Wizard's First Rule

Richard collapsed, exhausted and in pain. The gashes on his back had dirt and gravel ground into them, and the pain in his left side seared into him with every breath. He wanted only to lie there, nothing more. The sword was still in his hand. He let the power of it wash through him, sustain him. He allowed the anger of it to let him ignore the pain.

The cat licked Richard's face with his rough tongue and nuzzled the top of his head against Richard's cheek. "Thank you, Cat," he managed. Zedd and Kahlan appeared over him. Both bent down to take his arms and help lift him up.

"No! You'll hurt me if you do that. Let me get up by myself."

"What's wrong?" Zedd asked.

"The gar kicked me in the left side. It hurts."

"Let me look." The old man bent over and,gently felt Richard's ribs. Richard winced in pain. "Well, I don't see any bones sticking out. Can't be that bad."

Richard tried not to laugh, as he knew it would hurt. He was right. "Zedd, that was no trick. This time it was magic."

"This time it was magic," the wizard confirmed. "But Darken Rahl may have seen it too, if he was looking. We have to get out of here. Lie still, let me see if I can help."

Kahlan knelt on his other side and cupped her hand on his, on the hand that held the sword, held the magic. When her hand touched his, he felt a surge of power from the sword that startled him and nearly took his breath away. Somehow, he felt the magic was warning him, and trying to protect him.

Kahlan smiled down at him. She hadn't felt it.

Zedd put one hand on Richard's ribs and a finger under his chin as he spoke in a soft, calm, reassuring voice. As he listened to Zedd, Richard dismissed the sword's reaction to Kahlan's touch on his hand. His old friend told him that three of his ribs were injured and that he was putting magic around them to strengthen and protect them until they could heal. He continued to talk in his special way, telling Richard how the pain would be reduced, but not gone, until the ribs were healed. He spoke more, but the words seemed somehow not to matter. When Zedd finished at last, Richard felt as if he were waking from sleep.

He sat up. The pain had lessened greatly. He thanked the old man and got to his feet. He put the sword away and picked up the cat, thanking him again. He handed the cat to Kahlan for her to hold while he searched for his pack and found it near the side of the trail where it had been thrown in the fight. The gashes on his back were painful, but he would worry about them when they got to where they were going. When the other two weren't looking, he slipped the tooth from his neck and put it in his pocket.

Richard asked the other two if they were hurt. Zedd seemed insulted by the question. He insisted he wasn't as frail as he looked. Kahlan said she was fine, thanks to him. Richard told her he hoped never to get in a rock-throwing contest with her. She gave him a big smile as she put Cat in his backpack. He watched as she picked up the cloak and put it around her shoulders, wondering at the way the sword's magic had reacted when she had touched his hand.

"We had better be leaving," Zedd reminded them.

After about a mile, several smaller paths intersected theirs. Richard led them down the one he wanted. The wizard spread more of his magic dust to hide their trail. Their way was narrower now, so they walked single file, with Richard in the lead, Kahlan in the middle, and Zedd in the rear. The three of them kept a wary eye to the sky as they walked along. Even though it was uncomfortable to do so, Richard walked with his hand on the hilt of the sword.

–+-

Shadows in the moonlight swept back and forth across the heavy oak door and its iron strap hinges as the wind bowed branches close to the house. Kahlan and Zedd didn't want to climb the spiked fence, so Richard had left them on the other side to wait. He was just starting to reach up to knock on the door, when a big fist grabbed his hair and a knife pressed against his throat. He froze.

"Chase?" he whispered hopefully.

The hand released his hair. "Richard! What are you doing lurking about in the middle of the night! You know better than to sneak up to my place."

"I wasn't sneaking. I didn't want to wake the whole house."

"There's blood all over you. How much is yours?"

"Most of it, I'm sorry to say. Chase, go unlock your gate. Kahlan and Zedd are waiting out there. We need you." Chase, cursing as he stepped on twigs and acorns with his bare feet, unlocked the gate, and shepherded them alt into the house.