Into Darkness

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.