tg.wizardfirstrule-第14章

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him　at　his　house　made　him　shiver　all　the　more。
　
　Every　bug　that　looped　past　made　him　recoil　in　fear　it　was　a　blood　fly；　and　several　times　he　froze　in　midstep；　only　to　exhale　in　relief　when　he　saw　it　was　only　a　snowy　tree　cricket；　or　a　moth；　or　a　lacewing。　Shadows　melted　and　materialized　as　clouds　passed　in　front　of　the　moon。　He　didn't　want　to；　but　he　looked　up　any…　way。　Stars　winked　off　and　back　on　as　soft；　gauzelike　clouds　moved　silently　across　the　sky。　All　except　one；　which　did　not　move。
　
　Cold　to　the　bone；　he　came　back　in　and　put　the　pot　of　water　on　the　fire；　balancing　it　on　three　stones。　Richard　started　to　sit　across　from　her；　but　then　changed　his　mind　and　sat　next　to　her；　telling　himself　it　was　because　he　was　so　cold。　When　she　heard　his　teeth　chattering；　she　put　half　the　blanket　around　his　shoulders；　letting　her　half　slip　from　her　head　down　to　her　shoulders　as　well。　The　blanket；　heated　by　her　body；　felt　good　around　him；　and　he　sat　quietly　letting　the　warmth　soak　in。
　
　〃I've　never　seen　anything　like　a　gar。　The　Midlands　must　be　a　dreadful　place。〃
　
　〃There　are　many　dangers　in　the　Midlands。〃　A　wistful　smile　came　over　her　face。　〃There　are　also　many　fantastic　and　magical　things。　It　is　a　beautiful；　wondrous　place。　But　the　gar　are　not　from　the　Midlands。　They　are　from　D'Hara。〃
　
　He　stared　in　astonishment。　〃D'Hara！　From　across　the　second　boundary？〃
　
　D'Hara。　Until　his　brother's　speech　today　he　had　never　heard　the　name　spoken　in　anything　other　than　the　cautious　whispers　of　older　people。　Or　in　a　curse。　Kahlan　continued　to　watch　the　fire。
　
　〃Richard…〃　She　paused　as　if　afraid　to　tell　him　the　rest。　〃…there　is　no　longer　a　second　boundary。　The　boundary　between　the　Midlands　and　D'Hara　is　down。　Since　the　spring。〃
　
　That　shock　made　him　feel　as　if　the　shadowy　D'Hara　had　just　taken　a　frightening；　giant　leap　closer。　He　struggled　to　make　sense　of　the　things　he　was　learning。
　
　〃Maybe　my　brother　is　more　of　a　prophet　than　he　knows。〃
　
　〃Maybe；〃　she　said　nonmittally。
　
　〃Although　it　would　be　hard　to　make　a　living　as　a　prophet　by　predicting　events　that　had　already　taken　place。〃　He　gave　her　a　sidelong　glance。
　
　Kahlan　smiled　as　she　idly　twisted　a　strand　of　hair。　〃When　I　first　saw　you；　my　thought　was　that　you　were　no　fool。〃　Firelight　sparkled　in　her　green　eyes。　〃Thank　you　for　not　proving　me　wrong。〃
　
　〃Michael　；is　in　a　position　to　have　knowledge　others　don't
　
　Maybe　he's　trying　to　prepare　the　people；　get　them　used　to　the　idea；　so　when　they　find　out；　they　won't　panic。〃
　
　Michael　often　said　that　information　was　the　coin　of　power；　and　that　it　was　not　a　coin　to　be　spent　frivolously。　After　he　had　be　e　a　councilor；　he　encouraged　people　to　bring　their　information　to　him　first。　Even　a　farmer　with　a　tale　received　an　ear；　and　if　the　tale　proved　true；　a　favor。
　
　The　water　was　starting　to　boil。　Richard　leaned　over；　hooked　his　finger　through　a　strap　and　pulled　his　pack　to　him；　then　re　arranged　the　blanket。　Rummaging　around；　he　located　the　pouch　of　dried　vegetables　and　poured　some　into　the　pot。　From　his　pocket　he　pulled　a　napkin　that　held　four　fat　sausages；　which　he　broke　up　and　tossed　into　the　soup　pot。
　
　Kahlan　looked　surprised。　〃Where　did　those　e　from？　Did　you　snatch　those　from　your　brother's　party？〃　Her　voice　carried　a　tone　of　disapproval。
　
　〃A　good　woodsman；〃　he　said；　licking　his　fingers　and　looking　up　at　her；　〃always　plans　ahead　and　tries　to　know　where　his　next　meal　will　e　from。〃
　
　〃He　will　not　think　much　of　your　manners。〃
　
　〃I　do　not　think　much　of　his。〃　He　knew　he　would　get　no　argument　from　her　on　that　point。　〃Kahlan；　I　won't　justify　the　way　he　acted。　Ever　since　our　mother　died　he's　been　a　hard　person　to　be　close　to。　But　I　know　he　cares　about　people。　You　have　to；　if　you　want　to　be　a　good　councilor。　It　must　be　a　lot　of　pressure。　I　certainly　wouldn't　want　the　responsibility。　But　that's　all　he　ever　wanted：　to　be　someone　important。　And　now　that　he's　First　Councilor；　he　has　what　he's　always　wanted。　He　should　be　satisfied；　but　he　seems　even　less　tolerant。　He's　always　busy；　and　always　snapping　orders。　He　is　always　in　a　bad　mood　lately。　Maybe　when　he　got　what　he　wanted；　it　wasn't　what　he　thought　it　would　be。　I　wish　he　could　be　more　like　he　used　to　be。〃
　
　She　grinned。　〃At　least　you　had　the　good　sense　to　pick　the　best　of　the　sausages。〃
　
　That　eased　the　tension。　They　both　laughed。
　
　〃Kahlan；　I　don't　understand；　about　the　boundary；　I　mean。　I　don't　even　know　what　the　boundary　is；　except　it's　meant　to　keep　the　lands　separated　so　there　will　be　peace。　And　of　course　every…　n　one　knows　that　whoever　goes　into　the　boundary　will　not　e　1　out　alive。　Chase　and　the　boundary　wardens　patrol　to　make　sure　people　stay　away　for　their　own　good。〃
　
　〃Young　people　here　are　not　taught　the　histories　of　the　three　lands？〃
　
　〃No。　I　always　thought　it　odd　myself；　because　I　wanted　to　know；　but　no　one　would　ever　tell　me　much。　People　think　I'm　strange　because　I　want　to　know；　and　I　ask　questions。　Older　people　seem　suspicious　when　I　ask；　and　tell　me　it　was　too　long　ago　to　remember；　or　give　some　other　excuse。
　
　〃Both　my　father　and　Zedd　told　me　they　used　to　live　in　the　Midlands　before　the　boundary。　Before　it　went　up；　they　came　to　Westland。　They　met　here　before　I　was　born。　They　said　that　back　before　the　boundaries　was　a　terrible　time；　and　that　there　was　a　lot　of　fighting。　They　both　told　me　there　was　nothing　I　needed　to　know　except　it　was　a　dreadful　time　best　forgotten。　Zedd　always　seemed　the　most　bitter　about　it。〃
　
　Kahlan　snapped　a　piece　off　a　dry　stick　and　tossed　it　into　the　fire；　where　it　flamed　into　a　bright　ember。
　
　〃Well；　it　is　a　long　story。　If　you　want　I　will　tell　you　some　of　it。〃　When　she　turned　to　him；　he　nodded　for　her　to　go　on。
　
　〃Long　ago；　back　in　the　time　before　our　parents　were　born；　D'Hara　was　just　a　confederation　of　kingdoms；　as　was　the　Midlands。　The　most　ruthless　of　the　D'Haran　rulers　was　Panis　Rahl。　He　was　avaricious。　From　the　first　day　of　his　reign；　he　started　swallowing　up　all　of　D'Hara　for　himself；　one　kingdom　after　another；　many　times　before　the　ink　was　dry　on　a　peace　treaty。　In　the　end；　he　held　sway　over　all　of　D'Hara；　but　instead　of　satisfying　him；　it　only　whetted　his　appetite；　and　he　soon　turned　his　attention　to　the　lands　that　are　now　the　Midlands。　The　Midlands　is　a　loose　confederation　of　free　lands；　free；　at　leas；　to　rule　as　they　see　fit；　and　only　so　long　as　they　live　in　peace　with　one　another。
　
　〃By　the　time　Rahl　had　conquered　all　of　D'Hara；　the　people　of　the　Midlands　had　seen　what　he　was　about；　and　were　not　to　be　taken　so　easily。　They　knew　that　signing　a　peace　treaty　with　him　was　as　good　as　signing　an　invitation　to　invasion。　Instead；　they　chose　to　remain　free；　and　joined　together；　through　the　council　of　the　Midlands；　in　a　mon　defense。　Many　of　the　free　lands　held　no　favor　with　each　other；　but　they　knew　that　if　they　did　not　fight　together；　they　would　die　separately；　one　at　a　time
　
　〃Panis　Rahl　threw　the　might　of　D'Hara　against　them。　War　raged　for　many　years。〃
　
　Kahlan　broke　off　another　piece　of　the　stick　and　fed　it　to　the　fire。　〃As　his　legions　were　finally　slowed　and　then　halted；　Rahl　turned　to　magic。　There　is　magic　in　D'Hara；　too；　not　just　in　the　Midlands。　Back　then　there　was　magic　everywhere。　There　were　no　separate　lands；　no　boundaries。　Anyway；　Panis　Rahl　was　ruthless　in　his　use　of　magic　against　the　free　people。　He　was　terribly　brutal。〃
　
　〃What　kind　of　magic？　What　did　he　do？〃
　
　〃Some　was　trickery；　sickness；　fevers；　but　the　worst　of　it　was　the　shadow　people。〃
　
　Richard　frowned。　〃Shadow　people？　What　were　they？〃
　
　〃Shadows　in　the　air。　Shadow　people　had　no　solid　form；　no　precise　shape；　they　were　not　even　alive　as　we　know　it；　but　beings　created　out　of　magic。〃　She　held　out　her　hand；　gliding　it　across　in　front　of　them。　〃They　would　e　floating　across　a　field　or　through　a　wood。　Weapons　had　no　effect　on　them。　Swords　and　arrows　went　through　them　as　if　they　were　nothing　more　than　smoke。　You　couldn't　hide；　shadow　people　could　see　you　anywhere。　One　would　drift　right　up　to　a　person　and　touch　him。　The　touch　caused　the　person's　whole　body　to　blister　and　swell　and　finally　split　open。　No　one　touched　by　a　shadow　person　ever　survived。　W