Faith of the Fallen

"I am humbled to meet the man who helped raise our Richard. You would have to be as rare a person as I found him to be when we helped begin his training." She forced a chuckle. "We found it a formidable labor, trying to teach that grandson of yours."

Zedd slightly altered his opinion of the woman, treating her with greater caution. The air in the tent was stuffy and uncomfortable.

"That is because you are all oxen trying to teach a horse to run. You Sisters should stick to work more befitting your nature."

"Yes, yes, you be a brilliant man, Zedd," Adie scoffed. "Simply brilliant. One of these days even 1 may come to believe you." She tugged his sleeve, turning him from Verna's scarlet face. "And this be Warren," Adie said.

Zedd inclined his head toward Warren, but the boy was already falling to his knees and bowing his blond head.

"Wizard Zorander! This is quite an honor." He popped back up and seized Zedd's hand in both of his, pumping it until Zedd thought his arm might come undone at the shoulder. "I'm so pleased to meet you. Richard told me all about you. I'm so pleased to meet a wizard of your standing and talent. I would be so happy to learn from you!"

The happier he looked, the more Verna scowled.

"Well, I'm pleased to meet you, too, my boy." Zedd didn't tell Warren that Richard had never mentioned him. But that was not out of disrespect or neglect; Richard had never had a chance to tell Zedd a great number of very important things. Zedd thought he could sense through Warren's grip that the young man was a wizard of unusual talents.

A bear of a man with a curly rust-colored beard, a white scar from his left temple to his jaw, and heavy eyebrows stepped forward. His grayish green eyes fixed on Zedd with fierce intensity, but he had a grin like a soldier on a long march who had spotted a lonely cask of ale..

"General Reibisch, commander of the D'Haran forces here in the south," the man said, taking Zedd's hand when Warren at last surrendered it and stepped back. beside Verna. "Lord Rahl's grandfather! What good fortune to see you, sir." His grip was firm, but not painful. It got tighter. "What very good fortune."

"Yes, indeed," Zedd muttered. "Unfortunate as the circumstances are, General Reibisch."

"Unfortunate. .?"

"Well, never mind, for the moment," Zedd said, waving off the question.

He asked another, instead. "Tell me, General, have you begun to dig all the mass graves, yet? Or do you intend the few who are left alive to simply abandon all the bodies."

"Bodies?"

"Why. . yes, the bodies of all your troops who are going to die."

CHAPTER 16

I hope you like eggs," Sister Philippa sang out as she swept into the tent, holding out a steaming plate.

Zedd rubbed his hands together. "Delightful!"

Everyone else was still standing in stiff, stunned silence. Sister Philippa didn't seem to notice all the hanging jaws.

"I had the cook add some ham and a few other things he had about." She glanced down at Zedd's form. "I thought you could use some substance."

"Marvelous!" Zedd grinned as he relieved her of the plate mounded high with scrambled eggs and ham.

"Ah. ." the general began, seemingly befuddled as to how to frame his question, "might you kindly explain. . what you mean by that, Wizard Zorander?"

"Zedd will do." Zedd looked up from inhaling the intoxicating aroma of the dish. "Dead." He drew the fork across his throat. "You know, dead.

Nearly all of them. Dead." He turned back to Sister Philippa. "This smells delightful." He again inhaled the steam lifting from the plate of eggs.

"Simply delightful. You are a woman of a kind heart and a skillful mind, to think to have the cook add such a splendid complement of ingredients. Simply delightful."

The Sister beamed.

The general lifted a hand. "Wizard Zorander, if I may-"

Adie hushed the burly general. "You be poor competition to food. Be patient."

Zedd took a forkful, humming his pleasure at the flavor he encountered.

As he took a second forkful, Adie guided him to a simple bench at the side of the tent. A table in the middle held a few mugs and a lamp that lent the cozy tent not only its light but its oily odor as well.

Despite Adie's advice to be patient, everyone began talking at once, asking questions and offering objections. Zedd ignored them as he shoveled in the scrambled eggs. The large chunks of ham were delicious. He waved a particular juicy piece of meat to the confounded spectators to indicate his pleasure with it. The spices, the onions, the peppers, and the warm lumps of cheese were delightful. He rolled his eyes and moaned in bliss.

It was the best food he'd had in days. His traveling rations were simple and had long ago become boring. He had often grumbled that Spider ate better than he did. Spider seemed smug about it, too, which he had always found annoying. It wasn't good for a horse to be smug with you.

"Philippa," Verna growled, "must you be so pleased about a plate of eggs?"