Temple of the Winds (Sword of Truth 4)

Janet was nearly hysterical. “I won’t leave without Amelia.”

Verna felt dizzy and sick to her stomach. Her heart pounded in terror. Bile rose into her throat.

Verna’s voice broke. “How do you endure it?”

Janet held her fists to her heart. “We are Sisters of the Light; we must endure for the Creator.”

Verna shared a long look with Warren’s troubled eyes. “Do you know where we can find her? Maybe we could go find her and take her with us.”

Janet shook her head. “We’re passed among the tents. She could be anywhere. The army is spread out for miles and miles in every direction.

“Not long ago, more captured women were sent back here. The screams are everywhere, so you can’t simply follow the sounds of screams. Besides, if we went out among the tents, we wouldn’t last five minutes before we were dragged into one of them.”

“How long?” Verna asked. “How long until Amelia is back?”

“Five days, but she won’t be able to walk for at least a day after that, maybe two.”

Verna held a tight grip on her rage. “There’s nothing saying I can’t use my gift to cure her once she’s back.”

Janet looked up. “That’s true. Five days, then. Tomorrow night is the full moon. The fourth day after the full moon.”

“Are you able to leave this place? In order to meet us? I don’t think we can get back in here again.”

“Not very far. I can’t even imagine how you could have gotten in here.”

Verna showed the woman a tight smile. “I’m not Prelate for nothing. Warren helped, too. We’ll come back, four nights after the full moon.”

“Verna, there’s one other thing. If Jagang can’t enter my dreams, he will know something is wrong.”

Verna pressed her hands to her face. “But you’ve already given the oath. You can’t take it back, or it would mean nothing. You have already given your heart to Richard.”

“Then I’ll have to be careful.”

“Can you do that? Can you get away with it?”

Janet touched her fingers to her lips. “What choice do I have? I’ll have to.”

Verna held out her dacra. “Here. At least you can protect yourself.”

Janet pushed it away as if it were poison. “If I was caught with that thing, I’d be sent out to the tents for a year.”

“Well, at least you can use your gift, now that Jagang can’t enter your mind to prevent it.”

“It won’t do any good here. Jagang has total control over all those with the gift who are here—Sisters and wizards. It would be spitting into a storm to try to use my gift against them.”

“I know. That’s why we can’t try to take the others right now. We’d never make it. The Sisters of the Dark would fight us, and with their use of Subtractive Magic, they would cut us to pieces.” Verna pressed her lips together. “Janet, are you sure about this?”

“If I don’t help a Sister in dire need, then what good is my oath as a Sister of the Light? One has come back to us from the Keeper; perhaps she can teach us how to bring the others back.”

Verna had never thought of that. Warren was making impatient eye signals. She could see the muscles in his jaw flexing

Janet saw, too. She gripped Verna by the shoulders and kissed her cheeks. She turned and hugged Warren.

“Please, Verna, get out of here before it’s too late. I’ll be able to endure five days. I know how to bow and scrape for Jagang. He’s been busy; maybe I can stay out of his sight for that long.”

“All right. Where? We came down the coast to Grafan Harbor, and I don’t know the lay of the land.”

“The coast? Then you would have passed the watch house, near the docks.”

“Yes, I saw the place, but it had guards in it.”

Janet leaned close. “As you said, there’s nothing stopping you from using your gift. The guard changes around sundown. Wait until you see the guard change, and then silence them. That will give you a safe place to wait until nearly dawn. Sometime in the night, I will be there with Amelia.”

“The watch house, then. Fourth night after the full moon.”

Janet gave her a quick hug. “Five nights, and we’re free. Hurry. Get out of here.”

Warren snatched Verna’s arm and pulled her through the door.

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, an

d 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.