Stone of Tears

Kahlan put a hand on his arm. “Calm down, Richard. Just tell us what happened.”

“He couldn’t understand me. None of them could. I couldn’t explain it to them.” He looked at her in frustration. “I killed a man today.”

“What!” she whispered. “You killed one of Chandalen’s men?”

“No! That’s not what they’re angry about. They’re happy I killed him. I was saving Chandalen’s life! But they think…”

She collected herself. “Just calm down. I will explain your words to them.”

Richard nodded and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. He looked down at the ground as he combed the fingers of both hands through his hair. He looked back up. “I’m only going to explain this once, Chandalen. If you can’t get it through your thick head, then we are going to stand at opposite ends of the village and shoot arrows at each other until we can’t argue anymore. And I will only need one arrow.”

Chandalen lifted an eyebrow and folded his muscular arms. “So explain.”

Richard took a deep breath. “You were standing a long way off. For some reason, I knew he was there, behind you. I spun around. All I could see of him… here, like this.” He grabbed Kahlan by her shoulders and turned her around, facing Chandalen. He held her shoulders and ducked down behind her. “Like this. I couldn’t see any of him but the top of his head. He had his spear ready. In one second more, he would have put it through your back. I had only one chance to keep him from killing you. Only one chance. I couldn’t see enough of him; there was nothing else to shoot at from where I was. Only the very top of his head.

The top of his forehead sloped back. If I hit it too high, the arrow would have deflected off, and he would have killed you. The only way to stop him, to kill him, was to let the arrow nick the top of your shoulder.”

He held his finger and thumb half an inch apart again. This is all I had. If I put the arrow that much lower, your bone would have deflected the arrow, and he would have had you. If I would have put it that much higher, just enough not to nick you, he would have lived, and you would be dead. I knew Savidlin’s bladed arrow could pass through a little of your flesh and allow me to kill him. There was no time for anything else. I had to shoot instantly. I think a dozen stitches is a light price to pay for your life.”

Chandalen’s eyes looked a little less sure. “How do I know you are telling the truth?”

Richard shook his head, muttering. He suddenly thought of something. He snatched a cloth sack from one of Chandalen’s men. He thrust his hand in the sack and pulled out a head, lifting it by blood-soaked, matted hair.

Kahlan gasped. She put a hand over her mouth as she turned away. But before she did, she saw an arrow jutting from the center of the forehead, the blade end sticking from the back of the head.

Richard held the head behind Chandalen’s shoulder and laid the feathers of the shaft on his shoulder, next to the wound.

This is all I saw. If it were not as I say, if he had been standing straighter, and I put the arrow where I did, it would not have touched you.”

The hunters all started nodding and whispering among themselves. Chandalen looked down at the shaft of the arrow lying on his shoulder. He looked back at the head. He thought about it a minute and then unfolded his arms and took the head, stuffing it back in the sack.

“I have been stitched before. A few more will not hurt me. I will take your words as true. This time.”

Richard put his fists on his hips as he watched Chandalen and his men walking away. “You’re welcome,” he called after them.

Kahlan didn’t translate that. “Why do they have that head?”

“Don’t ask me. It wasn’t my idea. And you don’t want to know what they did with the rest of him.”

“Richard, that seems a risky shot to me. How far were you when you shot that arrow?”

The heat left his voice. “Not risky at all, believe me. And I was at least a hundred paces.”

“You can shoot an arrow that accurately at a hundred paces?”

He sighed. “I’m afraid I could have done it at twice that distance. Three times that distance.” He looked down at the blood on his hands. “I have to go wash this off. Kahlan, in about two minutes my head is going to explode. I have to sit down. Could you please go get Nissel? Yelling at that idiot was the only thing keeping me on my feet.”

She put a hand on his arm. “Of course. Go on inside, I’ll go get her.”

“I think Savidlin is angry with me too. Please tell him that I’m sorry I ruined so many of his arrows.”

She frowned as Richard went inside, closing the door. Savidlin looked as if he was about to speak to her. She took him by the arm.

“Richard needs Nissel. Come with me, and tell me what happened.”

Savidlin cast a glance over his shoulder at the door to his home as they hurried away. “Richard With The Temper seems to be living up to his name.”

“He is upset because he killed a man. It is not an easy thing to live with.”

“He didn’t tell you all of the story. There was more to it.”

“So tell me.”