Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 310

Chapter 310: Comforting the breaking
Ford’s heart ached as Mia slipped to the ground. She buried her head in her hands and seemed to whimper, and he worried. Was she hurt worse than she’d let on?

He took a sip of the healing water, watching with brief fascination as the wounds healed. Putting the cork back in, he handed it back to Daniel and turned away.

Could he comfort Mia in front of her father? Would the man object? He asked the question with his eyes, and Seth moved forward, past him, to kneel next to his daughter.

Well, that answered that question. Grandpa clapped Ford on the shoulder and got a length of rope from his saddle.

“Let’s go collect some flowers, shall we?” He asked the younger man.

“Sure,” Ford cast a last glance at the woman on the ground, who was leaning into her father’s arms. Clearly, he wasn’t needed for this.

While she received whatever comfort she needed, Ford went with Grandpa to make a makeshift lasso. Neither one of them wanted to venture backwards, so they settled for throwing the rope into the pile of fallen blossoms and pulling them into the safer part of the forest, then scooping them into a bag.

This blue-tinged portion of the forest was calming after their mad dash, and Ford wondered if there would be other sections. Mia seemed out of sorts, and was now crying against her father’s shoulder that she didn’t know what dangers were next.

Seth was rubbing her back gently, telling her that moving on was the only way of knowing.

Ford’s jaw clenched, and he wondered if Seth failed to truly grasp how broken Mia had been about her memories returning. That first day at the farm, and then those days digging deeper in the cave when she couldn’t even set foot near it…

Ford had seen men’s spirits break after mine collapses. Lose their minds and refuse to go back down. Prefer starvation and begging in the nearby township to work that would at least feed them if nothing else.

Looking at Mia now, he wondered if she was close to that point.

Every time it seemed that she’d back up from the edge and come back to being herself, something else happened. This journey would not be good for her.

The pressure, too, was enormous. Seth held his daughter, but the awkwardness in his words made it clear he didn’t know what he was doing. And yet, Ford didn’t dare interfere.

After a time, Anaisa was assured that Daniel was safe and well. She’d spent time with a handkerchief going over each of his wounds to make sure they had closed and healed despite the stains left behind.

Everyone had lost some blood in the ordeal. Ford and the other men less so as their sleeves protected their arms, and long pants their legs.

Mia, on the other hand, had short sleeves, a scooped neckline, and a dress that fluttered when the horse ran at full gallop. Though she’d drunk the water and healed her wounds, Ford suspected she was still not quite herself.

“What time is it? I’m hungry,” Daniel complained, and his mother hushed him. She retrieved food from the bags and passed out a small midday meal, which Seth urged Mia to eat.

“You should drink some water, as well,” Anaisa told the girl. “You’ll feel better.”

Mia relented, seeming more like a little girl than she had since Ford had known her. Vulnerable, and in need of care. And yet, when she finally realized everyone was furtively looking at her, Mia took a deep breath and stood shakily, lifting her head in a show of strength.

“We can move onward once we finish eating. The safest place to camp is up ahead.” She pointed, but her hand quivered. “I’m… not quite sure how far.”

The fact that he’d ever thought of her as spoiled stuck in his mind, filling him with shame. Mia was strong, choosing now to bear the burdens of others with little regard for her own.

Even since they’d met, she’d changed. Had he?

A quick self-appraisal assured him that he had. He was stronger, and better. More useful, certainly. He wolfed down the simple meal and spent the rest of the break whittling his little carving. It was slowly taking shape under his hands, though he didn’t know whether it would amount to much.

When it broke in half, he almost cursed. He’d been working hard on it! Tossing one piece aside, he tried to salvage what he could of the other. Maybe he should just find a new piece and start over from the beginning.

Ford intentionally ignored the family, trying to give them peace and a little space to collect themselves after the bizarre sprint through the cutting grove.

He was still an outsider, after all, and should let them cope in their own ways, or so he told himself. Let everyone prepare for whatever might come next.

The horses soon became anxious to move on, probably wanting to be further from the blood-red flowers on the forest floor, and so the group mounted up.

Ford took up the place beside Mia before her father could object and take it for himself. If Seth wanted it, he would have to order Ford out of the way and make things awkward for everyone.

For whatever reason, he chose not to.

Mia’s brief glance at Ford was full of several mixed emotions. Hurt, he thought, and some angst. Had he hurt her?

Or was she simply suffering?

Ford pursed his lips, glancing down at her hand, resting on her leg. Their horses were standing close enough for him to reach out and hold it, if he wanted to. And he did want to. But a display of affection or comfort wouldn’t go over well in front of her family, if he wasn’t mistaken. And yet…

“Everyone hold still, I want to make sure my powers work all right after the injuries,” He declared before closing his eyes and activating his magic to turn everyone invisible.

He reached out to the exact place Mia’s hand had been, and felt her cool skin against his fingers. Gathering her hand in his, he squeezed it gently.

It moved, and his heart ached as he thought she was pulling away.

Instead, it turned over in his palm, and she interlaced her fingers with his, giving them a gentle squeeze back.