Soul of the Fire

Chapter 30

For the benefit of the hunters, Kahlan repeated her announcement in the Mud People’s language. Richard wished she had been right that it was the Lurk and not the chimes. They would have had a solution for the Lurk.

Everyone looked understandably disquieted to hear Kahlan, after having been so steadfast in her arguments it was the Lurk, now tell them she accepted beyond doubt the fact that they were confronted with nothing less than the full threat of the chimes.

It didn’t look to Richard, once she had said she agreed with him, that anyone still harbored doubts of their own.

With Kahlan’s words, it seemed the world had for everyone just changed.

Uneasy silence enveloped the plains.

Richard needed to get on with trying to figure but what to do next, but didn’t really have any idea how to do that. He didn’t even know where to start. He now realized what he should have done, when he had the chance. He had been so intent on the danger he had ignored everything else.

He was a long way from the woods he knew. He wished he were back in those woods. At least when he had been a guide, he never forgot what path he was on, or led anyone over a cliff.

He turned his attention to the Baka Tau Mana’s dark-haired spirit woman.

“Du Chaillu, why have you came all this way? What are you doing here?”

“Ahh,” Du Chaillu said as she folded her hands before herself with deliberate care. “Now the Caharin wishes me to speak?”

The woman was bottled ire. Richard didn’t really see why, and he didn’t really care.

“Yes, why have you come?”

“We have traveled many days. We have suffered hardship. We have buried some of those who started with us. We have had to fight our way through hostile places. We have shed the blood of many to reach you.

“We left our families and loved ones to bear warning to our Caharin. We have gone without food, without sleep, and without the comfort of a safe place. We have faced nights where we all wept for we felt afraid and sick at heart away from our homeland.

“I have traveled with the child the Caharin asked me to bear when I would have gone to an herb woman and shed it—shed the dreadful memories I carry with it. Yet he does not even acknowledge that I chose to honor his words and accept the responsibility of this child thrust upon me.

“The Caharin does not even recognize that I must every day be reminded, by the child he asked me to bear, of the time I spent chained naked to a wall in the stinking place of the Majendie. Reminded of where I came to be with this child. Reminded of how those men used me for their pleasure and then laughed at me. Reminded of where I daily endured the fear that would be the day I was to be butchered and sacrificed. Reminded of where I wept my heart out for my own babies who would be left without their mother, and wept that I would never again see their little smiles or have the joy of watching them grow.

“But I honored the Caharin’s words and carry the child of dogs, because the Caharin asked it of me.

“The Caharin pays his own people, who have journeyed all this way, little more than passing notice, as if we were no more than fleas at which he must scratch. He asks not how we do in our homeland. He does not invite us to at long last sit with him that we might rejoice to be together. He asks not if we are at peace. He inquires not if we are fed, or if we are thirsty.

“He only shouts and argues that we are not his people because he is ignorant of the sacred laws by which we have lived for countless centuries, and dismisses those same laws solely because he was not taught their words, as if that alone, makes them unimportant. Many have died by those laws so that he might learn by them and live another day.

“He gives his people no more thought than the dung beneath his boots. He turns his wife by our law away from his mind without a second thought. He treats his wife by law as a pest, to be put aside until he has want of her.

“The old laws promised us a Caharin. I admit they did not promise us one who would honor his people and their ways and laws that have joined us in purpose, although I thought any man would honor those who have suffered so much for him.

“I have suffered the loss of my husbands by your hand and grieved out of your sight so that you might not suffer for it. My children have endured with brave sorrow the loss of their fathers by your hand. They weep at bed for the man who kissed their brow and wished them good dreams of their homeland. Yet you do not bother to ask how I fare without those husbands who I and my children loved dearly, nor do you even ask how my children fare in their heartache.

“You do not even ask how I fare without my new husband by our law while he is off acquiring other wives. You think so little of me that you bother not to mention my existence to your new wife.”

Du Chaillu’s chin rose with indignation.

“So, now I am permitted to speak? So, now you wish at last to hear my words after my long and difficult journey? So, now you wish to hear if I have anything worthy of your lofty ears?”

Du Chaillu spat at his feet. “You shame me.”

She folded her arms and turned her back to him.

Richard stared at the back of her head. The blade masters were peering off as if deaf and wishing for little more than to spot a bird in the sky.

“Du Chaillu,” Richard said, growing a bit heated himself, “don’t lay the death of those people on me. I tried everything I knew to keep from having to fight them, from harming them. You know I did. I begged you to stop it. It was within your power, yet you would not halt it. I was loath to do as I did. You know I had no choice.”

She glared over her shoulder. “You had choice. You could have chosen to die rather than to kill. In honor of what you had done for me, saving me from the Majendie’s sacrifice, I promised you that if you did not resist, your death would be quick. It would have been your one life lost instead of thirty; if you are so noble and so concerned for preserving life, then you would have let it be so.”

Richard ground his teeth and shook his finger at her. “You have your men attack me, and you expect me to simply let myself be murdered rather than defend myself? After I saved you? Had I died instead of those men, the killing would have then started in earnest! You know I brought a peace that saved many more lives. And yon don’t understand the first thing about the rest of it.”

She huffed. “You are wrong, my husband.” She turned her back again. “I understand more than you wish I did.”

Cara rolled her eyes. “Lord Rahl, you really need to learn to respect your wives better, or you will never have a moment of domestic tranquility.” She spoke out of the side of her mouth as she stepped past him. “Let me speak with her—woman to woman. See if I can’t smooth things over for you.”

Cara hooked a hand under Du Chaillu’s arm to walk her off for a private talk. Six swords cleared their scabbards. In the blink of an eye, steel was spinning in the morning light as the blade masters advanced, passing the whirling weapons back and forth from left hand to right and back again.

The Mud People hunters moved to block them. Within the space of a heartbeat, the plains had gone from uneasy peace to the brink of a bloody battle.

Richard threw up his hands. “Everyone stop!”

He moved in front of Cara and Du Chaillu, blocking the men’s advance.

“Cara, let go of her. She is their spirit woman. You are not permitted to touch her. The Baka Ban Mana were persecuted and sacrificed by the Majendie for millennia. They are understandably fractious when it comes to strangers laying hands on them.”

Cara released Du Chaillu’s arm, but both groups of men were unwilling to be the first to back down. The Mud People had suddenly hostile strangers on their hands. The Baka Tau Mana suddenly had men about to attack them for defending their spirit woman. With all the heated blood, the risk was that someone would go for the advantage of striking first and later worry about counting the dead.

Richard held one hand up. “Listen to me! All of you!”

With his other hand, he reached out and tugged on the leather thong around Du Chaillu’s neck, hoping it held under the neckline of her dress what he thought it did.

The hunters’ eyes widened when Richard pulled it free and they saw the Bird Man’s whistle on the end of that thong.

“This is the whistle the Bird Man gave to me.” He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Kahlan and whispered for her to translate. She began talking to the hunters in the Mud People’s language as Richard went on.

“You remember the Bird Man, in a gesture of peace, giving me this whistle. This woman, Du Chaillu, is a protector of her people. In the Bird Man’s honor, and in his hope for peace, I gave her the whistle so she could call birds to eat the seeds her enemies planted. When her enemies feared they would have no crops and starve, they finally agreed to peace. It was the first time these two peoples ever had peace, and they all owe that peace to the great gift of the Bird Man’s whistle.

“The Baka Tau Mana owe the Mud People a great debt. The Mud People also owe a debt to the Baka Tau Mana for honoring that gift as the Mud People intended it by using it to bring peace, rather than harm. The Mud People should be proud that the Baka Tau Mana would trust in the Mud People’s gift to bring their families safety.

“Your two peoples are friends.”

No one moved as they considered Richard’s words. Finally, Jiaan put his sword over his shoulder, letting it hang behind his back by the cord around his neck. He pulled open his outfit, exposing his chest to Chandalen.

“We thank you and your people for the safety and peace brought to our people by your gift of powerful magic. We will not fight you. If you wish to take back the peace you have given us, you may strike at our hearts. We will not defend ourselves against such great peace-givers as the Mud People.”

Chandalen withdrew his spear, planting the butt in the soil of his homeland. “Richard with the Temper speaks the truth. We are pleased your people used our gift as it was meant to be used—to bring peace. You will be welcomed and safe while in our homeland.”

Accompanied by a lot of arm waving, Chandalen gave orders to his hunters. As all the men began standing down, Richard at last let out his breath and thanked the good spirits for their help.

Kahlan took Du Chaillu’s arm and spoke with finality. “I am going to have a talk with Du Chaillu.”

The Baka Tau Mana clearly didn’t like it, but were now unsure what to do about it. Richard wasn’t sure if he liked the idea either. It might be the start of another war.

Reluctantly, though, he decided he had better let Kahlan have her way and talk to Du Chaillu. He could tell by the look on Kahlan’s face that it wasn’t his decision to make, anyway. He turned to the blade masters.

“Kahlan, my wife, is the Mother Confessor and the leader of all the people of the New World. She is to be respected as is our spirit woman, Du Chaillu. You have my word as Caharin that the Mother Confessor will not harm Du Chaillu. If I lie to you, you may consider my life forfeit.”

The men nodded their agreement. Richard didn’t know if he or Du Chaillu ranked higher in their eyes, but his calm and reassuring tone, if nothing else, helped to disarm their objections. He knew, too, that, if nothing else, these men respected him, not just because he had killed thirty of their number, but because he had done something much more difficult. He had returned them to their ancestral homeland.

Richard stood shoulder to shoulder with Cara watching Kahlan walk Du Chaillu off into the tall grass. It still glistened with droplets of water from the night’s rain that had here and there left behind puddles.

“Lord Rahl,” Cara asked under her breath, “do you think that is wise?”

“I trust Kahlan’s judgment. We have a great deal of trouble on our hands. We don’t have any time to waste.”

Cara rolled her Agiel in her fingers, considering it for a long, silent moment. “Lord Rahl, if magic is failing, has yours failed yet?”

“Let’s hope not.”

Cara stayed close by his side as he approached the blade masters. Though he recognized several, he only knew one by name.

“Jiaan, Du Chaillu said some of your people died on your journey here.”

Jiaan sheathed his sword. “Three.”

“In battler—” Looking uncomfortable, the man swiped his dark hair back off his forehead. “One. The other two . . . had accidents.”

“Involving fire or water?”

Jiaan let out a heavyhearted breath. “Not water, but while standing watch one fell into the fire. He burned to death before we knew what had happened. At the time we thought he must have fallen and hit his head. From what you say, maybe this was not true. Maybe these chimes killed him?”

Richard nodded. He whispered in sorrow the name of one of the chimes of death—Sentrosi, the chime of fire. “And the third?”

Jiaan shifted his weight to his other foot. “Coming across a high trail, he suddenly thought he could fly.”

“Fly?”

Jiaan nodded. “But he could fly no better than a rock.”

“Maybe he lost his footing and fell.”

“I saw his face just before he tried to fly. He was smiling as he did when he saw our homeland for the first time.”

Again in sorrow, Richard whispered the name of the third chime. The three chimes, Reechani, Sentrosi, Vasi—water, fire, air—had claimed more lives.

“The chimes have killed Mud People, too. I had been hoping they were only here, where Kahlan and I are, but it seems the chimes are other places, too.”

Over the shoulders of the six blade masters, Richard saw that the Mud People had flattened an area of grass and were preparing to start a fire in order to share—a meal with their new friends.

“Chandalen!” The man looked up. “Don’t start a fire.”

Richard trotted over to where Chandalen and his hunters waited.

“What is the trouble?” Chandalen asked. “Why do you wish us not to have fire? As long as we are to stop here for a time, we wish to cook meat and share our food.”

Richard scratched his brow. “The evil spirit that killed Juni can find people through water and fire. I’m sorry, but you need to keep your people from using fire for the time being. If you use fire you may have more evil spirits killing your people.”

“Are you sure?”

Richard put a hand on Jiaan’s shoulder. “These people are strong like the Mud People. On their way here, one of them was killed by an evil spirit from a fire.”

Chandalen took in Jiaan’s nod that it was true.

“Before we knew what was happening, he was burned alive by the fire,” Jiaan said. “He was a strong man, and brave. He was not a man to be taken easily by an enemy, but we did not hear a word before he died.”

Frustration tightened Chandalen’s jaw as he looked out over the plains before returning his attention to Richard. “But if we cannot have fire, how are we to eat? We must bake tava bread and cook our food. We cannot eat raw dough and raw meat. The women use fire to make pottery. The men use it to make weapons. How are we to live?”

Richard let out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t know, Chandalen. I only know that fire may bring the evil spirit—the chimes—again. I’m simply telling you the only thing I know to do to help keep our people safe.

“I guess you will be forced to use fire, but keep in mind the danger it may bring. If everyone knows of the danger, maybe it will be safe to use fire when you must.”

“And are we not to drink for fear of going near water?”

“Chandalen, I wish I knew the answers.” Richard wiped a weary hand across his face. “I only know that water, fire, and high places are dangerous. The chimes are able to use those things to harm people. The more we can stay away from them, the safer we will be.”

“But even if we do this, from what you said before the chimes will still kill.”

“I don’t have nearly enough answers, Chandalen. I’m trying to tell you everything I can think of in order that you might help keep our people safe. There very well may be yet more dangers I don’t even know about.”

Chandalen put his hands on his hips as he looked out over his people’s grasslands. His jaw muscles flexed as he thought on matters Richard could only guess. Richard waited silently until Chandalen spoke.

“Is it true, as you said, that a child yet to be born in our village died because of these chimes of death that are loose in the world?”

“I’m sorry, Chandalen, but I believe it is so.”

His intent dark eyes met Richard’s gaze. “How did these evil spirits come to be in this world?”

Richard licked the corners of his mouth. “I believe Kahlan, without realizing it or intending it, may have called them with magic in order to save my life. Because they were used to save my life, it is my fault they are here.”

Chandalen considered Richard’s admission. “The Mother Confessor would not intend harm. You would not intend harm. Yet it is because of you the chimes of death are here?”

Chandalen’s tone had changed from confusion and alarm to authority. He was, after all, now an elder. He had a responsibility to the safety of his people that went beyond that of hunter.

In much the way the Mud People and the Baka Tau Mana shared many of the same values yet had nearly come to blows, Chandalen and Richard had at one time a fractious relationship. Fortunately, they both now understood that they shared much more in common than they disagreed about.

Richard looked out at the distant clouds and the sheets of rain lashing the dark and distant horizon. “I’m afraid that’s the truth of it. Added to that, I neglected to remember valuable information to tell Zedd, when I had the chance. Now he will be gone in search of the chimes.”

Chandalen again considered Richard’s words before speaking.

“You are Mud People and have both struggled to protect us. We know you both did not mean to bring the chimes and cause harm.”

Chandalen drew himself up tall—he didn’t come up to Richard’s shoulder—and delivered his pronouncement.

“We know you and the Mother Confessor both will do what you must to set this right.”

Richard understood only too well the code of responsibility, obligation, and duty by which this man lived. Though he and Chandalen came from very different peoples, with very different cultures, Richard had grown up by many of the same standards. Perhaps, he thought, they weren’t really that different. Maybe they wore different clothes, but they had much the same heart, the same longings, and the same desires. They shared, too, many of the same fears.

Not only Richard’s stepfather but also Zedd had taught him many of the very things Chandalen’s people had taught him. If you brought harm, no matter the reason, you had to set it right as best you could.

While it was understandable to be afraid, and no one would expect you not to be, the worst thing you could do was to run from the trouble you had caused. No matter how accidental it was, you didn’t try to deny it. You didn’t run. You did what you must to right it.

If not for Richard, the chimes would not be free. Kahlan’s actions to save his life had already cost others theirs. She, too, would not waver for an instant from their duty to do whatever they could to stop the chimes. It wasn’t even a question open to debate.

“You have my solemn word, Elder Chandalen. I will not rest until the Mud People and everyone else are safe from the chimes. I will not rest until the chimes are back in the underworld where they belong. Or I will die trying.”

A small smile, warm with pride, crept onto Chandalen’s face.

“I knew I did not need to remind you of your promise to always protect our people, but it is good to hear from your own lips that you have not forgotten your vow.”

Chandalen surprised Richard with a hard slap.

“Strength to Richard with the Temper. May his anger burn hot and swift against our enemies.”

Richard comforted his stinging jaw and had turned from Chandalen when he noticed Kahlan returning with Du Chaillu.

“For a woods guide,” Cara said, “you manage to get yourself in a lot of trouble. Do you think you will have any wives left, now that they are finished?”

He knew Cara was only nettling him, in her odd way trying to buoy his spirits. “One, I hope.”

“Well, if not,” Cara said with a smirk, “we will always have each other.”

Richard made for the other two women. “The position of wife is filled, thank you.”

Kahlan and Du Chaillu walked side by side through the grass, their faces showing no emotion. At least he didn’t see any blood.

“Your other wife has convinced me to talk to you,” Du Chaillu said when Richard met them.

“You are fortunate to have us both,” she added.

Richard thought better of opening his mouth, lest he allow to leap off his tongue the flip remark dancing impatiently there.