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The two of them unhitched the horses and saddled them with tack from the wagon. A
As they made their way through the city, heading north, they came across a square filling with thousands of people all carrying candles.
A
"It's a candlelight vigil for peace," the woman said.
A
"A candlelight vigil for peace. We are all gathering to show the soldiers coming into the city a better way, to show them the people are going to insist on peace."
A
The woman smiled in a long-suffering ma
As the young woman marched on into the square, A
"But Prelate, these people are in danger. You know what the soldiers of the Order will do. The women… you know what they will do to the women. And any men who resist will be slaughtered."
A
They made it past the square just in time. When the soldiers arrived, it was worse even than A
When at last they reached the countryside, A
Sister Alessandra stared ahead as she rode. "No, Prelate."
"Alessandra, you knew it had to be done."
"I want to come back to the Creator's Light. I couldn't destroy the life he created."
"And by not killing those few, many more could die. A Sister of the Dark would want that. How can I trust you are telling me the truth?"
"Because I didn't kill the Sisters. If I were still a Sister of the Dark I would have. I'm telling the truth."
It would be wonderful if Alessandra had returned to the Light. That had never happened before. Alessandra could be an invaluable source of information.
"Or it shows you are lying, and are still sworn to the Keeper."
"Prelate, I helped you escape. Why won't you believe me?"
A
Richard turned when he heard the horse approaching from behind. He checked Kahlan, who lay inside the carriage, as he walked beside it. She was asleep, or possibly unconscious. At least he could now recognize a little of her face.
Richard looked again when the horse was closer, and saw a rider in red. Cara trotted her horse up close and then dismounted. She took the reins and walked up beside him. She had a limp.
"Lord Rahl, it took me a long time to catch you. Where are you going?"
"Home."
"Home?"
"That's right, home."
Cara looked up the road. "Where is home?"
"Hartland. Maybe to the west — in the mountains. There are some nice places there, places I've always wanted to take Kahlan."
She seemed to accept this and walked silently beside him for a time, leading her horse along behind.
"Lord Rahl, what about everything else? D'Hara. The Midlands. All the people."
"What about them?"
"Well, they will be waiting for you."
"They don't need me. I quit."
"Lord Rahl, how can you say such a thing?"
"I have violated every wizard's rule I know. I've…"
He let it go. He didn't care.
"Where is Du Chaillu?" Cara asked.
"I sent her home to her people. Her task with us was done." Richard glanced over. "She had her baby. A beautiful little girl. She named it Cara, after you."
Cara beamed. "Then I am glad it was not ugly. Some babies are ugly, you know."
"Well, this one was beautiful."
"Did it look like you, Lord Rahl?"
Richard scowled at her. "No."
Cara peered into the carriage. Her blond braid slipped forward over her shoulder.
"What happened to the Mother Confessor?"
"I just about got her killed."
Cara didn't say anything.
"I heard you were captured. Are you all right?" he asked.
Cara pushed her braid back over her shoulder. "They were fools. They didn't take my Agiel. When you fixed the magic, I made them all curse their mothers for ever meeting their fathers."
Richard smiled. That was the Cara he knew.
"And then I killed them," she added.
She held out the broken top of a black bottle. It still had the gold filigree stopper. "Lord Rahl, I failed. I didn't bring you your sword. But… but I managed to break the black bottle from the Wizard's Keep with the sword, at least." She stopped, her blue eyes brimming with tears. "Lord Rahl, I'm sorry. I failed. I tried my best, I swear, but I failed."
Richard stopped then. He put his arms around her. "No, you didn't fail, Cara. Because you broke that bottle with the sword, we were able to get magic back to right."
"Really?"
He nodded as he looked her in the eye. "Really. You did right, Cara. I'm proud of you."
They started walking again.
"So, Lord Rahl, how far to home?"
He thought it over a few minutes. "I guess Kahlan is my family, so that makes it home wherever we are. As long as I'm with Kahlan, I'm home.
"Cara, it's over. You can go home now. I release you."
She stopped. Richard walked on.
"But I don't have a family. They are all dead."
He looked back at her, standing in the road, looking as forlorn as anything he had ever seen. Richard went back, put an arm around her shoulders, and started walking with her.
"We're your family, Cara, Kahlan and me. We love you. So I guess you should come home with us."
That seemed to suit her.
"Will there be people at this home place who need killing?"
Richard smiled. "I don't think so."
"Then why would we want to go there?"
When he only smiled, she said, "I thought you wanted to take over the world. I was looking forward to you being a tyrant. I say you should do it. The Mother Confessor would agree with me. That makes it two against one. We win."
"The world didn't want me. They took a vote and said no."
"A vote! There was your problem."
"I won't do it again."
Cara limped along beside him for a time and then said, "They will all find you, you know. The D'Harans are bonded to you. You are the Lord Rahl. Everyone will find you."
"Maybe. Maybe not."
"Richard?" came a soft voice.
He pulled the team up and went to the side of the carriage.
Kahlan was awake. He took her hand.
"Who's that?" she asked.
Cara leaned in. "Just me. I had to come back. You see what kind of trouble you get into when I'm not watching over you?"
Kahlan smiled a little smile. She released Richard's hand and took Cara's.
"Glad you're home," Kahlan whispered.
"Lord Rahl said I saved the magic. Can you imagine? What was I thinking? I had the chance to rid myself of magic, and instead I saved it."
Kahlan smiled again.
"How are you feeling?" Richard asked.
"Terrible."
"You don't look so bad," Cara told her. "I've been much worse."