Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind [168]
Tenderly he drew her to him and let her sob against his shoulder. “The people of the Midlands are fortunate to have you as their warrior.”
“If we can find the thing we seek, and keep it from Darken Rahl until the first day of winter, he will die. No one else will have to be hurt. But we must have help to find it.”
“The first day of winter. Child, that is not much time. This season withers away, the next will be here soon.”
“I do not make the rules of life, honored elder. If you know the secret to stopping time, please tell me, that I might make it so.”
He sat quietly, without an answer. “I have watched you among our people before. You have always respected our wishes, never acted to bring us harm. It is the same with the Seeker. I am on your side, child. I will do my best to win over the others. I only hope my words to them will be enough. I wish my people to come to no harm.”
“It is not the Seeker or me you must fear if they say no,” she said as she lay against his shoulder, staring off at nothing in particular. “It is the one from D’Hara. He will come like a storm and destroy you. You have no chance against him. He will butcher you.”
That night in the warmth of Savidlin’s home, sitting on the floor, Kahlan told Siddin the story of the fisherman who turned into a fish and lived in the lake, cleverly stealing bait from hooks without ever being caught. It was an old story her mother had told her when she was as little as he. The wonder in his face made her remember her own excitement when she had first heard it.
Later, while Weselan cooked sweet roots, the pleasant aroma mingling with the smoke, Savidlin showed Richard how to carve proper arrow points for different animals, harden them in the coals of the cooking fire, and apply poison to their tips. Kahlan lay on a skin on the floor with Siddin curled up in a ball, snuggled asleep against her stomach as she stroked his dark hair. She had to swallow back the lump in her throat as she thought about how she had told the Bird Man she would even be willing to kill this little boy.
She wished she could take back those words. She hated that it was true, but wished she had not put words to it. Richard hadn’t seen her talking to the Bird Man, and she did not tell him of their conversation. She saw no point in worrying him; what would happen would happen. She only hoped the elders would listen to reason.
The next day was windy and exceptionally warm, with occasional periods of driving rain. By early afternoon a crowd had gathered at the spirit house as the roof was completed and a fire started in the new fireplace. Cries of excitement and wonder rose from the people when the first wisps of smoke emerged from the chimney. They peeked in the doorway to see the fire burning without filling the room with smoke. The idea of living without smoke in their eyes seemed as thrilling as living without water dripping on their heads. A wind-driven rain like this was the worst. It went right through the grass roofs.
Everyone watched with glee as water ran off the tiles of the roof and none went inside. Richard was in a good mood as he climbed down. The roof was finished, it didn’t leak, the fireplace drew well, and everyone was joyous because of what he had done for them. The men who had helped were proud of what they had accomplished, what they had learned. They acted as guides, excitedly showing off the finer points of the construction.
Ignoring the onlookers, stopping only to strap on his sword, Richard headed for the center of the village, where the elders waited under one of the open pole buildings. Kahlan fell in to his