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Faith of the Fallen :: Goodkind Terry
Страница: 609 из 617He realized he was on a board, keeping him up out of thewater. He was covered in a warm cloak. He could see the dark hunched shapes of people huddled around in the little room.
Under his fingers lay the hilt of the Sword of Truth. Because the storm of magic was calmed, he knew the sword was in its scabbard.
He looked up, and through the openings between beams, through broken stone and splintered wood, and could see the rosy blush of dawn.
"Kahlan?" he whispered.
Three figures in the room sprang up, as if stone had suddenly come to life.
The closest leaned in. "I'm here." She took up his hand.
With his other hand, he reluctantly probed for his wound. He couldn't find it. He felt no pain, only a lingering ache.
Another figure leaned in. "Lord Rahl? Are you awake?"
"What happened?"
"Oh, Richard, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I stabbed you. It was all my fault. I should have taken an instant to be sure before I did it. I'm so sorry."
Richard frowned. "Kahlan, I let you win."
Silence greeted him.
"Richard," Kahlan finally said, "you don't have to try to ease my guilt. I know it's my fault. I ran you through with the sword."
"No," Richard insisted, "I let you win."
Cara patted his shoulder. "Of course you did, Lord Rahl. Of course you did."
"No, really."
When the third figure turned to him, Richard's fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword.
"How do you feel?" Nicci asked in that silken voice he knew so well.
"Did you remove the link to Kahlan?"
Nicci raised her hand and made a scissors motion with two fingers.
"Gone for good."
Richard let out a breath. "Then I feel fine." He tried to sit up, but Nicci's hand restrained him.
"Richard, I can never ask your forgiveness because I can never return what I stole from you, but I want you to know that I now understand how wrong I've been. My whole life, I have been blind. I'm not making an excuse. It's just that I want you to know that you have restored my vision. In giving me the answer I sought, you gave me my life. You gave me a reason to want to live."
"And what did you see, Nicci?"
"Life. You sculpted it so big that even someone who had so blindly served evil, as I had done, could see it. You must no longer prove yourself to me. Now, it is for me, and those here you have inspired, to prove ourselves to you."
"You and they have already begun, or I would not be alive."
"So. . you are a Sister of the Light again?" Kahlan asked.
Nicci shook her head. "No. I am Nicci.
Under his fingers lay the hilt of the Sword of Truth. Because the storm of magic was calmed, he knew the sword was in its scabbard.
He looked up, and through the openings between beams, through broken stone and splintered wood, and could see the rosy blush of dawn.
"Kahlan?" he whispered.
Three figures in the room sprang up, as if stone had suddenly come to life.
The closest leaned in. "I'm here." She took up his hand.
With his other hand, he reluctantly probed for his wound. He couldn't find it. He felt no pain, only a lingering ache.
Another figure leaned in. "Lord Rahl? Are you awake?"
"What happened?"
"Oh, Richard, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I stabbed you. It was all my fault. I should have taken an instant to be sure before I did it. I'm so sorry."
Richard frowned. "Kahlan, I let you win."
Silence greeted him.
"Richard," Kahlan finally said, "you don't have to try to ease my guilt. I know it's my fault. I ran you through with the sword."
"No," Richard insisted, "I let you win."
Cara patted his shoulder. "Of course you did, Lord Rahl. Of course you did."
"No, really."
When the third figure turned to him, Richard's fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword.
"How do you feel?" Nicci asked in that silken voice he knew so well.
"Did you remove the link to Kahlan?"
Nicci raised her hand and made a scissors motion with two fingers.
"Gone for good."
Richard let out a breath. "Then I feel fine." He tried to sit up, but Nicci's hand restrained him.
"Richard, I can never ask your forgiveness because I can never return what I stole from you, but I want you to know that I now understand how wrong I've been. My whole life, I have been blind. I'm not making an excuse. It's just that I want you to know that you have restored my vision. In giving me the answer I sought, you gave me my life. You gave me a reason to want to live."
"And what did you see, Nicci?"
"Life. You sculpted it so big that even someone who had so blindly served evil, as I had done, could see it. You must no longer prove yourself to me. Now, it is for me, and those here you have inspired, to prove ourselves to you."
"You and they have already begun, or I would not be alive."
"So. . you are a Sister of the Light again?" Kahlan asked.
Nicci shook her head. "No. I am Nicci.