Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 275

Chapter 275: Runaway
At first, Mia thought that Ford had snuck past her and left the barn without so much as a ‘hello,’ but that suspicion was squelched when her father’s voice rang out.

“Mia, are you in there?”

Her heart flew to her throat and she jumped out of her place in the stall.

“Yes, I’m here!” She cried. “I’m right here!”

It was ridiculous to step in front of Denholm’s horse as if she could hide it, but she did so anyway… right as it disappeared.

Seth came deeper into the barn where he could see his daughter more clearly. Mia smiled tightly, nervous that Ford’s power would slip and her father would become enraged.

His face melted into relief when he came close, and she puzzled at it. He looked down sheepishly.

“Last time I slept in the house, you were gone when I woke up. I went by your room to get you and… you were gone. I was afraid you’d left again. Maybe thought you could bring your uncle back on your own.” He admitted.

“Papa,” Mia’s voice broke a little, heart wrenching at the sorrow in her father’s tone. “I’m sorry I put you through that. I just wanted to pull my weight and get the horses ready for all of us.”

She pointed to the saddles she’d begun preparing and Seth smiled a little.

“You don’t have much weight to pull, but I appreciate your help.” Seth began helping her gather things and saddle each of the horses.

The father-daughter duo worked in silence until the task was done, aided by years of practice at performing farm chores together. When it was accomplished, Mia excused herself to go gather eggs for Mama and feed the chickens and other animals before their departure.

It was the least she could do.

Her basket filled, she tucked several eggs in a bag full of hay to carry them on the journey. They would make a nice breakfast along the way, and she knew that the men would appreciate it. As she fed the other animals, she looked around herself in the slowly growing light of dawn.

“Ford?” She whispered. “Are you there?”

No answer came. He must have left.

He hadn’t answered her when she asked what he was doing here. This must have just been a comfortable stop on his way home.

Her face fell a little, but she was determined not to be let down. She had a long journey ahead, one that she was certain would change her life one way or another. She’d never been so far from home, and she was certain human eyes hadn’t seen what she’d glimpsed in her visions.

After helping with a swift breakfast for everyone, she hugged the family that would remain, and assured her little cousins that she would make everything all right if she could. Daniel in particular looked bitter about being left behind.

Mia ruffled his hair, and he flinched as if to slap her hand away.

“I’m almost a man. I have magic. I should be allowed to come so that I can help,” He groused.

“Maybe next time we go on a months-long journey to save someone from dragons,” Anaisa teased and kissed the top of the boy’s head, which though he was only nine, was getting almost as high as his mother’s.

She sighed.

“I love you. Be safe, listen to your aunt and grandmother,” She chided her four sons. “I don’t want to have to tell your father you’ve been bad while we were gone.”

“Yes, Mama,” They chorused together.

Anaisa smiled shakily and hugged all three to herself, a shaky breath the only indication of the deep emotion she must be experiencing.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” She told them.

Mia looked away, feeling shame wash over her at the fracturing that was occurring in the boys’ hearts. They would be fine… she hoped.

The departing group mounted, and began their journey.

Mia led the way. Her eyes closed, she concentrated on the first landmark she could remember along the path, and the quickest way to it. Then she tried the quickest way to the next, and the next.

The tug on her soul was steadfastly in the same direction. The secondary one was nowhere to be found. She frowned slightly.

As soon as Ford had disappeared, so had his pull. Was he not only invisible, but also somehow hidden from her power in a small way?

As an experiment, she briefly concentrated on him, and the primary pull shifted direction. She wanted to linger and conduct more experiments to figure out the nuances of how her power was behaving, but everyone was watching her for direction.

“East,” She said with a confident tone, and the group set out.

Seth and Grandpa were to share a tent each night, Anaisa and Mia the other. Briefly, Mia hoped her aunt didn’t snore and wouldn’t be a grumpy roommate… then again, the woman’s husband was missing. She had every right to be as cross with Mia as anyone in the world.

A small sound made Mia glance over her shoulder. Aunt Anaisa was sniffing, with tears pouring down her face, but her eyes conveyed steadfast determination as she looked straight forward, neither at Mia nor anything else.

Just forward.

That was the way, wasn’t it? No giving up. Just moving onward until you can’t anymore.

Mia nudged her horse a little faster, and slightly South, following the pull of her magic. She knew fairly well the pace the horses could keep up, and didn’t want to waste time.

Grandpa was the one who determined breaks along the way, such as when to stop at noon and let the horses rest a bit, what constituted a good enough stream to water the horses, and other such considerations.

Anaisa remained fairly silent, and Seth only responded to direct questions.

Mia tried to fill the silence only occasionally, but didn’t want to break her concentration and let them get off course. It was her duty to get them there as quickly as she could.

If only there weren’t occasional flickers of a secondary pull making her glance behind.