Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind [77]
They rode until long after dark before making camp for the night in a stand of pine, and were on their way the next morning as the sky lightened behind the mountains of the boundary. Richard and Kahlan both yawned as they rode. The forest thinned, with open patches of meadow, bright and green and smelling sweet in the sunshine as they traveled through the hill country on their journey south, the road taking them temporarily farther from the mountains of the boundary. Occasionally they passed small farms, their owners making themselves scarce when they saw Chase.
The land became less familiar to Richard, who rarely traveled this far south. He kept a sharp lookout, making note of the landmarks they passed. After they ate a cold lunch in the warm sun, the road began angling steadily closer to the mountains, until in the late afternoon they were so close to the boundary that they began encountering the gray skeletons of trees killed by the snake vine. Even the sun did little to brighten the dense woods. Chase’s demeanor became distant, harder, as he observed everything carefully. Several times he dismounted, walking his horse as he studied the ground, reading tracks.
They crossed a stream that flowed out of the mountains, the water churning sluggish, cold, and muddy. Chase stopped and sat, watching off into the shadows. The rest of them waited, looking at one another and toward the boundary. Richard recognized the dead smell of the vine drifting in the air. The boundary warden led them a little farther, then got off his horse and squatted, studying the ground. When he rose, he handed the reins of his horse to Zedd. He turned to them and said simply, “Wait.” They watched him disappear into the trees as they sat quietly. Kahlan’s big horse shivered flies off its hide as it nibbled grass.
Chase returned, pulling his black gauntlets on, and took the reins from Zedd. “I want you three to keep going. Don’t wait for me, and don’t stop. Keep to the road.”
“What is it? What did you find?” Richard asked.
Chase turned back and gave him a dark look. “The wolves have been feeding. I’m going to bury what’s left, and then I’m going cross-country, between the boundary and you three. I need to check into something. Remember what I said. Don’t stop. Don’t run your horses, but keep up a good pace, and keep your eyes sharp. If you think I’m gone too long, don’t you dare to think to come back looking for me. I know what I’m doing, and you would never find me. I’ll be back with you when I can. Keep going until then, and stay on the road.”
He mounted, turned his horse, and urged it into a run, its hooves kicking up clumps of sod. “Get moving!” Chase yelled back over his shoulder. As he disappeared through the trees Richard saw him reach up to a short sword strapped over his shoulder and pull it free. He knew Chase was lying. He wasn’t going to bury anything. Richard didn’t like to let his friend go off alone like this, but Chase spent most of his life alone out here by the boundary, and knew what he was doing, what was necessary to protect them. Richard had to trust his judgment.
“You heard the man,” the Seeker said, “let’s go.”
As the three rode on through the boundary woods, rock outcroppings grew in size and twisted their route one way and then the other. The trees became so thick that the sunlight was all but banished from the still forest, the road a tunnel through the thicket. Richard didn’t like how close everything felt, and as they moved quickly along they all kept watching the deep shadows to their left. Branches hung across the road, forcing them to duck under as they passed. He couldn’t imagine how Chase could travel through a wood this thick.
When the way was wide enough, Richard rode up to Kahlan’s left, wanting to keep himself between her and the boundary. He kept the reins in his left hand to leave his sword hand free. Her cloak was wrapped close around her, but he saw