The pillars of creation

"Friedrich Gilder, sir, and you have my undying gratitude-all of you do. I haven't been that scared since-well, since I don't know when." He looked to the three faces watching him, but it was too dark to clearly make out their features.

The first man put an arm around the woman, in the middle, and in a whisper asked if she was all right. She answered with the kind of nod against his shoulder that Friedrich knew conveyed true concern and intimate familiarity. When his fingers reached past, touching the shoulder beyond her, the third figure nodded.

These weren't at all likely to be Imperial Order soldiers. Still, there were always other risks in such a strange land. Friedrich took a chance.

"May I ask your name, sir?"

"Richard."

Friedrich took a cautious step closer, but, for some reason, by the way the silent third person watched him, he feared to step up out of the water any closer to Richard and the woman.

Richard swished his blade clean in the water, then stood. After wiping both sides dry on his leg, he slid the sword home into its scabbard at his hip. In the dim light, Friedrich could see that the lustrous silver-andgold wrought scabbard was secured with a baldric over Richard's right shoulder. Friedrich was pretty sure that he remembered the look of that baldric and scabbard. Friedrich had carved for nearly his whole life and also recognized a certain effortless grace with a blade-no matter what kind of blade. Artful control was required to wield edged steel with mastery. When it was in Richard's hands, he truly seemed in his element. Friedrich well remembered the sword the man was wearing that day. He wondered if this could possibly be that same remarkable weapon.

With a foot, Richard prodded at parts of heart hounds, searching. He bent and lifted a severed hound head. Friedrich saw then that the beast had something clenched in its teeth. Richard tugged at it, but it was impaled on the fangs. As he worked it out of the hound's mouth, off the fangs, Friedrich's eyes went wide when he realized that it was the book. The hound had tom it out of the backpack.

"Please." Friedrich lifted a hand, reaching. "Is it… is it all right?"

Richard tossed the heavy head aside, where it thumped down and rolled into the trees. He peered closely at the book in the dim light. His hand lowered and he looked over at Friedrich standing in waist-deep water.

"I think you had better tell me who you are, and why you're here," Richard said. The woman rose up at the dark tone in Richard's voice.

Friedrich cleared his throat and swallowed back his worry. "Like I said, I'm Friedrich Gilder." He took a terrible chance. "I'm looking for a man related to a very old fellow I know named Nathan."

Richard stood staring for a moment. "Nathan. Big man? Tall, long white hair to his shoulders? Thinks a lot of himself T' He sounded not just surprised, but suspicious as well. "Born-for-mischief Nathan?"

Friedrich smiled at the last part, and with relief. His bond had served him well. He bowed, as best he could standing in the water.

"Master Rahl guide us. Master Rahl teach us. Master Rahl protect us. In your light we thrive. In your mercy we are sheltered. In your wisdom we are humbled. We live only to serve. Our lives are yours.»

Lord Rahl watched as Friedrich finally straightened, and then extended a hand down. "Come out of the water, Master Gilder," he said in a gentle voice.

Friedrich was somewhat confounded to be offered a helping hand by Lord Rahl himself, and yet didn't know how he could refuse what could be judged an order. He took the hand and pulled himself up out of the water.

Friedrich went to a knee, bowing forward. "Lord Rahl, my life is yours.»

"Thank you, Master Gilder. I'm honored by your gesture, and value the sincerity, but your life is your own, and belongs to no one else. That includes me."

Friedrich stared up in wonder. He had never heard anyone say anything so remarkable, so unimaginable, least of all a Lord Rahl. "Please, sir, would you call me Friedrich?"

Lord Rahl laughed. It was a sound as easy and pleasant as any Friedrich had ever heard. It made a smile well up through him, too.

"If you'll call me Richard."

"I'm sorry, Lord Rahl but… I'm afraid that I just couldn't bring myself to do such a thing. I've spent my whole life with a Lord Rahl, and I'm too old to change it, now."

Lord Rahl hooked a thumb behind his wide belt. "I understand, Friedrich, but we're deep in the Old World. If you utter the words 'Lord Rahl' and anyone hears you, we're all likely to have a great deal of trouble on our hands, so I would greatly appreciate it if you would do your best to learn to call me Richard."

"I'll try, Lord Rahl."

Lord Rahl held out an introductory hand. "This is the Mother Confessor, Kahlan, my wife."

Friedrich went to a knee again, bowing his head. "Mother Confessor." He wasn't sure how to properly greet such a woman.