yourself so that the healing power of your gift can then flow into the person you’re helping. I have always found that the person’s need actually guides me, draws me onward toward it.”
Except that for some reason his gift had stopped working.
The girl frowned. “I think I know what you mean. My mother had me feel deep down into people, feel the trouble within them.”
“And did she teach you to lift that pain out of them and take it into yourself?”
Sammie hesitated. “Yes. But I was afraid. It’s hard when you can feel the pain they feel. I’ve done that. I’ve felt what they felt, though it was for smaller injuries. Then I try to lift it awayfrom them and, like you say, let the warmth of the gift flow from me and into them to heal them.”
Richard was nodding as she spoke. “That’s been my experience as well.”
“But you said that you have healed people when they have been at the boundaries of the Grace, when they have been crossing over into the world of the dead. You have flowed along those lines of the Grace that flow into the world of the dead.”
It didn’t sound at all like a question so much as a lecture for doing things she had been taught were forbidden.
“You would be surprised, Sammie, what you would do for ones you love.” He again looked over at Kahlan. “I love her very much and I’m afraid for her, but this time I don’t have the strength for the sustained effort needed to heal her. Can you do that for her?”
Sammie’s gaze glided over to watch Ester gently cleaning blood from Kahlan’s face. “What’s wrong with her?”
“I don’t know for sure. A Hedge Maid had captured her and was starting to drink her blood and—”
“Jit?” Sammie abruptly leaned toward him, her eyes intent. “Are you talking about Jit?” When Richard nodded she asked, “How did you ever manage to get away from the Hedge Maid?”
“I killed her.”
“Indeed he did,” Ester said back over her shoulder. She dipped the cloth in the bucket and then wrung red water out of it. “That’s how they were both hurt,” she said with a last look before going back to her work cleaning Kahlan’s wounds.
Sammie seemed not to notice Ester. She instead stared in wonder at Richard.
“Then you really are a protector of your people.” She caught herself, glanced at Ester busy with her work, then leaned closer to Richard and spoke confidentially. “You are the one.”
CHAPTER
8
Richard didn’t know what she meant about him being the one. He was having enough trouble remaining upright and besides, he had far greater concerns at the moment.
“Will you help Kahlan, then? I need you to help us both, but I want you to help Kahlan first. I need to know that she’s out of danger.”
Anxiety tightened the gentle features of Sammie’s face. “She’s the Mother Confessor.”
Richard wasn’t sure exactly what she was getting at. “That’s right.”
Sammie winced a little with a sideways look, apparently fearful of posing the question. “Won’t I, well, you know, won’t I be harmed by her power? When I go down into the essence of who she is, won’t I be taken by her Confessor power?”
Richard was shaking his head even before she had finished the question.
“No, it doesn’t work that way.”
“How can you be sure? You said that you don’t know a lot about magic.”
“Because besides me, both a wizard and a sorceress have healed her before. None of us were harmed. In fact, a sorceresswas in the process of healing her earlier today, but we were attacked before she was able to finish.
“Kahlan’s power won’t harm you. It’s not a danger for you to heal her. So, will you do it?”
Sammie pressed her lips tight. Her mouth contorted as she weighed her inner doubts. She finally nodded.
“I’ll try, Lord Rahl. I’ll do my best.”
“That’s all I can ask.”
Sammie squatted down beside Ester and leaned in over Kahlan. She turned her head to get a better view as she looked