Wizard's First Rule

He leaned back a little. "Well, what about the Seeker? Maybe you would like to ask him what he feels about you doing this.»

She held his eyes for a long time, then turned to Richard. "I need to explain something to you. When a person calls a gathering, they are sometimes asked questions by the spirits, through the elders, to be sure they are acting of noble intent. If you answer a question in a way that a spirit ancestor finds dishonorable or untruthful… they may kill you. Not the elders, the spirits."

"I have the sword," he reminded her

"No, you won't. If you want a gathering, you must do as the elders do, face the spirits with nothing but yourself. You can wear no sword, no clothes, and you must have mud painted on you." She took a breath, pushed some hair back over her shoulder. "If I am not there to translate, you may get killed simply because you cannot answer a question you don't understand. Then Rahl wins. I must be there to interpret. But if I'm there, I, too, can wear no clothes. The Bird Man is in a fret, and wishes to know what you think of this. He is hoping you will forbid me from doing this."

Richard folded his arms, looking her in the eye. "I think you are bound and determined, one way or another, to have your clothes off in the spirit house."

The corners of his mouth turned up, and his eyes sparkled. Kahlan had to bite her lower lip to keep from laughing. The Bird Man looked from one to the other, confused.

"Richard!" She spoke his name in a rising tone of caution. "This is serious. And don't get your hopes up. It will be dark." Still, she could hardly keep from laughing.

Richard's face regained its seriousness as he turned to the Bird Man. "I called the gathering. I need Kahlan there."

She could almost see him flinch at the translation. "You two have been stretching my limits from the moment you arrived. " He gave a loud sigh. "Why should it change now? Lets go.»

Kahlan and Richard walked side, by side, following the Bird Man's silhouette as he led them off through the dark passageways of the village, turning to the right several times, then the other way. Richard's hand found hers. Kahlan was a lot more nervous about this than she let on, about sitting naked with eight naked men. But she was not about to let Richard go into the gathering without her. This was no time to let it all slip away from them: they had worked too hard; time was too short.

She put on her Confessor's face.

Before they reached the spirit house, the Bird Man took them through a narrow doorway, into a small room in a building nearby. The other elders were there, sitting cross-legged on the floor, staring blankly ahead. She smiled at Savidlin, but he didn't respond. The Bird Man picked up a small bench and two clay pots

"When I call your name, come out. Wait until then.»

As the Bird Man took his bench and pots with him, squeezing sideways out the door, Kahlan told Richard what he had said. In a while he called Caldus's name, and after a time, each of the other elders in turn, Savidlin last. Savidlin did not speak to them or even acknowledge that he knew they were there. The spirits were in his eves.

Kahlan and Richard sat in silence in the empty, dark room, waiting. She picked at the heel of her boot, trying not to think about what it was she had committed herself to, yet unable to think of anything else.

Richard would be unarmed, without his sword, his protection. But she would not be without her power. She would be his protection. Though she had not spoken it, that was the other reason she had to be in there. If anything went wrong, it was going to be she who died, not him, that much she knew. She would see to it. She steeled herself, went into herself. She heard the Bird Man call out Richard's name. He rose to his feet.

"Let's hope this works. If it doesn't, we're in a lot of trouble. I'm glad I'll have you there." It was a warning, to stay alert.

She nodded. "Just remember, Richard, these are our people now, we belong. They want to help us; they will be doing their best."

Kahlan sat hugging her knees, waiting, until her name was called, then went out into the cool, dark night. The Bird Man sat against the wall of the spirit house, on the little bench. She could see in the dark that he was naked, symbols painted in jagged lines, stripes and whorls all over his body, his silver hair down around his bare shoulders. Chickens roosted on a short wall nearby, watching. A hunter stood near the Bird Man. Coyote hides, clothes, and Richard's sword lay at his feet.

"Remove your clothes, " the Bird Man said.

"What is this?" she asked, pointing at the hunter.

"He is here to take the clothes. They are taken to the elders' platform, for the people to see that we are in a gathering. Before dawn, he will return them, to let the people know that the gathering is at an end.»

"Well, tell him to turn around.»