The pillars of creation

They had escaped by using the hidden trail away from her house-the men probably wouldn't have been expecting that-so she and Sebastian had gained the temporary safety of distance. The rain would have done a good job of covering any tracks. It was possible that the two of them had gotten away cleanly and were for the time being safe. But since her pursuer was the Lord Rahl himself, it was also possible that the killers were, by some dark and mysterious means, moment by moment, closing in on her.

After the horrifying encounter with the huge soldiers at her house, the terror of that possibility always loomed in Jennsen's fears.

At a deserted comer, Sebastian pointed to the right. "Down this street."

They walked past dark buildings, square and windowless, that suggested to her that maybe they were only used for storage. No one seemed to live down the street. Before long, they'd left the buildings behind.

Trees, naked before the bitter wind, huddled in clumps. When they came to a narrow road, Sebastian pointed.

"By the directions, it's the house down this road, down at the end, in that stand of trees."

The road looked to be little used. Weak light from a distant window stole through bare branches of oak and alder. The light, rather than warm invitation, shone more like a glowing warning to stay away.

"Why don't you wait here," she said. "It might be better if I went alone."

She was providing him with an excuse. Most people didn't want anything to do with a sorceress. Jennsen, herself, wished she had some other choice.

"I'll go with you."

He had shown a distinct distrust of anything to do with magic. The way his eyes watched the dark place off through the branches and brush to the sides, he might have been trying to sound more brave than he was.

Jennsen admonished herself for even thinking such thoughts. He had fought D'Haran soldiers who not only had been much bigger than he, but had outnumbered him. He could have simply stayed out in the cave and not risked his life. He could have left the scene of such carnage and gone on with his life. Fearing magic only proved him of sound mind. She, of all people, could understand fearing magic.

Snow crunched under their boots as the two of them, after reaching the end of the road, made their way along the narrow path through the trees. Sebastian watched off to the sides while her attention was mostly fixed on the house. Behind the small place, the woods marched off up foothills. Jennsen imagined that only those with a strong need dared walk the path toward this door.

Jennsen reasoned that if the sorceress lived this near in to town, then she must be someone who helped people, someone whom people trusted. It was entirely possible that the woman was a valued and respected member of the community-a healer, devoted to helping others. Not someone to fear.

As the wind moaned through the trees looming around her, Jennsen rapped on the door. Sebastian's gaze studied the woods to each side. Off behind them the lights from homes and businesses would at least provide light enough for them to find their way back.

As she waited, Jennsen's gaze, too, was drawn to the gloom all around.

She imagined eyes in the darkness watching her. The hairs at the back of her neck lifted.

The door finally drew in, but only as wide as the face of the woman peering out at them. "Yes?"

Jennsen couldn't clearly make out the shadowed features of the face, but by the light coming out through the partly opened door, the woman could see Jennsen plainly enough.

"Are you Lathea?" she asked. "Lathea, the… sorceress?"

"Why?"

"We were told that Lathea the sorceress lives here. If that's you, may we come in?"

Still the door didn't open any wider. Jennsen pulled her cloak tighter against the cold night air, as well as the chilly reception. The woman's steady look took in Sebastian, then Jennsen's form hidden within a heavy cloak.

"I'm not a midwife. If you want to get yourself out of the trouble you two are in, I can't help with that. Go see a midwife."

Jennsen was mortified. "That's not why we're here!"

The woman peered out for a moment, considering the two strangers at her door. "What sort of medicine do you need, then?"

"No medicine. A… spell. I've met you before, once. I need a spell like you once cast for me-when I was little.»

The face in the shadows frowned. "When? Where?"

Jennsen cleared her throat. "Back at the People's Palace. When I lived there. You helped me when I was little."

"Helped you what? Speak up, girl."

"Helped… hide me. With some kind of spell, I believe. I was little at the time, so I don't recall exactly."

"Hide you?"

"From Lord Rahl.

There was an awful silence from the house.

"Do you remember? My name is Jennsen. I was very little at the time." Jennsen pushed her hood back so the woman could see her ringlets of red hair lit in the wedge of light coming through the door.

"Jennsen. Don't recall the name, but the hair I remember. It's not often one sees hair like yours."