Faith of the Fallen

Verna gestured under the bench. "Show him, General."

At her urging, the general lifted out a map roll. He pulled it wide in his callused hands and laid it on the ground at his feet. The map was turned around so Zedd could read it. General Reibisch tapped the mountains to the west of Hartland.

"Right here, Zedd."

"Right there. . what?"

"Richard and Kahlan," Verna said.

Zedd gaped at her face and then down at the map. General Reibisch's finger hovered over a wild range of peaks. Zedd knew those mountains. They were an inhospitable place.

"There? Dear spirits, why would Richard and Kahlan be all the way up there in such a forbidding place? What are they doing there?"

"Kahlan be hurt," Adie said in a consoling tone. , "Hurt?"

"She was at the brink of passing into the spirit world. From what we be told, maybe she saw the world on the other side of the veil." Adie pointed to the map, "Richard took her there to recover."

"But. . why would he do that?" With a hand, Zedd flattened his wavy white hair to the top of his head. His thoughts spun in a confusing jumble while he tried to take it all in at once. "She could be healed-"

"No. She be spelled. If magic be used to try to heal her, a vile hidden spell would be unleashed and she would die."

Understanding washed over him. "Dear spirits. . I'm thankful the boy knew it in time." Before the horror of memories of the screams could come roaring to the fore of his thoughts, Zedd slammed a mental door on them. He swallowed with the pain of those that slipped through. "But still, why would he go there? He's needed here."

"He certainly is," Verna snapped. By her tone, it was a sore subject.

"He can't come here," Warren said. When Zedd only stared at him, he explained further. "We don't understand it all, but we believe Richard is following a prophecy of some sort."

"Prophecy!" Zedd dismissed it with a wave. "Richard doesn't take to riddles, He hates them and won't pay heed to them. There are times when I wish he would but he won't."

"Well, this one he's paying heed to." Warren pressed his lips tight for a moment. "It's his own."

"His own. . what?"

Warren cleared his throat. "Prophecy."

Zedd jumped to his feet. "What! Richard? Nonsense."

"He's a war wizard," Verna said with quiet authority.

Zedd passed a scowl among all the suddenly circumspect expressions. He made a sour face and, with a flourish of his robes, returned to his seat beside Adie.

"What is this prophecy?"

Warren twisted a little knot of his violet robes. "He didn't say, exactly."

"Here." General Reibisch pulled some folded papers from a pocket. "He wrote me letters. We've all read them."

Zedd stood and snatched the letters from the general's big fist. He went to the table and smoothed out the pages. As everyone else sat silently watching, Zedd leaned over the table and read Richard's words lying before him.

With great authority, Richard paradoxically turned away from authority.

He said that after much reflection, he had come to an understanding that arrived with the power of a vision, and he knew then, beyond doubt, that his help would only bring about certain catastrophe.

In letters that followed, Richard said he and Kahlan were safe and she was slowly recovering. Cara was with them. In response to letters General Reibisch and others had written, Richard remained steadfast in his stand. He warned them that the cause of freedom would be forever lost if he failed to remain on his true path. He said that whatever decisions General Reibisch and the rest of them made, he would not contradict or criticize. He told them that his heart was with them, but they were on their own for the foreseeable future. He said possibly forever.

His letters basically gave no real information, other than alluding to his understanding or vision, and making it clear that they could expect no guidance from him. Nonetheless, Zedd could read some of what the words didn't say.

Zedd stared at the letters long after he had finished reading them. The flame of the lamp wavered slowly from side to side, occasionally fluttering and sending up a coiled thread of oily smoke. He could hear muffled voices outside the tent as soldiers on patrol quietly passed along information.

Inside, everyone remained silent. They had all read the letters.

Verna's expression was tight with anxiety. She could hold her tongue no longer. "Will you go to see him, Zedd? Convince him to return to the struggle?"

Zedd lightly trailed his fingers over the words on paper. "I can't.

This is one time I can be of no help to him."

"But he's our leader in this struggle." The soft lamplight illuminated the feminine grace of her slender fingers as she pressed them to her brow in vain solace. Her hand fell back to her lap. "Without him. ."