Temple of the Winds

Chapter 54

Soon after he awoke, just before dawn, Richard stood outside his bedroom, reading the morning report. For the first time, the number of dead in one night had climbed over one thousand. A thousand tragedies in one night.

Ulic, standing not far away with his massive arms folded, asked the number. A rare event, Ulic asking a question. Richard couldn’t speak. He handed the report to his bodyguard. Ulic sighed heavily when he read the number.

The city was in shambles. Trade had been disrupted to the point that food was getting scarce. Firewood, used for both heat and cooking, was hard to come by. Services of every kind were difficult to secure, either because people were afraid to bring their wares into the city, they had abandoned their homes and fled the city, or they were dead.

Only the cures in the streets were in abundance.

Richard paused beside a long tapestry of a city market scene as he was headed for his office. His shadow glided to a silent halt behind him. The thought of going back to translating the book made him nauseous. He was finding nothing new, anyway. He was mired in a long report on an inquiry into the dealings Wizard Ricker had had with a people called the Andolians. It was boring and made little sense to him.

Richard couldn’t face the book again this early in the day. Besides, he was worried sick about Raina. In the last week she had only gotten worse. Nothing could be done for her, any more than anything could be done for the thousand people who had died the night before.

Shota had told Kahlan that the Temple of the Winds would send another message, would send a way to get in. The spirit had told her the same thing. Why hadn’t it come? Would they all be dead before the winds sent word?

Richard glanced out an east window and saw the first rays of the morning sun coming from between two mountains. With the gathering clouds he had already seen coming in from the west, he knew that they wouldn’t be seeing the full moon that night.

He headed for Kahlan’s room. He had to see her face, see something that could lift his spirits. Ulic took up station beside Egan at the corner of the hall. Egan had been with Kahlan’s guard the night before. Richard was greeted by Nancy, just coming out the door.

“Is Kahlan up?”

Nancy pulled the door closed behind herself. She glanced up the hall to see Ulic and Egan. They were too far away to hear.

“Yes, Lord Rahl. She is just a little slow, this morning. She isn’t feeling well.”

Richard gripped the woman’s arm. He thought that Kahlan had looked out of sorts for the last few days, but she had steadfastly dismissed his concerns. Richard could feel the blood draining from his face. “What’s wrong? Is she . . . sick? She doesn’t—”

“No, no,” Nancy insisted, suddenly realizing that she had frightened the wits out of him. “Nothing like that.”

“Then what’s wrong?” Richard pressed.

The woman patted her lower belly and leaned close. She let her voice drop to little more than a whisper. “It’s just her cycle of the moon, that’s all. It’ll be over in a couple more days. I wouldn’t say anything, mind you, but with the plague, I don’t want you to worry yourself to death. Just don’t tell her I told you, or she’ll bite off my head.”

Richard sighed as he smiled with relief. He squeezed Nancy’s hand in appreciation.

“Of course not. Thank you, Nancy. You don’t know how much that eases my mind. I couldn’t endure it if she . . .”

Nancy touched his arm as she gave him a warm smile. “I know. That’s the only reason I said anything.”

After Nancy had trundled off down the hall, Richard knocked on the door. Kahlan had been just about to open it, and was surprised to find him standing there. She smiled up at him. “I was wrong.”

“About what?”

“You are more handsome than I remembered.”

Richard grinned. She had lifted his spirits. He gave her a quick kiss when she rose on her toes and puckered her lips.

Richard gathered up her hand. “I’m on my way to check on Raina. Want to come with me?”

She nodded, the mirth ghosting away from her face.

Berdine met them not far from their room. Her eyes were red and leaden. She wore red leather. Richard didn’t ask why.

“Lord Rahl, please . . . Raina is asking for you.”

Richard enclosed her shoulders with one arm. “We were on our way there. Come on.”

Richard didn’t ask how Berdine was. It was obvious she was sick with worry. “Berdine, some people have recovered from the plague. No one is stronger than Raina. She is Mord-Sith. She will be one of the ones who recovers.”

Berdine nodded woodenly.

Raina was lying on her bed. She was wearing her red leather. Standing in the doorway, Richard leaned toward Berdine and whispered, “Why is she dressed?” He left the obvious question of why she was wearing her red leather unasked.

Berdine clutched his arm. “She asked me to dress her in the red leather of a Mord-Sith”—Berdine stifled a wail—“for the final battle.”

Richard sank to his knees beside the bed. Raina’s half-open eyes rolled toward him. Sweat ran from her face. Her lower lip quivered.

Raina gripped Richard’s arm. “Lord Rahl . . . please, take me out to see Reggie?”

“Reggie?”

“The chipmunks . . . please take me out to feed Reggie. He’s the one missing the end of his little tail.”

His heart breaking, he smiled for her. “It would be my honor.”

He scooped her up in his arms. She had lost a lot of weight. She hardly weighed anything.

Raina wrapped a weak arm around his neck as she cuddled her head to his shoulder while he carried her through the halls.

Berdine walked beside them, holding Raina’s other hand. Kahlan walked at his other side. Ulic and Egan marched behind.

Soldiers along the way silently stepped clear, eyes to the ground, giving a salute of fist to heart as Richard and the procession passed. The salute was for Raina.

Outside, Richard sat on the stone court, in the light of the dawning sun, holding Raina in his lap. Berdine sat on her heels by her head. Kahlan sat on his other side. Ulic and Egan, hands clasped behind their backs, stood not far to the rear. Richard saw a tear or two wend its way down each of their stony faces.

“Over there,” Richard said to Kahlan, pointing with his chin. “Give me that box.”

Kahlan turned and saw what he meant. He kept seeds in a box under a stone bench. She wiggled off the lid and held out the box.

Richard scooped out a handful of seeds and tossed some on the ground before them. He trickled the rest into Raina’s bony hand.

It wasn’t long before two chipmunks, tails twitching, scampered across the lawn. Richard had fed them enough so they knew that the appearance of people might mean food. They stuffed seeds in their cheeks, as best they could, between sudden, chattering bouts of trying to chase each other away. Raina watched, her eyes only half opened.

Her Agiel dangled from the chain on the wrist of the hand that Berdine held. The two chipmunks, their cheeks full, scurried for their burrows to store their booty.

Raina opened her arm out and rested her hand on the paving stone. She uncurled her fingers. Each shallow breath rattled. Berdine tenderly stroked Raina’s forehead.

Another chipmunk appeared from under a bush. He came partway toward them, froze stiff while he checked for threat, and then dashed the rest of the way. He was missing the end of his tail. “Reggie,” Raina breathed.

Raina smiled as Reggie climbed into her open hand. He sat there, pressing his little feet against her fingers as he popped seeds into his mouth with his tongue. He paused, sitting up in her hand, to rearrange the seeds stuffed in his cheeks. Satisfied, he dropped back down, putting his little feet to Raina’s fingers again. Raina let out a soft giggle.

Berdine kissed her forehead. “I love you, Raina,” she whispered.

“I love you, Berdine.”

Richard felt Raina’s muscles go slack as she died in his arms while Reggie sat eating seeds from her hand.