Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 288

Chapter 288: Trees
Mia tilted her head one way, then the other, trying to work out the kinks in her neck as she squinted at the horizon. For so long, there was little to see except the tall grass, ahead and behind. When not mounted, it was like being in a small, private world. When at a level above the swaying stalks, it was a mesmerizing sea of golden waves.

But now, drawing closer, enormous trees loomed ahead, seeming to grow by the hour as the group approached the next checkpoint in their journey.

Reaching the forest was a welcome change. The weather was slowly growing hotter as summer came, and the grasslands were no longer as hospitable as they had been at first. With Mia’s leading, they had continued following the river through the plains for several more days until a large bend took it suddenly South.

On the other side lay the forest.

There was no visible path, no trail to follow. Mia felt the burden of their continued reliance on her magical gift. Part of her worried that somehow it might falter, or give out at a crucial time, but it had never failed her before.

They would have to cross the river, and if Mia was correct in her memory, leave it behind for the rest of their journey.

“I don’t know how far the next water source is,” She told everyone as they stopped at the edge. “I think… if you agree… we should stay here the night and fill all of our canteens and things before we move onward.”

It was well past midday, and given their established patterns of travel, moving onward for a short distance didn’t seem worth foregoing one last night beside the river. The horses could also be thoroughly watered before moving on.

The others nodded, and camp was established. Mia noted with some satisfaction that her magic had brought them to a portion of the river which was wide and shallow; they would be able to cross it easily the next day.

The routine unfolded naturally, with everyone working at their tasks. Ford had been given the assignment of starting the fire with Daniel’s help, since he could do so while sitting and making minimal use of the arm and shoulder on his injured side.

He clearly noticed that his limited assignments were due to his injuries, but instead of being as resentful as Mia anticipated, Ford seemed to slowly embrace the tasks he was allowed to do. He seemed to be thriving under Grandpa’s guidance and approval.

Once the initial spark was going, Daniel moved off to help Seth unsaddle and water the horses.

Mia and Anaisa set up their tent with an efficiency born of daily practice, and then went to the riverside to gather cattails and forage for other foods.

Grandpa had tied a hook to a line and dug in the mud of the riverbank until he found a worm to use as bait.

Ford became curious enough to join him, and Mia watched as the younger man humbly accepted fishing lessons. Grandpa got a second line and hook, then used a pair of strong sticks to cast out into a deeper part of the river slightly upstream from where they would cross.

Mia purposefully pulled her eyes away from the young man, whose black hair being ruffled by the river’s breeze was so enthralling.

She needed to concentrate on keeping them fed. The forest likely had enough flora and fauna to keep them satisfied, but her vision of the snowy mountains was far less promising. Better to stock up on a variety of things that could be preserved along the way to prepare for the lean times that were likely coming.

Mia lifted her face briefly to the sun. It snowed on the farm in the winter, but she’d never seen mountains. Would it be different there? Would it be too deep to traverse? Would the horses be all right?

These anxieties plagued her, but she pushed them away and tried to memorize the bright summer sun on her face. Moving into the forest would mean very little direct sunlight. She was at least wise enough to cherish these last moments of it for a while.

That was saying nothing of the fact that eventually, they would move into the caves were dragons and wights dwelled. If they didn’t come back, was this the last of the hot sunlight she would treasure on her face?

The thought sent a shiver down her spine despite the heat.

“Are you all right?” Anaisa asked gently.

“Yes,” Mia nodded and looked at her aunt for a moment. “Was I wrong to suggest stopping? I know you want to get there as quickly as possible.”

“Of course I do,” Anaisa’s words held tension, “but it is a long journey. If we do not pace ourselves, we cannot reach there at all, let alone reach it in good enough shape to save Trace. Speed is important, but we can’t sacrifice our chances of success for speed alone.”

“How are you feeling about… everything?” Mia prodded her aunt a little. The pressure on the group ebbed and flowed. The days could seem endless while the deadlines seemed impossibly pressing.

Could the wights and dragons have killed Trace soon after kidnapping him? Mia had to admit it was entirely possible that their journey would be heartbreaking and fruitless.

As what she was looking for wavered, the secondary pull became stronger. She ignored it, and looked for Uncle Trace.

She felt the tug and breathed a slight sigh of relief. Although she’d never really used her powers in such a way. to confirm that someone was still alive, this little assurance to herself was something she held to.

Her magic might still take her to his body, if he were already dead, but deep down she believed that as long as the pull was there, her uncle survived, and she could speak to her aunt in good faith about finding him alive and well.

“I’m as well as I can be. I feel anxious and worried for Trace. Protective of Daniel. Guilt-ridden over leaving my other children behind without a guarantee I can bring their father back. And mildly ashamed that the person I’m most able to lean on during all this is my young niece.”

Mia tried a comforting smile, but she couldn’t argue with any of the points her aunt brought up.

The ladies lapsed into silence, working side by side for a while, until a sound neither of them had heard before rang out into the air.