The Third Kingdom

“If it’s too dangerous for me, then it is definitely too dangerous for you. You don’t know anything about dealing with such dangers.”

“I was dealing just fine with those walking corpses that were after me,” she said under her breath as she went to a chest across the room and opened the lid.

Richard didn’t want to argue the point. He turned his attention once more to Kahlan, wishing she would wake before he left. He had so much to tell her. She had no idea of all the things that had happened. The last thing she probably remembered was being Jit’s captive, being bound into those thorn walls, and being bled to death. She wouldn’t know about Zedd, Nicci, and Cara coming to help get them out. She wouldn’t have any idea about the mysterious people who had attacked them and been intent on eating her alive.

He didn’t want to leave her when she was in the dark about everything that had happened. He especially didn’t want to leave her in the dark about where he was going and why. She was also defenseless against such an enemy. But waiting for her to wake up would in reality only further endanger her life. His first duty was to find a way to get the vile contamination of death out of her. To do that, he had to find Zedd and Nicci.

“Your gift doesn’t work,” Samantha said as she rummaged through the contents of the chest. “My gift works. You’ll need me to go with you.”

“I have my sword.”

“Good for you. You still don’t have the use of your gift.” She pulled out a small backpack, then gestured to the hallway at the back of the room. “You couldn’t even get past a shield without me. What are you going to do if you need some kind of simple magic like that? I may be young and inexperienced, and I admit that I have a lot yet to learn, but at least my gift works.”

Richard knew that she had no real concept of the danger she would be facing and he didn’t have time to explain it to her.

“I appreciate the concern, but it would only make it more difficult if I were to take you with me. I’ve fought a lot of battles before without my gift helping me. I’ll be fine.”

She flipped open the flap on the pack, checking the contents still inside. “There are things I can do with my ability, things my mother taught me that I know how to do, that you can’t do and may need done. After all, I healed you of those terrible bite wounds, didn’t I?”

“Indeed you did,” Richard admitted. He was grateful that Samantha had been brave enough to do what she had been so fearful of in order to save Kahlan’s life—his, too. “And I deeply appreciate it. But this is different.”

Bending over the chest, digging something out, she looked back over her shoulder at him. “I thought your plan was crazy, but you convinced me that it’s vital that you go in there to try to rescue your friends.” She pulled a knife in a sheath out of the chest, looked it over a moment, and then put it into the pack. “You convinced me that all our lives may depend on this. You were right.

“So if it’s really that vital, which it is, then I have to go along so that I can help make sure you succeed.” She glanced down into the chest. “Do you think we need to take soap?” She snatched it up and stuffed it into the pack. “Never mind, I had better take it.”

“Samantha, it’s simply too dangerous for you to come with me,” he said with calm finality. He was worried about Kahlan and wanted to be on his way to get help for her. Samantha would only slow him down.

He was not in the mood to argue, but he hoped to make Samantha at least understand that he had good reason not to let her come along on such a journey. “You could easily be killed. I could never forgive myself if I let you go with me and something terrible happened to you.”

She shot him an impatient look. “If you don’t accomplish what you are going in there to do, Lord Rahl, then you will die, and if you die, then the Mother Confessor dies, I die, we all die. You said so yourself. You’re putting my safety ahead of saving the Mother Confessor, ahead of saving everyone.

“I can help you and you may need my help. I may be able to use my gift to get you out of trouble. That may be the edge you need in order to rescue your friends and succeed.

“Even if it costs me my life, anything I do that helps you might very well be the very help needed save all the people of my village, along with everyone else. Stop worrying about one young woman and start worrying about how important it is for you to succeed. Think of all those words you read back there, and how important this is.

“You’re a pretty smart man. You should be able to see the sense in what I’m saying.”

Richard started to object. Samantha held up a finger to silence him before he could answer.

“Are you really going to turn down gifted help? That’s your plan? Do without what could make the difference?”

“My plan is to move swiftly, strike fast, and get out. You would slow me down.”