Faith of the Fallen (Sword of Truth 6)

He struck a defiant pose. “And why is that?”

Nicci stood and faced him. “Because, as you said, the Order needs you, or rather, a brute like you. You serve the ends of the Order—you are their fist. You bring that cleansing fire. You perform that function very well. It could even be said that you perform that service with extraordinary talent.

“You are Jagang the Just. You see the wisdom in the title I have given you, and will use it to further the cause of the Order. That is why I choose not to use my power against you. It would be like using my power against the Order, against my own duty to the future of mankind.”

“Then why do you want to leave?”

“Because I must.” She gave him a look of icy determination, and deadly threat. “Before I go, I will be spending some time with Sister Lidmila. You are to immediately and completely withdraw from her mind and remain out of it the entire time I am with her. We will use your tents, since you are not using them. You will see to it that everyone leaves us entirely alone for however long it takes us. Anyone who enters, without my express permission, will die. That includes you. You have my oath, as a Sister of the Dark, on that. When I’m finished, and after I leave, you may do what you will with Sister Lidmila—kill her if that is your wish, although I don’t see why you would want to bother, since she is going to be doing you a great service.”

“I see.” His huge chest rose. He let the deep breath out slowly. “And how long will you be gone, this time, Nicci?”

“This is not like the other times. This is different.”

“How long?”

“Perhaps only a short time. Perhaps a very long time. I don’t yet know. Leave me alone to do as I must, and, if I can, I will one day return to you.”

He gazed into her eyes, but he could not look into her mind. Another man protected her mind, and kept her thoughts her own.

In all the time she had spent with Richard, Nicci had never learned that which she hungered most to know, but in one way, she had learned too much. Most of the time she was able to entomb that unwanted knowledge under the numb weight of indifference. Occasionally, though, it would, like now, unexpectedly rise up out of its tomb to seize her. When it did, she was helpless in its grip, and could do nothing but wait for the oblivion of numb detachment to bury it yet again.

Staring into the long dark night of Jagang’s inhuman eyes, eyes that revealed nothing but the bleakness of his soul, Nicci touched her finger to the gold ring Jagang had ordered pierced through her lower lip to mark her as his personal slave. She released a thread-thin channel of Subtractive Magic, and the ring ceased to exist.

“And where are you going, Nicci?”

“I am going to destroy Richard Rahl for you.”

Chapter 15

Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander had been able to talk and smile his way past the other soldiers, but these were not moved by his explanation that he was Richard’s grandfather. He supposed he should have entered the camp in the daylight—it would have avoided a lot of the suspicion—but he was tired and hadn’t thought it would be that much trouble.

The soldiers were properly suspicious, which greatly pleased him, but he was weary and had more important things to do than answer questions: he wanted to ask them, instead.

“Why do you want to see him?” the bigger guard repeated.

“I told you, I’m Richard’s grandfather.”

“This is the Richard Cypher, you’re talking about, who you now say—”

“Yes, yes, that was his name when he grew up and that’s what I’m used to calling him, but I meant Richard Rahl, who he is now. You know, Lord Rahl, your leader? I would think being the grandfather of someone as important as your Lord Rahl would accord me some respect. Maybe even a hot meal.”

“I could say I’m Lord Rahl’s brother,” the man said, keeping a tight grip on the bit in the mouth of Zedd’s horse, “but that doesn’t make it so.”

Zedd sighed. “How very true.”

As vexing as it was, Zedd, at some dim inward level, was pleased to see that the men weren’t stupid, nor easily duped.

“But I’m also a wizard,” Zedd added, drawing low his eyebrows for dramatic effect. “If I wasn’t friendly, I could simply do you up crisp and be on my way past the both of you.”

“And if I wasn’t friendly,” the man said, “I could give the signal—now that we’ve let you venture in this far so that you’re completely surrounded—and the dozen archers hiding all around you in the dark would let fly the arrows that are at this moment trained on you, as they have been ever since you approached our encampment.”

“Ah,” Zedd said, holding up a finger in triumph, “all very well and good, but—”

“And even if I were to die in a final flame of service to the Lord Rahl, those arrows will let fly without me needing to give any signal.”

Zedd harrumphed, lowering his finger, but inwardly he smiled. Here he was, First Wizard, and if he weren’t entering a friendly camp, he would have been bested in this game of banter by a simple soldier.

Or maybe not.

“In the first place, Sergeant, I am, as I said, a wizard, and so I knew of the archers and have already dealt with the threat by spelling their arrows so they will fly no truer and with no more deadly effect than wet dishrags. I have nothing to fear from them. In the second place, even if I’m lying—which is precisely what you are considering at this very moment—you have made a mistake by telling me of the threat, which enables me, as a wizard of great repute, to now use my magic to nullify it.”

A slow smile came to the man’s face. “Why, that’s remarkable.” He scratched his head. He looked to his partner and then back to Zedd. “You’re right, that was exactly what I was thinking: that you could be lying about knowing the archers were back there in the dark.”

“You see there, young man? You’re not so smart after all.”

“You’re right, sir, I’m not. Here I was, so busy talking to you and being so intimidated by your wizardly powers and all, that I plumb forgot to tell you about what else was out there in the dark, watching you…”—the soldier’s brow lowered—“and it would be a mite more trouble than any simple arrows, I dare say.”

Zedd scowled down at the man. “Now see here—”

“Why don’t you do as I ask and come down here in the light, where I can see you better, and answer some of our questions??

?

With a sigh of resignation, Zedd dismounted. He gave Spider a reassuring pat on her neck. Spider, a chestnut-colored mare, had a leggy black splotch on her creamy rump, from which she had acquired her name. Young, strong, and possessing an agreeably spirited nature, she made a pleasant traveling companion. The two of them had been through a great deal together.

Zedd stepped into the intimate circle of light from the watch fire. He turned his hand up and brought a white-hot flame to life just above the flesh of his palm. The two soldiers’ eyes widened. Zedd scowled.

“But, I have my own fire, if you need to see better. Does this help you see things better, Sergeant?”

“Uh…why, yes it does, sir,” the man stammered.

“Yes, it does indeed,” a woman said as she stepped into the light. “Why didn’t you simply use your Han and give a display of your craft in the first place?” She motioned into the darkness, as if signaling for others to stand down. She turned back with a smile that was no more than courteous. “Welcome, wizard.”

Zedd bowed from the waist. “Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander, First Wizard, at your service…?”

“Sister Philippa, Wizard Zorander. I am aid to the Prelate.”

She gestured and the sergeant took the reins from Zedd’s hand to lead the horse away. Zedd clapped the man on the back to let him know there were no hard feelings, and then gave a similar pat to Spider to let her know it was all right to go with the men.

“Treat her especially well, Sergeant. Spider is a friend.”

The sergeant saluted by tapping his fist to his heart. “She’ll be treated as a friend, sir.”

After the soldiers had led Spider away, Zedd said, “The Prelate? Which one?”

The narrow-jawed Sister clasped her hands together. “Prelate Verna, of course.”

“Oh, yes, of course. Prelate Verna.”

The Sisters of the Light didn’t know Ann was still alive. At least, she had been alive when Zedd last saw her, several months past. Ann had written in her journey book, telling Verna that she was alive, but also asking her to keep that information private for the time being. Zedd had been hoping that perhaps Ann had turned up at the D’Haran army camp, with her Sisters of the Light. He was sorry to learn she hadn’t. It boded ill for her.