Faith of the Fallen (Sword of Truth 6)

“We need wool cloaks—hooded cloaks—for the men.”

He considered only briefly. “Just tell me the numbers, and I will see to it. I’m sure it can be arranged.”

“I’ll need at least a hundred thousand—our entire force down here at present. We’re expecting more men any time, so if you could add half again that number, it would go a long way to helping destroy the Order.”

As he went through mental calculations, Kahlan used the poker to set the new log to the back of the fire. “I know I’m not asking for something easy.”

He scratched his scalp through his thick gray hair. “You’ve no need of hearing how difficult it will be, that won’t help you win, so let me just say that you will have them.”

Representative Theriault’s word was a pledge as sound as gold, and as valuable. She stood and faced him.

“And I want them made from bleached wool.”

He lifted an eyebrow in curiosity. “Bleached wool?”

“We need to be clever, as you can understand. The Imperial Order comes from far to the south. Richard was down there, once, and told me about how the weather is very different than it is up here, in the New World. Their winters are nothing like we have. If I don’t miss my bet, the Order is not familiar with winter, nor is it used to surviving, much less fighting, in such weather. Winter conditions may be difficult, but this puts it to our advantage.”

Kahlan made a fist before him. “I want to harry them mercilessly. I want to use the winter weather to make them suffer. I want to draw them out—make them have to fight—in conditions they don’t understand as well as we do.

“I want the hooded cloaks to help disguise our men. I want to be able to use the conditions to get in close on raids, and then disappear right before their eyes.”

“They don’t have gifted?”

“Yes, but they’re not going to have a sorceress telling every archer where to aim his arrow.”

He stroked his chin. “Yes, I see your point.” He slapped the mantel as if to seal his promise. “I’ll have our people begin at once. Your men will need warm mittens, too.”

Kahlan smiled appreciatively. “They will be grateful. Have your people start sending the cloaks down to us as soon as they have some made. Don’t wait for them all. We can start our raids with any number and add to them as you deliver more.”

Representative Theriault pulled his hood up and fastened his heavy wool cloak. “Winter has just set in. The more time you have to whittle them down while you have the advantage of weather, the better. I had best be on my way at once.”

Kahlan clasped arms with the man—not something the Mother Confessor typically did, but something anyone else might do in sincere appreciation of aid.

As she and Cara stood outside the door, watching the representative and his guards trudging off through the snow, Kahlan hoped the supply of white cloaks would start arriving soon, and that they would be as effective as she hoped.

“Do you really think we can press the war effectively in winter?” Cara asked.

Kahlan turned back to the door. “We have to.”

Before she went back inside, Kahlan caught sight of a procession coming up through the trees. When they were a little closer, she saw that it was General Meiffert, on foot, leading. She was able to pick out Adie, Verna, Warren, and Zedd, all walking along beside four riders. The midday sun sparkled off the hilt of the lead rider’s sword.

Kahlan gasped when she saw who it was.

Without bothering to go back inside to get her cloak or fur mantle, she raced down through the snow to great him. Cara was right on Kahlan’s heels.

“Harold!” she called out as she got closer. “Oh, Harold! Are we ever glad to see you!”

It was her half brother, come from Galea. Kahlan then saw some of the other men riding behind him, and gasped again in surprise. Captain Bradley Ryan, commander of the Galean recruits she had fought with was there, and his lieutenant, Flin Hobson. She thought she recognized Sergeant Frost, in the rear. Her face hurt from grinning as she ran up to them through the deep snow.

Kahlan wanted to pull her half brother off his horse and hug him. In a Galean field-officer uniform, far more muted than their dress uniform, he looked grand on his well-bred mount. She only now fully realized how worried she had been over his late arrival.

Carrying himself like the prince he was, Harold tipped his head to her as he bowed in his saddle. He offered only a small, private smile.

“Mother Confessor. I’m gratified to find you well.”

Captain Ryan was grinning, even if Prince Harold wasn’t. Kahlan had fond memories of Bradley and Flin, of their bravery, courage, and heart. The fighting had been horrifying, but the company of those fine soldiers, fine young men all, was a cherished memory. They had done the impossible before, and had come to help do it again.

Standing beside his horse, Kahlan reached up for Harold’s hand. “Come inside. We’ve a good fire going.” She motioned to the captain, the lieutenant, and the sergeant. “You, too. Come inside and get warm.”

Kahlan turned to the others, who didn’t look nearly as happy as Kahlan thought they should. “We’ll all fit. Come inside.”

Prince Harold stepped down out of the stirrup. “Mother Confessor, I—”

Kahlan couldn’t resist. She threw her arms around her half brother. He was a big bear of a man, much like their father, King Wyborn. “Harold, I’m so relieved to see you. How’s Cyrilla?”

Cyrilla, Harold’s sister and Kahlan’s half sister, was a dozen years older than Kahlan. Cyrilla had been ill for ages, it seemed. When she had been captured by the Order she had been thrown into the pit with a gang of murderers and rapists. Harold had rescued her, but the abuse she suffered had left her in an incoherent state, oblivious of those around her. She regained her senses only infrequently. When she came awake, she more often than not screamed and cried uncontrollably. One of the times when she was lucid, she had asked Kahlan to promise to be the queen of Galea and keep her people safe.

Harold, wishing to remain commander of the Galean army, refused the crown. Kahlan reluctantly had acceded to his wish.

Harold’s eyes shifted to the others, briefly. “Mother Confessor, we need to have a talk.”

Chapter 41

At Prince Harold’s instructions, Captain Ryan and his two men went to see to their troops and horses while the rest of them crowded into the small trapper’s lodge. Zedd and Warren sat on a bench made of a board laid atop two log rounds. Verna and Adie sat against the opposite wall on another bench. Cara gazed out the

small window. Standing near Cara, General Meiffert watched as the prince ran a finger back and forth along the front edge of the table. Kahlan folded her hands on the table before her.

“So,” she began, fearing the worst, “how is Cyrilla?”

Harold smoothed the front of his coat. “The queen has…recovered.”

“Queen…?” Kahlan rose out of her chair. “Cyrilla has recovered? Harold, that’s wonderful news. And she has at last taken her crown back? Even better!”

Kahlan was delighted to be relieved of the role of queen to Galea. As Mother Confessor, it was an awkward duty better served by Cyrilla. More than that, though, she was relieved to learn that her half sister had finally recovered. While the two of them were never close, they shared a mutual respect.

More than her cheer at Cyrilla’s recovery, though, Kahlan felt a sense of deliverance that Harold had at last brought his troops down to join with them. She hoped he had been able to raise the hundred thousand they had previously discussed; it would be a good beginning for the army Kahlan needed to raise.

Harold licked his weather-cracked lips. By the slump in his shoulders, she was sure that the task of collecting his army had been trying, and the journey arduous. She had never seen his face looking so worn. He had a vague, empty look that reminded her of her father.

Kahlan smiled exuberantly, determined to show her appreciation. “How many troops did you bring? We could certainly use the whole hundred thousand. That would just about double what we have down here so far. The spirits know we need them.”

No one was saying anything. As she looked from one person to the next, no one would meet her gaze.

Kahlan’s sense of relief was sloughing away.

“Harold, how many troops did you bring?”

He ran his meaty fingers back through his long, thick, dark hair. “About a thousand.”