Parallel Affinity

Part 3.

That morning, the party of four gathered their belongings and set off on foot, once again, wearily so due to broken sleep and Shota's troubling message that they've been left with. Instead of continuing their journey towards Aydindril, they were now forced to look for their runaway horses, arguing that it is better to spend an extra couple of hours locating the animals than an extra couple of weeks walking to their destination.

For hours they followed the hoof-tracks marked in the soft soil but whenever they thought that they were close, that they might finally reach the horses, the animals would elude them and run off deeper into the forest.

The sun rose in the sky and began its heavy descent, and still, the horses were not to be recaptured. What's more, the group were slowly being led further and further off route to Aydindril. By the time twilight had set in, their agitation was at its peak. They walked through the forest with a sense of urgency, trying to make the most of what was left of daylight. Kahlan, especially, felt uneasy, not looking forward to the nighttime and what it would mark.

And sure enough, not long after the final glow of twilight had faded, the moon began its ascent, becoming brighter and more visible between forest-tree branches as it glided upwards in the sky. Even before it reached its peak, it was obvious that a reddish hue covered its full face, radiating beyond its surface, surrounding it like a faded, bloody halo.

"Zedd... Zedd, look..."

Eyes fixed on the sight in the sky, Kahlan tugged at the wizard's sleeve, her pale face tinted pink under the moon's far-casting light.

"The blood moon..." Zedd confirmed in a low voice, staring in the same direction as Kahlan.

Richard and Cara came closer to better see what Kahlan and Zedd were seeing. No, there was no disputing the sight of the fiery moon. They each looked at Kahlan, who stared back at each of them with fear in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Kahlan," Richard worked to hide the edge in his voice. "It's just the moon, it doesn't have to mean anything."

Kahlan wanted to believe him but was far from convinced.

In that moment, from a deeper part of the forest, the group heard faint but chilling sounds of animals, horses, in distress.

"It's them!" Richard cried.

Sword of Truth ready in hand, without a second thought he rushed in the direction of the screams, sensing that someone or something was out there with the horses.

"Richard, wait!" Kahlan pleaded as she ran behind him. "Remember the three signs! You have to be especially careful tonight!"

"If Richard does die," Cara called out while running alongside Zedd and Kahlan in the same direction, "It may not be final. I might be able to give him the Breath of Life."

Kahlan said nothing in response but felt a little better with this reassurance.

The four people proceeded swiftly through the forest, towards the horses, eyes sharp, weapons ready in hand. The closer they got to the animals, the louder and more horrifying their neighing cries became. Finally, in the distance among the trees, Richard spotted them where one of the horses kicked up on its hind legs, trying to fight off something... Something that held a long shiny blade reflecting the red of the moon. As he got closer though, approaching more cautiously now, he was horrified to see that there was more than one blade, more than one sword, wielded by what appeared to be soldiers, and that the red staining their swords wasn't moonlight, but the horses' blood.

Too late and too far to prevent it, Richard watched in horror as the last-standing beast fell to the ground. A group of armed men emerged from behind it, viciously plunging their blades into the animal, hacking its flesh, even after it was dead. Based on their armour, Richard saw that the men resembled D'Haran soldiers, though their leather and chain-mail appeared redder, as if entirely painted in blood. And something about their mannerisms was off... The way they hacked into the horses' bodies seemed ferociously brutal, as if they themselves were animals. Richard couldn't recall ever before having witnessed D'Haran soldiers slaughter horses so savagely for no apparent reason. No, these soldiers were unfamiliar to him, though there was no time to figure out who they were.