"How are you doing, Warren?" she whispered. "Fine," he mumbled in a groggy voice.
"It won't be long. Warren. It won't be long, now. Just a little farther, and then it will be over. Nathan will help you."
"Nathan," he mumbled under his breath. "Must warn him." They came upon a massive stone block that was obviously worked by man; it was square. It was nearly covered with snaking tendrils and gnarled roots. More stones, like white bones in the moonlight, jutted up from the thick vegetation. She saw the low, jagged remains of a wall, and columns, looking like the ribs of a monster.shone through the undergrowth. The way it flickered it appeared to be the light of a campfire. Walsh and Bollesdun held aside the branches for the rest of them. The fire was set in a circle of rocks placed on the stone floor of old ruins. Beyond the fire Verna could see the round wall of a large well, or something like a well. She had never known that this place was hidden in the Hagen Woods, but as infrequently as anyone went into the Hagen Woods, that wasn't surprising., dressed like a rich nobleman, rose to greet them. He was tall, and intimidating, especially without a Rada'Han around his neck. When he saw them all, he grinned that confident Rahl grin. Walsh and Bollesdun laughed aloud, and received good-natured slaps on the back.ducked under an arm, throwing hers around Nathan's midsection. He grunted when she squeezed with all her might and ardor. When she proudly held out the book, he took it from her. He gave her a private smile, laden with meaning. Clarissa's eyes sparkled. Verna's eyes rolled.
"Verna!" Nathan called out when he saw her. "Glad you could make it." "How good to see you. Lord Rahl."
"You shouldn't scowl like that, Verna. You'll get wrinkles." He scanned the others. "Janet, so you have joined us, too." His brow tightened a bit. "And Amelia." He looked to the other woman, standing off to the side. "And who have we here?"held out an arm, wiggling her fingers, urging Manda forward. From underneath, Manda's fists tightened the cloak at her throat. She timidly stepped forward.
"Nathan, this is a friend of mine, Manda. From Renwold." Manda put a knee to the ground as she bowed deeply. "Lord Rahl. My life is yours."
"Renwold." Nathan's brow twitched again as he glanced briefly at Clarissa. "Yes, well, glad you escaped from Jagang, Manda."
"I owe it all to Clarissa," Manda said as she came to her feet. "She is the bravest woman I've ever seen."giggled as she pressed herself to Nathan. "Nonsense. I'm so thankful that the good spirits put you where they did, or I'd never have even known you were there."turned his attention back toward Verna. "Who have we here? The young Warren, I presume?"did her best to smooth her own brow. «Nathan-» "Lord Rahl." His grin cracked through the scowl. "But we are old friends, Verna. I am still Nathan to you, and all my old friends." Verna dipped her head as she bit the inside of her cheek. "Nathan," she began again, "you're right; this is Warren. Can you help him? He's just coming into prophecy, just starting to have them. I took his collar off a while back and there is nothing to protect him from the gift. He's having the headaches. Nathan, he's in a bad way. I'll follow you anywhere if you will help him." "Help him?" "Please, Nathan. I'm begging you."
"Nothing to it. Verna. I'd be delighted to help the boy." Nathan gestured. "Bring him over here by the fire."mumbled, trying to introduce himself, but he was nearly unconscious. Verna and Janet helped him down where Nathan pointed, and balanced him upright.hiked up his trousers at his knees and lowered himself to the stone floor of the missing building, sitting cross-legged. He set the book beside him. His brow drew down in that Rahl frown as he studied Warren's face. He waved his hand at Verna and Janet, ordering them away. With a web, Nathan held Warren upright. He inched forward, until their knees touched.
"Warren," Nathan called in that deep, commanding voice of his. Warren's eyes opened. "Hold up your hands."extended, both Warren and Nathan held up their hands. They pressed their fingers together. Their eyes fixed on each other.
"Let your Han flow into my fingertips," Nathan said in gentle prompting. "Open the seventh gateway. Close the others. You know of what I speak?" "Yes."
"That's a good lad. Do it then. It will make it easier if I have your help." A warm, mellow glow enveloped both men. The night air hummed with the power from that light. It was neither flame nor heat. Verna didn't know what Nathan was doing. She was somewhat astounded that Nathan did.had always been something of a enigma at the Palace of the Prophets. He had seemed an old man to her even when Verna was a young girl. He had always been regarded as, at the least, unbalanced, even by the most magnanimous of the Sisters.were those at the palace who didn't believe that Nathan had more than the slightest hint of the gift in anything but prophecy. Others suspected, but were never sure, that he was capable of much more than he ever showed them. There were others who were so terrified of him that they feared going to the rooms where he was confined, even though he had a Rada'Han around his neck. Verna had always considered Nathan trouble on two feet., she watched as this troublesome old lecher of a wizard did his best to save the life of the man Verna loved. At times, the light glowed more strongly in one man than the other, before passing away, and then coming back, as if it had forgotten something and then returned for it.and Bollesdun loafed near the round stone wall behind Nathan, but the rest of the party watched transfixed. Verna had no more idea what Nathan was doing than did Manda.unnerved Verna the most was when both men, their knees touching, their fingers pressed together, floated a few inches off the ground. She was relieved when they at last settled back down.clapped his hands together once. "There" he announced. "That should do it."couldn't see how that could have possibly been enough to set the gift right in Warren., though, wore a wide grin. "Nathan, that was-marvelous. The headache is completely gone. I feel so clearheaded-so alive."picked up the inky book and stood. "I enjoyed it, too, my boy. Took that gaggle of Sisters near to three hundred years to do for me what I have just done for you. But then they were a misguided lot." He glanced Verna's way. 'Sorry, Prelate. No slight intended."
"None taken." Verna rushed to Warren's side. "Thank you, Nathan. I was so worried for him. You have no idea what a relief this is."'s face was losing the joyous look. "Nathan, now that you have done this for me, I can see more clearly that… we have inadvertently given Jagang insight into prophecy that-"cried out. Clarissa cried out. Verna froze. She could feel something sharp pressed to her back.had a dacra stabbed in the back of Nathan's thigh. Manda had a knife at Clarissa's throat. Janet was holding a weapon at Verna's back. Warren stiffened when Janet held a warning finger to him and then to the two soldiers.
"Don't you move a muscle, Nathan," Amelia said, "or I let flow my Han, and you are instantly dead."
"Warren is right," Janet said. "He did, in fact, give His Excellency some very valuable information."
"Amelia, Janet!" Verna cried out. "What are you doing?" Amelia turned a wicked smile on Verna. "His Excellency's bidding, of course." "But you swore the oath."
"We swore the oath in word only, not in our hearts." "But you can be free of him! You don't need to serve Jagang!" "Had you told us true the first time, maybe, but once we tried, and failed to hold the bond when Richard died. His Excellency punished us. We'll not take the chance again."
"Don't do this," Verna pleaded. "We're friends. I came to save you. Don't do this, please. Swear the bond, and you will be free!"
"Oh, darlin. I'm afraid she can't do that." It was not Amelia's voice alone, but more. It was the voice Verna had heard in her own head: Jagang. She felt herself suddenly trembling, just at hearing his tone and inflection in Amelia's voice.
"Now, my loyal and faithful plenipotentiary, hand over the book. Sister Amelia and I have more use of it."held it out to the side. With her other hand, the one not on the dacra in his leg, Amelia snatched back the book. "Well," Nathan said, "are you going to kill me, or not?" "Oh, yes, I intend to kill you," Amelia said in Jagang's voice. "You betrayed our bargain. Lord Rahl. Besides, I don't like having subordinates who won't allow me into their minds.
"Before you die, I thought I'd let you watch how a real slave obeys orders. I thought you'd like to watch me cut your little darlin Clarissa's throat." Breathe.expelled the sliph from her lungs, and with frantic need, sucked in the alien air. Night crashed in around her. She refused to spare the time to fear the sudden vision, the sudden sound, to give it time to settle into place in her mind, and instead seized the stone wall to hoist herself out.frightening sight-to match the words she had already heard-greeted her. With her vision enhanced by the sliph, she took in the whole scene at once, in one slamming jolt.instant she saw him. Kahlan knew this was Nathan. He looked like a Rahl, and Richard had told her about Nathan-tall. older, with long white hair to his shoulders. A woman had stabbed a dacra into his leg, and was holding it there. Kahlan had heard her name: Amelia-the one who had started the plague. Kahlan saw Verna, with a woman at her back. A young man stood frozen. Kahlan saw a beautiful young woman holding another woman by a fistful of hair done in ringlets- it could only be Clarissa. The woman's other fist held a knife at the terrified Clarissa's throat.Kahlan had emerged from the sliph, she was conscious of the last part of the conversation that had just taken place, and knew well the voice coming from the woman holding the dacra in Nathan's leg. Kahlan knew well the word "darlin." She remembered hearing that voice from the wizard, Marlin, who had come to assassinate Richard. It was Jagang's voice.image of the amulet Richard wore came unbidden into Kahlan's mind. It means only one thing, and everything: cut. Once committed to fight, cut. Everything else is secondary'. Cut.training at the hands of her warrior father had been much the same. Kill or be killed. Never yield. Never wait. Attack.was near death-near his last breath. She had no time to spare, no time to consider. She was committed. Cut.one fluid movement, she erupted from the sliph, dived out of the well, yanked a short sword free of the scabbard on the soldier standing right there, ducked her head, tumbled forward, and came up with the sword already whipping down.the span of a heartbeat, before anyone had time to flinch, Kahlan was there. She had to stop Amelia before she released her magic into the dacra in Nathan's leg, or he would be dead. Like lightning, her sword descended, severing Sister Amelia's arm at the crook of her elbow.then, everything moved in a painfully slow dance. Kahlan could see the expression on every face. The woman Kahlan had just cut. Sister Amelia, was falling back with a cry. Already, Kahlan's sword was whirling, to reverse her handhold, as she followed her quarry down. Verna was spinning, a dacra in her own hand, toward a surprised woman behind her. The young man was diving toward the woman with the knife. Nathan's hands were coming up toward Clarissa. His scream cut through the night.was reaching toward Nathan. The young woman holding her by the hair snarled with a vicious sneer, and savagely cut through Clarissa's throat.saw the spray of blood for only an instant before the night exploded with lightning from both Nathan and the young man.left hand now joined with her right, Kahlan slammed her sword down through Sister Amelia's heart, pinning her to the ground before the second soldier had his sword clear of his scabbard.'s dacra expeditiously dispatched the woman behind her at the same time as the young woman with the knife took two bolts of lightning, shattering her in a red horror as Clarissa's body still collapsed toward the ground. The violence was over before comprehension could catch up with it. In a daze, Nathan staggered toward Clarissa's body. Kahlan rushed past him and knelt beside Clarissa. The sight that greeted her brought a gasp.sprang up and put her hands against Nathan, stopping him. "It's too late, Nathan. She's with the spirits, now. Don't look. Please don't look. I saw in her eyes the love she had for you. Please don't look at her like this. Remember her the way she was."nodded. "She had a good heart. She saved so many people. She had a good heart."lifted his arms. He held his palms out toward Clarissa's body. Intense light flared forth, flooding the dead woman with a brilliant blaze so radiant that the body couldn't be seen at its center.
"From the light of this fire, and into the Light. Safe journey to the spirit world," Nathan whispered. When the light was gone, only ash remained. Nathan slumped. "The vultures can have the rest of them." Verna tucked her dacra back up her sleeve. One soldier retrieved his sword from Amelia's body as the other sheathed his.young man looked in shock. "Nathan, I'm so sorry. I gave Jagang the meaning of prophecy that helped him. I didn't want to, but he made me. I'm so sorry."'s doleful, azure eyes turned toward the young man. "I understand. Warren. You didn't do it out of malice; the dream walker was in your mind and you had no choice. You are free of him now." Nathan yanked the dacra from his leg. He turned to Verna. "You brought traitors to me, Verna. You brought assassins to me. But I realize you had not intended it. Sometimes prophecy overwhelms our attempts to outwit it, and catches us unaware. Sometimes we think we are more clever than we are, and that we can stay the hand of fate, if we wish it hard enough."straightened her cloak on her shoulders. "I thought I was saving them from Jagang. I never had any idea that they would give the oath to you without committing their hearts." "I understand," Nathan whispered.
"I don't know what goes through that head of yours, Nathan. Lord Rahl indeed." Verna glanced to where Clarissa's body had been, and where now there was only white ash. "And I see that you haven't changed your ways, Nathan. Once again, you've gotten another of your little whores killed."impact of Nathan's fist lifted Verna clear off the ground. Her jawbone shattered with a loud crack. Strings of blood sailed out into the night air. Warren cried out as Verna landed flat on her back. She didn't move., crouched at Verna's side, looked up with frantic eyes. "Nathan' Dear Creator, why would you do this? You've broken her jaw. Why would you try to kill her?"flexed his fist. "If I was trying to kill her, she would be dead. If you want her to live, then I would suggest you heal her. I've heard that you are talented at healing, and with what I have done for you tonight, you should be able to accomplish it in short order. Put some sense in her head, while you're at it."bent over Verna, pressing his hands to the unconscious woman's face. Kahlan said nothing. She had seen love in Nathan's eyes when he had looked at Clarissa. She had just seen rage, too.bent and retrieved the inky black book lying on the ground beside Sister Amelia's body. He straightened and turned those Rahl eyes on Kahlan. He held out the book.
"You could be none other than Kahlan. I have been expecting you. Prophecy, you know. I'm glad I was not late. You don't have much time. Give this to Lord Rahl. I hope he knows how to destroy it."
"He knew when he was at the Temple of the Winds, but he said he had to give up his knowledge to leave. But he wrote a message in the palms of his hands. It says, 'Pinch of white sorcerer's sand on third page. One grain of black sorcerer's sand tossed on. And then there were three words, but I don't know what they mean."laid a big hand on her shoulder. "The words are the three chimes: Reechani, Sentrosi, Vasi. I don't have time to teach you about the three chimes, but know that they must be spoken after the white and before the black. That's what is important."
"Reechani, Sentrosi, Vasi," Kahlan repeated, trying to commit the words to memory. She said them over again in her head.
"Richard does have both white and black sorcerer's sand, does he not?" Kahlan nodded. "Yes. He told me about it. He has both." Nathan shook his head, as if considering some private thought. "Both," he muttered. Nathan squeezed her shoulder. "I know from prophecy some of what he has been through. Stand by him. Love is too precious a gift to lose."smiled. "I understand. May the good spirits bring it to your heart, Nathan. I can't thank you enough for helping Richard, for helping me." Her voice broke. "I didn't know what I was going to do. I only knew I had to come here."hugged her, she thought more for his own need than hers. "You did the right thing. Maybe the good spirits guided you. Get back to him, now, or we will lose our Lord Rahl." Kahlan nodded. "The killing is over." "The killing is just about to begin."turned and held both fists skyward. An awesome flare of light ignited at his fists and shot into the night sky. Kahlan watched as it streaked northwest, so bright that the stars vanished in the glare.saw Verna sitting up, with Warren's help. He was wiping the blood away from her newly healed jaw. "What have you done?" Kahlan asked Nathan.looked down at her a long moment, and then a sly smile spread on his lips. "I have just given Jagang a nasty surprise. I have just given General Reibisch the signal to attack." "Attack? Attack who?"
"Jagang's expeditionary force. They destroyed Renwold. They are up to other trouble in the New World, too, but are unaware of who shadows them. It will be a short battle. The prophecy says that the D'Harans will fight as fiercely as they have ever fought, and will, before this night is over, destroy the enemy in the traditional D'Haran fashion: without mercy."was coming to her feet. Kahlan had never seen Verna looking so meek. "Nathan, I beg your forgiveness." "I'm not interested-"laid a hand on Nathan's arm and whispered up at him. "Nathan, please, for your own sake, listen to her."gazed into Kahlan's eyes a moment before he turned his glare on Verna. "I'm listening." "Nathan, I've known you a long time. My whole life. I've seen things before that.. perhaps I didn't understand. I thought you were doing this to seize power for yourself. Please forgive me for lashing out at you for my own guilt at my friends turning against me-against us. I sometimes.. jump to judgment. I can see that I have mistaken what was truly going on with you and Clarissa. She adored you, and I thought-I beg you to forgive me, Nathan."let out a grunt. "Knowing you, Verna, that must have been the hardest thing you have ever had to say. Forgiveness granted." "Thank you, Nathan," she sighed.bent and kissed Kahlan's cheek. "May the good spirits be with you, Mother Confessor. Tell Richard I give him back his title. Maybe I will see him again someday."his hands on her waist, he boosted Kahlan up onto the sliph's wall. "Thank you, Nathan. I can see why Richard liked you. Clarissa, too. I think she saw the real Nathan."smiled, but then turned serious. "When you get back, you must offer Richard's brother what he truly wants, if you are to save Richard." "You wish to travel?" the sliph asked. Kahlan's stomach roiled. "Yes, back to Aydindril." "Is Richard truly alive?" Verna asked.
"Yes," Kahlan said with revived panic. "He's sick, but he will be fine once I get this book back to him and it's destroyed."
"Walsh, Bollesdun." Nathan gestured as he started away. "My coach awaits. Let's be off."
"But, Nathan," Warren said, "I want to learn about prophecy. I would like to study with you."
"A true prophet is born. Warren, not made."
"Where are you going?" Verna called after him. "You can't leave. You're a prophet. You can't be left to run.. I mean, we must know where you will be- in case we need you."looking back, Nathan pointed. "Your Sisters are that way. Prelate. To the northwest. Go to them, and save yourself the trouble of trying to follow me. You won't succeed. Your Sisters are safe from the dream walker; I had them transfer their bond to me while Richard went to the world of the dead. If Richard lives, you all can transfer it back to him. Good-bye, Verna. Warren."pressed a fist to her stomach. If he lives? If? "Hurry," she said to the sliph. "Hurry!" A silver arm swept her from the wall and down into the quicksilver froth.66smiled at the way she struggled. He liked the way she had fought him. He enjoyed teaching her how useless it was to fight a person of his superior strength, superior intellect. He watched in fascination as blood ran from her mouth and nose. The gash on her jaw oozed.
"You are only succeeding at making your wrists bleed," he taunted. "You can't break the ropes, but keep at it, if you wish."spat at him. He smacked her again. He dug his thumb across the cut on her jaw, spellbound by the pattern of blood flooding down the side of her neck.knew her auras. He'd felt them before. He knew just which ones to touch to cripple her. It hadn't taken long to overpower her. Not long at all.teeth gritted as she growled with effort, straining against the ropes. She was strong, but she was not strong enough. Without her power and her weapon, she was a mere woman. No mere woman was a match for him. Not in any way.his fingers began unbuttoning the row of buttons along the side of her ribs, she tugged violently at the ropes holding her wrists and ankles. He liked that. He like to watch her struggle. To watch her bleed. He punched her face again.was intrigued that she didn't cry out, that she didn't beg for mercy. That she didn't scream. She would. Oh, how she would scream.punch had stunned her for the moment. Her eyes rolled as she fought to remain conscious. He threw back the front of her outfit, exposing her breasts and the upper half of her torso.hooked his fingers under the tight waist of her red leather pants and, with a quick pull, yanked them down enough for what he was going to do to her.entire belly was exposed. He felt it. Tight. Hard. There were scars on her. They riveted him. He tried to imagine what had caused such scars. As jagged and white as they were, it would have been bloody.
"I've been raped before," she sneered. "More times than I can remember. I can tell you from experience that you're not very good at it. You haven't even gotten my pants down enough, you stupid pig. Get on with it, if you even can. I'm waiting."
"Oh, Cara, I'm not going to rape you. That would be wrong. I have never raped a woman. I only have women who want it." She laughed at him. Laughed. "You are one twisted bastard." He resisted his urge to smash her face. He wanted her awake for this. Alive for this. But he shook with rage.
"Bastard?" His fist tightened. "Because of women like you!" He hammered a fist down on her breast. Her eyes squeezed shut and her teeth clenched as she winced in pain, trying to curl up in a ball, but unable to, stretched out in the ropes as she was.took a settling breath, regaining his control. He wouldn't let her divert him with her filthy mouth, "Now. I'm going to give you one last chance. Where is Richard? The soldiers are going wild with talk of Richard being back, of the bond being back. Where are you whores hiding him?"voices from the ether had told him, too. that Richard was back. The voices had told him that if he wished to assume his rightful place, he must eliminate Richard.
"And where is my loving wife? Where has she gone to?" The voices told him that she was in the sliph, but the sliph wouldn't tell him where she had gone.spat at him again. "I am Mord-Sith. You are too stupid to even imagine what has been done to me before. You couldn't fill the boots of the meekest trainer of Mord-Sith. Your puny torture will pry nothing from me." "Oh. Cara, you have never encountered one of my talents." "Do what you want with me, Drefan, but Lord Rahl-the real Lord Rahl-is going to cut you up into little pieces."
"And just how would he be able to do that?" He lifted the hilt of the Sword of Truth clear of its scabbard, so she could see the gold lettering that spelled out the word TRUTH. "I'm the one who is going to be doing the cutting into little pieces. Little tiny Richard pieces. Where is he!"she spat at him again, he couldn't resist fisting her across her cut and swollen lip. The blood gushed anew.turned and retrieved one of the items he had brought: an iron pot. He put it on her belly, upside down.
"I'm too big to cook in that pot, you stupid pig. You will have to cut me up. Do I have to explain everything to you?"liked the way she tried to antagonize him, to make him lose his temper. She wanted him to kill her. He would, but she would talk, first.
"Cook you? Oh, no, Cara. You have the wrong idea. The wrong idea entirely. You think me some maniacal murderer. No murderer, I. I am the hand of justice. I am the hand of mercy. Come to bring eternal virtue to those who have none. "This pot isn't to cook you. "It's to cook the rats."was watching. He saw the way her blue eyes flicked toward him. He had been waiting for just that reaction.
"Rats. I hope you aren't stupid enough to think that I am afraid of rats just because I'm a woman. I'm no woman like you have ever seen before. I used to keep rats as pets."
"Really? You lie so poorly. My dear, loving, passionate wife explained to me how afraid you are of rats."didn't answer. She was afraid of showing her fear. But he could see it in her eyes.
"I have a sack of rats, here. Nice, fat rats." "Just get on with this rape. I'm growing bored."
"I told you, I don't rape women. They want it from me. They ask for it. They beg for it." He tugged down his ruffled cuffs. "No, Cara. I have something else in mind for you. I want you to tell me where I can find my loving brother."turned her face away. "Never. Get on with the torture before I fall asleep and miss it."
"You see? As I told you, women always ask me for it." He pressed the iron pot to her belly and wound a chain around her middle, to hold down the pot. He forced a finger under the rim, checking, to make sure that it was tight enough.then loosened the rough knot in the chain, so he could get the rats under the pot. Cara showed no reaction when he shoved the first under the pot.the second by the scruff of its neck, he held it before her face, letting her see it squirm and squeak. "See, Cara? As I promised you. Rats. Big rats."beaded on her forehead. "I kind of like it. It feels fuzzy against my stomach. I may fall asleep."stuffed the second, and then a third under the pot. There was room for no more. He took the slack from the chain, and tightened the knot of links.
"Fuzzy," he mocked. "I think they will keep you wide awake, Cara. Wide awake, and eager to talk, eager to betray Richard. Whores have no honor. You will betray him."
"Berdine is going to be here soon. She will skin you alive." He lifted an eyebrow. "You relieved Berdine. I saw you. After she left, I took you down. She won't be back for quite a while, but when she does come back, she will get the same as you."tongs, he retrieved a big, glowing coal from the pan over the mass of candles. He plunked the red-hot coal down inside the rim of the footed bottom of the iron pot.
"You see, Cara, the coals are going to heat this iron pot-get it very hot." He looked at her eyes. "The rats aren't going to like that. They are going to want out."breathing quickened. Sweat rolled down her face. Where were her brave words now? She was silent, now.
''And how do you suppose the rats are going to get out, Cara? Once they start to get hot? Once the iron pot starts burning them? Singeing their tender noses?" "Just cut my throat and kill me, you bastard."
"When the rats get hot enough under there, they'll panic. They'll be frantic to get out. Guess how they'll get out, Cara." She had no haughty answer to fill the silence.pulled his knife and with the handle, tapped the iron pot. "How are you doing in there, my little rat friends?"flinched. He smiled when her eyes turned to him, watching him. He could see fear in those eyes. Real fear. He plunked down a half dozen more glowing coals on the iron pot. "Where is Richard?"had nothing to say. He piled on more coals, into a nice, round hump. That was all the pot's bottom would hold.bent over and looked into her eyes. Her skin was as white as chalk. Sweat glistened on her face, on her breasts. "Where are you whores hiding Richard?"
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