“I guess he knows where he’s going,” Nicci said.
“He certainly looks like he does,” Kahlan said with a sigh as she started out, watching the spot where Hunter disappeared into the shadows among low-hanging pine boughs.
“Travel until it starts to gets dark, then make camp and wait for first light?” Cassia asked.
“No,” Kahlan said. “As long as Hunter keeps going, so do we.”
The three Mord-Sith nodded. “Sounds good to me,” Cassia said.
Overhead, vultures, with their wings spread wide, rode the gentle breezes below the clouds. Some glided lower, riding the air just above the taller trees. Richard had often talked about signs at the beginning of a journey. She didn’t like to contemplate the meaning of this one.
Kahlan scanned the deeper shadows in the distance as they started in among the thick stand of pines. Although she didn’t see anything threatening, it felt too quiet. Since this was the Dark Lands and the trackless forests held dangers of every sort, she didn’t know if it was normal for it to be so quiet.
The danger that worried her the most was the half people. If there were hordes of half people lying in wait back in the woods, Nicci’s magic was going to be of little use. The three Mord-Sith could fight, and of course Kahlan had the sword, but the half people usually attacked in vast numbers.
She reconsidered the wisdom of telling the soldiers to remain behind. But even if she had brought all the men, and even as good as the soldiers of the First File were in combat, out in such level ground in the strange woods they wouldn’t stand a chance if there were the numbers of half people Emperor Sulachan and Hannis Arc had sent at them in the past. They would be surrounded and smothered under the weight of numbers.
Kahlan knew that if it came, this would not be a battle they could fight and win. They had to depend on the strange, furry creature to keep them out of a major battle and lead them safely through the woods.
Hunter bounded down a narrow trail, pausing and turning back from time to time to wait for them to catch up. He was in his element and seemed unconcerned about any threat lurking in the woods. Kahlan didn’t know if that was because he was confident of his ability to protect himself, or his ability to outrun anything that might come after him.
None of the five women fully shared the creature’s apparent confidence.
CHAPTER
5
Hunter stayed out in the lead as they followed him along lazy streams and through mazes of small pools of standing water among fallen dead branches and leaf litter. The deep shade of the tightly packed, towering pines left the forest floor along their way open enough to make a crude path of sorts along the brook. In spots where water tumbled and splashed, the spray fed thick carpets of green moss covering the rocks. In some spots, fallen, rotting tree trunks made big steps that they used to climb to higher ground as the foothills began ascending to meet the still-distant mountains.
The ground to either side rose up even higher. In some places stone walls thrust up to hem them in. The woods to both sides were thick with a tangled growth of brush and thorny vines. Hunter instead took a winding course along the streambed. Tight stands of trees and in places steep areas of scree or rock walls forced them to repeatedly cross the stream to avoid an arduous climb. Occasionally they had to slog through wet areas created by natural terraces. At least it was easier than traveling through the snarl of dense brush.
Although not ideal, the ground they followed up through the areas of runoff was at least open enough to make traveling relatively easy. Out in the wilds of the Dark Lands there were rarely any true paths used by people, and even more rarely roads. Since Kahlan had been forced to travel through much more difficult terrain in the past, she appreciated that Hunter was taking them along the easiest route available.
As he crossed the running water, Hunter bounded from rock to rock with the effortless grace of a cat. In a number of places he could have easily loped off through the small openings in the thorny brush, but he instead kept to areas the rest of them could travel. Still, in places it was not so easy for the five women to find good footing on the slippery rocks in order to cross the rushing stream. Sometimes they all held hands to keep their balance in a kind of human necklace across swirling water.
From time to time they heard calls from back in the thick growth to the sides and up ahead in the hills. Some of those raucous calls Kahlan recognized as the cries of ravens. All five women looked off toward other, more unnerving sounds whenever an unseen animal screeched or growled.
Hunter rarely bothered to look, and even then it appeared to be out of curiosity, not fear. He usually sat and licked his fur with his rough tongue as he waited patiently for them to catch up. Kahlan supposed that the forest was his natural habitat and he was at home with all the sounds and calls off in the woods, even if the rest of them were not.
She supposed that the powerful creature could dart through the brush to escape danger if he had to. On the other hand, he himself was a predator, with intimidating claws and teeth and the muscle to back them up. She had never seen him hunt or fight, but she knew by his calm confidence that he had to be a formidable fighter like his mother and quite the fierce protector.
When it became dark enough to make it difficult to see and even more difficult to navigate across the rocky landscape, Nicci used her gift to ignite a small flame, letting it float away from her upturned palm to follow after Hunter. It wasn’t overly bright, but lit their way well enough for them to find their footing. Hunter glanced up, watching the floating flame briefly, and then, judging it not to be a danger, continued on his way.
As they climbed higher, the litter of broken rock lower down began to give way to more substantial rocky outcroppings. Sometimes the bulges of rock erupting through the mosses, grasses, and brush looked like they were being held captive in nets of gnarled roots. Hunter would stop from time to time, sitting on his haunches atop a rock or fat root, watching the women struggling to keep up with him. They were all out of breath from the effort of the climb. As soon as they caught up, Hunter would be off again, as if trying to hurry them along and not wanting to waste any time. As winded as they were, none of the five women voiced a complaint or asked to stop for a rest.
The higher the terrain took them, the closer the dark woods grew in to the sides, until they sometimes had to make their way through a near tunnel of vegetation as they followed the tumbling stream ever upward while it poured over rocks and burbled down steep slabs of stone streaked in green and brown slime.
When Hunter was far out ahead of them, visible only in snatches, a man abruptly stumbled out of the trees to their left, jolting them all out of their private thoughts.
He wore tattered pants and no shirt. His bony ribs were covered with a sheen of blood that also soaked his trousers.
He was initially as surprised at seeing them as they were at seeing him stagger out of the trees. Even though he was obviously grievously injured and disoriented, when he saw them his eyes swiftly filled with hate and bloodlust. By his demeanor as well as the strings of bones and teeth holding his tuft of hair upright at the top of his otherwise shaved head, it was obvious that he was a half person.
Without delay, the man lunged toward Kahlan.
Even as the sword was clearing its scabbard, sending the unique ring of steel through the forest, Laurin grabbed the man from behind with a fist around his upright shock of hair. She snatched his head back and in quick, efficient fashion cut his throat deep enough to sever his windpipe.
The man dropped heavily to his knees at Kahlan’s feet, her sword hovering over him. He held both hands over the gushing wound at his throat. She was filled with a rush of anger from the ancient weapon. That rage demanded swift violence, but it was obvious that enough violence had already been done and he was no longer a threat. She stepped aside as he toppled forward, his legs across the bank of the stream with the upper half of his body lying in the shallow stream. As the water splashed over the man, air burble
d from his lungs through the gaping gash. Blood gushing out ran down the stream in a red fan.
Laurin looked rather sheepish. “Sorry, Mother Confessor. I would have been quicker”–she flicked her Agiel, hanging by a fine gold chain from her right wrist, up into her fist–“but without the bond to Lord Rahl, this doesn’t work. So I had to use a knife. It’s slower.”
“It was fast enough and that’s all that really matters,” Kahlan said, gripping the sword tightly as she scanned the dark woods, searching for others she expected to descend out of the woods any moment.
“Besides,” Kahlan added, her heart racing, “not knowing what his occult powers may have been, a knife is the only thing we know for certain works.”
The three Mord-Sith moved to stand with their backs to Kahlan, protectively surrounding her, all with their knives out.
“Do you sense any more?” Kahlan whispered to Nicci.
The sorceress peered around in the shadows. “No. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. I think that sometimes they may be able to use occult powers to shield themselves.”
Kahlan knew that the half people usually howled when they came on a running attack through the woods. She didn’t hear any cries from off in the darkness.
Hunter returned to sit on a rock not far up above them. He looked down at the man lying half in the stream, and then yawned.
“He doesn’t look too concerned,” Kahlan said.
“Maybe it was a straggler,” Cassia said. “With the barrier down and the half people on the loose now, there are bound to be some wandering through the forests of the Dark Lands.”
“That’s possible,” Kahlan said, “but we’re pretty far out in the middle of nowhere. It’s also possible that there are a lot more with him.”
Cassia signaled silently to the other two and then the three of them swiftly vanished into the darkness to check. Nicci stood on a small rock, slowly turning all the way around as she tried to use her gift to tell if there were more.
In a short time the three Mord-Sith reappeared.
“Nothing,” Vale said.
The other two shook their heads to confirm that they didn’t see anything either.
When Hunter turned and started off once again, looking unconcerned, Kahlan and Nicci shared a look.
“I think if there were more, he would probably know,” Nicci suggested.
“Let’s hope you’re right,” Kahlan said as she started out once more.
But she kept the sword out just in case.
CHAPTER
6
They traveled deep into the night without further incident. It was nerve-racking to continually fear that every sound might mean an imminent attack. Kahlan had drawn her sword half a dozen times, erring on the side of safety. None of them took lightly the possibility of a surprise attack. They were all tense and wary as they followed Hunter onto ever-higher ground.
Hunter almost never made any sound as he walked, and seemed magically able to avoid stepping on anything that would make noise. He moved like a shadow. They tried to be silent as well, but with less success.
After they had put a good deal of distance between themselves and the dead man, they all began to feel more confident that the man had been a loner.
Not all the half people traveled in groups. Some hunted for souls by themselves, feeling they had a better chance to steal a soul if they were alone. Being greedy about getting a soul, they weren’t inclined to share, or wait their turn. When they found prey, even if they hunted in large groups, it was every man or woman for themselves.
As skinny as the man had been, he was probably weak from hunger. On top of that, it was night. It was easy enough to fall in the darkness and be seriously injured.
As exhausted as they all were, Kahlan knew that it was a mistake to keep going all night. Every time she thought of stopping, though, she remembered Richard lying in the bedroom back at the citadel. He had no chance if they didn’t find a way to help him.
“How much farther is it to the witch woman’s lair?” Cassia asked as she stretched to get a foothold high up on a jut of ledge.
Kahlan realized that she wasn’t sure. She was having trouble thinking. With the weight of grief, she’d slept only in brief fits the night before they were to have the ceremony at the funeral pyre. It had been a long and sleepless night. With the long trek through the woods on top of that, she was near to dropping from exhaustion.
She tried to think of how much farther it might be. After leaving Red’s valley home the last time, Kahlan had been distraught and distracted. Red had told her that she was going to be murdered within days. With the stress and tension of everything that was happening, to say nothing of the poison she and Richard were carrying within them, Kahlan hadn’t been paying a great deal of attention to where they were. Her thoughts had been elsewhere. She had simply followed along with Richard and the rest of them, unable to get Red’s words out of her mind, her warning that Nicci would kill Richard if Kahlan didn’t kill Nicci first.
“I’m not sure, exactly,” Kahlan finally admitted. “The pass is in the mountains, so I don’t think we are likely to reach her for at least another day, maybe more. Sorry, but I guess I’m too tired to think clearly.”
“From what I remember, I think you’re right,” Nicci said.
“That’s a long way,” Cassia said as she had to bend down to give Kahlan a hand in climbing up.
“We’re going to need to get some sleep, then,” Nicci said. “I would not like to be this tired when we finally reach her.”
“I think you’re right,” Kahlan said as she reached the top of the rock.
She took some dried meat when Cassia handed it to her. Once Nicci was up top, she took a piece as well.
“It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re tired, especially this tired,” Kahlan said. “If that man back there hadn’t been alone we could have had a time of it. With the half people one mistake would be the last and then we won’t ever have the chance to talk to Red.”
Nicci seemed to be appraising Kahlan’s state of exhaustion. “We also really need to have clear heads when we talk with the witch woman. There is nothing more important than finding out if there is a way to help Richard. We can’t afford to make a mistake.”
“There is that,” Kahlan agreed.
Kahlan tore off a piece of the dried meat with her teeth. It felt good to chew on something. Besides getting no sleep, she hadn’t eaten anything for quite a while.
She realized that she was hungry. She supposed this would have to do unless Hunter was true to his name and caught them some rabbit or something. But she hated the thought of taking time for sleep, much less to cook a meal.
She wished that she had thought to bring along more traveling supplies before she’d started out. Time was of the essence and she had been in such a hurry to go after Red to find out what she could do to help Richard that she hadn’t even thought to bring supplies. Fortunately, the three Mord-Sith had the presence of mind to snatch up some things as they had hurried to catch up with Kahlan and Nicci.
Nicci was watching her again. “Kahlan, I really think we would be better off in the long run if we stopped and got some sleep.”
“But I don’t–”
“Your speech is starting to slur,” Nicci advised her. “Do you really want that to happen when you talk to Red? I haven’t slept much, either, and I know how weak I’m feeling. You have to be worse.”
She sighed. She looked around and saw a recessed area in a short rock wall and stopped. “Maybe we should think about getting at least a couple hours of sleep.”
“I hate to stop, too.” Nicci heaved a sigh of resignation. “But if we don’t get at least a little rest it will diminish our chances of making it to Red and finding out if she can give us any answers.”
Kahlan knew that talking to witch women was always a draining experience. She would not want to be half asleep and miss something, some vital clue or nuance.
“All right,” she fina
lly said. “Let’s lie down here and try to get an hour or two of sleep.”
Cassia gestured between herself, Laurin, and Vale. “You two sleep. The three of us will share a watch so that we can get a little ourselves.”
Kahlan was too tired to argue. When she nodded, the three Mord-Sith quickly cut bundles of small balsam boughs for a sleeping mat. They covered it with armfuls of dried grasses. It wasn’t the most ideal way to sleep, but up against the rock it was partially protected and good enough for a short nap.
Cassia climbed up on top of the rock above them to take the first watch. She sat with her arms around her bent knees as she looked out over the woods. The moon behind the clouds lit the expanse of sky just enough to be able to make out the woods. It wasn’t enough light to see detail to travel by, but it would be better than nothing for standing watch. On watch, hearing was often more valuable than sight, because at night sound carried a great distance.
From the perch of a nearby rock, Hunter watched them making preparations. He seemed to possess the curiosity of a cat, and watched everything they did to get ready for a brief sleep. His ears swiveled back and forth as they followed everyone’s movements. He yawned, looking like he wouldn’t mind a nap himself.
Kahlan flopped down on the rough mat beside Nicci once she and the other two Mord-Sith had settled in. Even though it was far from the most comfortable bed she’d ever used, she was so tired that it seemed to be more than comfortable enough.
Nicci let the small, floating flame extinguish, casting them into darkness. Once the flame had sparked out and her eyes adjusted, Kahlan saw that with the moon lighting the clouds she could see more than she would have thought. She was relieved that the Mord-Sith would be able to see as they took turns standing watch.