Stone of Tears

He cupped her cheek. “I promise. I promise I will never doubt your love. No matter what. All right? What’s the matter?”

She leaned against him, laid her head on his shoulder, and wrapped her arms carefully around him so as not to hurt him. “darken Rahl frightened me, that’s all. I was so afraid when he burned you with his hand. I thought you were dead.”

He stroked her shoulder. “so what happened? I remember him telling me how he got here, because I called him, and he was my ancestor, and then he said something about marking me for the Keeper. Then I don’t remember anything else. What happened?”

Kahlan’s mind raced. “Well… he said he was going to mark you, kill you, that the mark would send you to the Keeper. He said he was here to tear the veil the rest of the way. He put his hand against you. Burned you. But before he could do it enough, before he could kill you, I called the lightning, the Con Dar.”

He missed a breath. “I don’t suppose that we could be lucky enough that it killed him, or destroyed him, or whatever it is that can be done to a spirit.”

She shook her head. “No. It didn’t destroy him. He was able to block it, partly anyway. But I think it frightened him. He left. Not back into the green light, but out the door. Before he could finish what he was going to do to you. He just left, that’s all.”

He grinned and hugged her tighter. “My heroine. You saved me.” He was quiet a moment. “Here to tear the veil,” he whispered to himself. His brow was set in a thoughtful frown. “And then what happened?”

Kahlan steeled herself for the lie of omission. But she couldn’t bear the scrutiny of his eyes. She nestled her face against his shoulder, frantically trying to think of a way to get him off the subject. “And then the elders and I carried you here, so Nissel could tend to your burn. She said that it’s bad, but that the poultice will make it well. You have to leave it on for a few days, until it begins to heal over enough.”

She angrily shook a finger at him. “I know you. You will want to take it off sooner. You always think you know best. Well, you don’t. You will just leave it on like I tell you, Richard Cypher.”

His smile faded a little. “Richard Rahl.”

She stared at him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Richard Rahl.” She forced a smile. “My Richard. Maybe you could change it when we’re married. You could be Richard Amnell. Mates to Confessors sometimes take their wife’s family name.”

He grinned. “I like it. Richard Amnell. Husband to the Mother Confessor. Devoted husband. Loving husband.” The haunted look returned to his eyes. “sometimes I fear I don’t know who, or what, I am. Sometimes I think…”

“You are part of me, and I am part of you. That’s all that is important.”

He nodded absently, his eyes glistening with tears. “I wanted to help, with a gathering. I wanted to find a way to stop all this. Instead, as Darken Rahl said, I’ve only made it worse. He was right; I am stupid. It’s going to be my fault…”

“Richard, stop it. You’ve been hurt. You’re just exhausted. When you’ve rested, you’ll figure it out. You’ll know what to do.”

He gave himself a mental shake. He threw the blanket off and looked down. “Who washed the mud off me and dressed me?”

“The elders washed off the mud. Nissel and I were going to dress you,” she said, as his face turned red, “but you were too big and heavy for us. The elders did that too. They had quite a time of it. It took all of them.”

He nodded absently; he had stopped listening. He reached up to the spot on his chest where the whistle, Scarlet’s tooth, and the Agiel usually hung, but didn’t find them. “We have to get out of here. We have to get to Zedd. Right now, before anything else happens. I need Zedd’s help. Where is Scarlet’s tooth? I have to call her. Where’s my sword?”

“All of our things are in the spirit house.”

He scrubbed his hands over his face, thinking, then combed his fingers through his hair. “All right.” His solid gaze came to her eyes. “I’ll go get the tooth and call Scarlet, and get our things together, get them ready to leave.” He gently squeezed her upper arm. “You go to Weselan, and put on your wedding dress. While we wait for Scarlet to come, we can be married. We’ll leave when Scarlet gets here.” He kissed her cheek. “We will be married, and we’ll be in Aydindril with Zedd before dark. Everything will be all right, you’ll see. Everything will be all right. I’ll find out what I did wrong, and fix it. I promise.”

She put her arms around his neck. “We will fix it,” she corrected. Together. Always together.”

He laughed quietly in her ear. Together. I need you. You light my way.”