Blood of the Fold

Inside the room they were greeted by three formidable ranks of D'Haran soldiers, all with battle-axes or swords to hand. It was a solid wall of grim faces, muscle, and steel. Behind the soldiers was a long table before a wall of unadorned windows looking out on a snowy courtyard. Above the far courtyard wall, Richard could see the spires of the Confessors' Palace, and above it, on the mountain, the Wizard's Keep.

A row of austere-looking men sat behind the table watching the intruders. On their upper arms partially veiled by sleeves of chain mail were neat scars that Richard presumed denoted rank. The row of men certainly had the demeanor of officers; their eyes shined with confidence and indignation.

The man in the center tipped his chair back and folded his muscular arms, arms with more scars that the others. His curly rust-colored beard covered part of an old white scar that ran from his left temple to his jaw. His heavy eyebrows drew down with displeasure.

Hally glared at the soldiers. "We are here to see General Reibisch. Move out of our way, or be moved."

The captain of the guards reached for her. "You will — "

Hally clouted the side of his skull with an armor-backed glove. Egan swept his elbow up to slash the captain's shoulder. In mid-recoil, Egan snatched the captain by the hair, bent his neck back over a knee, and gripped his windpipe.

"If you wish to die, speak."

The captain pressed his lips together so hard they turned white. Angry curses rose from the other men as they pressed forward. Agiel rose in warning.

"Let them through," the bearded man behind the table said.

The men moved back, allowing only enough room for them to squeeze through. The women to each side brandished their Agiel, and the soldiers yielded more room. Egan dropped the captain. He knelt on his good arm and knees as he coughed and gasped for his breath. Behind, tne doorway and hall beyonci tilled with more men, all armed.

The man with the rust-colored beard let the front legs of his chair thump down. He folded his hands atop a scattering of papers between stacks laid out neatly to each side.

"What's your business?"

Hally stepped forward between Ulic and Egan. "You are General Reibisch?" the bearded man nodded. Hally inclined her head to him. It was a slight bow; Richard had never seen a Mord-Sith grant more, even to a queen. "We bring a message from Commander General Trimack of the First File. Darken Rahl is dead, and his spirit has been banished to the underworld by the new Master Rahl."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

She drew the scroll from its pouch and handed it to him. He inspected the seal briefly before breaking it with a thumb. He tipped his chair back once more while he unfurled the letter, and his grayish green eyes flicked from side to side as he read. At last he let the chair thump down again.

"And it took all of you to bring me a message?"

Hally planted her armored knuckles on the table and leaned toward him. "We bring you not only the message, General Reibisch, we also bring you Lord Rahl."

"Is that so. And where is this Lord Rahl of yours?"

Hally flashed her best Mord-Sith expression, looking as if she didn't expect to be asked again. "He stands before you now."

Reibisch glanced past her to the company of strangers, his eyes momentarily taking in the gar. Hally straightened, holding her arm out toward Richard.

"May I present Lord Rahl, the Master of D'Hara and all its people."

Men whispered, passing her words back to those in the hall. PuzsJed, General Reibisch gestured toward the women.

"One of you, is claiming to be Lord Rahl?"

"Don't be a fool," Cara said. She held a hand out toward Richard, "This is Lord Rahl."

The general's brow drew together in a scowl. "I don't know what kind of game this is, but my patience is just about. ."

Richard pushed back the hood of his mriswith cape and let his concentration relax. Before the eyes of the general and all his men, Richard appeared to materialize out of the air.

Soldiers all around gasped. Some fell back. Some dropped to their knees in deep bows.

"I," Richard said in a quiet voice, "am Lord Rahl."

There was a moment of dead silence, and then General Reibisch burst into laughter as he slapped a hand to the table. He threw his head back and roared. Some of the men snickered with him, but by the way their eyes moved, it was clear they didn't know why they were joining in, only that they thought it best they did.

His laughter dying out, General Reibisch rose to his feet. "Quite a trick, young man. But I've seen a lot of tricks since I've been stationed in Aydindril. Why, I one day had a man entertain me by having birds fly out of his trousers." The, scowl returned. "For a moment, I almost believed you, but a trick doesn't make you Lord Rahl. Maybe in Trimack's eyes, but not in mine. I don't bow down to street-corner magicians."