Chapter 12

IT SEEMED THAT HE had just fallen asleep when Emma woke him and led them down to breakfast. The sun wasn't up yet, nor was anyone else in the house, but roosters were already crowing at the lightening of the new day. The aromas of cooking made him instantly hungry. Emma, smiling, but not as brightly as the night before, dished out a big breakfast and said Chase had already eaten and was loading the horses. Richard had always thought Kahlan looked alluring in her unusual dress. He decided her new outfit didn't lessen her appeal in the least. While Kahlan and Emma talked about the children, and Zedd gushed compliments about the food, Richard's mind fretted on. what lay ahead.

The light dimmed a little as Chase's form filled the doorway. Kahlan gave a start when she saw him. He was wearing a chain mail shirt over a tan leather tunic, heavy black pants, boots, and cloak. Black gauntlets were tucked behind a wide black belt set with a large silver buckle emblazoned with the emblem of the boundary wardens. Strapped everywhere were enough armaments to outfit a small army. On an ordinary man the effect would have been silly; on Chase it was frightening. He was an image of overt threat, deadly with every weapon he carried. Chase had two basic expressions he wore most of the time, the first a look of feigned ignorant disinterest, the second, one that made him seem as if he was about to participate in a slaughter. He wore the second this day.

On their way out, Emma handed Zedd a bundle. " Fried chicken, " she said. He gave her a big grin and kissed her forehead. Kahlan gave her a hug and promised to see that the clothes were returned. Richard bent and gave Emma a warm embrace. " Be careful, " she whispered in his ear. She gave her husband a kiss on the cheek that he accepted graciously.

Chase handed Kahlan a sheathed long knife, telling her to wear it at all times. Richard asked if he could borrow a knife, too, as he had left his home. Chase's fingers deftly found the strap he wanted among the tangle, freed it, and handed a knife to Richard..

Kahlan eyed all the weaponry. " Do you think you will need all those? " `

He gave her a crooked smile. " If I didn't take them, I know I would."

The small company, Chase leading, followed by Zedd, then Kahlan, with Richard bringing up the rear, settled into a comfortable pace through the Hartland Woods. It was a bright autumn morning with a chill to the air. A hawk wheeled in the sky over their heads, a sign of warning at the beginning of a journey. Richard thought to himself that the sign was totally unnecessary.

By midmorning they had left the Hartland Valley and passed into the upper Ven Forest, joining Hawkers Trail below Trunt Lake, and turned south, with the snakelike cloud in slow pursuit. Richard was glad to be leading it away from Chase's house and children. He was troubled that they had to travel so far to the south to cross the boundary, for time was dear. But Chase had said that if there was another pass, he didn't know about it.

Hardwood forests gave way to stands of ancient pines. Passing among them was like traveling through a canyon. The trunks soared to dizzying heights before the limbs branched out, and Richard felt small in the deep shade of the old trees. He had always been at ease traveling. He did it often, and the familiar places they passed made it seem to be just another trek, but this trip was not the same. They were going 'places he had never been. Dangerous places. Chase was concerned, and had warned them. This alone gave Richard pause, for Chase was not a man to worry over nothing; in fact, Richard had often thought he worried far too little.

Richard watched the other three as they rode: Chase, a black wraith upon his horse, armed to the teeth, feared by the people he protected as well as the ones he hunted, but somehow, not by children; the wisp of a wizard, sticklike Zedd, unassuming, hardly more than a smile, white hair, and simple robes, content to carry nothing more than a bundle of fried chicken, but wielder of wizard's fire and who knew what else; and Kahlan, courageous, determined, and keeper of some secret power, sent to threaten a wizard into naming the Seeker. The three of them were his friends, yet each in their own way made him uneasy. He wondered who was the most dangerous. They followed him unquestioningly, yet led him at the same time. The three of them, all, sworn to protect the Seeker with their lives. And yet, none of the small company, singly or together, was a match for Darken Rahl. The whole of their task seemed hopeless.

Zedd was already into the chicken. Periodically he would toss a bone over his shoulder. After a while he thought to offer a piece to the others. Chase declined, as he kept up a continual scan of their surroundings, paying particular attention to the left side of the trail, to the boundary. The other two accepted. The chicken had lasted longer than Richard thought it would. When the trail widened, he brought his horse up with Kahlan's and rode next to her. She took off her cloak as the day warmed, and smiled over to him with the special smile she never gave anyone else.

Richard had a thought. " Zedd, is there anything a wizard can do about that cloud? "

The old man squinted up at it, then peered back at Richard. " That idea has already.come into' my head. I think there might be, but I want to wait a while longer, until we are farther away from Chase's family. I don't want to lead a search to them."

In the late afternoon they came upon an old couple, woods people whom Chase knew. The four brought their horses to a halt while the boundary warden spoke with the couple. He sat re Taxed on his mount, leather creaking, as he listened to them repeat rumors that they had heard about things coming out of the boundary. Richard now knew them to be more than rumors. Chase treated the couple with respect, as he did most people; nevertheless, they were clearly afraid of him. He told them he was looking into the matter and advised them to stay inside at night.

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 cold 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 she kept a hand near her knife.

Off to their left, in the distance, came howling, something like a, wolf pack, only it wasn't wolves. It was something from the boundary.

The three jerked their heads toward the sound. The horses were terrified and wanted to run. They had to keep reining in, but at the same time let them have enough freedom to trot. Richard understood the way the horses felt. He felt the urge to let them go, but Chase had said explicitly not to let them run. He must have had a reason, so they held back. When the howling was punctuated with bloodcurdling shrieks that made the hair on his neck stand on end, it became more difficult to force himself to prevent the horses from running. The shrieks were wild cries, cries of the need to kill, demanding, desperate. The three rode at a trot for almost an hour, but the sounds seemed to follow them. There was nothing they could do but continue, listening, as they went, to beasts from the boundary.

Unable to stand it any longer, Richard pulled his horse to a halt, and faced the woods. Chase was out there alone with the beasts. He couldn't bear any longer to let his friend face it alone. He had to help.

Zedd turned. " We have to keep moving, Richard."

" He may be in trouble. We can't let him do this alone."

" It's his job, let him do it."

" Right now, his job isn't to be boundary warden; it's to get us to the pass! "

The wizard rode back and spoke softly. " That's the job he's doing, Richard. He's sworn to protect you with his life. That is what he is doing, seeing to it you get to the pass. You have to get it through your head. What you are doing is more important than one man's life. Chase knows that. That's why he said not to come back for him."

Richard was incredulous. " You expect me to let a friend get himself killed if I can help prevent it? " The sounds of howling were getting closer,

" I expect you not to let him die for nothing! "

Richard stared at his old friend. " But maybe we can make the difference."

" And maybe not." The horses stamped about skittishly.

" Zedd is right, " Kahlan said. " Going after Chase is not the brave thing to do, going on when you want to help is."

Richard knew they were right, but loathed admitting it. He looked angrily toward Kahlan. " You may be in his position one day! Then what would you have me do? "

She looked at him evenly. " I would have you go on." -

He glared at her, not knowing what to say. The shrieks from the woods were closer. Her face showed no emotion.

" Richard, Chase does this all the time, he will be all right, " Zedd offered reassuringly. " I wouldn't be surprised if he was having a good time. Later on he will have a good tale to tell. You know Chase. Some of the tale might even be true, "

Richard was angry at the two of them, and at himself. He kicked his horse out ahead, taking the lead, not wanting to talk anymore. They left him to his thoughts, let his horse trot ahead. It made him angry that Kahlan would think he could leave her like this. She was no boundary warden. He didn't like it that saving them might mean letting them get killed. It didn't make any sense. At least he didn't want it to make any sense.

He tried to ignore the shrieks and howls off in the woods. After a time the cries fell farther behind. The woods seemed devoid of life, no birds or rabbits or even mice, only the twisted trees and bramble and shadows. He listened carefully to make sure he heard the other two following. He didn't want to turn and look; didn't want to face them. After a while he realized the howls had stopped. He wondered if that was a good sign or not.

He wanted to tell them he was sorry, that he was just afraid for his friend, but he couldn't. He felt helpless. Chase would be all right, he told himself. He was the head of the boundary wardens, not a, fool, and he wouldn't go into anything he couldn't handle. He wondered if there was anything Chase couldn't handle. He wondered if he would be able to tell Emma, if something happened to her husband.

He was letting his imagination run away with him. Chase was fine. Not only was he fine, but he would be furious with Richard for thinking these thoughts, for doubting him.

He wondered if Chase would return before nightfall. Should they stop for the night if he didn't? No. Chase had said not to stop. They would have to keep going, all night if necessary, until he rejoined them. He felt as if the mountains were looming over them, ready to pounce. He didn't think he had ever been this close to the boundary. ' As concerned as he was about Chase, his anger faded. Richard turned and looked back at Kahlan. She gave him a warm smile, and he returned it, feeling better. He tried to imagine what the woods here had looked like before so many trees died. It might have been a beautiful place, green, snug, safe. Maybe his father had come this way when he had crossed the boundary, traveled this very road with the book.

He wondered if all the trees near the other boundary died before it fell. Maybe they could just wait until this one fell, too, and then go across. Maybe they didn't need to go so far out of their way to the south, to Kings' Port. But why should he think going south was out of the way? He didn't know where to go in the Midlands, so why was one place better than another? The box they sought could just as easily be in the south as farther north.

The woods were getting gloomier. Richard hadn't been able to see the sun for the last couple of hours, but there was no doubt it was setting. He didn't like the idea of traveling these woods at night, but the idea of sleeping in them seemed worse. He checked to make sure the other two were staying close.

The sound of running water came faintly through the evening stillness, swelling as they rode, and in a short distance they came to a small river with a wooden bridge over it. Just before they crossed, Richard stopped. He didn't like the look of it; inexplicably, something felt wrong. Being careful couldn't hurt. He led his horse down the bank and peered underneath. The support beams were anchored to iron rings in granite blocks. The pins were missing.

" Someone tampered with the bridge. It will support the weight of a man, but not a horse. Looks like we're going to have to get wet."

Zedd scowled. " I don't want to get wet."

" Well, do you have a better idea? " Richard asked.

Zedd drew his finger and thumb down opposite sides of his smooth chin. " Yes, " he announced. " You two go across, I will hold up the bridge." Richard looked at him as if the wizard had lost his senses. " Go on, it will be all right."

Zedd sat up tall on his horse, held his arms out straight to his sides, palms up, tilted his head back, breathed deeply, and closed his eyes. Reluctantly, cautiously, the other two crossed the bridge. On the other side they turned their horses and looked back. The wizard's horse began walking across unprompted while Zedd continued to hold his arms out, his head tilted back and his eyes closed. When he reached their side, he brought his arms down and looked at the other two. Richard and Kahlan stared at him.

" Maybe I was wrong, " Richard said. " Maybe the bridge would hold the weight."

Zedd smiled. " Maybe you were." Without looking back, he snapped his fingers. The bridge collapsed into the water with a crash. The beams groaned as they were torn apart from one another in the current and swept downstream. " Then again, maybe you weren't. I couldn't leave it like that. Someone might come across and be hurt."

Richard shook his head. " Someday, my friend, we are going to sit down and have a long talk." He turned his horse and started off again. Zedd looked at Kahlan and shrugged. She smiled and gave him a wink, then turned and followed after Richard.

They continued down the dismal trail, watching the woods as they went. Richard wondered what else Zedd could do. He let his horse pick its own way in the gathering darkness, wondering how much longer this dead world went on, or if the road would ever take them away from it. The night was bringing life to the place, strange calls and scraping noises. His horse whinnied at things unseen. He patted its neck reassuringly and checked the sky for gars. It was hopeless; he couldn't see any sky. But if gars came they would have a hard time surprising the three of them, as the canopy of twisted, dead limbs and branches would prevent a silent approach. Maybe the things in the trees were more of a threat than gars. He didn't know anything about them, and he wasn't sure he wanted to. He realized his heart was pounding.

After about an hour, he caught the sound of something coming through the brush in the distance to their left. It was breaking branches as it came. He urged his horse into a canter, and checked to be sure Kahlan and Zedd were keeping up. Whatever it was, it was staying with them. They weren't going to be able to get ahead of it. They were going to be cut off. Maybe it was Chase,.he thought. Then again, maybe it wasn't

Richard pulled the Sword of Truth free as he leaned forward and pressed his legs around the horse, spurring it into a gallop. His muscles tensed as his horse raced down the road. He didn't know if Zedd and Kahlan were keeping up with him, and in fact he never gave it a thought. His mind focused on trying to see ahead in the darkness, trying to see anything that might come at him. Anger was slipping its bounds, heat and need coming forth. Jaw set tight, he charged ahead with lethal intent. The sound of his horse's hooves on the road prevented him from hearing the thing in the woods, but he knew it was there, knew it was coming.

Then he saw the black form moving against the barely discernible shapes of the trees. It broke from the woods into the trail a dozen yards in front of him. He raised the sword and went for it, picturing in his mind what he would do. It waited, motionless.

At the last instant he realized it was Chase, holding up an arm to halt him, the silhouette of a flanged mace in his fist.

" Glad to see you're keeping alert, " the boundary warden said.

" Chase! You scared the wits out of me! "

" You gave me a moment of concern too." Kahlan and Zedd caught up with them. " Follow me, stay close. Richard, take the rear, keep your sword out."

Chase turned his horse and took off at a gallop, the rest following. Richard didn't know if something was after them or not. Chase didn't act as if there was about to be a fight, but he did tell him to keep his sword out. Richard kept a wary eye over his shoulder. They all hunched their heads down in case there were any low branches. It was dangerous to run the horses in the dark like this, but Chase knew that.

They came to a fork in the road, the first one all day, and without hesitation the boundary warden cut to the right, away from the boundary. Before long they were clear of the woods, moonlight showing an open country of rolling hills and few trees. Chase slowed after a time, letting the horses walk.

Richard sheathed his sword and pulled up close to the others. " What was that all about? "

Chase hooked the mace back onto his belt. " Things in the boundary are following us. When they came out of the boundary for you, I was there to spoil their appetite. Some went back in. The ones left continue to follow from within the boundary, where I can't pursue them. That's why I didn't want you to go too fast. I wouldn't have been able to keep up through the woods, they would have gotten ahead of me, and then they would have had you. I took us away from the boundary now because I wanted to get our scent away from them for the night. It's too dangerous to travel that close to the boundary at night. We'll camp on one of those hills up there." He looked over his shoulder at Richard. " By the way, why did you stop back there? I told you not to."

" I was worried about you. I heard the howling. I was going to come and help. Zedd and Kahlan talked me out of it." Richard thought Chase would be angry, but he wasn't.

" Thanks, but don't do it again. While you were standing there thinking about it, they almost had you. Zedd and Kahlan were right. Don't argue with them the next time."

Richard felt his ears burning. He knew they were right, but it didn't make him feel any better about not helping a friend.

" Chase, " Kahlan asked, " you said they had gotten someone, was that true? "

His face was cold stone in the moonlight. " Yes. One of my men. I don't know which one." He turned back to the trail and rode on in silence.

They set up camp on a high hill to give a clear view of anything that approached. Chase and Zedd tended to the horses while Richard and Kahlan started the fire, unpacked the bread, cheese, and dried fruit, and began cooking a simple stew. She went with him and scouted for firewood among the sparse trees, helping carry it back. He told her the two of them made a good team. She smiled a little smile and turned away. He took her arm and turned her back.

" Kahlan, if it had been you, I would have come after you, " he said, meaning more than the words he spoke.

She studied his eyes. " Please, Richard, don't even say that." She gently pulled her arm away and went back to camp.

When the other two, back from tending the horses, came into the firelight, Richard could see that the scabbard strapped over Chase's shoulder was empty, the short sword missing. One of his battle axes and several long knives were gone, too. Not that this left him defenseless-far from it.

The mace hanging from his belt was covered in blood from one end to the other, his gauntlets were soaked with it, and it was splattered everywhere on him. Without comment he pulled a knife, pried a three-inch yellowish tooth from the mace where it was wedged between two of the blades, and threw the tooth over his shoulder into the darkness. After wiping the blood off his hands and face he sat down in front of the fire with the others.

Richard tossed a stick in the fire. " Chase, what were those creatures that were after us? And how could anything go in and out of the boundary? "

Chase picked up a loaf of bread and tore off about a third. He met Richard's eyes. " They're called heart hounds. They're about twice the size of a wolf, big barrel chests; heads are kind of flat, big snout full of teeth. Fierce. I'm not sure what color they are. They only prowl at night, until today, that is. But it was too dark in those woods to tell, and, anyway, I was kind of busy. There

were more than I've ever seen together before." -

" Why are they called heart hounds? "

Chase chewed a piece of bread as he stared back with intense eyes. " That's a matter of some debate. Heart hounds have big rounded ears, good hearing. Some say they can find a man by hearing the beating of his heart." Richard's eyes widened. Chase took another bite of bread, chewing for a minute. " Others say they're called heart hounds because that's how they kill. They come at your chest. Most predators go for the throat, but not heart hounds; they go straight for your heart, and they have big enough teeth to get the job done. It's the first thing they eat, too. If there's more than one hound, they'll fight over the heart."

Zedd dished himself a bowl of stew and handed the ladle to Kahlan.

Richard was losing his appetite, but he had to ask. " And what do. you think? "

Chase shrugged. " Well, I've never sat real quiet in the dark next to the boundary, just to find out if they could hear my heart beating." He took another bite of bread, looking down at his chest as he chewed. He pulled the heavy mail away from himself. There were two long ragged rips in the chain. Broken pieces of yellow teeth were jammed into mangled links. The leather tunic behind it was soaked with hound's blood. " The one that did this had the blade of my short sword broken off in his chest, and I was still on my horse at the time." He looked back to Richard and raised an eyebrow. " That answer your question? "

Bumps ran up Richard's arms. " What about the way they can go in and out of the boundary? "

Chase took the bowl of stew from Kahlan as she handed it to him. " They have something to do with the magic of the boundary; they were created with it. They are' the boundary's watchdogs, so to speak. They can go in and out without being claimed by it. But they're tied to it too, and can't go far from it. With the boundary weakening, they've been straying farther and farther all the time. That makes traveling Hawkers Trail dangerous, but to go another way would add a good week to the journey to Kings' Port. The cutoff we took is the only one that veers away from the boundary until we get to Southaven. I knew I had to reach you before you passed it, or we would have had to spend the night back there, with them. Tomorrow, in the daylight, when it's safer, I'll show you the boundary, how it's weakening."

Richard nodded as they all went back to their own thoughts.

" They are tan, " Kahlan said softly. They all turned to her. She sat staring into the fire. " The heart hounds are tan, with short fur, like that on the back of a deer. They are seen everywhere now in the Midlands, having been released from their bonds when the other boundary failed. Crazed with lack of purpose, now they even come out in the daytime."

The three men sat motionless, considering her words. Even Zedd stopped eating.

" Great, " Richard said under his breath. " And what else does the Midlands have that is even worse? "

He didn't mean it as a question, more as a curse of frustration. The fire crackled, warm on their faces.

Kahlan's eyes were in a faraway place. " Darken Rahl, " she whispered