Wizard's First Rule

"How should I know?"

"Well, has anyone come through the pass?"

Chase thought about the question. "Not that I know of."

"I doubt it," Zedd added. "Rahl can travel the underworld; he doesn't need the pass. He's bringing the boundary down; I don't think he cares about a little pass."

"Caring is different from knowing," Richard said. "I don't think we should be standing here, and I'm worried he might know where we're going."

Kahlan pulled the hair off her face. "What do you mean?"

Richard gave her a sympathetic look. "Do you think it was your mother and sister you saw when you were in there?"

"I thought it was. Do you think otherwise?" "I don't think that was my father." He looked to the wizard. "What do you think?"

"It's impossible to say. No one really knows all that much about the underworld."

"Darken Rahl knows about it," Richard said bitterly. "I don't think my father would want me in that manner. But I know Rahl would, so despite what my eyes tell me, it's more likely that it was Darken Rahl's disciples trying to take me. You said we couldn't go through the boundary because they were waiting for us to do so, waiting to get us. I think that was what I saw, his followers in the underworld. And they know right where I touched the wall. If I'm right that means Rahl will soon know where we are. I don't want to be here to find out if I'm right."

"Richard is right," Chase said. "And we have to get to Skow Swamp before nightfall, before the heart hounds come out. 'It's the only safe place between here and Southaven. We'll reach Southaven before tomorrow night and will be safe from the hounds there. The next day we will go see a friend of mine, Adie, the bone woman. She lives near the pass. We need her help to get through. But tonight, our only chance is the swamp."

Richard was about to ask what a bone woman was, and why they needed her help to cross the boundary, when a dark, shadowy form suddenly whipped out of the air, striking Chase so hard it threw him across several downed trees. With shocking speed the black form wrapped around Kahlan's legs, whip like, pulling her feet from under her. She screamed Richard's name as he dove, grabbing for her. They locked their hands around each other's wrists. Both were dragged across the ground, toward the boundary.

Zedd's fingers threw fire over their heads. It shrieked past and vanished. Another black appendage struck out at the wizard with lightning speed, knocking the old man through the air. Richard hooked a foot around a branch on a log. Rotten, it tore from the stump. He twisted his body around, trying to dig his heels into the ground. His boots slid across the wet bog weed. He jammed his heels into the earth, but wasn't strong enough to hold the two of them from being dragged across the ground. He needed his hands free.

"Put your arms around my waist!" he yelled

Kahlan lunged, throwing her arms around him, holding tight. The sinuous black thing wrapped around her legs undulated, getting a stronger grip on her. She screamed as it squeezed. Richard yanked the sword free, filling the air with its ringing.

The green light began to glow around them as they were dragged in.

Anger flooded through him. Richard's worst fear was coming to pass; something was trying to take Kahlan. The green light brightened. Being hauled across the ground, he couldn't reach the thing that pulled them. Kahlan held him hard by the waist; her legs were too far away, and the thing that held her legs was farther still.

"Kahlan, let go of me!"

She was too terrified to do it. She clutched him tightly, desperately, panting in pain. The green sheet came up as they were dragged in.- The buzzing was loud in his ears.

"Let go!" he yelled again.

He tried to pry her hands from his waist. The trees of the bog started to fade into darkness. Richard could feel the pressure of the wall. He couldn't believe how strongly she held him. On his back, sliding across the ground, he tried to reach behind himself to pull her wrists away from him, but could not. Their only chance was for him to get up.

"Kahlan! You have to let go or we're dead! I won't let them get you! Trust me! Let go!" He didn't know if he was telling her the truth, but he was sure it was their only chance.

Her head pressed against his stomach as she clutched his body. Kahlan looked up at him, her face contorting in pain as the black thing squeezed. She screamed, then let go.

In a blink Richard was on his feet. As he jumped up, the dark wall materialized abruptly in front of him. His father reached out. He unleashed his rage, swinging the sword with every fiber of violence he possessed. The blade swept through the barrier, through the thing he knew wasn't his father. The dark shape wailed, exploding into a cloud of nothingness.

Kahlan's feet were at the wall, the dark thing enfolded tightly around her legs, compressing and pulling. He brought the sword up. Murderous need surged through him.