Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind [186]
He turned to the elders. “Is my presence required any longer tonight?”
The five were delighted to grant him his wish to leave. Savidlin seemed a little disappointed. The Bird Man said that the Seeker had been a great savior of his people, had performed his duties with honor, and that if he was tired from the struggles of the day, he could be excused.
Richard stood slowly, towering over her. His boots were right in front of her. Kahlan knew he was looking down at her, but she fixed her eyes on the floor.
“Piece of advice,” he said in a voice that surprised her with its gentleness, “since you have never had a friend before. Friends don’t bargain away another friend’s rights. Or their hearts.”
She couldn’t bring herself to look up at him.
He dropped the apple core in her lap and walked off, disappearing in the crowd.
Kahlan sat on the elders’ platform, in a fog of loneliness, watching her fingers shake. The others watched the dancers. With supreme effort she counted the drumbeats and used the count to help her control her breathing and keep from crying. The Bird Man came and sat next to her. She found herself cheered by the company.
He raised an eyebrow to her, leaning closer. “Someday, I would like to meet the wizard who named that one. I would like to know where he finds such Seekers.”
Kahlan was surprised she could still laugh.
“Someday,” she said, smiling at him, “if I live, and we win, I promise I will bring him here, to meet you. In many ways, he is as remarkable as Richard.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “I shall hone my wits to defend myself in the encounter.”
She leaned her head against him and laughed until she started to cry. He put his arm protectively around her shoulders.
“I should have listened to you,” she sobbed. “I should have asked him his wishes. I had no right to do as I did.”
“Your desire to stop Darken Rahl made you do what you thought necessary. Sometimes, making the wrong choice is better than making no choice. You have the courage to go forward, that is rare. A person who stands at the fork, unable to pick, will never get anywhere.”
“But it hurts so much to have him angry at me,” she cried.
“I will tell you a secret you might not otherwise learn until you are too old to benefit from the knowledge.” Wet eyes looked up at his smile. “It hurts him just as much to be angry at you, as it hurts you when he is that angry.”
“Really?”
He laughed silently and nodded. “Take it on faith, child.”
“I had no right, I should have seen that before. I am so sorry I did it.”
“Don’t tell me. Tell him.”
She pushed away, looking at his weathered face. “I think I will. Thank you, honored elder.”
“And while you are offering apologies, offer mine also.”
Kahlan frowned. “For what?”
He sighed. “Being old, being an elder, does not exclude you from holding foolish ideas. Today, I too made a mistake, for Richard, and for my niece. I, too, had no right. Thank him for me, for keeping me from imposing deeds I should have questioned, but did not.” He took his whistle from around his neck. “Give him this gift, with my thanks, for opening my eyes. May it serve him well. Tomorrow, I will show him how to use it.”
“But, you need it to call the birds.”
He smiled. “I have others. Go now.”
Kahlan took the whistle, clutching it tightly in her hand. She wiped the tears from her face. “In my whole life, I’ve hardly ever cried. Since the boundary to D’Hara came down, it seems as if that’s all I do.”
“We all do, child. Go.”
She kissed his cheek quickly and left. Searching the open area, she found no sign of Richard. People she asked hadn’t seen him. She walked around in circles, looking. Where was he? Children tried to draw her into their dancing, people offered her food, others wanted to talk to her. She politely turned them all down.
At last she went off to Savidlin’s home, deciding that that was where he would be. But the house was empty. She sat down on the floor skin, thinking. Would he leave without her? Her heart panicked. Her eyes searched around the floor. No. His pack was still there, where she had left it when