Gold Dust | Barns Courtney

Chapter Four | Under Sleeping Stars

Before the sun started rising I gathered my things. I checked out of my motel room and started on my journey. Last night I had packed lots of water and food. As I got Sawdust ready I drank some coffee out of a large thermos. The small town was quiet as if no one lives here. Cricket chirping was the only sound I could hear. As I got onto my horse I took one last look of the town before leaving. I started a slow pace to make sure Sawdust was awake.

I also didn't want to go too hard on him after what happened yesterday. A flutter of anxiety burned in my stomach when I thought of it. 'I hope those horsemen don't come after me again.' I thought inside of my head. I also wondered if the man in white was okay. I pressed my thoughts to the back of my mind as I looked up at the night sky. Silvery stars sparkled in the inky blackness. A bright moon shinned above as well. It wasn't quite a full moon, but it was very close to it.

The horizon was starting to change from black to a very dark blue. 'It'll be daylight in an hour or so.' I said to myself as I breathed in the cool early morning air. I was thankful that I was traveling and I didn't have to worry about the scorching heat. But I knew that would change as the day went on. I reached for my thermos and drank the unsweetened black coffee within. It was waking me up fairly well, which was good. The journey was quite lonely though. There weren't any other travelers around.

Although, I was somewhat grateful for that. It meant I didn't have to be worried that some stranger was going to mug me. But I filled the time by talking to Sawdust even though he couldn't really answer me. I also enjoyed the scenery. The cool morning soon became a sweltering afternoon. I was glad that I had a hat to keep the sun off of my head. But it was so hot that I had to wipe sweat from my forehead every now and then. Eventually I took a break to stretch and give Sawdust a break.

Luckily I managed to find a spot in the shade so it wasn't too hot. I drank some water. I gave food and water to my horse as well. I was glad that I had packed extra water. It felt like the longest day I had ever experienced. Relief mixed with worry came over me as the sun began setting. The horizon was painted red-orange, yellow, and pinkish purple. It was absolutely beautiful. With the sitting sun came cooler temperatures. But that also meant that threats would be less easy to see.

I would have loved to have stopped and set up camp, but I didn't. I didn't want anyone coming in the night and stealing the crown. I didn't know if I was being followed by multiple people. So, Sawdust and I kept going even after the sky had turned black. A while had passed, but I wasn't sure how long exactly. Suddenly I smelled woodsmoke. 'Where is that coming from?' I asked inside of my head.

After a while I saw a flicker of what looked like a campfire. As I got closer I noticed a horse and a man next to the fire. It was the man in white. "You should rest for the night." The man in white said when I got close enough for him to see me. "What about the horsemen in black?" I asked curiously, stopping to talk to him. But I stayed on my horse. "You won't have to worry about them anymore." He replied as he stood up and walked over to me. "How do I know I can trust you?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"You can trust me. I promise." He said as he held out his hand to me. I hesitated, but eventually took his hand. Letting him help me down from my horse. I lead Sawdust over and tied him next to the white horse. The man in white motioned for me join him next to the fire. There was a blanket spread out on the ground  that he was sitting on. I slowly walked over and sit next to him. I removed my boots because my feet were killing me. I also took off some layers of clothes, letting the cool air touch my skin.

I glanced over at him and took in his features. The orange and red flames of the fire reflecting in his blue eyes. He must have felt me watching him, because he turned his head to look at me. "What's your name? What should I call you?" I asked him curiously. I've only known him as the man in white. "You can call me Barns," He replied with a small smile. "What's your name?" He asked. "Rose." I said, not giving him my last name. "It's nice to officially meet you, Rose." He said as he extended a hand for my to shake.

I shook his hand before turning my attention back to the fire. I glanced up at the star filled night sky. It looked very beautiful. I heard movement, so I looked over to see Barns had grabbed a guitar. He started playing the instrument and began to sing. "Here we go, brighter than heaven's glow. Hotter than heathens." He sang. The song was interesting and catchy. Plus I really enjoyed listening to his voice. When he was finished singing I instantly wanted to hear the song again.

"You're a good singer. Did you write that song yourself?" I said after a few moments. "Thank you. Yeah, I wrote the song. Did you like it?" He replied with a small smile on his face. "I liked it a lot." I said with a small smile of my own. Eventually I started to feel sleepy. I laid down and began to drift off to sleep. "Don't worry, you're safe with me." I heard him say softly as he placed a blanket over me. A few minutes later I fell into a deep sleep.

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