Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 286

Chapter 286: Healing up
Mia turned in time to watch Ford visibly flinch.

“I know it looks bad,” He admitted in a strained voice.

“Looks bad?” Grandpa shook his head. “Ford, what have you done?”

The leg was angry looking, swollen and bruised. When Ford gingerly lifted his shirt with one hand to expose his ribs, Mia glimpsed purple before he gasped and let go.

“Ow…”update Ƀy Ɲ0ʋeʟ1st.cοm. Ford gritted his teeth and closed his eyes for a moment, then visibly relaxed and looked at them a bit sheepishly.

Mia’s eyes grew round.

“What are you doing?” She demanded.

“Well,” He began, no longer seeming to feel any pain from his apparently severe injuries. “Denholm did kick me really hard in the ribs, and stomp on my leg. I’ve been trying to heal it, but I know very little about medicine–”

“No, what are you doing right now?” Mia pointed at him, temporarily losing her resolve to remain detached and impassive.

“Oh. I do need to learn about that. I think it’s part of my hiding power? But instead of hiding myself, I’m hiding… well, the pain, I guess.” Ford shrugged.

“That shrug should have really hurt.” Grandpa noted. “Stop moving like that until the rib is all better.”

“Ah,” Ford looked a little embarrassed. “Thanks.”

“You shouldn’t mask pain,” Anaisa chided. “It will impede the healing to have you ignoring it and doing things normally. Pain tells you when to stop so that you don’t injure it more.”

“I wouldn’t have kept up, otherwise,” The man pursed his lips. “Lifting the saddle–”

“You were saddling that horse with badly bruised or broken ribs?” Seth sounded reluctantly impressed rather than at all concerned.

Mia rolled her eyes and turned back to her task. Preserving as much meat as possible for their journey was her priority right now if her father was going to be like that.

“I didn’t exactly have anyone to help,” Ford pointed out.

“You didn’t ask,” Grandpa countered.

“I couldn’t–exactly–with Seth essentially threatening my life.”

“He’s over it now, aren’t you, Son?” Grandpa asked significantly.

“Sure,” Seth didn’t sound very convincing, and Mia saw that the expression on his face did not actually promise anything of the kind.

Anaisa quietly treated Ford’s injuries as best she could with the medicine on hand–though no painkillers were needed–and everyone got ready to bed down for the night. Mia kept the fire going to dry out the meat strips.

Daniel was sent to bed while Grandpa took first watch. Seth glared at Ford until the man went to his own tent, which Grandpa helped him set up.

Only once the newcomer was concealed did Seth retire with an unreadable glance at his daughter. She stared evenly at him in return.

It was going to be a long journey.

Grandpa seemed inclined to chat, but Mia gently rebuffed all attempts at conversation until the man lapsed into silence.

“I’ll take over drying the jerky–got a fair bit of experience at it, you know. You get some rest. Seems like you have a lot on your mind to think over.” The old man reached over and squeezed Mia’s hand.

She could’ve cried at the little show of kindness, but she gave him a brief smile instead.

“Thanks. I am tired,” She confessed, standing and stretching. Pointedly, she had avoided so much as glancing towards Ford’s tent. She knew he was there. The pull was steady since they’d made camp here.

Mia resented it a little. Without even trying, Ford passively commanded some small amount of her attention. It wasn’t so bad when they were traveling together or working at the cave–he’d treated her as politely as he was able and they even grew some amount of friendship.

But after avoiding her for over a week and a half—remaining entirely invisible—he could now just reappear and have this hold on her? A portion of her magic constantly devoted to keeping track of him?

It seemed unfair. The thought stuck in Mia’s head as she crawled into her tent and into her bedroll.

The more she considered it, the angrier it made her. It felt needy, and cloying. She didn’t want to be like that. She could find a husband that wanted her, wanted to be with her instead of hiding from her!

Maybe he did, another part of her heart argued. It was possible–probable even–that he followed not for the reasons he’d named, but at least partially because he liked her. Wanted to be around her.

She passively kept track of him at all times, but he’d actively been tracking her. Wasn’t that far more significant?

“I can hear some very heavy thinking happening over there.” Anaisa whispered.

“Can you blame me?” Mia let her head fall back and stared at the canvas overhead.

“Not one bit.” The older woman had a smile in her voice. “I remember those days.”

“What days, exactly?” Mia turned slightly to eye her aunt.

“You remember when your uncle and I first married,” Anaisa took a deep breath. “I didn’t know what kind of man he was. Whether to trust him. I hadn’t known any trustworthy man before then. It gave me a lot to think about as I started to fall in love. It was frightening.”

Mia was keenly interested, and at the same time, horrified. “You think that’s what’s happening to me?”

“Only you know for sure, Mia,” Anaisa told her. “I see that there’s a lot on your mind, and this is just my guess. I don’t know Ford at all. I don’t really know for certain what kind of man he is. I know what my hopes are, because, incredibly selfishly, I want him to help us rescue Trace.

“However, you are the guardian of your own heart. Love is, and always will be, a risk. If you want to talk through anything, I’m always here.” The woman’s gentle voice was comforting in the darkness.

“Thanks, Aunt Annie,” Mia sighed. “I’ll just keep thinking for now, but… I’ll let you know.”

“Sleep well, Mia,” The older woman said as she rolled over, but rest eluded Mia for a long time afterward.