Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 303

Chapter 303: Listen
Mia’s breathing quickened as she watched the form take place, facing backwards towards the last two people in the group.

The watery visage glanced around at each of them, wearing a deep frown on a clear imitation of Ford’s face. The expression of distrust startled her.

“Ford. Smile!” Mia commanded when she realized it was copying his expression.

“Oh,” He blinked and moved his mouth obediently into a more friendly arrangement, though it was obviously quite forced. Mia hoped the changers were not all that adept at reading facial cues.

“Oh,” The watery face repeated with a reflection of Ford’s strained smile.

“We’re friends,” Grandpa took lead on interacting with the creature–or creatures? “We can be your friends, but we’re passing through. Don’t plan to stay long. Is that all right?”

The watery figure examined him for what felt like an eternity. Mia searched desperately for the nearest safe place to hide. From what, she wasn’t sure. There were surely other dangers in the forest.

The safest place for the night. That’s what she was after. And the pull was forward.

Her main concern was the figure standing awkwardly in the midst of their group.

She looked past it to Ford, who still had his face schooled into an awkward smile. There was tension in his eyes. Fear? Did he know something she didn’t?

Mia hadn’t dared to look back while leading her family through the forest. She wanted to remain courageous, a leader through difficult times. She didn’t want to disturb anyone with constant fearful glances.

If she heard something worth investigating, she would take the chance to look, but…

Out of the corner of her eye, she had kept vigilance like her father. He was keeping track of their surroundings for danger. She should project confidence… shouldn’t she?

The irony wasn’t lost on her, as she was likely the most timid one of the group. Her little cousin seemed absolutely unfazed by most that had happened so far. Even the grasslands fire had seemed to excite more than frighten him.

He’d climbed a tree to get a better look!

Anaisa must have her hands absolutely full with three more boys in her household.

Right now, Daniel was obediently still, but his eyes were openly curious about the changers, as he called them.

“Well? Would it be all right if we passed on through? If you have any instructions you’d like to give us–things we shouldn’t touch or the like–we’re happy to listen.” Grandpa prompted gently.

“Listen,” The water echoed the last word.

Was it a command, or simply a repetition?

Before Mia could ask, the creature dissolved in an unceremonious splash.

No one got wet, and the ground itself seemed instantly dry despite the noise of water hitting the ground.

“Did I say something wrong?” Grandpa pursed his lips and looked at the others one by one from beneath his bushy eyebrows. “Everyone all right?”

“I think we’re fine… but I’d like to get away from here before dark,” Mia clenched her teeth.

“Should we listen?” Ford asked tentatively. “It sounded like a warning.”

An ominous premonition crept up in Mia’s heart. The group was silent for half a minute before a distant boom sounded somewhere far behind them.

“Let’s go. Now,” Mia decided, touching her heels gently to Harper’s flanks. The horse, however, must have sensed her anxiety, because she nearly jumped forward into a trot that the other horses immediately copied.

Glancing over her shoulder, she caught the expressions of the others. The journey had seemed almost like a vacation up until yesterday, but now…

Now they all began to fully appreciate the very real and unknown dangers she was leading them into. The burden of responsibility felt heavy as she turned forward, concentrating on the pull to safety.

Periodically she switched between the route toward Trace and the safest place to camp for the night. The paths began to slightly diverge a short time later, and she worried. How far off course would this bring them? How much would she lengthen their journey? Was it too much?

The choice was a judgment call she had to make without complete information, but she knew her family would trust her to choose correctly.

The forest wasn’t as quiet as it had been. The leaves now rustled, the birds now chittered and flew through the branches away from the distant, steady boom.

Not steady like footsteps. More like… well, Mia had no idea what it was. But she was sure it wasn’t good.

When a group of deer emerged from the trees at a dead run in the same direction they were already headed, Mia urged Harper into a full gallop.

If the fauna of these woods was this spooked, then they should be running as well, she reasoned. She stopped checking on the shortest path and remained fixated on the safest place.

Security was paramount. She needed to get her family somewhere they wouldn’t be harmed. There was no bearing it if someone was harmed because of her failure.

Mia depended on her father to keep everyone together while she trained all her attention on the destination. Where could it be? Where in this vast maze of trees was safety hiding?

The fleet-footed herd of deer were faster than the horses burdened with riders. Mia began to lose hope as the animals left them behind, but a new sound ahead gave her hope.

Running water? She hadn’t seen another water source in her vision of the path to Trace. How far off course were they now?

She grimaced as the beating hooves took them further from the set route, but closer to safety. Balancing her uncle’s rescue against the rest of the family’s well being.

It felt wrong, but there was no other choice to be made with the booming growing ever louder, ever nearer.

Harper was breathing heavily, her coat lathered. Mia was pushing the horses harder than she ought to, but they also felt the urge to survive, to stay ahead of what was coming.

Suddenly, the trees parted, and the group broke into a clearing. The pull had brought them not to some secluded cave or shelter… but wide out into the open.