From time to time they heard calls from back in the thick growth to the sides and up ahead in the hills. Some of those raucous calls Kahlan recognized as the cries of ravens. All five women looked off toward other, more unnerving sounds whenever an unseen animal screeched or growled.
Hunter rarely bothered to look, and even then it appeared to be out of curiosity, not fear. He usually sat and licked his fur with his rough tongue as he waited patiently for them to catch up. Kahlan supposed that the forest was his natural habitat and he was at home with all the sounds and calls off in the woods, even if the rest of them were not.
She supposed that the powerful creature could dart through the brush to escape danger if he had to. On the other hand, he himself was a predator, with intimidating claws and teeth and the muscle to back them up. She had never seen him hunt or fight, but she knew by his calm confidence that he had to be a formidable fighter like his mother and quite the fierce protector.
When it became dark enough to make it difficult to see and even more difficult to navigate across the rocky landscape, Nicci used her gift to ignite a small flame, letting it float away from her upturned palm to follow after Hunter. It wasn’t overly bright, but lit their way well enough for them to find their footing. Hunter glanced up, watching the floating flame briefly, and then, judging it not to be a danger, continued on his way.
As they climbed higher, the litter of broken rock lower down began to give way to more substantial rocky outcroppings. Sometimes the bulges of rock erupting through the mosses, grasses, and brush looked like they were being held captive in nets of gnarled roots. Hunter would stop from time to time, sitting on his haunches atop a rock or fat root, watching the women struggling to keep up with him. They were all out of breath from the effort of the climb. As soon as they caught up, Hunter would be off again, as if trying to hurry them along and not wanting to waste any time. As winded as they were, none of the five women voiced a complaint or asked to stop for a rest.
The higher the terrain took them, the closer the dark woods grew in to the sides, until they sometimes had to make their way through a near tunnel of vegetation as they followed the tumbling stream ever upward while it poured over rocks and burbled down steep slabs of stone streaked in green and brown slime.
When Hunter was far out ahead of them, visible only in snatches, a man abruptly stumbled out of the trees to their left, jolting them all out of their private thoughts.
He wore tattered pants and no shirt. His bony ribs were covered with a sheen of blood that also soaked his trousers.
He was initially as surprised at seeing them as they were at seeing him stagger out of the trees. Even though he was obviously grievously injured and disoriented, when he saw them his eyes swiftly filled with hate and bloodlust. By his demeanor as well as the strings of bones and teeth holding his tuft of hair upright at the top of his otherwise shaved head, it was obvious that he was a half person.
Without delay, the man lunged toward Kahlan.
Even as the sword was clearing its scabbard, sending the unique ring of steel through the forest, Laurin grabbed the man from behind with a fist around his upright shock of hair. She snatched his head back and in quick, efficient fashion cut his throat deep enough to sever his windpipe.
The man dropped heavily to his knees at Kahlan’s feet, her sword hovering over him. He held both hands over the gushing wound at his throat. She was filled with a rush of anger from the ancient weapon. That rage demanded swift violence, but it was obvious that enough violence had already been done and he was no longer a threat. She stepped aside as he toppled forward, his legs across the bank of the stream with the upper half of his body lying in the shallow stream. As the water splashed over the man, air burbled from his lungs through the gaping gash. Blood gushing out ran down the stream in a red fan.
Laurin looked rather sheepish. “Sorry, Mother Confessor. I would have been quicker”–she flicked her Agiel, hanging by a fine gold chain from her right wrist, up into her fist–“but without the bond to Lord Rahl, this doesn’t work. So I had to use a knife. It’s slower.”
“It was fast enough and that’s all that really matters,” Kahlan said, gripping the sword tightly as she scanned the dark woods, searching for others she expected to descend out of the woods any moment.
“Besides,” Kahlan added, her heart racing, “not knowing what his occult powers may have been, a knife is the only thing we know for certain works.”
The three Mord-Sith moved to stand with their backs to Kahlan, protectively surrounding her, all with their knives out.
“Do you sense any more?” Kahlan whispered to Nicci.
The sorceress peered around in the shadows. “No. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. I think that sometimes they may be able to use occult powers to shield themselves.”
Kahlan knew that the half people usually howled when they came on a running attack through the woods. She didn’t hear any cries from off in the darkness.
Hunter returned to sit on a rock not far up above them. He looked down at the man lying half in the stream, and then yawned.
“He doesn’t look too concerned,” Kahlan said.
“Maybe it was a straggler,” Cassia said. “With the barrier down and the half people on the loose now, there are bound to be some wandering through the forests of the Dark Lands.”
“That’s possible,” Kahlan said, “but we’re pretty far out in the middle of nowhere. It’s also possible that there are a lot more with him.”
Cassia signaled silently to the other two and then the three of them swiftly vanished into the darkness to check. Nicci stood on a small rock, slowly turning all the way around as she tried to use her gift to tell if there were more.
In a short time the three Mord-Sith reappeared.
“Nothing,” Vale said.
The other two shook their heads to confirm that they didn’t see anything either.
When Hunter turned and started off once again, looking unconcerned, Kahlan and Nicci shared a look.
“I think if there were more, he would probably know,” Nicci suggested.
“Let’s hope you’re right,” Kahlan said as she started out once more.
But she kept the sword out just in case.
CHAPTER 6
They traveled deep into the night without further incident. It was nerve-racking to continually fear that every sound might mean an imminent attack. Kahlan had drawn her sword half a dozen times, erring on the side of safety. None of them took lightly the possibility of a surprise attack. They were all tense and wary as they followed Hunter onto ever-higher ground.
Hunter almost never made any sound as he walked, and seemed magically able to avoid stepping on anything that would make noise. He moved like a shadow. They tried to be silent as well, but with less success.
After they had put a good deal of distance between themselves and the dead man, they all began to feel more confident that the man had been a loner.
Not all the half people traveled in groups. Some hunted for souls by themselves, feeling they had a better chance to steal a soul if they were alone. Being greedy about getting a soul, they weren’t inclined to share, or wait their turn. When they found prey, even if they hunted in large groups, it was every man or woman for themselves.
As skinny as the man had been, he was probably weak from hunger. On top of that, it was night. It was easy enough to fall in the darkness and be seriously injured.
As exhausted as they all were, Kahlan knew that it was a mistake to keep going all night. Every time she thought of stopping, though, she remembered Richard lying in the bedroom back at the citadel. He had no chance if they didn’t find a way to help him.