Goldspell: Rare Earth Book One

Goldspell: Rare Earth Book One- Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Grounded... A Rise

"Time to wake up," Emerald's voice broke into Opren's dream. His reply was more of an incoherent grunt, but he was thinking 'not yet', trying to stay in the current dream. She pulled the blanket off of him quickly. "Come on! You wanted to get an early start so get up, sleepyhead." 

"But..." He yawned. "I was having a dream about-" Realizing what he was about to say, he closed his mouth, but he realized his lips were giving away the next word, despite his hasty silence. 

"Me," she finished for him, giggling a little as he nodded, feeling lightly stunned, especially still being half asleep. "You seem to think a lot of me, but don't act like the other men I meet. For one, you are the first to argue about getting me naked when your argument was to keep my clothes on around you. I like that about you. I'm glad we're friends." She kissed him on the mouth, obviously lingering for emphasis on what she was doing. "Was your dream anything like that?" 

"Th-no. No, that was definitely better than the dream," he replied, fully shocked at this point, which he realized must have been the goal as it did wake him. "But if we're only friends, that was inappropriate, was it not?" 

"Well, if you ever want me to do something like that again, you may want to wake up before I leave," Emerald said, smiling and raising her thin, sharp eyebrows. Opren tried to move slowly to not show his excitement at the thought of another kiss from her, but this caused him enough motivation to get out of bed and change behind the "curtain" Emerald had placed in the tent. 

"Good thing I set up that curtain. You used it even though I didn't need it myself. I suppose you would rather I not see you naked, either," Emerald said, giggling, as he threw his old clothes under it. She picked up the dirty outfit as he finished changing. "How long have you worn these clothes?" she asked, holding them at a distance. 

"The past four days. Why?" Opren replied. 

"Because they smell like my mare's behind," Emerald said. 

"And you know this comparison how?" Opren asked, smiling slightly with raised brow as he raised his head above the curtain enough for her to see his face. 

"Oh, shut up," Emerald said, leaving the tent. 

Opren gathered his things, finishing by packing the tent into its pouch. Emerald returned to the tent's previous spot as he finished. 

"How many outfits did you bring?" she asked. 

"Two, including the one I'm wearing," Opren responded while attaching the tent pouch to Raz'e's saddle. "I intended to only be gone for a week originally, telling my parents two so if I decided to stay longer they wouldn't worry." 

"Well, here. I washed this one," Emerald said, handing him the newly clean and folded clothes to put away. Opren thanked her as he took them. 

After attaching all of their belongings to Raz'e, Barbosa, and Emerald's mare again, Opren pulled out his map. Soon after studying the map, they headed west. 

After some large length of time had passed while traveling, Opren checked a watch Emerald had found for him in Ra'Yana City. It was difficult to tell in the forest, but it seemed to be around one in the afternoon. Opren commented he needed a watch and map with magical light so it didn't matter where the sun was to tell time or direction, causing the others to laugh. 

"We should reach Porttown by four o' clock," Opren said, checking their distance on the map. The next time he checked, they were about an hour away, which made him, and Pole- who hated traveling for too long on foot- very happy. Suddenly, Emerald and Barbosa stopped.