Faith of the Fallen

"With flies still buzzing around it? It still had a few bits of sinew dried to the bones. It's not some ancient thing. It couldn't be much older than six monthspossibly much less."

She was watching him from the corner of her eye, again. "So, they really do have dragons in the New World?"

"In the Midlands, anyway. Where I grew up there were none. Dragons, as I understand it, have magic. There was no magic in Westland. When I came here I. . saw a red dragon. From what 1 heard, they're very rare."

And now there was at least one less.

Nicci was little concerned about the remains of an animal, even if it was a dragon. Richard had long ago decided that, as much as he lusted to crush her skull, he would have a better chance of figuring a way out of his situation if he didn't antagonize her. Battling another person sapped your own strength, making it more difficult to reason your way out of the trouble. He kept his mind focused on what was most important to him.

He couldn't force himself to pretend to befriend Nicci, but he tried to give her no cause to become angry enough to hurt Kahlan. So far, it had been successful. Nicci didn't seem easily inclined to anger, anyway. When she became displeased, she submerged back into an indifference which seemed to smother her distant rancor.

They finally reached the road from where they had spotted the white speck that had turned out to be the remains of the dragon.

"What was it like growing up in a place with no magic?"

Richard shrugged. "I don't know. That's just the way it was. It was normal."

"And you were happy? Growing up without magic, I mean?"

"Yes. Very happy." The frown returned to his face. "Why?"

"And yet, you fight to keep magic in the world, so other children will have to grow up with it. Am I right?"

"Yes."

"The Order wishes to rid the world of magic, so that people can grow up happy, without the poisonous fog of magic always outside their door." She glanced over at him. "They want children to grow up much like you did. And yet you fight this."

It was not a question, so Richard chose not to turn it into one for her. What the Order chose to do was not his concern. He turned his thoughts to other things.

They were traveling east-southeast on a road traversed by the odd trader. They had smiled and nodded at two that day. The road, as it took the easiest route across the rolling hills, had that afternoon begun to turn more to the south. As they crested a rise, Richard spotted a flock of sheep in the far distance. Not far ahead, they had been told, was a town where they could pick up some needed provisions.

The horses could use some grain, too.

Over his left shoulder, to the northeast, snowcapped mountains turning pink in the late sunlight rose up out of the foothills. To his right, the ground rolled off into the wilds. Beyond the town, it wouldn't be too far until they crossed the Kern River. They were not far at all from what used to be the wasteland where the great barrier had stood.

They were close to cutting south into the Old World.

Even though there was no longer a barrier to prevent his return once they crossed over, he felt downhearted about leaving the New World. It was like leaving Kahlan's world. Like leaving her by one more degree. As fiercely as he loved her, he could feel her slipping farther and farther into the distance.

Nicci's blond hair fluttered in the breeze as she turned toward him.

"It's said they used to have dragons in the Old World, too."

Richard brought himself out of his brooding.

"But no more?" he asked. She shook her head. "How long ago was that?"

"Long ago. No one living has ever seen one-and that includes Sisters living at the palace."

He thought about it as he rode, listening to the rhythmic clop of hooves. Nicci had proven forthcoming, so he asked, "Do you know why not?"

"I can only tell you what was taught to me, if you would like to hear it." When Richard nodded, she went on. "During the great war, at the time when the barrier between the Old and New Worlds was raised, the wizards in the Old World worked toward revoking magic from the world. Dragons could not exist without magic, so they went extinct."

"But they still existed here."

"On the other side of the barrier. It may be that the old wizards' suppression of magic, on their side, had only a local, or even temporary, effect. After all, magic still exists, so obviously they failed to achieve their ends."

Richard was getting an uneasy feeling as he considered both Nicci's words and the bones he had seen.

"Nicci, may I ask you a question, a serious question, about magic?"

She gazed over at him as she slowed her horse to an easy walk. "What is it you wish to know?"

"How long do you think a dragon could exist without magic?"