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The captain of the Home Guard stepped forward. “The Home Guard stands ready to swear loyalty to you, Richard.”
The commander of the Westland army stepped up next to the captain. “As does the Westland army.”
A D’Haran officer came forward. “As do the D’Haran forces.”
Richard stared numbly at them, blinking. He felt the anger heat in him.
“No one’s swearing loyalty to anyone, least of all me! I’m a woods guide. Nothing more. Get that through your heads right now. A woods guide!”
Richard gazed out over the sea of heads. All eyes were on him. He glanced over to Michael’s gory head stuck on the pole. He closed his eyes a moment, then turned to some men of the Home Guard, and pointed to the head.
“Bury that thing with the rest of him.” No one moved. “Right now!”
They jumped and made for the head. Richard returned his gaze to the D’Haran officer standing before him. Everyone waited.
“Send word: all hostilities are ended. The war is ended. See to it that all forces are recalled to their homelands, all armies of occupation are withdrawn. I expect every man who has committed crimes against defenseless people, whether he be foot soldier or general, to be put on trial, and if found guilty, punished according to the law. The D’Haran forces are to help get food to the people who would otherwise starve over the winter. Fire is no longer outlawed. If any forces you encounter don’t follow these orders, you will have to deal with them.” Richard pointed to the commander of the Westland army. “Take your forces and help him. Together, you will be too strong to ignore.” The two officers stared. Richard leaned closer. “It won’t get done if you don’t get to it.”
Both men put a fist over their hearts in salute, giving a bow.
The D’Haran officer’s eyes came up to Richard’s. His fist was still over his heart. “By your command, Master Rahl.”
Richard stared in surprise, then dismissed it. The man, he decided, must just be used to saying “Master Rahl.”
Richard noticed a guard to the side. He recognized the man. He was the captain of the guards at the gate when Richard had left the People’s Palace before. The one who had offered him a horse and warned him about the dragon. Richard motioned him to come forward. The man came and stood stiffly at attention, looking a little worried.
“I have a job for you.” The man waited in silence. “I think you would be good at getting it done. I want you to collect all the Mord-Sith. Every last one.”
“Yes, sir.” He looked a little pale. “They will all be executed before sunset.”
“No! I don’t want them executed!”
The man blinked in confusion. “What am I to do with them?”
“You are to destroy their Agiels. Every last one. I don’t ever want to see an Agiel again.” He held up the one at his neck. “Except this one. Then you are to find them new clothes. Burn every stitch of Mord-Sith clothes. They are to be treated with kindness, and respect.”
The man’s eyes went wide. “Kindness,” he whispered, “and respect?”
“That’s what I said. They are to be given jobs helping people, they are to be taught to treat people in the same way they are treated: with kindness and respect. I don’t know how you are to do that, you’ll just have to figure it out yourself. You look like a bright fellow. All right?”
He frowned. “And what if they refuse to change?”
Richard glared at the man. “Tell them that if they choose to stay on the same path, instead of taking another, then they will find the Seeker with the white sword at the end of the road.”
The guard smiled, put his fist to his heart in salute, and gave a smart bow.
Zedd leaned forward. “Richard, the Agiel are magic, they can’t simply be destroyed.”
“Then help him, Zedd. Help him destroy them, or lock them away, or something. All right? I don’t want anyone to ever be hurt by an Agiel again.”
Zedd gave a little smile and nod. “I’d be glad to help with that, my boy.” Zedd hesitated, stroking his chin with a long finger, and then spoke softly. “Richard, do you really think this is going to work, calling the forces home, having the Westland army help them?”
“Probably not. But you can never tell about your First Rule, and it should gain time until we can get everyone home again, and you can put the boundary back up. Then we’ll be safe once more. Then we’ll be finished with the magic.”
A roar came from the sky. Richard looked up to see Scarlet circling. The red dragon spiraled down through the crisp air. Men fell back, yelling and scattering as they saw that she was going to land at the base of the steps. Scarlet fluttered to a landing in front of Richard, Kahlan, Zedd, Chase, and the two children.
“Richard! Richard!” Scarlet called out, hopping from one foot to another, her wings held out, quivering in excitement. Her huge, red head swept down to him. “My egg hatched! It’s a beautiful little dragon, just as you said it would be! I want you to come see it! It’s so strong, I bet it flies within a month.” Scarlet seemed suddenly to notice all the men. Her head scanned about, surveying them. Her big yellow eyes blinked; her head swept down to Richard. “Are we having trouble here? Do we need some dragon fire?”
Richard grinned. “No. Everything is fine.”
“Well, then, climb up and I’ll take you to see the little one.”
Richard put his arm around Kahlan’s waist. “If you’ll take Kahlan, too, I would love to come.”
Scarlet eyed Kahlan up and down. “If she is with you, she is welcome.”
“Richard,” Kahlan said, “what about Siddin? Weselan and Savidlin will be worried sick over him.” Her green eyes gazed deep into his. She leaned closer, and whispered, “And we have unfinished business in the spirit house. I believe there is still an apple there we have yet to finish.” Her arm tightened around his waist, and a little twist of a smile came to her lips. The shape of the smile caught his breath in his throat.
With difficulty, Richard tore his eyes from her and looked up at Scarlet. “This little one was stolen from the Mud People when you took Darken Rahl there. His mother will be as anxious to have him back as you were to have your young one returned. After we see your little dragon, could you take us there?”
Scarlet’s big eye peered down at Siddin. “Well, I guess I can understand his mother’s worry. Done. Climb up.”
Zedd stepped forward, his hands on his hips, his voice incredulous. “You would let a man fly upon you? A red dragon? You would take him where he wishes to go?”
Scarlet puffed smoke at the wizard, forcing him to take a step back. “A man, no. This is the Seeker. He commands me. I would fly this one to the underworld and back.”
Richard gripped the spines and climbed up onto Scarlet’s shoulders as she lowered herself for him. Kahlan handed Siddin up. Richard put him in his lap and took Kahlan’s hand as she swung her leg over Scarlet behind him. She put her arms around his waist, her hands against his chest, and her head against his shoulder, squeezing tightly.
Richard leaned a little toward Zedd. “Take care, my friend.” He gave his old friend a big smile. “The Bird Man will be happy to learn I have finally decided to take a Mud Woman as my wife. Where will I find you?”
Zedd reached up with a thin arm, put a hand on Richard’s ankle, giving it a pat. “I will be in Aydindril. Come to me when you are ready.”
Richard gave the wizard his sternest frown, leaning down even more. “And then we are going to have a talk. A long talk.”
Zedd nodded with a smile. “Yes, I expect we will.”
Richard smiled at Rachel, gave her and Chase a wave, then patted one of Scarlet’s scales. “To the sky, my red friend!”
Scarlet unleashed a roar of flame as she took to the air. Richard’s dreams and joy lifting with her.
Zedd stood watching the dragon shrinking in the sky, keeping his worries to himself. Chase stroked Rachel’s hair, and then folded his arms as he lifted an eyebrow to the wizard.
“Gives a
lot of orders for a woods guide.”
Zedd laughed. “That he does.”
A little, bald-headed man came running down the hill of steps, a hand held up, beckoning. “Wizard Zorander! Wizard Zorander!” He finally came to a panting halt in front of them. “Wizard Zorander.”
“What is it?” Zedd asked with a frown.
He struggled to catch his breath. “Wizard Zorander, there is trouble.”
“What sort of trouble? And who are you?”
He leaned closer, conspiratorially, lowering his voice. “I am the head master of the crypt staff. There’s trouble.” His beady eyes darted about. “Trouble in the crypt.”
“What crypt?”
The man’s eyes looked surprised at the question. “Why, the crypt of Panis Rahl, Master Rahl’s grandfather, of course.”
Zedd’s brow wrinkled. “And what’s the trouble?”
The head master put his fingers nervously to his lips. “I didn’t see it myself, Wizard Zorander, but my people would never lie. Never. They told me, and they wouldn’t lie.”
“What is it!” Zedd bellowed. “What’s the trouble!”
His eyes darted about again, his voice lowered to a whisper. “The walls, Wizard Zorander. The walls.”
Zedd gritted his teeth. “What about the walls?”
He looked up at the wizard, his eyes wide. “They are melting, Wizard Zorander. The walls in the crypt are melting.”
Zedd straightened and glared at the man. “Bags! You have white stone on hand, white stone from the quarry of the prophets?”
The man nodded vigorously. “Of course.”
