A long but lovely journey

**Shaira's POV**

The days in the jungle stretched on, and the fatigue weighed on every step. However, Angro never let the exhaustion show in his attitude. His eyes remained ever vigilant, his body alert to any movement in the dense vegetation. From the moment we had escaped the camp, he had made it his mission to show me that under his care, I would lack nothing.

As we moved through the trees, I was surprised to see him stop and raise his hand in a signal for silence. With a focused expression, he crouched down and picked up a branch, inspecting the barely visible tracks in the muddy ground. "There are animals nearby," he murmured, casting me a confident glance that made my heart beat faster. "I'm going to get us some food. You stay here, and don't worry, I'll be back soon."

I nodded, knowing he had experience in this. The way his muscles tensed as he moved stealthily through the underbrush showed me a side of him I had only glimpsed before. There was strength and skill in every movement, but also a natural grace that made him seem like part of the landscape itself. As I watched him disappear into the thicket, I couldn't help but feel protected. At that moment, I realized that although the jungle was unforgiving, his presence made me feel safe.

Not long after, Angro returned with a triumphant smile and a pair of rabbits in his hands. "We'll eat well tonight," he said, proudly showing me the catch. He helped me gather some dry branches to start a fire, and with skill, he prepared the meat to roast. The aroma of the food filled the air, and the warmth of the flames surrounded us, creating a small bubble of comfort in the vastness of the jungle.

As the food cooked, Angro sat beside me, making sure I was comfortable. He placed his folded cloak under my head and, without my asking, wrapped a blanket around me to protect me from the cool night air. His attentiveness wasn't just an act of survival; it felt like care in every gesture, as if he wanted me to forget, even for a moment, how hard our journey had been.

"You know?" I said with a smile, looking at the fire. "I've never had a dinner like this… not even in my previous life." The words slipped out before I realized, and a slight chill ran through me as I remembered that much about my past still remained hidden.

Angro watched me in silence, his eyes glowing with the light of the flames. "I'm here to make sure you always have what you need," he replied, with that deep voice that conveyed a calmness that seemed unshakable. "And what I want to give you goes far beyond a simple meal in the jungle."

I blushed slightly at the intensity of his gaze. The tenderness I felt in his gestures disarmed me. Despite being surrounded by darkness and the dangers of the jungle, with him by my side, I felt capable of facing anything.

Finally, the meat was ready. Angro cut a piece and offered it to me, bringing it to my lips before I could reach out to take it. "Taste it," he said, with a smile on his lips. The warmth of the food and his closeness stirred a sense of intimacy in me that I hadn't expected. I chewed slowly, savoring not just the meal, but also the way he looked at me, as if I were the most important thing in his world.

As we continued eating, our hands occasionally brushed, and in each brief contact, a spark of desire ignited between us. It wasn't just about feeding ourselves; it was the way we shared that moment, the fire that shone in his eyes when he looked at me, and the unspoken promise in his smile.

After dinner, I curled up next to him, feeling his arm naturally slide around my shoulders. The sensation of his warmth made me forget, for a moment, how fragile our situation was. We were in this together, and in the darkness of the jungle, he became my refuge.

The night came with a sudden change in the weather. A sudden storm caught us off guard in the jungle, forcing us to seek shelter. The rain fell torrentially, and although we ran to a rocky outcrop rising between the vegetation, we were soaked and shivering by the time we arrived.

Angro quickly set about lighting a small fire with the dry branches he had stored in his bag, and soon the flames began to crackle, dispelling some of the chill around us. The jungle, dark and battered by the storm, seemed like an inhospitable world, but under that makeshift shelter, the warmth of the fire and Angro's nearness made everything more bearable.

"Come," he said, approaching me with a blanket and wrapping it around me. He sat down next to me, making sure the blanket covered him too. "We need to get warm before we catch cold."

The closeness of his body wrapped in the same blanket made me feel a surge of heat, not just from the fire. The sound of the rain hitting the leaves and the murmur of the wind through the trees created an intimate, almost magical atmosphere. For a moment, the idea of fleeing and being surrounded by dangers seemed distant, as if only what was happening between us at that moment mattered.

I nestled closer, letting his arm wrap around me, and rested my head on his shoulder. The slow rhythm of his breathing and the sensation of his hand stroking my arm were comforting. Without thinking, I looked up to meet his eyes, which gazed at me with a mix of tenderness and desire.

Angro tilted his face toward mine, and when his lips met mine, it was as if the storm outside vanished, leaving us alone in a small, burning universe. The kiss was slow, deep, full of the urgency and delicacy of two souls finding light in each other amidst the darkness. I felt his hand slide gently to my neck, his touch sending a warm shiver through my skin.

We pulled apart slowly, but our gazes remained locked. There was no need for words, only the mutual understanding that even if the world around us fell apart, this moment belonged to us. The rain kept falling hard outside, but under that shelter, time seemed to stand still, and the warmth of our bodies united was enough to ward off the night's chill.

"Thank you for taking care of me, Angro," I murmured, barely a whisper, feeling the gratitude mix with the love that pulsed in my chest.

"I always will, Shaira," he replied, his fingers brushing my cheek. "I won't let anything happen to you, not while I'm by your side."

The firmness in his voice was reassuring, but I also felt it awaken something inside me, something beyond the need for protection. There was a fire burning within, a spark that didn't extinguish, even in the midst of the storm. It was the certainty that, despite the difficulties, I had found someone to fight for, someone with whom I could face anything.

I nestled closer to him, letting the rhythm of his heartbeat calm me. There, wrapped in the same blanket, with the rain as our only witness, the love we felt grew stronger and deeper. I knew the jungle was dangerous, that the challenges were far from over, but at least for a moment, I found a refuge in his arms.

As the storm began to subside and the fire still crackled softly, we stayed silent, enjoying the shared warmth. Yet something inside me felt restless, as if the intimate and safe atmosphere had awakened fragments of my past, tiny glimpses of a life I had left behind.

"Angro," I murmured, breaking the silence, "I think I'm starting to remember things… not everything, but some details."

Angro looked at me with curiosity, his face reflecting both interest and concern. "What things, Shaira?" he asked softly, without rushing me to speak.

"I remember parts of my military training," I began, feeling the words come with difficulty. "They're just images and sensations. I remember running in open fields, the sound of gunfire in training, and the voice of an instructor yelling orders. He was strict… said only the best would survive." My eyes focused on the flames, as if I could see those memories projected in the fire. "And there's something else… a sense of loss. It's hard to explain, but I feel like… I lost someone."

Angro remained silent, giving me the space I needed. Then, his fingers brushed my cheek, guiding me back to his gaze. "You're remembering little by little, and that's good," he said in a reassuring tone. "Whatever that past is, we'll face it together."

The security in his words comforted me. I knew my memories were still like an incomplete puzzle, but having someone willing to walk by my side as I recovered them gave me strength. "And you?" I asked, wanting to know more about him. "Tell me something about your past. Something I haven't heard yet."

Angro lowered his gaze for a moment, as if considering his words carefully. Then, he looked at me again, a faint smile on his lips. "When I was a boy, I used to go hunting with my father," he began. "He was one of the best hunters in Zuwua, and he taught me everything he knew. We would go out into the jungle for days, just the two of us. He was the one who showed me how to read tracks, how to move silently, how to become one with the surroundings."

A shadow of sadness crossed his eyes. "When he died, I promised myself I would continue his legacy. That's why I became a warrior, although… the truth is, I've always preferred life in the jungle to life in the village. In nature, everything is honest; there are no deceptions. You know what you need to do to survive."

I moved closer to him, gently caressing his face. "I suppose that's one of the things I like most about you," I whispered, feeling the warmth in my cheeks. "No matter how chaotic the situation, you always seem to have a plan, always prepared."

Angro wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer. "If I've learned anything in these days, it's that having you makes me stronger, Shaira. I never thought I would find something or someone who gave me a purpose beyond my life in Zuwua. But now, what I want most is to protect you and make you happy, no matter what we have to face."

A knot of emotion formed in my chest. Angro wasn't just a warrior or a hunter; he was a man capable of loving with an intensity I had never experienced before. Although the future was uncertain and my memories remained fragmented, at that moment, I understood that our bond was strong enough to challenge any obstacle.

The fire began to die down, and the sky had cleared, revealing a blanket of stars shining above us. The storm had passed, as had many of our worries. In that instant, I felt that we weren't just surviving, but truly living in the midst of nature.

We stayed silent, gazing at the stars as the exhaustion of the days began to set in. I rested my head on his chest, closing my eyes and feeling the steady beat of his heart lull me. I didn't know what challenges awaited us the next day, but one thing was certain: I was not alone, and as long as he was by my side, I was confident that we would find a way to overcome any adversity.