Warheart

CHAPTER 5

Hunter stayed out in the lead as they followed him along lazy streams and through mazes of small pools of standing water among fallen dead branches and leaf litter. The deep shade of the tightly packed, towering pines left the forest floor along their way open enough to make a crude path of sorts along the brook. In spots where water tumbled and splashed, the spray fed thick carpets of green moss covering the rocks. In some spots, fallen, rotting tree trunks made big steps that they used to climb to higher ground as the foothills began ascending to meet the still-distant mountains.

The ground to either side rose up even higher. In some places stone walls thrust up to hem them in. The woods to both sides were thick with a tangled growth of brush and thorny vines. Hunter instead took a winding course along the streambed. Tight stands of trees and in places steep areas of scree or rock walls forced them to repeatedly cross the stream to avoid an arduous climb. Occasionally they had to slog through wet areas created by natural terraces. At least it was easier than traveling through the snarl of dense brush.

Although not ideal, the ground they followed up through the areas of runoff was at least open enough to make traveling relatively easy. Out in the wilds of the Dark Lands there were rarely any true paths used by people, and even more rarely roads. Since Kahlan had been forced to travel through much more difficult terrain in the past, she appreciated that Hunter was taking them along the easiest route available.

As he crossed the running water, Hunter bounded from rock to rock with the effortless grace of a cat. In a number of places he could have easily loped off through the small openings in the thorny brush, but he instead kept to areas the rest of them could travel. Still, in places it was not so easy for the five women to find good footing on the slippery rocks in order to cross the rushing stream. Sometimes they all held hands to keep their balance in a kind of human necklace across swirling water.

From time to time they heard calls from back in the thick growth to the sides and up ahead in the hills. Some of those raucous calls Kahlan recognized as the cries of ravens. All five women looked off toward other, more unnerving sounds whenever an unseen animal screeched or growled.

Hunter rarely bothered to look, and even then it appeared to be out of curiosity, not fear. He usually sat and licked his fur with his rough tongue as he waited patiently for them to catch up. Kahlan supposed that the forest was his natural habitat and he was at home with all the sounds and calls off in the woods, even if the rest of them were not.

She supposed that the powerful creature could dart through the brush to escape danger if he had to. On the other hand, he himself was a predator, with intimidating claws and teeth and the muscle to back them up. She had never seen him hunt or fight, but she knew by his calm confidence that he had to be a formidable fighter like his mother and quite the fierce protector.

When it became dark enough to make it difficult to see and even more difficult to navigate across the rocky landscape, Nicci used her gift to ignite a small flame, letting it float away from her upturned palm to follow after Hunter. It wasn’t overly bright, but lit their way well enough for them to find their footing. Hunter glanced up, watching the floating flame briefly, and then, judging it not to be a danger, continued on his way.

As they climbed higher, the litter of broken rock lower down began to give way to more substantial rocky outcroppings. Sometimes the bulges of rock erupting through the mosses, grasses, and brush looked like they were being held captive in nets of gnarled roots. Hunter would stop from time to time, sitting on his haunches atop a rock or fat root, watching the women struggling to keep up with him. They were all out of breath from the effort of the climb. As soon as they caught up, Hunter would be off again, as if trying to hurry them along and not wanting to waste any time. As winded as they were, none of the five women voiced a complaint or asked to stop for a rest.

The higher the terrain took them, the closer the dark woods grew in to the sides, until they sometimes had to make their way through a near tunnel of vegetation as they followed the tumbling stream ever upward while it poured over rocks and burbled down steep slabs of stone streaked in green and brown slime.

When Hunter was far out ahead of them, visible only in snatches, a man abruptly stumbled out of the trees to their left, jolting them all out of their private thoughts.

He wore tattered pants and no shirt. His bony ribs were covered with a sheen of blood that also soaked his trousers.

He was initially as surprised at seeing them as they were at seeing him stagger out of the trees. Even though he was obviously grievously injured and disoriented, when he saw them his eyes swiftly filled with hate and bloodlust. By his demeanor as well as the strings of bones and teeth holding his tuft of hair upright at the top of his otherwise shaved head, it was obvious that he was a half person.

Without delay, the man lunged toward Kahlan.

Even as the sword was clearing its scabbard, sending the unique ring of steel through the forest, Laurin grabbed the man from behind with a fist around his upright shock of hair. She snatched his head back and in quick, efficient fashion cut his throat deep enough to sever his windpipe.

The man dropped heavily to his knees at Kahlan’s feet, her sword hovering over him. He held both hands over the gushing wound at his throat. She was filled with a rush of anger from the ancient weapon. That rage demanded swift violence, but it was obvious that enough violence had already been done and he was no longer a threat. She stepped aside as he toppled forward, his legs across the bank of the stream with the upper half of his body lying in the shallow stream. As the water splashed over the man, air burbled from his lungs through the gaping gash. Blood gushing out ran down the stream in a red fan.

Laurin looked rather sheepish. “Sorry, Mother Confessor. I would have been quicker”–she flicked her Agiel, hanging by a fine gold chain from her right wrist, up into her fist–“but without the bond to Lord Rahl, this doesn’t work. So I had to use a knife. It’s slower.”

“It was fast enough and that’s all that really matters,” Kahlan said, gripping the sword tightly as she scanned the dark woods, searching for others she expected to descend out of the woods any moment.

“Besides,” Kahlan added, her heart racing, “not knowing what his occult powers may have been, a knife is the only thing we know for certain works.”

The three Mord-Sith moved to stand with their backs to Kahlan, protectively surrounding her, all with their knives out.

“Do you sense any more?” Kahlan whispered to Nicci.

The sorceress peered around in the shadows. “No. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. I think that sometimes they may be able to use occult powers to shield themselves.”

Kahlan knew that the half people usually howled when they came on a running attack through the woods. She didn’t hear any cries from off in the darkness.

Hunter returned to sit on a rock not far up above them. He looked down at the man lying half in the stream, and then yawned.

“He doesn’t look too concerned,” Kahlan said.

“Maybe it was a straggler,” Cassia said. “With the barrier down and the half people on the loose now, there are bound to be some wandering through the forests of the Dark Lands.”

“That’s possible,” Kahlan said, “but we’re pretty far out in the middle of nowhere. It’s also possible that there are a lot more with him.”

Cassia signaled silently to the other two and then the three of them swiftly vanished into the darkness to check. Nicci stood on a small rock, slowly turning all the way around as she tried to use her gift to tell if there were more.

In a short time the three Mord-Sith reappeared.

“Nothing,” Vale said.

The other two shook their heads to confirm that they didn’t see anything either.

When Hunter turned and started off once again, looking unconcerned, Kahlan and Nicci shared a look.

“I think if there were more, he would probably know,” Nicci suggested.

“Let’s hope you’re right,” Kahlan said as she started out once more.

But she kept the sword out just in case.