Wizards First Rule   ::   Goodkind Terry

In near darkness, Scarlet landed on the ledge of rock, waiting for him to climb down over her red scales before she hurried to her egg. Richard went to one side and curled up in his cloak, shivering with the cold.

After she checked her egg, cooed to it, and warmed it with fire, she turned to see about the buck. She paused to say to Richard. "You don't look like you could eat much. I guess I could let you have some."

"Will you cook it for me? I don't eat raw meat."

She said she would, so he cut himself a chunk, stuck it on the end of his sword, and, holding it up, turned his head from the heat while she blew a thin stream of flame over it. Richard returned to the side, eating his meal, trying not to watch as the dragon tore the buck apart with fang and claw, tossing great chunks in the air and swallowing with hardly a chew.

"If we don't find your friends, what will you do?"

Richard swallowed. "We had better find them, that's all."

"The first day of winter is four days from tomorrow."

With a finger and thumb, he pulled off a small strip of meat. "I know."

"For a dragon, it is better to die than be ruled."

Richard looked up at her as she swished her tail. "If choosing for yourself, maybe, but what of others? You chose to be ruled, to save your egg, to give it a chance at life."

Scarlet grunted without answering and turned once more to her egg, stroking her talons over it.

Richard knew that if he couldn't find the last box and stop Rahl, he would have to save everyone else's life, he would have to spare Kahlan the torture of a Mord-Sith — he would have to agree to help Darken Rahl open the right box. Then Kahlan could live the kind of life a, Confessor, was used to.

It was a desperately depressing thought-that he could help Darken Rahl gain unchallenged power over everyone. But what choice did he have? Maybe what Shota said was right. Maybe Zedd and Kahlan would try to kill him. Maybe he should be killed for even thinking of helping Darken Rahl. If he had to choose, though, he would not let Kahlan be hurt by a Mord-Sith. He would have to help Rahl.

Richard lay back down, too sick at his choices to finish his meal. He put his head against his pack, pulling the cloak around himself, and thought about Kahlan. He was asleep in moments.

The next day, Scarlet took him into D'Hara, over where she said the boundary used to be, searching the roads and trails. Thin, high clouds filtered the sunlight.