Severed Souls

CHAPTER 54

It was late in the night and quite dark by the time they found a place lower on the mountain where Richard thought it might be safe to stop for the night. At least, it was about as safe a place as they were going to find in the dark of an endless forest he didn’t know. The area was heavily wooded with dense, tightly spaced young hardwoods all around that made it difficult to move through, at least without making a lot of noise. A few large trees left them a bit of a more open spot where they could lay out bedrolls and get some sleep for the remainder of the night.

It would be difficult to travel through such woods, but it would also make it virtually impossible for any creature to swoop in and pick them off as had happened back near the brook. The dense growth would make it hard for any predator of any size to rush in at them. Since they needed to stop so they could all get a little sleep, it didn’t matter how difficult it would be to travel through such an area as long as it made for good protection.

Of course, an attacker, including half people, could still make their way in, but they would face a wall of First File soldiers with weapons. They were all angry that they had not been able to stop the predator, whatever it was, from taking two of their fellow soldiers.

“What do you think?” Commander Fister asked as he peered around in the light of little flames Nicci, Zedd, and Irena each held aloft in a hand.

Richard carefully scanned the area. “This looks about as good a spot as we’re going to be able to find, short of finding a stone fortress.”

“We’ve come quite a distance since we saw those things,” the commander said. “Maybe we left them behind. Maybe they haven’t followed us.”

“Or maybe they’re full,” Irena said. “I told you, the Dark Lands are dangerous and filled with things no one has ever seen—or at least lived to tell about. Most of us have only heard vague stories and rumors.”

“It looks like some of those rumors are proving to be true,” the commander said.

Richard didn’t see what choice they had in it, but he didn’t feel like discussing the matter. After a hard day of traveling through difficult terrain, they all needed to get some sleep, not debate the dangers of the Dark Lands.

Richard saw shadows appear as the moon emerged from the broken cloud cover. At least when the clouds began to break up it had stopped drizzling. It was going to be a damp, chilly night, though.

“Have the men find places wherever they can to lay out their bedrolls,” Richard said. “We all need to stay in close together.”

Jake Fister looked around in the mix of moonlight and conjured flames. “At least it’s not so open in here. It will be difficult for anything to pick us off.”

“After we get settled, no fires tonight,” Richard said.

It meant cold, preserved food, rather than cooking anything, but it was too late to cook, anyway. They needed to have a bite to eat to keep up their strength and then get some sleep so they could be on their way at first light.

Commander Fister quietly gave orders as he moved off among his men, seeing to it that some settled in while he pointed out others and quietly called out names for watches.

“No standing watch for you,” Zedd told Richard. “You need to rest.”

“You’re right,” Richard told his grandfather.

There wasn’t much room in among the thick growth, so all of them were packed in close. Zedd selected a spot close to Richard and Kahlan. Nicci, Irena, and Samantha started setting up places to sleep nearby. Richard thought that the wizard might have picked his spot deliberately to block Irena and Samantha from being able to get in any closer to him and Kahlan. Whether done deliberately or not, Richard was thankful. He just wanted to get some sleep.

Richard and Kahlan set out a small bedroll and blanket beside a slope of rock. Without building a shelter, there was no real protection from the weather if the rains returned. As Kahlan was settling in, Richard went to where his grandfather was carefully laying out a blanket.

“You going to be comfortable there?” Richard asked.

Zedd smiled. “Perfectly. I can sleep on the point of a thorn.”

That made Richard smile because he knew that it was close to the truth. The old wizard always slept with his eyes open, but he usually slept well.

“Zedd,” Richard asked in a quiet voice the others couldn’t hear, “did you really mean what you said before?”

Zedd puzzled at him. “About what?”

Richard hesitated for a moment, afraid of the answer. “About being tired of living.”

“Ah,” Zedd said with a knowing nod. “Well, my boy, at times yes, at other times no.” Zedd smiled, looking a little less serious. “I think old age is nature’s way of preparing us for death, making us more willing to take our leave of this world. It gets tiring after so many years of seeing people continue to do such cruel and awful things. One just gets tired of the stupidity of it all. After a time, it saps the joy out of life.

“But on the other hand, being around for you and Kahlan makes it all worthwhile.”

Richard felt a little better. “That’s good to hear.”

Zedd put a hand on Richard’s shoulder as he leaned closer in the moonlight. “You make life worthwhile for me, Richard. You always have. In a way, I no longer live for myself, but instead for you and Kahlan. I think that maybe that’s a wonderful way to live—to have something meaningful to live for.” He cocked his head. “Isn’t it Kahlan who makes you fight for life? Think of life without her, and you will see what I mean, and see what you are really living for.”

Richard nodded. “That’s certainly true.” He looked down at Kahlan not far away as she pulled the blanket up, ready for him to crawl in beside her and keep her warm. “I can’t imagine life without her. I wouldn’t want to live without her.”

Zedd gave a firm nod. “That’s what I mean, Richard. That, and I’m perfectly happy to stick around to help you keep from falling on your face. Someone has to.”

Richard let out a deep breath as he nodded. “Good. I love you, you know.”

“I know. I love you too, my boy.” He gestured to Kahlan. “Now go get some sleep. I’ll be right here nearby if either of you needs anything—and I’ll be with you for a good long time to come. I’m not too old to be of use, you know.

“Soon we will free you of that sickness and then you can decide what you want to do. Either way—quit and go off to live your own lives, or continue to fight—I will still love you and support you in whatever you do. I know you will make the right choice, your own choice. As Magda Searus said, you make your own destiny.”

“Thanks, Zedd. I guess we’ve had quite the adventure since we left Hartland.”

“Quite the adventure, indeed. And it hasn’t been all bad. There have been a lot of good times along the way.”

“I’m all for the adventure being over, though,” Richard told his grandfather.

Zedd smiled. “That’s my wish, too. Now, get some rest. I don’t want to have you going unconscious on me again before I can heal you. The last time was a bother.”

“You can really heal us, though, right?”

Zedd stood up straight and looked Richard in the eye. “In a containment field, yes, of course. You have no need to doubt that, Richard. Now let me go so I can get some rest.”

“Sure. Rest well, then.”

The wizard looked around at the woods. “This really is a beautiful place. It’s important to take in beauty whenever you can, my boy. This is a good place for a rest. And then tomorrow we need to be on our way to get to where we can heal you.”

Richard smiled and gave his grandfather a nod before he went back and crawled into the blanket beside Kahlan. As he turned on his side, she spooned up against him.

“Everything all right?” she asked. “With Zedd, I mean.”

“He wants us to get some sleep.”

Kahlan squeezed her arm around his middle. “I’m all for that.”

As she snuggled close for warmth and simply to be close, Richard watched out over the camp. Nicci, Irena, and Samantha were already wrapped in their blankets, breathing evenly and slowly, as were most of the men.

Richard watched them all, worrying about them all, afraid to go to sleep lest he never wake.