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She heard Richard, beyond the blanket over the door, speaking in a tightly controlled voice, stressing his words as if each had cost him a fortune “We just need some time…”
The an talking at once “It’s not because ant to—you should know that, Richard, you know us… What if it brings trouble here?… We’ve heard about the fighting You said yourself she’s from the Midlands We can’t alloon’t…”
Kahlan listened, expecting the sound of his sword being drawn Richard had nearly infinite patience, but little tolerance Cara, his bodyguard, their friend, was no doubt out there, too; Cara had neither patience nor tolerance
Instead of drawing his sword, Richard said, “I’ I want only to be left alone in a peaceful place where I can care for her I wanted to be close to Hartland in case she needed soet better”
Kahlan wanted to screa theht! They could never understand the sacrifices you’ve made
But she could do little more than whisper his name in sorrow
“Don’t test us… We’ll burn you out if we have to! You can’t fight us all—we have right on our side”
The men ranted and swore dark oaths She expected, now, at last, to hear the sound of his sword being drawn Instead, in a calm voice, Richard answered the men in words Kahlan couldn’t quite make out A dreadful quiet settled in
“It’s not because we like doing this, Richard,” someone finally said in a sheepish voice “We’ve no choice We’ve got to consider our own families and everyone else”
Another nation “Besides, you seehty of a sudden, with your fancy clothes and sword, not like you used to be, back when you were a woods guide”
“That’s right,” said another “Just because you went off and saw some of the world, that don’tyou’re better than us”
“I’ve overstepped what you have all decided is my proper place,” Richard said “Is this what you mean to say?”
“You turned your back on your community, on your roots, as I see it; you think our woreat Richard Cypher No, he had to marry some woman from away Then you come back here and think to flaunt yourselves over us”
“How? By doing what? Marrying the woht to live in peace? And takes away her right to heal, to get well and live?”
These uide, not as the person he had discovered he was in truth, and who he had become He was the same man as before, but in so many ways, they had never known him
“You ought to be on your knees praying for the Creator to heal your wife,” anotherlot You ought to pray and ask the Creator’s forgiveness for your evil deeds and sinfulness—that’s what brought your troubles on you and your wo honest working folks You’ve no right to try to force your sinful troubles on us That’s not what the Creator wants You should be thinking of us The Creator wants you to be humble and to help others—that’s why He struck her down: to teach you both a lesson”
“Did he tell you this, Albert?” Richard asked “Does this Creator of yours come to talk with you about his intentions and confide in you his wishes?”
“He talks to anyone who has the proper modest attitude to listen to Him,” Albert fumed
“Besides,” another ood things to be said for it If you weren’t so bullheaded, Richard, you’d see that There’s nothing wrong anting to see everyone treated decent It’s only being fair ht Those are the Creator’s wishes, you’ve got to admit, and that’s what the Iood in the Order—well then, you’d best be gone, and soon”
Kahlan held her breath
In an ominous tone of voice, Richard said, “So be it”
These were men Richard knew; he had addressed them by name and reminded them of years and deeds shared He had been patient with them Patience finally exhausted, he had reached intolerance
Horses snorted and sto, as thewe’ll be back to burn this place down We’d better not catch you or yours anywhere near here, or you’ll burn with it” After a few last curses, the round ruh Kahlan’s back Even that hurt
She smiled a small smile for Richard, e
ven if he couldn’t see it She wished only that he had not begged on her behalf; he would never, she knew, have begged for anything for himself
Light splashed across the wall as the blanket over the dooras thrown back By the direction and quality of the light, Kahlan guessed it had to be somewhere in the middle of a thinly overcast day Richard appeared beside her, his tall for a slash of shadow across her middle
He wore a black, sleeveless undershirt, without his shirt orhis muscular arht glinted off the poular sword His broad shoulders made the room seem even smaller than it had been only ajaw, and the crisp line of his mouth perfectly complemented his powerful form His hair, a color somewhere between blond and brown, brushed the nape of his neck But it was the intelligence so clearly evident in those penetrating gray eyes of his that from the first had riveted her attention
“Richard,” Kahlan whispered, “I won’t have you begging on my account”