Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind [364]
“The first day of winter is four days from tomorrow.”
With a finger and thumb, he pulled off a small strip of meat. “I know.”
“For a dragon, it is better to die than be ruled.”
Richard looked up at her as she swished her tail. “If choosing for yourself, maybe, but what of others? You chose to be ruled, to save your egg, to give it a chance at life.”
Scarlet grunted without answering and turned once more to her egg, stroking her talons over it.
Richard knew that if he couldn’t find the last box and stop Rahl, he would have to save everyone else’s life, he would have to spare Kahlan the torture of a Mord-Sith—he would have to agree to help Darken Rahl open the right box. Then Kahlan could live the kind of life a Confessor was used to.
It was a desperately depressing, though—that he could help Darken Rahl gain unchallenged power over everyone. But what choice did he have? Maybe what Shota said was right. Maybe Zedd and Kahlan would try to kill him. Maybe he should be killed for even thinking of helping Darken Rahl. If he had to choose, though, he would not let Kahlan be hurt by a Mord-Sith. He would have to help Rahl.
Richard lay back down, too sick at his choices to finish his meal. He put his head against his pack, pulling the cloak around himself, and thought about Kahlan. He was asleep in moments.
The next day, Scarlet took him into D’Hara, over where she said the boundary used to be, searching the roads and trails. Thin, high clouds filtered the sunlight. Richard hoped his friends wouldn’t be this close to Darken Rahl, but if Zedd had sought the night stone before Rahl had destroyed it, and knew he had been at the People’s Palace, they would be heading there. The dragon swept low over people they saw, giving them a fright, but they weren’t the ones he sought.
Near midday, Richard saw them. Zedd, Chase, and Kahlan were riding horses on a trail near the main road. He yelled at Scarlet to take them down. The dragon rolled into a banking turn, diving toward the ground, a streak of red. The three riders saw them coming, stopped, and dismounted.
Scarlet spread her crimson wings, stopping their descent, and set them in a clearing next to the trail. Richard jumped off, running as he hit the ground. The three stood holding the reins to their horses. Chase held a mace in his other hand. Seeing Kahlan overwhelmed Richard with elation. Every memory of her was suddenly true to life in front of him. They stood still as he ran toward them, down a short, steep decline in the trail. Richard watched the ground so he wouldn’t trip over roots.
When he looked up, wizard’s fire was wailing toward him. He froze in surprise. What was Zedd doing? The ball of liquid fire was bigger than any he had seen before. It illuminated the trees all around with its blue and yellow flame, shrieking as it advanced. Richard watched, wide-eyed, as it came, tumbling, twisting, expanding.
With the fright of what was about to happen, Richard’s hand went to the hilt, feeling the word Truth press into the flesh of his palm. With a strong pull, he drew the sword, sending metallic ringing into the air. Released, the magic raced instantly through him. The fire was almost there. As he had done when he had been with Shota, he held the sword up, gripping the hilt in one hand, the point in the other, arms locked, holding it before him as a shield. Wrath took him, at the thought of Zedd betraying them. It couldn’t be Zedd.
The impact drove him back a step. Heat and fire was all around him. The anger of the wizard’s fire exploded, scattering back into the air from where it came, and then it was gone.
“Zedd! What are you doing? Are you crazy! It’s me, Richard!” He advanced, angry. Angry that Zedd would do this, angry from the magic of the sword. The heat of his rage pounded through his veins.
Zedd, in his simple robes, looking as thin and frail as ever, stood his ground. Chase, bristling weapons, looking as dangerous as ever, stood his. Zedd took Kahlan’s arm in his sticklike hand and pulled her protectively behind himself.