sword of truth-terry goodkind

8/12/2019 Sword of Truth-Terry Goodkind

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Wizard's First Rule By Terry Goodkind

CHAPTER 1

IT WAS AN !!"#$ING %ine& !usky %arieated lea%es (unkeredaainst a ste) t(at *ound in a stranle(old around t(es)oot( trunk o+ a ,alsa) +ir& Sa- drooled do*n t(e *ounded,ark. and dry li),s slu)-ed. )akin it look as i+ t(e tree*ere tryin to %oi/e a )oan into t(e /ool. da)- )ornin air&Pods stu/k out +ro) t(e %ine (ere and t(ere alon itslent(. al)ost see)in to look *arily a,out +or *itnesses&

It *as t(e s)ell t(at +irst (ad /au(t (is attention. as)ell like t(e de/o)-osition o+ so)et(in t(at (ad ,een*(olly unsa%ory e%en in li+e& Ri/(ard /o),ed (is +inerst(rou( (is t(i/k (air as (is )ind li+ted out o+ t(e +o o+des-air. /o)in into +o/us u-on seein t(e %ine& He s/anned

+or ot(ers. ,ut sa* none& E%eryt(in else looked nor)al&T(e )a-les o+ t(e u--er 0en Forest *ere already tined *it(/ri)son. -roudly s(o*in o++ t(eir ne* )antle in t(e li(t,reeze& Wit( ni(ts ettin /older. it *ouldn't ,e lon,e+ore t(eir /ousins do*n in t(e Hartland Woods oinedt(e)& T(e oaks. ,ein t(e last to surrender to t(e season.still stoi/ally *ore t(eir dark reen /oats&

Ha%in s-ent )ost o+ (is li+e in t(e *oods. Ri/(ard kne* allt(e -lants"i+ not ,y na)e. ,y si(t& Fro) *(en Ri/(ard *as%ery s)all. (is +riend 2edd (ad taken (i) alon. (untin +ors-e/ial (er,s& He (ad s(o*n Ri/(ard *(i/( ones to look +or.*(ere t(ey re* and *(y. and -ut na)es to e%eryt(in t(ey

sa*& 3any ti)es t(ey ust talked. t(e old )an al*aystreatin (i) as an e4ual. askin as )u/( as (e ans*ered 2edd(ad s-arked Ri/(ard's (uner to learn. to kno*&

T(is %ine. t(ou(. (e (ad seen only on/e ,e+ore. and not int(e *oods& He (ad +ound a s-ri o+ it at (is +at(er's (ouse.in t(e ,lue /lay ar Ri/(ard (ad )ade *(en (e *as a ,oy& His+at(er (ad ,een a trader and (ad tra%eled o+ten. lookin +ort(e /(an/e e5oti/ or rare ite)& Peo-le o+ )eans (ad o+tensou(t (i) out. interested in *(at (e )i(t (a%e turned u-&It see)ed to ,e t(e lookin. )ore t(an t(e +indin. t(at (e(ad liked. as (e (ad al*ays ,een (a--y to -art *it( (islatest dis/o%ery so (e /ould ,e o++ a+ter t(e ne5t&

Fro) a youn ae. Ri/(ard (ad liked to s-end ti)e *it( 2edd*(ile (is +at(er *as a*ay& Ri/(ard's ,rot(er. 3i/(ael. *as a+e* years older. and (a%in no interest in t(e *oods. or in2edd's ra),lin le/tures. -re+erred to s-end (is ti)e *it(-eo-le o+ )eans& A,out +i%e years ,e+ore. Ri/(ard (ad )o%eda*ay to li%e on (is o*n. ,ut (e o+ten sto--ed ,y (is+at(er's (o)e. unlike 3i/(ael. *(o *as al*ays ,usy andrarely (ad ti)e to %isit& W(ene%er (is +at(er *ent a*ay. (e*ould lea%e Ri/(ard a )essae in t(e ,lue ar tellin (i)t(e latest ne*s. so)e ossi-. or o+ so)e si(t (e (ad seen&


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deat(& He t(ou(t aain o+ (is +at(er's deat(& T(e %ine(ad ,een t(ere& No* t(e %ine *as killin t(is tree7 it/ouldn't ,e anyt(in ood& T(ou( (e /ouldn't do anyt(in+or (is +at(er. (e didn't (a%e to let t(e %ine -resideo%er anot(er deat(& Gri--in it +ir)ly. (e -ulled. and*it( -o*er+ul )us/les ri--ed t(e sine*y tendrils a*ay +ro)t(e tree&

T(at's *(en t(e %ine ,it (i)&

ne o+ t(e -ods stru/k out and (it t(e ,a/k o+ (is le+t(and. /ausin (i) to u)- ,a/k in -ain and sur-rise&Ins-e/tin t(e s)all *ound. (e +ound so)et(in like a t(orne),edded in t(e )eat o+ t(e as(& T(e )atter *as de/ided&T(e %ine *as trou,le& He rea/(ed +or (is kni+e to di outt(e t(orn. ,ut t(e kni+e *asn't t(ere& At +irst sur-rised.(e realized *(y and re-ri)anded (i)sel+ +or allo*in (isde-ression to /ause (i) to +oret so)et(in as ,asi/ astakin (is kni+e *it( (i) into t(e *oods& 8sin (is+inernails. (e tried to -ull out t(e t(orn& To (is risin/on/ern. t(e t(orn. as i+ ali%e. *riled itsel+ in dee-er&

He draed (is t(u),nail a/ross t(e *ound. tryin to snat(e t(orn out& T(e )ore (e du. t(e dee-er it *ent& A (ot*a%e o+ nausea s*e-t t(rou( (i) as (e tore at t(e *ound.)akin it ,ier. so (e sto--ed& T(e t(orn (ad disa--earedinto t(e oozin ,lood&

#ookin a,out. Ri/(ard s-otted t(e -ur-lis( red autu)nlea%es o+ a s)all nanny,erry tree. laden *it( its /ro- o+dark ,lue ,erries& Beneat( t(e tree. nestled in t(e /rooko+ a root. (e +ound *(at (e sou(t9 an au) -lant& Relie%ed.(e /are+ully sna--ed o++ t(e tender ste) near its ,ase. andently s4ueezed t(e sti/ky. /lear li4uid onto t(e ,ite& Hes)iled as (e )entally t(anked old 2edd +or tea/(in (i) (o*

t(e au) -lant )ade *ounds (eal +aster& T(e so+t +uzzylea%es al*ays )ade Ri/(ard t(ink o+ 2edd& T(e ui/e o+ t(eau) nu),ed t(e stin. ,ut not (is *orry o%er ,ein una,leto re)o%e t(e t(orn& He /ould +eel it *rilin stilldee-er into (is +les(&

Ri/(ard s4uatted do*n and -oked a (ole in t(e round *it((is +iner. -la/ed t(e au) in it. and +i5ed )oss a,outt(e ste) so it )i(t rero* itsel+&

T(e sounds o+ t(e +orest +ell dead still& Ri/(ard looked u-.+lin/(in as a dark s(ado* s*e-t o%er t(e round. lea-ina/ross li),s and lea%es& T(ere *as a rus(in. *(istlin

sound in t(e air o%er(ead& T(e size o+ t(e s(ado* *as+ri(tenin& Birds ,urst +ro) /o%er in t(e trees. i%inalar) /alls as t(ey s/attered in all dire/tions& Ri/(ard-eered u-. sear/(in t(rou( t(e a-s in t(e /ano-y o+ reenand old. tryin to see t(e s(ado*'s sour/e& For an instant.(e sa* so)et(in ,i& Bi. and red& He /ouldn't i)aine *(atit /ould ,e. ,ut t(e )e)ory o+ t(e ru)ors and stories o+t(ins /o)in out o+ t(e ,oundary +looded ,a/k into (is)ind. )akin (i) o /old to t(e ,one&

T(e %ine *as trou,le. (e t(ou(t aain7 t(is t(in in t(e


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sky /ould ,e no less& He re)e),ered *(at -eo-le al*ays said.:Trou,le sires t(ree /(ildren.: and kne* i))ediately t(at (edidn't *ant to )eet t(e t(ird /(ild&

!is/ountin (is +ears. (e started runnin& ;ust idle talk o+su-erstitious -eo-le. (e told (i)sel+& He tried to t(ink o+*(at /ould ,e t(at ,i. t(at ,i and red& It *as i)-ossi,le7t(ere *as not(in t(at +le* t(at *as t(at lare& 3ay,e it

*as a /loud. or a tri/k o+ t(e li(t& But (e /ouldn't +ool(i)sel+9 it *as no /loud&

#ookin u- as (e ran. tryin +or anot(er li)-se. (e (eaded+or t(e -at( t(at skirted t(e (illside& Ri/(ard kne* t(att(e round dro--ed o++ s(ar-ly on t(e ot(er side o+ t(etrail. and (e *ould ,e a,le to et an uno,stru/ted %ie* o+t(e sky& Tree ,ran/(es *et *it( rain +ro) t(e ni(t ,e+oresla--ed at (is +a/e as (e ran t(rou( t(e +orest. u)-in+allen trees and s)all ro/ky strea)s& Brus( snat/(ed at (is-ant les& !a--led s*at/(es o+ sunli(t teased (i) "to looku- ,ut denied (i) t(e %ie* (e needed& His ,reat( *as +ast.raed. s*eat ran /old aainst (is +a/e. and (e /ould +eel

(is (eart -oundin as (e ran /arelessly do*n t(e (illside&At last (e stu),led out o+ t(e trees onto t(e -at(. al)ost+allin&

Sear/(in t(e sky. (e s-otted t(e t(in. +ar a*ay and toos)all +or (i) to tell *(at it *as. ,ut (e t(ou(t it (ad*ins& He s4uinted aainst t(e ,lue ,ri(tness o+ t(e sky.s(ielded (is eyes *it( (is (and. tryin to see +or sure i+t(ere *ere *ins )o%in& It sli--ed ,e(ind a (ill and *asone& He (adn't e%en ,een a,le to tell i+ it really *asred&

Winded. Ri/(ard slu)-ed do*n on a ranite ,oulder at t(e

side o+ t(e trail. a,sently sna--in o++ dead t*is +ro) asa-lin ,eside (i) *(ile (e stared do*n at Trunt #ake,elo*& 3ay,e (e s(ould o tell 3i/(ael *(at (ad (a--ened.tell (i) a,out t(e %ine and t(e red t(in in t(e sky& Hekne* 3i/(ael *ould lau( at t(e last -art& He (ad lau(edat t(e sa)e stories (i)sel+&

No. 3i/(ael *ould only ,e anry *it( (i) +or ,ein u- neart(e ,oundary. and +or oin aainst (is orders to stay outo+ t(e sear/( +or t(e )urderer& He kne* (is ,rot(er /areda,out (i) or (e *ouldn't al*ays ,e nain (i)& No* t(at (e*as ro*n. (e /ould lau( o++ (is ,rot(er's /onstantinstru/tions. t(ou( (e still (ad to endure t(e looks o+

dis-leasure&

Ri/(ard sna--ed o++ anot(er t*i and in +rustration t(re*it at a +lat ro/k& He de/ided (e s(ouldn't +eel sinledout& A+ter all. 3i/(ael *as al*ays tellin e%eryone *(atto do. e%en t(eir +at(er&

He -us(ed aside (is (ars( ud)ents o+ (is ,rot(er7 today*as a ,i day +or 3i/(ael& Today (e *as a//e-tin t(e-osition o+ First Coun/ilor& He *ould ,e in /(are o+e%eryt(in no*. not ust t(e to*n o+ Hartland any)ore. ,ut


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all t(e to*ns and %illaes o+ Westland. e%en t(e /ountry-eo-le& Res-onsi,le +or e%eryt(in and e%eryone& 3i/(aeldeser%ed Ri/(ard's su--ort. (e needed it7 3i/(ael (ad lost a+at(er. too&

T(at a+ternoon t(ere *as to ,e a /ere)ony and ,i/ele,ration at 3i/(ael's (ouse& I)-ortant -eo-le *ere ointo ,e t(ere. /o)e +ro) t(e +art(est rea/(es o+ Westland&

Ri/(ard *as su--osed to ,e t(ere. too&. At least t(ere *ould,e -lenty o+ ood +ood& He realized (e *as +a)is(ed9

W(ile (e sat and t(ou(t. (e s/anned t(e o--osite side o+Trunt #ake. +ar ,elo*& Fro) t(is (ei(t t(e /lear *aterre%ealed alternatin -at/(es o+ ro/ky ,otto) and reen *eedaround t(e dee- (oles& At t(e ede o+ t(e *ater. Ha*kersTrail knitted in and out o+ t(e trees. in so)e -la/es o-ento %ie*. in so)e -la/es (idden& Ri/(ard (ad ,een on t(at-art o+ t(e trail )any ti)es& In t(e s-rin it *as *et andsoy do*n ,y t(e lake. ,ut t(is late in t(e year it *ould,e dry& In areas +art(er nort( and sout(. as t(e trail *oundits *ay t(rou( t(e (i( 0en Forests. it -assed

un/o)+orta,ly /lose to t(e ,oundary& Be/ause o+ t(at. )osttra%elers a%oided it. /(oosin instead t(e trails o+ t(eHartland Woods& Ri/(ard *as a *oods uide. and led tra%elerssa+ely t(rou( t(e Hartland +orests& 3ost *ere tra%elindinitaries *antin t(e -restie o+ a lo/al uide )ore t(ant(ey *anted dire/tion&

His eyes lo/ked on so)et(in& T(ere *as )o%e)ent& 8nsure*(at it (ad ,een. (e stared (ard at t(e s-ot on t(e +ar sideo+ t(e lake& W(en (e sa* it aain. on t(e -at(. *(ere it-assed ,e(ind a t(in %eil o+ trees. t(ere *as no dou,t7 it*as a -erson& 3ay,e it *as (is +riend C(ase& W(o else ,ut a,oundary *arden *ould ,e *anderin around u- (ere

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