Wizard's First Rule

Randy's face turned serious. "You can count on me." Unable to decide what to do with his hands, he finally jammed them in his pockets. "I won't let anyone near them." He backed toward the door again, and when all but his head was through it, added, "I just want you to know I don't believe a word of what those men downstairs are saying about you. And I told them so."

Kahlan smiled in spite of herself. "Thank you, but I do not want you to endanger yourself on my account. Please stay away from those men. And do not mention that you talked to me, it will only embolden them."

Randy grinned and nodded and left. Bill rolled his eyes and shook his head. He turned to Kahlan with a smile.

"You wouldn't consider staying here and marrying the boy, would you? It would do him good to have a mate."

An odd look of pain and panic flashed across Kahlan's eyes. She sat on the bed, looking down at the floor.

"Just kidding, girl," Bill said apologetically. He turned back to Richard. "I'll bring you each a plate of supper. Boiled potatoes and meat."

"Meat?" Richard asked suspiciously.

Bill chuckled. "Don't worry, I wouldn't dare serve those men bad meat… I could lose my head." In a few minutes he returned and set two steaming dishes of food on the table.

"Thank you for your help," Richard said.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry, it will all be in my tally book. I'll bring it — to you in the morning to sign. There anyone in Hartland who will recognize your signature?"

Richard smiled. "I think so. My name is Richard Cypher. My brother is First Councilor."

Bill flinched, suddenly shaken. "I'm sorry. Not that your brother is First Councilor. I mean that I'm sorry I didn't know. I mean that if I had known, I'd have given you better accommodations. You can stay at my house. It's not much but it's better than this. I'll take your things over right now…:

"Bill, it's all right." Richard went to the man and put a hand on his back, reassuring him. The proprietor looked suddenly less fierce. "My brother is First Councilor; I am not. The room is fine. Everything is fine."

"You're sure? Everything? You're not going to send the army here, are you?"

"You've been a big help to us, honest. I have nothing to do with the army."

Bill didn't look convinced. "You're with the head of the boundary wardens."

Richard smiled warmly. "He's a friend of mine. For many years. The old man, too. They're my friends, that's all."

Bill's eyes brightened. "Well, if that's true, then how about if I add a couple of extra rooms to the tally book? Seeing as how they won't know you all stayed together."

Richard kept- smiling, and patted the man's back. "That would be wrong. I won't put my name to it."

Breathing out with a sigh, Bill broke into a big grin. "So, you are Chase's friend." He nodded to himself. "Now I believe you. I haven't been able to get that man to fatten my tally book in all the time I've known him."

Richard put some silver in the man's hand. "But this wouldn't be wrong. I appreciate what you're doing for us. I would also appreciate it if you would water the ale tonight. Drunken men die too easy." Bill gave a knowing smile. Then Richard added, "You have dangerous customers." The man studied Richard's eyes, glanced to Kahlan, then back again. "Tonight I do," he agreed.

Richard gave him a hard look. "If anyone comes through that door tonight, I will kill them, no questions asked."

Bill looked at him for a long moment. "I'll see what I can do to keep that from happening. Even if I have to knock some heads together." He went to the door. "Eat your supper before it gets cold. And take care of your lady, she has a good head on her shoulders." He turned to Kahlan and winked. "And a pretty one, too."

"One more thing, Bill. The boundary is failing. It will be down in a few weeks. Take care of yourself."

The man's chest rose as he took a deep breath. He held the doorknob as he looked into Richard's eyes for a long moment. "I think the council named the wrong brother First Councilor. But then, they didn't get to be councilors because they worry about doing right. I'll come get you in the morning when the sun is up and it's safe."

When he left, Richard and Kahlan sat close on the small bench and ate their meal. Their room was at the back of the building, and the men downstairs were at the front, so it was quieter than Richard thought it would be. All they could hear from the crowd was a muffled hum. The food was better than Richard expected, or maybe it was just that he was famished. The bed looked wonderful to him, too, as he was dead tired. Kahlan noticed.

"You only had an hour or two of sleep last night. I will stand first watch. If the men downstairs decide to come up here, it will not be until later that they work up the courage. If they come, it would be better if you were rested."

"Easier to kill people when you're well rested?" He was immediately sorry it came out the way it did; he hadn't meant it to sound harsh. He- realized he was gripping his fork as if it were a sword.