Witch's Oath

30

After another week of long days of traveling, or maybe it was longer, Kahlan couldn’t remember for sure, they again arrived at the same rock that looked like it had a nose on the side of it. This time, though, they were positive it was the same rock, because the last time they had been there Richard had scraped a big X on the side of the nose. When they saw that X again, everyone’s heart sank. No one doubted any longer that they were indeed traveling in a big circle, and no one had an explanation, least of all Richard.

The only good thing was that they had seen no other people, although that might have been a welcome relief, and importantly, they had seen no sign of the Glee.

“All right,” Richard said, “I don’t know how this can be possible. It makes no sense, but it makes less sense to keep doing what clearly isn’t working. We have to do something different.”

Kahlan could see how frustrated he was. “Like what?”

“There are a number of ways to make sure you are maintaining your direction of travel. The best way is to use landmarks to keep you on course. A prominent ridge or mountain are a good way to keep your bearings. Even high ground can give you sight of some landmark to use, even a distinctive tree. But in these woods, we can’t see anything like that. We’re going to have to do something else.”

Berdine made a face. “What else is there to do then? With the clouds we can’t be sure of the direction of the sun. We can’t see any kind of landmark except these trees, and they all look the same.”

Richard didn’t argue the last point. “We are going to have to use plot lines to make sure we are going in a straight line. These woods are fairly open, the ground is relatively flat, and without much vegetation down low we can see for quite a long distance.”

“How does that help us?” Vika asked.

“There are nine of us. That is an advantage we can use. We need to spread out in a straight line. When the last person in line can see at least the next two are lined up in a perfectly straight line ahead, then the next person goes out ahead. Guided by hand signals, they will go left or right so that the ones behind can ensure that they are positioned in a straight line and that the people in front of them are always in a direct line of sight. Everyone has to be lined up with at least three people visible ahead to make sure our line is straight.

“Once all of us are strung out in what we know to be a straight line, then the last person in line can go forward and take the lead, with the first few of us in line making sure they are positioned properly on that straight plot line. In that way we keep leapfrogging a line that we know to be straight, and we can keep it straight going forward.

“I don’t know what the problem is, but for some reason these woods are confusing us—confusing me—and we aren’t traveling in a straight direction. I don’t know the cause, but this should solve the problem. It will be slower traveling, at least for a while, but once we get beyond this problem area, we should be able to spot landmarks. When we do, then things will return to normal.”

Shale gazed around at the woods as if scrutinizing them for the source of trouble. “Do you think it could be magic of some sort causing this strange aberration?”

“I don’t know what the problem is,” Richard said. “But by doing this we should be able to get beyond this troublesome area to where we need to be traveling, no matter the cause. That’s the solution.”

Once they had a plan, they wasted no time in implementing it. Richard was right, it did slow down their progress, but going around in circles was not really progress. Kahlan was glad that everyone seemed pleased by this new tactic. It also relieved the monotony of the long days of travel only to keep discovering that they weren’t getting anywhere.

After they kept leapfrogging along their line for a number of days, Kahlan noticed that the terrain began to change. There were more rock outcroppings and they were larger, indicating that they were making it out of the strange woods. They eventually came to a small lake they had never seen before. After being in under the gloomy canopy for so long, they were all relieved to look out over the water and up at the open sky.

They dismounted by the shore to have a quick meal and a brief rest. Kahlan sat close to Richard. They were all relieved to simply be able look out at a new landscape as they ate some travel biscuits and dried meat.

Farther on, they came to some deadfall that again opened up the forest to the sky. The heavy clouds persisted, but at least the rain and mist had stopped.

The next morning, Richard took a deer with a clean shot with his bow. It took some time to skin and clean the deer, but they were all eager to give up a morning of travel in order to have some needed fresh meat. Travel biscuits and dried meat were getting old.

After riding for the rest of the afternoon and as darkness began to gather, they finally stopped to make camp for the night. Kahlan was more than relieved to finally be able to get down out of the saddle. She walked around a bit to get the circulation moving better in her legs. Her pregnancy was beginning to make riding a horse uncomfortable.

As with every night so far, even though they were at last in a seemingly new place, there was no especially good defensive place to camp, so they had to again settle on a flat place among the trees. After picketing the horses and giving them some oats, they all trampled down the ferns and scraped the ground clear of forest debris to make spots for their bedrolls. There had been ample small streams for water whenever they made camp in the strange woods. Fortunately, now that the were out of those woods, all the recent rains meant that the streams were both plentiful and full.

“Why is it, do you suppose,” Shale asked as she trampled some of the small plants, “that we came to that same rock again, with your mark on it, but we have never come across one of our campsites again? Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”

Kahlan could tell that Richard’s patience was wearing thin, and he had a time keeping his composure at the question.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” he finally told her. “I need to collect wood.”

The Mord-Sith noticed his quiet annoyance and busied themselves with clearing the ground for a place for the fire and collecting stones to make a fire ring. Kahlan knew they were all hungry, but no one said so. The mood was tense and none of them wanted to test Richard. For that matter, neither did Kahlan. She knew that something was bothering him.

Richard stacked wood for a fire over strips of birch bark and small sticks wiped on pine sap for kindling. He looked up at Shale and gestured. She knew what he meant and, with a flick of her hand, ignited a healthy flame in among the kindling. After the fire was burning hot he added new wood and after a time raked some of the glowing coals to the side and used them to cook some of the meat.

They used their knives to make long, sharp poles from young saplings in order to skewer and cook pieces of meat. Richard sliced off generous portions of the venison backstrap. It was the tenderest cut and everyone was eager to eat, but they merely said thanks when Richard handed each of them a piece and stuck them on their skewers. He set a number of chunks aside for anyone who wanted more. A few of the Mord-Sith hardly charred the outside of their pieces before sinking their teeth into the meat. They all moaned with pleasure and rolled their eyes at the taste.

The meal did as much for everyone’s spirits as it did for their stomachs.