"You've never met another Listener before?" Renn asked Pearl, hopeful. To his disappointment, she shook her head. "I haven't either. I thought I was the only one ever for a while, too. But when I met the Seeker and Confessor, they told me that there have been others like me. Other Listeners."
"I didn't think there was another like me either for a long time," Pearl agreed.
"But, there isn't anyone like you," Renn said with a smile. "You're different that anyone. Even me." When her face fell a bit he added, "You're special."
She looked up into his eyes and smiled a little back.
"You seem surprised I think of you that way," he said, looking back into Pearl's face. She looked quickly down at her feet again.
"No one calls me special. Only freak."
"For most of my life… me, too," Renn agreed.
"I wish I knew what you were thinking," Pearl whispered, looking at his hand, now.
"I would let you… but you'd know what I had ever thunk in my life," he laughed.
"But I already know that," she said, puzzled.
"...You don't know anything from the last five minutes," he said quietly. It was his turn to look down at the ground now, embarrassed. Pearl looked at Renn in awe.
"I offered to let Rit'zah come with us," Cara said the moment her friends were in earshot. They all looked around in surprised.
"Cara," Richard said. "We don't know if we can trust them to that extent yet. She–"
"I trust her," Cara said firmly. So firmly, Zedd and Kahlan exchanged startled looks. There was a pause.
"If you trust her, then she may come along," Zedd agreed. "But, don't expect us to trust her as much as you do. We both know you're used to doing things different than us, and I'm confident you base most of your trust on those things."
Cara nodded. And sat down on the ground around the map sitting on the floor. There were little trees, marking the forests, and a box that had fancy lettering in it saying "Jiraan". Mountains were symbolized by angles, though only a few were on the map. Roads were drawn by dotted lines and there were some labels here and there.
"This," Verna said, bringing the conversation back on track. "Is where we are." Her index finger tapped a place in the middle of the woods. Inches away there was a line that went through the map. On the other side it said "Old World". "Jiraan is what the Mord'Sith Temple used to be called by Dahrans before Darken Rahl fell. So just through trees and fields to get there. We'll figure out the details to that later. But, if the compass still points past Jiraan, we have to go across this plateau. Sisters of the Light call them the Mesa of Torpefy. Once you climb upon the desert-like plain, you're legs from you waist down become crippled. Immobile and paralyzed."
"What is it with all these landforms that disable?" Kahlan sighed. "A valley puts you into a highly realistic voo-doo dream and then a plateau that makes you go lame. You'd think the sorcerers that made these things would give it a rest." She shook her head as Richard gave a small chuckle.
"We need to figure out a way to get through there," Verna said seriously. "Just in case. It would do no good to go wandering in, not considering the consequences."
"Zed can just levitate us out, right?" Richard said quickly.
"Yes, Sister Verna," Zed said. "I am a wizard. I am quite good with magic."
"Can you do magic with half of you gone?" she said sharply. It was evident she didn't find this at all a joking matter.
"Half of us won't be gone," Cara said. "We'll still have our legs, but they just won't work."
"Your legs will still be visible, yes, but that is not what defines having them," she replied sternly.
"Yeah," Richard said, irritable now at Sister Verna for being so strict with them all. "But having them still attached with your torso does!"
"No, it doesn't, Seeker!" Verna practically yelled angrily. "Blood doesn't flow through them! You can't use them! All they do in that pass is get in the way! Pull you down! Drag behind you!"
"Sister," Zed said, surprised at her sudden outburst. "No need to get loud. We understand. Richard, Cara, we will think of a different plan in the event that my magic will not work."
Sister Verna looked down, shameful of her anger and snappish attitude to them all.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I–I've been there before."
"Well, I'm glad," Richard said. "We'll need someone who knows the area and we're thankful we have you to tell us what will happen once we get to it."
"You might be glad," Verna said sadly. When no one replied she went on. "There were five sisters when we started out looking for you, Seeker. Sisters Caroline, ___, Brasha, Shrail, and me. One was killed by a villager's arrow. He thought us thieves. He apologized for a long time. Crying about how the creator would never forgive him for killing one of her children. He meant it… but it didn't bring Brasha back. Shrail was killed when we passed the mesa. Our Han was useless in that forsaken place. We dragged ourselves, and each other a few times. Water was there, but it would have wasted hours, possibly days to lug ourselves so out of the way. Shrail lost her life because of heat exhaustion. It was too soon! She had grown up in the mountains and she died well before we were low on water. She was not strong. Devoted to the Creator and the Light, but she was no adventurer. The only reason she wanted to come is that she thought it would redeem her of a crime she committed. So little a crime, only one thought to have done it would be a child. She had taken a bunch of flowers from a vase in the main hall and left the Temple in search for a boy she had loved, only to find him married and his wife with child. She thought it was her fault that she left him to become a sister, and then felt terrible in thinking it wrong to want to become a Sister. She was so confused about her life. Her choice to come to us was one of those things you just think of. Like waking up one morning and thinking, 'I'm going to become a vegetarian'." Verna shook her head, wiping her wet eyes with the red silk that draped from her head.
"I am so sorry, Sister," Zed said, looking sadly at her. "This time, we'll be prepared to get across; even without magic."
Everyone turned as there was a little tap on the open door. Gwen was standing there, almost as tall as Zed, but incredibly younger, now with the same face but a head of bright red hair.
"Dinner's almost ready," she said. "Come wash up. Em had only too much fun catching some quail and potatoes with a creamy sauce will be companions in the stew."
Zed stood up instantly. "I can't tell you how famished I am. I'm right behind you!"
Gwen turned with a smile and led them to the main room again. She motioned towards a washing basin.
"There's water inside. If there isn't enough, There should be some over here…" Gwen poked her head out the small window and reached her arm out. As she pulled it back in, a large, leather bag hung from a rope was brought in. "Yes. Some in hear. It rained… two days ago I think. Only a few hours, but enough to last a week, plus extra from the last dozen days. I'll get Ritz to get it… Ritz! Rit'zah! Yes dear, bring this up on your way!"
As she pulled her head back into the shade, she released the pouch to sway in the air.
"You girls seem to keep things running well here!" Richard said as Kahlan poured water over his soapy hands. "It's all in a system."
"Yes, Seeker, we do try," said Emory. She was not noticed before, standing over a cauldron full of a light, bubbling liquid that was hanged over a fire. "It's all organized. Our plants are grown up here, in the trees; they do seem to like it better. When rain comes seldom, we have a well down under the tree twelve paces north of here. We get milk from nearby towns, merchants passing by, plants that produce a milk slightly more bitter than that of a cow, or we go without any. Ritz and I enjoy the hunt, but I like it only for the sport. It's not as fun when I can't attack with my instincts. The venom in my fangs, I dare-say, would kill us all if it was left in the animal and it's just to much trouble to go through cutting out the infested areas or trying to suck the poison out. Anyway, I normally use a bow and arrow. We make most everything we use, or else trade it off travelers. Pearl is a fair healer and botanist so she can heal most wounds we receive with plants or doctoring skills. Only once we had to go to a town for medicine. When Pearl, herself was dropped unconscious by a poisonous spider bite."
"Do you ever encounter soldiers or villagers who try to attack you?" Richard asked, drying his hands as Zed took his turn at the wash basin.
"All the time!" Gemma said. "Mostly just drunken Dahrans or bums that take pleasure in vandalism and making people's lives as miserable and difficult as humanly possible. We have four bases in the matter. First, we ask them to go. Second, we threaten them. Third we try to get them out with force. You know, poke them in the butt a few times with an arrow or have Ritz get a firm grip on them and pull/push them away. And last, and most undesirable for us to do, I assure you, is to kill them." Gemma added more at the shocked/angry look on the travelers' faces. "We don't want to do it. You must understand! They burn our trees and stairs up to where we sleep. Not less than four times have they come up and tried to violate us. Gwen can't fight. Neither can Pearl. Ritz does seem to have a little fun with it, though, if it's only her in danger. She takes risks and savors in the challenge of taking on four men at a time."
"Enough!" Gwen said. "No more talk of killing. Eat, now!"