slipped her fingers up his arm to snug around the bulge of muscle, glad to touch him, despite her exasperation.
“ The Bird Man says he hasn’t yet found the chicken you want, but he will keep searching. And there are still the two other buildings full of them. He suggested we go get something to eat, and he will send someone when he sees your chicken.”
Richard started for the door. “He won’t find it here.”
“ What do you mean? How do you know?”
“ I have to go check the other two places.”
If she was only annoyed, Richard looked frantic at not finding what he wanted. Kahlan imagined that he must feel his word was at stake. Back near the door, Ann and Zedd waited, silently observing the search, letting Richard have the leeway to look all he wanted, to do as he thought necessary.
Richard paused, combing his fingers back through his thick hair. “Do either of you know of a book called Mountain’s Twin? ”
Zedd held his chin as he peered up at the underside of the grass roof in earnest recollection. “Can’t say as I do, my boy.”
Ann, too, seemed to consider her mental inventory for a time. “No. I’ve not heard of it.”
Richard took a last look at the dusty room packed with chickens and muttered a curse under his breath.
Zedd scratched his ear. “What’s in this book, my boy?”
If Richard heard the question over the background of bird babel, he didn’t let on, and he didn’t answer. “I have to go look at the rest of the chickens.”
“ I could ask Verna and Warren for you, if it’s important.” Ann drew a small black book from a pocket, drawing, too, Richard’s gaze. “Warren might know of it.”
Richard had told Kahlan that the book Ann carried and was now flashing at him, called a journey book, retained ancient magic. Journey books were paired; any message written in it appeared simultaneously in its twin. The Sisters of the Light used the little books to communicate when they went on long journeys, such as when they had come to the New World to take Richard back to the Palace of the Prophets.
Richard brightened at her suggestion. “Please, yes. It’s important.” He started for the door again. “I’ve got to go.”
“ I’m going to check on the woman who lost the baby,” Zedd told Ann. “Help her get some rest.”
“ Richard,” Kahlan called, “don’t you want to eat?”
As she was speaking, Richard gestured for her to come along, but was through the door and gone before she finished the question. Zedd followed his grandson out, shrugging his perplexity back at the two women. Kahlan growled and started after Richard.
“ It must be like a fanciful children’s story come to life for you, for a Confessor, to marry for love,” Ann commented while remaining rooted to the spot where she had been for the last hour.
Kahlan turned back to the woman. “Well, yes, it is.”
Ann smiled up with sincere warmth. “I’m so happy for you, child, being able to have such a wonderful thing as a husband you dearly love come into your life.”
Kahlan’s fingers lingered on the lever of the closed door.
“ It still leaves me utterly astonished, at times.”
“ It must be disappointing when your new husband seems to have more important things to attend to than his new wife, when he seems to be ignoring you.” Ann pursed her lips. “Especially on your very first day being his wife.”
“ Ah.” Kahlan released the lever and clasped both hands loosely behind her back. “So that’s why Zedd left. We are to have a woman-to-woman talk, are we?”
Ann chuckled. “Oh, but how I do love it when men I respect marry smart women. Nothing marks a man’s character better than his attraction to intelligence.”
Kahlan sighed as she leaned a shoulder against the wall. “I know Richard, and I know he’s not trying my patience deliberately … but, this is our first day married. I somehow thought it would be different than this … this chasing imaginary chicken monsters. I
“ The Bird Man says he hasn’t yet found the chicken you want, but he will keep searching. And there are still the two other buildings full of them. He suggested we go get something to eat, and he will send someone when he sees your chicken.”
Richard started for the door. “He won’t find it here.”
“ What do you mean? How do you know?”
“ I have to go check the other two places.”
If she was only annoyed, Richard looked frantic at not finding what he wanted. Kahlan imagined that he must feel his word was at stake. Back near the door, Ann and Zedd waited, silently observing the search, letting Richard have the leeway to look all he wanted, to do as he thought necessary.
Richard paused, combing his fingers back through his thick hair. “Do either of you know of a book called Mountain’s Twin? ”
Zedd held his chin as he peered up at the underside of the grass roof in earnest recollection. “Can’t say as I do, my boy.”
Ann, too, seemed to consider her mental inventory for a time. “No. I’ve not heard of it.”
Richard took a last look at the dusty room packed with chickens and muttered a curse under his breath.
Zedd scratched his ear. “What’s in this book, my boy?”
If Richard heard the question over the background of bird babel, he didn’t let on, and he didn’t answer. “I have to go look at the rest of the chickens.”
“ I could ask Verna and Warren for you, if it’s important.” Ann drew a small black book from a pocket, drawing, too, Richard’s gaze. “Warren might know of it.”
Richard had told Kahlan that the book Ann carried and was now flashing at him, called a journey book, retained ancient magic. Journey books were paired; any message written in it appeared simultaneously in its twin. The Sisters of the Light used the little books to communicate when they went on long journeys, such as when they had come to the New World to take Richard back to the Palace of the Prophets.
Richard brightened at her suggestion. “Please, yes. It’s important.” He started for the door again. “I’ve got to go.”
“ I’m going to check on the woman who lost the baby,” Zedd told Ann. “Help her get some rest.”
“ Richard,” Kahlan called, “don’t you want to eat?”
As she was speaking, Richard gestured for her to come along, but was through the door and gone before she finished the question. Zedd followed his grandson out, shrugging his perplexity back at the two women. Kahlan growled and started after Richard.
“ It must be like a fanciful children’s story come to life for you, for a Confessor, to marry for love,” Ann commented while remaining rooted to the spot where she had been for the last hour.
Kahlan turned back to the woman. “Well, yes, it is.”
Ann smiled up with sincere warmth. “I’m so happy for you, child, being able to have such a wonderful thing as a husband you dearly love come into your life.”
Kahlan’s fingers lingered on the lever of the closed door.
“ It still leaves me utterly astonished, at times.”
“ It must be disappointing when your new husband seems to have more important things to attend to than his new wife, when he seems to be ignoring you.” Ann pursed her lips. “Especially on your very first day being his wife.”
“ Ah.” Kahlan released the lever and clasped both hands loosely behind her back. “So that’s why Zedd left. We are to have a woman-to-woman talk, are we?”
Ann chuckled. “Oh, but how I do love it when men I respect marry smart women. Nothing marks a man’s character better than his attraction to intelligence.”
Kahlan sighed as she leaned a shoulder against the wall. “I know Richard, and I know he’s not trying my patience deliberately … but, this is our first day married. I somehow thought it would be different than this … this chasing imaginary chicken monsters. I
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