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  　"Lord Rahl," Raina said, her voice unsteady for the first time, "we were bonded to Darken Rahl. We had no more choice in that than we do now. He took us from our homes when we were young, trained us, and used us to—"

  　Richard stood, putting his fingertips to her lips. "I know. It's all right. You're free now."

  　Cara gripped his shirt and drew his face close to hers. "Don't you see? Even though many of us hated Darken Rahl, we were compelled to serve; we were bonded. That was slavery.

  　"If you don't know everything, that's not important to us. We are bonded to you as the Master Rahl, regardless. For the first time in any of our lives, it is not a burden. If the bond were not there, we would chose to do the same; that is not slavery."

  　"We don't know anything about your magic," Hally said, "but we can help you learn what it means to be Lord Rahl.'' The irony of her spreading 【创建和谐家园】ile softened

  　her blue eyes, letting the women behind the appellation of Mord_Sith show through. "It is, after all, the purpose of Mord-Sith to train, to teach." The 【创建和谐家园】ile faded as her expression turned serious. "It doesn't matter to us if you have more steps in the journey; we won't abandon you for it."

  　Richard raked his fingers though his hair. He was touched by the things they said, but their blind devotion somehow troubled him. "As long as you understand that I'm not the wizard you thought. I know a little about some magic, like my sword, but I don't know much about using my gift. I used what came forth from within me without understanding it or being able to control it, and the good spirits helped me." He paused a moment as he looked into the depths of their waiting eyes, "Denna is with them."

  　The four women 【创建和谐家园】iled, each in her own private way. They had known Denna, known that she had trained him, and that he had killed her in order to escape. In so doing, he freed her of her bond to Darken Rahl, and what she had become, but at a cost that would always haunt him, even if her spirit was now at peace; he had had to turn the Sword of Truth white, and end her life with that side of the magic— through its love and forgiveness.

  　"What could be better than having the good spirits on our side," Cara said in a quiet tone that seemed to speak for them all. "It's good to know that Denna is with them."

  　Richard turned away from their eyes in an effort to also turn away from his haunting memories. He brushed the dust off his pants and changed the subject.

  　"Well, as the Seeker of Truth, I was on my way to see whoever is in charge of the D'Harans here in Aydindril. I have something important to do, and I need to hurry. I didn't know anything about this bond, but I do know about being Seeker. I guess it can't hurt to have all of you along."

  　Berdine shook her head of wavy brown hair. "It's fortunate we found him in time." The other three muttered their agreement.

  　Richard looked from one face to another. "Why is it fortunate?"

  　"Because," Cara said, "they don't yet know you as the Master Rahl."

  　"I told you, I'm the Seeker. That's more important than being the Master Rahl. Don't forget, as the Seeker, I killed the last Master Rahl. But now that you've told me about this bond, I intend to tell the D'Haran command that I'm also the new Lord Rahl, and demand their allegiance. It will certainly make what I have planned easier."

  　Berdine barked a laugh. "We had no idea how lucky we were to catch you in time."

  　Raina brushed her dark bangs back as she glanced to her sister of the Agiel. "I shudder to think how close we came to losing him."

  　"What are you talking about? They're D'Harans. I thought they would be able to sense me, with this bond thing."

  　"We told you," Ulic said, "first we must recognize and accept the Master Rahl's rule in a formal manner. You have not done that with these men. Also, the bond isn't the same in all of us."

  　Richard threw his hands up. "First you tell me that they will follow me, and now you tell me they won't?"

  　"You have to bond them to you, Lord Rahl," Cara said. She sighed. "If you can. General Reibisch's blood isn't pure."

  　Richard frowned. "What does that mean?"

  　"Lord Rahl," Egan said as he came forward, "in the beginning times, when the first Master Rahl cast the web, bonding us, D'Hara was not as it is today. D'Hara was a land, within a larger land, much the same as the Midlands are made up of different lands."

  　Richard suddenly remembered the story Kahlan told him the night he met her. As they had sat shivering by a fire in the shelter of a wayward pine, after they had had the wils frightened out of them by an encounter with a gar, she had told him some of the history of the world beyond his home of Westland.

  　Richard stared off into a dark corner as he recalled the story. "Darken Rahl's grandfather, Panis, the Master of D'Hara, set about joining all the lands together under his rule. He swallowed up all the lands, all the kingdoms, making it one, making it all D'Hara."

  　"That's right," Egan said. "Not all the people who now call themselves D'Haran are descendants of the first D'Harans—those who were bonded. Some have a bit of true D'Haran blood, some have more, and in some, like Ulic and I, it is pure. Some have no true D'Haran blood; they do not feel the bond.

  　"Darken Rahl and his father before him gathered those to them who were of like mind—those who lusted for power. Many of those D'Harans were not pure of blood, but pure of ambition."

  　"Commander General Trimack, at the palace, and the men of the First File—" Richard gestured to Ulic and Egan. "—and Master Rahl's personal bodyguards, must be pure D'Haran?"

  　Ulic nodded. "Darken Rahl, like his father before him, would trust none but those of pure blood to guard him. He used those of mixed blood, or those without the bond at all, to fight the wars away from the heart of D'Hara, and to conquer other lands."

  　Richard stroked his lower lip with a finger as he thought. "What of the man in charge of the D'Haran troops, here, in Aydindril. What's his name?"

  　"General Reibisch," Berdine said. "He is of mixed blood, and so it will not be as easy, but if you can make him recognize you as the Master Rahl, he has enough D'Haran blood to be bonded. When a commander is bonded, many of his men become so at the same time, because they trust in their commanders; they will believe as he. If you can bond General Reibisch, then you will have control of the forces in Aydindril. Even though some of the men have no true D'Haran blood, they are loyal to their leaders, and will still be bonded, in a manner of speaking."

  　"Then I've got to do something to convince this General Reibisch that I'm the new Master Rahl."

  　Cara grinned wickedly. "That's why you need us. We've brought you something, from Commander General Trimack." She gestured to Hally. "Show him."

  　Hally unfastened the top buttons of her leather outfit and pulled a long pouch from between her breasts. With a proud 【创建和谐家园】ile, she handed it to Richard. He extracted the scroll inside, inspecting the symbol of a skull with crossed swords under it impressed into the gold-colored wax.

  　"What's this?"

  　"Commander General Trimack wanted to help you," Hally said. With the gleam of a 【创建和谐家园】ile still in her eyes she put a finger to the wax. "This is the personal seal of the commander general of the First File. The document is in his own hand. He wrote it while I stood waiting, and then told me to give it to you. It declares you to be the new Master Rahl, and says that the First File and all the troops and field generals in D'Hara recognize you as such, are bonded, and stand ready to defend your ascension to power with their lives. It threatens undying vengeance against any who stand against you."

  　Richard's gaze rose to her blue eyes. "Hally, I could kiss you."

  　Her 【创建和谐家园】ile vanished in an instant. "Lord Rahl, you have declared us free. We no longer have to submit ..." She snapped her mouth closed as her face went scarlet, as did the other women's. Hally bowed her head and fixed her sight on the floor. Her voice came in a submissive whisper. "Forgive me, Lord Rahl. If you wish that of us, we of course offer ourselves willingly."

  　With his fingertips, Richard lifted her chin. "Hally, it was just a figure of speech. As you told me, though you are bonded, this time you are not slaves. I am not just the Master Rahl, I am also the Seeker of Truth. I hope to have you come to follow me because the cause is just. That is what I wish you to be bound to, not me. You need never fear I will revoke your freedom."

  　Hally swallowed. "Thank you, Lord Rahl."

  　Richard waved the scroll. "Now, let's go let this General Reibisch meet the new Master Rahl, so I can get on with what I need to do."

  　Berdine laid a restraining hand to his arm. "Lord Rahl, the words of the commander general are meant to be an aid. They, in themselves, will not bond these troops to you."

  　Richard put his fists o.n his hips. -”You four havq a bad habit of dangling something in front of my face.^nd then snatching it away. What else do I need to do? Some fancy magic?"

  　The four nodded as if he had finally guessed their plan.

  　"What!" Richard leaned toward them. "You mean this general will want me to perform some magic trick to prove myself?"

  　Ill at ease, Cara shrugged. "Lord Rahl, these are just words on paper. They are meant to back you, to be of help, not to perform the task for you. At the palace in D'Hara the word of the commander general is law, only you outrank him, but in the field it is not so. Here, General Reibisch is the law. You must convince him that you outrank him.

  　"These men will not be easily won over. The Master Rahl must be seen as a figure of awesome power and strength. They must be overwhelmed in order to invoke the bond, just as the troops at the palace were when you Set the walls alive with lightning. As you said, they must believe. To believe, it will take more than words on paper.-General Trimack's letter is meant to be part of it, but it can't be all."

  　"Magic," Richard muttered as he slumped down in the rickety chair. He scrubbed his face, trying to think through the haze of fatigue. He was the Seeker, appointed by a wizard, a position of power and responsibility; the Seeker was a law unto himself. He had planned to do this as the Seeker. He could still do it as Seeker. He knew about being the Seeker.

  　Still, if the D'Harans in Aydindril were loyal to him . . .

  　Through the weariness, one thought was clear: he had to make sure Kahlan was safe. He had to use his head, not just his heart. He couldn't just run off after her, ignoring what was happening, not if he wanted to truly make sure she was safe. He needed to do this. He needed to win over the D'Harans.

  　Richard shot to his feet. "Did you bring your red leather outfits?" A Mord-Sith's bloodred leather clothes were worn when they were of a mind to dispense discipline; red didn't show blood. When a Mord-Sith wore her red leather, it was a statement that she expected there to be a lot of blood, and everyone knew it wasn't going to be hers.

  　Hally 【创建和谐家园】iled a sly 【创建和谐家园】ile as she folded her arms over her breasts. "A Mord-Sith goes nowhere without her red outfit."

  　Cara batted her eyes expectantly. “You have thought of something, Lord Rahl?''

  　"Yes." Richard gave her a 【创建和谐家园】ooth 【创建和谐家园】ile. "They need to see power and strength? They want a show of awesome magic? We'll give them magic. We'll overwhelm them." He held up a cautious finger. "But you must do as I say. I don't want anyone hurt. I didn't free you just to have you get killed."

  　Hally fixed him with an iron gaze. "Mord-Sith do not die in bed, old and toothless."

  　In those blue eyes, Richard saw a shadow of the madness that had twisted these women into remorseless weapons. He had endured some of what had been done to them; he knew what it was to live with that madness. He held her gaze and, with a soft voice, sought to soften the iron he saw. "If you get yourselves killed, Hally, then who will protect me?"

  　"If we must lay down our lives, then we do; otherwise there will be no Lord Rahl to protect." An unexpected 【创建和谐家园】ile softened Hally's eyes, bringing a little light to the shadows. "We want Lord Rahl to die in bed, old and toothless. What are we to do?''

  　A shadow of doubt passed across his thoughts. Was his ambition twisted by that same madness? No. He had no choice. This would save lives, not cost them.

  　"You four put on your red leather. We'll wait outside while you change. When you're done, I'll explain."

  　Hally snatched his shirt as he turned to leave, "Now that we have found you, we're not letting you out of our sight. You will remain here while we change. You may turn your back, if you wish."

  　With a sigh, Richard turned his back and folded his arms. The two men stood watching. Richard frowned and motioned for them to turn around, too. Gratch tilted his head with a puzzled look. Shrugging, he turned his back, mimicking Richard.

  　"We're glad you have decided to bond these men to you, Lord Rahl," Cara said. He could hear them pulling things out of their packs. “You will be much safer with a whole army protecting you. After you have bonded them, we will all leave at once for D'Hara, where you will be safe."

  　"We're not going to D'Hara," Richard said over his shoulder. "I have important matters that must be attended to. I have plans."

  　"Plans, Lord Rahl?" He could almost feel Raina's breath on the back of his neck as she peeled off her brown leather. "What plans?"

  　"'What kind of plans would the Master Rahl have? I plan to conquer the world."

  　CHAPTER 9

  　There was no need to force their way through the crowds; they drove a wave of panic before them the way the sight of wolves drove a herd of sheep. People screamed as they scattered. Mothers gathered up children in their arms while running, men fell face-first into the snow as they scrambled to get away, peddlers abandoned their wares in a mad dash for their lives, and shop doors to each side slammed shut.

  　The panic, Richard thought, was a good sign. At least they wouldn't be ignored. Of course, it was hard to ignore a seven-foot gar walking through a city in broad daylight. Richard suspected that Gratch was having the time of his life. Not sharing his innocent view of the task at hand, the rest of them wore grim expressions as they marched down the center of the street.

  　Gratch walked behind Richard, Ulic and Egan in front, Cara and Berdine at his left, and Hally and Raina to the right. It was no chance order. Ulic and Egan had insisted that they were to be to each side, as they were Lord Rahl's bodyguards. The women didn't think much of that idea, and argued that they would be the last line of defense around Lord Rahl. Gratch hadn't cared where he walked as long as he was close to Richard.

  　Richard had had to raise his voice to bring a halt to the argument. He had told them that Ulic and Egan would be in front to clear the way if need be, the Mord-Sith would protect each side, and Gratch would be at his back, since the gar could see over them all. Everyone had seemed satisfied, thinking they had received the stations that would prove the best protection for Lord Rahl.

  　Ulic and Egan's capes were pushed back over their shoulders, baring the bands with sharpened projections worn above their elbows, but they carried their swords sheathed at their belts. The four women, covered from neck to toes in closely tailored bloodred leather displaying the yellow star and crescent of the Mord-Sith at their stomachs, carried their Agiel in fists swathed with armor-backed, red leather gloves.

  　Richard knew all too well the pain it caused to hold an Agiel. Just as the Agiel Denna had trained him with, and had given him, hurt whenever he held it, it was not possible for these women to hold their own Agiel without its magic causing them pain. The pain, Richard knew, was excruciating, but Mord-Sith were trained to endure pain, and they stubbornly prided themselves in their ability to tolerate it.

  　Richard had tried to convince them to give up their Agiel, but they would not. He could order it, he supposed, but to do so would be to withdraw the freedom he had granted them, and he was loath to do that. If they were to give up their Agiel, it was for them to do. Somehow, he didn't think they would. Having carried the Sword of Truth as long as he had, Richard could understand how wishes could be at variance with principles; he hated the sword, and wanted to be rid of it, of the

  　things he did with it, of what it did to him; but at every turn, he had fought to keep

  　it,

  　A good fifty or sixty troops milled about outside the square, two-story building occupied by the D'Haran command. Only six, up on the entrance landing, appeared to be formally posted. Without slowing, Richard and his 【创建和谐家园】all company cut a straight line through the knot of men and toward the steps. The men all stumbled back out of the way, shock registering on their faces as they took in the odd sight.

  　They didn't panic the way the people in the market had, but most moved back to make way. Glares from the four women moved the rest back as efficiently as bared steel. Some of the men gripped the hilts of their swords as they took a few steps in retreat.

  　"Make way for Lord Rahl!" Ulic called out. In disorder, the soldiers stumbled back farther. Confused, but not willing to take a chance, a few bowed.

  　In a private cocoon of concentration, Richard watched it all from under the hood of his mhswith cape.

  　Before anyone had the presence of mind to stop or question them, they were through the crowd of soldiers and climbing the dozen steps to the simple ironbound door. At the top, one of the guards, a man about Richard's size, decided he wasn't sure they should be allowed in. He stepped in front of the door.

  　"You will wait—"

  　"Make way for Lord Rahl, you fool!" Egan growled without slowing.

  　The guard's eyes fixed on the armbands. "What . . . ?"

  　Still not slowing, Egan backhanded the man, knocking him aside. The guard toppled off the landing. Two of the others jumped off to get out of the way, and the other three opened the door, backing through.

  　Richard winced. He had told them all, even Gratch, that he didn't want anyone hurt unless it was necessary. He worried about what each of them might imagine was necessary.

  　Inside, soldiers, having heard the commotion outside, rushed toward them from halls dimly lit with a few lamps. Seeing Ulic and Egan, and the gold bands above their elbows, they didn't draw weapons, but they didn't look to be far from doing so. A menacing growl from Gratch slowed them. The sight of the Mord-Sith in their red leather stopped them.

  　"General Reibisch" was all Ulic said.

  　A few of the men moved forward.

  　"Lord Rahl to see General Reibisch," Egan said with quiet authority. "Where is he?"

  　Suspicious, the men stared, but didn't speak. A husky officer on the right, fists on his hips and a glare on his pockmarked face, pushed through his men.

  　"What's this about?"

  　He took an aggressive step forward, one too many, and lifted a threatening finger toward them. In a blink, Raina had her Agiel on his shoulder, dropping him to his knees. She canted it up, pressing the tip into the nerve at the side of his neck. His shriek echoed through the halls. The rest of the men flinched back.

  　"You answer questions," Raina said in the unmistakable, 【创建和谐家园】oldering tone of a Mord-Sith in complete control, "you don't ask them." The man's whole body

  　convulsed as he screamed. Raina leaned toward him, her red leather creaking. "I grant you but one more chance. Where is General Reibisch?"

  　His arm jerked up, waggling uncontrollably, but still managing to point in the general direction of the central of three halls, "Door . . . end . . . hall."

  　Raina withdrew her Agiel. "Thank you." The man collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Richard didn't spare any of his concentration to wince in sympathy. As much pain as an Agiel could give, Raina hadn't used it to kill; he would recover, but the other men stared wide-eyed as he writhed in the lingering agony. "Bow to the Master Rahl," she hissed. "All of you."

  　"Master Rahl?" one panicked voice asked.