Temple of the Winds (99 page)

“
Without the gift?” Sister Jodelle thought a moment. “And we could test them, without your shields around them, to insure that they in fact did not have the gift?”

“
Of course. I want this relationship with Jagang to work for both of us. I wouldn’t jeopardize it by trying to deceive him. I want to build trust, not destroy it.” Nathan hesitated, clearing his throat. “But you understand, though, that this person is … valued, to me. If anything were to happen to her, I would view it in the harshest light.”

Both Sisters smiled.

“
Her. Of course,” Sister Willamina said.

“
Why, Nathan”—Sister Jodelle rocked on her heels as she smiled—“you really have been enjoying your freedom.”

“
I mean it,” Nathan said in a level tone. “Anything happens to her, and the entire agreement is ended. I’m sending her as a show of my faith in Jagang, in our agreement. I’m taking the first step of trust, so that the emperor will see that I am sincere.”

“
We understand, Nathan,” Sister Jodelle said, more serious now. “No harm will come to her.”

“
When she leaves with the book, I want her escorted to safety, beyond Jagang’s troops, and then left to be on her way. If she is followed, I will know it. If she is followed, I will view it in the most unfavorable light—as a sign of hostility toward me, and an attempt on my life.”

Sister Jodelle nodded. “Understood, and very reasonable. She comes with us, gets the book, and returns safely to you, without being followed, and we are all happy.”

“
Good,” Nathan said decisively, as if closing the deal. “After tonight, Jagang will be rid of Richard Rahl. When I have the book safely in hand, then I will have the southern army surrender to Jagang’s expeditionary force, as my part of the bargain.”

Sister Jodelle bowed. “We have an agreement, Lord Rahl. His Excellency wishes to welcome you to the empire as his second.”

Nathan turned toward the door Clarissa was kneeling behind. Clarissa jumped up and rushed to the far window. She drew back the drapes with a hand and pretended to be gazing out when she heard the door open.

“
Clarissa,” Nathan called.

She turned to see him standing in the doorway, holding the doorknob. Beyond him, she could see the two Sisters watching.

“
Yes, Nathan? You wish something?”

“
Yes, Clarissa. I would like you to go on a small journey for me—a bit of business. I need you to go with my friends out here.”

Clarissa guided her full skirts around the writing table and followed him out into the other room. Nathan introduced her to the two Sisters.

The two women wore knowing, smug smiles. They glanced to her cleavage and then at each other. Clarissa had that feeling of being judged as a whore, again.

“
Clarissa, you will leave at once, with these ladies. When you reach your destination, they will give you a book. You will then return with it. You remember where I told you we would be off to, tomorrow?”

“
Yes, Nathan.”

“
You will meet me there, after you have the book. No one, no one at all, is to know where it is you will be meeting me. Do you understand?”

“
Yes, Nathan.”

“
I’ll go see to getting her a horse,” Sister Willamina said.

“
A horse?” Clarissa gasped. “I’ve never ridden a horse in my life. I can’t ride a horse.”

Nathan waved patience at the sudden hitch in their plans. “I have a carriage. I’ll have it brought around, and Clarissa can take that. There, is that satisfactory to all?”

Sister Jodelle shrugged. “Horse, carriage, it makes no difference to us, as long as we can test her for the gift, first.”

“
Test her all you want. I will order the carriage while you test her, and then Clarissa can pack a few things.”

“
Agreed.”

“
Good. That’s settled then.”

Nathan turned to Clarissa, putting his back to the two Sisters. “It won’t be long, my dear, and we’ll be together again.” He adjusted the locket hanging from a fine gold chain, straightening it for her. He looked into her eyes. “I will be waiting for you. I’ve told these friends of mine that if anything happens to you, I will be more than unhappy.”

Clarissa stared into his wonderful eyes. “Thank you, Nathan. I will bring the book, as you ask.”

Nathan kissed her cheek. “Thank you, my dear. That’s good of you. Safe journey, then.”

Even with the gathering dark, brooding clouds, an eerie calm hung over the summit of Mount Kymermosst. The Andolians cast uneasy glances skyward. As Kahlan watched Richard dismount, his golden cloak hung limp in the unnaturally still air. Drefan offered her his hand to help her down. Kahlan pretended not to see it.

In the fading light, the ruins were only ghostly shapes, the bones of some long extinct monster, waiting to come back to life and swallow her up. Though this was the night of the full moon, the leaden clouds would totally obscure it. When the last of the daylight soon left, it would be black as death atop the forsaken peak.

Nadine stood close to Richard as he stared off toward the edge of the cliff. Drefan stood nearby, not wanting to look too forward to the woman who would shortly be his wife, but not wanting to ignore her, either. Like Nadine, he didn’t seem to view this as the end of his happiness.

After the horses were secured, the legate and Cara ushered the brides and bridegrooms to a crumbling, circular garden structure made up of curved stone benches on one side and broken columns on the other. The top piece, connecting the columns, was mostly missing, joining only four of the ten stone columns.

In the distance, in the fading light, Kahlan could still see the knife edge of the cliff, and the black swath of mountains beyond. Somewhere out there was the Temple of the Winds.

Kahlan was directed to sit on a curved stone bench beside Drefan, and Richard, two benches away, was told to sit beside Nadine. Kahlan glanced over, and saw Richard looking back, but then Drefan leaned forward and blocked her view of Richard. She turned her attention to the legate and Cara standing before them. The six sisters stood behind their husband.

“
We are gathered here,” the legate and Cara said as one, “to wed Richard Rahl and Nadine Brighton, and to wed Kahlan Amnell and Drefan Rahl. This is the most solemn of rites; it binds in the most earnest of vows, and commits these mates for life. This marriage is sanctioned and witnessed by the spirits themselves.”

Kahlan stared at the weeds sprouting from the cracks in the disintegrating stone floor as she only partly listened to the words about loyalty, fidelity, and obligation. It was so warm and muggy that she could hardly breathe. Her white Mother Confessor’s dress was sticking to her back. Sweat trickled down between her breasts.

Kahlan’s head came up when Drefan started lifting her with a hand under her arm. “What? What is it?”

“
It is time,” he said. “Come.”

And then she was standing before the legate and Cara, with Drefan beside her, and three of the legate’s wives at her other side as her attendants. She looked past Drefan to see Richard standing beside Nadine, with the other three Andolians serving as her attendants. Nadine wore a smile.

“
If anyone has any objections to the wedding of these people, they must speak now, for once it is done, it cannot be undone.”

“
I have an objection,” Richard said.

“
What is it?” the legate asked.

“
The winds said that this had to be of our own free will. It is not. We are being coerced into this. We are being told that people will die if we don’t do this. I don’t do this of my own free will; I do this only to save lives.”

“
Do you wish to save the lives of the people who will die if the magic stolen from the Temple of the Winds is not stopped?” the legate asked.

“
Of course I do.”

“
This wedding is part of that attempt. If you do not go through with it, then they will die. You wish to save them. This qualifies as your free will as far as the spirits involved are concerned.

“
If you wish to withdraw your agreement to this, then it must be now, before the vows. Afterwards, you may not change your mind.”

Muggy silence hung in the air.

She was plummeting helpless into the inky depths. It was all happening too fast. Too fast for her to get a breath.

“
I wish to speak with Richard, if I am to do this. Before I do this,” Kahlan said. “Alone.”

The legate and Cara stared at her a moment. “Then hurry,” they said as one. “There is not much time. The moon rises.”

They both walked far enough away from the circle that Kahlan could be reasonably sure they couldn’t be heard. She stood close, facing him.

She wanted Richard to save them from this. He had to save them. He had to do something, now, or it would be too late.

“
Richard, we’re out of time. Is there anything? Can you think of anything at all to stop this? Any way we can still save those people and not have to do this?”

Richard stood close to her, and yet a world away. “I’m sorry. I don’t have any other solution. Forgive me,” he whispered. “I have failed you.”

She shook her head. “No, you didn’t. Don’t ever think that, Richard. I don’t. The spirits have made it impossible for us to win. They wish this, and have put us in a double bind.

“
But at least, if we go through with this, Jagang will not win. That is more important. How many lovers, like us, will be able to have a life, now, have happiness, now, have children, now, because of the sacrifice we make this night?”

Richard smiled that smile that melted her heart. “That’s one reason I love you so much: your passion. Even if I never see you again, I’ve known true happiness with you. True love. How many ever experience even this small taste?”

Kahlan swallowed. “Richard, if we do this, we have to be true to our vows, don’t we. We can’t … still be together … sometimes, can we?”

The way his jaw trembled, and his eyes filled with tears, was more than answer enough.

Just before they fell into each other’s arms, Cara was there, between them.

“
It is time. What are your wishes?”

“
I have a lot of them,” Richard said with sudden venom. “Which do you want to hear?”

“
The winds wish to know if you will do this, or not.”

“
We will do it,” Richard growled. “But the spirits had better know that I will have revenge.”

“
The winds are simply doing the only thing they can do to stop the death caused by what was stolen from them,” Cara said with sudden compassion, but still with that haunting quality that told Kahlan that it wasn’t Cara speaking, but the winds. “They do not do this out of animosity.”

“
A wise man once told me that dead is dead, no matter the how,” Richard said.

He defiantly took Kahlan’s hand and walked with her back to the circle of stone, where they each took their places beside their chosen.

Kahlan wore her Confessor’s face as she stood beside Drefan. She felt pain for Richard; he had not grown up being taught how to subjugate his emotions, his longings, his desires—for duty. She had had a lifetime to prepare for this final torment. He had had a lifetime to prepare for the opposite, expecting he would have happiness. Kahlan had only briefly felt the warmth of that flame.

With deliberate care, she ignored the words spoken to Nadine, and then to Drefan, words of loyalty and devotion to their mate. Kahlan instead focused her mind on Richard, hoping to pass to him some strength, hoping that he could get through this, so that they could save those stricken and stop the plague. Richard still had to get into the Temple of the Winds. He needed strength.

Soon, the ceremony would be over, and they would head back to Aydindril. Perhaps they would have to wait until Richard went into the temple, and did what he had to do, and then they would return to Aydindril. In any event, it wouldn’t be long, and she would be going home, home to the place she had grown up, to a life of duty to which she had been bred.

“
Yes or no?” the legate said.

Kahlan looked up. “What?”

He glanced up at the threatening clouds and then took a hurried breath. “Do you swear to honor this man, to obey him as the master of your home, to care for his needs when he is well, and when he is ill, and to be his loyal wife in this life as long as you both live?”