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was my fault and was unjust。 That is the only reason。
‘When I decide to get this collar off； only those who help me will be my friends。 Sister Verna has made it clear that she will not help me get the collar off。 She intends that it remain on me。 When the time es； if she stands in my way； I will kill her； the same as I will kill any other Sister who tries to stop me。 The same as I will kill you； if you stand in my way。’
‘Richard；’ she scoffed； ‘you’re a mere student； you shouldn’t brag about your powers so。 It’s unbeing to a young man。 You should not even joke about such things。’ She took his arm again。 ‘I don’t believe you would ever hurt a woman。 。。。’
‘Then you believe wrong。’
‘Most young men have trouble adjusting at first； but you will e to trust in me。 We will bee friends； I’m sure of it。’
Richard yanked his arm away and spun to her。 This is no game； Pasha。 If you get in my way when I decide the time has e； I will cut your pretty little throat。’
She peered up at him with a coy smile。 ‘Do you really think I have a pretty neck？’
‘It’s a figure of speech；’ he growled。
He moved on； tugging Bonnie ahead。 Pasha hastened her step to keep up。 She walked in silence for a time； busying herself with pulling little knots and burrs from her hair。
Richard was in no mood to be pleasant。 Killing the mris…with had brought him a strange feeling of fulfillment； but it was fading now； and his frustration with his situation was returning； and it brought with it the anger。
Pasha’s face brightened。 She put on a pleasant smile。
‘I don’t know anything about you； Richard。 Why don’t you tell me about yourself？’
‘What do you want to know？’
‘Well； what did you do 。。。 before you came to the palace？ Did you have some kind of skill？ A profession you worked at？’
Richard scuffed his boots through the dirt。 ‘I was a woods guide。’
‘Where？’
‘Where I grew up； in Hartland； in Westland。’
Pasha pulled the white blouse away from her chest； trying to dry it。 ‘I’m afraid I don’t know where that is。 I don’t know about the New World。 Someday； when I’m a Sister； maybe I’ll be called upon to go there； and help a boy。’
Richard didn’t say anything； so she went on。 ‘So you were a woods guide。 That must have been scary； being out in the woods all the time。 Weren’t you afraid of the animals？ I’d be afraid of the animals。’
‘Why？ If a rabbit jumped out of a bush； you could just burn it to ashes with your Han。’
She giggled。 ‘I’d still be frightened。 I like the city better。’ She pulled some hair back from her face and looked at him as they walked。 She had a funny way of wrinkling her nose。 ‘Did you have a 。。。 well； you know； a girl； a love； or anything？’
Richard was taken by surprise at the question。 His mouth opened； but no words came out。 He snapped it closed。 He was not about to discuss Kahlan with her。
‘I have a wife。’
Pasha missed a step。 She hurried to catch back up。 ‘A wife！’ She considered a moment。 Her voice now had an edge to it。 ‘What is her name？’
Richard kept his eyes straight ahead as he walked。 ‘Her name is Du Chaillu。’
Pasha twisted a strand of hair around her finger。 ‘Is she pretty？ What does she look like？’
‘Yes； she is pretty。 She has thick black hair； a little longer than yours。 She has attractive breasts； and the rest of her is shapely； too。’
From the corner of his eye he could see Pasha’s face glowing red。 She picked at the end of the strand of hair。 Her voice came quiet and cold； despite her trying to layer indifference over it。
‘How long have you known her？’
‘A few days。’
Her hand fell away from her hair。 ‘What do you mean； a few days？ How could you only know her a few days？’
‘When Sister Verna and I went to the Majendie land； a few days ago； they had her chained up。 They were going to sacrifice her to their spirits； and they wanted me to do the killing。 Sister Verna said I was to do as the Majendie wished； so we could pass through their land。
‘Instead； I disobeyed Sister Verna； and shot an arrow at their Queen Mother； pinning her arm to a pole。 I told them that if they didn’t let Du Chaillu go； and make peace with the Baka Ban Mana； I would put the next arrow through the Queen Mother’s head。 They wisely agreed。’
‘She is one of the savages？’
‘She is Baka Ban Mana。 A wisewoman。 She is not a savage。’
‘And she wed you because you were her hero？ Because you rescued her？’
‘No。 Sister Verna and I had to go through her land； to e here。 When we were there； I killed her five husbands。’
Pasha snatched him by the arm。 ‘They are blade masters！ You managed to kill five of them？’
Richard started walking again。 ‘No； I killed thirty of them。’ Pasha gasped。 ‘Her five husbands were among the thirty。 Du Chaillu is their spirit woman； and said I was now the leader of her people。 She said that since she was the spirit woman； and I their leader； their Caharin； I was now her husband。’
Pasha’s smile crept back。 Then you aren’t really her husband。 She was just telling you some of her savage 。。。 some of her Baka Ban Mana spirit babble。’
Richard didn’t say anything。 Pasha’s smile evaporated。 Her scowl returned。 ‘Then how do you know what her breasts； and the rest of her； looks like？’ She looked the other way and gave a sniff。 ‘I suppose she rewarded you for your valor。’
‘I know because when they sent me in to kill her； she had a collar around her neck and she was chained to a wall。 She was held naked in that collar so that men could rape her whenever they wanted。’ Pasha swallowed and looked away again。 ‘She is with child； now； by one of those men。 I guess that because the people to be sacrificed are held in a collar； the Sisters never gave a thought to putting a stop to it。 I don’t guess the Sisters care much what happens to someone in a collar。’
‘The Sisters care；’ Pasha said in a small voice。
Richard didn’t argue。 He walked on in silence。 Pasha looked cold as she folded her arms beneath her breasts。 The sky was turning a deep purple； but it was not getting cold； it was still warm。
After a time； Pasha’s step regained a bit of its bounce。 She glanced over； the smile back。
‘So； what about you？ You have the gift。 Did your father have the gift； too？ Is that where it was passed down from？’
Richard’s mood sank like a rock in a well。 ‘Yes； my father had the gift。’
She looked up hopefully。 ‘Is he still living？’
‘No。 He was killed a short time ago。’
Pasha smoothed the front of her skirt。 ‘Oh。 I’m sorry； Richard。’
Richard’s hand tightened on the reins。 ‘I’m not。 I’m the one who killed him。’
She froze。 ‘You killed your father？ Your own father？’
Richard’s glare locked on to her。 ‘He had me captured； and put in a collar to be tortured。 I killed the beautiful young woman who held the leash to that collar； and then I killed him。’
She had no trouble mistaking the threat in his voice； his words； or his eyes。
Her lower lip began to quiver； and then Pasha burst into tears； turned； and ran。 Holding her skirts up in her fists； she went around an outcropping of rock and ran off over the edge of the hill。
Richard let out a long sigh as he tied the reins to a slab of granite。 He patted Bonnie’s neck。
‘Be a good girl。 Wait here for me。’
He found Pasha sitting on a rock with her arms wrapped around her knees as she cried。 Richard came around to face her； but she turned her face away。 Her shoulders shook as she gasped in racking sobs。
‘Go away！’ She put her forehead against her knees as she wailed。 ‘Or did you e to slice me to bits？’
‘Pasha …’
‘All you care about is killing people！’
‘That’s not true。 I want nothing more than to end the killing。’
‘Oh； sure；’ she cried； ‘that’s why you speak of nothing else！’
That’s only because …’
‘I’ve been praying for this day nearly my whole life！ All I ever wanted was to be a Sister