Richard expected that once beyond the walls to each side of the notch and finally on the way down, they would all need to at least stop and rest, if not stop for the night, but he would prefer to press on long enough to make it down to the tree line and get back into the shelter of the forest before they stopped. He could see the tops of trees beyond, so he knew that the ground descended just ahead and the next day they would finally be able to start down out of the cold and snow of the towering mountains, down to where winter hadn’t yet fully taken hold.
As Richard poked his staff in the snow ahead and took another step, the air all around unexpectedly began to glow green. There was no mistaking that color for anything else.
Vika, her head down as she wearily plodded forward, was out a little ahead of him. She took another step and a hard, green wall lit in the air all around her.
Richard reached out, grabbed her arm, and yanked her back before she even realized what she had almost walked into. She looked up, stunned to see that she had nearly entered the world of the dead without even realizing it. She had been so focused on making headway that she was only watching the pole she was using to check the ground where she wanted to put her foot next.
They all stood stunned, staring at the greenish glow to the air before them. There was no need to talk; they all knew what it meant. They all felt the same sense of bitter disappointment.
Kahlan dropped to her knees in tears. Richard pulled the blanket she had around her shoulders up tighter around her ears to keep her warm. He hugged her, then, holding her head to his shoulder. He hated to see her in a state of such despair and on the edge of giving up. Shale touched her shoulder, as did several of the Mord-Sith. They all felt that same sense of wordless despair, but Kahlan seemed to be the one who most exemplified what they were all feeling.
“It’s clear that we can’t go any farther,” Richard said as he looked up at the rest of them all huddled around. “We need to go back.”
“I’m so tired …” Kahlan wept.
“The sun is down and it’s getting dark fast,” Richard said. He looked up at the others. “We need shelter for the night. We need to get her warmer. I’m sure we can’t make it back down to the tree line. These rock walls offer some protection, but not enough.”
“We need to go back just far enough to be clear of this boundary of death and then make a snow cave,” Shale said. “We do that often in the Northern Waste. It’s a quick way to have shelter and it can save your life on a cold night.”
Still holding Kahlan’s head to his shoulder, Richard nodded. “That would make the most sense.”
Shale pointed. “That spot just back there, where the snow is drifted up against the jog in the face of the rock wall, would be good. The snow will be deeper there and compacted from the wind that drove it in there.”
“Let’s hurry and get it done before it gets too dark,” Richard said. “We’ll all feel better when we can get out of the wind and have something to eat.”
Directed by Shale, the Mord-Sith began digging into the tightly packed snow. Once they had a good start on a cavern, Shale had them stand back. With them safely out of the way, the sorceress cast her hands out, sending a roaring stream of orange and yellow flame into the cavity. It curled around, melting the snow in deeper. She held her hands out, to keep the fire going, until it had melted a big enough space down inside for them. The snow walls to the side that had been melting quickly froze into a glaze of ice.
Richard glanced up at the black clouds through the snow that was beginning to fall in earnest, swirling around in gusts through the split in the mountain. “The storm is upon us. We need to get out of the weather.”
Shale nodded. “Take the Mother Confessor into the back, against the rock wall. It will be warmest against the rock from the heat of the fire. It should be hot enough to let us all get warm. The ice walls will keep the heat in for a while, and I can use my gift to warm the rock when we need it.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Kahlan said through chattering teeth.
9
At first light they dug their way out of their cozy snow cave. After they all emerged, they began making their way back down the mountain to the shelter of the forest. Their breath drifted slowly in the bright, clear air. The fresh snow from the night before had completely covered their tracks with a new layer, making it even more difficult to walk than it had been the day before. The momentum of going downhill, though, was a bit of a help. Still, it took a lot of effort to make it back down to the forest and below the ridgeline where they had first spotted the town built across the mountain pass.
“What are we going to do?” Kahlan finally asked when they stopped to rest on a rock outcropping that was blown clear of snow but was ice cold.
It was a question they all had on their mind, but no one else had wanted to ask.
Richard scanned the thick woods. “We need to make a good shelter, clear some snow away, and build a fire. We all need food and rest to get our strength back.”
“No,” Kahlan said. “What I meant is what are we going to do about the boundary stopping us? I don’t see any other way but to go to that town to get through the pass.”
Richard shook his head. “I’m not ready to do that. We know there are people there. If the goddess can use them, we could suddenly find ourselves fighting an army of Glee. We need to avoid that at all costs. We need to recover and think this through before we do anything.”
“So, what are we going to do, then?” Kahlan pressed. “We obviously can’t go back.”
Richard gave her a look. “We are going to make camp.”
He didn’t want to tell them what he had in mind. So instead, he went about cutting some young trees and stripping them of limbs to make poles. He used one of the bigger poles to span between the crotches of a couple of trees and used a vine to secure them. As he cut down more saplings the Mord-Sith placed them against both sides of the one bigger pole spanning between trees to make a roof of sorts, leaving a space on one end for an opening to get inside. Richard made sure the space inside was big enough for all of them.
He finally gestured. “Shale, could you clear the snow away in front of the door for a fire?”
The sorceress used fists of air driven by her gift to blast the snow from the ground for their shelter. It cleared the snow down to the forest floor. Scraping away wet leaves and branches uncovered solid rock that was broad enough to be a good place for a fire.
Some of the Mord-Sith went about collecting pine, spruce, and balsam boughs to place against the poles to form a roof to protect them from the wind if it came up again and hold in the heat. It took several hours to complete the roof.
While they were doing that, a couple of the others collected dried deadwood for a fire. They stacked up the wood and as it began growing dark Shale sent fire into the stack. In short order they had a good blaze going. The fire crackled as it burned the pine, sending sparks swirling up into the air.
While Richard set fishing lines in a nearby stream, and Kahlan squatted before the fire warming her hands, Berdine, Vale, and Rikka spread out all the bedrolls inside the shelter. There wasn’t a lot of room inside, but the tight quarters would help keep them all warm. Nyda and Cassia brought more dried wood from the surrounding woods and stacked it to the sides so there would be a supply throughout the night. The crackling fire lit the trees all around, sending sharp shadows into the darkness.
After they had collected enough wood, they all gathered around the fire for a meager meal from the supplies they still had left. They were all hungry and there was only sporadic conversation as each of them tore off pieces of dried meat and salted fish. It wasn’t very enjoyable, but at least it helped quench their gnawing hunger. They scooped up snow in tin cups and set them close to the fire to melt the snow for drinking water.
After they had all eaten, the Mord-Sith decided on watches. Richard let them talk him into sleeping the whole night. He knew he was going to need the rest. Once their meager dinner
was finished, they all crawled into the shelter, except Vika and Nyda, who had first watch.
Richard hugged Kahlan close to him. He ached all over from the strenuous hike up to the notch and back, and he knew she felt just as sore. It was a lot of effort that had in the end been for nothing. They were all disheartened that their way had been unexpectedly blocked by the boundary. At least it felt good to have Kahlan tight up beside him. He enjoyed the quiet pleasure of holding her as long as he could, but in mere moments, sleep took him.
At the first hint of light, Richard woke when he heard Rikka putting more wood on the fire. He sat up and stretched as quietly as he could. Kahlan was still asleep. But when he started to climb out from under the blanket that had been around both of them, she woke up.
He told her to go back to sleep. He was relieved that she lay back down while he made his way out of the low shelter. He searched around until he found some tender saplings, then set to work. He used his knife to split them and then bend them around to make a hoop. With a supply of leather thongs from his pack, he wove a net across the loop of wood.
About the time he finished, everyone woke up and came out. They dug travel biscuits from their packs and had a quick bite to eat as they all rubbed sleep from their eyes.
“All right,” Kahlan finally said, “we’re rested. So what are we going to do now?”
Richard, his forearms resting on his knees, chewed the hard biscuit for a moment before answering.
“Well, you all are going to camp here and get some rest.”
Shale, Vika, and Kahlan all looked up suspiciously.
“And what do you intend to do while we all ‘rest’?” Kahlan asked.
“I’m going to go into the mountains on the other side of the town. I’m going to see if I can find another way around.”
“You mean you are going to go see if the boundary is over on that side, too,” Kahlan said, obviously realizing what he was up to.
“We need to know for sure if there is a way through or not.”
“Then we should all go,” Kahlan said.
Everyone else shifted their gazes between the two of them, not wanting to get in the middle of what was Kahlan’s obvious displeasure at the plan and Richard’s clear determination.
“No,” he said, “we should not all go. I can travel faster by myself. There is no reason to expose you to the dangers and the difficult hike if it turns out to be for nothing, like it did on the other side. If I find a way through, I’ll come back and by then you all will be rested and ready to travel.”
“You’re not going alone,” Vika finally said. “I’m going with you.”
“Not this time.”
“Why?” Kahlan said. “Why can’t you at least take Vika?”
“Because with me gone, I want everyone else to be here to protect you, that’s why.”
Vika clearly looked upset. “Lord Rahl, I—”
“I want you to stay here and protect the Mother Confessor. We don’t know what dangers might be about. She carries our children, our hope for the future of our world. I want her protected.” He stood, lifting his pack, slinging it up on one shoulder. He picked up his bow from where it was leaning against the shelter. “The subject is not open to debate. Check the fishing lines. Hopefully you can all have some fresh fish. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“You said that we have to all stay together,” Berdine said, “for that Law of Nines thing.”
“I’m doing what I think best,” he said. “It doesn’t take nine of us to trudge through deep snow to scout the terrain. Scouting ahead is what I’m good at.”
Berdine pointed off through the trees to where the ravens had roosted. “Can you at least shoot a few with your bow so that their number will be less, like ours will?”
“It can’t be done,” Richard said.
“Why not?”
“Because the ravens would not allow it.”
Berdine wrinkled up her nose. “Not allow it? What are you talking about?”
Richard gestured to the birds perched on branches in the pines. “Watch.”
He turned his back on them as he quickly strung the bow. He gripped it in one hand as he pulled an arrow from the quiver over his shoulder. He quickly nocked the arrow in the string, and then turned around toward the ravens. Before he could even raise the bow to aim, all the ravens started squawking as they took to wing and, in an instant, had vanished back into the trees.
Richard cocked an eyebrow at Berdine as he replaced the arrow in the quiver and hooked the bow over his shoulder.
“Like I said before, ravens are crazy smart. But those are not merely ravens. I want Kahlan protected while I’m gone.” His gaze swept over everyone watching him. “Is that clear?”
Once Shale and all the Mord-Sith nodded, he sat on the edge of the rocks and bent to tie the snowshoes he had made to his boots.
“That’s pretty creepy,” Berdine said as she looked again to see that the ravens had vanished. “It’s like they’re watching us.”
“They are, so they will be back,” he said. “Now, all of you watch over Kahlan for me until I get back. Please,” he added.
Without waiting for them to raise objections, Richard started out, pleased to discover how well the snowshoes worked. It would make it a lot easier to cover ground quickly.
10
As he expected, one of the thirteen ravens left the others to follow him as he quickly made his way through the woods. It flew through the forest, weaving in and out among the branches as if they weren’t even there to get out ahead of him, and then with a quick flutter of its black wings settled on a branch to wait for him to pass underneath. As he did, it would turn its head to look down at him with one black, glossy eye.
The bird’s black eyes reminded him of the eyes of the Glee. It was wearisome the way there was always someone or something watching them so that they were never completely alone, to know instead that they were always being observed for any sign of weakness and for the right time to attack.
He knew that if he wanted to, he could kill the raven—what he had done before with the bow was just to show the others that these were not merely wild ravens so that they would be on alert—but he also knew that killing it would accomplish nothing, so he didn’t want to reveal his ability before it became necessary.
Besides, the animal itself was innocent. It was merely being used, much the same way the goddess looked through the eyes of unsuspecting people. He actually rather liked ravens, although they were often quite noisy.
Richard was happy to find that the snowshoes made for much easier progress over the snow. They weren’t perfect, but they worked. Rather than his legs sinking in with each step, he could simply walk on the surface almost as well as he could on the bare ground.
He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of it the day before as they had struggled to make their way up the mountain to the notch he’d spotted. He guessed that he was letting himself become too focused with worry of what was going on and with what he had been hoping would be their way out. He supposed that he simply wasn’t thinking straight.
He reprimanded himself that such lapses could be fatal. They were in a lot of trouble, more trouble than any of the others realized, and he needed to think clearly. That was the only thing that was going to save them.
He wasn’t concerned about leaving the rest of them back at camp. He knew they weren’t in danger there. The danger was in that fortress town built across the pass. That was where the spider waited at the center of this web.
They had discovered that to the left of the fortress town in the pass the boundary blocked their way. He needed to see if there was a way around the pass on the other side so that they could make it to the Wizard’s Keep without having to go into that fortress. He had to know if they had a choice or if the boundary continued on to the right of the town.
As the day wore on, he continued to push, making more progress than he ever could have if he had let Kahlan and the others come with him
. Kahlan never complained about the physical challenges, but with her being pregnant it was difficult for her to push as hard as she would like to or as hard as he could alone. Before she had become pregnant with the twins, he would never have had any doubt that she could keep up with him. At times, if anything, he had trouble keeping up with her. But he knew that now she couldn’t.
When he finally made it above the tree line, he stopped and turned back to see the raven sitting on a bare limb, watching him. He turned and started ahead, panting with the effort and the thin air at this altitude.
After a time, he paused and with a hand shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight as he scanned the mountainside. While the place he spotted was far from ideal, and he knew it likely wouldn’t be a way they could cross the mountains, he headed for the spot anyway, because it would serve his purpose to confirm what he suspected. In such a life-and-death situation, he dared not leave any stone—or escape route—unturned.
It was sometime in the mid-afternoon when he had to remove his snowshoes to start climbing bare rock that had been blown mostly clean of snow by the howling winds. At least those winds were now calm. It was hard climbing, but he was able to keep going without stopping to rest. Some of the places were so high that he had to jump and grab an edge with his fingers and then pull himself up. After such places, he had to lie on his back and catch his breath in the thin air.
His legs ached, and the altitude was not only causing him to become easily winded, it was starting to make him feel sick. The answer, he knew, was to reach the place that would tell him one way or the other what he needed to know, and then he could start back down.
As he pulled himself up and over the top of another ledge, he saw that the way ahead was relatively flat and would be a lot easier walking. As he started across, he could see trackless forests of trees crusted with snow blanketing the slopes beyond, on the way down. It would be impossible to climb down the cliffs on the other side of the place he had reached, but that wasn’t important for now, so he kept going.
Into Darkness Page 5