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Soul of Fire Sword of Truth 05 Terry Goodkind Chapter “I WONDER WHAT’S BOTHERING the chickens,” Richard said Kahlan nuzzled tighter against his shoulder “Maybe your grandfather is pestering them now, too.” When he didn’t reply, she tilted her head back to squint up at him in the dim firelight He was watching the door “Or maybe they’re grouchy because we kept them awake most of the night.” Richard grinned and kissed her forehead The brief squawking on the other side of the door had ceased No doubt the village children, still reveling in the wedding celebration, had been chasing the chickens from a favorite roost on the squat wall outside the spirit house She told him as much Faint sounds of distant laughter, conversation, and singing drifted into their quiet sanctuary The scent of the balsam sticks that were always burned in the spirit-house hearth mingled with the tang of sweat earned in passion, and the spicy-sweet aroma of roasted peppers and onions Kahlan watched the firelight reflecting in his gray eyes a moment before lying back in his arms to sway gently to the sounds of the drums and the boldas Paddles scraped up and down ridges carved on the hollow, bell-shaped boldas produced an eerie, haunting melody that seeped through the solitude of the spirit house on its way out onto the grasslands, welcoming spirit ancestors to the celebration Richard stretched to the side and retrieved a round, flat piece of tava bread from the platter Zedd, his grandfather, had brought them “It’s still warm Want some?” “Bored with your new wife so soon, Lord Rahl?” Richard’s contented laugh brought a smile to her lips “We really are married, aren’t we? It wasn’t just a dream, was it?” Kahlan loved his laugh So many times she had prayed to the good spirits that he would be able to laugh again- that they both would “Just a dream come true,” she murmured She urged him from the tava bread for a long kiss His breathing quickened as he clutched her in his powerful arms She slid her hands across the sweatslick muscles of his broad shoulders to run her fingers through the thick tangle of his hair as she moaned against his mouth It had been here in the Mud People’s spirit house, on a night that now seemed lifetimes ago, that she had first realized she was hopelessly in love with him, but had to keep her forbidden feelings secret It was during that visit, after battle, struggle, and sacrifice, that they had been accepted into the community of these remote people On another visit, it was here in the spirit house, after Richard accomplished the impossible and broke the spell of prohibition, that he had asked her to be his wife And now they had at last spent their wedding night in the spirit house of the Mud People Though it had been for love and love alone, their wedding was also a formal joining of the Midlands and D’Hara Had they been wedded in any of the great cities of the Midlands, the event undoubtedly would have been a pageant of unparalleled splendor Kahlan was experienced in pageantry These guileless people understood their sincerity and simple reasons for wanting to be married She preferred the joyous wedding they had celebrated among people bonded to them in their hearts, over one of cold pageant Among the Mud People, who led hard lives on the plain of the wilds, such a celebration was a rare opportunity to gather in merriment, to feast, to dance, and to tell stories Kahlan knew of no other instance of an outsider being accepted as Mud People, so such a wedding was unprecedented She suspected it would become part of their lore, the story repeated in future gatherings by dancers dressed in elaborate grass-and-hide costumes, their faces painted with masks of black and white mud “I believe you’re plying an innocent girl with your magic touch,” she teased, breathlessly She was beginning to forget how weak and weary her legs were Richard rolled onto his back to catch his breath “Do you suppose we ought to go out there and see what Zedd is up to?” Kahlan playfully smacked the back of her hand against his ribs “Why Lord Rahl, I think you really are bored with your new wife First the chickens, then tava bread, and now your grandfather.” Richard was watching the door again “I smell blood.” Kahlan sat up “Probably just some game brought back by a hunting party If there really was trouble, Richard, we would know about it We have people guarding us In fact, we have the whole village watching over us No one could get past the Mud People hunters unseen There would at least be an alarm and everyone would know about it.” She wasn’t sure if he even heard her He was stone still, his attention riveted on the door When Kahlan’s fingers glided up his arm and her hand rested lightly on his shoulder, his muscles finally slackened and he turned to her “You’re right.” His smile was apologetic “I guess I can’t seem to let myself relax.” Nearly her whole life, Kahlan had trod the halls of power and authority From a young age she had been disciplined in responsibility and obligation, and schooled in the threats that always shadowed her She was well steeled to it all by the time she had been called upon to lead the alliance of the Midlands Richard had grown up very differently, and had gone onto fulfill his passion for his forested homeland by becoming a woods guide Turmoil, trial, and destiny had thrust him into a new life as leader of the D’Haran Empire Vigilance was his valuable ally and difficult to dismiss She saw his hand idly skim over his clothes He was looking for his sword He’d had to travel to the Mud People’s village without it Countless times, she had seen him absently and without conscious thought reassure himself that it was at hand It had been his companion for months, through a crucible of change-both his, and the world’s It was his protector, and he, in turn, was the protector of that singular sword and the post it represented In a way, the Sword of Truth was but a talisman It was the hand wielding the sword that was the power; as the Seeker of Truth, he was the true weapon In some ways, it was only a symbol of his post, much as the distinctive white dress was a symbol of hers Kahlan leaned forward and kissed him His arms returned to her She playfully pulled him back down on top of her “So, how does it feel being married to the Mother Confessor herself?” He slipped onto an elbow beside her and gazed down into her eyes “Wonderful,” he murmured “Wonderful and inspiring And tiring.” With a gentle finger he traced the line of her jaw “And how does it feel being married to the Lord Rahl?” A throaty laugh burbled up “Sticky.” Richard chuckled and stuffed a piece of tava bread in her mouth He sat up and set the brimming wooden platter down between them Tava bread, made from tava roots, was a staple of the Mud People Served with nearly every meal, it was eaten by itself, wrapped around other foods, and used as a scoop for porridge and stews Dried into biscuits, it was carried on long hunts Kahlan yawned as she -stretched, feeling relieved that he was no longer preoccupied by what was beyond the door She kissed his cheek at seeing him once again at ease Under a layer of warm tava bread he found roasted peppers, onions, mushroom caps as broad as her hand, turnips, and boiled greens There were even several rice cakes Richard took a bite out of a turnip before rolling some of the greens, a mushroom, and a pepper in a piece of tava bread and handing it to her In a reflective tone, he said, “I wish we could stay in here forever.” Kahlan pulled the blanket over her lap She knew what he meant Outside, the world awaited them “Well…” she said, batting her eyelashes at him, “just because Zedd came and told us the elders want their spirit house back, that doesn’t mean we have to surrender it until we’re good and ready.” Richard took in her frolicsome offer with a mannered smile “Zedd was just using the elders as an excuse He wants me.” She bit into the roll he had given her as she watched him absently break a rice cake in half, his thoughts seeming to drift from what he was doing “He hasn’t seen you for months.” With a finger, she wiped away juice as it rolled down her chin “He’s eager to hear all you’ve been through, and about the things you’ve learned.” He nodded absently as she sucked the juice from her finger “He loves you, Richard There are things he needs to teach you.” “That old man has been teaching me since I was born.” He smiled distantly “I love him, too.” Richard enfolded mushrooms, greens, pepper and onion in tava bread and took a big bite Kahlan pulled strands of limp greens from her roll and nibbled them as she listened to the slow crackle of the fire and the distant music When he finished, Richard rooted under the stack of tava bread and came up with a dried plum “All that time, and I never knew he was more than my beloved friend; I never suspected he was my grandfather, and more than a simple man.” He bit off half the plum and offered her the other half “He was protecting you, Richard Being your friend was the most important thing for you to know.” She took the proffered plum and popped it in her mouth She studied his handsome features as she chewed With her fingertips, she turned his face to look up at her She understood his larger concerns “Zedd is back with us, now, Richard He’ll help us His counsel will be a comfort as well as an aid.” “You’re right Who better to counsel us than the likes of Zedd?” Richard pulled his clothes close “And he is no doubt impatient to hear everything.” As Richard drew his black pants on, Kahlan put a rice cake between her teeth and held it there as she tugged things from her pack She halted and took the rice cake from her mouth “We’ve been separated from Zedd for months-you longer than I Zedd and Ann will want to hear it all We’ll have to tell it a dozen times before they’re satisfied “I’d really like to have a bath first There are some warm springs not too far away.” Richard halted at buttoning his black shirt “What was it that Zedd and Ann were in such a fret about, last night, before the wedding?” “Last night?” She pulled her folded shirt from her pack and shook it out “Something about the chimes I told them I spoke the three chimes But Zedd said they would take care of it, whatever it was.” Kahlan didn’t like to think about that It gave her goose-flesh to remember her fear and panic It made her ache with a sick, weak feeling to contemplate what would have happened had she delayed even another moment in speaking those three words Had she delayed, Richard would now be dead She banished the memory “That’s what I thought I remembered.” Richard smiled as he winked “Looking at you in your blue wedding dress… well, I remember having more important things on my mind at the time “The three chimes are supposed to be a simple matter I guess he did say as much Zedd, of all people, shouldn’t have any trouble with that sort of thing.” “So, how about the bath?” “What?” He was staring at the door again “Bath Can we go to the springs and have a warm bath before we have to sit down with Zedd and Ann and start telling them long stories?” He pulled his black tunic over his head The broad gold band around its squared edges caught the firelight He gave her a sidelong glance “Will you wash my back?” She watched his smile as he buckled on his wide leather over-belt with its gold-worked pouches to each side Among other things, they held possessions both extraordinary and dangerous “Lord Rahl, I will wash anything you want.” He laughed as he put on his leather-padded silver wristbands The ancient symbols worked onto them reflected with points of reddish firelight “Sounds like my new wife may turn an ordinary bath into an event.” Kahlan tossed her cloak around her shoulders and then pulled the tangle of her long hair out from under the collar “After we tell Zedd, we’ll be on our way.” She playfully poked his ribs with a finger “Then you’ll find out.” Giggling, he caught her finger to stop her from tickling him “If you want a bath, we’d better not tell Zedd He’ll start in on us with just one question, then just one more, and then another.” His cloak, glimmered golden in the firelight as he fastened it at his throat “Before you know it, the day will be done and he’ll still be asking questions How far are these warm springs?” Kahlan gestured to the south “An hour’s walk Maybe a bit more.” She stuffed some tava bread, a brush, a cake of fragrant herb soap, and a few other small items into a leather satchel “But if, as you say, Zedd wants to see us, don’t you suppose he’ll be nettled if we go off without telling him?” Richard grunted a cynical laugh “If you want a bath, it’s best to apologize later for not telling him first It isn’t that far We’ll be back before he really misses us, anyway.” Kahlan caught his arm She turned serious “Richard, I know you’re eager to see Zedd We can go bathe later, if you’re impatient to see him I wouldn’t really mind… Mostly I just wanted to be alone with you a little longer.” He hugged her shoulders “We’ll see him when we get back in a few hours He can wait I’d rather be alone with you, too.” As he nudged open the door, Kahlan saw him once again absently reach to touch the sword that wasn’t there His cloak was a golden blaze as the sunlight fell across it Stepping behind him into the cold morning light, Kahlan had to squint Savory aromas of foods being prepared on village cook fires filled her lungs Richard leaned to the side, looking behind the short wall His raptorlike gaze briefly swept the sky His scrutiny of the narrow passageways among the jumble of drab, square buildings all around was more meticulous The buildings on this side of the village, such as the spirit house, were used for various communal purposes Some were used only by the elders as sanctuaries of sorts Some were used by hunters in rites before a long hunt No man ever crossed the threshold of the women’s buildings Here, too, the dead were prepared for their funeral ceremony The Mud People buried their dead Using wood for funeral pyres was impractical; wood of any quantity was distant, and therefore precious Wood for cook fires was supplemented with dried dung but more often with billets of tightly wound dried grass Bonfires, such as the ones the night before at their wedding ceremony, were a rare and wondrous treat With no one living in any of the surrounding buildings, this part of the village had an empty, otherworldly feel to it The drums and boldas added their preternatural influence to the mood among the deep shadows The drifting voices made the empty streets seem haunted Bold slashes of sunlight slanting in rendered the deep shade beyond nearly impenetrable Still studying those shadows, Richard gestured behind Kahlan glanced over the wall In the midst of scattered feathers fluttering in the cold breeze lay the bloody carcass of a chicken Dalton shrugged “Ah well, I’m afraid she isn’t going to make it.” Richard frowned “What are you talking about?” “There is a nasty illness going around among the prostitutes in Fairfield Somehow, my wife, the Sovereign, his wife, and I have acquired it We are already coming ill Very unfortunate It’s an unpleasant death, I’m told “The poor Sovereign is weeping and inconsolable Considering it was the one thing he feared above all else, one would think he would have been more careful in choosing his partners “The Dominie Dirtch, too, I’ve heard, have crumbled to dust All our work seems to be coming undone I expect that Emperor Jagang, when he arrives, is going to be quite displeased.” “We can hope,” Richard said Dalton smiled “Well, I’ve things to do, unless, of course, you wish to kill me.” Richard smiled at the man “A wise woman told me that the people are the willing accomplices of tyranny They make those like you possible “I’m going to the worst possible thing I could to you and your people-what my grandfather would have done to you “I’m going to leave you all to suffer the consequences of your own actions.” Ann was so cramped she feared she would be crippled for life, never to walk again The box she was in was bouncing around in the wagon something awful as it rattled over cobblestones, adding to her misery She felt as if someone had beaten her with a club If she wasn’t let out soon, she was sure she would go mad As if in answer to the prayer, the wagon finally slowed, and then stopped Ann sagged with blessed relief She was near tears from the pain of hitting the sides and bottom, being unable to use her hands and feet to brace herself She heard the hasp being worked, and then the top opened, letting cool night air in Ann took a thankful lungful, savoring it like a sweet perfume The front of the box dropped onto the bed of the wagon Sister Alessandra was standing there, looking in Ann peered around, but didn’t see anyone else They were in a narrow side street that looked deserted, for-the most part One old woman walked past, but didn’t even glance their way Ann frowned “Alessandra, what’s going on?” Sister Alessandra folded her hands in a prayerful pose “Prelate, please, I want to return to the Light.” Ann blinked “Where are we?” “The city the emperor has been traveling to It’s called Fairfield I encouraged your driver to let me drive the wagon.” “Encouraged him? How?” “With a club.” Ann’s eyebrows rose “I see.” “And then, I’m so bad with directions, we became separated from the rest of the line, and well, I guess now we’re lost.” “How unfortunate for us.” “I guess that leaves looking for some of Jagang’s troops and surrendering, or else returning to the Light.” “Alessandra, are you serious?” The woman looked ready to burst into tears The banter was over “Please, Prelate, help me?” “Alessandra, you don’t need me The path to the Light is through your own heart.” Sister Alessandra knelt down behind the wagon as Ann still sat in her box, her hands and feet in chains “Please, dear Creator,” Alessandra began Ann listened as the woman poured her heart out At the end, she kissed her ring finger Ann held her breath, waiting for a bolt of lightning to strike Alessandra dead for betraying the Keeper of the underworld Nothing happened Alessandra smiled up at Ann “Prelate, I can feel it I can-” Her words were cut off with a choking sound Her eyes bulged Ann scooted toward her “Alessandra! Is it Jagang? Is it Jagang in you mind?” Alessandra nodded as best she could “Swear loyalty to Richard! Swear it in your heart! It’s the only thing to keep the dream walker from your mind!” Falling to the ground, Sister Alessandra twitched in convulsions of pain, at the same time mumbling words Ann couldn’t understand At last, the woman went slack, panting in relief She sat up and peered up into the wagon “It worked! Prelate, it worked.” She put her hands to her head “Jagang is gone from my mind Oh, praise the Creator Praise the Creator.” “How about getting these things off me, and doing your praying later?” Sister Alessandra scurried to help Before long, Ann had her shackles off, and she had been healed For the first time in what seemed ages, she could again touch her own gift The two of them unhitched the horses and saddled them with tack from the wagon Ann hadn’t felt so joyous in years They both wanted to get far away from the Imperial Order army As they made their way through the city, heading north, they came across a square filling with thousands of people all carrying candles Ann bent over on her horse to ask one of the young women what was going on “It’s a candlelight vigil for peace,” the woman said Ann was dumbfounded “A what?” “A candlelight vigil for peace We are all gathering to show the soldiers coming into the city a better way, to show them the people are going to insist on peace.” Ann scowled “If I were you, I’d be heading for a hole, because these men don’t believe in peace.” The woman smiled in a long-suffering manner “When they see us all gathered for peace, they will see that we are a force too powerful to overcome with anger and hatred.” As the young woman marched on into the square, Ann seized Sister Alessandra’s sleeve “Let’s get out of here This is going to be a killing field.” “But Prelate, these people are in danger You know what the soldiers of the Order will The women… you know what they will to the women And any men who resist will be slaughtered.” Ann nodded “I expect so But there is nothing we can about it They will have peace The dead will have peace The living will have peace, too-as slaves.” They made it past the square just in time When the soldiers arrived, it was worse even than Ann had envisioned Screams of panic, then terror, and then pain rose from the trapped throng The cries of the men and the children would end relatively quickly The screams of the older girls and women had only just begun When at last they reached the countryside, Ann asked, “I told you we had to eliminate the Sisters of the Light who wouldn’t escape Did you as you knew I wished, before you escaped with me, Sister?” Sister Alessandra stared ahead as she rode “No, Prelate.” “Alessandra, you knew it had to be done.” “I want to come back to the Creator’s Light I couldn’t destroy the life he created.” “And by not killing those few, many more could die A Sister of the Dark would want that How can I trust you are telling me the truth?” “Because I didn’t kill the Sisters If I were still a Sister of the Dark I would have I’m telling the truth.” It would be wonderful if Alessandra had returned to the Light That had never happened before Alessandra could be an invaluable source of information “Or it shows you are lying, and are still sworn to the Keeper.” “Prelate, I helped you escape Why won’t you believe me?” Ann looked over at the woman as they rode out toward the wilds, toward the unknown “I can never fully believe or trust you, Alessandra, not after the lies you have told That is the curse of lying, Sister Once you place that crown of the liar upon your head, you can take it off again, but it leaves a stain for all time.” Richard turned when he heard the horse approaching from behind He checked Kahlan, who lay inside the carriage, as he walked beside it She was asleep, or possibly unconscious At least he could now recognize a little of her face Richard looked again when the horse was closer, and saw a rider in red Cara trotted her horse up close and then dismounted She took the reins and walked up beside him She had a limp “Lord Rahl, it took me a long time to catch you Where are you going?” “Home.” “Home?” “That’s right, home.” Cara looked up the road “Where is home?” “Hartland Maybe to the west-in the mountains There are some nice places there, places I’ve always wanted to take Kahlan.” She seemed to accept this and walked silently beside him for a time, leading her horse along behind “Lord Rahl, what about everything else? D’Hara The Midlands All the people.” “What about them?” “Well, they will be waiting for you.” “They don’t need me I quit.” “Lord Rahl, how can you say such a thing?” “I have violated every wizard’s rule I know I’ve…” He let it go He didn’t care “Where is Du Chaillu?” Cara asked “I sent her home to her people Her task with us was done.” Richard glanced over “She had her baby A beautiful little girl She named it Cara, after you.” Cara beamed “Then I am glad it was not ugly Some babies are ugly, you know.” “Well, this one was beautiful.” “Did it look like you, Lord Rahl?” Richard scowled at her “No.” Cara peered into the carriage Her blond braid slipped forward over her shoulder “What happened to the Mother Confessor?” “I just about got her killed.” Cara didn’t say anything “I heard you were captured Are you all right?” he asked Cara pushed her braid back over her shoulder “They were fools They didn’t take my Agiel When you fixed the magic, I made them all curse their mothers for ever meeting their fathers.” Richard smiled That was the Cara he knew “And then I killed them,” she added She held out the broken top of a black bottle It still had the gold filigree stopper “Lord Rahl, I failed I didn’t bring you your sword But… but I managed to break the black bottle from the Wizard’s Keep with the sword, at least.” She stopped, her blue eyes brimming with tears “Lord Rahl, I’m sorry I failed I tried my best, I swear, but I failed.” Richard stopped then He put his arms around her “No, you didn’t fail, Cara Because you broke that bottle with the sword, we were able to get magic back to right.” “Really?” He nodded as he looked her in the eye “Really You did right, Cara I’m proud of you.” They started walking again “So, Lord Rahl, how far to home?” He thought it over a few minutes “I guess Kahlan is my family, so that makes it home wherever we are As long as I’m with Kahlan, I’m home “Cara, it’s over You can go home now I release you.” She stopped Richard walked on “But I don’t have a family They are all dead.” He looked back at her, standing in the road, looking as forlorn as anything he had ever seen Richard went back, put an arm around her shoulders, and started walking with her “We’re your family, Cara, Kahlan and me We love you So I guess you should come home with us.” That seemed to suit her “Will there be people at this home place who need killing?” Richard smiled “I don’t think so.” “Then why would we want to go there?” When he only smiled, she said, “I thought you wanted to take over the world I was looking forward to you being a tyrant I say you should it The Mother Confessor would agree with me That makes it two against one We win.” “The world didn’t want me They took a vote and said no.” “A vote! There was your problem.” “I won’t it again.” Cara limped along beside him for a time and then said, “They will all find you, you know The D’Harans are bonded to you You are the Lord Rahl Everyone will find you.” “Maybe Maybe not.” “Richard?” came a soft voice He pulled the team up and went to the side of the carriage Kahlan was awake He took her hand “Who’s that?” she asked Cara leaned in “Just me I had to come back You see what kind of trouble you get into when I’m not watching over you?” Kahlan smiled a little smile She released Richard’s hand and took Cara’s “Glad you’re home,” Kahlan whispered “Lord Rahl said I saved the magic Can you imagine? What was I thinking? I had the chance to rid myself of magic, and instead I saved it.” Kahlan smiled again “How are you feeling?” Richard asked “Terrible.” “You don’t look so bad,” Cara told her “I’ve been much worse.” Richard gently stroked Kahlan’s hand “You’ll get better I promise And wizards always keep their promises.” “Cold,” she said Her teeth were beginning to chatter Richard spotted the blanket Dalton Campbell had put on the side and pulled it closer The Sword of Truth fell out He stood staring at it “The sword has come home, too, I guess,” Cara said “I guess it has.” Version: 1.1 (2002-apr-21) Version: 1.2 (2008-jan-14) Converted to html removed page numbers fixed chapter headings Table of Contents Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Table of Contents Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 ... before they once again struck out, the Bird Man, over on one of the open pole structures, glanced their way The leader of the six elders, and thus of the Mud People, the Bird Man had conducted the. .. light Some of the people would have stayed up the whole night just to watch the spectacle of the fires For the children, the bonfires were a source of wonder and delight Everyone had worn their best... the next few days by watching the way the grasses moved in the wind Two of the village elders, Hajanlet and Arbrin, sat at the back of the platform, their eyelids drooping, as they watched their