Wizard's First Rule

Kahlan appraised her coolly. "I regret you have beaten me to him. I only wish I had had the pleasure of doing it myself, or at least witnessed it being done. But, the results are all that matter. Disagreement, was it?"

The color returned to the Queen's face. "He stole something that belonged to me."

"I see. Well, I hope you got it back. Good day." She started to move, then stopped. "And Queen Milena, I will be back to check, and make sure you have brought your overly ambitious commanders back in line, and that they are not mistakenly executing innocent people."

Richard and Zedd, holding Siddin, fell in behind Kahlan as she turned and left.

Richard's thoughts swirled desperately through his head as he walked woodenly next to Zedd, following Kahlan through all the bowing people and out of the city. What were they going to do now? Shota had warned him that the Queen wouldn't have the box for long. She had been right. Where could it be now? He certainly couldn't go back and ask Shota where it was. Who could Giller have given the box to? How were they going to find it? He felt desperately depressed. He felt like giving up. He could tell by the slump in Kahlan's shoulders that she felt the same way… Neither of them spoke. The only one talking was Siddin, and Richard couldn't understand him

"What's he saying?" he asked Zedd.

"He says he has been being brave, just as Kahlan had told him, but he is glad that Richard With The Temper has come to take him home."

"I guess I know how he feels. Zedd, what are we going to do now?"

Zedd gave him a puzzled look. " IOW should I know? You're the Seeker."

Great. He had just done his best, and they still didn't have the box, but he was expected, somehow, to find it. He felt as if he had run square into a wall he hadn't known was there. They kept walking, but he didn't know where to go next.,

The setting sun was golden among golden clouds. Richard thought he could see something ahead in the distance. He moved up and walked next to Kahlan. She was watching it, too. All the people had disappeared from the road for the night.

It wasn't long before he knew what it was. It was four horses galloping toward them. Only one had a rider

CHAPTER 40

RICHARD TOUCHED THE HILT of the sword for reassurance as he watched the four horses raising a cloud of dust that turned golden in the setting sun. Soon the sound of thundering hooves reached him. The lone rider bent over his mount, urging him on. Richard lifted the sword a little in its scabbard, checking that it was clear, then let it drop back. As the darkly clad rider approached, Richard realized he looked familiar.

"Chase!"

The boundary warden brought the horses to a skidding halt in front of them. He looked down as the dust drifted away. "You all look to be well."

"Chase, is it ever good to see you!" Richard grinned. "How did you find us?"

He looked insulted. "I'm a boundary warden." He thought that was explanation enough. "Find what you were after?"

"No," Richard admitted with a sigh. He saw little arms clutching at Chase's sides. A little face peeked around the black cloak. "Rachel? Is that you?"

Her face came farther out, a grin spreading on it. "Richard! I'm so happy to see you again. Isn't Chase wonderful? He fought a gar and saved me from being eaten."

"Didn't fight him," Chase grumbled. "Just put a bolt through his head, that's all."

"But you would have. You're the bravest man I ever saw."

With a pained frown, Chase rolled his eyes. "Isn't she just about the ugliest child you have ever seen?" He leaned around and looked at her. "I can't believe a gar would even want to eat you."

Rachel giggled and hugged her arms to his sides. "Look, Richard." She put a foot out toward him, showing off a shoe. "Chase brought down a buck. He said it was a mistake, because it was too big, so he traded it to a man, but all the man had to trade were these shoes, and this cloak. Aren't they wonderful? And Chase says I can keep them."

Richard grinned at her. "Yes, that is indeed wonderful." He noticed Rachel's doll and the bundle with the bread nestled between her and Chase. He also noticed her eyes going to Siddin, as if she had seen him before.

Kahlan put a hand on Rachel's leg. "Why did you run off? You scared us with worry for you."

Rachel flinched at Kahlan's touch. She hugged one arm to Chase and thrust a hand in her pocket. She didn't answer Kahlan's question, but looked instead toward Siddin. "Why do you have him?"

"Kahlan rescued him," Richard said. "The Queen had him locked up in the dungeon. That's no place for a child, so she took him out."

Rachel looked down at Kahlan. "Wasn't the Queen mad?"

"I don't allow anyone to hurt children," Kahlan said. "Not even a queen."

"Well, don't just stand there staring. I brought you all horses. Mount up. I figured I'd catch you today. I have a wild boar roasting back at the place you stayed last night, just this side of the Callisidrin."