Soul of the Fire

Her brow drew down when his voice trailed off. "If I kill with it… what?"

Richard had to tell her, lest she do something dangerous. "It gives pain."

"Like an Agiel?"

He nodded reluctantly. "Maybe worse." His voice lowered as the memories flooded back. "Anger is required to counter the pain. If you are filled with righteous rage, that will protect you, but dear spirits it will still hurt you."

"I am Mord-Sith. I will welcome the pain."

Richard tapped the center of his chest. "It hurts you in here, Cara. You don't want that kind of pain, believe me. Better your Agiel."

She gave him a sad smile of understanding. "You need your sword. I will bring it to you."

"Thank you, Cara."

"But I will not forgive you for making me leave you without protection."

"He will not be without protection."

They all turned. It was Du Chaillu. She was pale, her hair a mess, but wrapped in a blanket she no longer shivered. Her face was a picture of grim determination.

Richard shook his head. "You need to go back to your people."

"We go with my husband. We protect the Caharin."

Richard decided not to argue the husband part. "We'll have troops with us before we can get to Anderith."

"They are not blade masters. We will take Cara's place protecting you."

Cara bowed her head to Du Chaillu. "This is good. I will rest better knowing you and your blade masters do this."

Richard shot Cara an annoyed glance before turning his attention to the Baka Tau Mana spirit woman.

"Du Chaillu, now that you're safe, I'll not have you risking your lives needlessly. You've already had a brush with death. You must get back to your people. They need you."

"We are the walking dead. It does not matter."

"What are you talking about?"

Du Chaillu clasped her hands. The blade masters were spread out behind her, her royal escort. Beyond them, the Mud People hunters watched. As sick as she still looked, Du Chaillu was once again looking noble.

"Before we left," she said, "we told our people we were dead. We told them we were lost to the world of life, and we would not be returned to them unless we reached the Caharin to warn him and made sure he was safe. Our people wept and mourned us before we departed, because we are dead to them. Only if we do as we said will we be able to return.

"Not long ago, I heard the chimes of death. Cara, the Caharin's protector, pulled me back from the spirit world. The spirits, in their wisdom, allowed me to return so I might fulfill my duty. When Cara returns with your sword, and you are safe, only then can we have our lives returned to us so that we might return home. Until then, we are the walking dead.

"I am not asking if we may be allowed to travel with you. I am telling you that we are going to travel with you. I am the Baka Tau Mana spirit woman. I have spoken."

Clenching his teeth, Richard lifted his hand to shake an angry finger at her. Kahlan caught his wrist.

"Du Chaillu," Kahlan said, "I, too, have taken such an oath. When I went to the walled city of Ebinissia and saw the people butchered by the Imperial Order, I vowed vengeance. Chandalen and I came across a small army of young recruits who also had seen the dead of their home city. They were determined to punish the men responsible.

"I swore a covenant that I was dead, and could only be returned to life when the men who committed those crimes were punished. The men with me gave up their lives too, to live again only if we succeeded. One in five of those young men returned to the living with Chandalen and me. But before we did, every one of the men who murdered the people of Ebinissia died.

"I understand such an oath as you have given, Du Chaillu. Such a thing is sacred and not to be ignored. You and the blade masters may come with us."

Du Chaillu bowed to Kahlan. "Thank you for honoring my people's ways. You are a wise woman, and worthy of being wife to my husband, too." • Richard rolled his eyes. "Kahlan-"

"The Mud People need Chandalen and his men. Cara is doing as you ask of her, and going to General Reibisch and then on to Aydindril. Until the general can send men to join with us, we will be alone and vulnerable. Du Chaillu and her men will be valuable and welcome protection.

"With so much at stake, Richard, our pride is the last thing we need to be considering. They are coming."

Richard took in Cara's blue eyes, icy cold with resolve. She wanted this. Du Chaillu's dark eyes were iron hard. Her mind was made up. Kahlan's green eyes… well, he didn't want to even think about what was in her green eyes.

"All right," he said. "Until the soldiers can reach us, you may come along."

Du Chaillu directed a puzzled look at Kahlan. "Does he always tell you, too, things you already know?"

CHAPTER 36

Fitch, his head bowed, could see Master Spink's legs and feet as he walked among the benches, his boots making a slow thunk, thunk, thunk against the plank floor. Around the room, a few people, mainly the older women, sniffled as they wept quietly to themselves.