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Faith of the Fallen :: Goodkind Terry
Страница: 26 из 617Kahlan tried to ignore the burning stitch and attempted to relax as she said his name over and over in her mind.
She suddenly remembered something important. It was her last chance to remind him.
"Richard," she whispered urgently just before he pushed his right arm under her bottom to lift her. "Please. . remember to be careful not to hurt the baby."
She was startled to see her words stagger him. It took a moment before his eyes turned up to look into hers. What she saw there nearly stopped her heart.
"Kahlan. . you remember, don't you?"
"Remember?"
His eyes glistened. "That you lost the baby. When you were attacked."
The memory slammed into her like a fist, nearly taking her breath.
"…Oh…
"Are you all right?"
"Yes. I forgot for a moment. I just wasn't thinking. I remember, now. I remember you told me about it."
And she did. Their child, their child that had only begun to grow in her, was long since dead and gone. Those beasts who had attacked her had taken that from her, too.
The world seemed to turn gray and lifeless.
"I'm so sorry, Kahlan," he whispered.
She caressed his hair. "No, Richard. I should have remembered. I'm sorry I forgot. I didn't mean to. ."
He nodded.
She felt a warm tear drop onto the hollow of her throat, close to her necklace. The necklace, with its small dark stone, had been a wedding gift from Shota, the witch woman. The gift was a proposal of truce. Shota said it would allow them to be together and share their love, as they had always wanted, without Kahlan getting pregnant. Richard and Kahlan had decided that, for the time being, they would reluctantly accept Shota's gift, her truce. They already had worries enough on their hands.
But for a time, when the chimes had been loose in the world, the magic of the necklace, unbeknownst to Richard and Kahlan, had failed. One small but miraculous balance to the horrors the chimes had brought had been that it had given their love the opportunity to bring a child to life.
Now that life was gone.
"Please, Richard, let's go."
He nodded again.
"Dear spirits," he whispered to himself so softly she could hardly hear him, "forgive me for what I am about to do."
She clutched his neck. She now longed for what was coming-she wanted to forget.
He lifted her as gently as he could. It felt like wild stallions tied to each limb all leaped into a gallop at the same instant. Pain ripped up from the core of her, the shock of it making her eyes go wide as she sucked in a breath. And then she screamed.
She suddenly remembered something important. It was her last chance to remind him.
"Richard," she whispered urgently just before he pushed his right arm under her bottom to lift her. "Please. . remember to be careful not to hurt the baby."
She was startled to see her words stagger him. It took a moment before his eyes turned up to look into hers. What she saw there nearly stopped her heart.
"Kahlan. . you remember, don't you?"
"Remember?"
His eyes glistened. "That you lost the baby. When you were attacked."
The memory slammed into her like a fist, nearly taking her breath.
"…Oh…
"Are you all right?"
"Yes. I forgot for a moment. I just wasn't thinking. I remember, now. I remember you told me about it."
And she did. Their child, their child that had only begun to grow in her, was long since dead and gone. Those beasts who had attacked her had taken that from her, too.
The world seemed to turn gray and lifeless.
"I'm so sorry, Kahlan," he whispered.
She caressed his hair. "No, Richard. I should have remembered. I'm sorry I forgot. I didn't mean to. ."
He nodded.
She felt a warm tear drop onto the hollow of her throat, close to her necklace. The necklace, with its small dark stone, had been a wedding gift from Shota, the witch woman. The gift was a proposal of truce. Shota said it would allow them to be together and share their love, as they had always wanted, without Kahlan getting pregnant. Richard and Kahlan had decided that, for the time being, they would reluctantly accept Shota's gift, her truce. They already had worries enough on their hands.
But for a time, when the chimes had been loose in the world, the magic of the necklace, unbeknownst to Richard and Kahlan, had failed. One small but miraculous balance to the horrors the chimes had brought had been that it had given their love the opportunity to bring a child to life.
Now that life was gone.
"Please, Richard, let's go."
He nodded again.
"Dear spirits," he whispered to himself so softly she could hardly hear him, "forgive me for what I am about to do."
She clutched his neck. She now longed for what was coming-she wanted to forget.
He lifted her as gently as he could. It felt like wild stallions tied to each limb all leaped into a gallop at the same instant. Pain ripped up from the core of her, the shock of it making her eyes go wide as she sucked in a breath. And then she screamed.