Wizard s first rule

Wizard’s First Rule Sword of Truth 01 by Terry Goodkind WIZARD’S FIRST RULE For Jeri CHAPTER It was an odd-looking vine Dusky variegated leaves hunkered against a stem that wound in a stranglehold around the smooth trunk of a balsam fir Sap drooled down the wounded bark, and dry limbs slumped, making it look as if the tree were trying to voice a moan into the cool, damp morning air Pods stuck out from the vine here and there along its length, almost seeming to look warily about for witnesses It was the smell that had first caught his attention, a smell like the decomposition of something that had been wholly unsavory even in life Richard combed his fingers through his thick hair as his mind lifted out of the fog of despair, coming into focus upon seeing the vine He scanned for others, but saw none Everything else looked normal The maples of the upper Ven Forest were already tinged with crimson, proudly showing off their new mantle in the light breeze With nights getting colder, it wouldn’t be long before their cousins down in the Hartland Woods joined them The oaks, being the last to surrender to the season, still stoically wore their dark green coats Having spent most his life in the woods, Richard knew all the plants—if not by name, by sight From when Richard was very small, his friend Zedd had taken him along, hunting for special herbs He had shown Richard which ones to look for, where they grew and why, and put names to everything they saw Many times they just talked, the old man always treating him as an equal, asking as much as he answered Zedd had sparked Richard’s hunger to learn, to know This vine, though, he had seen only once before, and it wasn’t in the woods He had found a sprig of it at his father’s house, in the blue clay jar Richard had made when he was a boy His father had been a trader and had traveled often, looking for the chance exotic or rare item People of means had often sought him out, interested in what he might have turned up It seemed to be the looking, more than the finding, that he had liked, as he had always been happy to part with his latest discovery so he could be off after the next From a young age, Richard had liked to spend time with Zedd while his father was away Richard’s brother, Michael, was a few years older, and having no interest in the woods, or Zedd’s rambling lectures, preferred to spend his time with people of means About five years before, Richard had moved away to live on his own, but he often stopped by his father’s home, unlike Michael, who was always busy and rarely had time to visit If his father had gone away, he would leave Richard a message in the blue jar telling him the latest news, some gossip, or of some sight he had seen On the day three weeks before when Michael had come and told him their father had been murdered, Richard had gone to his father’s house, despite his brother’s insistence that there was no reason to go, nothing he could Richard had long since passed the age when he did as his brother said Wanting to spare him, the people there didn’t let him see the body But still, he saw the big, sickening splashes and puddles of blood, brown and dry across the plank floor When Richard came close, voices fell silent, except to offer sympathy, which only deepened the riving pain Yet he had heard them talking, in hushed tones, of the stories and the wild rumors of things come out of the boundary Of magic Richard was shocked at the way his father’s small home had been torn apart, as if a storm had been turned loose inside Only a few things were left untouched The blue message jar still sat on the shelf, and inside he found the sprig of vine It was still in his pocket now What his father meant him to know from it, he couldn’t guess Grief and depression overwhelmed him, and even though he still had his brother, he felt abandoned That he was grown into manhood offered him no sanctuary from the forlorn feeling of being orphaned and alone in the world, a feeling he had known before, when he was young and his mother died Even though his father had often been away, sometimes for weeks, Richard had always known he was somewhere, and would be back Now he would never be back Michael wouldn’t let him have anything to with the search for the killer He said he had the best trackers in the army looking and he wanted Richard to stay out of it, for his own good So Richard simply didn’t show the vine to Michael, and went off alone every day, searching for the vine For three weeks he walked the trails of the Hartland Woods, every trail, even the ones few others knew of, but he never saw it Finally, against his better judgment, he gave in to the whispers in his mind, and went to the upper Ven Forest, close to the boundary The whispers haunted him with the feeling that he somehow knew something of why his father had been murdered They teased at him, tantalized him with thoughts just out of reach, and laughed at him for not seeing it Richard lectured himself that it was his grief playing tricks, not something real He had thought that when he found the vine it would give him some sort of answer Now that he had, he didn’t know what to think The whispers had stopped teasing him, but now they brooded He knew it was just his own mind thinking, and he told himself to stop trying to give the whispers a life of their own Zedd had taught him better than that Richard looked up at the big fir tree in its agony of death He thought again of his father’s death The vine had been there Now the vine was killing this tree; it couldn’t be anything good Though he couldn’t anything for his father, he didn’t have to let the vine preside over another death Gripping it firmly, he pulled, and with powerful muscles ripped the sinewy tendrils away from the tree That’s when the vine bit him One of the pods struck out and hit the back of his left hand, causing him to jump back in pain and surprise Inspecting the small wound, he found something like a thorn embedded in the meat of the gash The matter was decided The vine was trouble He reached for his knife to dig out the thorn, but the knife wasn’t there At first surprised, he realized why and reprimanded himself for allowing his depression to cause him to forget something as basic as taking his knife with him into the woods Using his fingernails, he tried to pull out the thorn To his rising concern, the thorn, as if alive, wiggled itself in deeper He dragged his thumbnail across the wound, trying to snag the thorn out The more he dug, the deeper it went A hot wave of nausea swept through him as he tore at the wound, making it bigger, so he stopped The thorn had disappeared into the oozing blood Looking about, Richard spotted the purplish red autumn leaves of a small nannyberry tree, laden with its crop of dark blue berries Beneath the tree, nestled in the crook of a root, he found what he sought: an aum plant Relieved, he carefully snapped off the tender stem near its base, and gently squeezed the sticky, clear liquid onto the bite He gave a smile to old Zedd for teaching him how the aum plant made wounds heal faster The soft fuzzy leaves always made Richard think of Zedd The juice of the aum numbed the sting, but not his worry over being unable to remove the thorn He could feel it wriggling still deeper into his flesh Richard squatted down and poked a hole in the ground with his finger, placed the aum in it, and fixed moss about the stem so it might regrow itself The sounds of the forest fell dead still Richard looked up, flinching as a dark shadow swept over the ground, leaping across limbs and leaves There was a rushing, whistling sound in the air overhead The size of the shadow was frightening Birds burst from cover in the trees, giving alarm calls as they scattered in all directions Richard peered up, searching through the gaps in the canopy of green and gold, trying to see the shadow’s source For an instant, he saw something big Big, and red He couldn’t imagine what it could be, but the memory of the rumors and stories of things coming out of the boundary flooded back into his mind, making him go cold to the bone The vine was trouble, he thought again; this thing in the sky could be no less He remembered what people always said, “Trouble sires three children,” and knew immediately that he didn’t want to meet the third child Discounting his fears, he started running Just idle talk of superstitious people, he told himself He tried to think of what could be that big, that big and red It was impossible; there was nothing that flew that was that large Maybe it was a cloud, or a trick of the light But he couldn’t fool himself: it was no cloud Looking up as he ran, trying for another glimpse, he headed for the path that skirted the hillside Richard knew that the ground dropped off sharply on the other side of the trail, and he would be able to get an unobstructed view of the sky Tree branches wet with rain from the night before slapped at his face as he ran through the forest, jumping fallen trees and small rocky streams Brush snatched at his pant legs Dappled swatches of sunlight teased him to look up but denied him the view he needed His breath was fast, ragged, sweat ran cold against his face, and he could feel his heart pounding as he ran carelessly down the hillside At last he stumbled out of the trees onto the path, almost falling Searching the sky, he spotted the thing, far away and too small for him to tell what it was, but he thought it had wings He squinted against the blue brightness of the sky, shielded his eyes with his hand, trying to see for sure if there were wings moving It slipped behind a hill and was gone He hadn’t even been able to tell if it really was red Winded, Richard slumped down on a granite boulder at the side of the trail, absently snapping off dead twigs from a sapling beside him while he stared down at Trunt Lake below Maybe he should go tell Michael what had happened, tell him about the vine and the red thing in the sky He knew Michael would laugh at the last part He had laughed at the same stories himself No, Michael would only be angry with him for being up near the boundary, and for going against his orders to stay out of the search for the murderer He knew his brother cared about him or he wouldn’t always be nagging him Now that he was grown, he could laugh off his brother’s constant instructions, though he still had to endure the looks of displeasure Richard snapped off another twig and in frustration threw it at a flat rock He decided he shouldn’t feel singled out After all, Michael was always telling everyone what to do, even their father He pushed his harsh judgments of his brother aside; today was a big day for Michael Today he was accepting the position of First Councilor He would be in charge of everything now, not just the town of Hartland anymore, but all the towns and villages of Westland, even the country people Responsible for everything and everyone Michael deserved Richard’s support, he needed it; Michael had lost a father, too That afternoon there was to be a ceremony and big celebration at Michael’s house Important people were going to be there, come from the farthest reaches of Westland Richard was supposed to be there, too At least there would be plenty of good food He realized he was famished While he sat and thought, he scanned the opposite side of Trunt Lake, far below From this height the clear water revealed alternating patches of rocky bottom and green weed around the deep holes At the edge of the water, Hawkers Trail knitted in and out of the trees, in some places open to view, in some places hidden Richard had been on that part of the trail many times In the spring it was wet and soggy down by the lake, but this late in the year it would be dry In areas farther north and south, as the trail wound its way through the high Ven Forests, it passed uncomfortably close to the boundary Because of that, most travelers avoided it, choosing instead the trails of the Hartland Woods Richard was a woods guide, and led travelers safely through the Hartland forests Most were traveling dignitaries wanting the prestige of a local guide more than they wanted direction His eyes locked on something There was movement Unsure what it had been, he stared hard at the spot on the far side of the lake When he saw it again, on the path, where it passed behind a thin veil of trees, there was no doubt: it was a person Maybe it was his friend Chase Who else but a boundary warden would be wandering around up here? He hopped down off the rock, tossing the twigs aside, and took a few steps forward The figure followed the path into the open, at the edge of the lake It wasn’t Chase; it was a woman A woman in a dress What woman would be walking around this far out in the Ven Forest, in a dress? Richard watched her making her way along the lakeshore, disappearing and reappearing with the path She didn’t seem to be in a hurry, but she wasn’t strolling slowly either Rather, she moved at the measured pace of an experienced traveler That made sense; no one lived anywhere near Trunt Lake Other movement snatched his attention Richard’s eyes searched the shade and shadows Behind her, there were others Three, no, four men, in hooded forest cloaks, following her, but hanging back some distance They moved with stealth, from tree to rock to tree Looking Waiting Moving Richard straightened, his eyes wide, his attention riveted They were stalking her He knew immediately: this was the third child of trouble her soft lips the way he had dreamed a thousand times of kissing her He kissed her until he was dizzy, and then kissed her some more, not caring that bewildered people who passed watched them Richard had no idea how long they knelt there embracing, but decided at last that they had better go find Zedd With her arm around his waist, her head leaning against him, they walked back to the Garden of Life, kissing once more before they went through the doors Zedd stood with one hand on a bony hip, the other stroking his chin, as he inspected the altar and other things behind it Kahlan fell to her knees before him, taking his hands in hers, kissing them “Zedd, he loves me! He figured out how to make it work, with the magic There was a way, and he found it.” Zedd frowned down at her “Well, it took him long enough.” Kahlan came to her feet “You knew how to it?” Zedd looked indignant at the question “I’m a wizard of the First Order Of course I knew.” “And you never told us?” Zedd smiled “Had I told you, dear one, it wouldn’t have worked The foreknowledge would have interjected a grain of doubt That single grain would have caused failure To be the true love of a Confessor, there must be total commitment, to get past the magic Without the willingness to give himself over to you, selflessly, despite the knowledge of the consequence, it wouldn’t work.” “You seem to know a lot about it.” Kahlan frowned “I have never heard of it before How often does this happen?” Zedd rubbed his chin in thought, looking up at the windows “Well, only once before that I know of.” His eyes rested on the two of them “But you can tell no one, just as I wasn’t able to tell you No matter how much pain it may cause, no matter the consequences, you can never tell If even one other knows, it could be passed on, destroying forever the chance for others It’s one of the ironies of magic; you have to accept failure before you can have success It is also one of the burdens of magic; you must accept the results, even the death, of others, to protect the hope for the future Selfishness costs the lives, the chances, of those yet unborn.” Kahlan nodded “I promise.” “Me too,” Richard said “Zedd, is it over? With Darken Rahl, I mean Is he dead?” Zedd gave Richard a look he found unexpectedly uncomfortable “Darken Rahl is dead.” Zedd put a thin hand on Richard’s shoulder, his bony fingers gripping tightly “You have gotten it right, Richard, all of it You scared the wits out of me I have never seen a performance to match it.” Richard grinned in pride “Just a little trick.” Zedd nodded, his white hair sticking out in every direction, looking wild “More than a trick, my boy More than little.” They all turned when they heard the sound of someone approaching Chase came dragging Michael in by the scruff of his neck His dirty white trousers and shirt spoke that he had not come willingly Chase gave him a shove, forcing him in front of Richard Richard’s mood darkened at seeing his brother Michael’s defiant eyes came up to meet Richard’s gaze “I’ll not be treated in this manner, little brother.” His voice was as condescending as it had ever been “You don’t know what you’ve interfered with, what I was trying to do, how I would have helped everyone by uniting Westland and D’Hara You have doomed the people to needless suffering that Darken Rahl could have spared You are a fool.” Richard thought about all he had been through, about all that Zedd, and Chase, and Kahlan had been through He thought about all those he knew who had died at Rahl’s hands, and the countless number of dead he would never know of The suffering, the cruelty, the brutality He thought of all the tyrants allowed to flourish under Darken Rahl, all the way from Darken Rahl himself down to Princess Violet He thought of those he had killed He felt pain and grief at the things he had had to The metallic ring of the Sword of Truth filled the air Michael’s eyes went wide at seeing its point at his throat Richard leaned a little closer to his brother “Give me the loser’s salute, Michael.” Michael’s face turned crimson “I would rather die first.” Richard nodded as he straightened He looked deep into his brother’s eyes as he took the sword away Richard pulled the anger back, tried to make the sword turn white It would not He slid the blade home into its scabbard “I’m glad to see we have one thing in common, Michael We would both die for what we believe in.” He took his gaze from Michael, to the big, crescent battle-axe hanging at Chase’s belt His eyes came up to the boundary warden’s grim face “Execute him,” he whispered “Take his head to his personal guard Tell them he was executed by my order, for treason against Westland Westland will have to find a new First Councilor.” Chase’s big fist grabbed Michael by the hair Michael screamed out, falling to his knees, giving the loser’s salute “Richard! Please, I’m your brother! Don’t this! Don’t let him kill me! I’m sorry, forgive me I was wrong Please, Richard, forgive me.” Richard stared down at his brother, who was on his knees before him, his hands together, imploring Richard held out the Agiel in his fist, feeling the pain it gave him, tolerating it, remembering it, the visions flashing through his mind “Darken Rahl told you what he was going to to me You knew You knew what was going to happen to me, and you were indifferent because it brought you personal gain Michael, I forgive everything you have done against me.” Michael sagged in relief The Seeker stiffened “But I cannot forgive what you have done against others Others have forfeited their lives because of the things you have done It is for those crimes that you are to be executed, not the ones against me.” Michael screamed and cried as Chase dragged him away Richard watched in pain, shaking, as his brother was taken to his execution Zedd placed his hand over Richard’s on the Agiel “Let it go, Richard.” Richard’s thoughts masked the pain it was giving him He looked to Zedd, standing before him with his bony, leathery hand over his, saw things in his friend’s eyes he had never seen before, a shared understanding of the pain He released the Agiel Kahlan’s eyes went to it as it fell against his chest “Richard, you have to keep that?” “For now, I It was a promise I made to one who I killed One who helped teach me how much I love you Darken Rahl thought this would defeat me Instead, it taught me how to defeat him If I discard it now, I would be denying what is inside me, what I am.” Kahlan put her hand on his arm “Right now, I don’t understand, but someday, I hope I will.” Richard looked around the Garden of Life, thinking about Darken Rahl’s death, and about his father’s death He had seen justice done He grieved a moment when his memories touched his father But then the pain lifted as he realized that he had completed the task his father had given him Richard had remembered every word of the secret book perfectly His duty was done His father could rest in peace Zedd straightened his robes with a huff “Bags! A place this big must have something to eat, don’t you suppose?” Richard grinned, put one arm around each of them as he led them out of the Garden of Life He took them to a dining hall he remembered People sat at tables as if nothing had changed The three of them found a table in the corner Servers brought plates of rice, vegetables, brown bread, cheese, and bowls of steaming spice soup The surprised but smiling servers kept bringing more as Zedd resolutely emptied the plates of food Richard tried the cheese, and to his surprise found it had a sickening flavor He threw it back on the table as he made a sour face “What’s the matter?” Zedd asked “That has to be the worst-tasting cheese I’ve ever eaten!” Zedd sniffed it and took a bite “Nothing wrong with the cheese, my boy.” “Fine, then you eat it.” Zedd was only too happy to comply Richard and Kahlan ate spice soup and brown bread, and smiled as they watched their old friend eat Zedd had his fill at last, and they resumed their journey out of the People’s Palace As they strode through the halls, the bells tolled in a single, long peal, calling people to the devotion Kahlan watched with a frown as everyone gathered at the squares, bowing to the center, chanting Since Richard had changed the words in his devotion, he no longer felt the pull, the nervous need to join the people They passed a number of squares as they continued on, each filled with people chanting Richard wondered if he should something about it, stop them somehow, but decided at last he had already done the most important part The three emerged from the cavernous halls out into the winter sunlight The hillside of steps cascaded down before them, to the huge expanse of courtyard The three paused at the brink Richard gasped when he saw the numbers gathered there Spread out before them were thousands of men, standing tall in rank upon rank At the head, at the base of the steps, stood Michael’s personal guard, formerly known as the Home Guard, before Michael took that name from them Their mail, shields, and yellow banners shone brightly in the sun Behind them, nearly a thousand men of the Westland army Behind them, many more of the D’Haran forces Chase stood before them all, his arms folded, looking up the steps Next to him, planted in the ground, was a pole with Michael’s head atop it Richard stood, stunned by the silence If a man in the back, a half mile away, had coughed, he would have heard it Zedd’s hand on his back started him down the steps It felt a little too much like a push Kahlan took his arm, giving it a squeeze, and held herself tall as they descended the series of steps and expansive landings Chase watched Richard’s eyes as he came Richard saw Rachel beside him, clutching one arm around his leg, holding Sara in the other hand Sharing the grip with the doll was Siddin’s hand Siddin saw Kahlan and broke from the hand, running to meet her Kahlan laughed and scooped him up in her arms He grinned at Richard and jabbered something Richard didn’t understand, before throwing his arms around Kahlan’s neck After she hugged him and whispered to him, she put him down, holding his hand tightly The captain of the Home Guard stepped forward “The Home Guard stands ready to swear loyalty to you, Richard.” The commander of the Westland army stepped up next to the captain “As does the Westland army.” A D’Haran officer came forward “As the D’Haran forces.” Richard stared numbly at them, blinking He felt the anger heat in him “No one’s swearing loyalty to anyone, least of all me! I’m a woods guide Nothing more Get that through your heads right now A woods guide!” Richard gazed out over the sea of heads All eyes were on him He glanced over to Michael’s gory head stuck on the pole He closed his eyes a moment, then turned to some men of the Home Guard, and pointed to the head “Bury that thing with the rest of him.” No one moved “Right now!” They jumped and made for the head Richard returned his gaze to the D’Haran officer standing before him Everyone waited “Send word: all hostilities are ended The war is ended See to it that all forces are recalled to their homelands, all armies of occupation are withdrawn I expect every man who has committed crimes against defenseless people, whether he be foot soldier or general, to be put on trial, and if found guilty, punished according to the law The D’Haran forces are to help get food to the people who would otherwise starve over the winter Fire is no longer outlawed If any forces you encounter don’t follow these orders, you will have to deal with them.” Richard pointed to the commander of the Westland army “Take your forces and help him Together, you will be too strong to ignore.” The two officers stared Richard leaned closer “It won’t get done if you don’t get to it.” Both men put a fist over their hearts in salute, giving a bow The D’Haran officer’s eyes came up to Richard’s His fist was still over his heart “By your command, Master Rahl.” Richard stared in surprise, then dismissed it The man, he decided, must just be used to saying “Master Rahl.” Richard noticed a guard to the side He recognized the man He was the captain of the guards at the gate when Richard had left the People’s Palace before The one who had offered him a horse and warned him about the dragon Richard motioned him to come forward The man came and stood stiffly at attention, looking a little worried “I have a job for you.” The man waited in silence “I think you would be good at getting it done I want you to collect all the Mord-Sith Every last one.” “Yes, sir.” He looked a little pale “They will all be executed before sunset.” “No! I don’t want them executed!” The man blinked in confusion “What am I to with them?” “You are to destroy their Agiels Every last one I don’t ever want to see an Agiel again.” He held up the one at his neck “Except this one Then you are to find them new clothes Burn every stitch of Mord-Sith clothes They are to be treated with kindness, and respect.” The man’s eyes went wide “Kindness,” he whispered, “and respect?” “That’s what I said They are to be given jobs helping people, they are to be taught to treat people in the same way they are treated: with kindness and respect I don’t know how you are to that, you’ll just have to figure it out yourself You look like a bright fellow All right?” He frowned “And what if they refuse to change?” Richard glared at the man “Tell them that if they choose to stay on the same path, instead of taking another, then they will find the Seeker with the white sword at the end of the road.” The guard smiled, put his fist to his heart in salute, and gave a smart bow Zedd leaned forward “Richard, the Agiel are magic, they can’t simply be destroyed.” “Then help him, Zedd Help him destroy them, or lock them away, or something All right? I don’t want anyone to ever be hurt by an Agiel again.” Zedd gave a little smile and nod “I’d be glad to help with that, my boy.” Zedd hesitated, stroking his chin with a long finger, and then spoke softly “Richard, you really think this is going to work, calling the forces home, having the Westland army help them?” “Probably not But you can never tell about your First Rule, and it should gain time until we can get everyone home again, and you can put the boundary back up Then we’ll be safe once more Then we’ll be finished with the magic.” A roar came from the sky Richard looked up to see Scarlet circling The red dragon spiraled down through the crisp air Men fell back, yelling and scattering as they saw that she was going to land at the base of the steps Scarlet fluttered to a landing in front of Richard, Kahlan, Zedd, Chase, and the two children “Richard! Richard!” Scarlet called out, hopping from one foot to another, her wings held out, quivering in excitement Her huge, red head swept down to him “My egg hatched! It’s a beautiful little dragon, just as you said it would be! I want you to come see it! It’s so strong, I bet it flies within a month.” Scarlet seemed suddenly to notice all the men Her head scanned about, surveying them Her big yellow eyes blinked; her head swept down to Richard “Are we having trouble here? Do we need some dragon fire?” Richard grinned “No Everything is fine.” “Well, then, climb up and I’ll take you to see the little one.” Richard put his arm around Kahlan’s waist “If you’ll take Kahlan, too, I would love to come.” Scarlet eyed Kahlan up and down “If she is with you, she is welcome.” “Richard,” Kahlan said, “what about Siddin? Weselan and Savidlin will be worried sick over him.” Her green eyes gazed deep into his She leaned closer, and whispered, “And we have unfinished business in the spirit house I believe there is still an apple there we have yet to finish.” Her arm tightened around his waist, and a little twist of a smile came to her lips The shape of the smile caught his breath in his throat With difficulty, Richard tore his eyes from her and looked up at Scarlet “This little one was stolen from the Mud People when you took Darken Rahl there His mother will be as anxious to have him back as you were to have your young one returned After we see your little dragon, could you take us there?” Scarlet’s big eye peered down at Siddin “Well, I guess I can understand his mother’s worry Done Climb up.” Zedd stepped forward, his hands on his hips, his voice incredulous “You would let a man fly upon you? A red dragon? You would take him where he wishes to go?” Scarlet puffed smoke at the wizard, forcing him to take a step back “A man, no This is the Seeker He commands me I would fly this one to the underworld and back.” Richard gripped the spines and climbed up onto Scarlet’s shoulders as she lowered herself for him Kahlan handed Siddin up Richard put him in his lap and took Kahlan’s hand as she swung her leg over Scarlet behind him She put her arms around his waist, her hands against his chest, and her head against his shoulder, squeezing tightly Richard leaned a little toward Zedd “Take care, my friend.” He gave his old friend a big smile “The Bird Man will be happy to learn I have finally decided to take a Mud Woman as my wife Where will I find you?” Zedd reached up with a thin arm, put a hand on Richard’s ankle, giving it a pat “I will be in Aydindril Come to me when you are ready.” Richard gave the wizard his sternest frown, leaning down even more “And then we are going to have a talk A long talk.” Zedd nodded with a smile “Yes, I expect we will.” Richard smiled at Rachel, gave her and Chase a wave, then patted one of Scarlet’s scales “To the sky, my red friend!” Scarlet unleashed a roar of flame as she took to the air Richard’s dreams and joy lifting with her Zedd stood watching the dragon shrinking in the sky, keeping his worries to himself Chase stroked Rachel’s hair, and then folded his arms as he lifted an eyebrow to the wizard “Gives a lot of orders for a woods guide.” Zedd laughed “That he does.” A little, bald-headed man came running down the hill of steps, a hand held up, beckoning “Wizard Zorander! Wizard Zorander!” He finally came to a panting halt in front of them “Wizard Zorander.” “What is it?” Zedd asked with a frown He struggled to catch his breath “Wizard Zorander, there is trouble.” “What sort of trouble? And who are you?” He leaned closer, conspiratorially, lowering his voice “I am the head master of the crypt staff There’s trouble.” His beady eyes darted about “Trouble in the crypt.” “What crypt?” The man’s eyes looked surprised at the question “Why, the crypt of Panis Rahl, Master Rahl’s grandfather, of course.” Zedd’s brow wrinkled “And what’s the trouble?” The head master put his fingers nervously to his lips “I didn’t see it myself, Wizard Zorander, but my people would never lie Never They told me, and they wouldn’t lie.” “What is it!” Zedd bellowed “What’s the trouble!” His eyes darted about again, his voice lowered to a whisper “The walls, Wizard Zorander The walls.” Zedd gritted his teeth “What about the walls?” He looked up at the wizard, his eyes wide “They are melting, Wizard Zorander The walls in the crypt are melting.” Zedd straightened and glared at the man “Bags! You have white stone on hand, white stone from the quarry of the prophets?” The man nodded vigorously “Of course.” Zedd reached into his robes, pulling out a small pouch “Seal the opening to the tomb with white stone from the quarry of the prophets.” “Seal it shut?” he gasped “Yes Seal it shut Or the entire palace will melt.” He handed the man the pouch “Mix this magic dust with the mortar It must be done before the sun sets, understand? Sealed shut before the sun sets.” The man nodded, snatched the pouch from Zedd’s hand, and ran back up the steps as fast as his short legs would take him Another man, taller, with his hands in the opposite sleeves of his gold-trimmed white robes, passed him as he came down Chase glared at Zedd, poking a big finger at the wizard’s chest “Panis Rahl, Master Rahl’s grandfather?” Zedd cleared his throat “Yes, well, we will have to have a talk.” The man in the white robes approached “Wizard Zorander, is Master Rahl about? There are matters to be discussed.” Zedd peered up at the dragon disappearing in the sky “Master Rahl will be away for a time.” “But he will return?” “Yes.” Zedd looked back to the man’s waiting face “Yes, he will return You will just have to carry on until then.” The man shrugged “We are used to that, here at the People’s Palace— waiting for the Master to return.” He turned and started off, but stopped when Zedd called him back “I’m hungry Is there anywhere to get something to eat around here?” The man smiled and held his arm out to the palace entrance “Of course, Wizard Zorander Allow me show you to a dining hall.” “How about it, Chase? Care for some lunch before I’m on my way?” The boundary warden looked down at Rachel “Lunch?” She grinned and nodded in earnest “All right, Zedd And where is it you’re going?” Zedd shifted his robes “To see Adie.” Chase lifted an eyebrow “A little rest and relaxation?” He grinned Zedd couldn’t help smiling a little “That, and I must take her to Aydindril, to the Wizard’s Keep We have a lot of reading to do.” “Why would you want to take Adie to Aydindril, to the Wizard’s Keep, to read?” Zedd gave the boundary warden a sidelong glance “Because she knows more about the underworld than anyone alive.” Acknowledgments I would like to thank some special people: My father, Leo, for never once telling me to read, but instead reading himself, and thus infecting me with curiosity My good friends, Rachel Kahlandt and Gloria Avner, for taking on the task of reading the raw manuscript and offering valuable insights, and for their steadfast belief in me when I needed it most My agent, Russell Galen, for having the guts to be the first to pick up the sword and making my dreams reality My editor, James Frenkel, not only for his exceptional editorial talent, guidance, and improvements in this book, but also for his boundless good humor and patience at teaching me to be a better author along the way The good people at Tor, one and all, for their enthusiasm and hard work And two very special people, Richard and Kahlan, for choosing me to tell their story Their tears and triumphs have touched my heart I will never be the same again Table of Contents CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 15 CHAPTER 16 CHAPTER 17 CHAPTER 18 CHAPTER 19 CHAPTER 20 CHAPTER 21 CHAPTER 22 CHAPTER 23 CHAPTER 24 CHAPTER 25 CHAPTER 26 CHAPTER 27 CHAPTER 28 CHAPTER 29 CHAPTER 30 CHAPTER 31 CHAPTER 32 CHAPTER 33 CHAPTER 34 CHAPTER 35 CHAPTER 36 CHAPTER 37 CHAPTER 38 CHAPTER 39 CHAPTER 40 CHAPTER 41 CHAPTER 42 CHAPTER 43 CHAPTER 44 CHAPTER 45 CHAPTER 46 CHAPTER 47 CHAPTER 48 CHAPTER 49 Table of Contents CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 15 CHAPTER 16 CHAPTER 17 CHAPTER 18 CHAPTER 19 CHAPTER 20 CHAPTER 21 CHAPTER 22 CHAPTER 23 CHAPTER 24 CHAPTER 25 CHAPTER 26 CHAPTER 27 CHAPTER 28 CHAPTER 29 CHAPTER 30 CHAPTER 31 CHAPTER 32 CHAPTER 33 CHAPTER 34 CHAPTER 35 CHAPTER 36 CHAPTER 37 CHAPTER 38 CHAPTER 39 CHAPTER 40 CHAPTER 41 CHAPTER 42 CHAPTER 43 CHAPTER 44 CHAPTER 45 CHAPTER 46 CHAPTER 47 CHAPTER 48 CHAPTER 49 ... strips, big tureens of cabbage and sausage soup, onion soup, and spice soup, platters of breads, cheeses, fruits, pies, and cakes, and casks of wine and ale Servants were constantly coming and... at the sides Heavy brows shaded intense brown eyes that stole slowly about, even as he talked, and saw everything This habit often gave people the impression —a seriously mistaken impression—that... rugged, handsome “You may pass, boy Our business is with the girl.” The man s voice was deep, almost friendly Nonetheless, the threat was as sharp as a blade He removed his leather gloves and tucked