Free Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind Page A

going on, I didn’t press you.” His eyes were closed. He couldn’t bear the scrutiny of her eyes. “Now someone is after me, too. For all I know, it could be the same person who murdered my father. It’s not just you anymore; I can’t go home either. I think I have a right to know at least some of what’s going on. I’m your friend, not your enemy.
    “Once, when I was little, I got a fever and almost died. Zedd found a root that saved me. Until today, that was the only time I’ve ever been close to death. Today I was close three times. What do I…”
    Her fingertips touched his lips to silence him.
    “You’re right. I will answer your questions. Except about me. For now, I cannot.”
    He sat up and looked at her. She was starting to shake with cold. Shrugging the straps of the pack off his shoulders, he pulled a blanket out and wrapped it around her.
    “You promised me a fire,” she said as she shivered. “Is it a promise you intend to keep?”
    He couldn’t help but to laugh as he got to his feet. “Sure. There’s a wayward pine right over there on the other side of the clearing. Or if you want there are others up the trail a little way.”
    She looked up and gave him a worried frown.
    “Right,” he smiled, “we’ll find another wayward pine up the trail.”
    “What is a wayward pine?” she asked.

CHAPTER 5

    Richard held back the boughs of the tree. “This is a wayward pine,” he announced. “Friend to any traveler.”
    It was dark inside. Kahlan held the boughs aside so he could see by the moonlight to strike steel to flint and start a fire. Clouds scudded across the moon, and they could see their breath in the cold air. Richard had stayed here before on trips to and from Zedd’s, and had made a small fire pit of stones. There was dry wood and to the far side a stack of dry grass he had used for bedding. Since he didn’t have his knife he was thankful he had left a supply of tinder. The fire was quickly started, filling the interior of the tree’s skirt with flickering light.
    Richard was not quite able to stand under the branches where they began growing out from the trunk. The branches were bare near the trunk, with needles on the ends, leaving a hollow interior. The lower branches dipped all the way to the ground. The tree was fire-resistant, as long as one was careful. The smoke from the small fire curled up the center, near the trunk. The needles grew so thick that even in a good rain it remained dry inside. Richard had waited out many a rain in a wayward pine. He always enjoyed staying in the small but cozy shelters as he traveled the Hartland.
    Now he was especially glad for its concealing shelter. Before their encounter with the long-tailed gar, there had been plants and animals in the forest he had strong respect for, but there had been nothing in the woods he feared.
    Kahlan sat herself down cross-legged in front of the fire. She was still shivering and kept the blanket over her head formed into a hood, and held tightly up around her chin.
    “I never heard of wayward pines before. I am not used to staying in the woods when I travel, but they look like a wonderful place to sleep.” She looked even more tired than he.
    “When was the last time you slept?”
    “Two days ago, I think. It has all become a blur.”
    Richard was surprised she could keep her eyes open. When they were running from the quad, he had barely been able to keep up with her. It was her fear that pushed her on, he knew.
    “Why so long?”
    “It would be very unwise,” she said, “to go to sleep in the boundary.” Kahlan watched the fire, spellbound in its warm embrace, the light from it fluttering on herface. She loosened the blanket from around her chin and let it hang so she could put her hands out to warm them closer to the fire.
    A chill ran through him when he wondered what was in the boundary, and what would happen if you went to sleep there.
    “Hungry?”
    She nodded her head.
    Richard dug around