An icy wave of terror shot through her veins. Getting to Zedd was Richard's only hope. That had been her plan. Without help, the headaches of the gift would kill him.
She feared, though, that she knew why the magic of his sword was failing, and it wasn't the headaches. She feared that it was in fact the same thing that had caused the seal to be broken. The warning beacon testified that she was the cause of that. If it was true, then she was the cause of that and much more.
If she was right, she realized, if it was true, then Richard was right about the sliph-going into the sliph would indeed be death. If she was right, then he wouldn't even be able to call the sliph, much less travel by it.
"Richard Rahl, if you're going to throw mud on my best ideas then you had better have an idea of your own to offer in its place."
He was gasping, now, in the clutch of violent pain. And then Kahlan saw blood when he coughed.
"Richard!"
Tom, looking alarmed, raced up beside them. When he saw the blood running down Richard's chin, he turned ashen.
"Help him to the wagon," Kahlan said, trying to keep her voice steady.
Cara put her shoulder under his arm. Tom circled an arm around Richard and helped Kahlan and Cara lift him to his feet.
"Nicci," Richard said.
"What?" Kahlan asked.
"You wanted to know if I had an idea. Nicci." He gasped in pain and struggled to get his breath. Yet more blood came when he coughed. It was dripping off his chin.
Nicci was a sorceress, not a wizard. Richard needed a wizard. Even if they had to travel overland, they could race there. "But Zedd would be better able-"
"Zedd is too far," he said. "We need to get to Nicci. She can use both sides of the gift."
Kahlan hadn't thought of that. Maybe she really could help.
Halfway to the wagon, Richard collapsed. It was all they could do to hold up his dead weight. With Tom gripping him under the backs of his shoulders and Cara and Kahlan each holding a leg, they ran the rest of the way to the wagon.
Tom, without the need of help from Cara and Kahlan, hoisted Richard into the back of the wagon. Jennsen hurriedly unfurled another bedroll. They laid Richard out as carefully as they could. Kahlan felt as if she were watching herself react, move, talk. She refused to allow herself to give in to panic.
Kahlan and Jennsen tried to lean in, to see how he was, but Cara shoved them back out of the way. She bent over Richard, putting her ear to his mouth, listening. Her fingers felt for a pulse at the side of his throat.
Her other hand cupped the back of his neck, no doubt preparing to hold him to give him the breath of life if she had to. Mord-Sith were knowledgeable about such things; they knew how to keep people alive in order to extend their torture. Cara knew how to use that knowledge to help save lives, too.
"He's breathing," Cara said as she straightened. She laid a comforting hand on Kahlan's arm. "He's breathing easier now."
Kahlan nodded her thanks, unwilling to test her voice. She moved in closer to Richard, on the other side, while Cara wiped the blood from his chin and mouth. Kahlan felt helpless. She didn't know what to do.
"We'll ride all night," Tom said over his shoulder as he climbed up into the driver's seat.
Kahlan forced herself to think. They had to get to Nicci.
"No," she said. "It's a long way to Altur'Rang. We're not near any roads; picking our way cross country in the dark is foolhardy. If we're reckless and push too hard we'll just end up killing the horses-or they could break a leg, which would be just as bad. If we lose the horses, we can't very well carry Richard all the way and expect to make it in time.
"The wisest thing to do is to go just as fast as we possibly can, but we also have to get rest along the way to be ready should we be attacked again. We have to use our heads or we'll never make it."
Jennsen held Richard's hand in both of hers. "He has that headache, and he fought all those men-maybe if he can just get some sleep, he'll be better, then."
Kahlan was buoyed by that thought, even though she didn't think it was that simple. She stood in the wagon bed, looking out at the man waiting for her to command him.
"Are there any more of you? Any more sent to attack us or capture us?
Did this Nicholas send anyone else?"
"Not that I'm aware of, Mistress."
Kahlan spoke softly to Tom. "If he even looks like he's going to cause any trouble, don't hesitate. Kill him."
With a nod, Tom readily agreed. Kahlan dropped back down and felt Richard's brow. His skin was cold and wet.
"We'd best go on until we find a place that will be easier to defend. I think Jennsen is right that he needs rest; I don't think bouncing around in the back of this wagon is going to help him. We'll all need to get some rest and then start out at first light."
"We need to find a horse," Cara said. "The wagon is too slow. If we can find a horse, I'll ride like the wind, find Nicci, and start back with her.
That way we don't have to wait all the way until we get there in the wagon."
