Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 376

Chapter 376: More and more
Mia froze. More monsters day by day?

“What do you mean, more?” Anaisa spoke Mia’s thoughts aloud.

“More means a greater number than before,” Martin rolled his eyes. “Opposite of ‘less’ and ‘fewer’. I could be mistaken, but since I didn’t see any for years until a month or two ago, sure does seem like more.”

The group looked at each other with dubious expressions, and Martin considered them each in turn before speaking again.

“I’ve definitely seen some on the surface. How many have you run into?”

“A chimera, first,” Daniel piped in. “Then wights or changers in the forest, and something else. Something big. Then the giant reptilian monsters here… I think that’s it? But why are there more now?”

“That, I can’t say. But there are definitely more.” Martin concluded.

“Maybe that’s why we’ve seen so many on this journey,” Daniel thought out loud. “Maybe there weren’t hardly any near to humans before, but now they’re coming out? But why?”

“Trace spoke of containing the Emperor Wight’s dreams,” Ford closed his eyes as if trying to remember. “I don’t know any more than that. Maybe he’s failing? Could these things be from the dreams?”

“Around the golden tree, Trace had the ability to make dreams reality,” Anaisa put in softly, surprising Mia.

“They took him because they said ‘we dream’,” The younger woman responded. “Did they take him because they needed him for this?”

“If he’s holding more monsters back somehow, you really want to rescue him?” Martin made a face. “Those things are dangerous, and if more of them get to the cities, it’ll be carnage.”

“You think they’ll go that far?” Ford’s eyes widened.

“Animals gravitate towards resources like food and water,” Daniel spoke more authoritatively than his youth should have allowed. “If any of them come to consider humans a food source, they would naturally go to where the most humans are.”

“Those scaly beasts certainly considered us a potential meal,” Ford said bitterly.

“We can’t just leave and go home without Uncle Trace,” Mia spoke to him. “We’ve come too far.”

“I’m not turning back,” Anaisa said firmly. “Martin, are you coming or not?”

The man sighed heavily, and stared around at the circle, his eyes lingering on Mia.

“Before I agree or not, tell me why this girl’s hiding from me.”

“I’m not hiding,” She stood up taller and glared.

“Sure is a good imitation of it,” Martin shot back.

Though Mia didn’t have her aunt’s famous temper, she wasn’t completely immune to goading. She also didn’t want to be eternally afraid of this man who, now that she was grown, didn’t seem nearly as towering and frightening as he did in her memories.

Ford moved closer to her, and Mia stepped out from behind her father.

“Do you remember me?” She challenged, and Martin’s eyes looked her over, then glanced at Anaisa and Seth.

“I don’t,” Martin shrugged. “But, I can guess based on who you’re with. You must be that little girl that was in the cave those years ago.”

“That you held prisoner in the cave,” Mia corrected, and Martin shrugged.

“I said sorry at the time.”

“Did you?” Seth raised an eyebrow. “I don’t recall getting an apology from you.”

“Well, I told Trace, I think. It’s not my fault if he didn’t pass it along.”

“Are you sure? Or are you remembering what you wish you’d said?” Anaisa’s mouth twisted skeptically.

“It’s so many blasted years ago. Hasn’t anybody moved on?” Martin shook his head. “Life continues. Sorry I was employed by a crazy person and helped keep you in a cave. Happy?”

“I’d be happier if you helped us rescue Trace,” Anaisa addressed him calmly.

“And you’ll all forgive me on the condition that I risk my life helping you on a doomed-to-fail quest to get a person freed from dragons and wights?” Martin rolled his eyes. “Seems worth it.”

Mia bit her lip. Could she forgive Martin, ever?

He’d already saved Ford’s life, for which she was grateful, despite everything that came after. She should try to be a forgiving person. Grandma said unforgiveness was like rottenness in your bones that eats away at you.

She hadn’t held on to a grudge for years, she just hadn’t remembered to have a grudge until recently. Was that the same?

“Yes,” Mia said impulsively. “If you help us rescue Uncle Trace, I’ll try my best to forgive you.”

“‘Try your best’?” Martin made a face.

“You did keep children trapped in a cave,” Ford shrugged. “Seems like something you’d want forgiveness for.”

Martin cast a sharp look at the Foundrel orphan he’d saved from a mine collapse, but when the younger man held eye contact, Martin eventually sighed.

“Fine. Whatever. I’ll take you as far as the entrance to their forest, but maybe no further. Depends on how things go.” He decided.

“Excellent,” Ford smiled. “Let’s get going.”

“What exactly is the path we’re going to follow?” Seth glanced at Mia, then at Martin.

“We can go back the way I came, but it’s dangerous,” Martin seemed to notice that Seth looked at her, and he fixed her with his own gaze. “Unless… you have a better way?”

Mia didn’t appreciate being the focus of the man’s attention. Though no one else seemed particularly disturbed by being in his presence, he unnerved Mia with the memories he provoked in her.

She closed her eyes to shut him out for a moment, looking for the safest path to Trace. Maybe that would change now that they had Martin with them. Would her magic take his abilities into account?

This particular situation wasn’t inside her experience. How long could his magic last? How far could he go before running out? There were many things outside of her knowledge which could affect a great deal.

The pull wasn’t down, at least not yet. It was almost in the same direction it had been before, but now subtly different. Just a few degrees off from where it had been. Or had she simply turned slightly?

“Which way would you go?” She asked Martin, opening her eyes.

He fixed her with a strange stare and pointed, without breaking eye contact.

“Then that’s the way we’ll go.” She declared.