Something about Wizard's First Rule (spoilers)

I just got done reading this book, I usually don’t read a lot of fantasy, but since my SO does, the books are here. He told me this is a pretty good series, but he hasn’t read them for a few years. All he reads is fantasy.

The talking dragon threw me off - but whatever, no big deal. The one part I am still shaking my head over is:

Where were the kids - Rachel and Sidden, while the shit was going down? They were traveling with Richard, Zedd, Kahlen and Chase after they left the People’s Palace. Richard goes and gets captured and tortured for a month, the others go on. In the part where the quad catches up to the others (Kahlan almost gets raped, Brophy gets killed) there is no mention of the kids. After Darken Rahl dies, they are out in front of the palace and Richard comes in on Scarlet, poof - the kids are back and they talk about taking Sidden home to his parents while Rachel is going to Chase’s.

So did I have some pages stuck together and miss some important part explaining where the kids were, or what?