Stone of Tears

Then let’s leave right away, before they get worse. Let’s not wait for anything else to happen.”

He squeezed her shoulders. “soon. But we have to do something first. Something important.”

Kahlan twisted her head around, looking up at him. “What?”

He smiled down at her. “We have to get married,” he whispered. “I’m not leaving until I get to see this dress I keep hearing so much about.”

She turned and hugged him. “Oh, Richard, it’s going to be so beautiful. Weselan smiles the whole time she sews on it. I can’t wait for you to see me in it. I know you will love it.”

“Of that, my wife-to-be, I have no doubt.”

“Everyone is looking forward to it. A wedding feast among the Mud People is a big party. Dancing, music, actors. The whole village joins in. Weselan said it will take a week or so to prepare everything, once we give the word to start.”

He pulled her closer. “Word is given.”

She had her eyes closed as she kissed him, but even so, she could tell his headache was back.

“Come on,” she said, catching her breath, “let’s shoot some arrows so your head will stop hurting.”

They took turns for a while. Kahlan squealed in delight when they went to retrieve their arrows and she found she had put one of hers through one of his.

“Wait until the Home Guard hears about this! They will turn green, having to give the Mother Confessor a ribbon for making a shaft shot. They may even turn green just seeing me with a bow in my hands!”

Richard laughed as he pulled arrows from the targets. “Well, you’d better keep practicing. They might not believe you, and you may have to prove it to them. And I’m not taking the blame for this one with Savidlin.” He turned to her suddenly. “What did you say? What did you say, before, last night, about the quad? Rahl sent them with a spell so Zedd couldn’t stop them?”

Kahlan was a little surprised at his sudden change of subject. “Yes, his magic wouldn’t work against them.”

That’s because Zedd has only Additive Magic. That’s all any wizard with the gift has: just the Additive. Darken Rahl had the gift for Additive but he had somehow learned to use Subtractive. Zedd had no defense against Subtractive Magic. Neither did you. Wizards created the Confessor’s magic, and wizards have only Additive Magic.” She nodded with a frown for him to go on. “so then how did you kill them?”

“I went into the Con Dar.” She shrugged. “It’s part of the Confessor’s magic, but I had never before known how to use it. It was something to do with rage. It means “Blood Rage.’”

“Kahlan, do you realize what you’re saying? You had to have used Subtractive Magic. Otherwise, how could you have defeated them? Zedd’s magic didn’t work, and your regular magic didn’t work, because those men were protected from Additive Magic. You must have Subtractive Magic. But if wizards of long ago created your Confessor’s magic, how can it have an element of Subtractive to it?”

She stared at him. “I don’t know. I never thought about it, but it must be as you say. Maybe when we get to Aydindril, Zedd can explain it.”

With a frown, he pulled another arrow from the bundled grass. “Maybe. But why would Confessors have Subtractive Magic?” His frown deepened. “I wonder if that was what you did with the lightning.”

Richard with the gift, and her with Subtractive Magic.

Two frightening thoughts. She shivered, but not from the cold.

They shot arrows the rest of the afternoon, until the daylight began to dim. Her shoulders and arms were weary from pulling the bowstring. She told him she couldn’t shoot another arrow if her life depended on it, and told him to shoot some arrows before they went back, so his headache would be gone for a while. As she watched him, it occurred to her she hadn’t tried to distract him while he shot, and he had promised she could try.

Kahlan stepped up close behind him. Time to see if you are really as good as you think you are.”

When he drew back the bowstring, she tickled his ribs. He didn’t flinch; he shot the same as before. But he laughed and squirmed after the arrow was away. She kept trying as he shot, but wasn’t able to distract him. She became more determined. If tickling wouldn’t work, she would just have to try something else.

Kahlan pressed up against his back as he concentrated on aiming, and smoothly unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt. She slipped her hand inside and ran it over his chest. His skin was taut over his hard muscles. He felt good. Warm. Strong. Hard.

She unbuttoned more buttons to better extend her reach. She ran the fingers of one hand through the back of his hair as the other roamed across his stomach. Richard kept shooting.