Faith of the Fallen

"You said that he had figured out the Wizard's Sixth Rule on his own-that we must use our minds to see the reality of the way things are. I had hopes. I thought he had to be wrong about the futility of this war, but now. ."

Zedd smiled to himself, as if finding fancy in something she saw as only horrifying.

"This is going to be a long war. It is far from beyond hope, much less decided. This is the agony of leadership in such a struggle-the doubts, the fears, the feelings of hopelessness. Those are feelings-not necessarily reality. Not yet. We have much yet to bring to bear.

"Richard said what he believed based on the way matters stood at the time he said them. Who is to say that the people are not now prepared to prove themselves to him? Prove themselves ready to reject the Order? Perhaps what Richard needed in order for him to commit to the battle, has already come about."

"But I know how strongly he warned me against joining this battle. He meant what he said. Still. . I don't have Richard's strength, the strength to turn my back and let it happen." Kahlan gestured to her inkstand on the table. "I've sent letters asking that more troops be sent down here."

He smiled again, as if to say that proved it could be done.

"It will take continual effort to grind down the enemy's numbers. I think we have yet to deal the Order a truly serious blow, but we will. The Sisters and I will come up with something. You never know in matters of this kind. It could be that we will suddenly do something that will send them reeling."

Kahlan smiled and rubbed his shoulder. "Thanks, Zedd. I'm so thankful to have you with us." Her gaze wandered to Spirit, standing proudly above the hearth. She stepped over to the mantel, as if to an altar that held the sacred carving. "Dear spirits, I miss him."

It was a question without the words, hoping he would surprise her with something that he had thought of to help get Richard back.

"I know, dear one. I miss him, too. He's alive-that's the most important thing."

Kahlan could only nod.

Zedd clapped his hands together, as if taken with a gleeful thought.

"What we need, more than anything, is something to get everyone's mind off of the task at hand for a while. Something to give them a reason to cheer together for a while. It would do them more good than anything."

Kahlan frowned over her shoulder. "Like what? You mean some kind of game, or something?"

His face was all screwed up in musing. "I don't know. Something happy.

Something to show them that the Order can't stop us from living our lives.

Can't stop us from the enjoyment of life-of what life is really all about."

He stroked a thumb along the sharp line of his jaw. "Any ideas?"

"Well, I can't really think of-"

Just then, Warren strode in. "Just got a report from over in the Drun Valley. Our lucky day-no activity, as we expected."

He stopped dead in his tracks, his hand still holding the door lever, looking from Kahlan to Zedd and back again.

"What's the matter? What's going on? Why are you two looking at me like that?"

Verna came up behind Warren and gave him a shove into the lodge. "Go on, go on, get in there. Close the door. What's the matter with you? It's freezing out there."

Verna huffed and shut the door herself. When she turned around and saw Zedd and Kahlan, she backed a step.

"Vema, Warren," Zedd said in a honeyed voice, "come on in, won't you?"

Verna scowled. "What are you two scheming and grinning at?"

"Well," Zedd drawled as he winked at Kahlan, "the Mother Confessor and I were just discussing the big event."

Verna's scowl darkened as she leaned in. "What big event? I've heard nothing about any big event."

Even Warren, rarely given to scowling, was scowling now. "That's right.

What big event?"

"Your wedding," Zedd said.

Both Verna and Warren's scowls evaporated as they straightened. They were overcome with surprised, silly, radiant grins.

"Really?" Warren asked.

"Really?" Verna asked.

"Yes, really," Kahlan said.

CHAPTER 43

It took more than two weeks to prepare for Verna and Warren's wedding.

It wasn't that it couldn't have been done more quickly, but rather, as Zedd had explained to Kahlan, he wanted-to "drag out the whole affair." He wanted to give everyone ample time to ponder it and to dream up lavish doings; time to organize, to make decorations, to cook special foods, to get the camp ready for a grand party; time to have a stretch where everyone could gossip about it as they eagerly looked forward to the big event.

The soldiers, at first merely pleased, soon got caught up in the spirit of the occasion. It became a grand diversion.