Soul of the Fire

ainst our enemies."

Richard comforted his stinging jaw and had turned from Chandalen when he noticed Kahlan returning with Du Chaillu.

"For a woods guide," Cara said, "you manage to get yourself in a lot of trouble. Do you think you will have any wives left, now that they are finished?"

He knew Cara was only nettling him, in her odd way trying to buoy his spirits. "One, I hope."

"Well, if not," Cara said with a smirk, "we will always have each other."

Richard made for

Prophecy said I would someday come to them. Prophecy and their old laws said they had to teach me this-to dance with the spirits of those who had used the sword before. I doubt they fully understood how their test would do this, just that they were to uphold their duty and if they did and I was the one, I would survive.

"I needed that knowledge to stand against Darken Rahl and send him back to the underworld. Remember how I called him in the gathering with the Mud People, and how he escaped into this world, and then the Sisters took me?"

"Of-course," Kahlan said. "So they forced you into a life-or-death fight against impossible odds in order to make you call upon your inner strength-your gift. And as a result you killed her thirty blade masters?"

"Yes, exactly. They were fulfilling prophecy." He shared a long look with his only true wife-in his heart, anyway. "You know how terrible prophecy can be."

Kahlan looked away at last and nodded, caught in her own painful memories. Prophecies had caused them many hardships and subjected them to many trials. His second wife, Nadine, forced upon him by prophecy, had been one of those trials.

Du Chaillu's chin lifted. "Five of those the Caharin killed were my husbands and the fathers to my children."

"Her five husbands… Dear spirits."

Richard shot Du Chaillu a look. "You're not helping."

"You mean, by her law, killing her husbands compels you to become her husband?"

"No. It's not because I killed her husbands, but because defeating the thirty proved I was their Caharin. Du Chaillu is their spirit woman; by their old laws the spirit woman is meant to be the wife of the Caharin. I should have thought of it before."

"That's obvious," Kahlan snapped.

"Look, I know how it must sound-I know it doesn't seem to make any sense-"

"No, it's all right. I understand." Her chill expression heated to simmering hurt. "So you did the noble thing, and married her. Of course. Makes perfect sense to me." She leaned close. "And you just got so busy and all, you forgot to mention it before you married me. Of course. I understand. Who wouldn't? A man can't be expected to recall all the wives he leaves lying about." She folded her arms and turned away. "Richard, how could you-"

"No! It wasn't like that. I never agreed. Never. There was no ceremony. No one said any words. I never stood and swore an oath. Don't you understand? We weren't married. It never happened!

"So much has been going on. I'm sorry I forgot to tell you, but it never entered my mind because at the time I dismissed it as an irrational belief of an isolated people. I didn't put any stock in it She simply thinks that since I killed those men to defend myself, that makes me her husband."

We can’t expect it, and must concern ourselves with those who share our conviction to fight for freedom.

Before Cara could speak, Richard asked her, “Did you see what killed the chicken?”