Ulic, one of Richard's two huge personal bodyguards, ducked as he stepped through the doorway. "Lord Rahl, if you are not busy, General Kerson has a problem and needs to speak with you."

Richard turned a hot glare toward the towering Ulic. "In a minute."

Ulic, not used to Richard directing such a forbidding look, or tone, his way, bowed. "I will tell him, Lord Rahl."

Puzzled, Nadine watched the mountain of muscle duck back out the doorway. "Lord Rahl? Richard, what in the name of the good spirits was that man talking about? What trouble have you gotten yourself into? You were always so sensible. What have you done? Why are you tricking these people? Who are you playing at being?"

He seemed to cool a bit and his voice turned weary. "Nadine, it's a long story, and one I'm not in the mood to repeat just now. I'm afraid I'm not the same person… It's been a long time since I've left home. A great many things have happened. I'm sorry you've come a long way for nothing, but what was once between us-"

Kahlan expected a sheepish glance her way. She never got one.

Nadine took a step back. She looked around at all the faces watching her: Kahlan, Cara, Berdine, Raina, and the silent hulk of Egan back near the door.

Nadine threw her hands up. "What's the matter with all you people! Who do you think this man is? He's Richard Cypher, my Richard! He's a woods guide- a nobody! He's just a simple boy from Hartland, playing at being somebody important. He's not! Are you all blind fools? He's my Richard, and we're to be married."

Cara finally broke the silence. "We all know quite well who this man is. Apparently, you do not. He is Lord Rahl, the Master of D'Hara, and the ruler of what was the Midlands. At least, he is the ruler of those who have so far surrendered to him. Everyone in this room, if not this city, would lay down their lives to protect him. We all owe him more than our loyalty; we owe him our lives."

"We can all only be who we are," Richard told Nadine, "no more, and no less. A very wise woman told me that, one time."

Nadine whispered her incredulity, but Kahlan couldn't hear the words.

Richard put his arm around Kahlan's waist. In that gentle touch, she read the message of comfort and love, and suddenly felt profound sorrow for this woman standing before strangers, exposing such personal matters of the heart.

"Nadine," Richard said in a quiet tone "this is Kahlan, the wise woman I spoke of. The woman I love. Kahlan, not Nadine. Kahlan and I are soon to be married. We're shortly going to leave to be wedded by the Mud People. Nothing in this world is going to change that."

Nadine seemed afraid to take her eyes from Richard, as if she feared that if she did, it would become true.

"Mud People? What in the name of the spirits are Mud People? Sounds dreadful. Richard, you…" She seemed to gather her resolve. She pressed her lips together and suddenly scowled. She shook her finger at him.

"Richard Cypher, I don't know what kind of foolish game you're playing, but I'll not have it! You listen to me, you big oaf, you go get your things packed! We're going home!"

"I am home, Nadine."

Nadine, at last, could think of no counter.

"Nadine, who told you all this… this marriage business?"

The fire had gone out of her. "A mystic named Shota."

Kahlan tensed at the sound of that name. Shota was the true threat. No matter what Nadine said, or wanted, it was Shota who had the power to cause trouble.

"Shota!" Richard wiped a hand across his face. "Shota. I might have known."

And then Richard did the last thing Kahlan would have expected: he chuckled. He stood there, with everyone watching him, threw his head back, and laughed aloud.

Somehow, it magically melted Kahlan's fears. That Richard would simply laugh off what Shota might do somehow trivialized the threat. Suddenly, her heart felt buoyant. Richard said that the Mud People were going to marry them, as they both wanted, and the fact that Shota wished otherwise was worth no more than a chuckle. Richard's arm around her waist tightened with a loving squeeze. She felt her cheeks tighten with a grin of her own.

Richard waved an apology. "Nadine, I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you. It's just that Shota has been playing her little tricks on us for a long time. It's unfortunate that she's used you in her scheme, but it's just one of her wretched games. She's a witch woman."

"Witch woman?" Nadine whispered.

Richard nodded. "She's taken us in with her little dramas in the past, but not this time. I no longer care what Shota says. I'm not playing her games anymore."

Nadine looked perplexed. "A witch woman? Magic? I've been plied with magic? But she said that the sky had spoken to her."

"Is that so. Well, I don't care if the Creator Himself has spoken to her."

"She said that the wind hunts you. I was worried. I wanted to help."

"The wind hunts me? Well, it's always something with her."

Nadine's gaze drifted from his. "But what about us. .?"

"Nadine, there is no 'us. " The edge returned to his voice. "You, of all people, know the truth of that."

Her chin lifted with indignation. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He watched her for a long moment, as if considering saying more than he finally did. "Have it your way, Nadine."

For the first time, Kahlan felt embarrassed. Whatever the exchange had meant, she felt like an intruder hearing it. Richard seemed uncomfortable, too. "I'm sorry, Nadine, but I have things I have to take care of. If you need help getting home, I'll see what I can do. Whatever you need-a horse, supplies, whatever. Tell everyone back in Hartland that I'm fine, and I send my best wishes."

He turned to the waiting Ulic. "Is General Kerson here?"

"Yes, Lord Rahl."

Richard took a step toward the door. I'd best go see what his problem is."

General Kerson instead entered from right around the doorway when he heard his name. Graying, but muscular and fit, and a head shorter than Richard, he cut an imposing figure in his burnished leather uniform. His upper arms bore scars of rank, their shiny white furrows showing through the short chain-mail sleeves.

He clapped a fist to his heart in salute "Lord Rahl, I need to speak with you."

"Fine. Speak."

The general hesitated. "I meant alone, Lord Rahl."

Richard looked in no mood to dally with the man. "There are no spies here. Speak."

"It's about the men, Lord Rahl. A great many of them are sick."

"Sick? What's wrong with them?"

"Well, Lord Rahl, they… that is…"

Richard's brow tightened. "Out with it."

"Lord Rahl"-General Kerson glanced among the women before clearing his throat-"I've got over half my army, well, out of commission, squatting and groaning with debilitating bouts of diarrhea."

Richard's brow relaxed. "Oh. Well, I'm sorry. I hope they're better soon. It's a miserable state to be in."

"It's not an uncommon condition among an army, but to be this widespread it is, and because it is so widespread, something has to be done."

"Well, be sure they get plenty to drink. Keep me informed. Let me know how they're doing."

"Lord Rahl, something has to be done. Now. We can't have this."

"It's not like they're stricken with spotted fever, general."

General Kerson clasped his hands behind his back and took a patient breath. "Lord Rahl, General Reibisch, before he went south, told us that you wanted your officers to voice their opinions to you when we thought it important. He said that you told him that you may get angry if you didn't like what we had to say, but you wouldn't punish us for voicing our views. He said you wanted to know our opinions because we've had more experience at dealing with troops and with command of an army than you."

Richard wiped a hand back and forth across his mouth. "You're right, general. So what is it that's so vital?"