people。’ He lifted her right hand and placed it on the bone knife。 ‘Swear to carry this duty in your heart。’
‘I have already sworn to protect the Mud People； and the others of the Midlands。 I have already fought and will continue to fight for all of you。’
He squeezed her hand tighter to the bone。 ‘Swear to Chandalen。’
She studied his grim expression a long moment。 ‘You have my vow； Chandalen。 I swear it before you。’
He smiled as he pulled her mantle back over her shoulder； over the bone knife。 ‘Chandalen will thank Richard With The Temper； when I see him again； for saving me from being chosen as the mate to the Mother Confessor。 I will wish him no bad fortune。 He fights； too； for the Mud People； as the Bird Man has told us。’
Kahlan bent to pick up his mantle。 ‘Here。 Put this back on； I don’t want you to freeze。 You must still get me to Aydindril。’
He nodded； still wearing the small； tight smile； as he threw the mantle over his shoulders。 His smile died as he glanced at the doors。 ‘Someone has been here since this was done。’
Kahlan frowned。 ‘What makes you think that？’
‘Why did you close the doors after you had looked？’
‘Out of respect for the dead。’
‘When we came to them； they were closed。 Those who did this rape had no respect。 They would not have closed all the doors。 They wanted anyone who came to see what they had done。 Someone else has been here； and closed the doors。’
Kahlan glanced to the doors； seeing the meaning of what he said。 ‘I think you’re right。’ She shook her head。 Those who did this would not have closed the door。’
Chandalen leaned on the railing again； looking down at the wide stairs。 ‘Why are we here？’
‘Because I had to know what happened to these people。’
‘You saw that outside。 Why are we here； in this house？’
Kahlan glanced at the steps leading up to the top floor。 ‘Because I have to know if the queen was killed； too。’
He looked over his shoulder toward her。 ‘She means something to you？’
Kahlan was suddenly aware of the pounding of her heart。 ‘Yes。 Do you remember the statues near the door we entered？’
‘A woman； and a man。’
She nodded。 The statue of the woman is a statue of her mother。 My mother was a Confessor。 The statue of the man is a statue of her father。 King Wyborn。 He was also my father。’
Chandalen lifted an eyebrow。 ‘You are sister to this queen？’
‘Half sister。’ Summoning courage； she started for the stairs。 ‘Let’s see if she is here； and then we can be on our way to Aydindril。’
Kahlan’s heart was still pounding as she stood before the door to the queen’s chambers。 She couldn’t bring herself to open it。 It smelled dreadful in the hall； but she hardly noticed。
‘Do you wish me to look for you？’
‘No；’ she said。 ‘I must see with my own eyes。’
She turned the knob。 The door was locked； the key still in place。 She touched the icy metal plate。 This is a lock； the thing I told you of before；’ she lectured as she pulled the key out and held it up。 This is a key。’ Replacing the key； she twisted it with shaking fingers。 ‘If you have a key； you can open the lock； and then the door。’
Someone had obviously locked the door； out of respect for the queen。
The windows were intact； as was the furniture。 The room was as freezing cold as the rest of the palace； but the smell made them suddenly gag and hold their breath。
Human excrement covered everything in the outer sitting room。 The two of them stared in shock。 Dark piles dotted the carpets and sat on the desk and table。 The blue velvet chairs and couches were soaked with yellow； frozen urine。 Someone had even squatted neatly in the fireplace。
Holding their mantles across their noses； they stepped carefully across the room to the next closed door。 The queen’s bedchamber was worse。 There was hardly a place to put a foot without stepping in it。 But as covered as the floor was； the worst was the bed； it was heaped with feces。 Delicately painted floral scenes on the walls were smeared with it。 If everything hadn’t been frozen solid； they would have been driven from the room by the stench。 As it was； it was barely tolerable。
Thankfully； there were no bodies。 The queen was not here。
The names on Kahlan’s mental roster of who could have done all this fell away； and only one nation was left。 The ones who had been at the top； before。
‘Keltans；’ she hissed to herself。
Chandalen was dumbfounded。 ‘Why would these men do this？ Are they children who do not know better？’
After a last look around； Kahlan led them back out into the hall； locking the door once more； at last taking a full breath。 ‘It’s a message。 It’s meant to show their disrespect for the people who lived here。 It says that they have nothing but scorn for these people； and anything that’s theirs。 They’ve soiled their foe’s honor in every way they could think of。’
‘At least your half sister is not here。’
Kahlan snugged the thongs of her mantle tight at her neck。 ‘At least there is that。’
She descended the steps； pausing to look once more at the closed doors on the second floor。 Chandalen watched her after he； too； glanced to the row of doors。
She sought to fill the silence。 ‘We must go and find Prindin and Tossidin。’
His face was lined with ire。 ‘Does this not make you angry？’
She realized only then that she was wearing her Confessor’s face。 ‘It would do no good for me to show my anger right now。 When the time is right； you will know just how angry I am。’
CHAPTER 30
In a cramped daub and wattle house next to the hole in the city’s wall； Kahlan watched as Chandalen built a small fire for her in the central pit。 The two brothers were nowhere to be seen。
‘Warm yourself；’ he said。 ‘I will see if Prindin and Tossidin are close； and tell them where we wait。’
After he had left； she drew off her mantle； even though she knew it wasn’t a good idea to get too used to the warmth because it would only make the cold seem worse later。 Drawn by the lure of the fire； she squatted close； rubbing her hands together over the flames； shivering as the warmth seeped into her bones。
The small room was one of only two that had been a large part of some family’s world。 The table was broken but the crude bench sitting against the wall was not。 A few pieces of clothing were scattered about； along with bent tin plates and a broken spinning wheel。 Three bobbins were crushed into the dirt floor。
Kahlan retrieved a dented pot from among the rubble； deciding it was easier to use it than to unpack one of their own。 She heaped it full of snow from outside the door； placed the pot on three stones in the fire； then warmed her icy fingers again； finally pressing them against the cold flesh of her face。 There was tea in a crushed canister in the corner； but she instead pulled her own from her pack while she waited for the snow to melt； and the men to return。
Try as she might； she couldn’t get the faces of the dead young women out of her mind。
Several times； she added snow as that in the pot melted down。 As the water was just starting to bubble； Prindin came through the door。 He leaned his bow against the wall and with a sigh slumped down heavily on the bench。
Kahlan stood and glanced to the empty doorway。 ‘Where’s your brother？’
‘He should be here soon。 We took different ways back； to be able to look at more tracks。’ He craned his neck； looking through the doorway into the second room。 ‘Where is Chandalen？’
‘He went to find you and Tossidin。’
Then he will be back soon。 My brother is not far。’
‘What did you find？’
‘More dead people。’
He didn’t seem to want to talk about it at the moment； so she decided to wait until Chandalen returned with Tossidin before questioning him。
‘I was just warming water。 We’ll have some hot tea。’
He nodded； flashing her his handsome smile。 ‘It would be good to have hot tea。’
Kahlan bent over the pot； shaking tea from a leather pouch with one hand； and holding her long hair back from her face with the other。
‘You have a fine…looking bottom；’ came his voice from behind。
She straightened and turned to him。 ‘What did you say？’
Prindin pointed toward her middle。 ‘I said you have a fine…looking bottom。 It is a good shape。’
Kahlan had learned not to be startled or insulted by the strange customs of different peoples of the Midlands。 Among the Mud People； for example； a man plimenting a woman on her breasts was the same as saying she looked to be capable of being a fit and healthy mother； able to nurse her future children。 It was a pliment that brought smiles of pride from the flattered woman’s family； and was a sure way for a suitor to make friends with her father。 At the same time； asking to see a woman with the sticky mud washed from her hair was likely as not to raise drawn bows … it was tantamount to asking the young woman for improper favors。
The Mud People treated matters of sex in an