Main Events
Richard and Kahlan travel toward King's Port, the pass across the boundary. As they walk, Richard thinks about their plan—they need someone with magic who can tell them where the last box is hidden. He realizes that even if Lord Darken Rahl gets all three boxes, without the Book of Counted Shadows he won't know which box to open. Richard recites the book to himself, trying to find a way to stop Rahl. He remembers a crucial line: "Verification of the truth of the words of the Book of Counted Shadows, if spoken by another, rather than read by the one who commands the boxes, can only be ensured by the use of a Confessor." This means Rahl needs a Confessor to verify the book's instructions.
As they travel, they begin seeing shadow things—dark, shadowy forms standing motionless in the woods. The shadows don't move or attack, but their presence is unnerving. Kahlan wonders if they are shadow people from the last war, though those were said to float, not stand still. They realize the bone necklace and Richard's tooth are protecting them, making the shadows unable to see or find them. The forest becomes eerily quiet—no animals, no birds—as they approach the Narrows, the most dangerous part of the pass.