Blood of the Fold

"How long," Richard interrupted.

Ulic rubbed a thumb along the bone handle of the knife at his belt as he contemplated the question. His deep voice seemed as if it might smother the candle flames. "Long ago… in the beginning times of D'Hara. I believe several thousand years ago."

"So what took place in these beginning times?"

"Well, that was where the bond originated. In the beginning times, the first Master Rahl cast his power, his magic, over the D'Haran people, in order to protect us."

Richard lifted an eyebrow. "You mean in order to rule you."

Ulic shook his head. "It was a covenant. The House of Rahl"—he tapped the ornate letter R incised in the leather over his chest — "would be the magic, and the D'Haran people would be the steel. We protect him and he, in turn, protects us. We were bonded."

"Why would a wizard need the protection of steel? Wizards have magic."

Ulic's leather uniform creaked as he put an elbow to his knee and leaned in with a sobering expression. "You have magic. Has it always protected you? You cannot always remain awake, or always see who is behind you, or conjure magic fast enough if the numbers are great. Even those with magic will die if someone slits their throat. You need us."

Richard conceded the point. "So, what does this bond have to do with me?"

"Well, the covenant, the magic, links the people of D'Hara to the Master Rahl. When the Master Rahl dies, the bond can be passed on to his gifted heir," Ulic shrugged. “The bond is the magic of that link. All D'Harans feel it. We understand it from birth. We recognize the Master Rahl by the bond. When the Master Rahl is near we can feel his presence. That's how we found you. When we're close enough we can sense you."

Richard gripped the arms of the chair as he leaned forward. “You mean to tell me that all D'Harans can sense me, and know where I am?"

"No. There's more to it." Ulic stuffed a finger under a leather plate to scratch his shoulder while he tried to think of how to explain.

Berdine put a foot on the bench beside Ulic and leaned forward on an elbow, coming to his rescue. Her thick, brown braid fell forward over her shoulder. "You see, first of all, we must recognize the new Master Rahl. By that I mean we must recognize and accept his rule in a formal manner. This acquiescence in not formal in the sense of ceremony, but more in the sense of an understanding and acceptance within our hearts. It does not have to be an acceptance we desire, and in the past, with us, anyway, it was not, but acceptance is implicit, nonetheless."

"You mean you must believe."

All the faces staring at him brightened.

"Yes. That's a good way to express it," Egan put in. "Once we acquiesce to his dominion, and as long as the Master Rahl lives, we are bonded to him. When he dies, the new Lord Rahl takes his place, and we are then bonded to him. At least that's the way it's supposed to work. This time, something went wrong, and Darken Rahl, or his spirit, somehow maintained a part of himself in this world."

Richard straightened in his chair. "The gateway. The boxes in the Garden of Life are a gateway to the underworld, and one was left opened. When I came back, two weeks ago, I closed it, sending Darken Rahl back to the underworld for good."

Ulic's muscles bulked as he rubbed his palms together. "When Darken Rahl died at the beginning of winter, and you spoke outside the palace, many of the D'Harans there believed you were the new Lord Rahl. Some did not. Some still held on to their loyalty, their bond, to Darken Rahl. It must have been because of this gateway you said was opened. It's never happened that way before, that I heard of, anyway.

"When you returned to the palace, and defeated Darken Rahl's spirit with the use of your gift, you also defeated the rebel officers who denounced you. In banishing Darken Rahl's spirit, you broke the bond he still held over some of them, and convinced the rest at the palace of your authority as Master Rahl. They are loyal, now. The whole palace is. They are all bonded to you."

"As it should be," Raina said with finality. "You have the gift; you are a wizard. You are the magic against magic, and the D'Harans, your people, are the steel against steel."

Richard looked up into her dark eyes. "I know less about this bond, this steel against steel and magic against magic business, than I know about being a wizard, and I know next to nothing about being a wizard. I don't know how to use magic."

The women stared for a moment, and then laughed as if he had made a joke and they wanted him to think they were amused.

"I'm not joking, I don't know how to use my gift."

Hafly clapped him on the back of his shoulder and pointed at Gratch. "You command the beasts, just as Darken Rahl did. We cannot command beasts. You even talk to him. A gar!"

"You don't understand. I saved him when he was a pup. I raised him, that's all. We became friends. It's not magic."