Chapter 59:  The journey

When Erin woke, the smell of the scrambled eggs was filling the air. He could also smell ham mixed in with the eggs, and some warm milk. He stretched. For some reason, he felt giddy. 

When he lazily got out of the bed, he saw that he was still naked. He grinned, and then put on a robe. Lysander was by the table, already dressed, and staring at a map. Erin went to him, and kissed him on the cheek. 

"So, we are leaving, then?" Erin asked, as Lysander blinked.

"Ah, you are awake?" Lysander asked, and then did his best to smile, but it was muted. 

Erin felt the guilt eating at him. It had been underhanded, not to mention childish, what he had done to the wanderer last night. Erin had twisted Lysander's arm, and there was no denying that. 

"Can you forgive me?" Erin asked. He hugged Lysander with one arm, and brought him close. The half-demon smelt of mint, and that meant that he had already washed. Erin had wanted to share a bath with Lysander. He pouted. 

"I suppose, I really should have listened to your needs more," Erin didn't like this wording. For, it still felt as if it was given by a parent. And now, Lysander was his lover, not his parent. 

"You have needs too," Erin said, and then let go of Lysander. "Tell me what you need, and I will give it to you." 

Erin's inner dragon was purring. Promising gifts to their mate. Anything, even the world. If Erin was thinking more clearly, he would have seen, that Lysander didn't want such things. 

"Just don't leave me. You scared me there, for a second," Erin sighed, and kissed the top of Lysander's head. The raven-haired man's hair was so long, it reached the end of his back. 

"I will never," Erin said, as he began to split the hair into three clusters. 

"What are you doing?" Lysander asked, confused. Erin had never played with his hair before. 

"Braiding you. Granted, I haven't done that in the past ten years. But I should still remember how it was done," Erin said. His mother had loved it, when either he or his father would braid her hair. She had given them beaming smiles all the while. So, Erin began to weave the hair in a braid. When he was done, he took out a ribbon from Lysander's pocket, and tied the braid. 

"There, now you are as pretty as a picture," Erin said, an almost forgotten phrase, which his father always told his mother when she changed even slightly. 

"Wasn't I before?" Lysander teased weakly, and Erin smiled. If they could tease each other, then there was hope, for their relationship to blossom. 

"I don't know. You did look like a girl back before the braid," Erin teased back. Lysander chuckled, and swatted him away. 

"Eat your breakfast," Lysander pointed at the plate that was full to the brim with eggs and ham. 

"Thank you, my love," Erin said, as he sat down to eat. Lysander's blush didn't escape him. Maybe, he should call Lysander such things more often? 

When he was done eating, he went, and took a bath. His short hair, cropped close to his head, didn't need braiding. He combed it, and then cleaned the comb. Soon, he was dressed, and looking at Lysander, who was putting the final touches to their packing. 

"Now, this is all too sudden, so, I didn't have time to pack," Lysander said, and Erin shrugged. 

"So? You did take all our money, right? We can just buy what we need along the way," Erin said. He was giddy. This was not like their expeditions to Snowfalls. They were going to see the entire Drypond Republic. Perhaps, even the neighboring nations. 

"We will also need to go to the alchemist guild, and get permission from guild master Warren to travel," Lysander said, still a bit distracted. 

"I bet he will not be happy," Erin said. Their potions, done with the mana of a dragon and a wanderer, were very potent. Erin was not stupid. He knew that the guild master sold them with about 50% more of a price, than what he paid them. Yet, that didn't mean, that being in a guild was bad. 

Far from it. They had a market for their potions. Had an allocation for basic herbs, which didn't grow in the forest. Also, they got many glass vials. Which were hard to come by, if someone tried to buy them from the market. 

It was a good gig, but he wanted to see the world. 

"Let us join the adventurer's guild," Erin said, and Lysander paused in his packing. 

"Us? Adventurers?" Lysander asked. "But..." 

"Think about it. We will get to fight monsters, gain treasure. I want to have a hoard, Ly," Erin said. His inner dragon purred at that. It was not like Lysander took all the money from their trade deals. Erin had his cut, from the very beginning. Yet, he did want to get even more gold. It was like an instinct. 

"And do what with it? Sleep on it all day?" Lysander asked, with a scrunched up nose. 

"We can cuddle on top of the gold, together," Erin said. For, his mate should be able to be a part of his horde. When his inner dragon didn't protest, Erin giggled. "Just look at your face. You look as if you have swallowed a lemon!" 

"Well, it is not every day, when your best friend tells you that you will sleep on uncomfortable gold coins," Lysander said. Erin huffed. 

"I bet they will be comfy," Erin protested. 

"Sure you do, dragon," Lysander said, as he rolled his eyes. 

A silence fell between them. Erin began to help Lysander pack. When they were done, they walked out of the hut, and bowed to Belle's tree. 

"See you when we come back," Erin said, as the leaves rustled overhead. The two had placed a rune on the ground, set with a timer, which watered the tree, using the underground river, that passed through the entire frontier. Now, they could leave.