Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 302

Chapter 302: A gentle rain
The journey back into the deep woods, once Grandpa finished getting the pebble dislodged from the packhorse’s hoof, was somehow more quiet than before.

Ford attributed it to the fact that no one wanted to draw attention to themselves by talking, and the soft sounds of the horse’s movements discouraged squirrels and birds from chittering away as normal.

The pace was a little quicker than before, since they did not have to stop for Ford to mark the trail.

Seth’s head seemed to be on a swivel, scanning for danger in all directions ahead of them. Anaisa’s shoulders were visibly tense, while her son beside her seemed thrilled for the adventure. His eyes were towards the trees.

Hesitantly, Ford glanced up. Would staring at the creatures when they appeared provoke them? Perhaps it was better to ignore and hope to be ignored in return…

Anaisa must have had similar thoughts for she reached over and snapped her fingers at Daniel, then gestured he should keep his eyes down.

Ford was in vehement agreement. If something bad should happen, it was good for the boy to see as little of it as possible.

Daniel sighed a little dramatically but obediently lowered his gaze.

Ford sneaked a glance into the trees.

No little eyes yet, so far as he could tell, but he was afraid to stare for too long. They were coming ever closer to the place he and Mia had stopped before.

The notches on the trees pointed the way. Mia’s shoulders were rigid, her posture stiff as she sat atop her horse.

Ford’s hand twitched slightly, aching to hold the knife in his belt, but…

If the humans seemed aggressive, logic dictated attack was more certain to come.

So, calmly and peacefully, the group continued forward in near silence as the forest fell quiet around them.

It was eerie. The early summer heat of the plains was lost in the shady chill of the forest’s canopy. Ford tugged his sleeves lower on his wrists, wondering if he should fish out a blanket or jacket from his saddlebags… but he didn’t want to move more than necessary.

As they passed the last of his notch marks in the trees, Mia didn’t so much as pause. The group continued steadily forward, not stopping for food or water despite hungry stomachs. Tension was high, and Ford glanced up into the trees again.

There was nothing. Not a creature to be seen.

And that felt worse.

Did anyone else of the group notice they were past the last place that had been marked? Seth showed no discernible change in his posture or attitude. Everyone remained silent.

Soon, a soft rain began to fall. The sporadic clusters of dripping did not, at first, draw Ford’s particular notice. A summer shower was not unheard of.

However, when the first drops hit Ford’s sleeve, he was mesmerized. The water didn’t simply soak into the fabric. Each little sphere of water sat perfectly where it landed, as if fastened there by some unseen force.

Letting go of the reins with one hand, he extended a finger to poke at one.

It rolled away from his touch before his skin touched its shining surface. His eyebrows rose and he turned to Grandpa, who was eyeing the droplets evenly. A grasshopper leapt up to the old man’s shoulder and leaned forward as if to drink from the water attached to the fabric there.

Ford gasped audibly as the droplet leapt, crashing into the grasshopper and then joining with other bits of water to grow in volume until roughly the same size and shape as the insect.

A miniature battle ensued as Ford stared in utter fascination.

The transparent, watery grasshopper grew larger, easily overcoming its opponent and knocking it to the ground far below.

Ford swallowed.

“Guess drinking it’s out of the question,” Grandpa said softly.

The younger man shuddered. If the water even let itself be consumed, it seemed as though it had the ability to move on its own, which was at least moderately terrifying.

Trying to move as little as possible, Ford looked closer at a droplet on his shoulder. He wasn’t sure if he could hide everyone from these things, whatever they were. As the rain continued, everyone was getting slowly covered with more and more.

Mia increased the pace of the group marginally.

Ford wanted to bolt, but of course, watching the grasshopper provoke the droplets to its detriment discouraged the idea of rash action.

“Changers,” Daniel announced suddenly, pointing between his horse’s ears.

There, looking back at him, was an unsettling, watery image of the boy’s own face. As the child grinned, the water imitated him.

Mia turned around in her saddle and brought the group to a halt, looking worried.

“Are they… dangerous?”

“–Anger us?” The watery echo of her words came from the transparent boy’s lips.

“They can be, if they want,” Grandpa glanced backward, probably towards the downed grasshopper, “but they seem to imitate.”

“So if we’re calm and kind, they might be, as well?” Anaisa asked hopefully.

“Don’t move suddenly, don’t try to prod them,” Grandpa told them all quietly.

“Prod them,” The repetition was garbled as Daniel’s horse shook her mane, dislodging the watery face perched between her ears. It splattered to the ground, and there was a collective gasp.

Ford braced himself to fight, or to run, as the water droplets on his shirt rolled towards the ground, collecting along the way like snowballs rolling down a hill.

“Mia, how far to safety? Is there somewhere to get to?” He glanced at her, and she paled.

“I know which direction, but not how far,” Her eyes were serious, questioning. She pointed with one finger.

Wordlessly, he nodded. It would be a risk to run while invisible. They might get separated. Hopefully, they wouldn’t need to try.

The water collected in the very midst of the horses, between Anaisa and Daniel. The Countess was visibly anxious as it rose up into the form of a human mounted on a horse.

And they did not look terribly happy.