Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 344

Chapter 344: Glad to know you
Ford carried Anaisa’s words with him after the break. Despite everything–despite his role in her husband’s abduction, despite his aid in her niece running away–She was still glad to know him?

That touched him in a way he didn’t expect.

He didn’t know exactly what to do with these feelings. How to process the bulk of it.

It would all take time, he supposed.

“How are you holding up?” Mia asked from beside him.

“I should be asking you that,” He cut her a glance. He hadn’t really checked on whether her powers were becoming too drained.

Mia turned her face away to hide a yawn in her shoulder, and Ford grinned slightly. Time with her lightened his heavy mood even without active effort on her part.

“I guess that’s my answer,” He teased, and she rewarded him with a mock glare. The conversation paused as the group prepared to navigate the rise to the next shelf of the staggered plateaus.

The next level was more of a pool with a raised lip holding in the water, and looked deeper than the others had been. The horses seemed hesitant about jumping up and over the barrier, and Ford slid off his mount to investigate it further.

He put his hand into the water and immediately felt a jolt through his body.

“Aaaah,” The syllable escaped his lips involuntarily.

“Are you all right?” Mia jumped down from Harper in her concern.

“It’s wonderful,” Ford shook his head. “Feel it.”

The water was warm, almost hot, and the stark contrast to the chilly air around them made it feel–

“That’s glorious,” Mia exclaimed, turning towards the rest of the group. “The water is hot, it’s amazing.”

Ford looked out across the water, where steam wafted off its surface in wispy strands in the cool wind. Beautiful, almost haunting.

There were gentle ripples on the surface, drawing Ford’s eyes. Hadn’t the water in the previous pools been unusually still? Sure, there was a breeze, but–

“LOOK OUT!” Ford grabbed Mia’s arm and yanked her away from the edge of the water just as a pair of snapping jaws broke the surface.

Whirling, he instinctively pulled her behind him and sheltered her with his body, turning his head to watch the danger. Storm and Harper reared, startled by the large, narrow snout of the crocodile-like creature that had launched its considerable bulk from the water. Its light blue, almost white, scales had made it virtually invisible in the pool.

It had shot itself nearly straight upward, putting its mesmerizing, terrifying form on full display for the group.

Its jaws were as long as Ford’s arm, and though taller than a man, it seemed as if only about half its body left the water before crashing back into it. The horses shrieked in fright, bucking and backing away from the monster.

“WHAT’S THAT?” Daniel cried, his voice cracking on the second word.

Ford tensed, ready to run and drag Mia with him if the enormous creature re-emerged from the pool of water. He wouldn’t have thought so large a creature could have been hiding in it; the edge they were getting ready to climb over was no higher than his hips.

But the water stilled, and settled, and silence reigned.

“Is it gone?” Mia’s breath tickled Ford’s neck, and he realized that he still hunched protectively around her, partially turned away from the ledge.

“Ah, yes, I think so,” His impulse was to jump guiltily away from how he held her, but Ford restrained himself so that he wouldn’t throw her off balance.

Looking at the group, he expected a knowing look from Grandpa and a threatening glare from Seth. Shockingly, Seth looked more contemplative than angry, and Grandpa’s gaze was entirely focused on the water.

“Mia?” Anaisa asked. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, just startled,” The younger woman answered, turning her hand over one way then the other to display its lack of injury.

“Ford! You moved so fast! Is that part of your power, too?” Daniel asked with wide eyes.

Ford’s heart was thundering in his ears from the adrenaline spike. He managed a shaky smile at the boy, but drew back from the water just in case the crocodile-like monster decided to venture out of its hot bath.

“No, but men with slow reflexes don’t survive long in the mines,” Ford explained. Anaisa grimaced at the explanation, and Ford belatedly realized that might not be the best thing to say to a child.

He didn’t have a good gauge for such things since he’d been younger than Daniel when he’d begun working.

The boy’s face lit with interest, but Grandpa interrupted before the conversation got derailed.

“Mia?” His eyes shifted to his granddaughter, and she stood up a little straighter. “This is the safest route to Trace?”

The young woman closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling and exhaling, then nodded.

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault,” Grandpa assured her, “We just gotta figure a way through.”

The old man lifted a hand, and seemed to concentrate. A minute or two later, Ford noticed three damselflies hovering around the man, who sighed.

“There aren’t many insects on the cliffside. I don’t think they like this white dirt and lack of plants,” He explained. “I was hoping to have enough of them to distract the monster, or monsters, while we race on by.”

Seth looked at his father thoughtfully. “There were plenty of bugs down by the forest. We could go down and get some?”

“That would take a lot of time, and give up all the progress we’ve made,” Grandpa frowned.

Ford glanced at the sun. Halfway towards the horizon, it would only be a few hours until nightfall.

“I guess it’s down to me,” He stared across the pool, judging how far the next shelf was. From here, it looked dry and flat. There was even a slight slope up to it, making it seem doable for the horses to climb out of the water and make it that far. But…

“I can’t take you all at once,” Ford looked around at the group. “I’ll have to go alone first, and then come back for you one at a time.”