Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 172

Chapter 172: Let’s get out of here
While Anaisa woke the others, and Martin left to complete his errand, accompanied by a confused Seth, Trace went and sat next to Emily, who stared at the lamplight as if terrified of letting it go out.

“Emily, I have a task for you, if you’re up for it,” He smiled gently at her.

Her face looked a little haunted, but she nodded, once.

“What do you need from me?” She whispered.

“I need to get a message to Sanders, and you’re the quickest way of getting it to him. Can you do that for me?”

“If it’s night, I don’t want to wake him,” She warned. “I’ll wait til morning.”

“We can leave the cave now, it’s open.” Trace explained. “I’m not sure if it’s morning or not, but we should be able to find out shortly.”

“Oh. Oh, good.” Emily stood shakily to her feet, with his help.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Trace asked as the woman breathed deeply.

“It’s strange, you know. It’s been so long since I’ve seen sunlight, that now… I’m afraid.” She swallowed.

“We can take it slowly,” He encouraged, looking for his wife to help comfort this woman. He didn’t think of himself as particularly good at this.

Anaisa caught his eye and came over.

“Hello, Emily, are you ready to go?” She said with a smile. “The children are excited to get out, and understandably so!”

“Children should never have been confined in a place like this,” Emily frowned.

“Neither should you,” Anaisa comforted her.

The walk to the entrance was slow and methodical. The two boys eagerly surged ahead, and their mother, Sarah, followed, holding her daughter, Mia’s hand. The girl had taken all of this the hardest out of the children, barely speaking at all. The rest followed slowly, with Gary and Frank bringing up the rear. After a while, Martin and Seth caught up to them, and walked behind.

Trace didn’t want to take the chance that Martin would double cross them at the last moment and trap them inside the cave, even though that seemed unlikely at this point.

Emily began trembling as sunlight became visible ahead, and Anaisa held her arm. Trace’s heart swelled as he watched his wife’s compassion.

She let Emily take each step, staying alongside her without urging her forward or holding her back.

“Look, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go on my merry way,” Martin grumbled behind Trace, and earned a glare for the trouble.

Emily and Anaisa came to the edge of the cave, where shadow turned to light. The magical whisperer hesitated before stepping the toe of her shoe across and back into the world.

Trace smiled as she brought one hand to her eyes, trying to slowly adjust to the indirect light after so long in the darkness.

She wept.

“I didn’t know if I’d ever see it again,” Emily stuttered through her tears and collapsed into Anaisa’s arms.

“You’re here,” Anaisa patted her back. “You’re free.”

The words made Emily sob all the more, and her former captors shifted uncomfortably.

“Oh, we need to go get your two others now that we’re out,” Trace blinked. “They’re up on the cliff, they’ll be thirsty and hungry by now.”

“You left them?” Gary’s tone was less than pleased.

“I didn’t know I’d get trapped in a cave. I thought I would be back within a couple of hours,” Trace defended himself. “In any case, let’s go get them now. Martin, are you coming or heading off your own way?”

“Me? I’m going straight for Foundrel. I don’t care for those two morons,” Martin shouldered his bag. “See you all never again.”

“I’m coming with you,” The other man, formerly tied up near the mouth of the cave, whose name Trace never had been told, put in nervously.

Martin glared, clearly irritated to have a follower, but silently turned left out of the cave and marched off in the direction of the river. The other man followed, jogging slightly to keep up with the rapid pace. Trace looked over at his brother, who pursed his lips and nodded.

Seth would make sure the two weren’t going to circle back and harm them somehow.

“All right… I guess the rest of you can wait here while Frank, Gary, and I retrieve the others. I’ll see them off and be back.” Trace looked at Anaisa, who was still holding Emily. Her eyes asked several questions all at once.

If it was wise for him to be alone with four men who had recently been the captors of their loved ones. If he thought it was safe enough to bring Ewan and his caregivers here after seeing the bandits off. Whether he needed anything from her to accomplish those things safely.

He smiled reassuringly, but took note of her concerns. He knelt down to kiss her forehead in an affectionate way, but also slipped most of the money he had left into her lap as he did so.

If they got it into their heads to rob him, he didn’t want to have much.

“Dad, want to come along? The view is great from the top.” Trace glanced at his father as he stood up.

“Sure, sounds like fun,” The older man nodded and squeezed one arm around his wife. “We’ll be back soon, Dear.”

The children watched as their uncle and grandfather strode off with two of the men that had been keeping them prisoner, and Trace waved at them jauntily as if it were any other outing.

He hoped it would turn out that way. He intended to give the money he did have over to the men in recompense for having them betray Oakdown, which of course could have ultimately disastrous consequences.

By the time the four men reached the top of the cliff, Trace was growing anxious. If they intended to turn on him, it would likely be right after rescuing the other two.

“Ash?” Trace marched toward the pit and looked down into it. Two men looked up with surprise and relief mixed with anger. Trace sighed, glad that they were both conscious and well.

Part of him was terrified about whether he’d hit Ash over the head too hard and killed the man by mistake.

“I’m here,” The bandit grumped. “You come to finish us off? Or to let us have a fair shot at taking you down?”