Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 232

Chapter 232: How many?
Mia shifted in her saddle at the strange words.

“Pardon? How many what?” She asked curiously. Ford ducked his head slightly, and pointed up.

“How many stars?”

“I don’t think anyone knows,” Mia let her eyes scan upward. “Why would you think I did?”

“You live with them,” Ford seemed embarrassed by his explanation.

“I normally live in a house, but I have gone camping with Papa and my brothers before,” Mia chewed on the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. “I tried to count them when I was younger, but I would always wind up falling asleep before I finished.”

“Before I left the mine, I couldn’t have imagined sleeping under stars,” Ford murmured.

Mia bit her lip and watched Ford out of the corner of her eye. He seemed more open than before. Was it because they were alone? Was it because he was getting what he wanted? Was it because the cover of darkness made him feel less guarded with his secrets?

“That life sounds very difficult,” she commented softly, reining in Henry a little so that Harper could walk beside instead of following behind. It made it easier to look at Ford’s face, and they could speak more quietly.

“I never saw anything different, until recently,” Ford shrugged. “Always knew there must be better out there somewhere, but…”

Mia’s heart was moved with compassion, not for the first time, for the young man.

She was following the pull of her search for the cave she sought, but for a moment, it was overcome by the secondary pull towards Ford.

Her one regret in leaving so suddenly was she never found the right moment to ask her parents what the pull might mean. Why she was drawn to him, what she might be looking for that could be found in this pale orphan whose good looks masked haunted eyes for those who did not look closely enough.

“Nearly anything sounds better, honestly,” Mia told him, “but your hard-working spirit will serve you well in whatever job you choose next.”

Ford glanced at her. “If this treasure is as large as it seemed from the drawing, I won’t need any sort of profession for the rest of my life.”

“I think everyone needs to feel useful in the world,” Mia replied thoughtfully. “Even when my Aunt Annie was raised in wealth, she and her sister would sew clothing for the poor. They never just sat around and did nothing. Rest is wonderful, but don’t you think it would get boring?”

“No.” Ford replied after a moment.

“You didn’t have any time during your healing that was dull? When we found chores for you to help with, that wasn’t more fulfilling than sitting and doing nothing?” She eyed him. Depending on his answer, it might greatly change her opinion of him, but he sighed.

“Fine, fine, it’s better to feel useful and needed, but surely employing a lot of servants and paying them enough money to not have to work in a mine, that would be useful, would it not?” He challenged.

“I suppose. That would be enough to content you?” Mia was genuinely curious.

Ford was quiet for a long time.

“I’d like the chance to find out,” He responded eventually.

“Fair enough,” Mia smiled. She didn’t think anyone could know that sort of thing for sure without trying, but for herself, the times she had been ill, she had hated being in bed and waited on; she longed to be up and about helping and doing chores.

The night stretched on. Mia looked over her shoulder, wondering exactly how much distance they could put between themselves and her home before her family came looking.

Her note to them had been short, left on the kitchen table, telling them that she’d left for a while, and would be back after thinking through everything.

She grimaced slightly. Mia didn’t tell them that she would be gone for days, not hours. Maybe longer. She wondered how long they would wait before they would come looking for her. A small wave of shame washed over her for running away in the middle of the night.

If she’d calmly explained to them that she wanted to have some time alone to process her memories, and wanted to visit the cave for reasons she herself didn’t quite understand, they probably would have been reasonable about it…

But Father had always been a little overprotective of her, his little girl. He certainly wouldn’t have let her go alone.

She wasn’t alone, she mentally argued with herself. And though Ford wasn’t exactly someone she’d known all her life, Mia was still drawn to him. He had, or was, something she was looking for. Figuring that out was part of what motivated her to invite him along.

Adding to that, if she’d gotten too far away from him and got turned around, she might mistake which pull was which and be drawn back to him instead of where she wanted to go. That would cost her time she didn’t want to take.

“Are you all right to go faster?” She asked Ford suddenly. “It doesn’t hurt too much?”

“I’m fine,” He told her, though a note of strain in his voice made her think he might be exaggerating.

“You’re sure?” She confirmed.

“Yes. Let’s go. I don’t exactly want to get caught stealing away in the night with a farmer’s daughter,” He eyed her in the darkness, and she shifted her weight.

“This was my idea.” Mia frowned. Her family wouldn’t hurt Ford… she didn’t think.

“They won’t see it that way,” He said grimly, and she flinched.

“I didn’t mean to endanger you,” She swallowed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think…”

“It’s fine, it’s done,” Ford said as if she were going to suggest they turn back. “The best course now is not to get caught.”

“All right,” She agreed, though a whole new set of considerations she hadn’t thoroughly thought through filtered into her mind.

She nudged Henry into a quicker pace, determined to leave those thoughts behind.