Soul of the Fire (Sword of Truth 5)

“Mind if I sit with you?”

Du Chaillu leaned back, stretching herself, to rest her shoulders against the tree. She held a hand toward the empty spot beside her, granting the request. Kahlan smoothed her white Mother Confessor’s dress behind her knees and sat down.

Tucked in between trees in a little side area of the path, they were invisible to passersby. It was an intimate spot, more appropriate for two lovers than for the two wives of the same man.

“Are you all right, Du Chaillu? You look a bit… frazzled.”

Du Chaillu puzzled at Kahlan’s expression of concern. At last she smiled as she understood its meaning. She took Kahlan’s hand and put it against her firm, round belly, pressing the hand flat and holding it tight with both of hers. The woman was getting quite large.

Kahlan felt the life move in Du Chaillu. Felt the child move.

Du Chaillu smiled proudly. Kahlan withdrew the hand.

Kahlan nested her hands in her lap. She stared off at the gathering clouds. This was not the way it was to be. She always thought it would be joyous.

“It displeases you?”

“What? No… not at all. It’s a marvelous thing.”

Du Chaillu’s fingers hooked Kahlan’s chin, pulling her face back around.

“Kahlan, you have tears?”

“No. It’s nothing.”

“You are unhappy, because I have a child?”

“No, Du Chaillu, no, I’m not unhappy—”

“You are unhappy because I have a child, and you do not?”

Kahlan held her tongue, lest she lose control of herself.

“You should not be unhappy, Kahlan. You will have a child. Someday. It will happen.”

“Du Chaillu… I’m pregnant.”

Du Chaillu put a hand against the small of her back and stretched. “Really? I am surprised. Jiaan has not told me that you and our husband have been together in that way.”

Kahlan was shocked to know that Du Chaillu would be getting such reports. In a way, she was relieved that there had been nothing to report, and in a way she wished there had been, just to vex her competition as a wife.

“Our husband must be very happy. He seems to like little ones. He will be a good—”

“Richard doesn’t know. You must promise me, Du Chaillu, that you will not tell him.”

The woman frowned. “Why would I make you such a promise?”

Kahlan leaned a little closer. “Because I’m the one who made Richard let you come with us. Because I’m the one who said you could stay with us even after our men came. You had promised Richard you would leave when our men came, but then you wanted to stay with us, and I made him let you. Remember?”

Du Chaillu shrugged. “If you wish it, then I will not tell him. Anyway, you should keep the secret and surprise him in your own time.” She gave Kahlan a smile. “The Caharin’s wives must stick together.”

“Thank you,” Kahlan whispered.

“But when…?”

“On our wedding night. When we were with the Mud People, just before you came along.”

“Ah. That would be why I did not hear of it.”

Kahlan let it pass.

“But why do you not wish to have Richard know? He would be happy.”

Kahlan shook her head. “No, he wouldn’t. It is going to be big trouble.” Kahlan lifted the necklace with the small stone. “This was given to us by a witch woman, to keep us from conceiving a child for now. It’s a long story, but for now, we must not have one or we will have trouble.”

“So then why are you with child?”

“Because of the chimes. Magic has failed. But before we knew it… Well, we didn’t know the necklace wouldn’t work on the night we were married. The magic was supposed to keep us from conceiving a child, but its magic had failed. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Kahlan had to bite the inside of her cheek to help keep the tears back.

“Richard would still be happy,” Du Chaillu offered in a consoling whisper.

Kahlan shook her head. “You don’t understand everything involved. His life would be in great danger if people found out. The witch woman has vowed to kill this child, but more, I know her; she will decide that to prevent future trouble she will have to kill me or Richard.”

Du Chaillu thought it over. “Well, soon will be this foolish vote, where people tell him what he should already know, that he is the Caharin. After that, everything will be all right. Then you could go into hiding to have the baby.” The spirit woman put a hand on Kahlan’s shoulder. “You will come with me, back to the Baka Tau Mana. We will protect you until you have the Caharin’s child. We will protect you and your child.”

Kahlan drew a steady breath to prevent a sob. “Thank you, Du Chaillu. You are a kind person. But that wouldn’t help. I must do something to get rid of it. Find an herb woman, or a midwife. I need to shed this child before it’s too late.”

Du Chaillu reached out and took Kahlan’s hand again and put it back over the baby. Kahlan squeezed shut her eyes as she felt the child moving.

“You cannot do that to the life in you, Kahlan. Not to the life come of your love. You must not. It would be worse.”

Richard came out of the little building, holding the scroll. “Kahlan?” he called. She could see him through a gap in the trees, but he didn’t see her on the bench.

Kahlan turned to Du Chaillu. “You gave your word you will keep this secret.”

Du Chaillu smiled and touched Kahlan’s cheek the way a grandmother might compassionately touch a grandchild. Kahlan knew she had just been touched not by Du Chaillu, Richard’s first wife, but by Du Chaillu, spirit woman to the Baka Tau Mana.

Kahlan rose, at the same time putting on her Confessor’s face. Richard spotted her and hurried over.

He looked back and forth between her and Du Chaillu. Finally, he disregarded his puzzlement and showed her the scroll.

“I knew it had something to do with the word ‘school.’”

“What?” Kahlan asked.

“The Dominie Dirtch. Look here.” He tapped the scroll. “It says he didn’t fear intervention from jealous colleagues since he was”—Richard ran a finger under the words as he read aloud—“‘protected by the demons.’”

Kahlan didn’t have the slightest idea what he was talking about. “And this is important, because…?”

Richard was reading the scroll again. “What? Oh, yes. Well, When you first told me the name, Dominie Dirtch, I thought it was High D’Haran, but I couldn’t figure out its meaning. It’s one of those tricky multidimensional phrases I’ve told you about.

“Anyway, ‘Dominie’ is a word having to do with schooling, as in teaching, or training, or, more important, controlling. Now that I’ve seen this other part, it’s jogged my mind to the translation of the thing.

“‘Dominie Dirtch’ means ‘Schooling the Demons.’”

Kahlan could only stare for a moment. “But… what does that mean?”

Richard threw up his arms. “I don’t know, but it’s all coming together, I’m sure.”

“Well, all right,” Kahlan said.

He frowned at her. “What’s wrong? Your face is, I don’t know… funny-looking.”

“Well, thank you.”

He turned red. “I didn’t mean it looks bad.”

Kahlan waved a hand before herself. “No, it’s nothing. I’m just tired. We’ve been doing so much hard traveling and endless talking to people.”

“Do you know a place called the Ovens?”