Stone of Tears

“Prindin!” He blinked at her as she ground her teeth. “In your land it may be proper to speak to a woman in this fashion, but in other places in the Midlands, it is not. In other places, speaking in this manner is offensive. Very offensive. More than that, I’m the Mother Confessor, and it’s not proper to speak to me in this way.”

His smile vanished. “But you are now one of the Mud People.”

“That may be true, but I’m still the Mother Confessor.”

His face blanched. “I have offended you.” He leapt up from the bench and fell to his knees before her. “Forgive me, please. I meant no disrespect. I meant only to show my favor for you.”

Her red face glowed in embarrassment. She had done it now; she had humiliated him.

“I understand, Prindin. I know your words are harmless, but you must not speak this way outside your land. Others would not understand your ways and would be greatly offended.”

He was nearly in tears. “I did not know. Please say you forgive Prindin.” He clutched at her pants, and gripped her upper thighs with his powerful fingers.

“Yes… of course… I know you meant no harm.” She took hold of his wrists, pulling them gently from her legs. “I forgive you…”

Chandalen came through the door, his face set in a grim cast. He took a quick glance at Prindin before looking up into her eyes.

“What is this?”

“Nothing.” She hastily helped Prindin to his feet as his brother entered the room. “But we’re going to have to have a talk about the proper way to speak to ladies in the Midlands. There are things you three will need to be taught, to keep you out of trouble.” She smoothed her pant legs and the lingering sting of where Prindin’s strong fingers had been, and then straightened herself. Tell me what you’ve found.”

Chandalen cast a withering glare at Prindin. “What have you done?”

Prindin took a half step back, diverting his eyes. “I did not know it would be wrong. I told her she had a fine…”

“I said it was nothing,” Kahlan said, cutting him off. “It’s just a small misunderstanding. Forget about it.” She turned to the fire. “I made hot tea. Get some cups—there are some we can use on the floor over there—and we will have some tea while you tell me what you found.”

Tossidin made for the cups, thumping the back of his brother’s head along the way, adding a whispered reprimand. Chandalen shrugged off his mantle and squatted before the fire, warming his hands. The brothers brought the cups, Prindin rubbing the back of his head, and passed them around.

In an attempt to let them all know Prindin hadn’t lost any honor in her eyes, Kahlan directed her attention and first question to him. “Tell me what you found.”

Prindin glanced briefly at the other two before setting his face with a serious expression. “Ten, maybe twelve days ago, this killing was done. The enemy came mostly from the east, but there were many, and some came from farther to the north and south. They had war in the narrow places in the mountains with men from this city. Those men from the city not killed ran away as they were overrun and gathered their numbers here, and tried to make a stand. While they ran to here, they were chased by their enemy, fighting and dying as they ran.

“More and more of the invaders poured through the passes, sweeping around to the south, here, where they had a battle. After they defeated those men, and killed the ones they captured, the enemy came through the wall. When they were finished in this city, all of them, together, went east again.”

Tossidin leaned in a little. “Before they left, they took their dead from the city. They used wagons; there are many tracks from the wheels. It took them maybe two days to take all their dead from here. Many thousands. The people here must have fought like demon spirits. The ones who did this lost more men than they killed.”

“Where are the bodies?” she asked.

“In a bowl in a pass to the east,” Prindin said. “The wagons took the dead along the road, and then they were thrown down into the low place. They are piled so deep we do not know how low the ground is there.”

“What did they look like?” She took a sip of tea, holding the tin cup with both hands wrapped around it, soaking up the warmth. “How were they dressed?”

Prindin reached under his shirt and pulled out a folded cloth. He handed her the bloodred bundle. There were poles, with these on them. Many of the men wore clothes with the same symbols on them, but we did not want to take the clothes from the dead.”

Kahlan unfolded the banner and stared in shock at the long red triangle draped over her hands. In the center was a black shield with an ornate silver letter on it. The letter R. It was a war banner, with the shield and symbol of the House of Rahl.

“D’Haran soldiers,” she whispered. “How could that be?” She looked up. “Were there Keltans, too?”

The three men looked at one another. They didn’t understand. They didn’t know the Keltans.

There were some with other clothes,” Prindin said. “But most had this symbol on them, or on their shields.”

“And they went east?”