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“Thank you, ma’am. I’m glad your head is faster than your friend’s hand. This place may not seem much to you, but it’s mine and you just kept it in one piece for me.”
“You are welcome,” Kahlan said. “Do you have a room for us?”
The proprietor put the toothpick back in the corner of his mouth. “There’s one, upstairs, at the end of the hall, on the right, that has a bolt on the door.”
“We have two friends outside,” Richard said. “I could use some help getting them up there.”
The man gave a nod of his head back at the roomful of men. “It wouldn’t do if that lot saw you were burdened with injured companions. You two go up to the room, just like they expect. My son’s in the kitchen. We’ll bring your friends up the back stairs, so no one will see.” Richard didn’t like the idea. “Have a little faith, my friend,” the other said in a low voice, “or you may be bringing harm to your friends. By the way, my name’s Bill.”
Richard looked at Kahlan; her face was unreadable. He looked back to the proprietor. The man was tough, hardened, but didn’t appear to be devious. Still, it was his friends’ lives at stake. He tried to keep his voice from sounding as threatening as he felt.
“All right, Bill, we will do as you ask.”
Bill gave a small smile and a nod as he rolled the toothpick across his mouth.
Richard and Kahlan went up to the room and waited. The ceiling was lower than was comfortable. The wall next to the single bed was covered with years of spit. In the opposite corner were a three-legged table and a short bench. A single oil lamp sat glowing weakly on the table. The windowless room was otherwise bare, and had a naked feel to it. It smelled rank. Richard paced while Kahlan sat on the bed, watching him, looking slightly uncomfortable. Finally, he strode over to her.
“I can’t believe what you did down there.”
She stood up and looked him in the eyes. “The result is what matters, Richard. If I had let you do what you were about to do, your life would have been at great risk. For nothing of value.”
“But those men think…”
“And you care what those men think?”
“No… but…” He could feel his face redden.
“I am sworn to protect the life of the Seeker with my own. I would do anything required to protect you.” She gave him a meaningful look, lifting an eyebrow. “Anything.”
Frustrated, he tried to think how to put into words how angry he was without making it sound as if he was angry with her. He had been at the brink of lethal commitment. A brink only one wrong word away. Pulling back was agonizingly difficult. He could still feel his blood pounding with the lust for violence. It was difficult to understand the way the anger twisted his own rationality with hot need, much less explain it to her. Looking into her green eyes was making him relax, though, cooling his anger.
“Richard, you have to keep your mind where it belongs.”
“What do you mean?”
“Darken Rahl. That is where your mind belongs. Those men downstairs are of no concern to us. We must only get past them, that’s all. Nothing else. Don’t expend your thoughts on them. It’s a waste. Put your energy to our job.”
He let out a breath, and nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry. You did a brave thing tonight. As much as I didn’t like it.”
She put her arms around him, her head against his chest, and gave him a slow hug. There was a soft knock at the door. After assuring himself it was Bill, he opened the door. The proprietor and his son carried Chase in and laid him carefully on the floor. When the son, a lanky young man, saw Kahlan, he fell instantly and hopelessly in love. Richard understood the feeling; nonetheless, he didn’t appreciate it.
Bill pointed with his thumb. “This is my son, Randy.” Randy was in a trance, staring at Kahlan. Bill turned to Richard, wiping the rain off the top of his head with the rag he kept over his shoulder. He still had the toothpick in his mouth.
“You didn’t tell me your friend was Dell Brandstone.”
Richard’s caution flared. “That a problem?”
Bill smiled. “Not with me. The warden and me have had our disagreements, but he’s a fair man. He gives me no trouble. He stays here sometimes when he’s in the area on official business. But the men downstairs would tear him apart if they knew he was up here.”
“They might try,” Richard corrected.
A slight smile curled the corners of Bill’s mouth. “We’ll get the other one.”
When they left, Richard gave Kahlan two silver coins. “When they come back, give the boy one of these to take the horses to the stables for us and tend to them. Tell him that if he will spend the night watching them and have them ready for us at sunrise, you will add the other.”
“What makes you think he will do it?”
Richard gave a short laugh. “Don’t worry, he’ll do it, if you ask. Just smile.”
Bill came back carrying Zedd in his husky arms. Randy followed, carrying most of their packs. Bill gently laid the old man on the floor next to Chase. He gave Richard a look from under his curly eyebrows, then turned to his son.
“Randy, go get this young lady a basin, and a pitcher of water. And a towel. A clean towel. She might like to clean up.”
Randy backed out of the room, smiling and tripping over his feet as he went. Bill watched him go, then turned to Richard with an intense look. He took the toothpick out of his mouth.
“These two are in bad shape. I won’t ask you what happened to them because a smart fellow wouldn’t tell me, and I think you’re a smart fellow. We don’t have a healer around here, but there’s someone who may be able to help, a woman named Adie. They call her the bone woman. Most people are afraid of her. That bunch downstairs won’t go near her place.”
Richard remembered Chase saying Adie was his friend. He frowned. “Why?”
Bill glanced to Kahlan, and back to Richard, narrowing his eyes. “Because they’re superstitious. They think she’s bad luck of some sort, and because she lives near the boundary. They say that people she doesn’t like have a bad habit of dropping dead. Mind you, I’m not saying it’s true. I don’t believe it myself. I think it’s all made up in their own heads. She’s not a healer, but I know of folks she’s helped. She may be able to help your friends. At least you better hope she can, because they’re not going to last much longer without help.”
Richard combed his fingers through his hair. “How do we find this bone woman?”
“Turn left down the trail in front of the stables. It’s about a four-hour ride.”
“And why are you helping us,” Richard asked.
Bill smiled and folded his muscled arms across his chest. “Let’s just say I’m helping the warden. He keeps some of my other customers at bay, and the wardens bring me an income from the government with their business, here and from my dry goods store next door. If he makes it, you just be sure to tell him it was me that helped save his life.” He chuckled. “That’ll vex him good.”
Richard smiled. He understood Bill’s meaning. Chase hated to have anyone help him. Bill did indeed know Chase. “I will be sure to let him know you saved his life.” The other looked pleased. “Now, since this bone woman lives by herself, way out by the boundary, and I’m to ask for her help, I think it would be a good idea if I took her some things. Can you get together a load of supplies for her?”
“Sure. I’m an approved supplier; I get reimbursed from Hartland. Of course, that thieving council takes most of it back in taxes. I can put it in my tally book for the government to pay, if this is official business.”
“It is.”
Randy came back with the basin, water, and towels. Kahlan put a silver coin in his hand and asked him about caring for the horses. He looked to his father for approval. Bill nodded.
“Just tell me which horse is yours, and I’ll take extra good care of it,” Randy said with a big grin.
Kahlan smiled back. “They are all mine. Take care with each, my life depends on it.”
Randy got a serious look on his face. “You can count on me.” Unable to decide what to do with his hands, he finally jammed them in his pockets. “I won’t let anyone near them.” He backed toward the door again, and when all but his head was through it, added, “I just want you to know I don’t believe a word of what those men downstairs are saying about you. And I told them so.”
Kahlan smiled in spite of herself. “Thank you, but I do not want you to endanger yourself on my account. Please stay away from those men. And do not mention that you talked to me, it will only embolden them.”
Randy grinned and nodded and left. Bill rolled his eyes and shook his head. He turned to Kahlan with a smile.
