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Ishaq blinked. “Kahlan?”
“His wife,” a scowling Victor said as he stepped through the men behind Ishaq.
Ishaq turned to gawk at Victor. He turned back to Richard.
“Wife?” He swept his red hat off his head. “Wife? But this is wonderful!” He spread his arms. “Wonderful!” He threw his arms around Richard and hugged him as he laughed and danced back and forth on the balls of his feet. “You took a wife! This is wonderful news. We will have a banquet and—”
“She’s missing,” Richard said, easing Ishaq back to arm’s length. “I’m looking for her. We don’t know what happened.”
“Missing?” Ishaq swiped back his dark hair and replaced his red hat. “I will help. I will go with you.” His dark eyes turned serious. “Tell me what I can do.”
It was no empty offer Ishaq made for the sake of courtesy. He was sincere. It was heartwarming to know that this man would drop everything to help.
Richard didn’t think, though, that this was the time or place to explain. “It’s not that simple.”
“Richard,” Victor said as he leaned closer, “we’ve got trouble.”
Ishaq frowned at Victor, gesturing irritably. “Richard’s wife is missing. Why you bring him more worries on top of that?”
“It’s all right, Ishaq. Victor already knows about Kahlan.” Richard rested his left hand on the pommel of his sword. “What sort of trouble?” he asked Victor.
“Scouts have just returned to report Imperial Order troops coming this way.”
Ishaq swept his hat from his head again. “Troops?”
“Another supply convoy?” Richard asked.
“No,” Victor said with a firm shake of his head. “These men are combat troops and they’re coming this way.”
Ishaq’s eyes grew round. “Soldiers are coming? How soon?”
Voices carried the worrisome news back through the growing crowd.
“At the rate they’re marching, they’re still a few days out. We have some time to get our defenses organized. But not a lot of time.”
Nicci stepped up close to Richard’s side. With her back straight, her head held high, and her cutting gaze, she drew all eyes. Voices quieted as they watched her. Even people who didn’t know who Nicci was tended to fall silent in her presence. Some because of her stunning looks, some because there was just something dangerous about her commanding presence, on top of her physical attraction, that made them tend to lose their nerve along with their voice.
“And the scouts are sure they’re headed this way?” she asked. “Couldn’t they just be passing near on their way north?”
“They’re not heading north.” Victor arched an eyebrow. “They’re coming from the north.”
Richard’s fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword. “They’re coming down from the north—are you sure?”
Victor nodded. “They’re seasoned combat troops. Worse still, they’ve picked up one of those priests somewhere along the way.”
The gathered men gasped. Whispers of the news spread back through the crowd. Some of the men started asking questions, each trying to be heard over the others.
Nicci lifted a hand, commanding silence. With no more effort than that, the darkening hillside of marble steps fell quiet. In the tense hush, she leaned toward the grim blacksmith. Nicci’s brow drew down like a hawk that had just spotted dinner.
“They have a wizard with them?” she hissed.
Victor didn’t back up—one of the few who didn’t. “He’s said to be a high priest of the Fellowship of Order.”
“All the Brothers in the Fellowship are wizards,” Ishaq pointed out. “This is not good news. Not good at all.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Victor said. “From the reports brought back by the men, there is no doubt that this one is a wizard.”
Worried conversation again swept through the crowd. Some swore that such a development would make no difference, that they would fight any attempt by the Order to take back Altur’Rang. Others weren’t so sure as to what should be done.
Nicci, staring off as she considered what she’d heard, finally returned her gaze to Victor. “Do the scouts know his name or anything about him that might help identify him?”
Victor hooked his thumbs behind his belt as he gave her a single nod. “The high priest’s name is Kronos.”
“Kronos…” she murmured in thought.
“The scouts who spotted the troops used their heads,” Victor told her. “They hadn’t been seen, so they got out ahead of the soldiers and mingled into a town along the legion’s path and waited for them to arrive. The soldiers camped just outside the town for a few nights to rest up and to resupply. Apparently they stripped the town bare in the process. When they got drunk they talked enough for my men to get the gist of what they’re up to, and what they are up to is not just putting an end to the insurrection in Altur’Rang. Their orders are to crush the revolt and not to be gentle about it. They said they were to make examples of the people there. They don’t seem to think it will be a big task, and they’re looking forward to the fun they’ll be having after the victory.”
A pall of silence fell over the crowd.
“What about the wizard?” Ishaq asked.
“The men say that this fellow Kronos is a pious sort. He’s average height with blue eyes. He didn’t do any drinking with the soldiers. Instead, he lectured the town’s folks long and often on the need to follow the Creator’s true ways by sacrificing what they had for the good of their fellow man, the Imperial Order, and their beloved emperor.
“But, as it turns out, when he’s not lecturing he’s a letch, and apparently it doesn’t matter much to him who the woman is or if she’s at all willing. After one man angrily raised a ruckus about his daughter being taken right off the street by Kronos’s orders, the good Brother came out and with a flash of his power burned the hide right off the father. The pious wizard left the man screaming and twitching as a lesson and he went back inside to finish his business with the daughter. The poor fellow was several hours dying. My men said it was as horrifying as anything they’d ever seen. After that, no one else had much to say when any woman caught Kronos’s eye.”
Murmuring broke out in the crowd. Many of the people were shocked and angered by the story. A number were frightened that this man was not only coming for them but was under orders to make examples of them.
Nicci didn’t look at all surprised by the report of such brutality. After lengthy consideration, she finally shook her head.
“I don’t know this Brother of the Order, but there are a number of them that I don’t know.”
Ishaq’s dark eyes shifted between Richard and Nicci. “What are we going to do? Troops and a wizard. This is not good. But you have ideas, yes?”
Some in the crowd voiced their agreement with Ishaq, wanting to know what Richard thought. He didn’t really see what there was to discuss.
“You’ve all fought for and won your freedom,” Richard said. “I would suggest that you don’t give it up.”
