and she couldn’t stand the thought of losing that rock in her world.
“Not this time,” he told her. “This is our only chance.”
Kahlan could feel tears welling up in her eyes. “Richard …”
He gripped her arm as he sank to one knee. “Don’t waste this chance. Do as I say. Do it now. I’m counting on you.”
Richard pulled Kahlan closer. “Once they have me secured over the horse, then take my sword. You are going to need it.” He managed to give her a wink. “Just don’t run me through with it this time.”
Commander Fister caught Richard as he fell forward and held him upright on his knees. Richard’s head hung. He was already unconscious.
The commander looked over at Kahlan. “Did anyone ever tell you that you married a crazy man?”
Kahlan couldn’t manage to smile in order to go along with his grim attempt to lighten the terror of the situation.
“He’s not crazy. He has just given us all our only chance.”
The commander hoisted Richard’s limp body up, pulling one arm around his broad shoulders.
“Samantha,” Kahlan said as she gestured, “get one of those men right there to bring the horse immediately. Tell the other two to help the commander with Richard.”
As Samantha raced off to get help, Kahlan turned to Commander Fister. “You had better protect him and keep him alive until Zedd and Nicci can heal him. I’m counting on you.”
The commander nodded. “You have my oath, Mother Confessor. No one will get near him as long as I’m alive.”
Kahlan held back her tears. There was too much to do to give in to emotion.
“One condition in all of this, Mother Confessor,” the commander said. “I’m not telling Zedd and Nicci about this plan. You have to tell them. If I tell them, they will fry me up and have me for breakfast.”
That time Kahlan finally managed a brief smile as she saw men running toward them. One of them tugged the horse along behind.
Two of the soldiers helped Commander Fister lift Richard’s limp body over the back of the horse while the other held the reins. Seeing Richard in this condition was sobering for the men. This was the Lord Rahl who had believed in them, liberated them from servitude to Darken Rahl, and then led them through the long and terrible war with the Old World. He had survived countless dangers and done the impossible—brought peace and prosperity they had never imagined possible in their lifetimes. Now, he was unconscious and the situation looked grim.
After getting Richard laid over the back of the mare, the men helped the commander quickly lash him down with ropes. They didn’t pause to ask questions. The men of the First File stayed focused and did their job regardless of what was going on.
Commander Fister seized one of the men, Sergeant Remkin, by the shoulder. “How many men do we have left?”
“Before the battle we had close to a hundred. I know that I’ve seen some go down, though I don’t know how many we’ve lost, but there has to be something less than that by now.”
“All right. Get three dozen men together as fast as you can.” The commander pointed with his sword. “We’re going to take Lord Rahl and the Mother Confessor around the side of the cliff over there and up the gorge. Divide the men. You take half up on the slope to the far side. Have them spread out and hide on the hillside.” He gestured to the other man. “Jenkins, you take the other half onto the left slope and do the same—spread out and hide.”
The sergeant glanced back in the darkness to appraise the barely visible pass. “Consider it done, Commander. Then what?”
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