Soul of the Fire

Everyone turned as the old healer, Nissel, shambled in the door cradling a small bundle in her arms. She paused for an instant at seeing everyone in the small room, before she turned to another of the platforms for the dead. She laid the bundle tenderly on the cold brick. Kahlan put a hand over her heart as she saw Nissel unwrap a newborn baby.

"What happened?" Kahlan asked, "Not the joyous event I expected it would be." Nissel's sorrowful eyes met Kahlan's gaze. "The child was born dead."

"Dear spirits," Kahlan whispered, "I'm so sorry."

Richard brushed a shiny green bug off Kahlan's shoulder. "What happened to the baby?"

Nissel shrugged when Kahlan spoke his question. "I have watched the mother for months. Everything had seemed to point to a joyous event. I foresaw no problem, but the child was stillborn." — "How is the mother?"

Nissel's gaze sank to the floor. "For now she weeps her heart out, but the mother will soon be well." She forced a smile. "It happens. Not all children are strong enough to live. The woman will have others."

Richard leaned close after the exchange appeared to be finished. "What did she say?"

Kahlan stamped twice to dislodge a centipede wriggling up her leg. "The baby just wasn't strong enough, and was stillborn."

Frowning, he looked over at the heartbreaking death. "Wasn't strong enough…”

Kahlan watched him stare at the small form, still, bloodless, unreal-looking. A new child was a uniquely beautiful entity, but this, lacking the soul its mother had given it so that it might stay in this world, was naked ugliness.

Kahlan asked when Juni would be buried. One of the two women glanced at the small death. "We will need to prepare another. Tomorrow, they will both be put to their eternal rest."

As they went out the door, Richard turned and looked up into the waterfall of rain. A chicken perched in the low eaves overhead fluffed its feathers. Richard's gaze lingered a moment.

The reasoning that had been so clearly evident on his face turned to resolution.

Richard peered up the passageway. He whistled as he beckoned with an arm. Their guardian hunters started toward them.

As the hunters were jogging to a halt, Richard grasped Kahlan's upper arm in his big hand. "Tell them I want them to go get more men. I want them to gather up all the chickens-"

"What!" Kahlan wrenched her arm from his grip. "Richard, I'm not going to ask them that. They'll think you've gone crazy!"

Zedd stuck his head between them. "What's going on?"

"He wants the men to gather up all the chickens just because one of them is perched above the door."

"It wasn't there when we arrived. I looked."

Zedd turned and squinted up in the rain. "What chicken?"

Kahlan and Richard both looked for themselves. The chicken was gone.

"It probably went searching for a drier roost," Kahlan growled. "Or one more peaceful."

Zedd wiped rain from his eyes. "Richard, I want to know what this is about."

"A chicken was killed outside the spirit house. Juni spat at the honor of whatever killed that chicken. Not long after, Juni died. I threw a stick at the chicken in the window, and not long after, it attacked that little boy. It was my fault Ungi got clawed. I don't want to make the same mistake again."

Zedd, to Kahlan's surprise, spoke calmly. "Richard, you're bridging some yawning chasms with gossamer reasoning."

"The Bird Man said one of the chickens wasn't a chicken."

Zedd frowned. "Really?"

"He'd been drinking," Kahlan pointed out.

"Zedd, you named me the Seeker. If you wish to reconsider your choice, then do it now. If not, then let me do my job. If I'm wrong you can all lecture me later."

Richard took Zedd's silence for acquiescence and again grasped Kahlan's arm, if a little more gently than the first time. Conviction ignited his gray eyes.

"Please, Kahlan, do as I ask. If I'm wrong, I'll look a fool, but I'd rather look a fool than be right and fail to act."

Whatever had killed the chicken had done it right outside the spirit house, where she had been. That was the skein from which Richard had woven this tapestry of threat. Kahlan believed in Richard, but suspected he was merely getting carried away with concern over protecting her.

"What is it you would have me say to the men?"

"I want the men to gather up the Chickens. Take them to the buildings they keep empty for the evil spirits. I want every last chicken herded in there. Then, we can have the Bird Man look at them and tell us which one is not a chicken.

"I want the men to be gentle and courteous as they gather the chickens. Under no circumstances do I want anyone to show disrespect to any of the chickens."

"Disrespect," Kahlan repeated. 'To a chicken."

"That's right." Richard checked the waiting hunters before locking his gaze on her. "Tell the men I fear one of the chickens is possessed by the evil spirit that killed Juni."

Kahlan didn't, know if that was What Richard believed, but she knew without doubt that the Mud People would believe it.