Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 285

Chapter 285: Why are you here?
Mia kept her eyes on the food. Ford looked much better all cleaned up. He had grown more tan with all the time outdoors, and it somehow made his black hair and dark eyes less startling, but more intriguing. To keep herself from staring, she refused to look at him altogether.

“So, Ford,” Grandpa said with a smile. “Tell us what made you decide to join our quest.”

“Is that what we’re on? A quest? Like in a fairy tale?” Daniel’s eyes grew large, and Anaisa hushed him. The adults waited as Ford toyed with his food.

“I only met Trace twice,” He said, “Once, at the house, and then in the cave. I can’t say that I didn’t resent him burning my map, and I won’t pretend it’s some sort of immediate respect that motivates me to be here.”

Mia snuck a glance at him, and found his eyes on her. He cleared his throat and looked around at the others.

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about this, actually. I didn’t really have anyone to talk to this past week or two,” He explained.

“And what did you conclude?” Anaisa prodded gently when he paused. He took a deep breath before answering.

“My life has been mostly working to survive. I never knew any different, never really understood how different it could be, until staying with this family. The peace, and the work balanced with rest. Working with each other instead of just near each other.

“That’s broken now, and I don’t like it. On top of that, I grew up without a father, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. So, I thought I might try to tag along and help, if I can. I don’t have anything pressing out in the world to get to, no one waiting for me or missing me. No job,” He sighed.

“With your magic, you’d make a great thief in the city,” Seth suggested. Grandpa frowned at him.

“The fact that it was not Ford’s impulse to use his magic in such a way speaks well of him. I once heard a man bemoan the fact that most people with magic don’t use their power for good. Yet, one of Ford’s first actions is to embark on a long and dangerous journey to rescue a man he barely knows from dragons, despite the fact that certain people aren’t making him feel very welcome.”

Mia frowned. “Who said that, about magic users?”

The magic users she’d known were almost all within her own family, and everyone used their power to help each other. Grandpa smiled a little sadly.

“A man who died soon after… at the hands of other magic users, including Trace and myself.”

There was a shocked silence from Mia, Ford, and Gabriel, and a sort of somber recognition from Seth.

Mia glanced at her aunt. Had Anaisa known him?

“Sanders was a good man,” She said.

“Then why did they kill him?” Mia asked fearfully.

“That’s a story for another time, but rest assured that they did the right thing,” Anaisa told her with a sigh. “There was no other way.”

Daniel scooted closer to his mother, and she put an arm around him with a gentle squeeze.

It seemed like everyone had eaten their fill for the moment, so Mia began collecting plates.

“So you’re here just because you’ve got no better place to go?” Seth raised an eyebrow at Ford.

“If you want to put it that way,” The younger man conceded. “I also… if it’s not too much trouble, I still know very little about magic, despite having it now. Your family are the only ones I know that have it.”

“So you want magic lessons?” Grandpa asked with a twinge of amusement in his voice that drew Mia’s gaze. The old man winked at her, and she quickly glanced away before her face could redden.

Ford could only learn about the use of magic from three people in their party. Daniel was unlikely to be terribly helpful due to his young age. Grandpa was technically most qualified, having also gotten his magic from the tree, but his wink implied he would find some reason to foist that responsibility onto Mia.

She hoped that wasn’t the case.

“If it’s not too much trouble,” Ford said again, looking down. “I won’t slack. I’ll earn my place here, if you’ll let me.”

Mia continued her work with the meat, hanging it in strips to dry over the coals. She made a bit of a show of concentrating so that she didn’t have to participate in the conversation at all.

“I’m sure you’ll be a hard worker,” Anaisa put in, and then her tone changed slightly. “I’ve been meaning to ask. I do remember you using a crutch before. How have you managed on your own all this time? Have you entirely healed?”

“Ah… no,” Ford admitted. “I think I may have made certain injuries worse. Denholm gave me something of a beating before he was carried off by mythical creatures.”

Her brow furrowing, Mia had to work hard not to look away from her task. Was Ford trying to garner sympathy? It wasn’t like him, but with her father’s angry looks, maybe Ford wanted a bit of a break.

“Did he?” Anaisa pursed her lips. “We have some medicine with us. Where are you most injured?”

Ford hesitated, but Mia kept her eyes down. No matter how curious she got, she was not going to give him the satisfaction of her attention just now. She was still reeling a little from the turmoil seeing him again brought up in her stomach.

She’d much rather process those emotions outside her family’s presence, but that didn’t seem like an option at the moment.

“Well, my ribs and my leg are the worst off.” Ford’s voice suddenly became incredibly strained, as if he were in very great pain. But that was ridiculous; he’d been fine just a moment before. What a strange act.

“Let me see,” Anaisa urged, and out of the corner of her eye, Mia watched Ford roll up one pant leg and untuck his shirt.

The woman gasped in alarm. “How have you been keeping up with us??”