed and muttered to herself what a fool she was being before dragging her bedroll closer to Nawat's. Nawat walked into the clearing with two rabbits and wordlessly handed one to Aly to skin, not acknowledging that she had moved her bedroll so it were only a step away from his own. They didn't talk as they skinned the rabbits and then cooked them on the spit, they were both much too worried about young Dove being in the Trickster's clutches.
When Nawat woke in the morning Aly's bedroll was directly next to his and she had somehow managed to wriggle her way into his arms as they had slept. He smiled at the thought of sleeping with Aly in his arms every night, but his happy, content face quickly morphed into one of shock as Aly's hand brushed lightly over the bulge in his pants. Nawat groaned, clenching his teeth, and blushed bright red. The want that raged through his body now undeniable. But Aly's hand did not brush past again as it just wandered up to his bare chest and rested there. Nawat tried to focus on the birds calling, announcing that dawn had come, and the sounds of animals walking through the jungle not far away but there was only that one feeling of such intense desire that he had never felt before. Doing the best he could to ignore how much he wanted Aly, he began to stroke her hair whispering about the future they could have together because he knew she was asleep and would not hear.
Aly began to stir without Nawat noticing as he was so engrossed in describing the future they could have together. He had her wrapped in his arms, and as Aly half woke she snuggled in closer to the warm chest next to her, not quite realising what her sleepy self was doing. As she was half asleep, Aly was listening to the future Nawat was describing with such emotion, but when he mentioned Dove her mind became sharply awake and she jerked. Nawat stopped talking mid-sentence when he realised she was awake.
"Nawat, the sun is already above the tree tops! We have to get moving!" Aly scrambled about, trying to pack up her bedroll as quickly as she could until Nawat calmly put his hand on her shoulder.
"We're in no rush, we don't know which way Dove is, remember? Just be calm, Aly."